Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s newly designed exhibit has greatly expanded their space, giving the penguins their very own South African beach, and hippos their own Nile Valley waterway. The exhibit is designed for maximum opportunities to experience the animals, but also to sustain successful breeding programs for the Nile hippos and endangered African penguins. What’s more, the exhibit’s new water recycling system is an environmentally friendly feature that will help the Zoo’s efforts of local water conservation. The project includes 1.5 acres of exterior exhibit space and 17,000 square feet of interior space. The exterior space features opportunities for up-close encounters with penguins in a shared walk through exhibit. A large curved acrylic panel will allow for unique underwater viewing of swimming penguins. The Hippo pavilion will have large glass doors that will open up to provide a seamless indoor/outdoor exhibit in good weather. Incorporated into the design of the hippos’ waterway is an island occupied by one of the most intriguing animals in the primate kingdom – lemurs. A key focus of the design was to allow multiple ways for visitors to view all the animals, and craft opportunities for memorable experiences.
