Zoo unveils brand new Africa plains
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
ASHEBORO -- It took the North Carolina Zoo 10 years to complete. But this weekend officials are celebrating the grand opening of the brand new Watani Grasslands Reserve.
It's an $8.5 million expansion and improvement project for the zoo's African Elephant and Southern White Rhinoceros. Friday was more than a ribbon cutting event, and more educational than a few good speeches. It was a new gateway to a bigger-than-life experience.
“[It’s the] biggest exhibit we've built probably in 15 years," said one zoo official.
"This is a real gem for North Carolina," added U.S. Rep. Howard Coble.
Zoo officials raised most of the expansion’s price tag thanks to private donors. The funds were used to renovate the elephant and rhinoceros habitat and holding facilities -- turning it into a sort of African plains.
"It represents a meeting of minds," said Dr. Martin Tchamba at Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
This weekend officials are celebrating the grand opening of the brand new Watani Grasslands Reserve.
Zoo officials worked in conjunction with their colleagues in Cameroon, Africa to bring in six more rhinos bringing the total at the zoo to nine, and four more elephants, bringing that total to seven. Zoo Director Dr. David Jones now has future hopes of starting a breeding program at the zoo.
"We're able to keep two, maybe three big bulls here, as well as the breeding cows and up to four or five calves," Jones said.
But probably the most exciting part of the expansion: Families are no more than 45 feet from those bulls weighing as much as 10 tons.
"You can see the animals closer up,” said one parent.
"And it's rumbling and you can smell it almost and it's looking at you," added Jones of the animals.
Zoo officials are also proud of a 13,000 square foot barn that will be used exclusively for the elephants. It cost them $2.5 million.
They also say the idea for the new exhibit will be to replicate not only what you find in Africa but also at the zoo: Close family relationships.
"What they'll be able to watch, the interaction amongst animals, much, much better than we’ve ever seen before," Jones stated.
The celebration for the grand opening of the Watani Grasslands continues Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., park officials will host a variety of African entertainment. Park hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's located at 4401 Zoo Parkway in Asheboro.