Temporary move necessary for installation of efficient, water-saving filtration system

Move over polar bears, the penguins are coming! Visitors are invited to wear black and white and join the "Penguin Parade," as the Oregon Zoo's colony of Humboldt penguins moves to its temporary quarters in the Polar Bears exhibit Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 10:30 a.m. The zoo is moving the birds so installation of a new, more efficient, water-saving filtration system can begin. The upgrade to the Penguinarium is one of several projects made possible by a $125 million bond measure passed by voters in 2008.

"We're inviting the public to help us celebrate the move, and expect they will be as excited to get the bond projects under way as we are," said Chris Pfefferkorn, Oregon Zoo interim deputy director.

The polar bears, which currently have two separate pools, will move into their summer pool, allowing their winter pool to be occupied by the penguins while the penguin exhibit is closed. The winter pool has been modified to meet penguin needs; the most noticeable alterations are a large tarp to protect the birds from the elements and decking material over the concrete, to protect the birds' feet.

"Penguin Parade" festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with a penguin hand-puppet craft station for anyone who wants to "be a penguin" in the parade. The local band Sneakin' Out entertains at 10 a.m. And at 10:30, Zoo Director Kim Smith, Metro Councilor Robert Liberty and the zoo's new costumed penguin character Pisco (named for a region in Peru where the zoo does penguin conservation work) will lead the penguin keepers and the penguins (in crates) to their temporary home. The head of the line is reserved for Mochica, the zoo's visitor-friendly penguin.

In honor of the Humboldt penguins' Peruvian and Chilean roots, the Cascade Grill will spice up the menu with chicken empanadas and seafood specials featuring the fresh local catch of the week prepared with a South American flair. For those wanting to take home a cuddly souvenir or a fun toy, plush penguins will be available in the zoo gift shop, along with penguin jewelry and glassware.

The Penguinarium's current filtration system, installed in 1982, does not operate efficiently. Because penguins eat fish and their feathers are oily, their 25,000-gallon pool is drained and cleaned each week and water runs continuously to the city sanitary sewer. The new system includes a heat exchanger to keep water cool, strainer baskets and sand filters to remove feathers and debris from the pool, and an ozone tank to kill harmful bacteria. The zoo expects to save 80 percent of the water currently used –– millions of gallons every year. Water quality and clarity will also be improved with the new system.

"We want the zoo be an example of the latest thinking in sustainable design," Pfefferkorn said. "We're looking at ways to save water and energy in every new exhibit and across the entire zoo."

Bond-funded projects will comprise first phase of zoo’s 20-year master plan

In a decision hailed as great news for Oregon Zoo animals and visitors alike, the Metro Council today voted unanimously to approve early phase designs for new animal exhibits, educational facilities and sustainability measures funded by the $125 million bond measure passed by local voters in 2008.

The resolution, introduced by Dan Cooper, Metro's acting chief operating officer, with the concurrence of Council President Tom Hughes, also authorized the zoo to proceed in securing land-use and development permits and approvals, procuring detailed design and construction services, and following through on its designs for the remainder of its bond-funded projects.

"We are extremely gratified that the Metro Council has approved this plan," said Kim Smith, Oregon Zoo director. "Our staff has spent months working with international experts in zoo design and sustainability to plan the best habitats for our animals and the best experiences for our visitors. We can't wait to get started on these projects."

In the not-too-distant future, Oregon Zoo elephants will roam through a greatly expanded habitat of meadows, forest and pools. Polar bears will patrol a much larger territory, taking in views of the zoo and exploring a varied shoreline of pools and beaches. Chimpanzees and mandrills will swing above visitor pathways along overhead "treeways."

New habitats are designed to provide animals with more choices over where and how they spend their day. They will live in more natural family groups and have greater access to the outdoors. Each habitat will be larger, made from natural materials and open to the air and sky, with sheltered areas for colder seasons. Flooring will be natural soil, grass or other well-drained, porous material. Animals will be able to see outside of their habitats to adjacent exhibits, visitors and other parts of the zoo. Additionally each exhibit will be a stimulating, intriguing environment, providing animals with daily opportunities for discovery, play and problem solving.

With the goal of becoming the greenest zoo in the country, the Oregon Zoo is striving for LEED silver certification or better from the U.S. Green Building Council on each new facility. Across the zoo, visitors will see water- and energy-saving measures, including green roofs, rain-harvesting systems and a geothermal loop heat-exchange system. This campus-wide innovation will draw heat from areas that require cooler temperatures, such as the polar bear habitat, and reuse it to warm temperate or tropical habitats like Forest Hall, a multistory elephant-viewing shelter.

Since last October, a team of designers and sustainability experts has worked with zoo staff on a 20-year master plan and exhibit designs, as well as identifying ways to save water and energy, reduce waste and improve sustainability across all zoo activities and departments. Bond-funded projects comprise the first phase of this master plan. Additional master-plan projects not funded by the bond will be presented to the Metro Council for approval in November.

The zoo hopes to begin construction on a perimeter road and new zoo train route in spring of 2013 in preparation for construction of the new elephant habitat, beginning in autumn 2013. Metro issued its request for proposals for design consultants for this project on Sept. 20 and anticipates completing the design and development phase by spring 2012.

Previously, the council had authorized two zoo bond projects to proceed prior to completion of the zoo's master plan: construction of a new veterinary medical center and improvements to the water-filtration system at the penguin exhibit. Both of these projects are now nearing completion.

Construction on a modern veterinary center, the zoo's highest-priority bond project, began last November, and the center is expected to open in January. A new water-filtration and treatment system at the zoo's Humboldt penguin exhibit is also nearly complete; the penguins, which have been living in one half of the polar bear exhibit during construction, will return to their own habitat this fall. The new system will recirculate and clean water in the penguin pool, saving millions of gallons of water each year.

"The master-planning process has been absolutely essential in helping us determine the right location and proper timing for each bond-funded project," Smith said. "Thinking about the zoo's future needs has kept us mindful of our resources and the need to be efficient in organizing and phasing construction. It also has produced some dazzling designs."

Zoo visitors can take behind-the-scenes tours of vet center Jan. 20–22

The Oregon Zoo’s new Veterinary Medical Center has been designed to meet the needs of the zoo’s diverse residents, whether they be tiny turtles, long-limbed orangutans or prickly porcupines. After 16 months of careful construction and equipment installation, the facility will open its doors to these unique patients on Thursday, Jan. 19. The public can peek inside Jan. 20-22, when the zoo will offer behind-the-scenes tours.

“While the Veterinary Medical Center will not be a public building, we want our community to be involved in its grand opening,” said Kim Smith, zoo director. “Public support made this incredible facility possible, so we encourage visitors to take a tour and see what they’ve helped us achieve.”

