Bello from the Seneca Park Zoo has proposed $121 million expansion plan for the zoo. Satchell Engineering & Associates is proud to be part of the design team for the new rainforest exhibit and aquarium. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello discusses what will be the largest indoor tropics exhibit in the US.  Read More

Senior and Lead Engineer Judy Satchell and the Satchell Engineering & Associates team is proud to be working with Cincinnati Zoo as they break ground on the Elephant Trek expansion.

Board members, donors and local officials gathered at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on June 15 to grab shovels and officially break ground on the largest construction project in the history of the Cincinnati Zoo. Elephant Trek, the crown jewel of the More Home to Roam capital campaign that the Zoo launched in 2018, is one step closer to becoming a reality.

“Elephant Trek is the result of a big vision that represents our Zoo’s role as a champion of Asian elephant conservation, both here in the U.S. and in the places these animals live around the world,” said Francie Hiltz, Chair of the Zoo’s Board of Trustees, in her opening remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony. “By creating a bigger space for a bigger herd of elephants to thrive, we are making a big commitment to Asian elephant breeding and conservation that will demonstrate to our visitors the power and beauty of coexistence for animals and humans.” (Continue reading about the project)

Earlier this month,  Como Park Zoo & Conservatory held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open its newest exhibit, Como Harbor, the new seal and sea lion habitat. This exhibit redesign and overhaul features three different pinniped species: two gray seals, two harbor seals, and four sea lions, including Sparky.  Satchell Engineering & Associates state of the art life support design supported the architect and City of Saint Paul to help create a new home for Sparky and his friends.  Como Harbor’s forward-thinking design features include needed upgrades for Sparky the Sea Lion and her seal and sea lion friends as well as for Como’s visitors. Como Harbor is a momentous improvement that will exceed all best practices for the care of seals and sea lions. The habitat features a large salt-water pool that allows the seals and sea lions to swim and socialize outdoors year-round. New behind the scenes space will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the care of the animals.

From a newly shaded amphitheater to a new underwater viewing discovery zone, this multi-layered habitat provides visitors with many opportunities to get up close to the animals and greater insights into their natural behaviors and native intelligence.

Como Harbor is a $21 million reinvention and improvement of Como Zoo’s seals and sea lions exhibit in the heart of Como Zoo. The immersive and naturalistic design of the habitat features rocky outcroppings designed to reflect the Pacific coast. Como Harbor was designed to provide expert care for the animals with elements such as underwater transfers that allow seals and sea lions to swim in and out of spaces, and multiple locations for animal training sessions to allow zookeepers to provide specialized care for all three species that call Como Harbor home. Read More

Three young manatees arrived at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s newly-renovated Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Manatee Springs early this morning, where they will be rehabilitated until they are ready to return to their native Florida waters.  The Zoo has been participating in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) for the past two decades and has cared for 23 manatees, including the newest residents.

“We started renovating our manatee facility after our last two residents, Pippen and Truffleshuffle, returned to Florida in September of 2020 and stepped up the construction schedule so we could provide a home for these three orphans.  We were originally slated to receive two animals. The third animal was added as result of the significant influx of rescued manatees at SeaWorld Orlando,” said Cincinnati Zoo curator Winton Ray.  “We look forward to helping these youngsters grow and eventually return to their native home.”

Two of the manatees already had names, Alby and Manhattan, and the MRP gave Cincinnati Zoo the opportunity to name the third.  The manatee team got creative and chose “SwimShady”, a play on the name of the song/nickname of rapper “SlimShady”. A gar named “Snoop Logg” is also a Manatee Springs resident!

Meet the Manatees:

• Alby (male) – Rescued as an orphan from the Halifax River in Volusia county, Florida on 8/27/2019. At the time of his rescue he weighed 51 lbs. Alby weighed 215 lbs on 10/27/2020.
• Manhattan (male) – Rescued as an orphan from St. Augustine Beach in St. Johns County, Florida on 10/28/2019. At the time of his rescue he weighed 62 lbs. Manhattan weighed 227 lbs on 10/05/2020.
• SwimShady (male) – Rescued as an orphan from Berkley Canal in Brevard County on 12/19/2020. At the time of his rescue he weighed 198 lbs.

Eighteen manatees rehabilitated at the Cincinnati Zoo have returned to Florida waters.  Most recently, Truffleshuffle shuffled out near Apollo Beach in the Tampa Bay area.

“The goal of the MRP is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release manatees, and we’re honored to play a role in this important conservation work,” said Ray.  “In addition to rehabbing manatees, we get to educate and inspire visitors when they see these amazing creatures!”

Cincinnati Zoo is one of two facilities outside of Florida that provides non-critical care for manatees.   Providing second-stage care opens up valuable space at critical care facilities like SeaWorld Orlando and gives Midwesterners the opportunity to learn about these remarkable animals.

The Florida manatee, downgraded from endangered to threatened in 2018, is at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress, and disease are all problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear. Populations range-wide are believed to be at least 13,000, with more than 6,500 in the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico, mostly in Florida.

Explore the new Big Bear Alpine Zoo, grand opening set for November 5, 2020. Satchell Engineering & Associates was proud to be part of the relocation of the new Big Bear Zoo.  The zoo is known as a rehabilitation facility offering injured, orphaned, and imprinted wild animals a safe haven until they are able to survive on their own again in the wilderness.  SE&A provided the water filtration design for all the exhibits that have water associated with them, including the Grizzly Bear and Black Bear.  To learn more about the zoo, please click here.

We are very excited about the opening of the new exhibit: Water’s Edge Africa at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We are proud to be the LSS firm associated with these new exhibits. Check out the new hippo and penguin exhibit by clicking video.

Robert and Matt attending the 26th annual AZFA conference which is being held in OKC. Satchell Engineering & Associates is proud to once again be sponsor of the conference. Let us know if you are attending the conference yourself so we can meet up.