Stumpy from LCS went to Dallas in 2010 and died on April 13, 2012 at the age of 47. She was born in Kenya in 1965, and captured in 1967, taken to IAE Ferndale, and in 1968 arrived in LCS. Mama was born in South Africa in 70, captured in 72 and taken to LCS in Grand Prairie, TX, moving in Oct 72 to LCS Florida and in 2010 to Dallas with Stumpy for Giants of the Savanna and is now 44. Mama is Bulwagi's mother. I mixed up Stumpy and Mama with Bulwagi living at Dallas- Stumpy did and Mama still does live at Dallas- Bulwagi never did.
The Zoo got $1 million to go towards it capital campaign. Birmingham Zoo receives $1M toward capital campaign - Birmingham Business Journal
Asian Passage is an interesting name certainly better than its original name the generic Asian Forest. Birmingham currently keeps one male Malayan Tiger. This new exhibit is said to keep 3-5 tigers. Does anyone know the situation about AZA Malayan's or will they have to use Sumatrans to get to that number? If the math is correct the new projects are budgeted at 15 million. The Zoo has 10 million already toward the goal. The City of Birmingham has floated 7.5 million in bonds and these new donations add up to 2 million. That extra 4 million hopefully is reinvested in Trails in order to get things that were cut from it to save money.
The Zoo is seeking donations for a permanent exhibit for their black bears. https://tickets.birminghamzoo.com/Sales/Admission/FundRaising.aspx?Code=Donation6
More funding for Asian Passage. (Article includes concept phase map of exhibits) Birmingham Zoo secures more funding toward Capital Campaign goal, selects architect for redesign | AL.com Selection of architect tells us what it will look like (think Virginia Zoo's Asia complex)
After Trails Species list was cut in half from concept to execution, the fact there aren't any hoofstock (Malayan Tapir? Muntjac? Some type of Deer?) even in the original plan is troubling. The keepers themselves feel the same way. Dr. Foster included Tapir in the Asian Forest he oversaw at Louisville. This is a disturbing trend. The hoofstock were all that was cut from Trails - the Kudu, Bongo, Gazelles, and Impala. Now they don't even include one in this design even something easy like Muntjac? The plans are very much like Virginia Zoo - Malayan Tiger, Bears, Siamang, Orangutan, Asian Otters, Cranes, Gibbons, Red Panda, Yet they took in two black bears (the equivalent of local nuisance animals) that weren't in the master plan at all? That required separate fundraising for a pointless exhibit. Despite completely eliminating the Hoofstock barn in the plan for Trails? About the Tigers are there Malayan's that will be present in the AZA in 2/3 years or will they have to switch to Sumatran/keep both?
A kookaburra has gone missing from the zoo. 'Celebrity bird' missing from Birmingham Zoo. Help needed to find Gumby. | AL.com
The Zoo was awarded a grant, which will go towards a new Komodo dragon habitat as part of Asian Passage. Birmingham Zoo receives grant for Komodo dragon exhibit, names new campaign chair - Birmingham Business Journal
Tigers, Orangutans, Komodo Dragon, Sun Bear, Siamangs, Fishing Cat, Lar Gibbon, Asian Otter, Pallas Cat, Prevost Squirrel, Red Panda plus birds is a pretty impressive animal list. I just wish there was an ungulate.
Ungulates aren't satisfying to normal visitors. They're more for the ZooNerds. Visitors walk up and see them grazing or urinating. Basically, all they do. Using money and space for actual star animals is a better investment. While it may be educational, it won't hold normal visitors over like the others listed. Diversifying the mix with birds, smaller animals pays off in the end. If you took a survey of ungulate exhibit vs. a playground, which would win? The playground. Keeps visitors longer, tires kids with physical activity, works up thirst and appetite. Adding more money spent at the Zoo vs. outside. Chances are it will add to souvenirs by a stop in the gift store. Keeping money in the Zoo, at the Zoo and for the Zoo. The intent is too keep visitors there for as long as possible. A ungulate exhibit is like the fast-forward button on the remote to most visitors. May not make nerds like us happy, and yearn for more, but we still go and visit. Zoo has to win as a business, in the end.
