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The Minnesota Zoo, along with officials from Explore Minnesota Tourism and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, celebrated the grand opening of the new Medtronic Minnesota Trail on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. After a year-long renovation, the Trail now includes exciting exhibits for raccoons, coyotes and gray wolves, together with long-time residents like beaver, otter, puma and lynx. Smaller Minnesota favorites, like turtles, frogs and salamanders, are featured in the exhibit’s “trailhead,” a warm and welcoming lodge. Along the Trail, guests experience a variety of Minnesota landscapes, ranging from views into a beaver pond, a walk alongside a northern forest glade and a bird-watching perch in the treetops. We live in a great state, and the new Trail will celebrate Minnesota’s wildlife heritage. Get out there! Keep your eyes open! And share the wonder.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Press Release
Minnesota Conservation Partners
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—For the first time in many years, the Zoo will be home to northern gray wolves, viewed in their native woodland setting from a variety of perspectives, including a rustic log cabin set right in the center of the exhibit.
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—Rocky ledges at the edge of the forest conceal a secure coyote den—one that kids can explore too! Side by side with the wolves, these highly adaptable canines will convey the story of change in the Minnesota landscape.
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—Some animals thrive in the presence of people, and a new exhibit provides a close up look at these common but amusing backyard visitors. |
—Log siding, a grand stone fireplace and beautiful photographs create a setting for animal demonstrations and exhibits of Minnesota turtles, snakes and frogs, in this dramatic new addition to the Trail. |
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—When the trail’s beaver exhibit opened in 1978, it was the first zoo exhibit to show beavers underwater. In the renovated trail, guests walk along a beaver pond and down a walkway where large windows offer an expansive underwater view and video monitors show action inside the beaver lodge. Adjacent to the pond is a small wetland area.
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—Native trees, shrubs, and perennials surround a large cedar deck with views of the Zoo’s Main Lake in the background. A variety of feeders entice birds, and guests will get the chance to practice bird watching and identification with helpful hints on landscaping to attract our feathered friends. |

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—Throughout the Trail, wood, rock, trees, and plants provide guests with the feeling that they are exploring the great outdoors.
Click here for a larger version of the site plan. |
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