The stingray touch pool was once a seasonal attraction with separate admission, but is now free and will be open year-round. The zoo has also reopened Stingray Bay in Adventure Cove. The zoo designed it to offer up-close interactions, but Suzi Rapp, its vice president of animal programs, said the coronavirus pandemic has limited what opportunities are currently available. They include sloths, bat-eared foxes, toucans, capybaras and lemurs.Īs its name suggests, the area resembles a coastal village. When they aren’t traveling with Hanna or to the zoo’s other educational programs, dozens of ambassador animals will rotate through the area’s indoor and outdoor exhibits. Hanna announced recently that he’ll retire at the end of this year. Visitors of Adventure Cove can also now enjoy Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village, named for the zoo’s famous director emeritus. “That was freaking awesome,” said mom Lydia Wallace, 27. The Hilltop family was also surprised and impressed by the acrylic underwater tunnel - and especially Banana, an inquisitive 1-year-old male sea lion who peered at guests from above and darted below their feet. Sophia Wallace, 7, said it’s tradition for her family to visit the zoo on her birthday, which was Friday. “The day we loaded everyone and came here, I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” Gorbett said. Gorbett said he’s excited to teach families of central Ohio about the charismatic species and how to conserve their ocean habitats. ![]() Shane Gorbett, of Hilliard, an animal programs specialist, was one of several zoo employees who headed south to live with them on-site, to train and establish relationships with them. The other animals arrived at the Columbus Zoo in late May, after living for about two years in a temporary Florida facility during construction. The zoo has 12 sea lions, including two pups born in late June, which are with their mothers behind-the-scenes. ![]() Its decking is heated, allowing it to be open year-round without getting too icy for keepers to care for the animals. The sea lion and harbor seal habitat’s theme was inspired by the Pacific Northwest, including the Fisherman's Wharf area and Pier 39 in San Francisco - complete with a replica lighthouse and mock advertisements for saltwater taffy and whale-watching tours. Its three pools hold 375,000 gallons of water. All Zoo visits require a dated, timed ticket to help ensure that social distancing and other precautions are followed appropriately.The exhibit’s four harbor seals were also not yet on display Friday, as they’re still finishing some training, officials said.Ĭonstruction on the $40 million, 4.1-acre Adventure Cove area near the zoo’s entrance, which replaces Jungle Jack's Landing amusement park, began in October 2017. The zoo continues to follow protocols and guidelines outlined in the organization’s reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rides at Adventure Cove, in the former Jungle Jack’s Landing area, have also undergone renovations. Stingray Bay has been renovated as a year-round opportunity to enjoy experiencing stingrays up close. There's no better way to describe these developments other than to say they'r. ![]() ![]() Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village is an indoor-outdoor animal habitat themed as a colorful village streetscape that includes an environment with up to 50 diverse species, including sloths, penguins, bat-eared foxes, cheetahs and tortoises. Episode 83Finally something brand new - the Adventure Cove of the Columbus Zoo. Guests have the opportunity to wander down into an underwater viewing “cave” and through a curved, 60-foot-long submerged acrylic channel that offers 360-degree views of the animals and their habitat. Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village is an indoor-outdoor animal habitat themed as a colorful village streetscape that includes an environment with up to 50 diverse species. POWELL – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium‘s latest region - Adventure Cove – open to the public Friday, featuring a 60-foot-long submerged acrylic viewing tunnel, Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters and the return of the popular Stingray Bay exhibit.Ĭonstruction began in October 2017 on the region, which features a Pacific Northwest-inspired rocky coast and harbor setting for sea lions, seals and other animals.
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