Seattle - A warm, sandy shoreline…a lush, light-dappled forest…a large, powerful jaguar leaping from a fallen tree. Imagine, and see, as Woodland Park Zoo opens its new Jaguar Cove to the public Saturday, June 28. The 3,850-square-foot exhibit quadruples the size of the jaguar’s former exhibit, making it one of the largest and most naturalistic exhibits dedicated to jaguars in any zoo.

A 28-foot-high kapok (KAY-pahk) stump serves as the dramatic entry to Jaguar Cove and the award-winning, 2.5-acre Tropical Rain Forest. With more than 1,500 plants inside and outside the jaguar enclosure, visitors will be transported to the lush, tropical rain forests of Central and South America, the natural habitat of jaguars. The designer of the $4.3 million exhibit was The Portico Group (Seattle) and contractor, Synergy Construction Inc. (Woodinville, Wash.).

“Jaguar Cove may be one of the most complex exhibits currently designed for a jaguar in any zoo,” says Woodland Park Zoo Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke. A blend of real and artificial fallen trees, simulated limestone cliffs, a 4_-foot-deep pool fed by a waterfall, and uneven terrain are several characteristics that make the naturalistic environment unique and stimulating for the jaguar. “As the jaguar interacts with its environment,” explains Bohmke, “visitors can develop a greater appreciation for how these muscular cats behave in the wild.” The exhibit offers the only underwater viewing opportunities of jaguars in a zoo anywhere. According to Bohmke, visitors will also enjoy the most expansive viewing glass for jaguars.

A research tent offers a powerful reminder of how multidisciplinary teams of researchers dedicate time and expertise to help save jaguars and their shrinking habitats. All eight subspecies are endangered. As part of its commitment to jaguar conservation, Woodland Park supports four conservation projects in jaguar habitat including assessments of jaguar populations in Bolivia and southern Brazil, and a shaman’s apprentice program in Colombia.

Generous gifts from the Kreielsheimer Foundation (in honor of Greye M. Kreielsheimer), The Estate of Julia (Millie) Albee and other donors helped make this exhibit possible.

Woodland Park Zoo summer hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. For more information about the zoo and Jaguar Cove, visit the zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org or call 206.684.4800