John Ball Zoo's newest exhibit opens Saturday.
Click on the video on the right to see an interview with Barb Snyder, the General Curator for the zoo.
"The Lions of Lake Manyara" opens June 14th. WZZM 13 got an exclusive first look at the exhibit last week.
The lions are, of course, the centerpiece of the Lake Manyara exhibit. Docha... Abena... and Bakari.
All three of these lions are new to Grand Rapids. The male, Docha, arrived last fall. The females, Abena and Bakari, arrived over the winter. They are all getting used to their new home.
Read more and watch video about Docha, Abena and Bakari here .
The Lions of Lake Manyara exhibit is designed so you can see the power and majesty of the lions, safely.
Visitors will be able to walk through African-style boma's. The design goes all the way up to the thatched roof.
Click here to read and watch more about the construction of the exhibit .
While creating a natural habit for the lions the John Ball Zoo is also trying to protect nature right here in West Michigan.
The zoo tried to use many environmentally friendly building features in the design of the Lions of Lake Manyara.
For one thing, the lions holding area has a green roof. The roof is covered with plants. The water thirsty sedums help prevent rainwater runoff. If the roof gets one inch of rain, the plants and soil are able to absorb about 90% of that water.
Click here to read and watch more about the lions' green roof .
"The Lions of Lake Manyara."
Just what does the exhibit's name mean?
Lake Manyara is a small region of Tanzania, in Africa.
John Ball Zoo Society Executive Director Brenda Stringer has visited Africa many times. She thought the Lake Manyara theme would fit well with the zoo's master plan of using the landscape and topography of the John Ball Zoo.
Click here to read and watch more about Lake Manyara
The Lions of Lake Manyara is a $4 million addition to the John Ball Zoo.
But, it's not the only improvement to this zoo, in a park, in the midst of the city.
Click here to read more about the improvements to the park .
Lake Manyara is just the beginning.
According to a vision plan, John Ball Zoo will be updated, starting with an expanded entrance to tie the zoo to the rest of John Ball Park.
Just inside the entrance, a new grizzly bear exhibit will greet visitors. That work could begin as soon as this fall, depending on fundraising.
Click here to see more on future exhibits at the Zoo .
The lions are not the only addition at the John Ball Zoo this year.
Kids will also appreciate the chance to pet horseshoe crabs. The eight crabs are a new addition to the water petting area. They join the stingrays and sharks in the petting pool.
Click here to see the petting pool and the sky trail ropes course .
It will cost you a little more to get into the John Ball Zoo during the summer of 2008.
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