I disagree with you. There was a time, not long ago, when ungulate diversity was celebrated by the common folk. Look at hunters and their trophies. The ungulates will many times be the only active animals while your predators are napping. Leaving them out also gives a false impression of biodiversity. Kids visiting a zoo today will see exhibits filled with predators and think that's all that exists in the wild. The best zoo exhibits are those with a balance. You have to appeal to Joe-Schmoe and you have to appeal to the zoo nerd as well. Appealing to only one end or the other will result in a lackluster exhibit.
That is a good point. It is a disturbing trend though when you take someone like Dr. Foster. Before he ran Birmingham, he ran Louisville which built a very similar Asian Forest under his watch. Had Malayan Tapir, they aren't even in the plan here. Perhaps its budgetary, but why then take in two black bear cubs? That is a distracting side piece/unnecessary fundraiser. Black Bears aren't in the master plan at all. I get bears are popular, but once you added them then why not cut the Sun Bears? They already eliminated the Hoofstock (plans called for Wildebeest, Kudu, Gerenuk and Gazelles) completely from Trails (other than the already in place Zebra Giraffe and Rhino) along with apparently ever putting the ungulates on stage with the Bull Elephants. From talks with people in the industry, the AZA has just about given up on exhibiting Hoofstock in the average institution.
Hunting is a mixed bag. You have those who do it to live off the land and use every single piece off that animal. Then, those that stroke their egoes that can afford to travel to exotic locales and bag their prize to hang in their man-cave or great room. Then there are these ranches that have animals that were once Zoo-stock for whatever reason and “Big Bob" rolls out on his rascal scooter and takes aim with a high-powered weapon that will literally knock him off his scooter and rip his oxygen mask off. Aside from the hunting and what not, Zoos do still retain the ABC's of Hoofstock. Giraffe, Zebra and others. Animals people know and love from animated films and books (remember those?). I know this is a dead horse that is dragged through the mud, but what has become of SDZ's H&H Mesa? They plowed and grated those areas and built a themed land that maybe some visitors understand or not. Only ones that remember the “olden days" are nerds like us. EO has a little something for everyone now. Engages the visitors, stuff for kids to do and learn. The educational value doesn't really exist much anymore. How many times can we say that people have their faces buried in some device or using a tablet to take a pic that blocks views for others? I've seen it a lot. The phrases that usually follow are social media related. Book this, gram that, tweet this. SELFIE! Now they have these giant poles to take “hands free" photos. People share them on social media hoping for an ego boost of a like, share or comment. Zoos and Aquariums are deeply involved in social media where they want you to share and hashtag. Then some drone of a person at the Zoo likes or shares your photos, and you feel quantified for all the wrong reasons. Another thing, parents so absorbed into their tech, the Zoo acts as a babysitter while parents take a break. Emailing, social media, sharing photos of their super adorbs kiddies to show their friends and family how good of parents they are. While their children run amok and create havoc in a controlled setting and disrupt the visit for visitors. Little Johnny, got out of line and staff had to speak to him. Mom or Dad feel threatened on one elevel or another and Johnny can do no wrong. How dare you tell Johnny what to do?! When it clearly states the rules at the gates, on the maps, even on exhibits. The parent was too absorbed in tech and social media they're embarrassed and lash back and make verbal threats of bad reviews on yelp or social media. So they can be reaasured they did not fail as a parent. It's sad. It happens a lot. Not just at Zoos or aquariums, but even playgrounds and other places. Parents forget how they were raised and go by some blog, book or whatever how to raise their children. More often than not, they encourage them to take Mom and Dad time while hanging with their kids. It's a messed up time in this world and there's always someone out there that will agree that Mommy and Johnny did no wrong. But Mommy got three shares, 27 likes and 14 comments on