A rendering of the African penguins’ underwater dive viewing experiences. Courtesy of the Dallas Zoo.
The Dallas Zoo is expected to break ground this October on the Safari Trail expansion.
African Shorelines is the first of the phased expansion that will later include the only combined cheetah and rhino habitat in the U.S. with Wild Grasslands, the Okapi Forest and a multi-species aviary. The Safari Trail will be developed with new experiences opening every 12 to 18 months through 2030, and is supported by the Zoo’s $120 million Wild Horizons capital campaign.
The opening of the African Shorelines exhibit begins with African penguins, one of the Zoo’s critically endangered species. Guests will be able to enter a netted walk-through area that includes a rocky outcropping meant to resemble Boulders Beach in South Africa, plus two large, underwater dive viewing experiences.
This new habitat will also allow the Zoo to expand the current colony of 15 penguins to up to 55 birds to create one of the largest African penguin colonies in the country.
A rendering of the lesser flamingos exhibit, which will include protective netting that allows the flamingos to fly freely. Courtesy of the Dallas Zoo.
Besides the African penguins, guests will also be able to walk through a habitat for lesser flamingos, a smaller-stature species that the Caribbean flamingos currently on view in ZooNorth. This habitat will be fully netted to allow the flamingos to fly freely.
Both the lesser flamingo and the African penguin exhibit will include specific netting in place to protect against threats such as future avian influenza outbreaks by preventing wild waterfowl from entering the habitat, according to a press release.
A new full-service cafe and event space will be available between the two habitats that will be temperature controlled, yet still provide views. The current Wilds of Africa Plaza area will also be updated to include an outdoor education and ambassador animal area, where animal encounters and chats will take place.
The later phases of Wild Grassland and Okapi Forest will reactivate acres of land that have not been visible to guests since the closure of the monorail in 2020.
“African Shorelines represents everything we believe the modern zoo experience should be. When I joined the Dallas Zoo, one of my first priorities was making sure we took the time to get this project right,” said Lisa New, CEO of the Dallas Zoo, in a press release. “This experience has been shaped by our current team from the earliest stages of design to fundraising and now through the impending groundbreaking, and seeing it come to life is more rewarding than words can say. It reflects our commitment to exceptional animal care, meaningful conservation, and creating unforgettable experiences that inspire people to care about wildlife.”
