On Friday, the El Paso Zoo announced the opening of the new Asia Gateway featuring the Hunt Family Endangered Species Carousel.
“This project was my first project here at the Zoo, and I was amazed at the coordination it took and how much all of the vested parties care so much for our Zoo,” said Zoo Capital Projects Administrator Lili Gutierrez.
The new addition to the Zoo is in an area that will take visitors into a new walkway and plaza featuring the 36-foot carousel.
The carousel is a gift from the El Paso Zoological Society that was made possible with the generous support from the Hunt Family Foundation.
The carousel will feature thirty hand-painted animals representing endangered species from around the world. The ticket booth and the Americans with Disabilities compliant swan chariot was funded by the Robert E and Evelyn McKee Foundation.
The Foundation also financed the landscaping.
As guests make their way into the plaza, they will walk pass two southeastern Asian temple ruins and continue under 24-foot high penjor arches with six hanging metal baskets.
The plaza has a grass lawn, trees, benches, and a moon gate.
A special touch of the Asia Gateway is the El Paso Veterinary Medical Association Animal Wall of Fame.
The wall features spinning plaques that pay tribute to some of El Paso’s most memorable and loved animal ambassadors.
The Zoo broke ground on the new Asia Gateway on October 20, 2017, and is the most recent improvement funded by the City of El Paso’s 2012 Quality of Life Bond.
