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 Its
name belies the true nature of this zoo just south of downtown Des
Moines, Iowa, for Blank Park Zoo houses not only many animals a
visitor would expect but many that would come as a surprise. Covering
just 22 acres of land, this is a cozy, intimate zoo with
welcoming shade-covered benches in front of most exhibits. There is
a good trade-off between what appears to be adequate space for the
animals and viewing accessibility for the visitor. For example,
while four reticulated giraffes share a spacious exhibit, a hanging
hay bale next to a two-tiered viewing area is bound to attract at
least one of them, thus ensuring close up views and excellent photo
opportunities. Magellanic penguins (see photo above) swim in a naturalistic pond with
waterfall that is not enclosed by glass; both the above- and
below-water antics of a pair of North American river otters can be
observed; and visitors are advised to stay on the path in the
Australian Outback where emus and red-necked wallabies roam. For the
visitor with an additional penchant for botany, the zoo has provided
easy-to-see identifying labels next to its trees and bushes.
Blank Park Zoo uses two major exhibit themes to display its
animals: taxonomic and zoogeographic. A taxonomic theme groups
animals according to their natural relationships. This type of
exhibit shows evolutionary relationships and places animals with
similar diets and husbandry requirements close together. For
example, the Big Cats Exhibit allows the visitor to compare
characteristics of the Siberian tiger, snow leopard and African lion
– all members of the family Felidae (cats) in the order Carnivora
(meat eaters). The Discovery Center displays reptiles, amphibians
and fish (don’t miss the world’s largest toad: a preserved
marine toad), while the Contact Area includes llamas, goats and a
miniature horse. Three of the four groups of primates are
represented at Blank Park Zoo (there are no New World monkeys):
white-handed gibbons (apes), ruffed lemurs (prosimians) and Japanese
macaques (Old World monkeys). And the zoo’s Aviary (as well as
individual exhibits throughout the zoo) brings together birds from
all over the world. These include the cattle egret from Africa,
rainbow lory from the Indonesian Islands, Lady Amherst’s pheasant
from Asia, and giant kingfisher from Australia.
A zoogeographic theme exhibits animals from a specific area of
the world, reflecting the actual situation in nature. Blank Park Zoo
has an African Boardwalk that exhibits a serval and a bongo, one
pair each of ostrich and Chapman’s zebra, and the four reticulated
giraffes. There
is also the Australian Outback, which displays
several kinds of birds (e.g., emus, salmon-crested cockatoos and
black swans) along with the red-necked wallabies. A new exhibit
coming to Blank Park Zoo in the year 2000, Water – The Web of
Life, A Dynamic Interactive Learning Complex, will utilize a new
exhibit theme in which animals are grouped by habitat. The Web of
Life will feature animals in aquatic, subterranean, tropical,
subtropical, arid, temperate and alpine habitats.
There is much at Blank Park Zoo to delight children. There is an
animal show on the hour every hour beginning at 11 a.m., and a
feeding show involving the penguins, harbor seals and California sea
lions. There are camel rides ($2.50) and train rides ($1.50), and a
prairie dog exhibit with a "kid tunnel" leading to an
observation point at the center of the colony. An 80-year-old,
600-pound Aldabra tortoise is certain to elicit cries of "Can I
ride him?!" Children can pet and feed the goats in a large
enclosure at the Contact Area, and there is feed available for the
carp and ducks as well. When it opens, the Web of Life exhibit will
include interactive displays such as a water laboratory and a
rainforest researcher’s tent.
Besides providing a recreational opportunity for its visitors,
Blank Park Zoo is engaged in captive breeding and education. A
recent trip to the zoo revealed a joey in the pouch of a female
red-necked wallaby, and a sign by the Magellanic penguins announced
the existence of chicks. While there is no information posted
explaining the goals of the zoo’s captive breeding program and
whether it is involved in any species survival plans, the visitor is
informed regarding animals at the zoo that are rare, threatened or
endangered (e.g., the Siberian tiger and snow leopard). The visitor’s
educational experience would be enhanced, however, by the addition
of more interpretive displays and more information on an animal’s
adaptations and behaviors, range and habitat, etc. at the individual
exhibits.
Blank Park Zoo, which is located 190 miles north of downtown
Kansas City, Missouri (off of Interstate I-35), is open from May 1st
to October 15th only. Admission prices
are $4.25 (ages 12-64), $2.75 (ages 2-11), $3.50 (ages 65+), and
free (zoo members). Zoo amenities include the Wild Things Gift Shop,
Safari Grill (outdoor seating only), first aid station and
strollers. For more information about Blank Park Zoo, including a
map showing how to get there, check out the zoo’s web
site.
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