South Bend-based 1st Source Foundation recently donated $100,000 to the Potawatomi Zoo’s Big Cat Tracks project.
Big Cat Tracks is the zoo’s newest capital project. The zoo is constructing a new Amur tiger and leopard habitat. The project will transform the southeast corner of the zoo.
“The zoo has been a longstanding cornerstone of culture and togetherness in our community,” said Shelli Workman, 1st Source Bank central region president, in a press release. “This new enhancement will provide lasting engagement for community members of all ages.”
Big Cat Tracks will integrate the existing landscape of the park space into wooded, more naturalistic habitats for Amur leopards and Amur tigers. There will also be new amenities for visitors, including new bathrooms and a playground area.
“This project is so important for our big cats right now, and it will hopefully allow us to have breeding programs in the future,” Josh Sisk, Potawatomi Zoo executive director, said. “The new habitats will be larger as well as more naturalistic and designed to encourage the unique behaviors of each species.”
Big Cat Tracks is a $5.5 million project, part of Phase 3 of the zoo’s master plan, which also included a concessions lodge and Andean bear habitat that opened in 2024. Funding for Big Cat Tracks has come from private and public funding sources, individuals and organizations.
