From other articles I have read about them I do believe the twin manatees' mother was killed by a boat.
Another article about the newly arrived Manatees : Rescued Manatees 'Millennium' & 'Falcon' Land in Columbus
Does anyone know the details of the renovations being made to the elephant habitat? Are they transforming the interior to natural substrate? -Any news of breeding between phoebe and Hank? I really like this exhibit, pretty spacious but I feel like viewing is limited by the planting and tall fences. I would love to see a elevated boardwalk trail along the main yard similar to that in OKC.
If I see a keeper around next time I visit, I'll ask about any renovations - I haven't heard much (beyond the addition of the new hay feeders). Like many, I'd love to see natural substrate in the barn, but I'm not getting my hopes up too much. I've also been meaning to ask about any breeding between Phoebe and Hank and more generally what the status of future elephant breeding at the Zoo is. As to your comment about the exhibit, I don't find a huge problem with the fencing (which isn't too high, and is about as open as it can be) and I'm not sure what plantings you're referring to. The outdoor exhibit is really pretty open, and I've never had any real problem with sightlines. I'm not sure there's much need for an elevated boardwalk, at least as the exhibit is currently designed.
As a matter of fact, the Pachyderm House floors have been covered with a layer of sand! Also. crested wood partridges have been added to the flying fox exhibit in Asia Quest.
I will be visiting Wildlights soon for the second time... on a Friday or Saturday night, is traffic bad for Wildlights? I have some family in Cincinnati, and they said they tried to go to zoo lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, but traffic was so bad they couldn't even get off the exit.
You won't have trouble getting off at the exit (as the nearest exits are quite a distance from the zoo), but traffic and crowds can be a bit crazy, especially on the weekends. Both can depend on a number of factors besides the day of the week: how near to the holidays (though crowds tend to be lower for the last week, i.e. after Christmas), any special events (as the day's crowds can stick around for the start of Wildlights), the time you're visiting, and particularly the weather (temperature and precipitation) - both predicted and actual (predictions of bad weather cause a lot of people to not plan for the given evening, and can lower crowds even when the actual weather isn't that bad). Having said that, I've never really had a huge problem with either crowds or traffic (even with a lot of people, the lights are still visible) except on the member's only preview night (which is always an absolute zoo - pun intended).
The zoo has received an 8 year old and a 14 year old Asian elephant cow from Ringling brothers for breeding purposes.
A very exciting turn of events! Hopefully Beco will be a successful breeding bull in coming years. Given that Hank has not managed to get Phoebe pregnant (to our knowledge) in the four years of living together, hopefully the almost 8 year old male Beco will follow in his mothers families footsteps and become a prolific breeder at a young age (or I suppose they could recall 12 year old Bodhi from Denver, and send Beco away for some time in bachelor school.)
An article on the new elephant arrivals. Columbus Zoo Hopes Two Their New Female Elephants Like Double Dates
Gorilla, Colo, will be undergoing a biopsy for a mass under her arm that is now causing her discomfort. Colo is nearly 60 so the procedure will not be without risk but the greater risk is doing nothing. Columbus Zoo announces medical procedure for Colo, world's oldest gorilla
