America’s Teaching Zoo is inviting guests to celebrate the fifth annual “Rendezvous at the Zoo” on Oct. 13 with a silent auction while also enjoying wine and tours of the zoo.

Event coordinator Mara Rodriguez highlights the silent auction as one major aspect of this yearly event.

“Silent auctions give guests the opportunity to bid and outbid each other on some fabulous prizes,” Rodriguez said.

Among the many prizes for auction is a meeting with a cheetah at the San Diego Safari Park.

Giving a unique experience to the guests is not the only goal of the zoo, it’s also to improve housing and care for the animals, and this event is specifically designed to raise funds from the tickets and auction to do just that.

“The [money raised] is going to be used to hopefully bring us closer to complete the big cat exhibit that will cost us about $4.5 million,” Rodriguez said. “It’s amazing. We are talking about really improving this place.”

This new structure will give housing to big cats, allow animals to have bigger enclosures, and create a new amphitheater where guests can go to see and hear wildlife presentations, Rodriguez explained.

There will also be special guests attending this rendezvous such as Dr. Laurie Marker, founder and director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, and Dr. Kim Hoffmans, vice president of Ventura College and founder of “Rendezvous at the Zoo.”

The event starts at 5:15 p.m. In order to attend the event, guests must be 21 years and over. Tickets will be available online at the zoo’s website for $55 until Oct. 12 or $70 at the door on the day of the event.