To start out the year, a gray seal pup was recently born. Photos: Gray Seal Pup Born at Brookfield Zoo
This years Summer exhibit will be... Amazing Arachnids! It will take place of the former Dinosaur & Dragon area that was here last summer, and will showcase over 100 spiders and scorpions.
Will these be real animals or more robots/statues? The dinosaurs and dragons area seems really disappointing, though I didn't see it personally. From the looks of it the dinosaur models were not accurate in design.
Real specimens in the discourse. I did find it rather confusing, I now assume it was dinosaur models .........
Do you mean last Summers temporary exhibit that featured animatronics and reptiles? I was talking about this upcoming one with arachnids.
When I was there last year the emus were really lovely. They came right up, nibbled our sleeves, let us pet them. But they looked about two thirds grown, so it wouldn't surprise me that they'd be a little too intense as adults. If they could have chicks in there every year it would be great.
The Zoo’s oldest resident, Ramar the gorilla, turned 50. Ramar, One Of Brookfield Zoo's Male Gorillas, Turns 50
A new male sloth, Lawrence, is now on exhibit. Not sure how old he is or where he came from. The male wolves are currently separated from the female wolves for breeding season. Waterbuck and warthogs will not be returning to Brookfield. The exhibit they once occupied will be replaced by addax. Koola the gorilla, mother of Nora, is pregnant.
Do you know what happened to the warthogs? Based on studbook data, they were pretty young, and I don't recall anyone mentioning them leaving. Do you also have any idea what will occupy the current addax exhibit?
I don't mind the waterbuck and warthog leaving, but I really wish a different species of African hoofstock could take their place. I like addax, but I would have loved to see eland, nyla's or another gazelle species.
Does anyone know what factors underlie the general trend for zoos, including Brookfield, as shown by this move, to display fewer hoofstock species?
All I know is that the Brookfield Zoo wants to keep/exhibit animals that are vulnerable and endangered. Warthogs and waterbuck aren't in much danger out in the wild, which explains the zoo's decision to get rid of the species.
My assumption is that many hoofstock just aren't interesting to the general public than say cats, primates and/or bears. Here's a brief list of every hoofstock at the zoo currently. Bactrian Camel Mongolian Wild Horses Grevy's Zebra Addax Okapi Yellow-backed Duiker Red-flanked Duiker Royal Antelope Reticulated Giraffe Klipspringer Gerenuk Kirk's Dik-Dik American Bison
