The Zoo has welcomed a new polar bear, Agee (ag-y). She comes from private ownership from BC. She is currently not visible, as she is still settling from her friday arrival. They intend on exhibiting her once she is ready, but she has had no contact with other polar bears in her 26 years, so I am assuming she will be kept in the Letherdale Polar Bear center by herself, Like Star. Oh, apparently she is an actor.
Glad Agee is in good hands. If you were a polar bear kept by a private owner you couldnt do much better for a retirement plan than Assiniboine. They have big, beautiful and enriching facilities. She won the polar bear lottery.
Here is an article about Agee's arrival. You are right @BovidBabe, they will likely keep her at the Letherdale Polar Bear Center. She was also surrendered when her owners could no longer care for her. Glad they reached out the Assiniboine and gave her the best they could while giving her away. Assiniboine Park Zoo welcoming new polar bear from B.C.
Another new resident to the zoo! Drifter, a four year old Belgain Draft Horse, will be apart of the wagon pulling team and will with us for the next six months.
Terribly tragic news. Aurora, one of the polar bears, has passed away during a routine dental procedure. I hope the other bears in the group are able to mourn her. Her and Kaska were very close.
What a shame about Aurora. Unfortunately that is part of the risk of putting any animal under. Sometimes they just dont wake up despite vets doing all they can to save them. Really feel for the vets and keepers. Not how they thought their day would go.
The Zoo announced yesterday that this year's powesheik skipperling release is going to be the biggest yet, and will be posting updates as the butterflies develop. Very exciting!
Work on the cougar exhibit has been complete and cougar, Teeka, has been returned to her expanded home.
I finally got to visit the zoo after a few months of not going due to life! Teeka's exhibit looks great! I got to see Brennigan the ocelot actually up and moving, which I have NEVER seen. He's usually always sleeping in a box. There is also a newly done exhibit in toucan ridge that is currently empty. the cotton top tamarins also have a new backdrop, which is so much nicer than the plain green background in most of the toucan ridge enclosures. I also noted the Prevost's squirrel in the discovery center is gone, with the regular no one is home signage, rather than an animal is under vet care sign. Wonder if it has moved, passed, or is just off exhibit. Also, great news for me, and probably me alone, the gift shop has new magnet designs, and they FINALLY got pins. Now I can rep the zoo on my camera bag! New photos will be uploaded to the gallery later this afternoon.
Other 2022 News: On May 18th, the zoo announced they have released (0.0.4+?) burrowing owls back into the wild. Log in or sign up to view On August 11th, the zoo announced they have released (0.0.200) Poweshiek skipperling butterflies back into the wild. Also on August 11th, it was announced that a (0.1) sunbittern was transferred to the Los Angeles Zoo in California. Log in or sign up to view https://s36593.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/08.2022-animal-transactions.pdf
Animals of Asia will be closed until September 30th for pathway improvements. Looks like I can't see the takins until October
The Leaf has announced it will be opening this holiday season! No specific date quite yet, but it sounds like the perfect post zoo stop in on a cold winter's day. There are four biomes, tropical, mediterranean, the Babs Asper Display House, and the Shirley Richardson Butterfly Gardens. Will post a little review once it's open and I am able to go
On September 27th, the zoo announced that Animals of Asia has reopened to the public. Log into Facebook
Aha, you beat me to posting this! I am hoping to check out the improvements next friday, and if not, when I go for the Boo at the Zoo event.
Monthly newsletter is in! Looks like I will be able to add a new bovid species to my list soon! (The thread ). Calgary has sent us Amanda, Peyto, and Pika the Rocky Mountain goats. They will be viewable in the open range section of the zoo at the end of October. I am curious to see which exhibit they will put them in, and if they are going to maybe rotate with the Markhor for the exhibit with the rock work. I suppose I will see in Novemeber! As always, I will grab some pictures when the time comes.
On October 1st, the zoo announced they have moved (0.0.2) llamas named Earl Grey and Pekoe from Aunt Sally's Farm to the Open-Range area. Log into Facebook
Busy month for the zoo it seems! On their facebook, they have just welcomed Sangria the prehensile-tailed porcupine from Safari Niagara. Looks like his home may be in where the Prevost's squirrel was kept in the discovery centre. Will confirm on my next visit, which, weather pending, will be friday.
Fall and spring are typically busy seasons for zoos. They try to arrange most transfers for those seasons because its the best weather for transporting animals be it elsewhere in a zoo or to or from another zoo. They dont have to worry about it being too hot or too cold for the animal nearly as much. A big snow storm or ice storm are less likely to foul up transport plans. You get my point. We all think of spring as the exciting season for zoos as the babies begin to arrive but fall can be just as exciting with new arrivals and departures that can allow for more babies the following spring.
I am home from a quick afternoon visit. The final preparations for Boo at the Zoo were underway, and it looks like it is going to be super fun this year! I can't wait to go next weekend. In the grasslands, there are no longer bald eagles in one of the aviaries attached to the burrowing owl house. They have been replaced by snow geese and sandhill cranes. Looks like I wasn't quite right about the Prevost's squirrel- it was back in it's normal habitat. The exhibit the Indian star tortoises are kept in across from the squirrel now has a climbing frame. I think it's a better wager Sangria will be in there, but it just seemed to be the tortoises today. Still haven't been able to see the woylie thats in with the tawny frogmouths. The Animals of Asia section's paths have been repaved with black tarmac. Nothing too exciting there. In Toucan Ridge, looks like there is a new animal on the way- by the way the habitat is set up, I'd guess a mid sized reptile. Also while I was in Toucan Ridge, I found the most peculiar enrichment! In with the dwarf caimans and yellow-spotted amazon river turtle was a cd player hung from a branch! It sounded like it was maybe playing caiman sounds, but it was a little funny looking in to the exhibit and seeing a captive cd player, as those are rare nowadays . Also got to see Brannigan the ocelot up and about again. I seemed to have caught him on a good day. He wasn't as stiff as the last time I saw him.
