Riverbanks Zoo and Garden: Forty Wild Years

Chapter 5. The New Zoo

| 131 | Chapter 5 The New Zoo In the early 1990s Earl Wells, the late director of the Ft. Wayne Children’s Zoo in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, had a wonderfully creative concept. He was looking for a way to generate revenue for his zoo yet wanted to do so in a fun and educational way. Wells believed a traditional wooden carousel would be a big hit with his young guests, but he wanted it to be unique to the zoo. Why not replace the carousel’s horses and other historical figures with exotic animals? With nothing more than a vague concept he approached Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio, the largest manufacturer of wooden carousels in the world. Their collaboration produced the very first Endangered Species Carousel, which opened in the Ft. Wayne Children’s Zoo in 1994. Three years later Riverbanks became the second zoo to add an Endangered Species Carousel. The decision to bring in a carousel was not made lightly because until then Riverbanks had been, in its purist form, a zoological park. Some feared that, by adding what is essentially a carnival ride, Riverbanks could be taken in a whole new direction. This concern was weighed against the relatively inexpensive cost of the carousel compared to the cost of a major new animal exhibit. Further, as had been the case with the Ft. Wayne Children’s Zoo, the commission and staff wanted to provide Riverbanks’ guests with a fun, enjoyable experience. The zoo’s carousel opened in 1997 and was an instant hit. Based on the popularity of the Endangered Species Carousel, the staff began to | 132 | Riverbanks Zoo and Garden consider additional activities that might enhance the guest experience. Armed with studies indicating that zoo visitors are eager to interact with the animals, the zoo next provided an opportunity to feed one of the most charismatic members of the collection, the giraffes. With the success of the carousel and giraffe feeding, a number of interactive attractions quickly followed. Guests can now climb a rock wall, ride ponies and a children’s train, feed lorikeets and navigate a four-story-tall ropes course. Today a visit to Riverbanks is a more dynamic and fun-filled outing for the entire family. Perhaps more important, these activities generate significant revenue that in turn allows the zoo and garden to reinvest in the animals and in guest services while pumping tourist dollars back into the Midlands economy. Zoo 2002 As the twentieth century came to a close, Riverbanks Zoo was poised to take the next great step in its development as one of America’s great zoos. In December 1997 Richland and Lexington County Councils passed the most ambitious bond issue in Riverbanks history—$15 million. This was supplemented by a $4.5 million private capital campaign. Together the bond issue and fund drive marked the single largest capital investment in the zoo’s history. Known collectively as Zoo 2002, the funds were used to make a number of improvements to the zoo and garden over a three-year period. Construction started in 1999 for the $19 million expansion project. A year later, the new entrance plaza and lemur exhibits opened. By 2001 the Botanical Garden entrance opened to the public as well as a number of new bird exhibits, including the 6,000-square-foot Bird Conservation Center, fourteen outdoor aviaries for cold-tolerant species, and the 12,000-square-foot Birdhouse at Riverbanks. The Endangered Species Carousel has revolved nearly 3 million turns since its opening. Here two children take a spin. Photograph by Robin Vondrak Photography. | 133 | The New Zoo The new state-of the-art Birdhouse featured three geographically themed bird habitats: Penguin Coast, a 1,350-squarefoot penguin habitat with underwater viewing ; Asian Trek, featuring birds such as the giant hornbill and the rare Bali mynah; and Savanna Camp, showcasing the birds of the arid African and South American savannas . Recognizing the innovative and holistic exhibit planning and design process that took place, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums honored Riverbanks with the Significant Achievement Award for its avian program in 2002. The Ndoki Forest (pronounced N’doe kee) also opened to the public in 2002 and boasted three and a half acres of new animal exhibits, lush plantings, and upgraded visitor services. The exhibit was named after a remote river in central Africa. Riverbanks set out to re-create this...