Zoo Atlanta offering close encounters

Any zoo visitor knows that you can look, but you can’t touch.

That’s still true at Zoo Atlanta (and, presumably every other zoo in existence), but the Atlanta animal haven is allowing visitors to get a stronger whiff of some of their inhabitants through a couple of new additions.

The newly opened Twiga Terrace – “twiga” means giraffe in Swahili – is a 350-square-foot deck overlooking the African Plains habitat of the giraffes, zebras and ostriches.

From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. daily – weather permitting – guests can pay $3 for two pieces of romaine lettuce and hope that one of the zoos’ four giraffes feels like a snack.

“Most of us can’t go to Africa,” said Raymond King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta. “But we can connect you to wildlife beyond a sign that tells you where [the animal] is from and how much it weighs.”

Zoo personnel is adamant, though, that there is no guarantee that Glenda, Abu, Lily or Mona, the quartet of brown-and-white speckled Giraffa camelopardalis, will mosey over to say hello.

“Animal welfare drives everything we do,” King said. “Not every day might be a feeding day as anticipated.”

Indeed, during a media preview last week, only Abu, the father of Lily, deigned to saunter within a few feet of the $100,000 deck. He surveyed the group of about 40 people – four times the number that will normally be present on the terrace at the same time – who were excitedly waving their lettuce leaves, pondered coming closer, then turned and walked away.

Stacy Graison, vice-president of education at the zoo, reinforced the mindset that these are wild animals that set their own agenda.

“The animals get to choose what they want to do. The giraffes are still learning to get comfortable with coming over to other people,” she said.

The second program addition at Zoo Atlanta – which just celebrated its 123rd birthday – also involves a rendezvous with zoo creatures. But this one is a bit more specialized and slightly more than lunch money.

Wild Encounters will allow guests to spend 30-60 minutes behind-the-scenes with an elephant, Komodo dragon or giant panda – or all three, depending on the limit on your credit card – to feed them and gain insight about their lifestyle from zoo trainers.

Experiences with either Kelly or Tara, the zoo’s two elephants, or Slasher, the rather intimidating Komodo dragon, are available now (for $75 and $35, respectively).

The panda powwow, which might soon be as tough a ticket to get as “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway, will begin April 14 and cost $150.

The trifecta package is $185.

These particular animals were chosen, Graison said, with the thought of, “What can we do safely for the animals and what animals do people want to feed? Pandas and elephants are high-profile, but we might also try it with other species in the future.”

While the panda experience wasn’t available for the media preview, here’s what you can expect if you sign up to hang with the elephants or brave the Komodo dragon.

• Both Kelly and Tara are in the 7,500-pound range, so there is a reason the keepers will ask you to stand behind a yellow line until the elephant is sufficiently prepped (both girls will participate on separate occasions).

But soon enough you’ll step up to the fence behind the African elephants’ on-view habitat and spend time patting rough skin – likely coated with the burnt-orange clay they roll in to keep cool – examining leathery ears, which Kelly and Tara are trained to present for veterinary purposes, and proffering a food product – lettuce, apples and sweet potatoes are favorites – which the elephant will snuffle up through her trunk.

It’s a bit slimy, so hope that the keepers bring a stash of wet wipes.

Elephant encounters will take place daily at 1:30 p.m.

• A visit with Slasher, the 8-foot-long, 110-pound Komodo dragon, will definitely kick-start your adrenaline.

The nearly 20-year-old Indonesian lizard is a senior by lifespan standards (they typically live between 15 and 20 years), but isn’t anything less than feisty.

Visitors will get a close-enough look at his 60 teeth while feeding him thawed mice on a set of metal tongs; though since the Komodo diet also consists of rabbit, quail and hard-boiled chicken eggs, you never know what might be on the menu.

In the small backroom behind the Komodo exhibit, Slasher lumbers around the floor, his tongue darting out as he hungrily eyes the food about to be passed through the strong metal grate separating him from his visitors. The on-site keeper will explain how to properly send the tongs through and to tap on the grate to get Slasher’s attention – which never seemed to be an issue.

The Komodo experiences will take place Fridays-Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

Zoo president King also mentioned that there is a master plan to rebuild most of the property in coming years.

“As a community, we took our eye off the ball with the zoo in the 1980s,” he said. “We’re attempting to refresh people’s minds that we won’t let that happen again.”

If you go

Twiga Terrace is open daily from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Participation is first come, first served. Children of all ages can participate with adult supervision. Two pieces of romaine lettuce can be purchased on-site for $3.

Wild Encounters can be purchased in advance at www.zooatlanta.org or in person depending upon availability. Komodo dragon encounters take place Fridays-Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per guest. African elephant encounters are daily at 1:30 p.m. Cost is $75 per guest. Giant panda encounters run daily at 11 a.m. Cost is $150 per guest. All-inclusive packages are available Fridays-Sundays at 11 a.m. for $185 per guest. Children under 3 are free, but they are not permitted to feed the animals. Children 3-8 can feed with adult supervision and assistance.

Program prices do not include zoo admission, which is $20.99 (adults), $16.99 (seniors 65 and older) and $15.99 (children 3-11). Children under 3 are free.