The Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington has several new animals on display this season. The additions are part of the zoo’s multi-million dollar master plan.
The zoo’s new residents include wallabies Lulu, Mia and Jack— who will be on display through the summer. Two currently have babies in their pouches.
Two new ravens have joined the zoo’s permanent collection inside the bald eagle display.
Nubian goats Harry and Lloyd joined an recently upgraded goat enclosure where the old otter exhibit used to be.
Zoo director Brint Spencer says more than $100,000 in repair costs convinced them to close the old otter display— but a new one is planned in coming years.
“To make it a little bit more interactive [we plan] to put a clear acrylic slide through the water column, so that the visitors — kids of all ages — can slide through the water column and potentially have the otter swim around you as you slide through the slide,” he said.
A group of alligators will arrive next week from a facility in Florida.
Several new multi-species exhibits are planned for the $13-million master plan that the zoo began implementing earlier this year. Under the plan, the zoo will also add jaguars, snow leopards, a multi-species madagascar exhibit and a number of other new exhibits.
“The zoo that people know now is going to change completely,” said Spencer. “I think it’s going to be a much more interesting facility, a much more engaging facility, a much more visually exciting facility. The animals that we’re bringing in we’re picking to go in the space that we have, the climate that we have and the topography that we have.”
Spencer says the plan focuses on smaller animals, zoogeographic enclosures and younger guests. It is meant to improve animal welfare, visitor engagement and education around conservation.
Brandywine Zoo officials also hope the plan will reverse a downward trend in zoo attendance, which they attribute in part to the loss of the zoo's monkey house in 2012 and tigerin 2016.
The enhancements outlined in the master plan are expected to be completed by 2026.
