Latest news with #WildNights
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
CI Road Trip: Wildlife Prairie Park
HANNA CITY, Ill. (WMBD) — Chief Meteorologist Chris Yates was in Hanna City on Friday for our CI Road Trip. Chris was visiting Wildlife Prairie Park for its Wild Nights event. During the event, the park stays open until 8:30 p.m. every Friday in June, July and August. Some of the extra events that will be happening at the park will include the 2025 Wildfire Concert series and the Jr. Naturalist Classes. While learning about the event, Chris got to watch some wolves beat the heat with a blood popsicle. He also got to visit with a western hog-nosed snake. More information is available on the Wildlife Prairie Park website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wildlife Prairie Park prepares for Wild Nights events series
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — With kids out of school and warmer weather on its way, Wildlife Prairie Park in Hanna City is preparing a number of events for people of all ages to have fun while experiencing nature. Winter Katterhenry, the park's education lead and animal keeper, stopped by WMBD This Morning to tell our Shabnam Danesh about everything the park has in store for the month of June. The biggest event the park is putting on is actually a weekly series called Wild Nights. Every Friday between now and September, the park will stay open late, with special events aimed at a variety of age groups. For kids aged 7 to 12, there are the JR Naturist classes. These will cover a number of topics like bird watching, identifying different types of trees, and learning about invasive species. Starting at 9 p.m., the park will offer Night Hikes, which offer a new look at familiar trails and habitats. Some hikes also have unique themes, like guided meditations and a 'haunted' hike in September ahead of Halloween. And for adults, the park will hold 'Critters and Cocktails' events starting on June 20. Guests will be able to mix drinks based on animals at the park, and will receive Wildlife Prairie Park branded shot glasses as a souvenir. Starting on June 13, the park is inviting area bands to play music as part of their Wildfire Concerts series. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy bands like Semi-Sweet and Kasino. Wild Nights kicks off on Friday, June 6. Registration for the different events can be found at Love WMBD This Morning? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our Daily Newsletter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Age
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
After last year's drone show disaster, is a scaled-back Vivid working?
That brings us to 2025, and the festival feels scaled back. The drone show was scrapped, citing safety risks and increasing costs. The usual suspects – Customs House and the Opera House – are all lit up, but there are fewer installations at Circular Quay and the Rocks than in previous years. While there are more individual light installations across the city than there were last year, there is no Royal Botanic Garden activation and no Wynyard Tunnel event. Light displays now have free entry in 75 per cent of cases, but the light walk – which previously stretched from Circular Quay to Central – is split across smaller precincts around the city, including Martin Place and the Goods Line. 'When people think of Vivid, they think of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – when they get there, they aren't expecting most of the stuff to be somewhere else,' said John Gilly, who has covered the festival on his blog, Sydney Spectaculars, since 2014. 'The precincts have spread everything out … which is why people may think it's not as entertaining as in the past, but the main stuff is still there.' This isn't the first time the festival has been split up. Over the years there have been activations in Kings Cross and Chatswood, as well as the Wild Nights display at Taronga Zoo. While the strategy means visitors to Circular Quay are seeing fewer installations, many view this as the best way forward for Vivid. 'It's more spread out – and that's a good thing,' said Business Sydney's Paul Nicolau. 'We should be highlighting not just the harbour but all the other places, like Martin Place and the Goods Line. I think we should expand it, we should look out to other areas like Parramatta Road and Victoria Road.' Getting tourists out to Sydney's decrepit arterial roads might be a stretch, but Parramatta Mayor Martin Zaiter is at a loss as to why Sydney's famous winter festival doesn't extend to its growing second CBD. 'Parramatta Square and our beautiful town hall, that's where old meets the new,' Zaiter said. 'Parramatta Park, Old Government House, definitely there are those options for Vivid to expand to. 'It's a no-brainer.' While the light pillar of the festival may be missing a headline event this year, Tourism Minister Stephen Kamper said the food, including the fire kitchen at the Goods Line, has been a major motivator for visitors. 'Saturday night alone saw a record-breaking 51,169 diners at restaurants across the Vivid Sydney zones – the highest ever for a single night in the event's history,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
After last year's drone show disaster, is a scaled-back Vivid working?
