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Some of the most rewarding moments in a Zoo Professionals career are the smiles, we see on children’s faces when they touch an animal or explore a new exhibit. Each smile represents the wonder and pure joy of Discovery of a close up encounter. |
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In 2007, we opened the North American Carnivore Exhibit, a glass fronted display, where Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lions and River Otters, have an up close eye to eye encounter with zoo visitors. The most popular exhibit of the three is the Otter Exhibit, with an underwater acrylic tube that children can crawl into and watch the otters swim completely around them. Also the “Otter Body Experience” play area was installed, where parents can sit and watch children slide down a triple slide mimicking the otter natural behavior of sliding with posted graphics explaining otter behavior.
In 2007, we also completed a naturalistic bobcat exhibit with front and back glass viewing windows and wire meshed sides and top. Planted trees, shrubs, branches and tree trunks allow the bobcats to express their natural behaviors of climbing and hiding
The goal of the Washington Park Zoo is to provide pure, simple family entertainment to adventurous learning through play and discovery. Our plans of the future call for the renovation of our existing WPA facilities and incorporating them into glass fronted interactive exhibits. It is our intention and hope that the Zoo visitors will experience these close encounters that will connect them with the magnificent power of nature.
Next time you visit the Zoo, whether it is with your family or alone, look around you. The monetary expenditures at the admission window, food concession, and gift shop allow for the zoo to grow and prosper and are vital to the success of our zoo. So come out and watch the new exciting developments that are ongoing this season, such as the glass fronted renovation of the Primate Building.
Johnny P. Martinez
Zoo Director
www.washingtonparkzoo.com
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