Get ready to be transported to Asia next year at the Henry Doorly Zoo. It was announced Thursday morning that work has already started on a new Asian Highlands exhibit.
Zoo Director Dennis Pate says the project is part of their Master Plan, that was approved in 2010, and will cost $20 million.
Pate says the exhibit will be constructed just north of the aviary and will feature a few new animals. "It's fun for people to see something new. People come here because they count on us doing new things now, and we're going to deliver on this with many of those species."
Work is already under way on the initial stage of construction. "We've already started a little bit of it and so we've done a little bit of construction on our main path so we'll be able to get that out of the way before the summer season."
That main path will lead you through a forest where visitors will be greeted by waterfalls, tigers and bears.
In addition to bringing in new animal species, Pate says animals already at the zoo will be moved to the new exhibit. "Snow leopards we have, tigers we have, Indian rhinos we have. We're just moving them from one part of the zoo to the other and then bringing in these new species."
Pate says the first phase of construction should be completed by next summer. "The entry with red pandas, the white-naped crane, the tufted deer, the Indian rhino and the Père David's deer will be open May/June, of next year."
Phase two of the project should be completed by 2019.
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