colobus monkeys

Minnesota’s

African

Rain Forest Zoo

An Attraction Worth The Visit

Not many of us will ever shoulder the expense or time it takes to visit the African rain forest in person let alone take our children with us, but thanks to the Minnesota zoo you don’t have to. The Minnesota Zoo opened a new exhibit May 2010 that showcases charming colobus monkeys, fascinating De Brazza’s monkeys, child friendly fruit bats, alluring dwarf crocodiles, peculiar red river hogs along with rock hyraxes.

Zoos can be amazing up close and personal encounters with rare and exotic creatures that may be threatened because of dwindling natural habitat.
Zoo Director/CEO Lee Ehmke: “Faces of the African Forest promises to be one of the Zoo’s most interesting and popular exhibits. An unusual but ecologically-appropriate combination of animals, together with the complex, beautiful and interactive environment we’ve created for our animals and guests, will make this new addition to our Tropics Trail a fun and memorable experience. The close-up encounters with monkeys, red river hogs, hyraxes, crocodiles, bats, and colorful fish will underscore the urgency of protecting these rare creatures and their African rainforest homes.”

Minnesota Zoo African Encounter
It is a pleasure to wander along the lush indoor tropical trail that hosts more than half of all species in the world.  You will find on your visit the Faces of the African Forest that will bring you very close to species you would probably never encounter otherwise.

African Rain Forest Exhibit Highlights Include:

Bat Cave
Kids and adults alike can view three species and sizes of bats when they reach the bat cave. The bats can fly throughout the cave, and if they choose, behind the crocodile pool.

Crocodile Beach
A sandy beach will allow dwarf crocodiles to sun themselves while a school of African cichlid fish swim throughout the pool. Children and adults will be enjoy viewing these species up close, separated only by glass. A glass ceiling allows kids to peer at the dwarf crocodiles and fish while they are swimming in the pool – a very unique perspective.

Get Physical On The Fallen Log: Just for Wee Ones
The kids can climb stairs going into (and under!) a giant fig tree. When leaving the tree, kids can crawl through a fallen log with viewing windows into the colobus and De Brazza’s monkey exhibits, allowing them to see primates, red river hogs, and hyraxes up close in their enclosures.

Fig Trees
Fig trees are an important lifeline for many fruit-eating, forest-dwelling animals in Africa. Worldwide, over 1,200 species of mammals and birds are known to eat figs, of which there are 755 different species. Some species of figs native to Africa can bear hundreds of thousands of fruits at maturity and grow so large that it would take up to ten people, holding hands, to circle the base of a single tree!

Grab Lots of Photo Opportunities
A window on the pathway side of the fallen log allows for photo opportunities of kids peering out – perhaps with a primate on top of the log! If you’re an animal shutterbug, there are plenty of great viewing opportunities throughout the exhibit.

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. This is a trip worth taking if you live near the zoo are on your family vacation looking for something off the beaten path that is interesting and education.

For more information visit mnzoo.org

http://www.prweb.com/releases/mnzoo/newexhibit/prweb4068084.htm

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