Preparations for Zoolights underway at the Phoenix Zoo

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - It may still be August, but the Phoenix Zoo has already started prepping for the 25th Anniversary of Zoolights.

Crews were out in the hot temperatures all last week to start putting up the millions of lights by wrapping the first of about 160 trees around the zoo.

They'll continue their work until everything's done around Halloween, but the planning started right after the Zoolights shut off in January.

It's a huge process to design the displays, analyze every single detail down to exactly where each of the millions of lights will be placed. Once it's all mapped out, a small team of five people spend three months installing the lights.

"Everything that's hung up, all of the armature, the sculptures that are put out, it's myself and that I have four guys," said Justin Davis, who's the supervisor of Zoolights. "Five people putting up millions and millions of lights. Yes, that's hard work. Yes, it's fun though, I mean, you get through the grind. You get instant gratification. When it's early morning, when we get in, I have a couple guys who get in late at night, you turn on the tree you've been working on for the last eight hours and there ya go."

You'll be able to see all of their hard work light up the zoo starting November 23rd.

New this year is a three-story holiday tree in Savanna Park, complete with more lights and ornaments at the Phoenix Zoo.

For more information on Zoolights, click here.