Weekend Excursion

As summer draws to a close, so does the baby season at the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. If cute little animals are your thing, this weekend may be one of your last chances to see the city's latest crop of Grevy's zebras, Italian rhinos, white-naped cranes, and gorillas before they're all grown up.

Iliana Bouzali/YH

But while Bronx Zoo staffers are expecting a new batch of zebras and gorillas this fall, all of which are sure to be crowd-pleasing attractions, the city's most exciting new baby lives at the New York Aquarium on Coney Island. The still unnamed endangered northern fur seal pup was born Sun., Jul. 22, and is currently sitting with its mother, 11-year-old Roxie, on the rocks of the aquarium's Sea Cliff exhibit, a 300-foot-long re-creation of the rocky Pacific coast. It's still too early for the pup to swim or feed on its own. In fact, it's so young that zoo officials have yet to determine its gender.

If furry babies aren't your thing, but the saving the rainforest is, be sure to check out the Congo Gorilla Forest at the Bronx Zoo. This 6.5-acre park is modeled after an African rainforest and is home to 400 animals from 55 different species. The park is part of the zoo's specialized design program, kicked off in 1963 to re-create the natural habitats of its residents. Your $3 entry fee to the Congo Gorilla Forest goes directly to the Wildlife Conservation Society project of your choice. —Katherine Hill

The Bronx Zoo is located at Fordham Rd. and the Bronx River Pkwy. in the Bronx, N.Y. It is open Mon. to Fri., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for children and senior citizens. For more information, call (718) 367-1010 or visit http://wcs.org/home/zoos/bronxzoo. The New York Aquarium is located at Surf Ave. and West 8th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. to Fri. and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. For more information, call (718) 265-FISH or visit http://wcs.org/home/zoos/nyaquarium.

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