Hattiesburg Zoo set to host annual ‘Eggz-otic Egg Hunt’

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - On Saturday, April 8, the Hattiesburg Zoo is set to host its annual “Eggz-otic Egg Hunt.”

Officials said this egg hunt is not your average, run-of-the-mill, hide-and-go-seek egg grab. Participants will need to bring their “eggz-tra” special hunting skills to find one of the 250 well-hidden eggs.

Annual pass holders will be given entrance to the zoo 15 minutes before the gates open for the official egg hunt time of 10 a.m. The egg hunt will end when the last egg is found or by 4 p.m.

Every egg comes with a prize, but every person is not guaranteed to find an egg. In an effort to give more people a chance to find an egg, a maximum of two eggs can be “found” per family.

“At our first egg hunt several years ago, we hid 50 eggs,” said Demetric Kelly, director of guest services and retail. “Over the years, we have increased that number, and this year, we are upping that number from 200 eggs hidden last year to 250 this year.”

New this year is a silent auction, which will feature 24 creatively decorated ostrich eggs. Each “eggz-travagant” egg was donated by Hattiesburg Zoo resident, Twigs, and decorated by one of 28 local artists.

These “eggz-otic” creations were featured during the month of March in the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum.

The silent auction will be held in the Asbury Discovery Center from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. All proceeds from selling the ostrich eggs will benefit the Hattiesburg Zoo’s conservation efforts.

“Our Eggz-otic Egg Hunt is always fun for the whole family and where we see people’s competitive spirit really shine,” Kelly said. “Our staff has a great time hiding the eggs, and they love watching both kids and adults hunting for them.”

The Easter Bunny will be hopping through the zoo to welcome guests and will be available for photos.

Face painting will also be offered at the Lakeview Pavilion for an additional fee.

Zoo admission prices for this special event will be $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 12 and under. Annual Passes may be used for this event.

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