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Opening | Exhibit Description

Animal Species | Plant Species | Press Release

Amazon Flooded Forest - Exhibit Walk-Through OPENING SEPTEMBER 29, 2001

Named for the watery world created by six months of torrential rains, The Oregon Zoos Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001. One of the first of its kind at any zoo, the exhibit features the full spectrum of species - mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates - living in this ecosystem on the banks of the great South American river; the Amazon.

The physical features of the exhibit transport zoo visitors to the rainy region of the Amazon basin that is home to some of the planets most extraordinary and diverse plants and animals. Four-feet of water floods the exhibit to replicate the strange and exotic world of the Amazons flooded forests, while trees as large as 30-inches in diameter, as well as 800-feet of vine, designed and created by artisans, add to the illusion.

Animals that inhabit the Amazon flooded forest are colorful, mysterious, and definitely out of the ordinary. Mammals include saki and howler monkeys, two-toed sloth and an agouti (a cat-sized rodent). Toucans and tanagers fly through the exhibit, while arapaima, arawana, pacu, stingray and tetras swim through the floodwaters. Reptiles include caiman, arrau turtles, plumed basilisk, emerald tree boa and the massive anaconda. Brazilian cockroaches represent the regions insects.

This unforgettable new attraction at the zoo offers visitors the opportunity to learn how the native plants, animals and people of the Amazon flooded forest dont just survive annual flooding - - they depend on it.

Amazon Flooded Forest Walkthrough
The entry to the Amazon Flooded Forest offers visitors two viewing windows. Colorful poison dart frogs and emerald tree boas inhabit a dry exhibit, while Cardinal tetras swim next door in 1700-gallons of water. Cardinal tetras are important to the people of the Amazon, who gather and export these colorful fish for use in aquariums. This provides them with a decent living and a reason to preserve the forest and its fish.

Around the corner is a larger window, which allows visitors to see additional animals such as pygmy marmosets, channel-billed toucans and plumed basilisk. Visitor can also view the two previous exhibits from this vantage point.

With nearly 23-feet of glass, the main exhibit area gives visitors a full view of an agouti, saki and howler monkeys, two-toed sloth, toucans, tanagers, arapaima, arawana, pacu and stingray. The right side of the exhibit features a log strategically placed to entice arrau turtles to maneuver over and caiman to slide beneath, increasing visitors chance for viewing these interesting creatures. Their habitat is filled with trees, vines and rockwork all created by Oregon Zoo employees and 7600-gallons of 85-degree water.

Brazilian cockroaches live in the next exhibit, cleverly placed inside of an artificial tree. Brazilian cockroaches by the millions call the Amazon home. Theyre just one of the estimated 30 million types of insects found in this area.

The massive anaconda and bucktoothed tetras are viewed through the next two windows. The exhibit holds 2000-gallons of water and features a dry land area with a heated pad, which encourages the anaconda to curl up for easy viewing.
Opposite the animal viewing area is the educational component of the exhibit. The façade of a small house and a canoe are the backdrop for interpretive panels, which explain the people and culture of the Amazon flooded forest region. A kiosk in the middle of the exhibit, houses two 17-inch touch screen monitors that also provide information on the region.

Interesting Facts:

• All exhibit viewing windows are one-inch thick optically clear glass. The largest window is 12-feet wide and weighs 1000-pounds.
• Artificial trees, largest is 30-inches in diameter
• Artificial vines, 800 feet
• All cosmetic work was done in-house.
• The Oregon Zoo was general contractor.
• All exhibit water is heated to 85-degrees.
• Exhibit water is cleaned by a sand filter, and recycled.

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