Schoenbrunn Zoo gets romantic

Romance will be in the air this Friday at Schoenbrunn Zoo as tickets for two are offered at a discount price and a special tour teaches visitors about the love lives of animals.

Pairs of tickets bought using the password ‘Valentines Day’ will be on offer for a total price of 15 Euros on Friday 14 February, making it a cheap but special trip for loved-up couples.

On the free ‘Love Lives of Animals’ tour on Friday, visitors can discover the more unusual ways animals attempt to romance the opposite sex, including the stinky approach taken by the ring-tailed lemur – according to the lemur book of romance, the smellier the tail the better the mate.

“The males rub their black and white tail with a strong smelling secretion from their scent glands and hold it under their opponents nose. Who stinks the most is allowed to make with the females,” according to Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter.

Other animals favour more traditional romance. Some birds species at the Zoo are monogamous, such as the Humboldt penguins who stay with their partner as long as it works for their young. Other birds snuggle together on branches, cooing to each other and preening their plumage.

The free tour starts at 14:00 on Friday and meets at the Tourist Centre near the Hietzing ticket office. For more information visit www.zoovienna.at