Eighteen Detroit Zoo employees of the Detroit Zoo are on a cruise to Antarctica this week, most of which is being paid for by donors, The Detroit News reports.
The zoo is paying approximately $36,000 for airfare to reach Punta Arenas, Chile. CEO Ron Kagan and colleagues are joining 35 major donors on the voyage.Six employees originally were scheduled to go, but there were empty slots that donors didn't fill, Mike Martindale writes.
The zoo is completing work on the $29.5-million Polk Penguin Conservation Center. It's scheduled to open in April.
The voyage begins at King George Island near the Antarctic Circle. The voyage includes will include roughly a dozen stops along the Antarctic Peninsula to see wildlife such as penguins, whales and seals.
