Como Harbor coming in late 2019

New space at Como Zoo will more closely resemble natural habitat for sea lions and seals and be home to Sparky

Photo above: Como’s seals and sea lions have been living in a space built in the 1930s during the WPA as Monkey Island. The freshwater area was retrofitted for seals and sea lions in the 1970s, and an amphitheater added. (Photo courtesy of Como Zoo)
By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Minnesota’s beloved Sparky at Como Zoo is getting new living quarters this year, thanks to a public-private partnership.
In addition to providing a healthier home for the sea lions and seals in the heart of Como Zoo, the $20 million makeover in the existing Seal Island and amphitheater area will also improve the public experience.
Como’s seals and sea lions have been living in a space built in the 1930s during the WPA as Monkey Island. The freshwater area was retrofitted for seals and sea lions in the 1970s, and an amphitheater added.
One of the biggest changes that the new 64,500-square-foot Como Harbor will bring is a transition to salt water.
Photo right: Sparky loves the play and interaction with his humans, and doesn’t mind “hamming it up” for the camera. (Photo courtesy of Como Zoo)
The new heated saltwater environment will minimize the eye and coat irritation that can be caused by freshwater environments pointed out Como Marketing and Public Relations Manager Matt Reinartz. It will increase the animal’s enjoyment of their environment as it will more closely resemble their natural habitat.
Also, because the water will not freeze, they can stay in the same place year-round. Currently, Como Zoo must move pinnipeds off Seal Island every fall with the approach of freezing temperatures, leaving it empty almost half the year. The new design allows for easy underwater transfers from one area to the next.
With the new design, the public will be much closer to the animals and their care and training. At the underwater viewing areas, they will be a pane of glass away. At the care and training stations, the public will see how they live behind the scenes.
Acknowledging that animal training is key to their well-being by keeping them active and engaged, the new facility features a state-of-the-art training facility.
Other upgrades include larger and better bathrooms, a new and better restaurant, and a new picnic area. All of the areas will be fully wheelchair accessible. Plus the design features a shade structure over the new amphitheater.
Pacific coastline design
Designed to reflect a northern Pacific coastline, the exhibit will include rocky outcroppings where seals and sea lions can bask, deeper pools for diving, a natural substrate, and trees and shrubs to provide natural shade throughout the day. The new design will feature an indoor, underwater viewing area similar to the one at Polar Bear Odyssey.
Photo left: The new Como Harbor will open in late 2019. It will feature two saltwater pools and an indoor, underwater viewing area similar to the one at Polar Bear Odyssey. Designed to reflect a northern Pacific coastline, the exhibit will include rocky outcroppings where seals and sea lions can bask, deeper pools for diving, and natural substrate, trees and shrubs to provide natural shade throughout the day. (Image courtesy of Como Zoo)
The updated space will have two new pools, a 5,000-square foot central exhibit pool, and a 900-square foot “Cove Habitat” pool that will dramatically expand the swimming areas for up to eight seals and sea lions from 146,000 gallons to 244,000 gallons.
When Seal Island is renovated, all the seals and sea lions will be housed together, rather than in groups of two or three which makes it more efficient for training.
Working to rehab animals
“Como is one of the last free zoos in the country. It is also the sixth-most visited, outdrawing the main zoos in New York and Los Angeles,” pointed out Reinartz.
The current Seal Island could not be upgraded for salt water, and the aging infrastructure needed more maintenance. The habitats were not built with training and updated standards of animal management. The space was not expected to meet the new standards and regulations for marine mammal care and conservation about to be released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and other governing bodies.
Photo right: “Sparky is an ambassador for conservation education through the 2 million-plus visitors to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory each year, including 500,000 school age kids taking part in some educational programming. Today we see multi-generations visiting and making connections with the animals like Sparky, and our hope is that this will continue for generations,” said Como Marketing and Public Relations Manager Matt Reinartz. (Photo courtesy of Como Zoo)
“If Como does not make the necessary changes, our ability to receive new animals in the future will be limited. Como has been an approved facility working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to bring in animals from the wild that are deemed unreleasable,” said Reinartz.
All of Como’s seals and sea lions are rehabilitated animals—wild animals that had been injured and were rescued but had a physical limitation that prevented a return to the wild.
Subee, for example, was found eight years ago injured on the coast of California and was recommended to Como because the staff has experience with older animals and so could deal with her possible arthritis issues as she ages. Sparky V was the second oldest captive sea lion in North America when he passed away after performing for more than 20 years.
Chino, another seal lion, was found near death with a fishing line caught around his head. The scarring made it impossible for him to fish on his own and so he was deemed nonreleasable. When he arrived at Como, he was underweight and had pneumonia. With the care of the Como team, he recovered and thrived, gaining over 500 pounds. Now he is in a breeding group at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.
Vision for the future
The update to Seal Island follows the $15 million Polar Bear Odyssey that opened in June 2010 and the $11 million Gorilla Forest that opened in June 2013. These new exhibits are elements of a larger strategic vision for Como, according to Reinartz.
“The new Como Harbor will be the most dramatic example of Como’s vision for the future. The public experience will be more intimate, and the conditions for the animals will be greatly improved,” he said.
Reinartz added, “Sparky is an ambassador for conservation education, through the 2 million-plus visitors to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory each year, including 500,000 school age kids taking part in some educational programming. Today we see multi-generations visiting and making connections with the animals like Sparky, and our hope is that this will continue for generations.”
After seeking funding for several years, the 2017 Minnesota Legislature approved $15 million for the project. Como Friends, the non-profit partner of Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, is raising the remaining needed $4.9 million with gifts from Minnesota foundation, corporations, and individuals.
“This continues the success of the city’s public-private partnership with Como Friends, which has invested more than $38 million in projects and programs since 1999,” said Reinartz. Lancer is also investing in the project to pay for a food service building.
The Marine Mammal Building will remain open during construction, so visitors can continue to see Sparky and the other seals and sea lions, along with the penguins and puffins.
The new Como Harbor will open in late 2019.

