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The Philadelphia Zoo on track for new Primate Center A new state-of-the-art facility, future home to nearly 60 primates, is currently under construction in the heart of America's oldest zoo. The $24 million project "is the first step in the zoo's master plan to journey into the 21st century," says Philadelphia Zoo President Alexander L. "Pete" Hoskins. Primate Reserve, as the project is called, is set to open in the Spring of 1999. It will encompass two-and-a-half acres and will include an indoor "Gorilla Theater," a "Conservation Station," and a variety of outdoor habitats.

So much to see and do Visitors will enter into a "Primate Adventure," in which they will have the opportunity not only to interact with the animals, but also to try their hands at telemetry equipment used to track radio-collared animals in the wild. Video monitors and "Please Touch"-style exhibits will also be part of the program. Says Dr. Andy Baker, Curator of Primates and Small Mammals, "Primate Reserve will bring to life the relationship between animals, humans and habitats, revealing the crucial role that committed individuals play in the conservation of all species."