ZOO'S GOING WILD WITH ITS LATEST EXPANSION PLANS.

THE CHANGES ARE DETAILED IN THE ZOO'S 500 MILLION DOLLARS NEXT CENTURY PLAN.

THAT'S IN ANTICIPATION OF BROOKFIELD ZOO'S ONE 100TH ANNIVERSARY.

THAT'S COMING UP IN 2034 MORE THAN 100 ACRES OF THE ZOO'S GROUNDS ARE SET TO UNDERGO RENOVATION OR DEVELOPMENT IN A 4 PHASE PLAN CALLS FOR TRANSFORMING TRADITIONAL EXHIBIT SPACES INTO ECO REGIONS.

ALLOWED DIFFERENT SPECIES TO ROAM BETWEEN VARIOUS HABITATS.

NOW JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THAT NEXT CENTURY PLAN IS DOCTOR MICHAEL ATKINSON, THE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF BROOKFIELD ZOO.

EXTENSIVE.

WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND ALL OF IT?

WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PLAN.

WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK ON IT FOR THE LAST AND ARE REALLY LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 100 BIRTHDAY HERE.

COMING UP IN 2034 TO REALLY RESHAPE THE ZOO OVER THE NEXT DECADE LEADING UP TO THAT CENTENNIAL AND THEN BEYOND WHAT IS ECO REGION.

SO ENCOURAGE INS ARE JUST DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AROUND THE GLOBE.

AND WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE OUR GUESTS ON A JOURNEY WHERE THEY'RE NOT JUST EXPERIENCING ONE IN AN ENVIRONMENT, BUT THEY'RE REALLY EXPERIENCING THAT WHOLE ECOSYSTEM.

SO THEY'RE SEEING HOW ANIMALS WOULD BE IN THE WITH MIXED SPECIES.

HABITATS FOR THERE'S DIFFERENT ANIMALS TOGETHER IN AN IMMERSIVE LANDSCAPE WHERE THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE AS A CHANCE TO SEE ANIMALS AS THEY WOULD IN A WHILE.

I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO TO AFRICA FOR SAFARI SAY, BUT I CAN GO TO BROOKFIELD.

FEEL LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

EXACTLY.

WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NEVER GOING TO GET THE CHANCE TO GO ON A SAFARI.

THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO TREK THROUGH THE JUNGLE, LOOKING FOR A TIGER SCUBA DIVE WITH DOLPHINS.

BUT WE CAN REPLICATE THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT THE ZOO AS A WAY OF REALLY CAPTURING OUR GUESTS INTO THAT JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND BEING ABLE TO TELL THOSE STORIES ABOUT THE THREATS FACING THESE ANIMALS IN THE WILD AND ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE TO HELP PROTECT THE ANIMALS AS WELL AS THE WILD SPACES THEY LIVE.

SINCE WE CAN'T QUITE VISIT YET TO GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE, WHAT SORT OF SPECIES MIGHT BE PAIRED TOGETHER AND WHAT WITH THIS BEFORE IT MEAN FOR A VISITOR THAT WANTS TO TAKE AGAINST SURE.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF TROPICAL FOREST, WHICH IS A NEW 66 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT FOR GORILLAS AND ORANGUTANS AND MONKEYS THAT WILL BE OPENING NEXT YEAR.

BUT FOLLOWING THAT, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AHEAD TO AN AUSTRALIAN EXPANSION A GATEWAY TO AFRICA AREA AND THAT GATEWAY TO AFRICA AS CONCEIVED AROUND THE IDEA OF LARGE HERDS OF DIFFERENT AMLO TOGETHER.

MACY RHINOS AND GIRAFFES TOGETHER IN A SAVANNAH HABITAT.

YOU MAY SEE ELEPHANTS MIXED IN WITH RHINOS IN THE FOREST HABITAT AND JUST THAT CONSTANT CHANGING OF ANIMALS IN THEIR SPACES.