* Article appeared in the May 2018 St. Paul Monitor.

Extreme makeover: Seal Island edition

Como requests state to approve $13.8 million to update the seal and sea lion exhibit

by Tesha M. Christensen

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is ready to give Sparky’s home an extreme makeover.

To move forward, Como is asking state legislators to approve $13.8 million in general obligation bonds. Another $1 million will come from private donations.

“Sparky is an ambassador for conservation education, through the 2 million plus visitors to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory each year, including 500,000 school age kids taking part of some educational programming,” stated Como’s Campus Manager Michelle Furrer. 

“Today we see multi-generations visiting and making connections with the animals like Sparky and our hope is that this will continue for generations.”

There was no funding set aside for Como Zoo in Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed bonding request to the Legislature, but there was $8.9 million in transportation and access improvements for the surrounding Como Regional Park. There was, however, $53.3 million in bonding requests from the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

PROJECT WILL OCCUPY SAME AREA AT COMO

Currently, the seals and sea lions split their time between Seal Island in the summer and the Marine Mammal Building in the winter. Sparky is housed year-round in a separate pool from other seals and sea lions.

“Como has been a part of Minnesota’s lives for over 100 years and Sparky for nearly 60 years,” observed Furrer.

The $14.8 million project being planned will use the same 64,500 square feet that currently house Seal Island and the amphitheater. However, the amount of pool area will jump from 146,000 gallons to 244,000 gallons.

When Seal Island is renovated, all the seals and sea lions will be housed together, rather than in groups of two or three. Currently, Como has six pinnipeds (the classification for seals and sea lions), and will have room for eight with the changes to their habitat area.

GUESTS WILL EXPERIENCE TRAINING FIRSTHAND

The outdoor exhibit for seals was originally called Monkey Island when it was built during the WPA in the 1930s. It was converted in the early 1980s into Seal Island and an amphitheater was added nearby. The habitats were not built with training in mind, nor do they meet updated standards of animal management, according to Furrer.

With its freshwater pools, Seal Island no longer meets federal requirements. The renovation plan replaces the freshwater area with two saltwater pools. These will provide zoo guests with both underwater and above water viewing that is available year-round. Guests will be able to see the animals in a more naturalistic habitat year round. Plus, visitors will be able to experience the operant conditioning training of the animals firsthand.

Because the current facility was not designed with training in mind, Como trainers face the challenge of needing a trainer for each animal during sessions. “This means that if there are four animals on the island, we need four trainers,” explained Senior Keeper Allison Jungheim. 

The new construction will give trainers more options. Using the principals of positive enforcement, the pinnipeds at Como receive 2-3 training sessions a day, during which they get most of their daily food.

“Training is mentally stimulating and very enriching for them,” stated Jungheim.

NOT ABOUT GETTING BIGGER BUT BETTER

The update to Seal Island follows upon the heels of the $11 million Gorilla Forest that opened in June 2013, and the $15 million Polar Bear Odyssey that opened in June 2010.

“With the development of these last series of projects for Como, it’s not about getting bigger but doing what we do better,” said Furrer. “We want to ensure that, for generations to come, Sparky will be an ambassador for conservation and education. In order to do this updates are needed.”

This story was printed in the February 2014 edition of the St. Paul Monitor.