Out of sight since the March 1 closure of the Woodland Park Zoo's popular Night Exhibit, sloths, bats, small anteaters and springhaas are now on display in the newly renovated Adaptations Building.

The zoo decided to close the energy-inefficient, 35-year-old Night Exhibit as part of an attempt to reduce it's annual expenses by $800,000 to $1 million. Closing the exhibit will save the zoo approximately $300,000 annually.

There was a large public outcry when the closure was announced. The Facebook group "Save the Woodland Park Nocturnal House" had approximately 25,000 members.

Nearly $40,000 was raised through private contributions and a $20,000 grant from the BNSF Foundation to help toward the long-term care of the handful of Night Exhibit animals that stayed at the zoo.

Two-toed sloths, tamanduas (small anteaters native to South America), Rodrigues fruit bats and springhaas (small rodents native to southeastern Africa) were selected to remain at the zoo because they are active during daylight hours as well, according to a Woodland Park Zoo press release.

The other nocturnal animals have been moved to other zoos or are in the process of being moved, according to the press release.

“We think our guests will be excited to see these animals back on view and are grateful to BNSF and the community for helping to support their care,” Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at the zoo, said in the press release. “These selected species are not completely nocturnal. With increased lighting provided in the remodeled exhibits, visitors should have a higher appreciation of their unique adaptations and natural behaviors.”