By Mike Fossano

Visitors to the Detroit Zoo can take a chilly wild ride with penguins or outrun African wild dogs with two new films now showing at the Wild Adventure Ride and Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater in the Ford Education Center.

In “Happy Feet: Mumble’s Wild Ride,” Mumble and his penguin friends race down the frozen cliffs of Antarctica, until they come face to face with the villainous Leopard Seal. The action-packed wild ride has a happy ending and promises to be great experience for the entire family.

“Great Escapes: Life in 4-D” takes a never-before-seen look at the clever tactics animals have developed to survive and thrive in a danger-filled world. The 12-minute film from the award-winning “Planet Earth” series captures sequences in digital 3-D with 4-D special effects that bring viewers right into the action.

Also, back for a return engagement at the Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater is “Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure,” a family-friendly film based on Nickelodeon’s two hit animated preschool series “Dora the Explorer” and “Go, Diego, Go!”

All three films are produced by SimEx-Iwerks, an entertainment company specializing in 3-D/4-D cinematic experiences.

Guests must be at least 36 inches tall to partake in the 30-seat Wild Adventure Ride.

The 126-seat Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater features a variety of sensory effects such as mist, scents, back pokers, leg ticklers and seat vibrations. Some 4-D effects may be too intense for children 5 and under; parental discretion is advised.

Tickets for both the Wild Adventure Ride and the Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater are $5 with Zoo admission and are available at the main gate, the theater ticket booths or online.

For more information and movie times, visit www.detroitzoo.org.