Last Updated on February 16, 2024, 11:15 AM | Published: February 16, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — The already remarkable animal population at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has recently gotten a bit larger, and they’ll have plenty of space to call home as the Zoo itself celebrates a historically huge expansion and evolution of its own.
From jungle cats and desert dogs to the tallest giraffes and the smallest monkeys, there have been a lot of brand-new Zoo residents just in the past few months, but that’s not the only major news for one of the city’s most beloved institutions.
The long-in-development renovation project for the sprawling new Expedition Africa section is now fully open and explorable for visitors, capping off the single largest expansion and construction effort in the Zoo’s long history.
Even the Zoo‘s selection of restaurants and food options have been revamped.
“We are extremely proud of the Zoo’s latest and largest project, Expedition Africa,” said Candice Rennels, the OKC Zoo’s Director of Public Relations. “And, bringing new life to the Zoo’s iconic Love’s Pachyderm Building, creating a modern attraction that connects guests with African wildlife like never before.”
Baby monkey
Of course, the biggest news coming out of any zoo will always be the excitement and jubilation of a new birth.
But when those births contribute to the numbers of a sadly endangered species, the excitement can go through the roof.
That was the case late last month when the OKC Zoo announced the birth of a brand-new Francois’ langur – an endangered type of small, Asian monkey – the very first langur birth in the Zoo’s history. (See the feature photo at the top.)
The infant Fera, a girl, is covered in striking, bright orange fur on her head, even though her parents both sport dark black coats. This is common in the langur species, and in a short time, the hair on Fera’s head will darken to more closely resemble her family.
Fera and her whole family – including mother Pam and father Ripley – are likely to stay well-fed, though. The langur diet consists primarily of leaves and twigs, and the OKC Zoo partners with OG&E, who provide a consistent supply of branches cut down for power line maintenance, something we all know there’s never any shortage of in Oklahoma.
New arrivals
“We have celebrated several births in the last few years that have grown our animal family,” Rennels said. “In 2023, the Zoo welcomed three male cheetahs and a female giraffe and celebrated the birth of a giraffe calf and six endangered African painted dog pups.”
The litter of African painted dogs is particularly exciting as the species is considered by the World Wildlife Fund to be one of the world’s most endangered mammals.
The young giraffe calf, female Azizi, is the 58th giraffe to be born at the OKC Zoo but is the very first to be born in the new Giraffe House in the massive new Expedition Africa expansion.
Even two of the Zoo’s endangered Asian elephants are currently pregnant, meaning that OKC can expect a couple of new elephant calves next year.
It’s not only newborns that the Zoo is welcoming with open arms, though. They’ve also been celebrating the arrival of a brand new adult jaguar.
“OKC Zoo’s Cat Forest is now home to Rico, a 9-year-old male jaguar who just joined our animal family from fellow Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey,” said Rennels. “Rico is becoming familiar with his habitat, so guests may be able to see him out and about exploring his environment.”
Expedition Expansion
Many of the Zoo’s new animal residents will be making a home inside the newly opened Expedition Africa section, a mammoth 12-acre expansion that comprises the Zoo’s largest-ever renovation.
The $35 million project – funded by donors with help from a 1/8-of-a-cent city sales tax going back to 1990 – creates a huge new area of Africa-like grassland for cheetahs, African dogs, giraffes, zebras, and more, and towering, tree-like constructions for climbing wildlife like lemurs. The new areas tie appropriately into the existing Predator Pass and Lion Overlook attractions.
Part of the project was a complete internal overhaul and redesign of the longstanding Pachyderm Building.
“Guests are in awe as they explore this reimagined space that historically housed the Zoo’s elephants and rhinos,” Rennels said. “Today, guests will find an open event space for Zoo events and private gatherings, several animal habitats, and an interactive children’s play area.”
The Pachyderm Building’s new indoor habitats have been specially designed for many of the African wilderness’s smallest creatures, including the dwarf mongoose and even a rapidly expanding host of naked mole rats.
As the building itself is officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the exterior and structural bones have been preserved, but with a near-total reimagining for the interior.
“Since the 1960s, generations of Oklahomans have created their own special memories of the Pachyderm Building,” Rennels said, “and we look forward to creating memories for many generations to come here at the Oklahoma City Zoo.”
Hungry for More
It’s not just the animal habitats and wildlife families that are expanding, however.
Amenities and attractions across the full 100+ acres of the Zoo have been updated to help position the institution among the nation’s best, with perhaps no bigger development than their new partnership with food service and attraction coordinators, Service System Associates (SSA).
SSA has begun overseeing the food service and restaurant operations throughout the park, revamping and revitalizing some of the established spaces like the Lotus Pavilion cafe and the Scratch eatery at Oklahoma Trails, which is set to open with a renovated space and enhanced menu for Spring Break.
There’s even a new restaurant, Savanna Oasis, as part of the Expedition Africa expansion.
But while the new areas are open and available to wander, the big celebrations are still yet to come.
“All pathways within Expedition Africa are open for guests to explore, and some animals are still moving in or acclimating to their new habitats,” Rennels said. “The Zoo is hosting an official ribbon cutting on Tuesday, March 26 to commemorate Expedition Africa.”
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.
