NEW AT THE ZOO: Check out a new techy way to explore the zoo with Wildlife Explorer Quest by TRAKID

NEW AT THE ZOO!

Wildlife Explorer Quest

by Laura Byrne

ZooTampa has a new Johanna Sanchez with sons Xander and Zac, 4 way to teach empathy and connect your children to animals through a medium kids know best—technology! Wildlife Explorer Quest by TRAKID is an app that connects with a Smart Compass watch. You can pick up at Guest Services to upgrade your day. It’s essentially a digital scavenger hunt that will teach you and your child fun facts about the animals as the Smart Compass guides you through the zoo. We tried it out with Johanna Sanchez, founder of @localmombox, mom of three and a former teacher.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE ZOO

Visit zootampa.org and head to the Upgrade Your Day section to rent your Smart Compass watch in advance. It’s $9.99 for ZooTampa members and $11.99 for non-members. You can also book one on the day of your visit at guest services. You’ll also want to download the TRAKID app, which is available on Android and iOS devices, to help speed up the process.

WHEN YOU GET THE ZOO

Head over to the guest services kiosk to the right of Manatee Circle when you first walk in. This is where you will pick up the Smart Compass and pair it with the TRAKID app to get the game started.

Once activated, follow the instructions on the app. See which direction the LED lights on the Smart Compass are pointing you and head that way.

photo provided by ZooTampa

ON THE QUEST!

Because the entire park is geo-mapped, the Smart Compass will point you in the direction of the animal you’re closest to and beep to alert you when you’ve reached your destination.

Remember, Wildlife Explorer Quest is...a quest! It’s an interactive game, so at each animal exhibit, the app will ask questions to teach you some fascinating facts about the animals. At the Sulawesi Babirusa exhibit, for example, you might learn that the wild relative of the pig is nocturnal and that warty pigs have very active social lives, living in family groups of up to 12. You can earn badges on the app as you continue the quest.

Anna Torres, head of customer success with TRAKID, tells us it is important that kids are learning as they play. It was the reason the program was developed in conjunction with ZooTampa.

“ZooTampa has so many great conservation efforts that they actively support,” Torres says. “Bringing that knowledge and awareness to their guests and the entire zoo industry is something we really wanted to do.”

Sanchez loved that her boys got excited as they worked their way to each new exhibit on their quest.

“This has great content for kids,” Sanchez said. “It’s interactive. There are questions you can ask the kids at each animal exhibit and what’s also great, it keeps the kids moving and going.”

Factoring in snack and bathroom breaks, the quest will take about three hours to complete. Once you’ve completed the mission, be sure to return the Smart Compass to guest services. It’s just a rental, but the memories and new appreciation for the Zoo and its animals? That you can keep forever.