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EXPLORE: WATER EMERGENCY CLOSES THE ZOO BROKEN WATERLINE MAY INCONVENIENCE ZOO VISITORS TWO CUTE HARBOR SEALS TWO CUTE! SPEND EARTH DAY WEEKEND AT THE ZOO FROGGIE, FROGGIE DAYS - APRIL 26-27 TORT AND THE ALDABRAS - COMING SOON! ZOO BEGINS SUMMER HOURS APRIL 1 SSSSSSUCH FUN PLANNED! UPDATE: BAGHDAD ZOO BIG BEAR'S BACK LEAP YEAR FUN AFRICAN ENTRANCE TO REOPEN THREE NEW ELEPHANTS ARRIVE AT THE ZOO! DEC. Z-MAIL LEFT BEHIND NEW ELEPHANT HARP SEAL DIES BEE 'N BEARS SNAKE WALK CUBS NAMED SIX RHINOS GET OUT'A LINE KIDZONE! ZOO CAMPS 2007 PRE-SCHOOL AMERICAN CHESTNUT LION CUBS WOLF AWARE NEWS ARCHIVE AN AVIARY GUIDE CAUTION! SAVE A SNOT-OTTER 4-STAR RANKING THANKS, FROM A FROG |
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Zoo Construction will Limit Views of Elephants and Rhinos12/14/2005
Construction on the next exhibit area, which will be called
the "Watani Grasslands Reserve," began November 30 and is expected to be completed
by summer 2007. The renovations will give the N.C. Zoo some of the largest and
most technologically advanced facilities in the zoo world for the exhibit and
care of elephants and rhinos.
But
starting next week the rhino exhibit, along with the main elephant
overlook, will be closed to the public. According to Mammal Curator Guy
Lichty, the rhinos will be released into their permanent new home in
the zoo’s 37-acre African Plains habitat in the spring of 2006. But the
rhinos will not be visible to zoo visitors until then. Visitors will be
able to see the elephants during the construction project, but from a
distant overlook—the one that looks out into the Plains from the back
of the African Pavilion. Plans for Watani Grasslands Reserve call for the zoo’s existing 3.5-acre elephant exhibit to be combined with the adjacent 3.5-acre rhino exhibit to create a combined 7-acre habitat for elephants. The rhinos will then be mixed with antelope in an improved African Plains exhibit next door to the elephants. Currently, the zoo’s three African Eephants and three southern white rhinos share an off-exhibit holding barn. The existing barn will be altered and improved to house only rhinos and a new, 12,000-square-foot, $2.5-million elephant barn will be constructed nearby. This state-of-the-art facility will enable the zoo to improve care for its elephants and expand its herd up to 10 animals of different ages and sexes. The expanded rhino facilities and exhibit space will allow the zoo to accommodate 10 or more rhinos as well. Once completed, the renovations will also be a major plus for zoo visitors. Not only will there be more elephants and rhinos in the zoo, but new and improved viewing areas will also visitors closer to the animals. Most of the funding for the Watani Grasslands Reserve has been raised through private contributions to the N.C. Zoo Society, the zoo’s private non-profit support organization.     |
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