ASHEBORO -- Boosted by a mild February and popular seasonal offerings such as Zoofari and Air Hike Ropes Course, the North Carolina Zoo established a new attendance record in 2017 as 860,148 guests came through its gates.

The previous mark was 840,410, set in 1994. The Zoo, which opened in 1974, began tracking attendance in 1981. The calendar-year mark for 2017 represents a 7.9 percent increase from 2016, when 797,159 guests were welcomed.

“We’re thrilled that more visitors than ever enjoyed all that this wonderful Park offers,” says Pat Simmons, the Zoo’s executive director. “Never have guests had so many things to see and do, whether they were only able to visit for a few hours or fortunate enough to stay a few days.”

The Zoo also set a single-day attendance mark on April 15, when 15,250 guests celebrated Good Friday as a perfect kickoff to the Easter weekend.

In addition to Zoofari and Air Hike, a much-talked about new opportunity in 2017 was Dragonfly Paddle Boats, where guests experienced the Zoo’s scenic North America Lake as never before in an immersive paddle boat experience. All three offerings will return this April and will be available daily through October.