Articles on Ramar's passing. www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-brookfield-zoo-gorilla-0413-story.html Brookfield Zoo’s 50-year-old gorilla Ramar dies Brookfield Zoo gorilla, among oldest in North America, dies
Sorry, but I can't see anything else at the zoo that's worse than this. Despite Ramar's old age, the exhibit was still all concrete, with half of the area being taken up by a rock mountain that Ramar had no access to. I honestly can't say it was a good home for him. That's not to say the zoo didn't take excellent care of him, but the exhibit was a brutal dungeon. The exhibit also rivals Buffalo for one of the smallest in America. Hopefully real substrate, plants and realistic vines will be added to the exhibit and a smaller species will take residence in it, maybe a large bird or small primate.
It's the same as the main gorilla exhibit, just smaller. Ramar didn't have to climb up the rocks, and I wouldn't call the exhibit horrible because he couldn't do that, when he had plenty of room on the lower level of the exhibit. After all, zoo staff made changes to the exhibit based on his needs and limitations.
My complaint about the rocks wasn't that Ramar couldn't climb or use them, it was the fact that the rocks took up half of the already very cramped exhibit space. Again, I already stated that the zoo did a great job caring for Ramar, but the exhibit was by no means suitable for an ape of any age, even one as old as Ramar. It is far too small, and fails in both a functional and aesthetic pov.
Is this about the additional habitat through glass in Tropic World - Africa? In all of my zoo visits I can only recall once seeing anything in there. Never seemed fit for a gorilla for sure. If outdoor habitats for Topic World are next on Brookfield's agenda, I welcome it. I still appreciate how masterful Tropic World was for its era, but the gorillas, gibbons and orangutans deserve better, and I would even say that zoo guests deserve better ways to view these magnificent animals. Of similar importance though, strong outdoor habitats for such charismatic species is something that would definitely have strong mainstream appeal and bring in visitors and attention the zoo desperately needs to turn it's eye towards other exhibits and lesser-known species. Not to mention, outdoor habitats being added to the existing structure would expand the entire building's lifespan significantly, giving Brookfield more time to prepare and plan for an eventual full renovation, when there's a hell of a lot more funding available. EDIT: Forgot to mention... I've seen this coming for a while, given the silly re-title of "The Fragile Rain Forest" to "Clouded Leopard Rain Forest" two or three years ago. It makes some sense to drop the 'Fragile' sub-branding, given the 2/3 exhibits were only tied together in very nuanced ways but not obvious ones, but almost thirty years later, I wonder why they'd bother.
I emailed the zoo regarding Ramars former exhibit, and I have an answer on what will be it's new inhabitants. A pair of black-crested mangabeys will be moving there within the next few weeks. I am not aware if there will be any modifications made to the exhibit.
A zoological first, today Black Rhino Layla went under a CT scan. She has a life threatening sinus infection that has been being treated since January. She is taking well to the treatment and it's likely she will survive.
Article on the CT scan and Layla's Condition. Veterinarians take first-ever CT scan of live rhino as part of lifesaving treatment
More articles about this: Black rhino undergoes portable CT scan at Brookfield Zoo Black Rhino Gets CT Scan in Chicago Brookfield Zoo Black Rhino Layla Has First-Ever CAT Scan And another article about this: Brookfield Zoo Euthanizes Beloved Gorilla Ramar
I'm surprised the press has found the Black Rhino story worthy of popular attention, but it's great the zoo is receiving due credit.
Oh, I know it's a huge deal, the credit's due - I just didn't expect people outside of the conservation and zoo circles would find it of much interest. I was incorrect, as evidence shows, but that's what I was expecting before.
A very special tour not just because the Fragile Kingdom is one of Brookfield's greatest attractions but because this is the first collaboration on Zoo Tours. Due to a large amount of lost footage, I was going to give up on presenting the Brookfield Zoo. Thanks to @Kyle's Creatures, he voluntarily and graciously offered to fill in and replace that missing footage. He covered much of the needed closeups, and even filmed the entire third section of the Kingdom. So thanks to him, this video came out far more greater all around than it originally would've.
The zoo just released some stuff about Amazing Arachnids, including a list of live species that will be exhibited: Chicago Zoological Society - Amazing Arachnids
I completely agree. Honestly from how it sounds I wouldn't mind this becoming a permanent attraction. One of the most unique exhibit concepts I have ever heard!
The new red panda that arrived from zoo Boise a few weeks ago, is now on exhibit with female with the zoos female red panda. Water bottle refill stations have been added by the Seven Seas and Tropic World. A 3D movie theater has opened in the Discovery Center. A new exhibit has opened for juvenile Chinese giant salamanders which are on exhibit in the Swamp.
