GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - The support group for the Greenville Zoo is about to launch a fundraising campaign for the first of a planned four-part expansion of the zoo.
The city is giving the zoo an extra $1 million as part of the effort to expand the 14-acre campus, The Greenville News reports (https://grnol.co/1e31eGb).
The expansion of the 55-year-old campus is needed to keep pace with the city’s redevelopment efforts, zoo director Jeff Bullock said.
The first phase includes a new entry complex, as well as a new gift shop and cafe. The gift shop and cafe will serve both zoo visitors and those at Cleveland Park.
A new 10,000-square-foot Asian forest and tiger exhibit will be installed. It will include overlooks, waterfalls, streams and separate exhibit spaces for Asian bears and birds.
The lion exhibit and primate exhibits also will be upgraded to meet required standards to allow breeding at the zoo.
The campaign will require another $9 million to $12 million from noncity sources to complete the first phase, Bullock said.
Ultimately, the entire overhaul is estimated to cost about $60 million and take 20 years.
The zoo attracts about 300,000 visitors each year.
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Information from: The Greenville News, https://www.greenvillenews.com
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