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DeYoung Family Zoo Hippo enclosure

Discussion in 'United States' started by JBZvolunteer, 9 Jan 2012.

  1. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    The deyoung family zoo this summer finished their new outdoor hippo pen. It is 1 acre in size how does this compare to the size of other new hippo exhibits?
     
  2. zooman

    zooman Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Hello, some pictures would be great :]
     
  3. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    I don't have any photos of the new exhibit because they just completed it in the September so I haven't been able to see the new exhibit. The only pics I have is when Wallace the baby hippo is 1 1/2 years old and was in the temporary exhibit.
     
  4. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    One acre might make it the biggest one in the United States?

    BTW, where is this zoo?
     
  5. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    In Michigans Upper Peninsula. It also has a large indoor house they are building.
     
  6. WildSide

    WildSide New Member

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    Could be close to One of the largest, i agree.. 'specialy for one Hippo.. Hippo Haven in Greater Vancouver is like 1.2 acres for 4 'Po's, and is said to be one of the largest in Canada (and that includes the House)
     
  7. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    There hippo is just turning three this year so they are still trying to find him a mate. He came from the safari park in Jakarta
     
  8. Blackduiker

    Blackduiker Well-Known Member

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    The couple that runs this zoo were featured, briefly, on a TV program about the DeYoung Family Zoo. The arrival of the little hippo was one of the biggest events broadcast. I believe it was on either Animal Planet or The History Channel. You can probably Google them for more info.
     
  9. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    I am friends with the owners. It was shown on Nat Geo Wild. Normally right now because up there we would have a foot and a half plus of snow but, it has been nice that they have also gotten the floor layed for the next big project, a primate house.
     
  10. Screvier20

    Screvier20 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    What happen to the show. I use to like to watch it.
     
  11. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    People like Carole Baskins and IDA started protesting even though we wrote just as many letters to Nat Geo Wild. They still have a new point of revenue for the zoo though. In December the got approved for a non-profit organization status. This means local business will be willing to sponsor exhibits.
     
  12. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    The Zoo has announced that they are acquiring a female hippo to breed with Wallace when he is older. They are asking for names for her, any ideas?
     
  13. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Has anybody actually been to this zoo and have an opinion of its quality? From looking at their website it looks like it might be of questionable quality. It has monkeys on leashes and visitors snuggling their faces to kinkajous. How did a place like this manage to get ahold of hippos and get permission to display them?
     
  14. PAT

    PAT Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I saw on TV that their single hippo came from Indonesia.
     
  15. TropicWorld54

    TropicWorld54 Well-Known Member

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    I used to watch this show. The exhibits are large and wooded but the go in the exhibit with all the animals including grizzlys, hyenas, tigers and wolves. They also tried breeding white tigers but the baby died a few hours later.
     
  16. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    What is wrong with visitors touching kinkajous? I cannot imagine those are dangerous animals.
     
  17. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Last edited: 17 May 2012
  18. TropicWorld54

    TropicWorld54 Well-Known Member

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    I guess you can pet a kinkajous but when i go to a zoo i do not wabt to see a person eaten by a large carnivore. And in the picture of the person and the biturong that is one of the owners and many zoos go in exhibits and touch binturongs (Brookfield Zoo)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6 Jul 2017
  19. JBZvolunteer

    JBZvolunteer Well-Known Member

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    Lets clear up a few things:
    This was only when the kinkajous were younger were the public allowed to hold them.
    The public interacts only with the baby animals.
    They weren't purposefully trying to breed the white tigers they just kept them together to keep them from getting stressed.
    They have added lock off cages to almost every exhibit.
     
  20. TropicWorld54

    TropicWorld54 Well-Known Member

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    When i saw the show the man was very happy and telling many people about the white tigers. Plus they had like 10 tigers in the exhibit.