DENVER ZOO OFFERS FIRST LOOK AT TOYOTA ELEPHANT PASSAGE
Media Explores Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House and Meets Elephants Groucho & Bodhi
Denver Media toured Denver Zoo's Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House inside the Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit, today. The behind the scenes tour gave attendees their first look at new Asian bull elephants Groucho and Bodhi. Guests also got the chance to learn about the exhibit's sustainability methods, including gasification technology.
Opening to the public June 1, Toyota Elephant Passage's expansive complex will allow visitors to explore and discover the rich history of animals in Asian culture, their complicated relationship with humans and the efforts Denver Zoo and its colleagues undertake to protect their future. Guests will be immersed in Asian wildlife and culture through multi-sensory experiences providing greater awareness and understanding of the role we all must play in protecting wildlife for future generations. In addition to elephants, the exhibit will be home to other Asian species, including rhinos, tapirs, small clawed otters, fishing cats and flying foxes.
In today's tour of the elephant building, Zookeepers explained how the exhibit is designed to provide animals with extensive choices for daily activity. The indoor quarters for the animals are also designed for creature comforts. The Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House has a unique system which enables zookeepers to change the flooring material inside the building. Sand or soil can be moved in and out of the elephant bedrooms and communal parlor area, providing soft surfaces that can be replaced for cleanliness. This is a valuable tool to ensure the best in foot care for these large pachyderms. The barn also features a self-activated shower in the parlor area where elephants can choose to have a rinse by pushing a button with their trunks. The building also has two elephant care systems that are used to stabilize animals for veterinary procedures. One of the devices can even tilt a full-grown elephant onto its side safely for examinations and procedures. Zookeepers can also train and examine elephants using a special "working wall," which has small doors on various points that can be opened to give zookeepers access to different parts of the animal.
Denver Zoo is seeking LEEDŽ certification for Toyota Elephant Passage at the platinum level, the highest level, from the U.S. Green Building Council. The program recognizes sustainable and green building practices. This includes the use of biomass gasification technology, which will convert more than 90 percent of the zoo's waste into usable energy to power the exhibit, eliminating 1.5 million pounds of trash currently going to landfills annually. Other methods include recycling most of the 1.1 million gallons of water running through the exhibit, utilizing natural daylight to provide natural, clean light and retaining heat at lower elevations through the use of radiant heating floor systems.