The medical center is the first major new facility to be completed with funding from the community-supported Oregon Zoo bond. Finished on schedule and under budget, the facility is designed to keep zoo animals and the environment healthy. Patients will benefit from specialized features like a climate-controlled intensive care unit – reptiles, birds and mammals need different temperature and humidity levels to be comfortable – and the building meets LEED silver certification standards for sustainability.

Visitors who tour the center should keep an eye out for the large surgery table strong enough to accommodate a zebra, rolling skylights that provide animals with fresh air and views of the sky, and powerful solar tubes that light the building naturally. Tours will depart regularly from in front of the medical center – between the Family Farm and wolf exhibit – and are free with zoo admission.

“We are very excited to show off our new hospital,” said zoo veterinary technician Margot Monti. “The tours are a great opportunity for us to show the public how their support is helping zoo animals, and to get visitors excited about the other great changes that will happen at the zoo as we work on projects like the new elephant habitat.”

Monti and other zoo veterinary staff worked with Peck Smiley Ettlin Architects and contractors Skanska USA at every stage of design and construction to develop the 15,000-square-foot Veterinary Medical Center. The facility includes spacious treatment and surgery rooms as well as holding areas that will make animals of all types feel comfortable, whether they fly, swim, prowl or swing from branch to branch. Aquatic animals will have access to temperature-controlled pools; primate areas include climbing structures and fold-down sleeping platforms.

Sustainable elements are woven throughout the medical center, but its most noticeable “green” feature is located outside: A 20-foot-tall, 27,000-gallon cistern sits on the building’s west side and captures rainwater from the roof, which can then be used for irrigation, washing down animal areas and flushing toilets. Other environment-friendly features include a water-efficient landscape of native plants, solar-heated tap water, and an energy-saving electrical system.

As with all public works construction in Oregon, 1 percent of the medical center’s construction budget went toward art. Two sets of tiles by Seattle artist Steven Gardener adorn the entryway: The outside walls feature terra cotta tiles patterned like snake scales, leopard fur and other animal markings; inside, glass tiles depicting cell structures and microscopic organisms have been incorporated into a bank of windows. Portland artist Margaret Kuhn has contributed colorful glass mosaics for the lobby floor, which show both external and X-ray views of zoo animals.

“The overall theme of the artwork is how we look at animals – both as humans in general and as veterinary professionals,” said Mitch Finnegan, lead veterinarian. “In the tiles and mosaics, we see both the surfaces of animals as well as X-ray and microscopic views.”

Several of the microscopic images on the tiles were taken from Oregon Zoo cases, and one of the floor mosaics depicts Charlie, the well-loved Oregon Zoo chimpanzee who passed away in 2009.

The late winter flurry of snowflakes at the zoo can barely match the flurry of design and construction activity seen at the zoo this winter. Commitments made to the community are becoming reality on the ground, as new facilities open, designs for others are refined, and new projects are launched. Here's what's new at the zoo:

Designs for the new elephant habitat are nearly finished. The design team is working with zoo officials to make a few final changes before crafting construction drawings and refining the construction schedule. Construction will begin next spring and is carefully phased so that the elephants will remain at the zoo in their familiar setting while their new home is constructed, and important seasonal zoo activities won't be unduly disrupted. The new habitat will encircle the entire eastern portion of the zoo grounds. Several projects must be coordinated to make this possible. The zoo will build a perimeter road to keep big trucks, bulldozers and other heavy machinery outside of visitor areas. Then, they will build a new track for the zoo train. Next comes construction of the southern meadow portion of the habitat, including Forest Hall. The northern wooded habitat will be last. First phase construction is scheduled to begin in spring of 2013. This March, the City of Portland provided land use approval for all of these projects.

Meanwhile, designers are refining plans for the new condor habitat to be located between Trillium Creek Family Farm and Cascade Canyon near the current cougar exhibit. This project was also approved by the city. Construction will begin in autumn 2012.

Last December, the new penguin water filtration system bubbled to life. The system improves water quality for the birds, saves keepers hours of upkeep and is expected to conserve millions of gallons of water each year. The project hit a small snag when keepers switched the exhibit heating and cooling system back on in preparation for reopening and discovered it wasn't working properly. The exhibit will reopen later this year when repairs are completed.

The shiny, new Veterinary Medical Center opened on Jan. 19 to rounds of applause from officials, donors and staff. Replacing a dated and worn out clinic, the new center topped the list of the zoo's priorities. Designed with animal comfort and healing in mind, the new center accommodates the needs of its wide variety of finned, feathered and furry patients. The building exemplifies the zoo's conservation ethic, with features like natural lighting, harvested rainwater, recycled construction materials and native landscaping.

All of these improvements are guided by the zoo's new 20-year master plan. In March, zoo staff worked with experts to develop a zoo-wide interpretive plan that will establish themes and appearance of much of what visitors experience and learn at the zoo. Interpretation is the guidance provided to zoo visitors to help them find their way, understand what they see and hear, and process the stories of the animals they encounter. Throughout the zoo, the information on signs, shared by keepers and presented in videos will all be guided by this important plan. Download the master plan.

Oregon requires that publicly funded construction projects invest one percent of their budget in art. In conjunction with interpretive planning, the zoo is taking hold of this exciting opportunity to integrate art into the zoo campus and consider how art enhances the visitor experience.

As a wrap up to this busy year, the Oregon Zoo Bond Citizens' Oversight Committee will present its second annual report to the Metro Council on April 5. The committee represents the voters who supported the bond measure and apprises the Council on whether bond funds are being managed appropriately and goals are being met.

Assessment notes completed projects, efficiency and positive auditors’ report 

The Oregon Zoo Bond Citizens’ Oversight Committee told the Metro Council on Thursday that the Oregon Zoo bond program has the structure, processes and staffing in place to effectively manage the bond funds. The committee noted program accomplishments including a new 20-year master plan and completion of two major construction projects — the new Veterinary Medical Center and a new penguin life support system that will save millions of gallons of water annually. They made no recommendations to change the program.
 
This was the second annual assessment by the Metro-appointed committee of the plans and improvements funded by the $125 million bond measure. Establishment of the 17-member committee, appointed by the Metro Council in January 2010, was a condition of the bond measure.
 
The report is available online.
 
The zoo bond covers planning and construction of new and expanded zoo habitats for elephants, polar bears, and primates; an entirely new California condor exhibit; a new conservation education facility; and improved energy and water conservation measures across the zoo campus. The zoo will, for example, save water by phasing out hippos in favor of an expanded habitat for endangered rhinos and will conserve energy with a new campus-wide heat exchange system. These projects will be constructed over the next six to eight years, including the first phases of some projects that will eventually become zoo-wide improvements. The new Veterinary Medical Center, also paid for by the bond, opened in January.
 