IT'S NOT JUST ENRICHING FOR THE ANIMALS, BUT IT'S ALSO MAKES FOR MORE EXCITING JOURNEY FOR GAS IS YOU MAY NOT SEE THE SAME THING IN THE SAME SPACE EVERY TIME YOU COME.

SO WE'LL GET HIM BACK COMING MORE.

YEAH.

THIS IS PART OF ANIMAL ROTATION.

I UNDERSTAND.

SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOME WILL HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW OR IS IT JUST THAT THEY ARE GOING TO ROAMING BECAUSE THERE'S A BIGGER SPACE FOR THEM TO DO SO IT'S IT'S THE LATTER.

SO AS WE LOOK AT GATEWAY TO AFRICA, WE'RE LOOKING AT 35 ACRES WORTH OF SPACE THERE WITHIN THE ZOO.

SET ASIDE FOR THESE DIFFERENT HABITATS AND THE ABILITY TO JUST LET ANIMALS MOVE GET IN THAT ACTIVITY.

AND THAT EXERCISE AS THEY WOULD IN THE WILD MOVING BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPACES.

IS THIS THAT MORE VISITOR FOCUSED OR MORE FOR THE ANIMALS?

AND JUST BOTH, IT'S REALLY A COMBINATION OF BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.

SO OUR OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ALWAYS WHAT'S BEST FOR ANIMALS WERE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE WELLNESS AND WELLBEING OF ALL THE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE.

BUT WE ALSO WANT OUR GUESTS TO HAVE THAT REALLY EXCITING EXPERIENCES.

THEY COME TO THE ZOO BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE CORE OF OUR MISSION IS TO SAVE WILDLIFE IN ORDER TO SAVE THEM.

WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THEM.

WE HAVE TO GET THEM TO WANT TO COME ALONG ON THAT JOURNEY WITH US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THEIR DAILY LIVES TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR WILDLIFE AROUND THE WORLD.

AND WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE FOR THE ANIMALS SPACE YOU HAVE.

SO THE SPACES BUT ALSO JUST THAT CHANGING OF THE DAILY ROUTINE SO TO SPEAK SO THAT THE ANIMALS ARE THE CHALLENGE TO SORT OF INTELLECTUALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHERE THEY'RE GOING ON GIVEN DAY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, DIFFERENT ANIMALS TO INTERACT STIMULATED FOR OKAY.

IT THIS IS MORE THAN JUST TRANSFORMING THE PHYSICAL ZOO CAMPUS.

CORRECT?

CORRECT?

YES.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS NEXT CENTURY PLAN WAS NOT JUST TO CREATE A PHYSICAL MAP FOR THE ZOO, BUT REALLY TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENT AS WELL FOR THIS PLAN A FRAMEWORK FOR A CONSERVATION STRATEGY, CRUISER, EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMMING.

THAT INCLUDES OUR COMMITMENT TO FOR ALL, WHICH IS ALL OF OUR INCLUSIVITY OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY MAKE THE ZOO WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS.

IT INCLUDES ARE GRIEVING BEFORE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS ACCESSIBILITY?

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE FOR A I DON'T KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE WHEELCHAIR-BOUND OR IS THIS MORE OF AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY?

IT'S BOTH.

IT'S IT'S REALLY MAKING SURE THAT ALL AUDIENCES FEEL WELCOME.

SO THOSE THAT HAVE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THOSE MENTAL OR PHYSICAL CHALLENGES.

BUT IT'S ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WELCOMING TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT COOK COUNTY IN CHICAGO LAND REGION AND THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO MAKE IT TO THE ZOO AND ACTUALLY COME HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS GETTING OUR EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY STAFF OUT INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE SCIENCE-BASED EDUCATION.

WE CAN PROVIDE CONSERVATION INFORMATION.

WE CAN REALLY GET OUT AND PARTNER LOCALLY.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MONEY.

YES, IT'S COSTING.

