Kangaroo exhibit hopping soon at Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Vanessa Vasconcelos Image
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Kangaroo exhibit hopping soon at Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Construction isn't complete just yet, but by the end of the month the kangaroos are getting a brand new home across the way.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- If you think you've seen it all when comes to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, think again.

It's a new day and a new exhibit at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

"We're really changing it up for our kangaroos," lead zookeeper Amber Talley said. "Great opportunities for great interactive properties that were going to be able to have."

From training to feeding, Talley works one on one with the animals.

Along with providing more space for the kangaroos, Talley says the most rewarding part of the new exhibit is the visitor experience.

"I remember what it was like to be one of those kids. That's why I wanted to become a zookeeper," she said. "To be able to inspire their love of science in nature and community support is something that we all love to do very much here at the Chaffee Zoo."

Construction isn't complete just yet, but by the end of the month, these guys over here are getting a brand new home across the way.

The Australian Walkabout is a first of its kind for the zoo.

"The zoo is really growing and changing exponentially throughout the last couple years so we're excited to bring this to our new kangaroos and be increasing our mob size with some other macropod species as well," Alley said.

"I just commented on it right now because this is the first time I've seen it since the zebras were here," visitor Recall Molina said.

Molina has been coming to the zoo her whole life and now that she has a family of her own, they come twice a month. And she says it's never a dull moment.

"They love it they love seeing the new animals and the new things they're always excited to see what's new and what's happening," she said.

"Just improvements they've been doing all around the park, Storyland, Playland. I think it's really great for families," visitor Ashley Ortega said.

The Measure Z sales tax has provided the zoo with funding for new exhibits including Sea Lion Cove and African Adventure. Now they're in the design phase for several new features.

"Africa's not complete," Talley said. "There are some new things happening there as well and the middle of the zoo is actually doing a complete overhaul and expanding our current Asian area."