“The Citizens’ Oversight Committee has validated our own assessment of the Oregon Zoo’s progress on new exhibits and facilities. Designs for the new exhibits are beautiful and the work is progressing thoughtfully and efficiently,” said Shirley Craddick, Metro Councilor for District 2. “We appreciate the work of this highly accomplished group of citizens who are maintaining public trust in Metro’s management of the zoo’s bond-funded projects.”
 
This is the second report from the Oregon Zoo Bond Citizens’ Oversight Committee, formed to assess progress in implementing the Oregon Zoo Infrastructure and Animal Welfare Bond Program on behalf of the Metro Council and citizens. The committee meets quarterly to review the program of bond-funded zoo improvements, with emphasis on responsible use of bond dollars, and reports to the Metro Council annually. They monitor project spending trends and current cost projections, make recommendations for project modifications should projected construction costs exceed budget estimates, and provide feedback on an annual independent zoo bond financial audit. Members include professionals with experience in construction, sustainability, animal welfare, labor, finance, public budgeting, and auditing and general business.
 
The committee noted that the zoo’s new master plan will provide a clear blueprint for the process to realize bond measure goals. Approved by the Metro Council in November, the master plan provides the means for zoo managers to anticipate and prepare for future needs while making most efficient use of the bond funds.
 
The Oversight Committee reported that the zoo bond program has a clear organizational and governance structure, appears to be appropriately staffed, has a level of overhead comparable to other Metro programs, and has internal reporting processes in place for the active construction projects. They noted that the zoo has addressed the issues raised in a 2009 Metro audit of zoo projects and received a positive follow-up report from the auditor’s office in October 2011.  An annual audit report by Moss Adams issued in December noted no concerns.
 
See the 2011 Metro audit report
See 2011 Moss Adams audit report
 
The Oregon Zoo operates under a conditional use permit issued by the City of Portland. Metro submitted an application last year for several of the new projects as amendments to the existing permit. These include the new elephant and condor habitats and some related projects necessary to facilitate construction. The city approved this application March 2. Metro will submit an application to the city this spring for the remainder of the projects under its new 20-year master plan. The committee noted the value of separation of the two land use applications.
 
“We appreciate the Oversight Committee’s positive assessment of our work. With city approval of the new elephant habitat, we can move forward on projects that will transform significant areas of the zoo,” said Craig Stroud, Oregon Zoo bond program director. “We look forward to timely issuance of our master plan permit so that we stay on schedule to deliver improved animal habitats, a better visitor experience and improved conservation of water and energy.”
 
The committee did not recommend any project modifications and will continue to monitor plans and construction over the life of these projects.
 
Committee members:
Deidra Krys-Rusoff, Chair
Marcela Alcantar
Jacqueline Bishop
David Evans
Greg Gahan
Anne English Gravatt
Sharon Harmon
Jim Irvine
Benjamin Jackson
Tony Jones
Bill Kabeiseman
Carter MacNichol
Sheryl Manning
Ray Phelps
Penny Serrurier
Michael Sestric
Bob Tackett
 
Learn more about the zoo master plan and bond funded projects.

Cheyenne, Kenai Jr. and Yazhi will head to Nebraska conservation park in August

Visitors to Sunset at the Zoo were treated to all manner of music yesterday. In addition to the Cuban-style salsa of Los Rumberos de Caribe and the genre-blurring classicism of the Portland Cello Project, guests wandering near the Oregon Zoo's Trillium Creek Family Farm around sunset caught a "howlelujah chorus" from the zoo's trio of gray wolves. Cheyenne, Kenai Jr. and Yazhi lent a stirring three-part harmony to the festivities, their eerily beautiful howls rising from Wolf Meadow and reverberating across the hillsides of Washington Park.

It was a bittersweet sound for many zoo staffers: In August the wolves will be departing for the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in Omaha, Neb. — part of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium — as the Oregon Zoo prepares for work on a vastly expanded home for its Asian elephant herd. The new elephant area will stretch over much of the meadows and forests along the zoo's eastern edge, and there will no longer be room for a sufficiently engaging wolf habitat.

"It's hard for us to see these wolves go, and we know visitors will miss them too," said Amy Cutting, curator of the zoo's North America exhibits. "But we would rather lose them to a better environment than keep them in a less than ideal space. Their new home will provide a large territory with hills and trees, so we're very happy about that."

While the wolves will be missed here, their arrival is eagerly anticipated by keepers in Omaha, some of whom will spend time in Portland, familiarizing themselves with each wolf's needs and habits before transporting them to their new digs.

The Oregon Zoo remains committed to wolf education, Cutting said. Wolves will be prominently featured on informational displays throughout the Great Northwest exhibit. Staff and visitors can also look forward to welcoming wolves back in the future: As part of the zoo's 20-year master plan, the mountain goat and black bear habitats in Great Northwest will be completely renovated to provide a large, flexible space that can be used alternately by black bears, cougars and gray wolves.

Cheyenne, Kenai Jr. and Yazhi will be at the Oregon Zoo at least through next week for visitors who wish to say goodbye. The wolves leave for the Midwest the week of Aug. 6.

With upgrades to their Penguinarium complete, the popular birds return home

Flightless birds aren’t typically migratory, but don’t tell that to the 16 Humboldt penguins making their home at the Oregon Zoo.
 
For much of the past two years, the penguins shared a divided portion of the zoo’s polar bear habitat while improvements were made to their own quarters. This week the sleek seabirds returned home, waddling over the familiar rocky terrain and darting through the clear water of the zoo’s Penguinarium. The popular exhibit will reopen to the public on Saturday, Nov. 17.
 
The birds had been moved to their temporary habitat in late 2010, allowing work to begin on a much-needed upgrade of the Penguinarium’s water-filtration system, one of many sustainability improvements funded by the community-supported 2008 zoo bond measure. The upgrade saves 7 million gallons of water each year.
 
Built in 1959 and remodeled in 1982, the Penguinarium had an outdated water-filtration system that dumped millions of gallons of water into the city’s sewer system each year. A constant flow of fresh water was required to keep the pool clean and free of scum that builds up from the oils in penguin feathers. And each week, the 25,000-gallon pool was completely drained for cleaning.
 
“The filtration upgrade was completed in December 2011 and worked perfectly,” said curator Michael Illig, who oversees all the zoo’s birds. “It was cleaning and circulating beautiful clear water.”
 
When staff turned on the exhibit’s 20-year-old heating and air conditioning system in anticipation of the penguins’ return, however, they found it wasn’t functioning properly.
 
“Since the penguins were already comfortable in their temporary digs, it was a good opportunity to repair the system with no impact to the birds or zoo visitors,” Illig said. “We wanted to make sure their home was 100 percent ready when they moved back.”
 
