PITTSBURGH NATIONAL AVIARY/ZOO PART 2

This is part 2 of my mid summer vacation in Pittsburgh. This part will include the Water Edge exhibit and the PPG Aquarium.
Completed in 2006, Water's Edge is a newer section of the zoo, and is located adjacent to the PPG aquarium. This section is constructed to resemble a coastal fishing village, and illustrates the ways that humans interact with marine wildlife in coastal areas. A long walk-through tunnel runs through three large water tanks containing polar bears, sea otters, two northern elephant seals, two California sea lions, and formerly sand tiger sharks.
The shark/elephant seal exhibit was originally intended for walruses, but walruses are difficult to obtain. The elephant seal, named "Coolio", who was taken in early in 2014 replaced the sand tiger sharks in 2017 as a resident of Water's Edge. As of 2020, two rescued females have also been brought in. Coolio died in December 2019.The sand tiger sharks were moved to Florida in the process.
Built in 1967 (then called AquaZoo) and renovated in 2000, the PPG Aquarium is a 45,000 square foot, two-story aquarium that presents several aquatic habitats. The aquarium's theme is the "Diversity of Water", and contains several exhibits that portray different marine ecosystems, including a tropical rainforest inhabited by arapaima and piranha; a Pennsylvania exhibit, which features fish and aquatic wildlife of the Allegheny River, such as the brook trout; a penguin exhibit, which is inhabited by kings, macaronis, and gentoos; a coral reef; and an open ocean exhibit.
#aquariums #pittsburgh #birds #pittsburghzoo #ppgaquarium #exoticexchange #creaturecity #penguin #sealions #polarbears #seaotters #zoo #zootuber #zookeepers #zookeeping #saltwateraquariums

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