Scoop on Poop!
Through May 8, 2011, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Zoo Miami
12400 SW 152 Street
Miami, Fl 33175
www.zoomiami.org

The Scoop on Poop, a 5,000 square-foot traveling exhibition on what poop is and how animals and humans use it, opens for the second time in Florida and at Zoo Miami at Dr. Wilde’s World on January 22nd. The exhibition, based on the popular book with the same name by Dr. Wayne Lynch, treats the subject with a tactful blend of facts and fun with large colorful graphic panels, three dimensional models and interactive components. As the largest exhibition ever mounted on the science of what animals leave behind, it will open to the public everyday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Fish do it, frogs do it, pythons, birds and elephants do it, yet poop is one of those subjects people find difficult to talk about with a straight face. Kids, however, are positively fascinated by it, and poop is actually an interesting topic. Animals use poop to build homes, hide from enemies, attract mates, send messages, and cool off – some even eat it. Veterinarians, farmers, naturalists, paleontologists, Maasai tribesmen and power companies also use it. Poop is a scientific puzzle, that with a little detective work, can lead to important information about an animal.

“Kids and adults alike will learn a great deal and definitely get a good laugh from The Scoop on Poop exhibit. This subject can sometimes be a little ‘stinky’ to discuss, but the creators of this exhibit have done it very well,” said Cristina Heredia, Zoo Miami Exhibits Manager.

The Scoop on Poop, which made its FL debut fall of 2006 at Zoo Miami, invites visitors to listen in on an animal’s digestive system, learn the language of poop in countries around the world, examine fecal samples in a veterinarian’s lab, compete in dung beetle races, track wild animals by clues left in scat, see how long it takes an elephant to poop their body weight, improve their “number 2” IQ in stool school, and meet a dinosaur dung detective.

“We think kids will be excited to see this exhibit. They’re curious over subjects that are a little gross and not regularly discussed,” said Cristina Heredia, Zoo Miami Exhibits Manager.

The Scoop on Poop was created by the exhibits department of Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, a zoological institution accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association like Zoo Miami. Design and construction of the exhibition took over three years. Once the exhibit closes at Zoo Miami on May 8, 2011, its next stop will be the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA.