12 • May 22-23, 2020 LOCAL Special to Branson Globe SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium today announced plans to reopen to in the coming days after being closed over two months. The world-class conservation attraction is implementing a number of new standard operating procedures based on best practices from aquarium industry leaders and public health officials in compliance with city guidelines. Limits on daily attendance and new timed-entry reservations for guests and members will allow for social distancing and enhanced surface cleaning efforts throughout the facility to ensure the health and safety of every guest, team member and animal in its care. “We’re excited to welcome visitors back to Wonders of Wildlife to share the wonder of the natural world and bring some much-needed happiness to our community and our nation,” Bryan Nadeau, Vice President of Conservation Attractions at the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation. “We’re grateful to our passionate animal care team for continuing to provide excellent care for our 35,000 live animals throughout the closure. From our back-ofbransonglobe.com Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium plans reopening house facilities to our enclosures and habitats, Wonders of Wildlife already provides the highest standard of care to protect the health and well-being of our wildlife every day, and our entire team has been working tirelessly to ensure we are ready to apply that same standard of excellence to safely accommodate guests under new operating guidelines.” Specific new procedures at Wonders of Wildlife include: Social distancing: • Limiting guest attendance at any one time through timed-entry ticketing • Requiring six feet of distance between tables and limiting parties to 10 or fewer • Adding clear “sneeze guard” shields at all guest service locations Housekeeping and sanitization: • Installing additional sanitization stations throughout The stunning exhibits at Wonders of Wildlife will reopen to the public with safety precautions in place. (Special to Branson Globe) the attraction for guests and team members • Sanitizing all common areas and hard surfaces with deep-cleaning disinfectants nightly and throughout the day • Providing all team members with personal protective equipment, including voluntary face coverings, and responsibly practicing strong personal hygiene Additional Modifications: • Expanding operating hours to 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily to allow for social distancing • Modifying interactive experiences and exhibits such as theaters, the Stingray Touch Pool, Sketch Aquarium, and Penguin Encounter to allow for proper social distancing; Shark Dive will open June 1st with extra sanitation precautions including equipment sterilization • Temporarily closing confined spaces such as pop up bubbles and the swinging bridge A complete list of all health and safety measures can be found at www.wondersofwildlife.org. hand
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