"The first planning sessions for this started way back in 1999 so it's been a long time coming and we're really glad it's finally here," curator of birds Aliza Baltz said.
The addition to the zoo will include four exhibits, special bird demonstrations, and the zoo's first ever 4-D movie Theater. This interactive experience brings the migration story to life.
"I think it will be really, really nice for the kids to see and for myself, big kids," Denise Gray of Northeast Philadelphia said.
"The additions that they put on here, I don't know anyone who has a zoo like this in the country," Brian Novak of Deptford, New Jersey, said.
This exhibit isn't just about education and entertainment, it's about encouraging conservation, everything from the wood used on this bridge to the bird friendly glass to the recycled water is meant to reduce the building's carbon footprint.
"Among the things we wanted to focus on was making sure we were making environmentally sound decisions in the construction process," COO of the Philadelphia Zoo Andrew Baker said.
With 12 percent of all bird species critically threatened and 2 percent endangered, the goal here was to not only learn to appreciate these exotic animals, but also to be more aware of more their more common brothers and sisters that are a part of our everyday life and affected by our everyday activities.
The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday morning.
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