Also moving back home this month were 15 Inca terns, South American seabirds that share an exhibit space with penguins at the zoo. (The two species coexist in the wild as well.) The terns had been waiting out the renovations in an enclosure that had housed orangutans prior to the 2010 opening of Red Ape Reserve.
 
“It’s great to have the birds back together in their own space,” said Gwen Harris, the zoo’s senior keeper of birds. “Their welfare has always been our primary concern. Now the water’s clean and clear, and we’ve made a far more environmentally friendly habitat.”
 
Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), which live along the South American coastline off of Peru and Chile, were granted protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2010. Of the world’s 17 penguin species, Humboldts are the most at risk, threatened by overfishing of their prey species, entanglement in fishing nets, and breeding disruption due to commercial removal of the guano deposits where the penguins lay their eggs. Their population is estimated at 12,000 breeding pairs.
 
The Oregon Zoo participates in a Species Survival Plan to cooperatively manage Humboldt populations.

All of our lives were changed by the birth of Rose-Tu's second calf.

The outpouring of love from you, our community, was overwhelming.

Her birth also marks a profound turning point in our story. Rose-Tu's daughter will be the last elephant born in the front room, which has served as nursery for 28 baby elephants since 1962, when Packy was born.

We have learned more about elephants in the past 50 years than was known in the previous 5,000 years. Thanks to advancements in welfare, health and reproductive science, zoos now have a much better understanding of what it takes to protect the physical well-being of these giant creatures and to satisfy their social and behavioral needs.

When the zoo's visionary new elephant habitat – Elephant Lands– opens, Rose-Tu's calf will still be just a toddler.

She'll spend her youth exploring a variety of habitats and terrain, from rolling meadow to hilly forest. She'll have access to scratching surfaces, elephant-controlled showers, pools for bathing and mud wallows to cool and protect her skin.

Perhaps most importantly, she and the rest of her herd will have choices over how they spend their time and how they socialize with each other.

Our vision for the future of elephants includes generations of thriving family groups living in an enriching and natural environment with opportunities for the public to connect, learn and take action.

Our mission is to inspire visitors and our community to create a better future for wildlife and we do this by creating engaging, meaningful experiences to connect humans with animals.

Because of your support, Elephant Lands will set the standard for elephant management and care, and exemplify our community's commitment to animal welfare and sustainability.

Now there's something to consider next time you stare into that pretty face. 

Thank you for supporting a future with elephants.

Elephant Museum will close to make way for expansive new Elephant Lands habitat

The Oregon Zoo’s Lilah Callen Holden Elephant Museum — home to elephant-related art, historical artifacts and a 7,000-year-old fossilized mastodon skeleton — will close its doors for good this month, as the zoo prepares for construction on Elephant Lands, a dramatic expansion of the Asian elephant habitat. Zoogoers wishing to see the museum one last time may visit Jan. 11-21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Much of the artwork and many historical artifacts on display at the Elephant Museum will remain at the zoo — some within Forest Hall, the indoor portion of the Elephant Lands habitat — but this month will be the last chance for visitors to experience the museum in its current space.
 
It will also be the final opportunity to see the museum’s massive mastodon skeleton, on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Later this month, a team of expert vertebrate paleontologists will begin the job of dismantling the fossilized giant, which will be shipped back to its permanent home at the Smithsonian in early February.
 
The skeleton — an Ice Age relic that stands around 8 feet tall and measures 14 feet from tusk to tail — dates from the late Pleistocene era and is believed to be at least 7,000 years old. It was discovered in 1901 by Levi Wood, who unearthed it from a peat swamp on his farm in southern Michigan. Following an appearance at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, the mastodon found a home in the Smithsonian’s newly opened “Hall of Extinct Monsters” in 1910, remaining there for more than 50 years until a 1963 museum renovation. The last time the skeleton was moved was in 1986 for the opening of the zoo’s Elephant Museum.

Other items of interest at the Elephant Museum include:

• An etching of an elephant skull by well-known English artist Henry Moore.
• “Animal Alphabet,” a 1973 work by Henk Pander (the celebrated Dutch-born painter has been a Portland resident since 1965).
• “Mammoths,” a print by prominent Northwest artist Tom Hardy. Hardy’s bronze sculpture “Wooly Mammoths” is also featured, mounted on an exterior wall just outside the museum’s exit.
• A pencil-and-ink drawing of African elephants by Kamante, friend and major domo to writer Isak Dinesen during her years in Kenya.
• A kinetic wire elephant sculpture by artist Steve Clisby (donated by the Girl Scouts in 1983). 
• Memorabilia from the time of Packy’s birth in 1962.

Since opening in December 1986, the Lilah Callen Holden Elephant Museum has been dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of materials related to elephants and their relationship with humans.
 
The brainchild of former zoo director Warren Iliff, the museum was named in memory of Lilah Callen Holden, a long-time elephant lover and friend of Iliff’s, who died in 1983. The Holden Family has been the museum’s champion for more than a quarter of a century.
 
“Exhibit themes naturally change over time, and the bulk of this collection was acquired for illuminating themes deemed important at the time of the grand opening,” said Rebecca Patchett, museum collection coordinator. “Items exhibited in Forest Hall will provide an overview of how elephants have interacted with and inspired humans across the globe and tell the story of the strong bond between the Portland community and the Oregon Zoo’s herd.”
 
After taking in the Elephant Museum’s historic and prehistoric sights, weekend visitors can also get a glimpse into the near future. Zoo volunteers will be at the museum Jan. 11-13 and Jan. 19-21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., to help explain the transformations to come with the Elephant Lands, which will quadruple the space and enhance daily experiences for the zoo’s elephants — including Lily, the newest addition to the herd. Visitors to the museum during these hours may pick up a complimentary pair of pink elephant ears (while supplies last) commemorating the Nov. 30 birth of Lily, and perhaps get a look at the 6-week-old romping in one of the outside sand yards of the nearby elephant habitat.
 
The zoo’s elephant care team reports Lily’s integration into the herd is progressing so well that there will no longer be set hours with Lily and Rose-Tu in the indoor viewing room. Lily and her mother may be outside with the rest of the herd or in the viewing room on any given day. Either way, indoor viewing will be open until 3 p.m.

Conditional-use plan will benefit animals, visitors and community, officials say

The City of Portland has granted land-use approval to the Oregon Zoo for improvements to be made across the zoo site over the next decade. The decision, which took effect Jan. 28, allows work to proceed on the full complement of zoo projects approved by metro-area voters in 2008. In all, these projects will transform nearly 40 percent of the zoo site.

