The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s annual fundraising event, “Wine for Wildlife,” begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3

This year, one of the live auction items will include the naming rights of one of the African lion cubs recently born at the zoo, officials said.

Wine for Wildlife combines unique adult beverages with opportunities to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences – and all the proceeds go toward the Powell zoo’s conservation partners and projects around the world.

Wine for Wildlife begins at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction of about 150 items, followed by a program and dinner. The live auction, beginning at 7:45 p.m., gives guests the opportunity to bid on dozens of experiences – including spending a day with a Columbus Zoo keeper, training a giraffe in the Heart of Africa region, dining with the tigers or polar bears at the zoo, enjoying VIP passes to the Columbus Blue Jackets, participating in the Harley-Davidson riding academy in Florida, and taking home assortments of wine.

This year’s featured “Fund-A-Need” project supports the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, which aims to protect this species’ plummeting population. In addition to this highlighted cause, about 70 projects spanning 30 countries also benefit from Wine for Wildlife contributions.

For more information, visit ColumbusZoo.org’s calendar page.

The event is sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.