Groundbreaking events were held Thursday at the state’s largest zoo for an $18-million expansion called Wild Iowa, which will showcase various species that are all native to Iowa. Alex Payne, spokesman for Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, says it’ll be their first installation for bobcats, and nearby they’ll build a new habitat for American bald eagles, which will include a place where the big birds can perch above visitors.
Another section of the new exhibition will be dedicated to river otters, and it will offer visitors an up-close underwater view of the playful creatures. Payne says it’ll be a big improvement over the current otter habitat.
Thursday’s groundbreaking event also marks the launch of the zoo’s 60th anniversary, what Payne says will be a year-and-a-half-long celebration of the zoo’s past, and the exciting things that are still to come.
What was originally called the Des Moines Children’s Zoo opened in May of 1966. It now draws about a half-million visitors every year. Find out more at www.blankparkzoo.com/ and www.impact.blankparkzoo.org/.
