petting zoo in addition to traditional zoo exhibits. It is home to North American river otters, eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys, binturong, crested porcupine, and scarlet macaws. Nearby attractions include the Engelbrecht Carousel a budgerigar aviary, a Müller's gibbon exhibit and seasonal exhibits for tortoises. Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is home to wild resident and migrating birds, as well as turtles and fish. Visitors can walk along two sides of the lake, or rent paddle boats to explore the lake during warmer months. This is the largest lake in the zoo, and is the feature around which the zoo was built. African Panorama African Panorama is a set of enclosures built around a large, open African savanna exhibit, with observation platforms at the top of the hill, or a trail visitors can use at the bottom. The main exhibit features Abyssinian ground hornbills, ostriches, greater kudu and sitatunga. A smaller exhibit feature a giant anteater and Patagonian mara. Botanical features In addition to the live plants inside Amazonia, the grounds of the Mesker Park Zoo feature several gardens designed for guest experience, as well as plants specifically cultivated for zoo animal consumption. Zookeepers harvest these plants throughout the year as part of their animals' diets. Each year, in February, a variety of orchids line the Amazonia exhibit as part of the Orchid Escape event. There is also a plant sale fundraiser in the spring, where guests can purchase young specimens of plants seen throughout the zoo. Additional attractions and programs The zoo also contains a playground, cafe, gift shop, and tram. The zoo also provides a wide variety of programming, from birthday parties to summer camps to outreach programs, as well as teen and adult volunteer opportunities. Conservation Many of the animals at the zoo are part of breeding programs organized by the AZA and the zoo is therefore recommended to breed (or not breed) its animals in accordance with those programs. Some recent births include Francois' langur, sitatunga, takin, African crested porcupine, colobus monkey, and lesser tenrec. Mesker Park Zoo houses Mexican gray wolves, a critically endangered animal, and works with United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of their recovery plan for this species. The zoo participates in cross-fostering, which involves producing litters of pups in captivity that are reintroduced into wild packs to bolster the species' wild gene pool and increase the wild population. The zoo is