Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit at El Paso Zoo Under Construction

El Paso Zoo officials gave ABC-7 a look Thursday at the progress on the zoo’s signature exhibit, The Chihuahuan Desert.

Crews were busy moving earth and creating artificial rocks for the exhibit. Workers sprayed concrete over wireframe molds to create the rocks. Some of those rocks will be used for the forty-foot high centerpiece of the exhibit.

“The central feature of this is a huge rock pile reminiscent of Hueco Tanks that’ll be the central area,” explained Steve Marshall, El Paso Zoo director. “It’ll be the place where our mountain lions and jaguars hang out.”

The project is funded by the 2012 Quality of Life Bond. As ABC-7 reported in January, the project is two million dollars over budget. City staff cited the construction market and El Paso’s recent construction boom for the increase in price. The price tag is now $14.2 million.

It’s expected to open to the public in the fall of 2019.