Exciting changes for the
Buffalo Zoo

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Some exciting new changes will soon be coming to the Buffalo Zoo.

The Buffalo Zoo got the go ahead for two major projects at a meeting with the Buffalo Planning Board Thursday morning. They'll be expanding the zoo veterinary hospital to upgrade care for the animals.

Donna Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President said, ?That would be adding 2300 feet of new space and renovating about 3,000 square feet of existing space.?

The construction will cost about $1.85 million.  All of the money was raised through private donations. They'll be adding a new surgery suite, and quarantine space.

?We've added a lot of new animals to the collection with all the new construction. And so, we'll now be able to quarantine some of the larger animals like polar bears and lions and tigers and gorillas in the hospital, rather than in their existing exhibit areas,? said Fernandes.

The second project is a children's zoo area. They're planning to bring in a historic barn, and domesticated animals that were common in western New York in the 1800's. The new exhibit will go where the mouflon sheep and guanaco llamas are currently housed. Those animals will be shipped to other zoos.

?That has $1 million of county support, 400,000 of NYS support, 250,000 from the Benderson family or Delta Sonic, and 100,000 from Nexgen Foundation.?

We asked if the budget crisis will affect the plans for the children's zoo.

?They're already committed, we don't have them in the bank, but they're already committed,? said Fernandes.