Chicago zoo announces penguin, polar bear plans
Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is bringing back penguins in a planned $22 million renovation, but other animals are moving to make room for the update.
Zoo officials announced the project Wednesday. Work is scheduled to begin in the fall with new exhibits opening in the spring or summer of 2016.
It's been several years since Lincoln Park Zoo housed penguins. The new zoo habitat will house a breeding colony of endangered African penguins.
The zoo's polar bear habitat will be expanded and updated with boulders for climbing and a cascading waterfall. Its landscaping will be modeled on the Arctic tundra.
The new project will replace exhibits that currently house polar bear, sun bear, Andean bear and hyenas. These animals will be moved to other accredited zoos beginning this summer.