Contact: Laura Stegman
310/470-6321

Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Presents Los Angeles Premiere Screening of
"A Seal's Life: The Story of the Northern Elephant Seal"

Plus a Day of Crafts, Keeper Talks on Marine Mammals and Other Activities at Los Angeles Zoo's "Pinniped Party"

Saturday, January 12, 2008, 10am - 3:30pm

The Los Angeles premiere showing of "A Seal's Life: The Story of the Northern Elephant Seal" and a day of crafts, animal feedings, keeper talks and other activities are featured at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's PINNIPED PARTY on Saturday, January 12, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Zoo.  The celebration of northern elephant seals and other amazing pinnipeds ("winged feet" marine mammals) takes place to coincide with the time of year that elephant seals return to central California to breed.

"A Seal's Life" is written and directed by Drew Wharton, who speaks after both screenings of the film at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Zoo's Witherbee Auditorium.  Narrated by National Geographic explorer-in-residence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, the documentary details an extraordinary journey that takes place twice a year along the West Coast.  For months elephant seals remain at sea, swimming thousands of miles while diving relentlessly to unimaginable depths in search of food.  These remarkable creatures live a life of extremes and a never-ending struggle for survival, traveling nearly 10,000 miles in a year -- more than any other mammal on the planet.  Filming took over two years to complete and occurred at such locations as Ano Nuevo State Reserve, the Channel Islands, Point Reyes National Seashore and Isla de Guadalupe, Mexico.

Youngsters that day have the opportunity to dress up like sea lions to see how animals protect themselves against cold, discover blubber, get seal tattoos, participate in special animal feedings and keeper talks, and learn about California's delicate bio-diversity, among other activities.

The year 2007 marked more than four decades of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Associations' (GLAZA) success in supporting the Los Angeles Zoo's work as an educational resource for the citizens of Los Angeles, and as an international center for the conservation of endangered wildlife.  GLAZA provides support for Los Angeles Zoo exhibits, conservation, capital projects, education programs, community outreach, research, and more through fund-raising and an endowment, membership, special events and more.  GLAZA currently has 65,000 member households, the second largest non-profit organization membership in Los Angeles.  Many of its nearly 300,000 individual members have sustained their GLAZA support for more than 20 years.

The PINNIPED PARTY is free to Zoo visitors on January 12 (with paid admission) and to Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) members. 

For additional information, call Karen Loop at (323) 644-4705

###

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. The Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For general information, call 323/644-4200.