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Fort Worth Zoo Fort Worth Zoo - "A Wilder Vision" Details

Discussion in 'United States' started by jaykkey, 7 Dec 2017.

  1. jaykkey

    jaykkey Active Member

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    Great to see that the Fort Worth Zoo's $100M capital campaign, "A Wilder Vision", now has some specifics:

    The Vision
    After witnessing the poaching problem and plight of several species in the wild, while also experiencing breeding and conservation successes here at home, Zoo officials began identifying the Zoo’s needs over the next 20 years and beyond. Planning for A Wilder Vision began in 2011 and developments have already begun. Divided into stages – African Savanna, Elephant Springs, Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators and Forests & Jungles – the plan encompasses not only a mission for conserving the animal kingdom, but also for educating and motivating future leaders.

    The African Savanna will open to the public in the spring of 2018 and will imitate the natural ecosystem of east Africa, where diverse species roam freely together. “We are very excited to bring multiple species together to mimic life in the wild,” said Zoo Executive Director Michael Fouraker. “Although most of these species already call the Zoo home, guests will be able to come face to face with these animals and engage in ways that they’ve never been able to before.” Two main features Zoo officials are excited to share with Zoo guests will be the African Savanna’s giraffe feeding experience and underwater hippo viewing.

    Other areas will be completed over the next nine years and will change the way visitors explore the Zoo and interact with the animals. Reimagined and modernized exhibits will change the physical landscape of the Zoo, allowing guests to wind through shaded trails during their visit. The Zoo will also become home to new species, like wild dogs, African leopards, clouded leopards and okapi, which the Zoo hopes will help continue to strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

    African Savanna

    The African Savanna is the first stage of A Wilder Vision and will open to the public in the spring of 2018. Sitting on 10 acres of existing Zoo land, guests will be able to stroll through the African Savanna and see giraffes, zebras, ostriches and more in one exhibit. This habitat will be surrounded by shaded walkways and aviaries with a variety of bird species for Zoo visitors to discover. The exhibit will also include an elevated deck for giraffe feeding, restaurants and shaded viewing areas, private event space and much more. Here’s a peek of what the African Savanna experience will be.

    A trip through the African Savanna will give guests multiple panoramic views to watch several species interacting and sharing an exhibit. Zebras, two African antelope species (lesser kudu and springbok), reticulated giraffes and a variety of large African birds will share this open space modeled after the spacious African grasslands. The Giraffe Encounter will allow guests to stand eye-to-eye with a herd of giraffes and feed these gentle giants directly from the raised observation deck, making for an unforgettable experience.

    Mimicking the natural African environment, many of these exotic animals will roam freely together in the main savanna that will include multiple watering holes, shaded areas and a dry stream bed. This exhibit will be completely surrounded by observation decks and walkways.

    Varying shades of pink will accent the Savanna’s watering holes as flocks of greater and lesser flamingos will socialize in the water. Additional aviaries will sit amidst the African Savanna flora. Hippos will drift, float and swim through a lazy river among thousands of small, multi-colored cichlids, as the generated current creates a true, constant flow, akin to the rivers and streams that run through Africa. Guests can enjoy watching the Zoo’s hippos from ground level as well as from down below. The 70-foot-long underwater viewing area will allow for an up-close-and-personal experience with the animals while they are fully submerged, as hippos spend most of their time underwater. Advanced filtration technology promises crystal-clear viewing beneath the surface, enhancing the viewer’s experience.

    Southern black rhinos roam the perimeters of the savanna. Guests can observe these magnificent animals from multiple viewing areas surrounding the habitats. Expanded exhibit space for this endangered species will allow the Zoo to continue its renowned southern black rhino breeding and conservation program. Just across the brush, a mob of meerkats will also call the savanna home.

    Elephant Springs
    Projected Opening: Spring 2020

    Almost tripling its current size, this exhibit will serve as the home to our Asian elephant herd, which includes a three-generation family. The addition of multiple, expanded yards and varied habitats will help to enhance the Zoo’s successful breeding program. These improvements will allow the herd numerous enrichment opportunities with multiple pools and yards. The Fort Worth Zoo intends to remain at the forefront of elephant conservation and management. Elephant Springs will allow the Zoo to further this leadership role and guarantee the survival of these magnificent creatures for generations to come.

