LOCAL FAMILY FUN
Indoor habitats located throughout the building (including in some of the bathrooms!) feature fish and reptiles, as well as a glassed-in wall of tunnels through which guests can view the naked mole- rats scamper about. Placards explain the history of the building, including how it served as the decades-long home to Asian elephant Judy, purchased in 1949 through funds raised pennies and nickels at a time by Oklahoma schoolchildren. Additional hints of nostalgia abound throughout the space, including some of the original flooring and pieces of the pachyderm enclosures, like the iconic red habitat gates. A section of the building now serves as an event space, and through clear partitions in the floor, guests will spy the concrete slopes of original habitat pools. After seeing elephants and rhinos roaming in the wide-open spaces of Sanctuary Asia, it’s especially hard for younger guests to imagine these giant creatures in the smaller habitats that were state-of-the-art when the facility was built. “Generations of Oklahomans used to see elephants and rhinos here — and by keeping features and elements of the original building, they can share those connections,” said Candice Rennels, director of public relations. “Our caretakers are proud of the fact that it shows how the Zoo has evolved and how we’ve elevated habitat spaces.” Rounding out the space, a new children’s outdoor play zone offers young guests clear views of the lemurs playing in their similar playscape. Expedition Africa’s restaurant Savanna Oasis offers African-inspired menu items and a mix of local favorites. Guests can also shop for exclusive gifts and apparel at the Expedition Africa gift shop. From the animals’ perspective Construction itself has been a long and laborious project, but just as intricate and intentional has been the movement of animals to their new homes. A full year of training the Zoo’s growing six-member giraffe herd culminated in each of them voluntarily boarding a truck for the short trek to their new barn. (It took four hours to move the six giraffes!) “Giraffes do things on their own schedule,” laughs Rennels. “But they have a very patient caretaker staff and the move was as smooth as could be, a testament to the time and training put into that.” Once moved, each of the species has ample time to acclimate to their indoor spaces off-view from the public before being introduced to their outdoor spaces and eventually being on-view to guests. Expedition Africa’s savanna is home to multiple species at a time, which has required extra preparation and acclimation. Wildebeest and eland intermingle with giraffe, which Lawson says tells a “more comprehensive story.” The acclimation process involves many steps, including opportunities for the species to view each other without intermingling, time to explore the outdoor habitat one species at a time and, finally, nose-to-nose introductions in the space, all directed by the animals’ levels of comfort. Upon the official opening of Expedition Africa, this process may still be underway and guests may see temporary fencing in the space while the animals explore without direct contact. Additional single-species yards in Expedition Africa provide more flexibility for the rotation of animals who’ve called Predator Pass home, like hyena, African Painted Dogs and cheetah. This helps
LET’S CELEBRATE! Help mark the momentous unveiling of Expedition Africa at the official ribbon cutting, to be held Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. Learn more about all upcoming events, programs and memberships at okczoo.org.
(ABOVE) GIRAFFE CARETAKERS SPENT A FULL YEAR TRAINING THE SIX- MEMBER HERD TO VOLUNTARILY BOARD A TRUCK TO BE RELOCATED TO THEIR NEW BARN IN EXPEDITION AFRICA. PHOTO BY ANDREA J.
EXPEDITION AFRICA’S SAVANNA IS HOME TO MULTIPLE SPECIES AT A TIME.
keep the animals stimulated, provides opportunities for breeding and accounts for new packs to form or current packs to break apart. A zipline above the new carnivore yard will drop tasty treats and provide unique opportunities for guests to see the predators jump to capture their prey. Speaking of carnivores, thanks to new pathways between Expedition Africa and Cat Forest, guests now have a secondary view of the lions from the back portion of their habitat. Lawson says the lions have enjoyed the new vantage point just as much as the humans!
24 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPT-OCT 2023
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