Less than four years ago Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot announced the beginning of fundraising for big cat habitats. That was in July 2017 when the Minot Community Facilities Fund awarded the first million for the Centennial Capital Campaign.

About five months later the community’s part in the capital campaign was announced to finance the three-phase project for new lion, tiger and leopard habitats.

Now in 2022, construction begins soon on the new leopard habitat, the final habitat to be built for the zoo’s big cats.

“It takes a village,” as the saying goes, to support and finance a multi-million dollar three-phase project like this to provide new habitats for the big cats. The community certainly has done so with its generosity of donations large and small from businesses, organizations and individuals to make this a reality. The Minot Park Board is behind the project 100 percent.

Ground was broken for the African lion and Amur tiger habitats in June 2018 and both subsequently completed. The new African lion habitat, completed in 2019, is named the Severson Ahart African Lion Savanna. The Amur Tiger Valley opened in 2020.

Jennifer Kleen, executive director of the Greater Minot Zoological Society, said the total cost of the habitats for the big cats is slightly less than $10 million and about $8.9 million has been raised.

Many people have helped to make all of this possible and are commended for what they have done and continue to do. Even after funds have been raised for the leopard habitat, fundraising will continue for future projects to benefit the zoo.

Roosevelt Park Zoo has the distinction of being the oldest zoo in North Dakota. This past year the zoo had 115,000 visitors, the highest number of visitors in its history.

The zoo means a great deal to this community, its supporters and/or visitors. Ron Merritt, Minot Parks executive director, said it best: “Roosevelt Park Zoo is a gem in our community and we’re very proud of it.”