ASHEBORO, N.C. (ACME NEWS) — Despite Asia not expected to open until 2026, the North Carolina Zoo is offering visitors plenty to see and do this summer, from newly born animals to a dog show and newly renovated habitats.
The Zoo is featuring “Canine Champions for Conservation,” a trained dog show running twice daily Tuesday through Friday and three times daily Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day weekend. Performers Chris Collier and Alyssa Buller, whose dogs have appeared on “America’s Top Dog,” combine high-flying demonstrations with conservation education about endangered species.
The show takes place in the Africa section between the Flamingo and Gorilla habitats and is included with zoo admission.
A string of recent births has drawn crowds throughout the Zoo. A giraffe calf named Fenn, born May 20 to 13-year-old mother Leia, has been on exhibit since late June. Fenn was approximately six feet tall and weighed 145 pounds at birth, and is expected to reach full height by age four.
The Zoo’s sand cat breeding program also produced triplets in May to parents Cosmo and Sahara. The three kittens — Amira, Cleo and Jabari — are on display in the Desert Dome along with their parents.
Two baby chimpanzees born in recent months are also on exhibit. One born May 21 and another born July 1 mark the seventh chimp birth at the Zoo since 2010, making it the most successful Association of Zoos and Aquariums facility for chimp breeding.
The Zoo’s baboon habitat reopened in May following a yearlong renovation that added a larger viewing window, improved views and better accessibility. The 22-member baboon troop is the largest in the United States, tied with the San Diego Zoo.
The Zoo also features the Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden, an immersive walk-through habitat in Junction Plaza, and a 36-foot Endangered Species Carousel open through October.
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