If you love the Minnesota Zoo, you’re in for a big treat this year.
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In about June, the zoo will complete “Russia’s Grizzly Coast,” which is a brand-new, $24 million exhibit featuring the brown grizzly bears that are familiar to Russia’s eastern coast. Amur leopards, tigers, boars and sea otters will also be part of the exhibit, which is currently under construction.

Zoo CEO and Director Lee Ehmke described the new exhibit this morning at a meeting of the Eden Prairie (A.M.) Rotary Club. Ehmke’s guest appearance was arranged by club member Bruce Hutchins, an EP resident and member of the zoo’s board of directors.

Ehmke’s computer-animated “tour” of the exhibit showed replications of the habitat known for the world’s largest population of grizzly bears, including geyser and hot springs. (Russia’s eastern coast is known for its geo-thermal activity.)

Leopards, tigers and grizzlies – oh, my! I can hardly wait.

If you’d like more information about the exhibit, go to this page on the zoo’s Web site: http://www.mnzoo.com/guests/RGC/rgc.asp

(Rotary Rooter focuses on the activities of the Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary Club, which meets at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Biaggi's restaurant at Eden Prairie Shopping Center. Guests are welcome. You can learn more about the club by visiting www.epamrotary.)