AND WHO'S PAYING FOR IT?

YES.

THE NEXT CENTURY PLAN, AS WE CAN SEE THERE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE MAKING A $500 COMMITMENT TOWARDS THIS 15 YEAR PLAN.

THIS PLAN IS REALLY GOT A 30 YEAR VISION TO IT.

SO THAT HAS OVER YEARS.

YEAH.

OF 100 MILLION OF THAT IS SET ASIDE FOR AN ENDOWMENT TO REALLY HELPS ASSURE ENSURE OUR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY LONG TERM.

AND THEN THE 400 MILLION DOLLARS.

IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE CAPITAL WERE ABOUT HALFWAY THERE HAVING THAT IS COMMITTED OR PLEDGED FUNDS REFUNDS IN HAND.

SO THIS MEAN, SO LOOKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE.

BUT DOES THIS ALSO MEAN MAYBE TICKET PRICES GOING SO WE'RE NOT CONTEMPLATING ANY TICKET PRICE INCREASES RIGHT NOW.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ANIMALS TO FEED.

THERE'S A LOT CARE COSTS CONSIDERED IN THAT.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS AROUND RISING TICKET PRICES.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FOR FOLKS WHO MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN TO BROOKFIELD ZOO IN A WHILE AND IF THEY DO COME, THEY GET EXCITED.

SEE THE SEGMENT.

PERHAPS.

YEAH.

ARE THEY GOING TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANY ANIMALS WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY?

AS WE PROGRESS, THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE TIMES FOR CERTAIN ANIMALS MAY NOT BE VISIBLE ON THIS JUST INEVITABLE AS WE WORK UPDATING 100 YEAR OLD BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE ZOO WILL BE OPEN AND WILL BE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCES THAT COMPLEMENT THOSE THAT ARE OFFLINE RIGHT NOW, THOSE THAT COME ARE GOING TO SEE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 66 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, WHICH IS JUST INCREDIBLE TO SEE IT COMING TO LIFE.

SO I'M DEFINITELY WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BE READY TO COME NEXT SUMMER AS WE OPEN THIS NEW TROPICAL FOREST HABITAT UP, IT'S GOING TO BE A A PREVIEW OF EVERYTHING THAT'S TO COME DOWN THE ROAD.

AND ALREADY I KNOW THAT DOLPHINS HAVE A NEW HOME WITH AND YOU'VE GOT SOME KOALAS.

WHAT AND WILLIMON BRUMBY RUGBY.

HOW ARE THEY THEY ARE GREAT.

THEY HAVE SETTLED IN.

SO WHILE THERE ARE HUGE HIT WITH OUR GUESTS, I'M IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN OUR 90 YEAR HISTORY THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD KOALAS AT BROOKFIELD ZOO.

IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN'T.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

THE DOLPHINS 10 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN THEIR FACILITY TO BRING FORWARD A NUMBER OF NEW FEATURES IN THERE FOR THE WELLNESS OF THOSE ANIMALS IN JUST A UPDATE, THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES OTHER NEW EXCITING CHANGES IN THE NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE.

A WITH SANDHILL CRANES IN PRAIRIE CHICKENS.

I'M JUST A LOT GOING ON.

WATER FIREHOUSE IN AMPITHEATER SO MUCH COMING.

WE'RE TALK ABOUT THAT PHYSICAL PART IN OUR LAST 30 SECONDS OR SO.

THERE'S AN APP AND AN AI COMPONENT AS WELL.

YES, SO WE'VE LAUNCHED A NEW APP THIS YEAR.

SO IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO PUSH INFORMATION TO OUR GUESTS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE PARKS AND THAT AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT AN ANIMAL, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE CONSERVATION STORY ABOUT THAT ANIMAL.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL THEM THE DETAILS OF THAT ANIMAL AND ITS FAMILY.

AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT A VERY INTERACTIVE PROCESS AS PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH THE ZOO.

WELL, YOU ARE ROARING