Happy New Year all, I browsed through the 2021 US threads and didn't see any new thread for the zoo so figured I'd start it off since I made my first visit today: -The Maleo/Pink Pigeon enclosure is currently closed and gutted for renovations. -Ocellated Turkeys and a Keel-Billed Toucan have been added to the South American walk-through. -For some reason the Painted Storks have been removed from JW and split between WoB and ABH. -The zoo's sole Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is no longer on-exhibit and instead their Red BOP have gone back on-exhibit. The zoo now exhibits Lesser BOP is both their existing aviaries and in the old Kea enclosure on the second floor. -For some reason the zoo has added a Victoria Crowned-Pigeon to the Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill aviary, and it did not look as though the birds were getting along very well. -The fake Andean COTR were out again amongst the live males and females to stimulate breeding (hopefully). -The zoo's Dholes were all out, visible, and very active today. -I didn't see any tree-kangaroos on-exhibit today but I did notice several Vietnamese Pond Turtles, a Sulawesi Forest Turtle, and one to-be-identified turtle in the enclosure's pool. -Indian Roofed Turtles are now signed in the Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle/Weber's Sailfin Lizard aviary, though no turtles were seen. -The last two Javan Langurs are still alive and well. -The zoo sadly no longer keeps Iridescent Shark-Catfish -The Pheasantry is unfortunately looking very empty lately. Most of the resident species are down to the last one or two birds, and several aviaries no longer have Galliformes or ground birds of any kind left. I do hope the zoo makes an effort to maintain these aviaries and restock them with more species in the future. -Lots of changes to WoR: several Trimeresus insularis pitvipers have been added to the series of visible terrariums in the nursery section, a pair of Green Vine Snakes have replaced the Annulated Boas (which have also been moved to the nursery section), Brown Mantellas have been put on-exhibit in the Madagascar display, the zoo has lost one of its Sunda Gharials, no Chinese Alligators were on-exhibit in the croc pools but the American Alligator hatchlings have been replaced by Chinese Alligator hatchings (so presumably the zoo bred the species this year), a yet to-be-identified turtle species has taken residency in the old Chinese Alligator pool, the bushmaster terrarium is under renovation, the Rhinoceros Vipers and Variable Bush-Vipers have been given their own enclosure separate from the West African Gaboon Vipers and West African Bush-Vipers, Mangshan Pitvipers are now on-exhibit, False Water Cobras are now on-exhibit, the rectangular Amazon turtle tank has been converted into an Asian turtle tank with more Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtles, Indian Roofed Turtle, and Cochin Black Turtles (M. trijuga coronata), and finally the Amazon turtles have been moved to the final large enclosure which now contains Arrau River Turtle, Red-Headed Amazon River Turtle, Big-Headed Amazon River Turtle, Guianan Caiman Lizard, and Red Tegu (another new addition to the zoo). -Once again the zoo had Brown Bears on-exhibit that I don't recognize. I don't know any of the bears by name but after all these years I think I've gotten pretty good at telling the usual Sitkas+one Grizzly apart and these last few visits I've been seeing different bears on-exhibit that I don't recognize. It's nice that the zoo's other Grizzlies are getting their turn on-exhibit as well but I do miss seeing the Sitkas. -I couldn't find any of the Geladas today, and the zoo seems to be down to only three or four ibex left. -The hairy armadillo enclosure was under renovation in the Mouse House; the old spotted skunk enclosure remains empty. -The zoo has placed one of their newer rescued Golden Eagles on-exhibit in the Birds of Prey aviaries. ~Thylo
Great to see you back Thylo ! Good to hear that you saw plenty of the Bronx's turtles and I have to say thank you for all of your brilliant shots of these that you have uploaded to the gallery !
Azul, one of the female Malayan Tigers born at the zoo in 2016 and one of the big cats to have contracted COVID-19 in mid-2020 has been transferred to Woodland Park Zoo to join their male for future breeding. Woodland Park Zoo welcomes their first female Malayan tiger (PHOTOS) | News ~Thylo
Same. I grew up going regularly. I haven’t visited since like 2019. I believe during thanksgiving week. So I can’t wait to return.
My photos of the unidentified turtle that's taken residency in the old Chinese Alligator pool are pretty terrible and not worth posting. It's pretty hard to say what the animal is exactly but it appears to be a larger aquatic Geoemydidae turtle. Based on the stripe pattern on the top of the neck (which is really the main identifying feature I have to go off of), my best guess is this is the zoo's Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle in non-breeding colors. This ID is tentative at best, but I'm fairly confident in it based on my knowledge of their collection. Hopefully he'll still be on-exhibit next time myself or someone else visits so this can be confirmed either way. ~Thylo
What happened to the ibex? I know one died but did a second one? Or was he sent elsewhere? I really wish the zoo would get a breeding herd for them... I'm glad they're doing great with the Geladas again, the numbers go up every year. ~Thylo
They are still at the zoo, off-view, but there is the plan to re-join the geladas. Concerning the potential breeding group, there is a chance, as the management of the Nubian ibex population in USA is going to be changed.
Sorry, I meant the fifth ibex which is now gone. They had six, one died I think, and now another has gone. Did the zoo stop mixing the Geladas and ibex? I couldn't get to the zoo much in 2020 but when I visited in September they still had them together. Also good news I hope for the ibex population. ~Thylo
I have found that the fifth ibex died. Regarding the mixed exhibit, they should do it again, but the issue is that the nubian ibexes are lowering in USA zoos...and the only real breeding facility is San Diego Safari Park. Even Dallas Zoo is going to stop with this wonderful caprinae...it is a pity.
Very unfortunate. Bronx would probably do well with them if they switched from a bachelor holder to a breeding facility. It might be difficult to breed the Geladas and Nubian Ibex in the same enclosure together, though. Unfortunately I believe Dallas has already phased-out the species, as they are with most of the hoofstock kept on the monorail. Meanwhile, Nubian Ibex seem plentiful in the hunting trade... ~Thylo
It would not be a good idea to keep both breeding groups (geladas can be really harassing...), but it would be surely good to continue keeping the mixed enclosure with a larger bachelor group of nubian ibexes. It's a pity the decision of Dallas Zoo to stop with this species: caprines are so underrated animals...
Agreed, I worry for the future of species like Transcaspian Urial, Kordofan Aoudad, and Nubian Ibex in American zoos... The Aoudad itself is subject to losing most of its holders in the upcoming years. ~Thylo
I am the EEP coordinator of urial (both Arkal and Bukhara) for the EAZA, so the risk of loss urial is one of my main thoughts, and I hope that AZA colleagues could find new holders and breed the Transcaspian urial...which is an endangered species (and people often even does not know what are urials...).
