Coal Valley, IL - August 15, 2014 - Niabi Zoo announced today the opening of a new rainforest-themed animal exhibit in its Jungle Trek Discovery Center. The new exhibit is mixed-species and houses a Linne's Two-Toed Sloth and a pair of Cotton-Top Tamarins.
The new exhibit cost approximately $93,000 to build and was funded through grants from the Scott County Regional Authority, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, and funds raised by the Niabi Zoological Society. The exhibit was built by Estes Construction of Davenport, IA. The exhibit is located indoors and features an abundance of natural light provided through expansive windows, live plants, natural soil substrate, rocks, and only a thin wire mesh separating the animals from zoo visitors.
Zoo Director Marc Heinzman says this exhibit is a positive addition to Niabi Zoo. "This new rainforest exhibit is a beautiful and engaging habitat for some truly amazing animals," said Heinzman, "and I think it will be a great addition to our Jungle Trek Discovery Center." Heinzman also said that the goal of the new exhibit is to encourage zoo visitors to learn about the importance of the rainforest and why it should be protected.
Cotton-Top Tamarins (Sanguinus oedipus) are one of the smallest species of primates in the world, with adults weighing less than 1.1 pounds. In the wild, these monkeys are found in the rainforests of northwest Columbia and are listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss. Linne's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus), one of the slowest animals on the planet, is native to the rainforests of several South American countries including Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and Equador.
