Before the Super Bowl...

Here at the Night & Day Center for Advanced Scientific Research, we often theorize that the real reason for animal extinction is not poaching, overfishing or deforestation, but something far more insidious: gingivitis. Seriously. Watch Animal Planet, and keep track of how often a lion, after peeling itself off of a gazelle carcass, reaches for dental floss. Fortunately, Delta Dental of Missouri is sponsoring Winter Zoo, which happens every Sunday in February from noon to 3 p.m. in the Living World at the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park (314-781-0900 or www.stlzoo.org). Children ages two to ten (and, hopefully, those lions) can enjoy a lesson on proper dental care from Delta Dental's Tooth Wizard and his assistant, P.A.N.D.A. There are also activities, including a practical symposium on how to walk like a chimpanzee, and an opportunity to learn how the zoo cares for the American burying beetle (pictured). Admission to Winter Zoo is free, but children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sundays. Starts: Feb. 5. Continues through Feb. 26