Behind the Scenes with Ghost Hunters in Philadelphia

Lions and tigers and scares... oh my! For tonight's episode (9/8c, Syfy), Ghost Hunters heads to the Philadelphia Zoo to see if there's something even wilder than critters residing in the 42-acre landmark. "This is our first chance to investigate a zoo," says TAPS' lead investigator Jason Hawes. "And to do it at the first zoo in America is great." Still, the site's history had Hawes' partner-in-paranormality Grant Wilson feeling a little cagey. "It's supposedly a Native American burial ground. William Penn's grandson had a house here, it's been a zoo forever...it could be totally different hauntings than we're used to."

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Investigator Britt Griffith powwows with Wilson and Hawes to map out the night's locations, which include a grassy knoll where spotting a ghostly Native American won't be their only problem. "We've never been in an area where we don't know what sounds are gonna come out," says Wilson. "We might hear a bear. We might hear [birds]. So we have to pay really attention to the audio."Before the investigation begins, Griffith goes over each group's assignment from a central location (aka, the team's van). The key to rattling ghosts into activity? "Treat them with respect," urges Hawes. "They're just people. They had families, they had lives. So you go in there, be honest with them, tell them what you're doing. You just talk to them.""Paranormal investigating is possibly one of the most boring hobbies a person can have," quips Amy Bruni as she fires up an infrared-equipped DV recorder for a long night of waiting and watching. "It looks really exciting on the show because we go to the best locations."

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