What:
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Jeff Nelson will be at Woodland Park Zoo to provide an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity for Seattle residents Rhonda and Larry Nelsen. The lucky couple won the highest bid at the zoo’s Jungle Party auction to join Nelson as a zookeeper pitches treats to the zoo’s pair of 9-year-old male grizzlies. Nelson is the all-time leader in games pitched in Mariners history.

Jungle Party, the zoo’s premier fundraiser, was held two weeks ago and exceeded its fundraising goal by raising more than $1.1 million to support the zoo’s animal care and conservation and education programs. Seattle Mariners generously donated the Jeff Nelson experience to the auction extravaganza.

When:
Thursday, July 24, noon-12:30 p.m.

Where:
Grizzlies are located in Woodland Park Zoo’s Northern Trail exhibit. Please enter through the North Gate off N. 59th St. & Phinney Ave. N. You can proceed to the exhibit on your own or wait to be escorted.

Other:
Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Mariners team up for “Woodland Park Zoo’s Back to School Folder Night” promotion at the August 29 game against Baltimore Orioles. The first 15,000 kids to walk through the gates of Safeco field shall receive a free folder.

The grizzly, American brown and Kodiak are each a subspecies of brown bear. The North American populations of brown bears living in the interior portion of the continent are referred to as grizzly bears. This distinguishes them from brown bears living on the coastal areas of Alaska.

The zoo’s award-winning Northern Trail features animals and plants adaptable to the cold, rugged regions of the far north. Along with the grizzlies, visitors can enjoy river otters, gray wolves, bald eagles, elk and mountain goats.

For information about the zoo, call 206.684.4800 or visit www.zoo.org. For information about Seattle Mariners, call Rebecca Hale at 206.346.4324.