On one side of the path will be babydoll sheep. On the other will be Tasmanian devils.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e both very cute species in their own way,鈥 said David F. McGuire, the St. 亚洲无码 Zoo鈥檚 vice president of architecture and planning and its chief architect.
But there is another side of placing the two species on opposite sides of a walkway at the zoo: Domesticated babydoll sheep are exactly the sort of things that Tasmanian devils eat.
At least, that鈥檚 what many sheep farmers think, and that鈥檚 the point of juxtaposing the two species at the Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery section of the zoo, which is due to open in 2026.
Construction has begun on the $51 million project, which will replace the now-closed Emerson Dinoroarus section, which in turn replaced the beloved Emerson Children鈥檚 Zoo, which closed in 2020. The nearly 3-acre area is designed for younger children.
People are also reading…
Zoo Director Michael Macek said that the 2010 U.S. census marked the first time that more people lived in urban areas than rural. For some children growing up, zoos are their only exposure to nature and animals.
鈥淢ore than ever, it鈥檚 important to have spaces like this for children and families,鈥 he said.
As young children begin to learn that there is a world beyond themselves, zoos are a way to understand and appreciate animals that might live in other parts of the world, he said. And zoos help them think about what it might be like to be an animal trying to survive in nature.
The Destination Discovery section begins in a building 鈥 the only structure left over from the Dinoroarus exhibit 鈥 that will house interactive exhibits and show seasonally changing videos of animals in nature.
From there, visitors will step outside to see how American prairie dogs and Patagonian maras live and work together in communities.
鈥淢aras look like a cross between a wallaby and a jackrabbit. They鈥檙e funny-looking little guys,鈥 McGuire said.
The Freshwater Wilderness area will feature Chilean flamingos at a lagoon and, in what is sure to be a popular highlight, North American river otters with a see-through bridge on top where they can splash and slide from one side to the other.
The Forest Families section will show how some wild animals interact with humans. Included in that section will be coati 鈥 they resemble raccoons but are active during the day 鈥 the babydoll sheep, which will be shown in a barn setting, and the Tasmanian devils.
Tasmanian devils are listed as an endangered species, Macek said. The St. 亚洲无码 Zoo will be one of only four zoos in the country to have them.