by Taylor Higgins
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Nkosi "Nik", the male silver-back gorilla, died just monthsafter the birth of his two sons, Apolla and Bomassa. Photo credit: N.C. Zoo |
The third largest tourist attraction in North Carolina, the Zoo has seen an anniversary year marked by the tragic passing of visitor favorites and by the joyous arrival of new lives. The year has also been commemorated with the opening of new exhibits, attractions and special events in celebration of 40 years.
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Richard Cooper, the first zoo employee, pets the zoo's first animal, a Galapagos Tortoise. Photo credit: N.C. Zoo |
“We had the zoo authority tell us that the North Carolina Zoo would become the leader in natural habitat concept,” Hackney said. “It was just an idea starting to catch on in other zoos, but nobody had the land we had at this zoo site. It was the guiding force, and I think helped make the North Carolina Zoo important in those early days.”
The natural habitat concept, presenting animals and plants in exhibits that closely resemble the habitats in which they would be found in the wild, was pioneered by the NC Zoo, and became a gold standard for wildlife captivity and conservation around the world. In 1983, the zoo became the first total natural habitat park in the United States with the closing of the Interim Zoo.
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Three orphaned cougar cubs arrived at the Zoo in March from Oregon. Photo credit: Shervin Hess, Oregon Zoo |
It is in these habitats the zoo prides itself on successful breeding of endangered species. In the past year, the zoo has welcomed two baby lowland gorillas, three orphaned cougar cubs, an otter cub and a baby baboon born just this week.
But the zoo is no stranger to loss. In the same period of time, the zoo tragically said goodbye to Wilhelm “Willie,” a 28-year-old polar bear and zoo favorite, and Nkosi “Nik," a 22-year-old silver-back gorilla and leader of the troupe. The gorillas also suffered a devastating loss when a baby gorilla died overnight last summer, just days after birth.
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The Zoo's most popular animal, Willie, died in December at the Milwaukee Zoo while awaiting habitat renovations at N.C. Zoo Photo credit: N.C. Zoo |
But zookeeper Aaron Jesue assures visitors that the zoo’s mission is conservation and education.
“You go to a zoo and in every single exhibit there’s so much more of a story than what you see behind the glass.” Jesue said in a recent interview with Our State. “The way animals interact with each other and with the keepers, the way the keepers have to work and do all these things you’ll never hear about—there’s so much more going on. You might only be taking those few seconds to see the animal and keep going, but if you focus, you’ll see so much more.”
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Jane Goodall holds a baby chimp with zoo keeper John Everhart. Photo credit: N.C. Zoo |
As the N.C. Zoo looks forward to 40 more years of success, their mission of education and conservation through natural habitat recreation can be seen in all renovation, construction and expansion.
Later this year, the zoo will complete a polar bear exhibit expansion project which cost around $8.5 million. The project will provide additional viewing opportunities for visitors. A new exhibit area that simulates an alpine meadow will be added to the existing 10-foot-deep pool and rocky landscape. A maternity den is also included in the renovations, which may enable the zoo to create a breeding group of polar bears.
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