Woodland Park Zoo goes smoke-free

Woodland Park Zoo is going smoke-free. The new policy goes into effect Thursday and bans smoking on the zoo's grounds.

Smoking already was prohibited in zoo buildings and near animal exhibits.

"Providing a quality experience for our visitors is a priority for the zoo, and smoking on grounds has recently been the number one complaint," zoo President and CEO Deborah Jensen said in a news release. "Given the statewide public smoking ban in public areas and workplaces, we expect a positive reaction from the majority of our 1 million-plus visitors each year."

Fall-winter hours for the zoo are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through April 30. For more information, visit the zoo's Web site: www.zoo.org.