Volume 2, No. 2. January 25, 2002
New Arrivals
It's a wolf exhibit!
The Toledo Zoo in Ohio announces the arrival of the Arctic Encounter Wolf
Exhibit, January 11, 2002. Measurements: 35,000 square feet (10,600 square meters),
four wolves, one log cabin. Delivered by West Carroll Bergmann Associates.
Closing out an important chapter in its evolution, the Toledo Zoo introduced
a sisterhood of gray wolves to its Arctic Encounter area, which debuted with
polar bears and seals two years ago. True to the exhibit's theme, the wolf exhibit
gives zoo patrons a chance to make close observations of these mysterious animals,
thanks to a log cabin themed as a northern hunting lodge filled with interpretive
displays and featuring large windows in the back cabin wall looking out on the
wolves' habitat.
The wolves—sisters Dakota, Crow, Cheyenne and Pawnee—arrived at the
zoo in September but remained behind black tarp awaiting their $900,000 exhibit's
opening the second week in January, a tradition for the zoo's arctic displays.
For the occasion under dreary but dry skies, Bill Dennler, the zoo's executive
director, introduced Lucas County Commission President Sandy Isenburg as the
"alpha commissioner" to cut the red ribbon.
First to experience the exhibit were school children from Birmingham Elementary,
who were as interested in the log cabin's appointments, such as the raging fireplace
and mounted elk head, as they were the wolf pack on the other side of the glass.
For their part, the wolves had settled in nicely to their new domain, choosing
to dig holes for their beds rather than nesting in a cozy straw-filled den made
available to them off-view.
"I think it's great because the wolves are close to people but in a naturalistic
enough setting to meet their needs," said Randi Meyerson, who has been the zoo's
mammal curator for one year but has studied wolves since 1984. Although these
wolves were hand-reared, the new exhibit allows Meyerson and her colleagues
to observe the wolves' behavior in their natural habitat.
With the opening of the Wolf Exhibit the Toledo Zoo finished its Arctic Encounter
area, culminating a $12.5 million capital improvement project. Now the zoo turns
its focus on sunnier climes and the largest capital improvement project in its
history, a $20-plus million African exhibit scheduled to break ground this spring.
Lynne Mosman contributed to this report