Urban Gorillas

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Some critics grumble about the cost of the exhibit, wondering what $43 million might have bought had it been devoted to preserving the real rain forest rather than manufacturing a phony one in the northernmost borough of New York City. Says Suzana Padua, president of Brazil's Institute for Ecological Research: "We could do wonders with one-tenth of what was spent here."

That's missing the point. Zoos around the world attract 650 million visitors a year, generate billions in revenue and have the power to turn casual gawkers into ardent conservationists. Think of the Congo Gorilla Forest as an investment in which the payoff is that future generations of animals may live their lives not in zoos but in the wild.