Community members received their annual look behind the scenes of operations at the David Traylor Zoo Sunday afternoon.
The zoo opened its doors to the public for its annual Open House event, which offered visitors a look at various exhibits, both open and closed to the public, as well as a better understanding of the work that zoo personnel do on a daily basis. Zoo Director Brenda Young says it is not only a great event to connect with the community, but also an opportunity to shine a spotlight on their hard-working employees.
Young also says Sunday’s event was a great opportunity to inform the community that they are beginning to “re-engage” the Oasis Capital Campaign, which helped to pay for various renovations and improvements to the zoo, including the new front entrance, expanded parking, exhibits and more.
With that work now complete, Young says they will begin focusing on creating the new North American River Otter Exhibit, which is estimated to cost around $3 million. Young
says the otter exhibit is just the tip of the iceberg for what’s ahead.
As they toured the zoo Sunday, visitors could participate in plenty of activities and even see some renderings for the next phase of work through the campaign. Emporia Friends of the Zoo board member Colleen Mitchell says the board was very excited to show off their plans, noting the upcoming work will only further enhance the unique offerings of the zoo, many of which you would have to travel elsewhere to see.
Emporia Friends of the Zoo President Nik Roth says it’s very exciting to be moving on to the next step of the Oasis campaign.
For more information on the Oasis Capital Campaign or upcoming events through the zoo, be sure to visit EmporiaZoo.org or find the David Traylor Zoo on Facebook.
Photo by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
