GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Are you worried about going the next four months without seeing the animals at John Ball Zoo? Well, you’re not alone and the zoo knows that.

That’s why the zoo in Grand Rapids has opened up Close Encounters experiences for guests to hold them over until it reopens next spring.

With the help of zoo staff, those who participate in the experiences will get a behind-the-scenes look at select animals and may have a chance to interact or even feed them. The program is designed to give guests even more educational resources for their favorite animals.

“You might love sloths but have you learned as much about them as you can? You might love red pandas, but have you gotten to participate in a training session with them?” Enya DeFeijter, an educator at the zoo, said. “It really gives you that up-close-and-personal chance to be inspired even more so than you would if you saw them on a documentary or even the other side of the glass here.”

During some experiences, you will be able to feed the animals but it is entirely dependent on the animals’ behavior that day. Zoo officials are aware of that possibility and have ways to make each experience engaging no matter how close guests can get.

Close Encounters tickets range from $50 to $500. Some of the animals you can meet include penguins, pygmy hippos, red pandas and the zoo’s two-toed sloth.

For more information on each experience or to sign up, click here.