Ben the male Bornean Orangutan is currently recovering from surgery: Chicago Zoological Society - Orangutan Undergoes Successful Appendectomy at Brookfield Zoo
I missed that we started a new thread for this year. Been so out of the loop in general lately. Let the Lions Roar is a fantastic book and I bought it many years ago when it was sold regularly at the zoo itself. I still feel my mind blown by the idea Brookfield was once the home of pandas, which always seemed affiliated so strongly with San Diego and the National Zoo in my mind. Incidentally, the implications of the book suggest Habitat Africa was intended in general to be a more complex, multi-phase project, and somehow this tapered off after the opening of Habitat Africa - The Forest, followed by Hamill Family Play Zoo, after which I think the next renovation was the modern Wolf Woods. This was all around my first visit in 2003. I also distinctly recall the early plans for Great Bear Wilderness in the magazine mentioning that additional species beyond the bison, eagles, and bears would be included with the final exhibit, although it didn't specify.
GBW was also going to include raptors, small mammals and big horned sheep. Sadly, it never became reality.
Yep. I love the final exhibit that resulted from the project, but I remember being really disappointed at the lack of additional species. A small mammal habitat could've gone a very long way imo
A walkthrough plus a breakdown plus a list of the new zoos I'll feature this summer. Next week will be Lincoln Park's Small Mammals-Reptile House. The next Brookfield video will cover the Fragile Kingdom.
The baby harbor seal, born at the beginning of the year, has been named Scooter as is now on exhibit.
Once again, two more binturongs have been born to the zoo's breeding pair Anton and Vivvy. This brings the number of binturongs at the zoo currently to 8. The twins were born March 7
Several updates fro my first visit to the zoo this year. Along with new signage, the Fragile Desert has been renamed. The exhibit is now called “Desert’s Edge”. Emus have returned to the walkthrough exhibit in Wild Encounters. Two of them were on exhibit, as they did not take well to the Australia House Yard. Only one did, so now there are 2 emus in Wild Encounters and 3 in the Australia House. The pangolin exhibit has been expanded. The exhibit is now double in size as the expansion takes up the old tomato frog and panther chameleon exhibit. Polar bears Hudson and Nan were putting on quite a show playing a game of chase and growing and vocalizing constantly. Hudson did make an attempt to mount Nan. I can’t 100% confirm this, but it looks like a giant black and white elephant shrew has been born. Geoffrey’s marmosets will soon be added to Tropic World. Take this as you will, but a Primate keeper has told me that the zoo is currently planning outdoor exhibits for gorillas, orangutans and gibbons in Tropic World. The abandoned baboon island will be removed to make way for the new development.
All wonderful updates, but this is definitely the most exciting. Fingers crossed they follow through with this project.
Certainly. This is supposedly the zoos next big project, which is really great as the zoo really has not had any plans for the future and the last new exhibit complex was 2015's Wild Encounters. That was of course just a children's zoo so the zoos last big project was technically Great Bear Wilderness in 2010. That means it's been almost 8 years since the zoo last big project. Hopefully with these new outdoor spaces there will also be other additions to Tropic World including remodels of the indoor spaces. This years been pretty quite for Brookfield, but I hope once the Spring season is in full spring things will pick up a bit.
A Humboldt penguin chick recently hatched. The penguin will be raised for the zoos penguin encounter program. Chicago-Area Zoo Shows Off Penguin Chick
Yet another reindeer calf was born on April 2. This is the zoos third calf in less than a year and the baby is now on exhibit in Wild Encounters.
Inspired by @Milwaukee Man and his great ideas for Milwaukee County Zoo, I have created by own little project. A mock master plan for the Brookfield zoo. The following is my vision for what I would love the see the Chicago zoo become. Habitat Africa Revamp: -Most of the existing habitats remain, but are modified. Make the hoofstock yards have less visible barriers by adding slopes and logs lined with hot wire. This would affect the giraffe, gerenuk, dik-dik and addax exhibits. The outdoor klipspringer exhibit is given glass viewing windows and large kopje boulders to resemble just that, a kopje. Then a new section is added to the savannah exhibit. -Elephant Trails will replace the existing hoofstock yards and will expand into undeveloped forest. There will be 4 exhibits that will add up to 4.5 acres of space for a large breeding herd. Bridges and trails will be added as a unique way to transfer the pachyderms. Other features include a new baobab enrichment tree, two large pools (One featuring underwater viewing, a first for a US zoo), and massive barn with an on show exhibit similar to what was planned for the pachyderm building a few years ago, but was later scrapped. -Additional Savannah exhibits will be built for hoofstock (Zebras, Kudu and Nyla), ratels (Replacing the old aardvark house), servals and lions (Built on currently undeveloped land). -Renovations to the forest include combining the okapi and yellow backed duiker yards to double to space for both species. The first two yards will become one, and the second okapi exhibit will be accommodated to allow duikers as well. The current second duiker exhibit will be refurbished for the return of congo buffalo. A new outdoor aviary will be built for smaller African birds and white storks. Tropic World Revamp: -Replacing the old baboon island and reptile house, a new outdoor area called, "African Forest trail" will feature a new outdoor gorilla exhibit. The habitat will have a large grand view from the west angle of the exhibit, with waterfalls, lush plantings and large climbing structures. There will also be glass viewing at the East side of the exhibit. A new café will also be added, replacing the ice cream shop that currently stands there. -On the other side of the building, "Asian Forest Trail" will stand with three new exhibits. Two large lush outdoor exhibits for orangutans, and another exhibit for gibbons. The habitats