Submitted Photo Jabari was born last August at Roosevelt Park Zoo. As he approaches 7 months old, most of his life has been limited to the barn and only interacting with the zookeepers. The new African Plains Building will change that.

I think we were getting a little spoiled with the milder days we enjoyed prior to last weekend, but that is not to say things aren’t still moving forward. With the approval to move forward with the African Plains Building by the Park Board, the zoo has begun to meet with the contractors and doing everything possible to get this project moving forward. Initial meetings to discuss the logistics of contractor access and the management of the giraffes were the main discussions. Due to so much overlap between the future work in this area for the MI-7 project, additional meetings were set to determine what would be the best path to take that would benefit both projects. One meeting led to the next and then another until now, where we’ve come to a consensus and are hoping to start moving forward soon.

One of the key elements of discussion for me was to determine how much space the contractors will need to safely erect the new indoor facility. With that information in hand, the zoo staff will be able to finish mapping out some temporary fencing that will allow the giraffes to be on exhibit this summer during the construction. Because the construction project will require most of the current giraffe habitat, the new fencing will guide the giraffes from the barn along a pathway on the north side of their enclosure. This corridor will lead them past the construction to a newly created exhibit space in the old zebra exhibit. Additional fencing will be needed in this space as well to protect them from the ongoing construction, but also to maintain a safe distance from guests.

In this new space, the giraffes will have access to the many trees surrounding the enclosure. We hope to get the fencing in place as soon as possible to make sure the giraffes can get outside once the weather permits. Changes to the herd last year included the arrival of the new male, Kioni, and the birth of Jabari, a gift from Mashama before his passing. Jabari was born on Aug. 6 last year and as he approaches 7 months old, most of his life has been limited to the barn and only interacting with the zookeepers. The new African Plains Building will change that.

Once completed, this 10,000-square-foot building will provide ample room for Jabari and the others to run and play regardless of the time of year or the weather. This climate-controlled environment will also provide opportunities for the guests to observe the herd and at designated times, participate in giraffe feedings, just as we do at the outdoor station now. Once completed, the building will be used strictly for giraffes, but as time and money allows, the zoo has plans to incorporate an African bird aviary and even additional African hoofstock species.

During this construction period, the zoo is working closely with the contractors to ensure as little inconvenience as possible for our guests. It is a process and likely won’t be completed until the fall, but if all goes well, guests should never have to miss seeing the giraffes regardless of when they visit.