[Columbia, SC] - Riverbanks Zoo and Garden's 3-D Adventure Theater will usher in guests for a brand new adventure this Memorial Day weekend when Wild Safari 3-D: A South African Adventure opens to the public.

"Viewing this film for the first time, I was impressed by just how real the whole thing felt," said Satch Krantz, executive director at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "You're rolling around in the back seat of a safari vehicle searching for some of Africa's most exciting wildlife and when the vehicle rolls to a stop, you really feel like you're in the middle of an entire herd of elephants."

The nWave film sends a strong message about the importance of conservation in the wild. Park rangers take viewers through the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, one of the oldest game reserves in South Africa located 280km north of Durban. The reserve is one of the conservancies in Africa credited with bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction through creating rhino sanctuaries where the animals are protected from game hunters.

"This isn't your typical 3-D movie. It's done in a documentary style and instead of watching animation pop off the screen at you, the animals themselves become three-dimensional. Nature's subtleties like dust blowing off the backs of the elephants or the jutting horn of the rhino makes you feel like you're truly on safari," Krantz said.

The 18-minute film will show once an hour on the half hour at the 3-D Adventure Theater starting Friday, in between showings of Riverbanks' long-term 3-D film, SOS Planet. Wild Safari 3-D will run through April 2007.

nWave Pictures is the world's leading producer and distributor of films for the motion simulator market and has been instrumental in bringing back the popularity of the 3-D cinema experience.

Riverbanks' 3-D Adventure Theater is open daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm and is located in the Zoo's Education Center. Tickets for 3-D shows are 3 Safari Bucks and can be purchased at any ticket window. For more information about Wild Safari 3-D go to www.riverbanks.org or call 803.779.8717.

[MOVIE GRAPHIC AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN MEDIA PHOTO BOX]