(KMJ) Even though African Adventure, the Zoo’s 13-acre exhibit, won’t open until October, many African animals are already settling in to their new homes.
The newest addition to the savannah-style exhibit are a mother and daughter pair of African elephants, Amy, 27, and Miss Betts, 7. The duo comes to Fresno from Riddle’s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in Arkansas and will help to ensure the survival of African elephants by establishing a breeding herd.
The move is a milestone for the Zoo as Amy and Miss Betts are the first African elephants to live at the Zoo.
In addition to African elephants, two cheetahs and four wildebeest have also arrived – although they are not on exhibit just yet. Instead, they are serving out their quarantine period in brand-new holding yards and night houses.
Because African Adventure requires numerous large animals with special husbandry needs to be quarantined during the same, short period of time, large outdoor spaces were incorporated into the design process so that they could serve as quarantine areas.
