Jenny the Elephant Moving on Up
City Council foots most of the tab
Thursday, Apr 2, 2009 | Updated 9:31 PM CST
KXAS
Jenny The Elephant, Dallas Zoo
Jenny the elephant is undergoing a rags to riches story. After living alone for almost a year after her former playmate KeKe died, Dallas Zoo officials brought her a new friend, Gypsy, a 27-year-old African elephant. Soon, she, Gypsy, and several other elephant friends will have their own multi-million dollar pad.
The zoo just announced plans for a 10-acre, state-of-the-art habitat that will include natural landscaping, native African grasses, climate-controlled holding facilities, and facilities conducive to exercise and enrichment activities.
Jenny’s former cell was just one quarter of an acre.
The project, called “Giants of the Savanna,” will include other large mammals, as the name implies. The elephants will mingle with giraffes, lions, wild dogs and a variety of African hoofstock. The creators have also brilliantly included an area for guests to feed giraffes. Mark your calendars for spring 2010.
While the thought of animals roaming freely in pristine, better-than-the-real-thing African grassland in the middle of downtown Dallas is a pleasant one, it is about as easy and cost-effective as putting a toll-road through a flood plain.
The entire exhibit will cost $27 million, and Wednesday City Council approved $13.5 million for the first phase of the project. All total $24 million will come from bond funds and private donors will take care of the rest.
Holly is a journalist who has written for D Magazine and Examiner.
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Posted Thursday, Jul 16, 2009 - 11:56 PM CST
