NEW YORK – The Bronx Zoo had its first ever float Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024. It is a huge swimmer But it’s the little details that make it special.

The The Bronx Zoo is 125 years oldand more than 11,000 different species are native there.

“Our actual birthday was November 8, 1899. We celebrated all year long and it’s really exciting that we can continue that celebration with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Meghann Kelley of the zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Society.

Kelley said they worked closely with designers and engineers at Macy’s Studios to create the float entitled “Wonderful World of Wildlife”.

“The float is huge. It consists of three different sections, three different biomes. We have life-sized animals there,” she explained.

Macy’s Studios creative director Brendan Kennedy said the animals on the float were designed to look like the real animals that live at the zoo, including one that looks like Julia the gorilla, who has visited the zoo since the 1970s 1980s calls her home.

“Our amazing team of sculptors and painters lovingly crafted her to look very much like Julia to tell this story,” he said.

The float is all about the animals, but there were people on board too made his way through the streets of Manhattan.

“We’re going to have Idina Menzel perform on our float and we’re also going to have costumed people walking with it, which I think will be a big surprise,” Kelley said.

The Bronx Zoo will participate in the parade for three years, ending in 2026 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.