Association of Zoos and Aquariums

OREGON ZOO RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT HONOR

CONTACT: Jane Ballentine, (301)562-0777, x 252

CHICAGO, IL, September 18, 2005 – The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) today honored the Oregon Zoo with a Significant Achievement Award in the Exhibit category for "Eagle Canyon." Zoo officials accepted the award at the AZA's 81st Annual Conference meeting here this week.

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People walking through Eagle Canyon exhibit Oregon Zoo's Eagle Canyon exhibit, which opened May 2004, is the world's first zoo exhibit to feature free-flying bald eagles living with salmon, trout and sturgeon. The 20,800 square foot, $2.4-million exhibit-with its impressive animals and state-of-the-art interactive displays-helps highlight the plight of salmon and other native animals found in the Pacific Northwest.

More than 100 salmon swimming in deep pools, along with several rainbow trout and sturgeon, greet visitors as they enter the exhibit. Children can explore a bubble-which is inset into the pool-to get a nose-to-nose view of the salmon and other large fish.

As visitors walk along the forest trail, they encounter towering old-growth trees and cascading waterfalls. Along the trail are a series of bridges and several interactive sculptures. A colorful tile mosaic-embedded into the trail-displays the life cycle of salmon.

At the top of the canyon, visitors can stop and watch the bald eagles perched on a snag just 10 feet away. No netting or barrier separates visitors from these two large predators with their impressive six-foot wingspans. Behind the viewing platform, children can play in a giant eagle's nest and experience life as a bald eagle.

The Exhibit Award is presented by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association for outstanding dedication to conservation issues, construction of exhibit space and replication of species natural habitats.

Note: For more information contact Bill LaMarche at 503/220-2448.

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