VALDOSTA — Wild Adventures Theme Park will open for the 2017 season Saturday and guests can meet some new wildlife.

One male and one female pygmy marmoset has joined the Wild Adventures team as “ambassador animals.”

Ambassador animals are used in educational activities and at meet and greets at the park entrance.

Pygmy marmosets are native to South America, will grow to be about six inches and live approximately 14 years, said Chris Kilpatrick and Lisa Henderson, Wild Adventures zoo ops members.

The marmosets are unrelated and will potentially be mates once they reach sexual maturity at about 2 years old. Currently, both are only 3 months old.

Public Relations Manager Laurie Windham said there will be a contest on social media to name the marmosets.

Kirby the wallaby, a former ambassador animal, now has an enclosure with Khloe, a female wallaby that will hopefully be his mate.

Other animals with new enclosures include prairie dogs and fennec foxes. A toucan will also join the ambassador animal team.

Wild Adventures will kick off its season 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and be open Thursdays through Sundays.

Splash Island Water Park will open April 1, which is also the first concert of the season with country star John Michael Montgomery.

A full list of the park’s schedule and concert lineup can be found at wildadventures.com. 

Desiree Carver is Lifestyles Editor at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 375-5777.