By human standards, the Cincinnati zoo's newest remodeling is sort of like giving up the driveway for a super-duper yard for the kids. A 60,000-gallon wading pool takes shape in the shadow of the historic elephant house. There are more to come. The zoo's giraffe, which has been staying in California since construction began, will return in time for the opening.
Elephants like to do that.
Outside, where the animals are expected to spend most of their days, they'll have four to five times as much space as they had before, he said. The new concrete floors are heated, and their food now comes up an elevator from the remodeled basement. There are special stalls for safer medical checks. Dave Ehrlinger, the zoo's director of horticulture, said the project called for more than 300 varieties of plants, including tall grasses and shrubs that lend an African look. According to zoo plans, the exhibit ultimately will have three giraffes, four elephants and as many as four okapi, Mr. Huelsman said.