Last Updated on March 4, 2023, 8:52 AM | Published: March 4, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — Spring is the time in nature when everything wakes up and gets back to outdoor activities and soaking up the sun.
And that’s especially true of the animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
As temperatures warm and the days get longer, both the guests and the resident animals come out to enjoy everything that the zoo has to offer.
This year, that includes a new state-of-the-art virtual attraction, a glimpse into the sprawling new “Expedition Africa” expansion project, and of course lots and lots of baby animals.
Cubs, calves, and an infant chimp
“We had a real baby boom recently,” said Candice Rennels, the OKC Zoo’s Director of Public Relations.
Beginning with the big news of Asian elephant cub Rama’s birth in January 2022, the zoo has seen a remarkable number of notable births among their animal population.
This is especially good news for the zoo’s many vulnerable and endangered species.
Two Sumatran tiger cubs, Luna and Bob, were born in July of last year, providing positive news for the numbers of the endangered species, and they’ve been growing even faster and healthier than zoo staff expected.
“They’re doing great, and just getting so big,” Rennels said. “Any time someone here goes on vacation and comes back, it’s like the tiger cubs have tripled in size.”
More recently, this past September, the zoo welcomed four brand new African lion cubs: girls Neema, Zahara, and Makena, and boy Mshango.
They are the first lion cubs born at the OKC Zoo in fifteen years.
The OKC Zoo participates heavily in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which tracks genetic data to find the most compatible matches for breeding among vulnerable and endangered species.
That’s how 7 year-old Dunia and 11 year-old Hubert were paired for breeding, which turned out to be a perfect match.
“Huey is such a great dad,” Rennels said. “He plays with them and just lets them climb all over him.”
In addition to the cats, there’s also a new okapi calf and an infant chimp that the zoo is currently hand-rearing behind the scenes with the hope that she can make her public debut soon.
As for Rama, she’s still growing.
“Rama still actually looks small,” Rennels said. “But that’s only compared to her multi-thousand pound mom.”
Gorilla trek VR
One of the more cutting-edge additions that the zoo has seen in years comes in the form of the new Gorilla Trek VR experience, featuring state-of-the-art virtual reality headsets and “pod” chairs with sound and movement.
“It’s really cool,” Rennels said. “The film is narrated by Dr. Tara Stoinski, who was the Executive Director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She takes you through Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to actually follow a mountain gorilla troop, and she tells you about the dynamics of the family. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is one of our “legacy conservation” partners. We’ve worked with them for years and supported their work and everything they’re doing for mountain gorilla research.”
“Expedition Africa” coming soon
For any visitor to the zoo right now, it’s impossible to miss the massive construction work taking place smack in the middle of the park.
Once completed, this will be the home of “Expedition Africa,” a sprawling new habitat set to more prominently feature many African species already housed by the zoo, but also a host of new species that will soon call OKC home.
“We’re going to bring in honey badgers, and bring hyenas and meerkats back to the zoo, and lots of really cool new reptiles and amphibians,” Rennels explained. “And then we’ll move over the giraffe herd, and we’re going to have a multi-species ‘Savannah’ area.”
At twelve full acres, “Expedition Africa” will be the single largest expansion project the zoo has ever undertaken.
There will even be an area for overnight “glamping” for luxury-minded guests that want to spend the night within the zoo’s African habitat.
“Fingers crossed, it’ll all open this June,” said Rennels. “We’re really excited about it. It’s all right here in the heart of the zoo.”
Spring awakening
The OKC Zoo is kicking off the warming season with a bang, hosting “enrichment” activities for many of the animals throughout the Spring Break period of mid-March, bringing camel rides back starting March 11th, and opening their newly expanded Children’s Zoo Barnyard this weekend.
Throughout the month of March, all healthcare workers and emergency responders can enjoy free admission.
For more information, including ticket prices, operating hours, and a full list of upcoming and ongoing attractions, visit okczoo.org.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
