Dallas Zoo to add 10-acre African Savanna attraction with lions, elephants next spring

March 23rd, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

By JOANNA CATTANACH / The Dallas Morning News

Elephants brought the Dallas Zoo nothing but problems last summer. But soon they’ll be at the center of a $30 million African Savanna exhibit that officials hope will silence critics – and even serve as a national model.

The 10-acre attraction, set to open next spring, will house lions, impalas, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, wild dogs, wart hogs – and elephants. Zoo director Gregg Hudson said the exhibit will be on par with a similar display at the acclaimed San Diego Zoo.

Hudson sees the expansion as opportunity for the Dallas Zoo to emerge as a national leader in the management of captive elephants.

“That’s a really important thing and a role for this zoo.”

The Dallas Zoo made national headlines last year when animal activists took on the cause of Jenny, the zoo’s lone elephant, and her planned move to a Mexican zoo.

Critics wanted her to go to an elephant sanctuary. The zoo changed course and decided she would stay in Dallas.

Hudson now sees a chance for redemption.

“There’s been a national spotlight and a public outcry about what are we doing about elephants,” said Hudson, who added that animal rights groups have raised valid concerns.

“My hope is we can answer those questions with this exhibit.”

But criticism likely won’t end with Jenny’s new digs.

Jenny, a 5-ton African elephant, will move from a yard that is less than a quarter of an acre to a 5- to 6-acre enclosure she’ll share with at least five other elephants.

“That’s inadequate,” said elephant trauma expert Dr. Gay Bradshaw, director of an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to animal psychology.

“Elephants need to walk miles” per day, not feet, she said.

Some to share space

The African Savanna, which zoo officials stress isn’t just about elephants, will be designed to allow some animals to share spaces and rotate between yards as researchers observe their natural behavior.

The elephant space will feature elongated pastures to simulate natural herding patterns with activity stations dotted along the edges to encourage movement.

A central water hole will allow visitors to watch different animals in their “natural” habitat. It’s part of a simulated safari theme designers expect to continue throughout the exhibit.

The expansion will also include breeding programs for new lions, impalas and endangered wild dogs, as well as educational programs for children and research opportunities.

Zoo staff, outside scientists, animal behaviorists, and members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are advising project designers.

“We’re trying to maximize every inch of land there to provide the absolute best exhibit that’s possible,” said zoo spokeswoman Susan Eckert.

The project is being funded through about $25 million in bond funds approved by city voters in 2006 as well as a $5 million donation from the Harold Simmons Foundation. The funds will also cover up to 30 additional staff.

City leaders, grappling with a projected budget gap, have proposed cutting the zoo’s hours and increasing ticket prices. But the ongoing project is benefiting from increased competition between construction companies hustling for business in a down economy. The zoo project was originally estimated at $40 million, but decreased construction costs and design changes lowered the price tag.

GPS for Jenny

Jenny and her companions will wear GPS tracking devices to document their movements – a first for the zoo – to determine how moving affects their overall health, Hudson said.

“What does that do for her temperament, what does that do for her swaying, what does that do for cholesterol levels in her blood and ultimately to the question that everybody wants to know,” Hudson said: Can zoos extend the life of elephants in captivity?

Bradshaw said it’s not critics who say elephants don’t belong in zoos; it’s science.

“Elephants are dying, they’re failing” in zoos, she said, pointing out a recent article published in the journal Science which showed the median life expectancy of zoo-born African elephants in captivity was 16.9 years compared with 56 years in an animal reserve. The study also showed zoo-raised elephants suffered from foot problems, herpes, tuberculosis and infanticide.

She suggests zoos not spend their money on elephant exhibits and instead contribute that money to sanctuaries.

Hudson disagrees.

“The reality is there are 300 elephants in North America, so they all can’t go to two sanctuaries. There’s got to be some other places that step up and do it right,” said Hudson.

For now, zoo officials are ready to welcome a virtual Noah’s Ark of new animals. They’ll be arriving by the truckloads in the coming months, from other zoos and private holders. Construction on a giant quarantine barn, where the animals will first be housed, is already under way and crews will soon add top soil to large portions of the exhibit space.

The outlook is good, Hudson said. “It’s going to be a great experience for the visitors to come out to see the animals in that setting.”
WHO’S COMING?

A sampling of the animals that will be featured in the Dallas Zoo’s new African Savanna exhibit, set to open in spring 2010:

Wart hogs: Commonly found in central and southern Africa, the zoo’s two wart hogs and two red river hogs will move in next year.

Wild dogs: New to the zoo, wild dogs, also known as painted hunting dogs, are considered highly endangered and will be part of an extensive research project.

Impalas: There will be between 30 to 40 impalas, the gazelle-like antelopes indigenous to southern Africa.

Giraffes: Two newcomers, Jesse and Jade, joined Kibo last fall. The zoo hopes to add up to seven more giraffes for the new exhibit.

Elephants: Jenny will join a herd again as the zoo brings in five additional elephants.

Lions: Lions will be back. The zoo’s senior lion, Boris, died last year, and no new lions have been added. Officials hope to start a breeding program and build a pride of lions with the new exhibit.

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