SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced two major updates on Tuesday.

First, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced that Dan Meates will serve as the zoo’s next director. Meates has previously served as the zoo’s interim director. He was selected in a national search.

“Dan was by far the strongest candidate and he has the vision for this amazing piece of infrastructure for the community moving forward,” said McMahon.

Additionally, officials announced that the black and rufous elephant shrew will be at the zoo. They are native to the forests of East Africa. They are more closely related to elephants than shrew, said McMahon of the tiny animal.

McMahon said the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is just one of a few institutions in North America to house the black and rufous elephant shrew.

Additionally, McMahon formally announced the addition of Grover, an endangered Amur leopard. McMahon said that there are fewer than 100 in the wild. The addition of the leopard was initially announced in January.

Grover is part of a breeding program that seeks to increase the species population so that they can be released back into the wild.

Of his hiring, Meates said he’s thankful for the opportunity to be the zoo’s new director.