    The greater one-horned rhino will make its home next door to Elephant Springs. It will be upstream from the Asian elephant herd as it befits the natural geographic relationship. With rhinos facing extinction in the wild in as few as 25 to 30 years, the Fort Worth Zoo takes its responsibility seriously to further the survival of this vulnerable species by continuing its successful breeding program. In 2012, the Zoo celebrated a major conservation success with the birth of the greater one-horned rhino calf, Asha. Her birth was a first for the Fort Worth Zoo and the first ever in the state of Texas. The new exhibit will improve the Zoo’s ability to breed these impressive animals.

    Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators
    Projected Opening: Spring 2022

    Cascading waterfalls and multiple pools flow through the exhibits that will house several skilled hunters of the animal kingdom. Striped hyenas and the striking, yet critically endangered, Malayan tigers will call this lush exhibit home. Joining these animals in naturalistic habitats will be a new species for the Fort Worth Zoo, the elusive clouded leopard.

    Just beyond the clouded leopard exhibit will be an expanded African lion habitat. In 2012, a breeding pride arrived at the Fort Worth Zoo from Africa, introducing a new bloodline into the managed collection of lions in North American zoos. A redesigned habitat will allow these cats to enjoy an expanded yard while guests will be separated by only a water moat or a pane of glass.

    The cheetahs, the fastest land mammal on earth, will be relocated from their current home at the Zoo. Their new exhibit will allow for better viewing of these noble creatures and provide an enriched environment for the animals themselves. Another predator species that will soon call the Fort Worth Zoo home is the African leopard, and a pack of African wild dogs will also rejoin the collection.

    Forests & Jungles
    Projected Opening: Spring 2025

    The final development stage for A Wilder Vision Forests & Jungles – will take place in the heart of the Zoo just before Texas Wild!. No longer will guests walk down the straight main path, as this exhibit will have Zoo visitors winding through tree-lined trails surrounded by animals from some of the world’s lushest forests and jungles.

    An animal found only in the deepest parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo rainforests will soon live at the Fort Worth Zoo – the okapi. This unique animal might look like a relative of the zebra because of its black-and-white-striped hindquarters, however, it is actually the only living relative of the giraffe. The Zoo has been a long-time contributor to successful conservation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the okapi, and is proud to introduce this species to visiting families.

    The Zoo’s African bongo collection will take up residence in this new exhibit. The Fort Worth Zoo leads the International Bongo Foundation and the bongo breeding program among North American zoos, working both onsite in the animal’s native country of Kenya and also breeding in managed collections throughout the United States. The bongo breeding program has been highly successful and the Zoo is excited to give these animals a new home.

    The Sumatran orangutan will also planned to reside in the Forests & Jungles exhibit. The arboreal apes will eventually leave their World of Primates exhibit and take over a reimagined treetop habitat in this part of the Zoo. The Zoo hopes to have an opportunity for renewed success in breeding these critically endangered primates.

    Source: A Wilder Vision
     
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  2. jaykkey

    jaykkey Active Member

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  3. Tatsuslava

    Tatsuslava Well-Known Member

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    So what is the new African Savannah like?
     
  4. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  5. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    African leopard is extremely unlikely. It is almost certainly Amur leopard. Either that is a typo or they are going the San Diego and Palm Desert route of making an exhibit that replicates African leopard and putting Amur in the exhibit (and just calling it leopard).
     
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  6. Tatsuslava

    Tatsuslava Well-Known Member

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    why are African leopards unlikely?
     
  7. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Virtually none in the US. Only possible holders I believe are Maryland and Columbus. Amur are also the only leopard subspecies that the AZA is focussing on right now, so other subspecies are almost non existent in US zoos.
     
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  8. zoo_enthusiast

    zoo_enthusiast Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Maryland no longer has African leopard