Nature’s oddities will take center stage at a new exhibit this summer at the Akron Zoo.
The zoo announced Tuesday that Curious Creatures will take up residence on June 3 in the old space that was home to the Journey to the Reef space.
The critters and sea creatures will call space inside of the Komodo Kingdom home.
The new inhabitants will include naked mole rats, leafcutter ants, electric eel, red-eyed tree frogs, walking batfish, chain dogfish, flashlight fish and mata mata turtles.
Some of the favorites from the reef display, including sea nettles, giant Pacific octopus and coral, will hang around for a bit more.
Also on display will be carnivorous plants, including Venus flytrap, pitcher plant and bladderwort.
In all, the Curious Creatures will include some 20 exhibits.
There also will be interactive areas, including a learning lab, a mood wall that simulates the helpful adaptation some animals have to blend in and change color and a strength tester where visitors can compare their strength to a mantis shrimp.
“Curious Creatures allows us to engage guests in an exploration of biodiversity unlike anything we have done before. By connecting our guests with animals they perhaps did not even know existed, we hope to encourage greater interest in the diversity of our natural world,” Akron Zoo President and CEO Doug Piekarz said in a statement. “Our hope is Curious Creatures will spark the curiosity of every guest and inspire them to help these magnificent creatures as we continue to advance our mission to connect your life to wildlife while inspiring lifelong learning and conservation action.”
This will be the fourth offering to occupy the exhibit hall in Komodo Kingdom Education Center since it opened in 2005.
The zoo is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Admission is $7 per person and children ages 2 and under are free. Parking fee is $3.
The zoo is offering free admission on Monday for Martin Luther King Day.
For more information, visit www.akronzoo.org or call 330-375-2550.
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.