PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Zoo will be hoppin’ busy on Saturday, March 22, for the annual Rabbit Romp.

Oregon Zoo photo

A bunny at the Oregon Zoo.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free with regular zoo admission.

Rabbit Romp features egg hunts every 20 minutes throughout the morning.

Children ages 3 to 10 are divided into age groups and challenged to find candy eggs and prizes. Toddlers 2 and under can participate in a candy hunt organized especially for them. Rabbit Romp festivities also include a petting zoo, games and photo opportunities.

During their egg hunts, Rabbit Rompers may enter to win a chance to scatter treats such as apples and yams in the elephant yard for the giant pachyderms to find during their own "egg" hunt.

Sea otters and other animals also receive egg-themed enrichment, and -- continuing its Year of the Polar Bear celebration -- the zoo will host special polar bear activities as well. The bears receive plastic boomer balls to play with, while keepers describe how climate change is affecting polar bears in the wild.

The Oregon Zoo Store offers kids an opportunity to purchase and create their own furry animal friends at "Animaland." Kids can dress their newly created plush toys in special commemorative Rabbit Romp T-shirts. The store also has a great selection of animal-themed Easter baskets and plush rabbits.

There is also a more serious reason behind the Rabbit Romp; it focuses attention on the threatened Washington pygmy rabbits.

In 2002, following a steady population decline, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife enacted an emergency recovery program after finding fewer than 20 rabbits in the entire state. Since then, the Oregon Zoo has successfully bred and released these rabbits into the wild, helping bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Visitors can learn about the plight of Washington pygmy rabbits at an informational booth.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238 RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.