ASIAN FOREST - NOW OPEN!

A S I A N  F O R E S T Imagine stepping into the pages of the Jungle Book story, not to encounter Baloo, the bear, or Bagerra, the leopard, but rather King Louie and his temple kingdom. This is your experience in the new Asian Forest expansion at Cameron Park Zoo. Beginning your journey at the Zoo's original Sumatran tiger habitat, you will slowly be elevated into the mid-canopy level of the trees where you may catch a glimpse of a rare orangutan. As you continue along the raised pathway you will experience the roar of a waterfall as it gushes from a ruined temple aquifer. You will be able to look into the temple's altar where the Komodo dragon rests among the roots of a strangler fig that has entwined itself throughout the building. Outside the Komodo dragon's temple home there is an abandoned reflecting pool where koi fish swim in the flowing water. Further along the path you will encounter the place where the strangler fig first took root. As you move under the temple canopy, you will discover a large glass viewing area where, gazing at the highly intelligent orangutans, you can ask the question of who is observing whom? Moving away from the temple, a more playful area emerges. There is an opportunity for young and old to learn and experience some classic Asian culture symbols and to try and brachiate or move like an orangutan. If you are lucky, you may be fortunate enough to be honored by an orangutan baptism in our own unique splash zone. Immersed in the beauty of the surroundings and the awesome presence of such magnificent creatures, it is our hope that visitors will gain a greater appreciation for the need for conservation efforts worldwide. In fact, like the Sumatran tiger, these two new species were chosen for the Asian expansion in order to highlight the main threats to their survival in the wild: habitat destruction and human encroachment. Komodo dragons are the world's largest living species of lizard and orangutans are the largest arboreal (tree climbing) great ape. Both species live on only a few islands in Southeast Asia, which is why preventing habitat destruction is so important to their protection. Experts predict that if appropriate protection is not provided to their natural forests, the orangutan will be extinct within 10 years. All species in the Asian Forest exhibit are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (ICUN) as either vulnerable or endangered. Throughout the Asian Forest experience, visitors will have the ability to learn about our animals as individuals and the natural history of the species. You will also have the opportunity to learn how you and your lifestyle can either positively or negatively impact these wildly beautiful animals. You will be encouraged to take action and get involved in protecting all of our natural resources and endangered species.

M E E T  T H E  N E W  O R A N G U T A N S MUKAH Mukah Mukah is our oldest orangutan. He is a Sumatran/Bornean hybrid and he was born July 7, 1987. He is the most social of the three orangutans and he is recognizable by his beautiful long hair, which he enjoys having the keepers wash and groom for him. Mukah enjoys watching football games on the TV in the Orangutan night house and he also loves to look at books and magazines. Mukah moved to the Cameron Park Zoo from the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. KERAJAAN (KJ) Kerajaan (aka: KJ) is a Bornean male. He was born at the Phoenix Zoo on August 11, 1988. KJ is very silly and loves to stick out his tongue and blow raspberries to get your attention. Kerajaan moved to the Cameron Park Zoo from Zoo Atlanta and will be a mate to Mei when she is old enough to breed. Kerajaan loves fruit shaved ice treats and yogurt covered pretzels. Like all of the orangutans at Cameron Park Zoo, Kerajaan's diet is closely monitored by his keepers to insure his health, so please do not feed him! MEI Mei is a Bornean female and is the baby of the group. She was born May 1, 1998 at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Since Mei previously lived in Brookfield's Tropic World exhibit, which is an entirely indoor Rainforest habitat, she had never been outdoors until she moved to Waco. Although she is very shy and likes to make nests and hide under blankets and boxes, Mei really enjoys the outdoor holding areas in the new Asian Forest exhibit and likes to sit on the highest perch so she can observe everything around her. Mei also enjoys watching TV. Her favorite movie is The Jungle Book and her favorite treat is vanilla flavored soy milk. NEOMA Neoma is a female Komodo dragon. She was hatched September 9, 2007 at the San Antonio Zoo. Like all young Komodo Dragons, Neoma climbs high to the uppers regions of her exhibit when she feels threatened. This is a natural reaction for young dragons, since older, larger dragons tend to eat the smaller ones. Neoma likes to swim and dig in her sand box. She enjoys hot temperatures and will bask on the heated rocks in her exhibit. Since she is just a youngster, Neoma is quite small. As she matures she will reach up to 8 feet in length (males can grow to 10 feet long) and weigh 150 pounds or more. When she reaches 4-5 years of age she should be close to 4 feet long and spend more time on the ground since she will be getting too heavy to climb.

"Cameron Park Zoo Dedicates Aquarium Exhibit." - from KWTX News, 7/20/09.

"Waco's zoo is worth the road trip." from the Austin American-Statesman, 7/18/09.

Please click here to download your order form.

You can return completed forms to the Zootique or mail them to Cameron Park Zoo Attention: Cindy Michaelis, 1701 North 4th Street, Waco, TX 76706. If you have any questions, please call Cindy at 254-750-8429.

Jim Fleshman, Director of the Cameron Park Zoological and Botanical Society and the Cameron Park Zoo, was invited to Vienna, Austria August of 2003 to make a presentation to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). After the presentation, membership to WAZA was extended to the Society and to the Zoo.

There are 193 institutional members of WAZA representing 43 countries. In the United States 52 institutions are members of WAZA. A total of 8 institutions in Texas are members, and the Cameron Park Zoo is the only small facility in Texas that is a member.

The Cameron Park Zoo is also accredited by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association (AZA). Only 215 Zoos and Aquariums are accredited by the AZA, of the more than 2,000 licensed exhibitors certified through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Cameron Park Zoo is the only AZA and WAZA facility between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio.

Founded in 1946 and known as the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens, the organization evolved into the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums with headquarters in Berne, Switzerland. Some of WAZA's objectives include promoting cooperation between zoological gardens and aquaria with regard to the conservation, management and breeding of animals in captivity and promoting environmental education, wildlife conservation and environmental research. WAZA membership will create more opportunities for the Cameron Park Zoo to become involved with conservation efforts of endangered animal species and environmental concerns with emphasis in Central Texas, and throughout the world.

Membership in WAZA gives the Cameron Park Zoo international recognition and will increase the number of international visitors.

The Cameron Park Zoo is an award-winning natural-habitat zoo that has lush native vegetation everywhere, including native pecan, live oak, and red oak trees. Natural shelters, barriers, and water features enhance the different exhibits, making visitors feel they are walking in a park that just happens to have exotic wild animals.

The zoo is one of the 205 accredited American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) institutions in the United States and participates in several species survival programs (SSP). The zoo has a broad selection of threatened and endangered species including Sumatran tigers and the critically endangered Sclater's black lemur. The Cameron Park Zoo is the only accredited zoo between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio.

The zoo began an expansion program in the fall of 2002 that will cover seven acres and increase the number of developed acres to 70 percent of the zoo's master-site plan. The project will double the number of animal species in the zoo's collection.