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Pittsburgh Zoo Reaches 1 Millionth Milestone Again

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Dec 27, 2008 7:25 pm US/Eastern

Pittsburgh Zoo Reaches 1 Millionth Milestone Again

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has welcomed it's one millionth visitor.

Earlier today, Jackie Ledbetter, her husband, Jeff, and their young son, Adam, walked through the gates of the zoo and got one big surprise.

Ledbetter says she and her family visit the zoo about five or six times a year and decided to make a visit today because of the unseasonably nice weather.

"Anytime it's nice out, that's the first thing I say, 'Let's go to the zoo,'" she said.

Ledbetter said she is very excited and it makes a very nice Christmas present, but she was definitely not expecting it.

"[I'm] not usually very lucky," she added.

The zoo's millionth visitor gets a lifetime zoo membership, a $500 shopping spree in the gift shops and a behind the scenes tour of the facility.

Zoo officials say in 2007, the opening of the Water's Edge exhibit helped to put them over the top, and this year they say their baby boom helped them reach the milestone once again. This year the zoo welcomed two baby elephants, a tiger cub and baby beavers.

"This is incredibly exciting for the zoo because last year we did a million visitors with our new polar bear exhibit, but we had no idea we were gonna do a million again this year, said the zoo's Dr. Barbara Baker. "It really speaks to how great the Pittsburgh community is and the Pittsburgh region. We're very excited that it's someone from our own region."

Now, Ledbetter can visit her favorite animals, the orangutans, more often. 


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