will have multiple view points and the primates can cross over the heads of visitors. -The interior will be completed redone in all three sections. They will all be filled with realistic fake trees and vines, as well as real plants, real logs, real substrate and will also include side exhibits besides the main habitats. An amazon tank, Panamanian golden frogs and caimans will have new habitats built in the area. The main exhibit will also include the existing stock, along with capuchins, howler monkeys and capybara. -The Asian room will include new side exhibits for tree shrews, Burmese python, Asian water monitors and an arowana tank. Because of the territorial nature of gibbons, nothing lese will be added to be main exhibit. -In Africa side exhibits for Nile monitors, hornbills and Togo slippery frogs. Mandrills will return in the main exhibit, and the gift shop that always seems to be closed will be refurbished and will include a viewing window into the outdoor gorilla exhibit. Siberian Escape: -Replacing the cat grottos, a new Asian highlands exhibit. Three predator habitats will be built and will include a rotating cast of Amur tigers, Amur leopards and snow leopards. All habitats will include multiple vantage points and can viewed through glass and mesh. A new Asian plains exhibit will be added across from the predator exhibits and will contain Bactrian camels, Mongolian wild horses and the new addition of Persian gazelles. A habitat like this was intended to be constructed in the zoos master plan but never came to fruition. Hamil Family Kids Adventure: -Essentially a modified version of the existing play zoo, but focused more on animal ambassadors. The lemur habitat will be refurbished with live plants and more naturalistic setting. A dedicated animal ambassador stage will allow daily presentations to occur with some unique animals. New exhibits include tamandua (Could also be placed in Tropic World), savannah cat and major Mitchell's cockatoo. -The back outdoor portion would be transformed into "Illinois Garden" and feature two new animal exhibits. A streamside exhibit with fish, newts, turtles, frogs and lizards of multiple species. There would also be a new red-tailed hawk aviary. -Additionally, both the play zoo and wild encounters will become free, and a pathway will be built in between the two so they can be accessed as one complex. Deserts Edge Revamp: -Not much would be done with this already existing complex, but there would be three new additions. One, adding multiple reptile exhibits in the building. Two, a new nocturnal exhibit for aardvarks with a burrow. Three, converting the current leopard exhibit into an outdoor exhibit for the caracals. Salt Creek Nature Trail: Not to much is currently be the existing forest preserve, there needs to be some excitement brought to this virtually empty area. Build new exhibits for more native species. Convert Dragonfly Marsh into a new black bear exhibit with a large pool and up close viewing. Other exhibits include sandhill cranes, white-tailed deer, raccoons and lynx. -Additionally, the existing swan lake will also have a new addition. A boat tour will be added around the swan lake as originally planned but eventually scrapped. The tour will be about 10 minutes and will be a scenic and relaxing tour through the wilderness. Humming Bird Haven: -Replacing the butterfly walkthrough, humming bird haven will feature multiple humming birds in a green house type setting. Visitors can purchase nectar cups to feed the birds in their lush habitat. Feathers and Scales Extension: -A new permanent exhibit will be built for komodo dragons, both indoor and out. The habitat would complement the already existing tropical bird aviaries it surrounds. There will also be a revamp of the condor flight cage. Large boulders and higher landscaping will be included for the birds, and visitors will have multiple glass viewing windows to see the large raptors better. Panda Wilds: -Replacing the old bear grottos, two state of the art lush habitats for giant pandas. There will be glass windows and overlooks of the pandas in their large lush habitats. A new restaurant will also be built replacing the castaway grill, and will be Chinese themed, maybe even serving Chinese food. The peafowl statue would also be replacing by a panda statue. Seven Seas: I have two different options for what this one could become. 1. Keeping the dolphins. -If the zoo chooses to stick to their dolphin program, the tank would be greatly modified. The current own show tank would expand into the current off show tanks. Then new off show tanks would be built in an extension to the building. There would also be new side exhibits that act as a large Caribbean reef tank , as well as a new horseshoe crab touch tank. 2. Losing the dolphins -Turn the whole center into a new manatee rehabilitation center. Convert the dolphin tank for a large group of the sea cows in what would be one of the most massive tanks for the species in any zoo. You could even add additional saltwater species similar to what Columbus is doing in their exhibit. Chicago Zoological Society Museum: Finally, converting the current reptile/bird house into a history museum showing all of what the zoo has done. The bronze statue of Cookie the cockatoo would be moved here (Btw, where is that thing anyway?). Other famous animals, Ziggy, Binti Jua, Olga, Abby and more can be shown in an animal hall of fame sort of deal similar to what MM thought. Other historic post cards, moldarama machines, graphics and photos can also be preserved in the museum. Ther would only be one animal exhibit that would be present, a revised free flight room. However, since there is already a far superior south American aviary just a building over, the room would be Australasian themed and feature lesser known species. That's just a little I would do. There are some other things (Pachyderm house Modifications, Outdoor Otter Exhibit, Skyride) but this is the long short of it. I hope I was able to get my vision across, and I hope you enjoyed it. This was just a project that I thought I would share on here.
It was bound to happen sooner than later. While he will be missed, his passing sparks an interesting development. The "Gorilla Retirement Home" - easily the worst exhibit in the whole zoo - is now empty without inhabitants. What will happen to the now empty exhibit in Tropic World? Is this the beginning of slowly renovating the building?
