Hippo Exhibit

I must say the land area is a bit larger than I expected! Still the lack of grass is unfortunate and there are other flaws with this new exhibit. Thank you very much for all of the new photos however.

It could use some more room but it is still a vast improvement over the old enclosure.

I can't really tell from this picture, but is the floor sand or rock?

Is the new hippo exhibit open yet?

@Matthew Guimac Not officially, but it should be fully open by the end of the month.

@MonkeyBat Looks like sand to me.

Is this what the finished exhibit is going to look like? Here is my photo from 10 years ago, before millions of dollars was spent on what appears to be an underwhelming upgrade. (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's new hippo habitat is FAR more impressive)

@snowleopard Yes, this is pretty much the finished exhibit, as you can see a hippo in the exhibit in the center of the photo. I am in complete agreement that this exhibit is incredibly disappointing despite being brand new. There are so many design flaws its hard where to start - the minimalistic land area, lack of grass, lack of space in general, only two animals, underutilization of nearby areas, visible metal and industrial components above the underwater viewing area - and while this new habitat is a major step up over the once abysmal exhibit pictured above as @birdsandbats said, it could have been so much more if done correctly. The new complex at the Cheyenne Mountain zoo is everything a hippo exhibit should be and I have seen nothing but praise for Waters Edge: Africa. It is undoubtably superior to Milwaukee's new exhibit in every way (besides the lack of underwater viewing, which Milwaukee does feature).

Could they add more natural substances to make it better later on?

How many hippos was this exhibit designed to hold?