African Exhibit opening at Zoo

It was tails, fangs and hooves today at the preview of the African Journey Exhibit at the Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo. Zoo Director Jim Anderson says people are anxious and “have been looking over the fence, and riding the sky ride to get some construction views” The new Exhibit, took two years to build and will open to visitors June 6, 2009. Anderson says “we exists to connect people with animals, so until we have people here we are not really doing our mission.” You can expect to see a whole array of African native animals in the African Journey exhibit, such as: monkeys, giraffes, lions, zebras, birds, and hyenas. And not only can you walk around the Zoo, but for a dollar you can feed the giraffe’s fresh lettuce. Aimee Fannon, the Primary Giraffe Keeper says “I think people will really enjoy it, weather the giraffes are in the eating mood or not, its a great place to get a good view, a good photo opportunity, and a good way to see how large they really are. But feeding giraffes is not the only hands-on activity in African Journey. Anderson says “We have added beating African drum areas, stringing African beaded necklaces, and a zebra research station where kids can punch buttons and focus in on the animals using cameras. African Journey cost $9.2 million, and was funded strictly through donations. Anderson says “this is a result of the generosity from people all around the area, and we hope to give back an awesome experience for years and years and years to come.