Prairie dogs call zoo home

PHILADELPHIA - June 8, 2008 The adult male is the guard dog and he has something very special under his watch: eleven new prairie pups.

The exhibit is special because prairie dogs are almost extinct.

The best times to see them are early morning and late afternoon. Otherwise, they'll probably be burrowed into their tunnels, which go as far underground as 10 feet.

But if you catch them out, you might hear them chatter or see them do that special prairie dog thing: kiss to greet!

And across from the prairie dogs, something else new: an interactive maze that teaches kids to appreciate the endangered rainforest.

The exhibit is hands on: You can figure out how far you could jump if you were a lemur and swing across bars like a monkey.

From the rainforest to the personable prairie dogs, there's a lot that news to discover at the zoo.