Tacoma’s summer heat can make for a pretty funky monkey.  Bears, especially the polar variety, don’t have it easy â€" and neither do elephants. Somehow, like the rest of us here in the South Sound, zoo critters find ways of coping with the high temperatures.
But that’s over.  The sun is racing south.  And there isn’t a better time to race to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to witness the animals converting energy once used to stay cool to jump up and down like animals.

If that doesn’t light a fire under your feet, today Tacoma residents can get in free.  The free day is a “thank you” to Tacoma voters, who in 1999 approved a $35 million bond issue for zoo improvements.  To qualify for free admission on Sept. 17, visitors must reside within Tacoma city limits and bring proof of residency.  â€" Suzy Stump