Africa Facts

Located in the northwest corner of the Zoo grounds, Africa covers 8 acres and was constructed at a cost of $15.8 million.

The residents of the exhibit are:

• Ostrich
• Bongo antelope
• African elephants
• Southern white rhinoceros
• Grant's zebra
• African rock python
• Mandrill baboons
• Crowned cranes
• Pancake tortoise
• White throated monitor lizard
• Rock hyrax
• Egyptian geese
• Masai giraffe
• African lions
• Meerkats
• Grant's gazelle
• Brush-tailed porcupine
• Red-flanked duiker
• Red river hogs

Modeled upon an actual African village, the African Village Restaurant includes features that are common to villages of Botswana. Some of these features include: granaries, a child's sleeping loft, a reed drying rack and animal shelters.

The reed thatching on the village structures is authentic. The authentic material used on the Interpretive Center is Cape Town reed and was constructed by Zulu craftsmen who traveled from South Africa to install them.

Students from Old Dominion University painted the artistry on the Interpretive Center. The students researched tribal symbols and designs common in the Delta and reproduced them on the exterior wall.

The "mud" walkway contains plant and animal tracks. Plant material, native to Africa, was pressed into the wet concrete by our Horticulturists and removed before the finishing. The containment for the animals are unique to each yard and each animal. The giraffe and ostrich yard uses a variety of fencing and natural barriers.

The rockwork process began with reinforcing bar shaped to the general form of the rock. Backing material, such as wire mesh and corrugated plastic, was installed to provide support. Concrete was then sprayed over the reinforcing material to give the rock form. Artists then shaped the crevices and contours as the concrete dried. The textured rocks were then covered with acrylic latex paints.

The termite mounds in the elephant yard and on the visitor walkway are also concrete, and were included because of their important role in the ecology of the Okavango Delta.

The elephant pool contains large, wide steps so that Monica and Lisa may submerge themselves in their 18-foot deep pool.

The plantings throughout the exhibit were selected to create a naturalistic environment replicating the trees, flowers and grasses of the Delta. The Zoo's Horticulturists will maintain the landscaping. The plantings above the Tsodilo Hills rocks make use of a sprinkler system.

The facilities for the lions, rhinos and elephants were constructed to sustain a Category 5 hurricane and are among the most heavily reinforced structures in Hampton Roads. Additionally, the lion nighthouse contains resting benches that will keep the animals above the surge in a major storm.