African Savanna

Strategically located adjacent to the main Zoo entrance, the African Savanna exhibit offers wide panoramic views immediately from the Entry Plaza, with the beautiful Wasatch Foothills beyond. The savanna showcases giraffe, zebra, ostrich, several small antelope species, and ground birds, and has the flexibility to add rhino in the future. The back-of-house management facilities include state-of-the-art containment and mechanical systems based on current standards for animal husbandry, housed within a functional and cost effective light metal frame building envelope that works well in this local climate and supports the project aesthetic. This project also redeveloped and expanded more than 50% of the Zoo’s train loop, with new views and encounters offered along the sequence that drastically improved the overall ride experience.

Ultimately the African Savanna achieves the Zoo’s three primary project objectives – to create the largest animal habitat area at the Zoo, to provide an engaging panorama for guests at the Zoo’s main entry, and to develop a dynamic and operationally flexible mixed species habitat.