As he touched up the New Jersey-grown reeds that make up the roof of the zoo's new Elephant Encounter exhibit, some visitors managed to get his attention. His bushy red beard and metal-rimmed glasses popped into view as Cahill waved from his metal nest attached to a man lift.

Cahill, who created the thatched roofs that are part of the Elephant Encounter exhibit opening Saturday, started the motor, prompting the crane-like device to emit a series of ear-piercing warning beeps, like a garbage truck makes when it backs up. He slowly eased away from the roof to begin his downward journey.

Beep, beep, beep.

The platform nicked the roof, sending bits of grass falling to the ground. Cahill, an Irishman who now lives in Ohio, stopped his descent, silencing the beeps. He repositioned his metal nest and started back down.

Beep, beep, beep.

Another midair stop. A passing construction worker glanced up, shook his head and mumbled, "I don't think he likes heights."

The man trained in the ancient art of roof thatching did not seem entirely at ease with the latest in construction technology. He restarted the motor and gingerly eased down a few more feet.

Beep, beep, beep.

After several more minutes of fits and starts, Cahill finally reached the ground and surveyed the darkening afternoon skies.

"Maybe we'll beat that shower," he said.

A spat of storms had put his roofs to the test before he finished the various structures making up the Elephant Encounter exhibit. Some thatched roofs are designed to shade the elephants on hot days, while others provide shelter for visitors. Cahill spent about two months working on two lodges and a pair of sunshades for the exhibit.

The revamped elephant exhibit, which will also house the zoo's rhinoceroses, is intended to provide more space for both sets of animals. One area will feature a 110,000 gallon pool, while another section of the exhibit has a long yard. Visitors also will be able to watch zoo staff work with the animals in a special area.

After stepping off the man lift, Cahill wandered over to a one-story hut with an unfinished roof.

"It was raining all day yesterday, and as you can see yourself," he said, patting the roof from his scaffolding perch, "it's bone dry."

Cahill treks to New Jersey for two months each winter to gather thousands of bundles of water reed. The bundles, 24 inches around, then are stored for his various jobs in the summer.

The natural silicon coating on the reeds helps keep water moving off the roof. A steeper pitch means water is less likely to seep into the roof. After a recent heavy rainstorm, water had penetrated only about an inch into the roof, meaning the structure was doing its job.

"Thatch is probably the best roofing material ever designed by man," said Craig Dinsmore, the zoo's executive director.

Architectural plans called for thatched roofs to keep the buildings in tune with the African jungle theme. Dinsmore praised the roofing material's cooling and heating efficiency, long-lasting nature and beauty. Cahill's collection of handmade tools fascinates him.

"It really kind of takes you back in time," Dinsmore said.

One tool, called a Dutch mallet, resembles half of a coconut covered with metal studs. Cahill uses it for touch-up work around windows.

The heavy hitter, called a leggett, includes a long handle and a square wooden base with a series of copper rings. The rings catch the reeds and push them farther into the roof.

Cahill started as an apprentice in the 1980s in Galway, on Ireland's west coast. Master thatchers taught him to select grasses and build tools. The apprenticeship even included some blacksmithing to create metal ties for roofing.

"I'd like something where I can work with my hands, and work outside and do a wee bit of traveling," he said of deciding on a career in thatching, an art which has been practiced for centuries.

He came to the United States in 1986, and has worked from New York to California. A decade ago, he installed thatch roofs for the Denver Zoo. Cahill said he's only been back once for touch-up work.

For a few years, thatching was a family affair.

"The three brothers working together, it was quite entertaining at times," he said with a hearty chuckle. "We had our family moments, but we had great fun."

Now Cahill's on his own, though he hopes to pass on the art to his daughter and son.

On the scaffolding of a one-story Hogle Zoo structure, he once again turned skyward.

"This one we're not going to escape, are we?" he asked just before clambering back to the ground.

Seeking shelter under a nearby overhang, he glanced across Sunnyside Avenue toward the bare hills of This is the Place State Park as hail pounded the ground. The scene reminded him of his days in Ireland.

"It looks pretty green, the rain's coming straight down and it's blowing around at the same time . . . it looks very familiar," he said.

glavine@sltrib.com

Visit Hogle Zoo

* Address: 2600 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City

* Hours: Zoo gates are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Zoo stays open until 6:30 p.m.

* Admission: Adults, $8; children 3-12 and seniors 65 and over, $6; children younger than 2, free. Annual memberships start at $40; family memberships begin at $65.

* Phone: 801-582-1631

* Opening Saturday: The Elephant Encounter, home to the zoo's two African elephants, Hy Dari and Christy, as well as the rhinos, George and Princess. An observation area will allow visitors to see and hear animal trainers work with the elephants.

-- Source: The Hogle Zoo

Hot this summer:

* Baby animals: Acara, the orangutan born on Mother's Day, is on display daily in the Great Ape Building from 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. A baby hyrax (a small rodentlike mammal) was born on March 27 and is on display at the Small Animal Building.

* Birds of a feather: The Meadow Gold World of Flight Bird Show runs daily.

* Rise and shine: Safari Sunrise Walks are at 7:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of June, July and August.

* Summer school? The zoo schedules day classes with titles such as "Baby Animals" and "Don't Bug Me." More information on class times and fees are available on the Web at http://www.hoglezoo.org.

The zoo also schedules various day classes, with titles such as "Baby Animals" and "Don't Bug Me." More information on class times and fees are available on the Web at http://www.hoglezoo.org

Source: Hogle Zoo