Fly high at the zoo

You can see life from a bird’s point of view at the Birmingham Zoo now. 

The 20-foot-high Jane H. Brock Soaring Safari Zipline, which opened in April, boasts four zip lines, a treehouse and a transition bridge. The zip line is only open on weekends, but CEO Bill Foster said the zoo has seen more than 6,000 “zippers” so far.

“The feedback that we get from our guests has been very positive,” Foster said.

Foster said the zip line came from the zoo’s desire to create new adventures for its young guests. The zoo worked with Red Mountain Park and its executive director, David Dionne, to create a smaller version of the zip line at the park. Red Mountain staff members are on-site at the zoo to operate the zip line.

Anyone who weighs between 45 and 250 pounds can ride the zip line as long as they fit in the harness, and there are even options for people with disabilities. Foster said he and the zoo staff have all taken rides on the zip line, as well. It’s a fun experience, but the zip line has also been a site for team building and for people who want to get over their fear of heights. 

 “It’s more than just a zip line experience,” Foster said. “It’s a personal growth thing for many people.”

In the spring, zippers will get to see a whole new view from the trees. The zoo is currently working on a new exhibit, the Barbara Ingalls Shook Black Bear Trail, which will open next to the zip line in March 2015. While the zip line won’t go directly over the black bears’ enclosure, it will be part of the education program.

Two of the black bear residents were rescued from euthanasia in their home state of Montana, and Foster said they have a very gripping story to be told. He also noted that black bears are migrating into northern Alabama from Florida, Georgia and the Great Smoky Mountains. Some visitors to the bear trail may one day find themselves face to face with a black bear, and the zoo’s exhibit could be a “voice of education [and] a voice of reason” in teaching people to coexist with these predators.

The zip line will remain open during the zoo’s weekend hours until Oct. 31. It will be closed during the winter with possible holiday openings and will reopen in March along with the new Black Bear Trail. During the spring and fall, the zip line is only available on weekends, but it will be open daily in the summer. For more information, call the zoo at 879-0409.