her check-in, pics and other social media. So, it was worth it in the end. Sad reality. It's not just played to one side of predators vs. prey. The ABC's of prey are there. Feed the giraffes. Almost every Zoo does this or is doing it. Is it educational? Ehhh, maybe. Does it bring in money? Yes. Does it get shared on social media? Please, believe it. It is free advertisement that the visitors share and garner interest of others wanting to do the same thing and get their social media game up. Predators do nap, but there are regions and weather that can encourage otherwise or force the remark come early or stay later when Tony the Tiger is first out or is pacing at the end of the day to go into holding and eat his 10 pounds of horse meat. The trends are there, larger exhibits, seals, sea lions, penguins, great apes, cats, elephants, etc. While the smaller animals like meerkats, prarie dogs and others fill the gaps. This leaves Zoos with options for more dining, gift, rest room/family/nursing rooms and satellitie playscapes to build into each area. There may be some left over area for the true animal lover curator or manager that convinced the higher ups to keep that odd ungulate or animal. Zoos follow trends. How many Savanna's have opened in recent years with all the ABC's of the Lion King or Madagascar! Movies? Reminds me of the Veldt days before my time and during my younger years. Zoos need the stars to force gates or have a beyond healthy relationship with the community that throws money at them and they can not build fast enough or be creative. The days of houses for animals seem to be over except for Reptiles, as Zoos pour multimillion dollars into these buildings with 40 plus exhibits with smaller vivariums and the larger marquee animals. Ungulates and Birds are getting short horned or perched. People want what they know. What they don't know, someone blogged or they can be super lazy and believe the drool of Wikipedia. Africa Rocks! With all that it entails and if built as is so far, is a fairly complete area of the lesser known animals mixed with the commercially driven ones. Most Zoos could build just that and that would satisfy both public and nerd. It's just another part of SDZ, adding to a fairly comlplete Zoo in the eyes of nerd and public on decent land that has since been lost due to ADA complaincs and exhibit enlargement. We can want the weird ungulates and the obscure but in the end, the penguins, seals and sea lions, savannas, great apes, cats and others will prevail. Sorry, Tsc, I know you have/had your heart set on what was once promised in ungulates and mixed exhibits. Trails has done wonders for the Zoo and the Bulls getting along in the same yard, is quite extraordinary. Same for Tadpole and the Rhinos. It may not evoke the feel of Dallas Giants mix, but does well all by itself. Giants is an overload of the senses and hard to truly enjoy. Whereas Trails does well and works great. Asian Passage can be promising. It has worked for Zoos like Virginia. This will also free up space in the older buildings for renovation and removal to bring in new animals and exhibits. And the Orangs finally go outside! Hard to beat and gets off the Zoochat list of indoor only exhibits. If done right, the climate can help for a more natural look versus the playground. The director has done well and continues to do well. Can push attendance higher and actually make it a destination visit.
But all the examples you describe do include "token" hoofstock that aren't abc animals. It doesn't have to be Horn Hoof Mesa to actually see one large antelope species. Especially since they managed to add Black Bears for no apparent reason. If they couldn't budget one large antelope species then why add an animal that is so Least Concern they may as well be furry feral hogs? They already have Sun Bears in the Asian Passage master plan, so why add another bear species out of the blue? It isn't like the choice is necessarily between forty species on exhibit and zero.
A de Brazza's monkey was born on July 27th. The black bear exhibit will also open this Saturday. Meet the Birmingham Zoo's new baby monkey | AL.com
The zoo's new American Black Bear exhibit supposedly covers an acre of ground and is split into two habitats (natural-looking and backyard human environment) and it is interesting that while Birmingham continues to expand with Trails of Africa/Black Bears the state's other major zoo, Montgomery, has remained stagnant and is no longer even AZA-accredited.
