Photos and Updates

November 23, 2011

Toyota Elephant Passage Becoming More Defined with Finishing Touches

You've probably heard Bodhi, our new male Asian elephant, has arrived and remains behind the scenes at the Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House inside Toyota Elephant Passage.

Other animals are close to moving into their indoor exhibits on the 10-acre site as well. Animals and staff need months to prepare, train and acclimate to the new facility before it opens in late spring 2012.

While animal buildings are being completed, animal staff are moving in enrichment and perching items for clouded leopards, flying foxes, fishing cats, gibbons and more. Here are details on construction work from recent weeks and those that will continue in upcoming weeks:

• At the Kamala Café on the east side of Toyota Elephant Passage, the tile roof is being installed and interior work (restrooms, dining area and food preparation areas) continues. The café abuts pool “D,” where the keeper platform is being built. Keepers will use the platform to work with animals during demonstration at the McGrath Family Amphitheater. 
• Public pathways are being defined throughout, including the Alex, Jack and Catherine Philpott Gibbon Island Boardwalk and inside the El Pomar Village Hall, which houses exhibits for the Asian small-clawed otters, flying foxes and fishing cats.
• Inside the rhino-tapir building, presented by the 2006-11 Do At The Zoo patrons, a keeper area for diet preparation has been completed. Outside the building, a back service drive has been paved and the outdoor yard has been graded for the impending moves of the greater one-horned rhinos, which should be arriving soon. The greater one-horned rhino will be a new species to Denver Zoo. Only 2,500 rhinos exist in the wild.
• Landscaping continues throughout Toyota Elephant Passage, particularly around the elephant house. Planters are being filled at the new home for Mimi and Dolly as well as work on the wall caps and graphics being added to near the entrance.
• Rock work, painting and theming – making the project look like a natural Asian environment — are part of the finishing touches being added near the elephant house, Village Outpost and other parts of Toyota Elephant Passage.

 

- Download Toyota Elephant Passage Fact Sheet PDF

• View more Toyota Elephant Passage Videos
• November 23, 2011: Toyota Elephant Passage Becoming More Defined with Finishing Touches
• October 20, 2011: Building Completed, Near Completion on Toyota Elephant Passage
• September 22, 2011: Grass Grows, Rhino-Tapir Building Nears Completion
• August 18, 2011: Part 2: How Toyota Elephant Passage is Making Denver Zoo a Green Leader
• August 11, 2011: Part 1: How Toyota Elephant Passage is Making the Zoo Greener
• July 21, 2011: Plenty of Progress Behind Construction Fences
• May 19, 2011: Denver Zoo Planners Double-Checking Punch List
• April 7, 2011: More Projects on Toyota Elephant Passage Site Close to Completion
  
• February 23, 2011: Toyota Elephant Passage Nears Half Way Mark
• January 6: Schoelzel Family Village Begins to Emerge
• November 19, 2010:  Bridge to Provide Overhead Passage for Pachyderms  
• October 28, 2010: Toyota Elephant Passage construction update
  
• September 23, 2010: Toyota Elephant Passage Progress in Pictures
• September 2, 2010: Virtual Project Becoming a Virtual Reality
• August 19, 2010: Lots and lots of work under way
• August 5, 2010: The Walls Are Coming Up
• July 15, 2010: Gibbon Islands and Deepest Foundation
• July 6, 2010: The walls are coming up on Toyota Elephant Passage!
• June 23, 2010 - More rock work, excavation and installation of utilities
• May 28, 2010 - Weekly Toyota Elephant Passage Construction Update - Rocks/Trees
• May 20, 2010 - Weekly Toyota Elephant Passage Construction Update - Greenhouse
• April 30, 2010 - Weekly Toyota Elephant Passage Construction Update
• April 2010 - Springtime Update
• December 2009 - North Side Warehouse
• December 2, 2009 - Groundbreaking
• March 2009 - Artifacts
• November 2008 - SITE WORK UNDERWAY!