"We're very grateful for this vote of confidence from City of Portland and equally grateful for the community's ongoing support," said Kim Smith, zoo director. "The zoo prides itself on doing the right thing — for the animals, of course, but also for our neighbors, for our visitors and for the entire community. The next 10 years should be among the most exciting in the zoo's 125-year history."

The Oregon Zoo, a service of Metro regional government, operates under a conditional-use permit issued by the City of Portland. Every 10 years, when the zoo updates its master plan, Metro submits a conditional-use application to the city. The city conducts a thorough evaluation of proposed new development, assessing potential impacts on and benefits to the surrounding area, including transportation, utilities, neighborhoods, Washington Park visitors and the greater community.

"A lot of careful project planning went into this application," Smith said. "The city's approval validates our work with residential neighbors and adjacent Washington Park attractions to solidify positive working relationships."

The zoo had previously submitted land-use applications for a few individual projects in advance of completing the full master plan, so that these projects could move to construction sooner. An update to the penguinarium's water-purification system was completed in December 2011, for example, and the zoo's new Veterinary Medical Center opened in January 2012.

And to advance progress on the largest project in the current list of improvements — the first in a complex construction timeline — the zoo submitted plans for its new Elephant Lands habitat to the city in November 2011. This dramatic expansion — encircling the entire eastern edge of the zoo and providing a variety of terrain, from rolling meadow to hilly forest — will quadruple the elephants' space and enhance their daily experiences.

The complex project also affects other areas of the zoo because it involves moving the zoo train and installing a road around the south and east sides of the grounds to accommodate construction traffic outside visitor paths. The city granted land-use approval for Elephant Lands, along with the zoo's new California condor habitat, last March. Preliminary construction activities are under way on both of these projects.

The remaining projects, to be completed over the next six to eight years, include a new conservation education facility and improved habitats for polar bears, primates and rhinos.

A 20-year master plan and schematic designs for the zoo's remaining bond-funded projects were completed and approved by the Metro Council in November 2011. The master plan was developed to support the following primary objectives:

• Protect animal health and safety
• Increase access to conservation education
• Implement sustainability initiatives
• Create a cohesive zoo campus.

The zoo's 20-year plan includes projects that are not yet funded. However, the zoo chose to consider the entire site holistically so infrastructure for future projects could be installed during the current construction.

New exhibit, opening in 2014, offers up-close looks at a critically endangered species

Though native to the region, and commonly seen here during the time of Lewis and Clark, California condors haven't soared through Northwest skies for more than a century. The Oregon Zoo would like to see that change.

At today's ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Condors of the Columbia habitat, officials announced plans to give zoo visitors an up-close look at these highly endangered birds next spring, while also advocating for the eventual return of free-flying condors to the region.

"We want everyone to learn more about condors and their long history in Oregon," said Kim Smith, zoo director. "Visitors will have the unique opportunity to see these colorful, intelligent and highly endangered birds, learn about the survival challenges they face — and, most importantly, find out how we can help bring them back."

Condors of the Columbia — the name is a nod to the "buzzards of the Columbia" mentioned in Capt. Meriwether Lewis' journal — will be located in the Great Northwest section of the zoo, between Cougar Crossing and the Trillium Creek Family Farm. The three-story-tall mesh aviary will expand from 4,900 square feet at ground level to 5,800 square feet at the top, giving the birds enough space to fly short distances. Designed by Place Studio, the enclosure will feature:

• a lush, native landscape with boulders, trees and log snags for perching
• a cascading water feature with a deep condor bathing pool
• two covered visitor areas, one elevated, offering up-close views of the birds

Local construction outfit 2KG Contractors will begin work at the site June 3.

The $1.5 million exhibit — part of the community supported zoo bond measure — will be home to adult birds from the condor recovery program that cannot be released in the wild. The zoo's recovery efforts will continue to take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in rural Clackamas County on Metro-owned open land. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to people, increasing the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild.

More than 40 healthy chicks have hatched at the Jonsson Center since the program began in 2003, and more than 20 Oregon Zoo-reared birds have gone out to field pens, with most released to the wild. In addition, several eggs laid by Oregon Zoo condors have been placed in wild nests to hatch.

Condors are the largest land birds in North America with wingspans of up to 10 feet and an average weight of 18 to 25 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, and they require a tremendous amount of parental investment in the wild.

Accumulated lead poisoning — a problem that plagues many predators and scavengers — is the most severe obstacle to the California condor's recovery as a species. As the birds feed on carrion and other animal carcasses, they can unintentionally ingest lead from bullet fragments. Lead consumption causes paralysis of the digestive tract and results in a slow death by starvation. Lead also causes severe neurological problems, so the birds not only starve but suffer from impaired motor functions.

The California condor was one of the original animals included on the 1973 Endangered Species Act and is classified as critically endangered. In 1982, only 22 individuals remained in the wild and by 1987, the last condors were taken into captivity in an attempt to save the species. Biologists decided to place the remaining condors in a captive-breeding program. With the help of breeding programs like the Oregon Zoo's, condor numbers now total around 400, counting those in breeding programs and in the wild.

California condor breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho. The Oregon Zoo received The Wildlife Society's conservation award in 2005 for "creating the nation's fourth California condor breeding facility."

Visionary new home for zoo's elephant herd to open in 2015

Golden shovels were on hand, but the Oregon Zoo broke ground today elephant-style: with a 30-ton excavator.

Construction of the 6.25-acre Elephant Lands habitat— the most ambitious project in Oregon Zoo history — officially kicked off with massive displacement of earth, making way for the Asian elephant herd's new home and a new era of animal welfare.

"We've designed a world-class home that honors this amazing species," said Kim Smith, zoo director. "Elephant Lands is all about elephants having choices and activity. We think it's going to be a game-changer for elephants worldwide and help raise the bar for animal welfare."

Five years in the making, the $53 million habitat — part of the community-supported zoo bond measure — will extend around the eastern edge of the zoo, from south of the current elephant habitat north into the area that formerly housed Elk Meadow.

"We started in 2008 by surveying the best elephant habitats in the world," said Mike Keele, the zoo's director of elephant habitats and one of the foremost Asian elephant experts in the country. "We took the best elements from each of those, and then we added our own half-century of elephant experience to give Packy, Lily and the rest of the herd everything they need to thrive."

For Keele, who will retire later this month after 42 years at the zoo, the groundbreaking is especially meaningful: "To know how far we have come — how much we've learned over the years about elephants and their complex needs — and now to be able to pour all that knowledge into this project that will make their lives that much better... This moment feels historical to me, yet it's consistent with the zoo's commitment over the last five decades."

With rolling meadows, 4-foot-deep sand flooring and one of the world's largest indoor elephant facilities, the new habitat will also offer unique views of the zoo's herd. Within Forest Hall, visitors on elevated walkways will view elephants within a vast airy arena lit by filtered sunlight with a backdrop of native fir forest.

