New York, NY — Designed to highlight the need to protect and preserve Siberian Tigers, the Bronx Zoo’s Tiger Mountain provides a close-up view of these impressive animals in a natural setting. Home to six tigers, the new three-acre, $8.5 million habitat includes a 10,000 gallon swimming hole featuring a man-made stream and an underground viewing area.
When they began specifying and designing Tiger Mountain, the Bronx Zoo’s design team faced a challenge – no waterproofing method they had used in past exhibits had been completely successful. They needed a system that was permanent, safe for the tigers and provided the flexibility to seal uniquely shaped rock features.
After investigating a number of waterproofing options, the contractor responsible for building the below-grade components of Tiger Mountain turned to Kryton’s Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) and the Krystol Waterstop System. In addition to saving construction time and costs, the systems provided for maximum design flexibility. And, since KIM is certified non-toxic by NSF International, it’s safe for the tigers to swim in and drink from the Tiger Mountain pool and stream.
By all reports, both the Zoo’s design team and the tigers are thrilled with the results. In fact, Dan Cohen, of the Crystal Group, Kryton International’s New York distributor and applicator, reports that plans are in the works to use KIM Waterproofing Admixture and Krystol Waterstop System to repair leaks in other Zoo exhibits.
