The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, the state’s most visited attraction and a leader in animal welfare, conservation, and research, has announced its new masterplan. This plan will direct the Zoo’s expansion for the ensuing ten years and beyond.

SHR Studios, a zoo and aquarium planning and design firm based in Bainbridge Island, Washington, was hired by the OKC Zoo to develop a comprehensive plan that embodies the organisation’s objective of fostering human-wildlife connections via innovative, sustainable, and engaging advancements.

One of the main features of the new master plan is a world-class reptile and amphibian preserve, which can house species from all over the world both indoors and outdoors. Other highlights include enhancing visitor accessibility and experiences by reimagining the Zoo’s heart as a central gathering place and renovating some of the most well-liked habitats, like Oklahoma Trails, Great EscApe, and the Children’s Zoo.

An ambitious ten-year plan

“With the recent opening of Expedition Africa, the arrival of five lion cubs, and our centennial celebration at Lincoln Park, I’m excited to keep this momentum going with the announcement of our new master plan,” says Dr Dwight Lawson, OKC Zoo’s executive director and CEO.

“This 10-year plan, informing Zoo construction from 2024 to 2034, is perhaps the most ambitious in the Zoo’s 122-year history. The plan outlines multiple construction projects that will modernize some of the Zoo’s oldest structures into immersive habitats that provide superior animal care and guest experiences.”

According to a breakdown of the masterplan in The Oklahoman, it includes the addition of larger savannah habitats to the Africa Plateau, which houses the zoo’s hooved animals, including okapi, wildebeest, and zebra. New wild encounter spaces for okapi will also be added, as will vulture exhibits and gardens. Meanwhile, the zoo aims to move the Reptile Preserve closer to the zoo entrance and convert the current building into a guest lounge.

The trust also wants to improve traffic flow and provide shaded outdoor seating at the Heart of the Zoo and the new Redbud Cafe. To manage stormwater, the zoo will move the carousel and build a stream connected to the alligator habitat.

The organisation intends to build an underwater brown bear viewing area and new zoo walking pathways, however these are lower on the priority list. The plan mentions new overnight accommodations and an update to the children’s adventure area. The open-air zoo entrance area will also get an upgrade with a new arbour and shade structure.

Other elements of the plan include expanding the elephant habitat and adding to the primate habitat. The Feline Oasis will see the addition of bigger jaguar and tiger habitats, the renovation of seven small cat exhibits, and the creation of a big cat training wall.

The full masterplan presentation can be found here.

Extending and enhancing the facilities

The last masterplan for the zoo was put into effect in 2018 and successfully guided projects including Raptor Ridge, Wetlands Walkway, Predator Pass, Sanctuary Asia, and, most recently, Expedition Africa. As the plan is completed, the Zoo’s African penguins, harbor seals, and California sea lions will move into Shore to Sea, a brand-new marine mammal habitat. Opening in 2027, this expanded area will take up 3.5 acres in the eastern part of the park with a view of Zoo Lake.

The expected total investment for the Zoo’s 2024 masterplan ranges from $115 million to $230 million, giving it the freedom to pursue projects in part or in full, depending on requirements and resources. Masterplan projects will be financed through a combination of private fundraising, potential historic tax credits, and revenue from a special 1/8-of-a-cent sales tax that Oklahoma City voters authorised in 1990.

Elsewhere, the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee recently unveiled its plans for the first phase of a $250 million revitalisation project. The overall plan is divided into phases, with each of these addressing specific areas. The first phase involves transforming the zoo’s Africa exhibit.

In the UK, Chester Zoo has been given the go-ahead to build safari lodges overlooking giraffes on an African-style savannah.