TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Zoo's new elephant preserve barn is under construction.
The nearly 37,000-square-foot facility started construction in June of 2022.
“You’re going to be able to walk right in, there’s a deck overhead," Jordan Piha, curator of mammals for the zoo, said. "You’re going to be able to see everything that’s going on in here. We want to share our care for elephants."
Piha said the zoo will have one of the largest AZA-accredited centers for Asian elephants in North America.
“This really is a transformative facility," Piha said. "We feel like this facility is something that matches our staff’s ability. We have one of the best elephant teams there is and now they have the facility to really match that.”
Amenities pack the barn for the elephants, which includes sprinklers.
“There’s an indoor rain system to help with the sand stalls to keep the dust down, but also to just let the elephants play in it if they want to," Piha said. "There’s pools at the barn that they can splash and play in if they want to.”
While the elephants will have plenty of new amenities inside, like a heated floor, they will also have 10 acres to roam around in.
With all the planning for the elephants, the zoo did not forget about guests.
“Our new visitor area is a really immersive experience," said Jessica Scallan, zoological manager for elephants and hoofstock.
Scallan said you would be able to see all the sights and smells.
“You’ll see the elephants interacting with enrichment, dustbathing and you know, doing all the antics elephants do,” Scallan said.
More work still needs to be done to finish the barn. That is when renovations to the old elephant area will start before the 10 acres are finalized.
2 News will update viewers when an official opening date is announced.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
