Opening Day Set For New Milwaukee Zoo Elephant Exhibit

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI -- The Milwaukee County Zoo's new elephant exhibit will officially open to visitors Saturday, May 4, with a “grand reveal” and special activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The new 20,000-square-foot Elephant Care Center features a recreation room with sand
and padded floors, and five individual stalls for training, enrichment and medical procedures.

The 1.6-acre outdoor habitat features a watering hole, able to accommodate three fully-
submerged elephants, feeding and enrichment walls and several shade structures.

An Animals-in-action pavilion with visitor seating allows an up-close look at the keepers who provide daily animal care.

Two new mixed species exhibits complement the Elephant Exhibit: the African Forest
displays bongo, yellow-back duiker and Kenyan crested guinea fowl, and Impala Plains features
zebra, impala and African crowned cranes.

Activities Planned:

• A Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Adventure Africa: Phase I Elephant Exhibit begins at 10 a.m.; gather at Sundowner Plaza for opening remarks.
• A pair of Elephant Ears will be given to each visitor upon entering Adventure Africa to celebrate the day.

• 10 tons of sand will be masterfully and artistically designed to create an elaborate elephant sculpture by local artists. The new indoor Elephant Care Center features a sand floor which allows a soft, natural substrate for the animals. Artists will be on hand sculpting the finishing touches during the event and talking to guests.
• A Giant Animal Mural will be on display. Visitors are invited to color a square to add to the mural, signifying the important part people play in protecting this species and hundreds more.
• Keepers from both the elephant and African hoof stock areas answer questions at a Q&A session at 10:30 a.m. and also at 1:30 p.m.
• Take a break during the celebration and visit the Marketplace to purchase an elephant cookie made just for the day. All proceeds benefit elephant conservation initiatives.

• Sign a petition to ban the sale of ivory and rhino horn in Wisconsin. To date, more than 13,000 signatures have been collected.
• Travel the exhibits like a member of the herd to learn how the elephants are cared for from specially-trained Zoo Pride Volunteers scattered throughout this area. Various enrichment items to encourage the animals’ natural behaviors along with elephant-related artifacts will be displayed.