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The Minnesota Zoo’s spectacular new, $24 million exhibit represents one of the world’s last great wild places, the Russian Far East. The making of a Zoo exhibit is a wonderful blend of art, science, and engineering. From the rugged rock formations of the Pacific coast to an authentic log cabin in the woods, designers, architects, and contractors worked meticulously to create a one-of-a-kind Russian wilderness. |
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Sea
Cave
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Enter a sea cave where you hear gulls calling and waves crashing to evoke the sounds of the coast. You may even feel the spray of ocean mist on your face. Here, sea otters cavort in 34,000 gallons of water with floor-to-ceiling views of their playful antics.
- Designers constructed replicas of coastal basalt rock and sandstone, molding and weathering it to make it look like years of salt water erosion.
- In the sea otter exhibit, look for a high water mark along the rock walls. Artists carefully painted dark stone below, with green-tinted hues and lighter rock above, to mimic algae build-up on the surface of nature’s high tide line.
- Notice
the driftwood and whale bones washed up along
the shore of the exhibit.
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Geysers,
Steam Vents, and Mud-Pots
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Stroll along a boardwalk where you will see bubbling mud-pots and feel an occasional burst of moistened air from a steam vent. A geyser in the middle of Bear Meadow shoots water into the air, emphasizing the drama of Russia’s seismic Kamchatka Peninsula.
- A rocky stream bed runs through the bear exhibit leading to a pool where these massive omnivores play in the water and catch fish from a trout pool.
- Look for “bear rock” in the middle of the exhibit. It is the highest point on the trail and will give our bears a great vantage point to observe their entire exhibit. It also serves as a “hidden” entrance and exit to the bears’ overnight holding area.
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Lava
Tube
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Explore a large lava tube with floor-to-ceiling views of brown bears. Get an up-close view of a grizzly swimming in the bear pool.
- Kids will love the cave-like crawl space, complete with port holes. Look up and you may even see a few bats! (Sculpture replicas).
- A smaller window
provides a glimpse into a bear den.
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Russian
Log Cabin
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Experience the past and learn how you can help influence the future in the Ecolab Conservation Science Cabin. This authentic log cabin was built in Russia, carefully shipped piece-by-piece, and reassembled in Minnesota.
- Notice the two different types of wood and stains. The darker stain represents an older cabin with the lighter stain being a “newer” section.
- View wild boars
on one side and Amur leopards on the other.
- Learn about and
get involved in conservation efforts in the
Russian Far East.
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| Mammoth
Dig |
Unearth mammoth bones in a large sand pit. These enormous woolly beasts once roamed both the frozen Russian tundra and Minnesota. |
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| Bear
Behavior Station |
Meet the zookeepers of Russia’s Grizzly Coast and learn how they take care of the bears. This covered structure also provides one last look into Bear Meadow. |
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| Wild Boar Moat |
Observe wild boars wallowing in the mud. These large swine are the ancestors of all domestic pigs. |
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| Amur Leopard |
Catch a glimpse of the world’s rarest cat—the Amur leopard. Their home in Russia is heavily wooded similar to Minnesota. From a covered viewing shelter you can see these amazing animals jump and climb trees. |
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| Tiger Base Camp |
Continue your journey with the Zoo’s popular Amur tiger exhibit. Explore Tiger Base Camp complete with a camera trap, tracking device, and information on how researchers work to save endangered species. The Minnesota Zoo has long been a leader in tiger conservation, and now, our tigers finally appear in the context of their larger environment in Russia’s most southeastern corner. |
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| Horticulture |
The harsh conditions and delicate beauty of the Russian Far East provide a varied landscape for our new exhibit. Notice dense evergreens, stately birch, and a variety of shrubs and flowering plants of the different Russian zones, many of which are similar to garden species found in Minnesota. |
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| Central Plaza |
The redesigned Central Plaza is a lively, colorful, and fun outdoor meeting and activity area complete with a splash pad, shelter and shade structures, restrooms, and food service. It is also the hub of the Zoo’s outdoor exhibits: Russia’s Grizzly Coast, Northern Trail, and the Wells Fargo Family Farm. |
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