Join our zoo community

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden News 2021

Discussion in 'United States' started by Mai Thai, 1 Jan 2021.

  1. IndianRhino

    IndianRhino Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    8 Jun 2020
    Posts:
    1,908
    Location:
    San Diego
  2. StoppableSan

    StoppableSan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2016
    Posts:
    1,521
    Location:
    USA
    "The hippo care team said they are aware that Fiona fans travel from all over the world to see her, so they will do everything possible to maximize her outdoor time during the introduction period."

    To my understanding, that's PR speak for "Cincinnati's hippo exhibit is too small, so they'll be ROTATING Bibi/Tucker and Fiona".
     
  3. E Maximus

    E Maximus Well-Known Member Premium Member

    Joined:
    17 Feb 2020
    Posts:
    279
    Location:
    Alive
    An update from the Instagram states that all three will be viewable together once Bibi and Tucker(Bruce) have finished introductions and are comfortable with not only each other but Fiona’s presence aswell. Meaning rotating should only be temporary through the initial introduction period so as to limit any would be issues.
     
  4. csartie

    csartie Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Mar 2018
    Posts:
    302
    Location:
    North Carolina
    -- email correspondence
     
    IndianRhino and Mai Thai like this.
  5. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Aug 2016
    Posts:
    3,365
    Location:
    Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
    "Hippo Cove was designed for up to 4 hippos, so it will be a fine home for Bibi, Fiona, Tucker, and a possible little one down the road."

    o_O
     
    ZooBinh, Grant, IndianRhino and 5 others like this.
  6. Grant

    Grant Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    19 May 2016
    Posts:
    348
    Location:
    Chicago, USA
    that is HORRIFYING if true
     
  7. Mr.Ivory

    Mr.Ivory Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7 May 2021
    Posts:
    1,123
    Location:
    Chicago, Illinois
    What do you mean by that, it it space wise or the size of the pod
     
  8. Echobeast

    Echobeast Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Apr 2017
    Posts:
    950
    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    They probably have enough off exhibit spaces and with the one on exhibit space to house up to four.
     
    Mai Thai and StoppableSan like this.
  9. groundskeeper24

    groundskeeper24 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    16 Jul 2008
    Posts:
    627
    Location:
    Kentucky, USA
    Welp, I change my vote for what happens to the Elephant House to upgraded hippo exhibit. Either that or put the giraffes up there and shell out to remake Giraffe Ridge into a hippo area. I never in a million years thought they'd bring another male (or any hippo) in unless they shipped Bibi out and acquired a male for Fiona.
     
    Grant likes this.
  10. Akula

    Akula Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    11 Oct 2020
    Posts:
    313
    Location:
    Somewhere
    Sorry if I’m butting in the conversation here, as I did think that giraffe ridge will be crowded as they now have 3 adult females and 2 maturing males, Last I had heard Zoey had a breeding recommendation for the Toronto Zoo’s male does anyone know if this is still happening?
     
    Kifaru Bwana likes this.
  11. Mai Thai

    Mai Thai Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    13 Sep 2020
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Update
    Renovations on the second Large-Spotted Genet exhibit have finished. More climbing has been added as well as sleeping areas.

    The Timor Zebra Finches were off display today and the Butterfly Aviary in the World of the Insect has reopened. Also, the Chinese Alligator was off display.

    I have a growing suspicion that Renji the female Snow Leopard is pregnant. Her belly looks bigger each of my visits and she is moving around a little less than usual.
     
    TinoPup, CMP, csartie and 2 others like this.
  12. Grant

    Grant Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    19 May 2016
    Posts:
    348
    Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Hi there, having seen the behind the scenes area and the exhibit itself, they may meet minimal standards, but it is by no means a spacious home for four.
     
  13. Echobeast

    Echobeast Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Apr 2017
    Posts:
    950
    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    Not saying it's not minimum but I'm sure the zoo and the SSP have a better idea of what the area can safely house better than any of us even if we've seen it.
     
    csartie and MGolka like this.
  14. Grant

    Grant Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    19 May 2016
    Posts:
    348
    Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Sure they may have a better idea for their standards. That does not mean that I can't voice that it will be horrible in my and many others professional opinions that they brought in another male when their newest motto is "More Home to Roam"
     
    Kifaru Bwana and StoppableSan like this.
  15. groundskeeper24

    groundskeeper24 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    16 Jul 2008
    Posts:
    627
    Location:
    Kentucky, USA

    I'm a defender of the zoo in general, and I think that they are doing what they can with the space they have in most instances. They are gradually utilizing old non-animal areas to provide larger animal exhibits (new elephant area). That said, this all kind of irks me, too. I hate seeing an area like the old Wildlife Canyon turned into a Roo Valley (not a bad exhibit for the actual animals displayed, BTW) with a big chunk of it used for a playground. The playground was once an actual exhibit for megafauna (rhinos). Now it's absolutely useless in terms of animal space. This really annoys the bejeezus out of me. I hope that with them pushing Fiona as the main animal ambassador for the park, they see fit to do something more for the hippos. Space is opening up in the next few years, and it's the right thing to do. If giraffes go to the elephant house as speculated, then I think Giraffe Ridge is prime place for an expanded habitat. It would be a win for the elephants, giraffes and hippos.
     
  16. EsserWarrior

    EsserWarrior Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Apr 2018
    Posts:
    1,621
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    It is obvious that Cincinnati would want to keep Fiona around for as long as possible, but could they just deny the SSP permission to move Fiona to another facility if they were asked to?
     
    StoppableSan likes this.
  17. Echobeast

    Echobeast Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Apr 2017
    Posts:
    950
    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    Hippos are a yellow SSP so participation is voluntary.
     
  18. John Marchwick

    John Marchwick Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    16 Aug 2018
    Posts:
    1,498
    Location:
    United States
  19. Mai Thai

    Mai Thai Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    13 Sep 2020
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Bengal Tiger likes this.
  20. junglejim

    junglejim Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    24 Feb 2015
    Posts:
    250
    Location:
    seattle, washington, usa
    OK exactly! I've been taking in a lot of what changes have been occurring in zoo's across the country. Indeed to many human amenities focused on public over welfare of animal space and construction of questionable exhibits of lately; Denver's fish bowl Tiger exhibit, the amusement structure Indianapolis Orangutan outdoor structures. I'm not being picky just stating a well visual fact growing zoo being built for human entertainment to feed the invisible species: Cash Cow. [ I get it zoo's want to raise money's now championing wildlife conservation around the globe]. Yet the justification to the shrinking of animal collection in favor of a human playground. Yes times have changed, values have changes for the better, animal welfare has gotten better. Portland, Oregon had a very large hippo exhibit both land, and water. They gave up hippo's not wanting to go with expense of dealing with building newer water filtration and focus more to expanding rhino breeding. I'm puzzled seeing these newer hippo enclosures with wonderful underwater viewing but limited space for land grazing ( I understand hippo's use land more so in evenings and at night when zoo is closed). Still I think that a mixed species exhibit of large land for hippos, especially to foster breeding more animals can be functional if human applied more efforts. I have seen regularly the hippos when at Portland Zoo used to rest on the land often.