African Journey offers big plus to Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

FORT WAYNE—Do you like wildlife and the allure of nature? Are you looking for adventure in an exotic location but find it hard to come up with the price of a plane ticket to visit the Nairobi National Park Game Reserve in Kenya? Do you enjoy different, affordable types of family outings but are at a loss for something innovative to do? Have no fear. You can fulfill all those desires with just a modest admission fee and the price of a drive to the north side of town to the nationally renowned Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.

Named consistently as one of the top 10 zoos in the country, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo for nearly 50 years has hosted some of the nation’s top wildlife exhibits. Home to about 1,500 animals representing 200 different species, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo has something for nearly everyone.

For example, there’s the ever-popular monkey island, the Indonesian Rain Forest Exhibit, the Australian exhibit, an aviary, a sea lion habitat and, for those into more domestic animals, a Indiana Family Farm exhibit. The zoo also boasts an impressive array of examples animals from around the world, including the Eurasian eagle owl, saki monkey sloth, dingo, eastern grey kangaroo, black-footed penguin and komodo dragon to name only a few. One exhibit of which zoo officials are especially proud is their newest and most ambitious one—the recently opened African Journey.

Four years in the making, the 20-acre exhibit has more than two-dozen species of animals, including a first. While the old African Veldt exhibit, which the zoo operated from 1976 until it was shut down in 2007, exhibited lion cubs more than 20 years ago, the new African Adventure includes adult African lions. Other first-time examples of African wildlife include the:

• Sitatunga
• Spotted hyena
• Bat-eared fox
• Honey badge
• Banded mongoose
• Zabra mouse
• Great white pelican
• Ruppell’s griffon vulture
• Wattled Crane
• Kenyan sand boa

In addition, popular species—such as the reticulated giraffe, Grant’s zebra, leopard, serval, Allen’s swamp monkey, de Brazza’s moneky, black-and-white colobus monkey, ostrich, white stork, black stork, marabou stork, crowned crane, silverycheeked hornbill and masked lovebird— also are part of the exhibit.

Visitors can experience the new African Journey a number of ways including a 12- minute overhead ride on the Sky Safari or by walking the trail through the habitat, stopping to get a close up look at carnivorous animals such as the African lion and spotted hyena from behind the safety of a thick, glass barrier or by actually feeding and touching gentle giants such as the reticulated giraffe. Along the way, children can stop at the reconstruction of an African village and play a variety of traditional drums including the djembe.

Although only open since June 6, zoo officials say they have seen a tremendous spike in visitors, especially those interested in the African adventure.

“We’re having a fantastic summer,” said Cheryl Piropato, education director for the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. “Obviously, the African Journey has given us a heck of a boost.”

Piropato also pointed out that the city should be proud of the zoo, not only for its great exhibits, but also for the dedication and hard work staff, volunteers and supporters have put into making it grow— without taxpayer monies.

“We don’t get any tax support,” she explained, adding that the $9.2 million dollar African Journey also was built without government support.

“The whole four-year project was built with donated dollars,” she explained.

And, she said, people should be proud of how well-spent that money was. Nine million dollars “in the zoo world for a 20-acre exhibit is not much,” said Piropato. For example, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., spent $60 million on a five-acre expansion. Fort Wayne’s $9.2 million netted the area an impressive, larger upgrade.

And, she said, feedback from visitors thus far proves just how good that investment has been.

“All the comments on the African Journey have been really positive,” said Piropato.

The Thompson family of Lima, Ohio, concurs.

Father Jimmie, mother Jodi and daughters 11-year-old Ashli and two-year-old Zoe made the special hour and 20 minute-trip to Fort Wayne to visit after not having been at the zoo for some time.

“We just came to see the zoo,” explained Jimmie Thompson. “This is the first time I’ve been here in years.

“I like it so far,” he said, about halfway through a family walk exploring the African Adventure.

The adult Thompsons said the Fort Wayne Zoo was highly recommended to them by a relative—even over a famed Ohio facility.

“My cousin said the Toledo Zoo is not nearly as good,” said Jimmie Thompson.

Brigette Prentice, formerly of California, recently relocated to Kendallville, was equally impressed, not just with the African Journey, but also with the zoo in general. Prentice was visiting the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo with one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Meredith, sister-in-law Ashley and her mother-in-law, who referred to herself only as “Grandma.”

“It seems like the animals are really cared for which is really a plus. I really wasn’t expecting this from Indiana,” said Prentice, who has visited larger, renowned zoos like the San Francisco and San Diego zoos.

She also was impressed with how child-friendly the Fort Wayne facility is.

“There’s a lot of good things for kids to do—even her,” she said referring to daughter Meredith.

“It’s small, but it’s pretty good,” added Grandma. “I’m really surprised. It’s nice—I’m really impressed.”

She also said she liked the fact that the zoo had low fences in strategic areas to allow children to see the animals better.

“It’s tight,” said 14-year-old Julio Moreno, who was visiting the zoo with family members Alicia Moreno, 13, Sevio Moreno, eight, and Breeanna Moreno, four, under the watchful eyes of adults Jason Moreno and Angie Hargrove.

Jason Moreno said he and the family are no strangers to the zoo.

“We’ve got a zoo season pass,” he said. “It’s a great deal. We come a lot.”

This visit was their first to the African Journey. Jason Moreno said he was impressed with the lions and hyenas and the glass barriers that provided opportunity for a close-up view of those animals.

“That’s really nice,” he said.

“It’s cool,” added Sevio, before taking a moment to play African drums included in the village reconstruction.

This is part of the July 15, 2009 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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