Woodland Park Zoo has received a $1 million gift from the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences toward the creation of a new, naturalistic tiger and Asian bear exhibit complex at the zoo. The $1 million was issued as a challenge to the community to rally behind bringing this new exhibit to the region, according to Lisa Simonyi.
“We look for programs that advance science education for the community,” said Simonyi. “We’re honored to be a part of the zoo’s commitment to create a better, more naturalistic home for tigers and Asian bears, and we’re inspired by the dynamic science education hub that the exhibit complex will become for the zoo’s one million annual visitors, motivating the next generation of conservation scientists and stewards.”
Part of the zoo’s $21 million Asian Tropical Forest fundraising initiative, the new tiger and Asian bear exhibit complex will replace the 60-year-old, outdated infrastructure that the critically-endangered animals currently inhabit at the zoo. The zoo will break ground for the first phase of the exhibit in 2012.
Using sustainable design, the exhibits will provide the animals with a naturalistic, enriching environment that evokes the lush forests of tropical Asia and encourages natural behaviors. Current concepts in the exhibit design include tigers stalking “prey” as they chase a lure line that runs the length of the exhibit, climbing trees to retrieve snacks, napping under the roots of a tropical tree, splashing in a shallow pool and caring for cubs in a spacious exhibit built to accommodate multiple generations.
To bring the behind-the-scenes care of these animals into the forefront for zoo visitors, the exhibit design includes specialized training stations where keepers will interact one-on-one with tigers and bears. These training presentations will get visitors closer to live predators than at any other exhibit at the zoo, and provide insight into how the zoo safely cares for such large and dangerous animals.
Follow the progress of the initiatives for the Asian Tropical Forest project and learn how to get involved at www.morewonder.org. For more information about Woodland Park Zoo, visit www.zoo.org or call 206-548-2500.
