The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, open since 1898, has recently been taking on the exciting challenge of opening multiple new exhibits and interactive areas to give visitors a more personal and hands-on experience. What was their inspiration for adding these new infrastructures, though, and what’s in the works for the zoo right now? The answers to these questions, and additional information, as well, are as follows…

Why is the zoo opening new exhibits? You see, after “The Islands” came to life in 2016 and had wild success, workers decided to start adding additional animal habitats and fun new buildings to add to the positive feedback they had received from creating this new exhibit. About a year after “The Islands” became open and accessible to visitors, the zoo announced that over 1,000,000 people had so far entered the premises of the place, which is home to Siamang Monkeys, Philippine Crocodiles, Warty Pigs, and Clouded Leopards. In the words of zoo CEO Barbara Baker, and from an article on www.pittsburgh.cbslocal.com, “It just shows the wonderful regional impact the zoo has here in Pittsburgh.” It really does.

Additionally, since the opening of “The Islands,” the zoo has added some smaller changes and plans on adding bigger ones, as well. For example, the Sand Tiger Sharks have been moved to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the red pandas have an added outdoor extension on their habitat, an Elephant Seal has been rescued from California and will soon be placed near the Underwater Polar Bear Exhibit, and a “Working Wild” interactive classroom has been built on Islands’ grounds. A new exhibit, called “The Jungles,” is also currently in the process of being created and will be ready and complete sometime this year.

In regards to this new Jungle exhibit, Baker told Pittsburgh’s CBS News that it will have pygmy hippos, giant anteaters, ocelots, and capybara, too, but that’s not all. “The Jungles” will also include a zipline and even more of its beautiful, colorful plants that are already located throughout.

It seems as if Baker can’t wait to get going on all of the new happenings at the thriving Pittsburgh Zoo, and she is equally excited to share them with the public, telling CBS about habitats that haven’t even begun to be built yet. She said, after discussing her excitement towards “The Jungles,” “Then after that is our conservation solarium, which is a major reptile and amphibian area…and then after that will be our mountains exhibit, which will have a wonderful new exhibit for our snow leopards, which we’ve bred here at our zoo in the past.”

Therefore, it’s clear that, as an answer to the question posed as the title of this article, “What’s New at the Zoo?” there really is a lot. Also, just as a reminder, the zoo is open only on weekends now until March when it’s open on weekdays again, as well, so check it out if you get the chance!