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Kansas City Zoo shatters attendance record in 2016

Posted at 4:10 PM, Nov 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-04 18:20:46-04

The Kansas City Zoo is seeing record-breaking numbers in 2016, and there are still two more months to go.

A total of 951,151 people have visited so far in 2016.

“Our crowds have been wild, what can I tell ya,” Kansas City Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff said. “It's been a great year at the zoo.”

The zoo has already beat last year’s record of 911,336.

“We've joined forces with Visit KC; we're one of their premiere partners,” Wisthoff said. “We're doing more advertising in Des Moines and Omaha and Springfield." 

Wisthoff said there’s also been more of an emphasis on social media marketing.

New exhibits, like the koalas, also show to be a big hit with visitors.

“We were looking on the Internet about the koalas so we had to come see them before they leave,” visitor Tiffany McMillin said. “I've just never seen them in real life; they're so cute.”

“They've added things that we haven't gotten to see in the past, so it's really great,” longtime Kansas City Zoo visitor Ann Chambers said.

“The way that the Kansas City Zoo is, it's very open and it allows a lot of space for the animals and there's always new things and especially the weather," visitor Hannah Abke said.

“Zoos are magical places,” Wisthoff said. “I think as we add and improve the zoo facilities and animals. I think that just hopefully getting more in the zoo state of mind.”

Wisthoff said with two months left to go, the zoo hopes to get its one millionth visitor before the New Year, with a prize of a 2017 FOTZ membership and a "penguin ice shelf experience."

The two koalas are only going to be at the Kansas City Zoo for a short time, until November 30. Then the koalas will head back to San Diego. For more information on the Koala Exhibit, click here.

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Rae Daniel can be reached at Rae.Daniel@KSHB.com.

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