By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Zoo unveiled its first new exhibit in six years Thursday night.
"Vanishing Animals" was put together at a cost of two-point-four million dollars. It's phase one of a ten-year, $70 million project to rehabilitate the Zoo's Delaware Park campus. Zoo President Donna Fernandes says "Vanishing Animals" features six spacious, natural habitats for the endangered primates and cats it houses.
"They all have a lot of great new features. Four of the habitats have water, either a pond or running stream," Fernandes explained. "There are natural plants. Plus, there is great viewing for patrons through glass or a special mesh that allows them to take great pictures of the animals. It's really quite remarkable what we've done."
The exhibit will open to the public Saturday. Meanwhile, Fernandes says the next phase of the improvement project is right around the corner.
"The next thing we're going to be working on is Camp Conservation," Fernandes said. "It's an indoor renovation in our small mammal house. There will be three substantial habitats -- a rain forest, a desert and scrub forest."
Fernandes says ground-breaking for Camp Conservation will take place in November with the exhibit opening in June 2003.