SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) The Sammons Financial Group has donated $150,000 to the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls to help dramatically transform the brown bear exhibit.
Zoo President Elizabeth Whealy says the bears will get more 'bedrooms', a lush new meadow to play in, and visitors will get a bears-eye view of the goings-on.
"We'll have a demonstration window," Whealy tells KELO Radio, "where you"ll see how a zookeeper gets a huge brown bear to do what the zookeeper would like her to do."
Whealy says some parts of the bear habitat have not been rennovated since the 1980s. The $2 million dollar upgrade should start sometime this year.
In 2015, Sammons Financial Group gave a $100,000 gift to the Zoo that will fund ZooMobile visits to 96 poverty-level schools across eastern South Dakota over three years.
“Sammons Financial Group is committed to making our community a great place for families to thrive and grow,” said Jeff Hugunin, 2nd Vice President - Finance at Sammons Financial Group and a Zoo Board member.