BATTLE CREEK (WKZO-AM) Beginning next year, the “king of the beasts” will join the rest of the animals at the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek.
Zoo officials and contributors to the new addition have just broken ground on a new compound to house lions as part of their Wild Africa experience.
Their space will include a grassy meadow with a watering hole that is reminiscent of the kind seen on the African plains. A rock formation will provide shelter as well as a place for the lions to perch and enjoy the sun.
A glassed in viewing area will allow visitors to get face-to-face with the lions. It will be built into a structure designed to resemble an African home and the interior will feature pictures of young adults working to help protect lions in the wild.
Construction will begin soon and should be complete by April 2017.
The zoo also announced that a new African Painted Dog exhibit will be constructed across from the African lions.
The two exhibits will share an animal holding building and a transfer chute system. While the two species will never come in direct contact with each other and will travel through the chute at separate times, the shared building and transfer chute system will allow keepers to swap the two species between exhibits.
Ground was also broken on that project Wednesday.
