Updated exhibit gets visitors up close with penguins at the zoo
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IDAHO FALLS — An updated home for penguins at the Idaho Falls Zoo became official with a ribbon-cutting Thursday morning.
The penguin cove received its much-needed updates adding windows for patrons to get up close with the animals. In the past, visitors had a distant view of where the penguins hang out.
The African penguins at the Idaho Falls Zoo are on track for extinction in the wild in five years, and zoo staff hopes the exhibit will help educate the importance of conservation efforts for the species.
“The beating heart of the mission of the Idaho Falls Zoo is wildlife conservation, so we work very hard to have the impact of the Idaho Falls Zoo ripple around our region, around the world in a very positive way that helps the biodiversity of our planet that is having such a difficult time,” Zoo Director David Pennock told EastIdahoNews.com.
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A portion of zoo admission goes toward worldwide conservation projects, including those that benefit the penguins. The mission also includes educating visitors and the community.
The Idaho Falls Zoo also participates in species survival plans as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Pennock said the penguins at the zoo could very well be part of a plan to introduce the birds back into the wild to help with the dying population.
The projects at the zoo not only help penguins. Thursday’s ribbon-cutting also celebrated the addition of a bat kiosk, a collection point of information for researchers. Pennock said data collected at the kiosk already helps Idaho prepare to ensure the bat population stays in Idaho, keeping insects away from the money-making crops.
“Zoos are places if we do it right, kids walk in the door, and their minds are expanded,” said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. “Their curiosity is piqued, and when your curiosity is piqued, if you’re privileged to live in a society like ours, you can get those answers.”
The new penguin exhibit includes items like life-size cutouts of more than a dozen species of penguins. Visitors can get their photos with the so-called penguin selfie station. Signs around the exhibit will also educate on the African penguins and the conservation projects to keep the species alive.
“The zoo matters for lots of reasons,” Casper said. “There is a variety of education reasons why the zoo is important, and this exhibit is among the important ones … If you visit the zoo properly, you will learn something.”
It took more than just city funds and revenue made through entrance fees to make a project like this possible. Donors from the community pitched in to help, from a company donating the glass to money for materials.
Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Director PJ Holm said city officials feel it’s important to get community support.
“It shows commitment from the community,” Holm said. “It shows commitment from businesses in the community, and it’s just a good way for us to bring the community into our facility, so we are all kind of part of the zoo family.”
The Idaho Falls Zoo is open daily during the season from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visitors can watch zookeepers feed the penguins their diet of fish at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The penguins are also visible around the clock on the zoo’s Penguin Cam.
