zoo without visiting the Butterflies: In Living Color exhibit, which also opened early in 1998. The exhibit was replaced by "Birds and Bees" in late May 2009. In April 2003, the Memphis Zoo became one of only four U.S. zoos to exhibit the giant panda. One male and one female giant panda ("Ya Ya" and "Le Le") share their home with several other species native to China, in the first Memphis Zoo exhibit to be built as zoogeographical exhibit. The buildings, plant life and even the sounds of China are represented in this $16 million exhibit. The Northwest Passage exhibit opened on March 1, 2006, with underwater viewing for polar bears and sea lions. The animals frequently interact with visitors, and the sea lions are fond of following and mimicking small children. Butterflies: In Living Color! was renovated in 2007. The exhibit housed as many as 1,000 butterflies of 35 different species. There were 56 varieties of plants for the butterflies to feed on. Construction of the Teton Trek exhibit started in February 2008. The decision to clearcut of old growth forest in the Old Forest Arboretum in order to build the exhibit drew sustained criticism by Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, which was reorganized in response to the forest reduction, and by Park Friends, Inc. Approximately 14 acres of forest adjacent to the zoo were left out of the protective area to ease opposition from former Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and zoo officials. The zoo had its largest single day attendance ever on March 17, 2009, with more than 20,450 visitors. In late May 2009, the Birds and Bees exhibit opened in the former butterfly exhibit. The butterfly garden moved outside the aviary, and is still close to the original exhibit. Longtime zoo favorite "Ann" the reticulated python died on July 28, 2009. She was 18 years old. Teton Trek was opened on October 10, 2009, and winning artists of the Teton Trek Art Contest were recognized. The zoo's second African exhibit, Zambezi River Hippo Camp, opened to the public on April 29, 2016. The future The Memphis Zoo has a few projects in their future plans with funding efforts currently underway. A new major attraction, expected to be complete by the spring of 2022, is underway with plans to renovate the Hippo Barn Enclosure as well as other unannounced parts of the zoo. Many new jobs will