Fort Worth Zoo - A Wilder Vision, Phase 1 - African Savanna

Project Cost

Square Feet

Design Architect

CMAR

Completion

$24m

6 Acres

Dunaway

Whiting-Turner

April 2018

Project Cost

$24m

Square Feet

6 Acres

Design Architect

Dunaway

CMAR

Whiting-Turner

Completion

April 2018

Overview

In 2016, The Fort Worth Zoo began a $100 million dollar expansion project entitled “A Wilder Vision”, that includes new homes for giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses and future improvements for other animals.

Opened in April 2018, the African Savanna Exhibit is the Zoo’s newest attraction and first phase of A Wilder Vision. The new exhibit offers eye-to eye contact with giraffes where guests are able to feed them, the hippos now have a 148 foot long river with a 70 foot long observation window underground for guests to watch them swim and play, black rhino’s now have more green space to move around and many other species will cohabitate in their new homes.

The Fort Worth Zoo debuted its new 6-acre African Savanna exhibit complete with underwater hippo viewing, southern black rhinos, an exotic bird aviary and a new playground for meerkats.

To accommodate a growing need for wedding venues and company parties, The African Savanna also hosts a 10,000 square foot event tent along with a wood deck surrounded by burr oak trees, cedar elms and a private stage for entertainment. The tent has heating and cooling capabilities for guest comfort.