lions and tigers and okapi? oh my!
There’s even more to see and do at the Roosevelt Park Zoo this year, with the arrival of a new resident, babies due this month and the launch of a capital campaign to add and improve habitats for its big cats.
,ith spring in the air, the zoo is on baby watch. Four of the zoo’s hooved animals, including the bison, Scottish Highland cattle and Japanese Serow, are expecting new additions this month, just in time for Mother’s day.
The zoo recently welcomed its first okapi, a relative of the giraffe that is native to the Congo area of Africa. Akili is a 17-year-old male who has come to Minot “to retire” says Jennifer Kleen, Minot Zoo Crew executive director. The animals have a lifespan of 20 to 25 years and are “very secretive, very shy,” says Kleen.
About the size of a large horse, their legs are striped like a zebra to allow them to blend in with the shadows when they browse for food. Kleen says Akili is “just a sweetie who comes right up to the window [of the winter viewing area] to look at the kids.”
Okapi are endangered, having undergone a major population decline in recent years due to habitat loss from logging and human settlement. The Roosevelt Park Zoo will be marking Endangered Species day on May 18, which is held each year to provide an opportunity for people to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species, and Akili will likely be one of the main attractions that day.
One of the major draws to any zoo are the big cats, the lions and tigers, and the Roosevelt Park Zoo is no exception. The zoo recently launched a major capital fundraising campaign to add new habitats and improve the existing ones for the big kitties. Its first large scale capital campaign aims to raise more than $5 million leading up to its cen- tennial year in 2021. Construction will begin this year for a new habitat for the two Amur tigers near the Visitors Center, as well as a new habitat for the two African lions on the east loop of the Zoo where other African species are located. These first two phases will be followed by the third phase, the renovation of the 1970s era large cat habitat into a space that encourages climbing for the Amur and snow leopards. The entire project is expected to be complete by 2021.
The Roosevelt Park Zoo was established in 1920 and is owned and operated by the community of Minot through the Minot Park District. It draws more than 90,000 visitors annually and reaches more than 10,000 students through regional education and outreach programs. It is among only 23 per cent of zoos in North America accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the highest accreditation standard.
,ith babies on the way, an okapi now in residence and work underway on the habitats for the big cats, a visit to the zoo could be just purrfect.