Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - The Great Plains Zoo announced today a major project to expand and renovate “Bear Canyon,” one of the Zoo’s oldest and most popular exhibits. The $2 million renovation begins next summer and will be funded through a combination of private investments, including individuals and foundations, as well as some federal, state, and city funding. The project will be completed in 2017.
The project will include the addition of a lush Bear meadow, a demonstration area where kids and adults can get an up-close look at Zookeeper training sessions, and more enrichment opportunities for the Bears. The project also includes a modern and efficient water filtration system that will reduce staff labor and cut utilities expenses. Additional animal holding will ensure the Zoo meets more modern standards for Bear management, as well as the opportunity to exhibit more Bears.
“We’re tremendously excited to add an upgraded Brown Bear exhibit to the string of recent improvements over the last several years,” said Elizabeth A. Whealy, President and CEO of the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History. “Thanks to some very generous Zoo friends, we expect to be able to provide an improved space for our beloved Brown Bear as well as give our visitors an up-close experience with this magnificent animal.”
Currently, the exhibit is home to 21-year-old Kenai. Originally built in 1963, the Brown Bear exhibit was last renovated in the mid-1980s.