pool and waterfall GONE

Wells that's a dissapointing choice, given the fact that east-african crowned crane mix well with many hoofstock species. Anyways, has the zoo made any progress towards the projects laid out in the bond?

In fact the crowned cranes were mixed with the zebras for years and years. I don't know why they were moved here or why the pool was filled in, but yes it is a disappointing choice.

Supposedly the first batch of money from the new sales tax (not a bond issue) will be available to the zoo this month. The ZooChatter that I toured the zoo with today and I ran into a zoo staff person who said two of the first projects will likely be a tamarin/marmoset exhibit in the former cafe in South America (now called Tropics Trail) and ......... well now I forgot what the second project is (darn I am getting old).

@Arizona Docent Will the zoo being throwing out zoo-geographic sections or keeping them? Because previously it always seemed like they had a pretty great south american and African collection. Especially compared to their size.

Wait I remembered what the second immediate project is. It will be to move the Chilean flamingos from the back of the zoo to the front.

Yes they are throwing out the geographic theming. When I visited last time (I forgot to pick up a map today) I noticed the geographic references "Asia, Africa, South America" had been removed from the map. Only the elephant exhibit still had the geographic reference "Expedition Tanzania." The South America loop has been renamed Tropic Trail (a move made when a pair of red pandas were temporarily exhibited there).

Tropics trail starring the non-tropical red panda. Well thats an interesting choice, going against the trend of most zoos. I wonder if they will have any themes for the areas of the zoo. But given that decision the zoo really could of picked any species for this section and they chose lemurs, american alligators and crowned crane.

@nczoofan RPZ isn't the first US zoo to have Red Pandas in an exhibit called "Tropics Trail" and probably won't be the last.

@birdsandbats That zoo can easily hold red panda's outdoors year round. Which is why it confuses me that they are held inside an indoor rainforest.

They were not inside. The Tropics Trail (former South America) is entirely outdoors.

Tapir would look good here