Only On 9: An Exclusive Look At Oklahoma City Zoo’s Expansion

Patrons who paid a visit the Oklahoma City Zoo within the last year have likely recognized the construction zone right at the center.

The area will soon be home to the Expedition Africa exhibit. News 9 got an exclusive hard hat tour to see the progress and what visitors can expect to see.

Zoo officials said the expansion has been a massive undertaking.

“Both in terms of space and in terms of cost, this is our largest capital project to date,” OKC Zoo president and CEO Dwight Lawson said. “It’s about 13 acres - close to 13 acres - right in the heart of the zoo.”

The zoo’s “heart” is in need of a transplant.

It had the oldest buildings on the property, officials said. More recently, it was considered a dead zone with animals moving to newer habitats.

“This will really activate this space and bring everybody back in here,” Lawson said.

The new space includes a new barn for hoof stock, which includes zebras, elands and wildebeests. Those animals will now share the massive savanna habitat.

They will also be joined by giraffes, which are also getting a brand-new barn.

“With a bigger barn, we’ll be able to hold a lot more, so we’ll be able to expand our giraffe herd,” Lawson said.

The savanna is surrounded by public space. There will be multiple vistas to see the animals and multiple places to feed them.

The original pachyderm building is now considered historic. Zoo leaders wanted to preserve its history but is give the building a facelift.

It will be a mixture of public space and smaller exhibits.

“This has a lot of components,” Lawson said. “There’s a lot of new stuff going into this.”

There will also be many new animals including honey badgers, wildebeests and hyenas.

The exhibit is expected to open in mid-June 2023.