"The habitat will encourage elephants to be active throughout the day," Smith said. "They'll have the freedom to choose when and what they want to do, and who they want to spend time with. These elephants are cherished in our community, and our goal was to create a meaningful experience for visitors to connect with them. We want people to be inspired by Elephant Lands to take action for wildlife."

At the groundbreaking event, the Oregon Zoo Foundation announced the public launch of its $3 million Campaign for Elephants, which will fund education and conservation activities at Elephant Lands. The foundation has already raised $2 million through the silent portion of its campaign, including a recent challenge grant of $150,000 from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, which will match all Elephant Lands donations up to $10,000 per donor. To learn more or to make a gift, call 503-220-5707 or visit oregonzoo.org/givetoelephants.

Sales from new confection will benefit Oregon Zoo's Elephant Lands habitat

Anyone planning to visit the Oregon Zoo this Friday will have a sweet incentive to show up early. On June 14, representatives from Krispy Kreme will be at the zoo handing out free original glazed doughnuts to the first 500 visitors.

Also that day, Krispy Kreme will unveil its newest menu item: the Lily doughnut, named in honor of the zoo's youngest pachyderm.

The Lily doughnut, a special crème-filled glaze with a pink-icing elephant face adorning the top, will be available in local Krispy Kreme stores through the end 0f July for $1.29. A portion of sales goes to the Oregon Zoo Foundation's Campaign for Elephants, funding education and conservation activities at the zoo's new Elephant Lands habitat.

Elephant Lands — the most ambitious project in Oregon Zoo history — will usher in a new era of animal welfare for Portland's famous Asian elephant herd. Set to open in 2015, the habitat will cover 6.25 acres around the eastern edge of the zoo. Learn more about Elephant Lands and the Oregon Zoo Foundation's Campaign for Elephants.

Zoo trains will be out of service starting Sept. 23, back for ZooLights 2014

All aboard! The Washington Park and Zoo Railway will be making its last runs of the season Sept. 22 and then will be out of service temporarily, as construction crews begin laying track for a new train route — one designed to provide unique views of Oregon Zoo animals as well as improved looks at ZooLights, the annual winter lights display.

Construction managers expect the trains to be out of service for the next year — including during ZooLights 2013 and summer 2014 — but are confident they will be running on the new route in time for ZooLights 2014.

"We are creating a new train experience with a greater focus on animals."

—Heidi Rahn, Better Zoo program director

"We've planned construction very carefully to minimize the impact on visitors," said Heidi Rahn, director of the Better Zoo Program, which oversees construction projects funded by the 2008 zoo bond. "We knew we would have to take the trains out of service for a while as we built the new route, but we've kept the schedule tight and we expect to complete the new track in just over one year."

The zoo began a major transformation this year, breaking ground on both Condors of the Columbia and the new Elephant Lands habitat. Because of the scale of construction funded by the bond (nearly 40 percent of the zoo campus will be remodeled), projects have been carefully sequenced. An important first step in Elephant Lands was the creation of a new service road that will keep construction traffic and heavy equipment off visitor pathways.

"Rerouting the train was necessary to provide space for the new service road and the significantly larger elephant habitat," Rahn said. "But it was challenging because of the zoo property's many constraints."

The zoo's 30-inch-gauge railway line evolved out of plans for a children's train when the zoo moved to its current site in the late 1950s. The brightly painted Oregon steamer — reminiscent of 1800s locomotives — and the sleek, retro-modern Zooliner date from that time. Both were featured during Oregon's 1959 centennial celebration.

"Over the years, as new zoo exhibits were developed, views from the train were given limited consideration," Rahn said. "Now we are creating a new train experience with a greater focus on animals."

The new route through the zoo will circle an elevated trestle in the forest north of Elephant Lands, providing unique views of the Asian elephant herd in its new home. The longer Washington Park train route, which operates seasonally, will also return once construction is complete.

Construction steams ahead as workers lay tracks for new route

Exhibit designers released a sneak peek of the new Oregon Zoo railway this week, giving the community its first look at a route optimized for spectacular views of animals and the annual winter ZooLights display starting in late 2014.

"We're honored to operate one of the Pacific Northwest's most beloved railways, and we've designed a new route that will build upon that legacy," said Heidi Rahn, Better Zoo program director. "It will be more than just a train ride — it will be an entirely new perspective of the zoo."

"It will be an entirely new perspective of the zoo."

—Heidi Rahn, Better Zoo program manager

In late September, the zoo's popular trio of trains — the Zooliner, the Centennial Steam Train, and the Oregon Express — was temporarily put out of service as crews began laying track for the new loop. The railway is scheduled to reopen in time for ZooLights 2014.

The future route will encircle an elevated trestle in the forest north of Elephant Lands, providing unique views of the Asian elephant herd and opening a new path for the ZooLights display. Rerouting will also keep construction traffic away from visitor areas as the zoo undergoes a monumental decade-long renovation. See the summer train rendering.

"The zoo has expanded significantly since the railway opened in 1958," Rahn said. "We're very excited to write the next chapter in our 125-year history with a train that gives visitors an amazing experience and gives animals the improved habitats they deserve."

While the train won't be running for this season of ZooLights, the famous Oregon steam engine will still be decked out in holiday finery near the train station, making a festive photo backdrop.

Elephant Lands construction pushes ahead, with work set to begin on South Habitat

As the Oregon Zoo switches to winter hours this month, visitors will be treated to some new baby-viewing opportunities plus a chance to see history in the making with the construction of Elephant Lands.

Starting Monday, Jan. 6, the zoo's gates will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with grounds open until 5 p.m. Visitors arriving early are encouraged to beeline for the zoo's Cascade Stream and Pond habitat for a possible sighting of an otter pup swim lesson.

Tilly, a North American river otter, has begun taking her 8-week-old pup, Ziggy, into the water on a daily basis, keepers say.

"Otter pups learn to swim from their mothers, and the best times to watch Ziggy take his first dips are between gate opening and noon," said Julie Christie, senior keeper for the zoo's North America area. "By the end of the month he'll be swimming on his own."

The three lion cubs born at the zoo last September — Kamali, Zalika and Angalia — will also be spending more time outdoors now that they're adolescents, keepers say. Best bets for watching the triplets play with mom Neka in their Predators of the Serengeti habitat are dry days when the temperature is above 40 degrees.

January also marks a major milestone in the construction of Elephant Lands, the expansive new habitat for the zoo's family of Asian elephants. On Jan. 22, crews are scheduled to begin work on the South Habitat section of Elephant Lands — a swath of mogul-like hills stretching to the zoo's southern and eastern boundaries. Lily, Packy and the rest of the herd can still be seen during this time, as can some elephant-scale construction equipment, highlighted by a 30-ton excavator.

