Dolphin Allie gave birth today to a healthy calf. The dolphin shows and underwater viewing will be temporarily closed. Baby dolphin born at Brookfield Zoo - News and Weather For The Quad Cities -
The female calf was actually born on Friday, August 2. Here is video the zoo posted of her, including her birth:
Brookfield Zoo recently acquired a new male bat-eared fox. According to a Brookfield Zoo email I received earlier: "He recently arrived from Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic, and is awaiting two females from Hungary’s Szeged Zoo, who will join him soon on exhibit!"
Creatures of the Night the zoos night time halloween event might be cancelled. Boo at the zoo appears to be fine. Brookfield Zoo Quietly Axing Halloween Creatures of the Night in 2013
Went to the zoo yesterday. 3 Bat eared foxes are in the former fennec fox exhibit. The african wild dog exhibit is done and they are on display. Looks dumb. Basically it is landscaped with bricks removing the slope sort of forming an erosion wall.
Baboon Island permanently closed down last week. More information here: Chicago Zoological Society - Iconic Exhibit Closes at Brookfield Zoo
From the zoo's facebook "We’re pleased to announce the birth of a male red-flanked duiker calf at Brookfield Zoo. The calf, yet to be named, was born to parents Hank and Iggy on Sept. 8, 2013, and weighed slightly over two pounds at birth."
Zoo must make repairs after visitor gets ill: Brookfield Zoo Makes Repairs After Visitor Contracts Tetanus CBS Chicago
Was at the zoo yesterday and saw that the east/west path at the northwest end of the zoo allowed access to a paved path leading to the Salt Creek trail. Previously this area was gated and restricted to zoo staff.
A male dolphin calf was born to Tapeko on Wednesday, October 16th. Chicago Zoological Society - Dolphin Birth at Brookfield Zoo
Spree hasnt been caring for the calf properly so vets have intervined and they are trying to help the calf. Hopefully the little guy makes it. Maybe he will get lucky and Spree will catch on or Allie who lost her calf in August could take over mom duty while trainers feed him. Dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo - Chicago Tribune
Small bits I've picked up in recent years as a BZ member, talking to keepers, etc. - Reptile House still has a few residents, including King Cobras, but the liability of exhibiting venomous snakes is part of why it was closed. It is primarily a staff building now. - There are Bonobos off-exhibit at Tropic World as they are incompatible with the exhibit's other animals. - The zoo has no idea what to do with Bear Grottos as they will cost several millions dollars just to tear down the old rock work, even without building over it. - Baboon Island will be replaced by a larger monkey exhibit, possibly with a different kind of baboon or with Japanese macaques. It was closed because the older baboons died and the breeding program was long over. - The zoo is looking for a new female polar bear, as Anana is unwilling to breed and won't be staying long-term. - The fifteen-year program currently has plans to to renovate Seven Seas, Tropic World, and the Packyderm House. Many African animals from other parts of the zoo will be moved to the areas surrounding Habitat Africa, including the African packyderms and African lions. Gorillas will have an outdoor paddock and some other primates will, all at Tropic World. Amur Leopards will move into the old lion enclosure after they move. Across from the big cats, more Siberian/Asian animal exhibits will be built. Basically the zoo seems to be moving into a division based on areas of the world, with the top left sector, where Habitat Africa is now, being Africa, the top right becoming Asia, the bottom left becoming North and South America, and.... there's not much to say on the bottom right in the plan.
Thanks for sharing those updates, JVM. Very interesting. However, about Anana the polar bear, I don't think I would consider her "unwilling to breed." While she was at the Buffalo Zoo in New York, she mated with her former mate, Nanuq, and gave birth to a cub last year (it was her first cub, Luna, and she did have the maternal instincts because she was a first-time mother). This year at the Brookfield Zoo, she mated with Hudson, but I did not hear whether or not she mated with their older male, Aussie.
