Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden What's Gnu at the Cincinnati Zoo - 2015

The Cincinnati Zoo had a slow and sometimes painful 2014, we had lost Nikki the famous Indian Rhinoceros, the zoo had also lost a white lion, due to construction the okapis and bongos were taken off display the entire summer (but based on where I worked I got to interact with the okapis), and despite opening Phase 4 of Africa on schedule, the zoo was late on displaying significant species for the exhibit until October came around. However, 2015 is already bringing great promises, it has been announced that Lesser Kudu will arrive at Africa, and African Painted Dog pups were just born.

On the bright side, in 2014 the 2016 hippopotamus plans were released, the zoo completely revamped the Passenger Pigeon Memorial, and there were about 25 Zoo Babies presented, including a baby gorilla, eastern bongo, and African lions.

Since I am fuzzy on last year's time line, I thought I would just show a list I composed of species that the zoo had gained/added and species the zoo had stopped displaying.

New Species of 2014
1. Ruppell's Vulture
2. Ostrich
3. African Painted Dog
4. Eastern Box Turtle
5. Eastern Newt
6. Russian Sand Boa
7. Rhinoceros Viper (previously displayed)
8. Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
9. Pueblan Milk Snake
10. Western Pond Turtle
11. Green Basilisk
12. Cane Toad (previously displayed)
13. Red-flanked Lorikeet
14. Blue Grey Tanager
15. Long-tailed Salamander
16. Zophobas Darkling Beetle
17. Carolina Mantis
18. Flat Rock Scorpion
19. Antilles Tree Spider
20. Blatchey's Walking Stick
21. Green June Bug
22. Common Diving Beetle
23. Texas Bullet Ant
24. Congo Peafowl (previously displayed)
25. Fire-bellied Newt
26. Hawk-headed Parrot
27. Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (previously displayed)
28. Masked Lapwing
29. Blacksmith Plover
30. Helmeted Currasow
31. Southern Orange Bishop
32. Mexican Dwarf Crayfish

Species Taken off Display in 2014
1. Imperial Shag
2. Southern Three-banded Armadillo
3. Red-flanked Lorikeet
4. Vietnamese Centipede
5. Giant African Millipede
6. Mexican Redknee Tarantula
7. White-winged Scoter (also a new species)
8. Whirligig Diving Beetle
9. Indian Ornamental Tarantula
10. Bullet Ant
11. Lesser Adjutant Stork
12. Opal-rumped Tanagaer
13. Black-casqued Hornbill
14. African Fat-tailed Gecko
15. Wood Duck
16. Double-crested Cormorant
17. Parrot Snake
18. Indian Ornamental Tarantula (also a new species)
19. Australian Prickly Walking Stick
20. Emperor Tamarin
21. Northern Carmine Bee-eater
22. Red-eared Slider
23. Banded Dwarf Cichlid
24 Tiger Oscarfish
25. Red Devil Cichlid
26. Green Severum
27. Golden-breasted Starling
28. White-naped Raven
29. Black-capped Lory
30. Honey Ant
31. Goliath Bird-eater
32. Green Leaf Katydid
33. Golden-headed Manakin
34. Suci the Sumatran Rhinoceros (largest loss of the year)

 

African painted dogs were previously displayed

 

New video on baby Kamina's move to Columbus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x14rlqX0Knw

 

Lion cubs update ( FB ) :
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152953003330479&fref=nf

 

New blog update on Imara's delivery and her puppy's births.

Dog Log: Puppies, Puppies and More Puppies! | Cincinnati Zoo Blog

 

Cheetah breeding facility 'crown jewel' for zoo

 

The Staff have done their first exam on the lion cubs. Imani and John are now officially proud parents to three female cubs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O1wybybeBA

First video update of the Africa Painted Dog Pups. They're thinking the litter is around 9-10 pups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0ok1dZZ80

 

A very interesting article about the zoo's offsite cheetah breeding center and its impending relocation to a larger farm a little further north:

Cheetah breeding facility 'crown jewel' for zoo

 

More on the Lion-cubs :
It's a Girl, a Girl, and Another Girl for Cincinnati's Lion Family - ZooBorns

 

Lana, the Orangutan turns 30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWqGOjp794

 

Bongo calves born at Cincinnati Zoo | Local News - Home

 

The three female lion cubs were named Haruma, Kya, and Willla.

 

'Grand ol' lady of the Cincinnati Zoo' turns 45 this Saturday - Story

 

Bonobo "Zanga" is pregnant.

 

John has finally met his daughters. It is a very adorable video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c62CWsjIsUo

 

An official count of Brahma and Imara's puppies has been released. There are 10 pups all together, with 6 males and 4 females. They are also already feeding on meat.

Dog Log – Kids! Dinner! | Cincinnati Zoo Blog

 

https://www.facebook.com/cincinnati...61800120478/10153052255665479/?type=1&theater

Great News! Baby Kamina has found a surrogate mother in Columbus Zoo Gorilla, Toni!

 

For my spring break I wanted to stop by the zoo to see the changes that were made again:

Reptile House
1. Everglades Rat Snakes replaced the Jameson's Mamba, the Mamba was not moved anywhere else
2. The Poison Dart Frogs replaced the Red Thai Mountain Rat Snake
3. The 5 exhibits on the right side of the building were torn down and will be turned into one big exhibit for a Puff Adder and a Rhinoceros Viper

Monkey Island
1. The Japan macaques were off exhibit for some reason

World of the Insect
1. Chinese Mantis (new) replaced the Florida Mantis
2. Mexican Orange Crayfish was taken off display
3. The Brazilian Salmon Bird eater once again replaced the Cave Cockroaches

Manatee Springs
1. The Two Toed Amphiuma exhibit was completely taken off

Jungle Trails
1. The Red crowned cranes from Swan Lake have temporarily replaced the Saddle billed Storks in in Jungle Trails.
1. The Dumeril's Ground boa was taken off display
2. Crested Couas (new) were added to the African Building Aviary

Wolf Woods
1. The Train station boarding was completely being revamped, blocking off the entire Wolf Woods and Sea Lion exhibits

Swan Lake
1. There was no signage at the Wetland Trail, indicating the Sandhill Crane may have been taken off exhibit.

 

There is now a 7 week old Serval kitten named Zeke in the Zoo nursery. He will eventually be part of the Zoo's Cat Ambassador Program. Both the zoo's Facebook post and the youtube video don't clarify if Zeke was born to the zoos servals or if he was required from elsewhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YpTN_oc8M0

 

.......The exact day I say "There's no point on going in the Children's Zoo this time of the year".