The Minnesota Zoo opens its new, $24 million exhibit of grizzly bears, sea otters, wild boars and rare Amur leopards to the public on Saturday.
The "Russia's Grizzly Coast" exhibit was two years in the making. It features a landscape covered with lush plants and sprinkled with geysers, lava tubes and mud pots.
The exhibit also addresses a common criticism of the zoo, that the animals are too far away and can't be clearly seen.
In this exhibit, visitors can get so close to swimming grizzly bears that less than an inch of glass separates them.
The exhibit's three young grizzlies came from a wildlife sanctuary in Alaska where they lived for two years after being rescued as cubs.
The roughly 3-acre renovation is the zoo's latest upgrade. Zoo director Lee Ehmke says the next major project could a $15 million remodeling of the main entrance.
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4 comments:
Wade, the description is at http://www.mnzoo.org/guests/RGC/rgc.asp
"This part of the world is a great fit for Minnesota because of similar climates; both are located along the 45th parallel. The Minnesota Zoo has a history of success in exhibiting and conserving cold-climate animals. This will be the first exhibit of its kind featuring the region, landscapes, and animal combinations of the Russian Far East." To me, this exhibit would seem reminiscent of the concept used at the Detroit Zoo in the Arctic Ring of Life, not only because of its size and cold climate, but also because of the variety of fauna and flora, exhibiting different species in different environments of the same area. If it is everything that it purports to be, we may be looking at next year's AZA exhibit award winner.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
I agree with you about it possibly being next years AZA exhibit winner, but the building of a "house" in Russia, dismantling it, and shipping it here seems a ridiculous waste of funds.
Reminiscent of the Hungarian Richter family bringing a 6 member Gypsy band and a Hussar carriage to last years Monte Carlo Festival as part of their "bareback act" in an effort to garner "gold".
Wade
Wade, this house building sounds like what Audubon did. Had the Asian Domain temple built in India, dismantled, shipped and rebuilt by accompanying Indians on site! The two female Amur leopards that will go on display are Audubon born. One of my guys, Joe Forys, took them to Minnesota. Cyndi and my three boys will be returning home tomorow from visiting her parents in Bloomington, Minnesota. She went to see the exhibit and took some photos. I'll send them to you when I have them loaded.
Joey,
How much cheaper was it to have it built in India and shipped over here? Or was it? Ian is not going to give the female trainer a pass with painting leaves on the wall's to make the cats think they are still in the jungle, so I don't think he is going to accept the leopards would know if it was authentic Indian or not.
What if Minnesota Zoo had done a quick survey and found they could build the log cabin here, if it was absolutely necessary to "complete" the authentic exhibit, for 430,000 dollars less. What if they then rubbed their collective ecologically concerned chins, and went EUREKA!!! "Let's give the 430,000 dollar savings to Green Peace and see if they can come up with a solution to global warming."
"Wait a minute that won't work. Donor's want cocktails and catering and schmoozing. Hard to show our appreciation on a goofy ice flow."
The view through the "tube" is breathtaking, I am told, and we will look forward to to the pictures Joey.
Coming from North Dakota the Twins are my baseball team, the Vikings are my football team, and Apple Valley is my by God zoo. How about the work they and Dr. Seal did a few years ago with Siberian Tigers. Yeah, go Minnesota!!!
Wade
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