Snakes, turtles, an octopus are all part of Riverbanks’ long-awaited new exhibit. We got a sneak peek
British explorer and activist Robert Swan once said, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
It’s a quote that appears as part of a mural in the new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. And, as the conservation center prepares to make its public debut, the Swan quote seems like a driving ethos for what will be a major attraction at a zoo that has been charming guests from Columbia and beyond for nearly a half-century.
Riverbanks closed the previous version of its reptile center and aquarium nearly two years ago to make way for a multimillion-dollar complete overhaul, one that was made possible through financial support from The Boyd Foundation. Now the reimagined Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center is set to open to the public on March 2.
The State recently got a sneak peek at the new conservation center. It houses everything from thick-billed parrots to Grand Cayman blue iguanas to rattlesnakes and more in a new, airy desert biome. You’ll also find translucent, alien-like moon jellies in the aquarium area. Visitors are immediately met with the wonders of nature when they initially step into the conservation center, as they encounter sweeping floor-to-ceiling views of exhibits featuring, among other things, slithering snakes and a massive, decades old alligator snapping turtle.
There will even be a giant Pacific octopus at the center, named “Susan” in honor of Susan F. Boyd.
It’s a center that holds conservation at its core. There are a host of endangered species housed there — the Panamanian golden frogs are probably the cutest — and there are a pair of areas that will give zoo visitors a first-ever public look at conservation work that was, until now, behind-the-scenes at Riverbanks. That includes a coral lab where guests will be able to watch the zoo’s efforts in protecting coral reefs, as well as a terrestrial lab where you can see reptiles and amphibians from across the world and close to home, including some endangered species.
The Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center has been four years in the making, from planning to completion. Riverbanks chief operating officer Lochlan Wooten said the revamped center is a critical update to what has long been a key centerpiece at the zoo.
“In 1989, the first version of the aquarium and reptile center opened, and that was the first year that the zoo welcomed a million visitors,” she said. “And we’ve been doing it every year since. That is important because it means economic impact. But also, really importantly, something we were doing behind-the-scenes, the heart and soul of our local conservation work, was happening in this building, and no one ever got to see it.
“So this renovation not only gives us the opportunity to reimagine this facility and welcome a whole new set of guests and (returning) guests for a whole new experience, but it also dramatically increased our ability to impact the conservation work that we are doing in South Carolina and in the Southeast and in the U.S.”
When a reporter from The State recently stopped by, Riverbanks aquarist Michelle Carter was busy making preparations in the aquarium area, the kind of finishing touches that come when a major project is in the homestretch.
Carter said she is enthused about the public finally getting a look at the reptile and aquarium center and all the wonders it has to offer.
“I’m really excited about the coral lab, really highlighting the conservation efforts that we do that previously no one knew about,” she said. “And my favorite new part is the jellyfish. It’s definitely been fun working with them and figuring them out.”
Guests will find that the layout of the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center is different than the previous version of the reptile center, Wooten noted.
“We changed the flow” of the building, Wooten said. “The portion of the building that faces the main plaza (of the zoo) used to be the front entrance (to the reptile center). We moved the front entrance to the long side of the building. It used to be that you entered and exited in two different places. Now it is a complete circle with the entrance and exit in the same spot. It’s pretty wonderful.”
Sean Foley is a curator of herpetology at Riverbanks and has been with the zoo for 31 years. He said he is ready for local families to finally get a look inside the overhauled conservation center.
“It has been a long process, but we are starting to see the fruits of our labors,” Foley said. “We are getting the animals in, and the animals are looking fantastic in these new exhibits. We are very happy with that. It’s an exciting time, and we are ready for people to get in here and see all of this stuff.”
Once the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center debuts on March 2, will be open during regular zoo hours and is included with general admission tickets and membership passes.
