Thanks for uploading many photos of the renovated Reptile House, although judging from those images and your mini-review it appears that the changes are a little underwhelming. The 1942 Reptile House is worth seeing in terms of its historic appeal, but the exhibits are no different from dozens of others at countless American zoos. I also forgot just how tiny the Reptile House is, and with only around 25 exhibits it is a small assortment of cold-blooded creatures.
The thing that baffles me the most is they did a renovation of the Reptile House back in like 2008. It's very similar to when they "renovated" the elephant barn. It's a temporary fix and then it needs work within a decade.
The major difference between 2008 and today is that the most recent renovation was to the actual building itself. The building was massively outdated and the life support and HVAC system was decades behind. The 3 million plus went to the roof, new boiler room, filtration, and air quality. The exhibits are also all new the old concrete tanks were torn out and new exhibits made by Peeling's Productions Clyde Peeling's Reptiland) were inserted in their place. Each unit has its own lighting and misting and are very nice. The new renovations are mainly for the animal welfare while preserving the history of the building. The problems I have were with the lack of rare or varied species and the fact that they could have had a second featured exhibit and chose to go cheap and keep it as a large not very pretty turtle pool. It look very nice and much better in person than the old reptile house.
The Buffalo zoo is now home to a pair of Sand Cats. they are named Jabar and Kadar and came from the Hogle zoo. They can be seen in the middle exhibit of the Ecostation where the desert tortoise, chuckwalla and desert cottontail used to be. We're not 'kitten' right 'meow', Buffalo Zoo welcomes sand cats
Tamari the Amur Tiger has passed away at the age of 11. This leaves the zoo with no tigers currently and 6 lions Tamari, tiger at Buffalo Zoo, dies
Any word on what could go in the now empty tiger pen? I think anything in the Vanishing Animal exhibit or bringing in another carnivoran like amur leopards or african wild dogs would do, but a real long shot could be to give it to the gorillas by extending it to their building and filling the moat in, or alternatively use tunnels lik Philidephia's Zoo 360.
Is the exhibit actually empty? On multiple visits I've seen lions in that yard with the tiger rotated off exhibit.
They have rotated their older pair of lioness with the tiger for the last couple years. So I would think they would take over full time untill another tiger or 2 are brought in. I do hope that the zoo does renovate the big cats with a filled in moats, glass viewing and new water features and plantings. Similar to the Lions at Detroit zoo. Let's hope they realize how dated the moats are and put them in the next master plan.
The Zoo has completed most of their projects from the last master plan and annouced at the opening of the reptile house that they would be creating a new strategic plan in the near future.
I would almost hope they opt to not bring in more Tigers at least not where they were being kept. The exhibit nearest the Gorilla exhibit should be converted into an outdoor space for them and the other side can remain a large cat exhibit. I remember one of the older master plans had this happening, it would better for a star species for the zoo.
I'm hitting a paywall, and I SO want to know what this plan says. The one time I visited Buffalo, I was overwhelmed by what an integral part of the community this zoo is. There are daily afterschool programs for kids, and when the Elephant House needed a renovation, whole schools collected coins to meet the goal. It's not surprising that most of the Reptile House renovation money went to outdated infrastructure issues and then lead and probably asbestos abatement, all in a historic building that probably can't be altered very significantly. I think they do a great job here for such a small city. Can someone give me a brief summary of what they plan to do with exhibits and their now-vacated Elephant House? For those that haven't seen it, it's magnificent, one of the most impressive historic buildings I've seen in a zoo.
Oh. I kinda thought that's what master plans were for. Thanks for the report, nevertheless, Echobeast.