The Return of the Elephants!

The elephants have returned to the OKC Zoo!

Of course, they actually returned a few months ago. And Malee was born in the middle of April. But since this is the first time I've had a chance to visit, it was all new to me and I'm still excited. :)
Did you realize they had been gone is June 2008? That's a long time. And the Zoo has made the quite a big deal over the Return of the Elephants!

As they should, really. Their new exhibit is really gorgeous and deservedly lauded over. I was avoiding viewing a lot pictures of it for the most part because I was wanting to be surprised. But truthfully, I shouldn't have worried. I don't think you could snap a photo that would spoil the overall appearance of the area. (if you're interested, and haven't already seen them, official pictures are here.)
And having spent so many years watching these large lovely creatures in a very small, concrete slabbed area, I am really loving all the space and activities they have now. While they currently only have two females, plus the calf, they have room for two more ladies and two bulls and are making breeding, education and conservation a priority. Which is awesome.

And its designed so that there's not a bad viewing spot in the place. Whether you're on the ground or on the ramps, you should be able to have full viewing access at all times.

While the Zoo has made renovations in the past (The Great EscApe & Cat Forest come most prominently to mind) this one is really above and beyond and makes me super excited to see what will be coming down the pipeline. (Okay, I'm less excited about the new Herpetarium.)
And I know its eight years away, but Aquaticus is desperate for a renovation and it sounds like they're giving themselves plenty of time to design and work on it. (While I doubt that the dolphins will be making their return, I still hold out a flutter of hope. When I was a kid, they were my favorite. Its still sad to go to the Zoo and walk past their showroom and know they're not coming back.)

And a new Giraffe exhibit? Yes, please. Don't stash these pretty creatures in the back of the zoo in a field. Soon they'll have a whole new area as well as a giraffe feeding platform, similiar to Dallas.
Though I'm curious as to what they new African-styled events center is going to be for exactly. Any thoughts? (Don't say events.)

Anyway, I'm thrilled at the return of the elephants and I'm glad they're getting lots of love and (finally) a brand new facility. Malee is way too cute to ignore so be sure to go see her sweet face soon.

(Do I sound like an advertisement? I meant every word! Zoo, you should hire me.)