Volume 3, No. 9. May 9, 2003
New Arrivals
It’s
a carousel!
The Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio, announces the arrival of African Animal Carousel,
May 2, 2003. Measurements: 4,952-square- foot (460 square meters) building containing
one 46-foot-diameter (14-meter-diameter) carousel with two chariots and 42 animals
representing 24 species, two 378-square-foot (35-square-meter) birthday party
rooms and a 1,380-square-foot (128-square-meter) kitchen. Delivered by Carousel
Works and Lathrop.
The blend of serious conservation message and irreverent attitudes made for
something of a surreal birth day for this one-of-a-kind carousel. Custom-built
for the zoo as part of its Africa exhibit—the bulk of which will open next
year—Toledo’s newest and second carousel features only African species,
including eight new designs Carousel Works carved especially for the zoo: a
cape hunting dog, a pygmy hippo, a warthog, a large zebra, a lion cub, a rhinoceros,
a hyena and a honey badger.
It was the honey badger Toledo Zoo Executive Director Bill Dennler chose for
his first ride on his new toy. “It’s one of the most elusive animals
for me to see in Africa,” he said. “I took seven or eight trips to
Africa before I saw my first one. And it’s one I’ve always had an
affection for because they are incredible creatures; real survivalists.”
As he spoke, the carousel was starting up for the third spin in its short history,
this time carrying a dozen or so hard hat-wearing construction workers who had
been invited over from the other side of the high fence where the rest of Africa
is being built. “OK! Look at this, this is cool,” Dennler shouted.
The zoo opened the carousel a year early, Dennler said, “because we could.
This was the easiest piece to do, and rather than make people wait an entire
year for all of it we thought we could open up this end of it first.” The
carousel, in fact, is not wholly complete. It currently bears panels of African
scenes that will eventually be replaced by 16 custom paintings by wildlife artist
Harold Roe.
The carousel will earn $1.50 per ride, but the real revenue producer in this
complex are the adjoining themed birthday rooms. The “Giraffe Room”
has a wall mural of a giraffe heading toward a tree branch hanging from the
ceiling, and the “Cheetah Room” has spotted walls and a big cat hiding
in a ceiling panel (that cat’s identity is in dispute: Dennler points out
that it should be a leopard because cheetah’s don’t climb, but that
would necessitate renaming the room). With the new rooms dedicated to birthdays,
the zoo anticipates increasing its annual take of $17,000 in party bookings
to $38,000 this year and $98,000 after next year when a new train opens as part
of the Africa exhibit. Already, bookings are head of projections, said Dave
DiCola, director of visitor services and marketing.
The exposure to Africa’s varied fauna continues in the complex's bathrooms
where dung beetles sit on piles of dung and photos of animals hang inside the
stall walls, “so when you’re sitting you’re looking at something,
not just a blank wall or graffiti,” Dennler said. Party boys will no doubt
giggle at the herd of zebra rear ends on their door. “We had a lot of fun
with this,” the executive director said.
Opening day didn’t so much dawn as it drizzled into being, cold and damp.
But the mood was upbeat among the dignitaries at the 9:30 ribbon cutting as
Dennler announced the zoo’s elephant birth (see story in Extra!
Extra!) and contest winners took the first ride on the African carousel
inside its glass pavilion where the air was warm, dry and happy. The merry-go-round
started up to cheers as half-a-dozen children, the rest adults and four television
news camera crews took the three-minute circuit. By noon a queue had formed
among the general public, many of whom also stopped to peer through peepholes
in the construction fence at the rest of the Africa exhibit progressing toward
completion. It was anticipation and gratification all in one.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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