Welcome to the Louisville Zoo
The Louisville Zoo, in the State of Kentucky, is 133 acres in size and only 39 years old. Subsequently the enclosures are much more modern than many other zoos, and there is a notable absence of typical grottoes and pits. There are two noteworthy, AZA award-winning exhibits at the zoo, as well as numerous smaller enclosures. There are approximately 1,300 animals at the zoo, and the annual attendance hovers around 800,000.
"Gorilla Forest" contains two large outdoor yards and an indoor room for the family of 11 apes, and this set of exhibits opened in 2002. There are overhead paths that allow the gorillas to travel above the zoo visitors when the apes wish to move into a different yard. A pgymy hippo exhibit is also connected with the gorilla enclosures, with 4 hippos inside.
"The Islands" (1996 opening and 1998 award recipient) is the second award-winning set of exhibits, and it rotates 5 Asian species (malayan tapirs, babirusa pigs, sumatran tigers, siamang gibbons and orangutans) through three outdoor yards and an indoor day room. This modern set of enclosures rotates the animals in an attempt to give them more than the one exhibit to live in for the duration of their lives, and also acts as behavioral enrichment. It is often highlighted as the world's first set of rotational exhibits featuring predator and prey.
Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo
"Glacier Run" has recently been beset by financial problems, which has possibly shifted its completion date to 2011. Polar bears, arctic foxes, sea otters, steller's sea eagles, seals and sea lions are all on the list of animal species to be incorporated into this $25-30 million set of exhibits. The polar bears will supposedly have overhead transfer chutes that will allow them to travel into different parts of their enclosure.
The Louisville Zoo, in the State of Kentucky, is 133 acres in size and only 39 years old. Subsequently the enclosures are much more modern than many other zoos, and there is a notable absence of typical grottoes and pits. There are two noteworthy, AZA award-winning exhibits at the zoo, as well as numerous smaller enclosures. There are approximately 1,300 animals at the zoo, and the annual attendance hovers around 800,000.
"Gorilla Forest" contains two large outdoor yards and an indoor room for the family of 11 apes, and this set of exhibits opened in 2002. There are overhead paths that allow the gorillas to travel above the zoo visitors when the apes wish to move into a different yard. A pgymy hippo exhibit is also connected with the gorilla enclosures, with 4 hippos inside.
"The Islands" (1996 opening and 1998 award recipient) is the second award-winning set of exhibits, and it rotates 5 Asian species (malayan tapirs, babirusa pigs, sumatran tigers, siamang gibbons and orangutans) through three outdoor yards and an indoor day room. This modern set of enclosures rotates the animals in an attempt to give them more than the one exhibit to live in for the duration of their lives, and also acts as behavioral enrichment. It is often highlighted as the world's first set of rotational exhibits featuring predator and prey.
Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo
"Glacier Run" has recently been beset by financial problems, which has possibly shifted its completion date to 2011. Polar bears, arctic foxes, sea otters, steller's sea eagles, seals and sea lions are all on the list of animal species to be incorporated into this $25-30 million set of exhibits. The polar bears will supposedly have overhead transfer chutes that will allow them to travel into different parts of their enclosure.
