ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo attracted
1,478,760 visitors by Oct. 31, according to spokeswoman Patricia Janeway, exceeding
last year’s record by 2,400 visitors.

Six months after Director Ron Kagan opened
the new $30-million Polk Penguin Conservation Center, the number of visitors
increased. The center is known as the world’s largest captive habitat for
penguins.

Janeway said last year’s record beat
1997’s by more than a 100,000. She added that this is the 11th consecutive year
that the zoo, which is located two miles north of Detroit,  received more than 1 million visitors.

This week, Kagan said he is grateful
for metro Detroit’s support. He said visitors have shown their admiration for
the zoo, “not only with their feet by walking our 125 acres, but also with
their votes on the millage renewal in August.”

The aquarium has a 25-foot-deep diving
well that allows attendees to watch more than 80 penguins through floor-to-ceiling
glass walls swim in their new habitat.

Zoo officials said they believe the
attendance will increase to 1.7 million by the end of the year.

Janeway added that the Detroit Zoo is
expected to turn on its Wild Lights show — an annual holiday show of 5 million
LED lights all over the zoo — on Nov. 8, which means. “strong visitation is
expected to continue.”