In late February, the elephants will begin moving into the new South Habitat, and visitors will be able see them in these new digs by early March.

"We're in the middle of the biggest project this zoo has undertaken in 50 years," said Craig Stroud, the zoo's deputy director of operations. "Visitors this winter can see history take place and watch the making of an exhibit that will set a new standard for elephant care. The construction activities are fascinating to watch, and visitors often stop to observe the huge equipment and construction personnel building the new exhibit."

To keep the herd comfortable during the building of Elephant Lands, animal-care staff and construction managers devised a Tetris-like phasing plan to gradually expand the elephants' accessible space. The entire habitat — which will be four times larger than the current one — will be completed in summer of 2015.

Next to elephants, the Island Pigs of Asia exhibit will temporarily close from late January to March as crews make utility upgrades.

Portland Parks and Recreation's new Pay to Park system begins Jan. 10, and will be used by visitors to all the park's attractions, including the zoo, Portland Children's Museum, International Rose Test Garden and others. Learn more. 

New habitat will meet complex needs of continent's largest bird

Four stories, a "magic food room" and a carcass-friendly swimming pool: it's all included in the condor-minium.

Construction on Condors of the Columbia — a new habitat bringing the charismatic and endangered California condor to the Oregon Zoo for the first time — takes a major turn this month when the four-story aviary is crowned with a mesh roof. In March, three condors from the zoo's offsite breeding facility will move in, and sometime in May they'll start taking visitors.

"This will be a home for pterodactyl-sized scavengers with a penchant for hyper-curiosity."

—Kelli Walker, lead condor keeper

"Condors have ten-foot wingspans, complex social structures and specialized feeding habits," said the zoo's lead condor keeper, Kelli Walker. "This won't be your standard aviary — this will be a home for pterodactyl-sized scavengers with a penchant for hyper-curiosity."

To design the exhibit, staff looked to the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, where the zoo has participated in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service California Condor Recovery Program since 2003. There, condors are fed through chutes that prevent the birds from associating humans with food, an association that could hinder their survival once they are released. At the zoo, the birds will also be fed through an airlock-style room, where food "magically appears."

Another condor amenity is the carcass-friendly swimming pool.

"Condors love bathing," Walker said. "During summer at the Johnson Center, they'll submerge themselves neck-deep and splash around nearly every day. They also love dragging their food into the water to play with it, so we built in a very robust filtration system."With a 5,800-square-foot roof, the exhibit is designed to allow flight, and features tall perches repurposed from trees brought down during Elephant Lands construction. Perches were placed for optimal sunlight, which provides both warmth and a means for zapping bacteria on a bird that spends much of its time head-deep in dead animals.

The $2.6 million Condors of the Columbia habitat — part of the community supported zoo bond measure — was named for the "buzzards of the Columbia" referenced in Meriwether Lewis' journals during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Condors have not been documented in Oregon for more than a century.

Accumulated lead poisoning — a problem that plagues many predators and scavengers — is the most severe obstacle to the California condor's recovery as a species. As the birds feed on carrion and other animal carcasses, they can unintentionally ingest lead from bullet fragments. Lead consumption causes paralysis of the digestive tract and results in a slow death by starvation. Lead also causes severe neurological problems, so the birds not only starve but suffer from impaired motor functions.

The California condor was one of the original animals included on the 1973 Endangered Species Act and is classified as critically endangered. In 1982, only 22 individuals remained in the wild and by 1987, the last condors were taken into captivity in an attempt to save the species. Biologists decided to place the remaining condors in a captive-breeding program. With the help of breeding programs like the Oregon Zoo's, condor numbers now total around 400, counting those in breeding programs and in the wild.

More than 40 chicks have hatched at the Jonsson Center since the program began in 2003, and more than 20 Oregon Zoo-reared birds have gone out to field pens, with most released to the wild. In addition, several eggs laid by Oregon Zoo condors have been placed in wild nests to hatch.

California condor breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho. The Oregon Zoo received The Wildlife Society's conservation award in 2005 for "creating the nation's fourth California condor breeding facility."

First portion of expansive new habitat opens to Portland's beloved elephant family

That's one small step for Sam, one giant leap for elephant-kind.

Construction of the $57 million Elephant Lands, the most ambitious project in Oregon Zoo history, reached a milestone Feb. 21, as crews completed work on what's now known as the Encounter Habitat, a sandy field in the southern portion of the habitat, adjacent to the zoo concert lawn.

"It's only going to get bigger and better from here."

—Bob Lee, elephant curator

And on Feb. 22, when Samudra and the rest of Portland's elephant family ventured into these new digs for the first time, they were taking a big step into history and a new era of animal welfare.

"Samudra strolled out right away," said Bob Lee, the zoo's elephant curator. "He only slowed down long enough to eat every piece of fruit and vegetable in his path. Chendra sprinted out close behind, inspiring Sam to quicken his pace and venture even further into the habitat. Rose-Tu was ready to go along, but Lily kept turning back to check on her Auntie Shine, who was a little shy about coming out to play. Once the rest of the elephant family was in the new habitat though, Shine ambled out to join them."

Lee said the elephant family will be acclimating to the new area at its own pace in the coming weeks, and visitors may catch glimpses of them through construction fences or from the AfriCafe patio across the concert lawn.

"It's only going to get bigger and better from here," Lee said.

To keep the herd comfortable during the building of Elephant Lands, animal-care staff and construction managers devised a Tetris-like phasing plan to gradually expand the elephants' accessible space. The entire habitat — which will be four times larger than the current one — will be completed in fall of 2015.

Elephant Lands, part of the community-supported zoo bond measure, will extend around the eastern edge of the zoo, from south of the current elephant habitat north into the area that formerly housed Elk Meadow.

With rolling meadows, 4-foot-deep sand and one of the world's largest indoor elephant facilities, the new habitat will also offer unique views of the zoo's herd. Within Forest Hall, visitors on elevated walkways will view elephants within a vast airy arena lit by filtered sunlight with a backdrop of native fir forest.

"We've designed a world-class home that honors this amazing species," said Kim Smith, zoo director. "Elephant Lands is all about elephants having choices and activity. The elephants will have more freedom to choose when and what they want to do, and who they want to spend time with. We think it's going to be a game-changer for elephants worldwide and help raise the bar for animal welfare."

Portland's elephant family moves into a portion of expansive new habitat

When Rose-Tu, Lily and the rest of Portland's elephant family ambled into a portion of their new digs at the Oregon Zoo this week, they were taking a big step into history — and, as it turns out, into a yard filled four feet deep with sand.

Construction of the $57 million Elephant Lands, the most ambitious project in Oregon Zoo history, reached a milestone Feb. 21, as crews completed work on what's now known as the Encounter Habitat, a portion of the large southern expanse adjacent to the zoo concert lawn.

