TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As summer winds down in Tucson, families gathered at Reid Park Zoo for Summer Safari Night, a chance to explore the wilderness and make some furry exotic friends after dark.
Andrew and Karmae Hensler brought their daughter Lila to experience the beauty of nature right in the middle of Tucson. For Lila, who has been visiting the zoo since she was 6 months old, the night was full of excitement.
"Oh yeah, she loves coming to the zoo," Karmae Hensler said. "She gets to see them all at different stages of their lives."
One of the highlights of the night was feeding Lila's favorite animals, the giraffes.
"Lila got to feed them all four pieces of lettuce," Andrew Hensler said. "I'm sure she's going to love to see if there's anything new out or how they're going to be different tonight."
When the sun goes down and the desert cools off, the community gets the chance to make new furry friends at the safari. Cool games and food are available for families to enjoy the animals in their habitats.
For Molly and her son Miles, there was nowhere else they would rather be.
"It's wonderful," Molly said.
"I Just saw that they were doing these nighttime things, and it's way too hot for us to come during the day, So, I jumped on the opportunity, and it's so nice,"
Miles made a stop at the elephant habitat before heading off to see the monkeys.
"They're my favorite animal!" Miles said.
Raquel Esquibel, guest services lead at Reid Park Zoo, said the event brings out the best in everyone who attends.
"Almost everyone is always in a good mood when they come, so that's a really great change of pace from any job anyone's ever had," Esquibel said.
"It's really great to see kids happy, parents happy, families getting together, coming together to enjoy a free visit," Esquibel said.
While it was the last Safari Night of the summer, the memories families made together are timeless.
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
