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Brandywine Zoo opens Eagle Ridge

Tom Byrne
/
Delaware Public Media

 

 

State officials cut the ribbon Thursday on a brand new exhibit at the Brandywine Zoo.

Last year, the zoo received $100,000 from the state legislature to make a number of improvements the biggest being a project called Eagle Ridge.

Eagle Ridge houses two injured female bald eagles. Before, visitors had to climb stairs to view the exhibit, which also contains an otter display. Now, after several months of construction, the exhibit is much more accessible.

“Coming to the zoo we want people to have a good experience. So this makes so better viewing, not only of the eagles but also the otters," said Brandywine Zoo Director Gene Peacock. "It’ll give us more level space in the zoo so we can do more things, like our after hours events, special events, things like that.”

 

In addition to making the exhibits more friendly to families with strollers, Delaware Zoological Society executive director Mike Allen says it can handle individuals in wheelchairs.

 

“We wanted to make the zoo a hundred percent ADA compliant so anyone who comes to the zoo can see all the different animals in the zoo,” said Allen.

 

The zoo is also ready to showcase its new reptile exhibit as well, which contain geckos, a lizard and a green tree python.

 

The Brandywine Zoo is open all year round, but winters are spent making improvements and not all of the animal exhibits are available in cold weather.

 

The zoo starts charging admission again this Saturday as its spring and summer season gets underway.

The historic Brandywine Zoo was first built in 1905 and now contains over 150 animals that include llamas, tigers, vultures, among various others.

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