A Farewell to the Carruth Natural Encounters Building

With over 60 years of memories, the Carruth Natural Encounters building has been a significant part of the Zoo’s history. After careful consideration and extensive evaluations by our animal care and engineering teams, the Zoo has decided to close the building following Spring Break, with its last day of operations on Sunday, March 23. The building’s aging infrastructure no longer meets the needs of our animals or the expectations of our guests.

Animals currently living in the building will be relocated to other parts of the Zoo or transferred to other appropriate institutions. The outdoor meerkat exhibit connected to the building will remain occupied and open to our guests. In addition, our female Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, Cheetah, will be relocated to our South America’s Pantanal exhibit.

Originally built in 1962 as the Small Mammal House and later renovated into the Carruth Natural Encounters building in 2004, this space has provided countless memorable experiences for our guests and served as an important space for connecting people with wildlife.

While this decision wasn’t easy, it reflects our commitment to providing the best care for our animals and creating exceptional experiences for our visitors. We’re also looking ahead to exciting opportunities to reimagine how we engage our community in the future.

Make your plans to visit Natural Encounters now through March 23.