Photos and Updates

October 28: Toyota Elephant Passage construction update

Construction on the Toyota Elephant Passage continues at a feverish pace. If you’ve visited Denver Zoo recently you probably noticed walls going up, waterproofing tests for pools and more concrete poured to form footings for buildings and bridges.

If you haven’t been to the zoo lately, come check the progress of our $50 million habitat for Asian elephants, Malayan tapirs, Indian rhinos and many other Asian animals. Toyota Elephant Passage is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012. Construction tower tours continue in November (see the list on this page) if you want to view the project work.

Here’s a rundown of some of the progress in recent weeks:

• The path in front of the eland and bongo yards has re-opened (see above).  The path had been re-routed through the animal yards for critical work on utilities for Toyota Elephant Passage. Crews installed walls, fences and grass seed and the eland and bongo herds have returned to the yards.
• The footers for the east and west side of the animal transfer bridge are complete. The bridge will be lowered into place at the beginning of November.
• The foundation and walls for the filtration building are complete. Water for all of Toyota Elephant Passage will be filtered through this essential part of the project. The roof is expected to be installed by the end of the month.

• Walls for the rhino/tapir building on continue to rise on the project’s southwest corner (see above). An intricate system of doors and corridors run from a hub by one animal keeper will allow the rhinos and tapirs to explore various parts of Toyota Elephant Passage.
• Pool A waterproofing tests are under way. The final coats of concrete and paint will follow.
• The largest footer on the largest building on the site – the Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House – has been constructed. Forms for the tall walls also are going up on the building named after the longtime director of Denver Zoo.

• See the latest construction update.