Schoelzel Family Village

• Overview
• Animals
• Habitats
• Stories

The Schoelzel Family Village will be home to three of Toyota Elephant Passage' five large-animal habitats, which will provide homes for Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs.  These three large habitats will feature elephant-sized shade structures, deep pools for wading and swimming, mud wallows, scratching posts and even hot tubs for cooler days. 

To reach all five habitats in Toyota Elephant Passage, elephants, rhinos and tapirs will cross three public pathways several times each day. In the Schoelzel Family Village, they may cross at ground level immediately outside the entrance to the Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House. Zookeepers will be available to visit with guests as these impressive animals make their way between two of the large habitats in the Schoelzel Family Village at each animal "crossing."

At the core of the Schoelzel Family Village, the El Pomar Asian Pavilion will house indoor exhibits for flying fox (large bats), fishing cats and small-clawed otter.  You will have the opportunity to view some of the world's largest bats up close or to even go inside their habitat! After slipping through the roots of a strangler fig tree, you'll be inside the bat enclosure for the ultimate close encounter with the endangered fruit bats.  At the fishing cat habitat, you will see the cats dive for fish in their habitat pool.  The small clawed otters will provide you will endless entertainment as they play and swim in their habitat.