Calgary Zoo Calgary Zoo news 2008-2011

@Ituri: I can't help with you with your photo question, as I last visited the Calgary Zoo in 2006 and it was before the renovation of "Elephant Crossing" and the birth of the newborn. But I can tell you that on another thread (I can't recall which one) the ZooBeat member Taccachantrieri was highly critical of the $10 million renovation. He/she thought that the newly expanded elephant exhibit was still lacking...

 

I think you'll find this is mostly likely due to the overwhelming majority of zoo elephants being female...

 

Yes, females also with behaviour bottle up emotions, as males just attack on the spot but you are very right,

 

Actually,it was Swarna who attacked the keeper.She has a kind of aunt bond with the calf so thats probably why or maybe she sensed Rani was stessed

 

Thank you, Zoogoer,

I guess that just shows you mess with the baby you mess with the whole family,

I've heard about that elephants keep vendetta's to humans because of many things, slughter of family and such ,

 

I never knew they had bongos, when the zoo got the bongo's? I visited in 2006, what other new species do they have now?

 

They've had a bongo since my first visit in 2004. He is in a wooded paddock beyond the zebra and lion exhibits.

 

Ituri is correct in regards to the bongo, and I just had to point out that the enclosure is absolutely fabulous at the Calgary Zoo. Spacious, naturalistic, heavily planted and perfect for a bongo!

 

Is there any new information about the calgary zoo's polar bears, the arctic, and antarctic addition?

 

I just received the latest Calgary Zoo newsletter in the mail today, and I think that it arrives 4 times a year. Anyone interested can sign up for free online, and I've had it coming to my place for a few years now. However, I'm not sure if non-Canadian residents can receive the 20-page mini-newspaper.

Anyway, it talks about the baby elephant that is now a 1 year-old, the baby gorilla that is a little younger, and the baby giraffe that was born this July. At the nearby Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre there were 24 Vancouver Island marmots born in the month of June. Lastly, 4 new species of animal have been added to the zoo this summer: red river hogs, vietnamese mossy frogs, goeldi's monkeys and przewalski's horses.

 

Oh, good additions...

 

Has anyone else seen the Calgary Zoos new layout? I was on it and will on it, I went to plants and animals and decided to go to the TransAlta Rainforest, I went and some of the animals have a * beside them, what does it mean as the website failed to say?

 

There is a seperate thread with that issue in it. But I think the * is a SSP thing

 

Zoo prepares for pampered koalas

Finally some good news for the zoo: koalas in 2009!

 

What shame they are only on loan, Koala's always seem to be a big drawcard especially if their enclosure is done right... Thoughts..?

 

Koalas are arguably the second most popular animal in North American zoos (after giant pandas of course) because it is rare to find any and they have become iconic images of Australia. After San Diego it is all downhill in a quest for the cute and cuddly koala, but the Calgary Zoo will surely see a slight attendance boost by renting a pair.

 

Hopefully they can also recoup the costs of the expense browse and shipping costs.

 

Why is it so hard to get some..? Australia keeping their cards close to their chest..?

 

I think it may have something to do with the very specific diet of Koalas and will only eat eucalyptus leaves (similar to the way that Pandas will only eat bamboo) and eat rather large quantities of them so for a zoo to maintain Kolalas so part of taking on this species would be the need to secure large amounts of browse which i imagine may be quite expensive

 

Eucalyptus grows quite readily in NZ, they even have a large grove at Auckland Zoo..!