Keepers began introducing elephants to this new area over the weekend, and visitors may catch glimpses of the herd through construction fences in the coming weeks, as the pachyderms saunter around, play in and plow through the sand.

It won't be just any sand either: Planning for the expansive, naturalistic Elephant Lands reached a truly granular level this past year, as designers researched, sampled and tested a variety of sands before settling on a just-right "Goldilocks" variety deemed optimal for elephants.

Sedimental journey

"We started planning Elephant Lands by surveying what other people who cared for elephants were doing," said Bob Lee, the zoo's elephant curator. "We wanted to see what the best habitats in the world had to offer, and add that to our own experience and knowledge."

In 2012, Lee and other zoo officials visited Ireland's Dublin Zoo, which some years earlier had remade its outdated elephant habitat in a transformation similar to the one currently underway here.

"I was particularly impressed by the way they were using sand," Lee said. "It was several feet deep, and the elephants interacted with it in a lot of different ways — tossing it up with their trunks to dust themselves or digging up treats that the keepers had buried. We already had some sand in our outdoor habitat, but this stuff was much deeper and a different type of sand. We brought a sample back with to show our designers."

Enter Sandman

When Lee and the others got back from Ireland, they turned the sample over to the Elephant Lands design team, and project engineer Wayne Starkey took up the charge.

"The sand that they brought back had been sourced locally from beaches in Ireland," Starkey said. "So the trick for us was to find something similarly workable here. We were looking for sand that was readily available, would drain well and didn't have any sharp edges."

"We wanted to find the Goldilocks elephant sand."

—Bob Lee, elephant curator

Last fall, he visited CalPortland's sand plant in Vancouver, where he looked at samples of local Columbia River sediment, washed through screens of various sizes to ensure a uniformity of the grains.

Starkey zeroed in on three varieties: masonry, a finely processed sand that, as the name implies, is used mainly for stonework; a coarser type that was better for drainage; and a sand referred to as USGA topdressing, used in maintaining golf courses.

"We wanted to find the Goldilocks elephant sand," he said. "The sand that was 'just right.' First, I went outside and watched the heavy equipment rolling over the different varieties. I wanted to gauge how well it would drain."

The fine masonry sand didn't pass the drainage test, so Starkey was left with two choices; the next step was to elephant-test them. He brought in one transfer load (about 26 cubic yards) of the coarser sand and one transfer load of USGA topdressing.

"We tried each variety out in different sections of the back elephant yard," Starkey said. "Lily and big brother Samudra were playing 'King of the Mountain' quite a bit. Our animal-care staff found the topdressing variety to be the most elephant-friendly, so that's what we went with."

Starkey said filling the Elephant Lands habitat — including all of the indoor elephant areas — to a depth of not less than four feet will require 15,000 cubic yards of sand.

Best foot forward

While Lily, Samudra and the others obviously enjoy romping in piles of the stuff, this "true grit" is not merely intended to facilitate play. The sand's higher purpose is to cushion and protect elephants' feet, which have evolved to support their enormous weight over a variety of natural terrains. Maintaining healthy feet among elephants is one of the most important tasks for animal-care staff. And — as with most things elephant-related — it is an area in which the Oregon Zoo has led the way.

Older exhibits, particularly those constructed in the 1950s and '60s, featured a lot of concrete, which is easy to clean and disinfect but can lead to foot problems in elephants. The Oregon Zoo pioneered the installation of elephant-friendly surfaces in the early 1990s and 2000s, retrofitting its Eisenhower-era facilities with natural substrates outdoors and 2-inch-thick rubber flooring inside.

In 1998, the Oregon Zoo hosted the first professional conference on elephant foot-care practices, convening veterinarians and elephant experts from around the world. Conclusions and recommendations from this conference were compiled in The Elephant's Foot (Iowa State University Press, 2001), which now serves as a manual for zoos across the country. More than 40 of the foremost authorities on elephants and their feet — including Oregon Zoo veterinarian Mitch Finnegan and vet technician Margot Monti — contributed chapters on topics ranging from foot anatomy to treating ailments to nutrition, maintenance and record-keeping.

"We've learned a lot about caring for elephants since Packy was born," Lee said. "And we're grateful for the chance to put all that knowledge into this new habitat, which is going to make the lives of all the elephants so much better."

Independent committee lauds Oregon Zoo's progress in report to Metro Council

The Oregon Zoo continues to deliver on promises made in 2008, when the region's voters approved a $125 million zoo bond measure promoting animal welfare and sustainability, a citizen-oversight group reports.

At a meeting of the Metro Council yesterday, the Oregon Zoo Bond Citizens' Oversight Committee commended Metro and zoo staff for their effectiveness in implementing a host of projects funded by the community-supported bond measure as well as for its responsiveness in addressing committee recommendations and questions.

"It's an incredibly responsive group of professionals you have working for you on this project," committee chair Deidra Krys-Rusoff told the Metro Council. "Our committee is not afraid to ask the hard questions — and we do. And it may not always be comfortable, but the zoo staff and the bond program is always very good about getting us an answer."

Among the projects examined by the committee: the nearly completed Condors of the Columbia exhibit, set to open in May, and the $57 million Elephant Lands project, which reached a milestone last month as crews completed work on a portion of the habitat's large southern expanse.

"The project will significantly expand the habitat," the report said, "allowing for an evolution in the way the elephants use their space."

Other projects of note included construction of a service access road, rerouting of the zoo train loop, relocation of the zoo's Wild Life Live headquarters and plans for a new education center scheduled to begin construction in 2015.

The committee's most substantial comments had to do with plans for constructing an offsite elephant center, which — while not specified in the 2008 ballot measure — is considered a key part of the zoo's vision for supporting multigenerational families as the zoo elephant herd continues to grow naturally.

In addressing this vision, committee members reiterated their previous recommendation that bond funds not be "expended on infrastructure and habitat for an offsite facility without an adequate assessment of the ongoing costs of operating the offsite facility and identification of revenue sources." The report said the committee would "continue to monitor the schedule, resources and use of bond funds on the project."

The Oregon Zoo Bond Citizens' Oversight Committee— an independent group of local professionals with experience in construction, sustainability, public budgeting and animal welfare — is charged with overseeing the zoo bond program "to ensure that structure, expenditures and defined goals are on track."

Metro Councilor Kathryn Harrington applauded the citizen group for its diligence in overseeing the bond's implementation and its thoroughness in reporting to the Metro Council and voters.

"I really appreciate the work that these 14 volunteers do for all of us by serving on the oversight committee," said Harrington, who represents District 4 in Washington County. "They are an incredibly valuable set of eyes — and brains."