Baby News:

Some of you may know that Asha, mother of Malee (pictured,) is expecting her second calf later this winter. The baby will be the second Asian Elephant born at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Asian Elephant, Malee, receives some positive reinforcement after demonstrating how the elephants lift their legs so the
Keepers may inspect their feet during bathing.
Photo by Jamie West.

The baby will share the massive exhibit along with its sister, mother, and aunt Chandra. The father, Rex, lives in a nearby exhibit. The separation is natural, as male elephants do not live with females once they reach maturity. Females and young will live in a large family herd.

I am very excited to announce that I've been chosen as a member of volunteers on a team to watch for when Asha gives birth to ensure that everything goes smoothly!

Ever-changing Exhibits:

The exhibit I hear people talk about the most in regards to how quickly it changes is the Tide Pool in the Nobel Aquatics Center (Aquaticus,)

Bahama Sea Star (underside w/ mouth, eye-sensors and tube-feet.)
Photo by Jamie West.

First constructed in the late 80's, the Tide Pool held a variety of animals, such as fish, sponges, sea urchins and star fish. The exhibit was open to the public to touch.

After complications with the life expectancy of the animals, zoo staff decided to shut down the Tide Pool for many years, leaving the exhibit empty.

Horseshoe Crab. Photo by Jamie West.

In 2013, the Tide Pool was re-opened in the form of Explore a Seashore. The touch pool was gated, allowing zoo staff to control how many people could get to the animals at any given moment. Staff was also present to educate guests on how to properly touch the animals, as well as give interesting facts, such as the Horseshoe crabs that have blue blood, and Starfish don't have brains!

Bahama Sea Star. Photo by Jamie West.

Currently, 2014, the zoo staff wanted to try something new, and now the Tide Pool is an interactive I Spy game, where little ones can search for plastic replicas of all the animals unique to the beaches on the coasts of the U.S.

Explore a Seashore is free to enjoy. (You might even get a visit from a Sea Lion at the window!)

California Sea Lion. Photo by Jamie West.

Recent Zoo Baby News:

The baby Lowland Gorilla, recently named Kamina by keepers, has been paired with a foster mom at the Cincinnati Zoo! She will be sent off soon to meet her new family. This will be a great new page in her life, and though we are sad to see her go, we're overjoyed to know that she will soon be able to socialize with her kind the way gorilla's are meant to.

Update:
Kamina is settling into her new home, after the routine quarantine that new animals coming into a zoo go through, she will be introduced to her new family. Videos and other updates on Kamina can be found on the Cincinnati Zoo website.

Come Enjoy the Bay:

Stingray Bay is a fun experience offered at the OKC Zoo. It's one of the many seasonal experiences, which means guests can visit the rays and sharks of the touch pool from March through October.

During the winter months, the animals are taken to a climate controlled facility, so they don't have to deal with the cold winter temps they would not experience in the wild.

The Cownose Ray is one of the species of Stingray Bay; others include Southern and Bat Rays, as well as Bamboo and Bonnethead Sharks. Photo by Jamie West.

Special Activities:

Alright, so I'm going to tell you about some of the fun extras the Zoo offers for guests. Most of these experience are seasonal (March-October) and weather permitting.

General Zoo Admission: $8- Adult, $5-Senior, Child, Babies 2-and-under are free!

Tram: $4-All-day pass for a Narrated Tour around 80% of the Zoo!

By location:

*Children's Zoo

Explorikeet: Free to enter the Lorikeet exhibit. Guests may purchase cups of nectar to feed the Lorikeets for $3-Per cup.

Petting Zoo: Free to enter. Guests can pet sheep, goats, pigs, mules, and chickens.

*Aquatics-side of the Zoo

Sea Lion Show: $2-Per person, babies are free. 20 minute demonstration with Keepers and sea lions and harbor seal.

Stingray Bay:$3-Per person, babies are free. Touch pool with three different types of rays and two small species of shark. Random feedings at $2-Per bowl of food. Must be 12 years and up to go in alone, 16 and up to chaperone children.

Touch Pool: Free to enjoy, a little pool with replicas of animals and shells one would find at the beach. No live animals, just a fun area for the little ones.

*Lakeside

Safari Voyage: $2-Adults, $1-Child, babies are free. Narrated ferryboat ride across the lake. One-way trip from Aquatics-side to Elephants-side (or vice versa).

Swan Paddle Boats: $5-Per boat for 30-minute sessions on the lake.

Endangered Species Carousel: $2-Per ride. Guests my ride on the backs of replicas of some of their favorite zoo animals.

*Hoof-stock-side of the Zoo

Giraffe Feedings: $3-Per feeding. Guests can purchase three leaves of lettuce or branches to be fed to or Giraffes. Likely giraffes to feed are Bogey and Ellie.

Centennial Choo Choo: $2-Per rider. Narrated train ride through the exotic deer exhibit.

*Elephant-side of the Zoo

Elephant Demo: Free 20-minute demonstration with Keepers and elephants.

Basic Topics Covered in This Blog:

Hey guys, this blog is going to heavily focus on information pertaining to the OKC ZOO. Familiarizing you all with the Zoo through photos, news stories, updates, and information about animals will be my primary goal.

If you have any requests or questions about animals, events, or opportunities at the Zoo, feel free to ask and I'll be happy to find an answer for you!

My first few posts will be general information about some of the fun extras that guests can enjoy when they visit the Zoo during the normal season (March - October,) and other general information about the Zoo itself.

Later, I will have posts that are more specific about certain animals.

Pearl makes a splash during the OKC Zoo's Sea Lion Show. Photo by Jamie West.

The Zoo took part in its final "Late Saturday" of the season last weekend.

During the summer months between May and August, the Zoo would keep its gates open until 8 p.m. When accompanied with the July and August special "Zoo Rise," the park would be open for a full 12 hours each Saturday; opening an hour earlier than its regular 9 a.m.

The zoo has now returned to its regular hours; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Guests were also able to take part in this season's final Sea Lion Show (photos to come). The Sea Lion Show will return in the Spring of 2015.