Tulsa Zoo Breaks Ground on African Wilds Exhibit
TULSA, Okla. — Lions and other African animals will soon roam over a new Tulsa Zoo seven-acre habitat.
On Wednesday, the Tulsa Zoo broke ground to begin construction on the new William S. Smith African Wilds exhibit, touting it as the zoo's most 'ambitious undertaking.'
The Tulsa Zoo is northeast Oklahoma's largest paid daily attraction.
The new habitat will feature tall grass and rocky outcroppings, known as kopjes, for lions to sleep on and meerkats to dig subterranean tunnels. At the same time, a lone sentry keeps watch for danger, and African birds will call in the new immersive walkthrough aviary and vulture exhibit.
In addition to lions and meerkats, the habitat will be home to painted dogs and, later, pygmy hippos, vultures, and zebras.
'This is a monumental day in our zoo's 97-year history,' said Tulsa Zoo President and CEO Lindsay Hutchison in a prepared statement. 'As we've built new habitats, including Lost Kingdom and The Mary K. and John T. Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve, we've taken great care to move into the next era of zoo habitats for our animals and guests. We're proud that Tulsa Zoo continues to move into the future with the best available spaces for animal wellbeing, guests, and staff.'
She said that upon finishing the zoo, officials anticipate that more than 800,000 guests every year will experience endangered animals they may never have encountered in their daily lives.
'Connecting people to wildlife in this way matters, creating a lifetime of care and advocacy for wildlife, people, and wild places that will continue for generations to come,' Hutchison said.
The habitat will allow zoo visitors to view the animals up close in the heat of summer and the cold of winter while providing the animals with year-round species-specific habitats.
Concession locations and a dedicated classroom for educational programming will be added nearby, as well as a permanent pavilion structure that will allow for increased seating for dining and special event rentals.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
GR museum director: Juneteenth ‘catalyst' for awareness, equality
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As Juneteenth approaches, George A. Bayard III, executive director and curator of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, says the holiday can drive meaningful awareness, particularly in underrepresented fields like STEM. Bayard said Juneteenth encourages deeper exploration into overlooked contributions of African Americans in science and technology, many of whom hailed from Michigan. 'We learn things every day here at the museum that we didn't know,' he said. 'It's amazing how many people we should know about but don't.' He also reflected on the delayed enforcement of emancipation in Texas, where enslaved people remained unaware of their freedom long after the Emancipation Proclamation. Bayard said some slaveholders withheld the news for personal gain. 'Most of them, I assume, were greedy,' he said. 'They probably knew, but didn't feel obligated to tell their people.' List: Juneteenth events in West Michigan 2025 Bayard noted that General Order No. 3, delivered by Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas, went further than the Emancipation Proclamation by declaring former slaves equal. 'That's not in the Emancipation Proclamation,' he said. Amid rising criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Bayard urged communities to protect Juneteenth's legacy by recognizing its broader significance. 'It's not just an African-American event,' he said. 'It's overwhelmingly an American thing.' He encouraged individuals to research, ask questions, and view Juneteenth as part of the nation's collective history. 'The answers are there. You just have to do a little digging,' Bayard said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Rare 'Ghost Elephant' Sighting Comes with Grave Warning About the Species
An elephant not seen for several years was captured on camera walking through a national park in Senegal The "Ghost Elephant," named Ousmane, was considered to be one of five to 10 elephants left at Niokolo-Koba National Park in 2019 "Elephants are under immense pressure in West Africa. Only a few populations of the pachyderms survive in this region," an expert saidAn elusive elephant that hasn't been photographed in several years was recently caught on camera strolling through a national park in Senegal. This is the first time an elephant has been documented in the location since 2020. In footage captured by a camera trap at Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park (PNNK), both the wild cat conservation organization Panthera and Senegal's National Parks Directorate (DPN) caught a glimpse of what is being called a "Ghost Elephant" — a name the African forest elephant has earned because of its infrequent appearances in Senegal. The video marks the first time an African forest elephant has been photographed or filmed in the park in five years, and the first time the specific elephant in the clip — Ousmane, who was named after a park ranger — has been seen since 2019. At the time, Ousmane was considered to be one of five to ten African forest elephants left at Niokolo-Koba, which used to house hundreds of elephants before the "devastating impacts of poaching and habitat loss," according to the organizations. In the footage, Ousmane walks in the dark, gets an up-close glimpse at the camera set-up, and continues on. As the World Wildlife Fund points out, the African forest elephant was declared Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021. "Elephants are under immense pressure in West Africa. Only a few populations of the pachyderms survive in this region," Philipp Henschel, west and central regional director of Panthera, said in a statement to Newsweek. "Niokolo-Koba National Park, where this individual was filmed, is the last area in Senegal where this endangered species survives." As Henschel told the outlet, Panthera and the DPN had "gradually increased the protection" of Niokolo-Koba National Park since their joint park support program launched in 2017. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Additional successes for the program include a significant increase in the West African lion population, which has doubled in the park since Panthera and the National Parks Directorate began working on initiatives. As for the "Ghost Elephant," there are now organized surveys to "assess if the elephant we recently filmed is the sole survivor in the park and therefore in Senegal," Henschel told Newsweek. "If this was found to be the case, we will assess the feasibility of translocating a herd of females into the park, so as to found a new breeding elephant population in Senegal." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Juneteenth celebration, parade coming to downtown Waco
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – The Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual Juneteenth Celebration Parade this Saturday. The purpose of the parade is to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans on June 19, 1865. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed at the White House on June 17, 2021, recognizing it as a federal holiday. The Chamber has hosted this parade celebration for several years now – celebrating with music, dancing, and more. Each year, the number of participants from across Waco have continued to grow, bringing the community together. The parade will start at 10 a.m. in Heritage Square, and will end at the site of the old Paul Quinn College. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