That brings us to 2025, and the festival feels scaled back. The drone show was scrapped, citing safety risks and increasing costs. The usual suspects – Customs House and the Opera House – are all lit up, but there are fewer installations at Circular Quay and the Rocks than in previous years. While there are more individual light installations across the city than there were last year, there is no Royal Botanic Garden activation and no Wynyard Tunnel event. Light displays now have free entry in 75 per cent of cases, but the light walk – which previously stretched from Circular Quay to Central – is split across smaller precincts around the city, including Martin Place and the Goods Line. 'When people think of Vivid, they think of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – when they get there, they aren't expecting most of the stuff to be somewhere else,' said John Gilly, who has covered the festival on his blog, Sydney Spectaculars, since 2014. 'The precincts have spread everything out … which is why people may think it's not as entertaining as in the past, but the main stuff is still there.' This isn't the first time the festival has been split up. Over the years there have been activations in Kings Cross and Chatswood, as well as the Wild Nights display at Taronga Zoo. While the strategy means visitors to Circular Quay are seeing fewer installations, many view this as the best way forward for Vivid. 'It's more spread out – and that's a good thing,' said Business Sydney's Paul Nicolau. 'We should be highlighting not just the harbour but all the other places, like Martin Place and the Goods Line. I think we should expand it, we should look out to other areas like Parramatta Road and Victoria Road.' Getting tourists out to Sydney's decrepit arterial roads might be a stretch, but Parramatta Mayor Martin Zaiter is at a loss as to why Sydney's famous winter festival doesn't extend to its growing second CBD. 'Parramatta Square and our beautiful town hall, that's where old meets the new,' Zaiter said. 'Parramatta Park, Old Government House, definitely there are those options for Vivid to expand to. 'It's a no-brainer.' While the light pillar of the festival may be missing a headline event this year, Tourism Minister Stephen Kamper said the food, including the fire kitchen at the Goods Line, has been a major motivator for visitors. 'Saturday night alone saw a record-breaking 51,169 diners at restaurants across the Vivid Sydney zones – the highest ever for a single night in the event's history,' he said.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Western lowland gorilla ‘Nyati' dies at St. Paul's Como Zoo
A western lowland gorilla 'Nyati' born at Como Zoo in October 2017 has died, according to zoo officials. Nyati was euthanized on Tuesday following what zoo officials say was 'a significant decline in her quality of life due to long-term neurological complications.' The gorilla's medical issues started in 2020 with a diagnosis of Baylisascaris procyonis — a parasitic infection likely contracted at a young age. It was successfully treated but the parasite caused permanent brain lesions leading to gradual degeneration that affected her coordination, mobility, and motor skills. For the last five years, veterinary and animal care staff at the zoo provided the gorilla with support such as medications, physical therapy, environmental modifications, and consultations with specialists. 'Nyati was deeply loved, not just by her care team, but by everyone who came to know her,' said Wes Sims, director of Animal Care and Health at Como Zoo, in a statement. 'Her life was shaped by medical challenges, but also by resilience, thoughtful care, and compassion. The decision to let her go was extremely difficult, but it was the most humane option for her.' Nyati was a member of Como Zoo's family troop of western lowland gorillas. She was the daughter of Schroeder and Alice, and lived alongside her parents and fellow troop members. Western lowland gorillas originate in central and western Africa and are critically endangered. In the wild, they face threats such as habitat loss, poaching, and disease outbreaks. Como Park Zoo visitors witness birth of baby sloth Cloud Cult, the Cactus Blossoms and Nur-D to headline the Minnesota Zoo's Wild Nights Vulnerable animals find new homes after Roseville aquarium closure Name a Bug fundraiser turns political — and profitable — for the Minnesota Zoo
