Milwaukee County Zoo rhino habitat; county debates $16M renovation
MILWAUKEE - Should Milwaukee County pay $16 million for a new home for rhinos at the zoo? The debate is just beginning to heat up.
On Thursday, Sept. 21, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors green-lighted moving forward with initial construction contracts, but it will next month have to approve the actual funding. Without that final approval, the initial contract will become void.
Right now, the Milwaukee County Zoo has no rhinos. It's one living rhinoceros was moved to another zoon. The building the rhinos used to call home is about 70 years old. Visitors would look through glass to see the animals behind metal cages.
"This impression, to me, is sad. It's just that simple. It's sad," Milwaukee County Zoo executive director Amos Morris said about the old exhibit space. "And I, we don't we don't want our animals to be exhibited in this fashion. We want to be proud of the way these animals are exhibited."
That could change with the proposed $22 million project. That is $12 million over what the zoo estimated back in 2013, when a capitol plan started the planning.
"Over a ten-year period, the cost of construction has jacked up, not only from COVID, but just economics in general," said Morris.
Of the $22 million, the nonprofit Zoological Society of Milwaukee would pay $6 million. The Milwaukee County share would be $16 million.
"We all love the zoo, we all love rhinos, but we have so many priorities at the county. This will certainly be something that we need to discuss during budget next month," said Peter Burgelis, Milwaukee County supervisor.
"When I saw the price tag for this item, my jaw dropped," said Steven Shea, Milwaukee County supervisor. "The county board and the county government is not made of money."
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"Sometimes its pricey and it’s a legitimate argument when you bounce it against public safety. But this community has as a zoo that brings people to it. Businesses are here, business families want places to go that's safe, and healthy and that’s what the zoo provides," said Morris.
Rhino exhibit rendering
The plan would create an indoor and outdoor space for the rhinos. It is part of the updated Adventure Africa. FOX6 obtained rough renderings:
Rhino exhibit rendering
"The investment into the infrastructure and the animals that we have keeps us as an accredited facility, which keeps us at the high bar for keeping our animals. It’s also a refection of what our community wants to be. You think about it, if you can’t take care of your animals, how are you going to take care of people?" said Morris.
The African section's new elephant habitat opened in 2019, it cost $16 million---with an even split between the county and the nonprofit zoological society.
The hippos exhibit opened in 2020, which cost $10 million. The society paid 67% to the county's 33% Now, the county is asked to shoulder more of the proposed rhinoceros exhibit.
Milwaukee County was on the cusp of financial crisis. Now, an added sales tax started in 2024 will bring in an estimated $82 million a year.
The big question now is will the Milwaukee County Board approve funding for the rhino project? If they do not, then the initial construction contract that was green-lighted becomes void.
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If funded, construction on the rhino exhibit could start next year – and be open to the public in late 2025 or early 2026.