Dallas Zoo Dallas Zoo News 2016

And two more announcements are coming up. One is a baby announcement, and another is a "cryptic message" that should be coming either this month or early next month. I presume that the cryptic message will be the monorail, as the Zoo is hiring staff for it.

 

Also, there were some saddlebill stork eggs which were laid last year. Sadly, they did not hatch.

 

Tiger guide: Five Sumatran tigers you must get to know | Dallas ZooHoo!

 

Baby penguins! Two siblings, one hatched Jan 28, and the other Feb 1, were born from parents Tulip and Tazo. Everyone is doing fine, even with the double clutch. These are the second and third penguins born at the zoo. Each weighed 2.5 ounces at birth. The babies will be on exhibit in spring.

 

The okapi (and the duiker as well I assume, since they share a habitat) have gone off exhibit due to a new construction project near their habitat. I know more, but that's all the zoo has made public. They did say more details coming soon.

 

The Zoo's oldest resident, Bon Bon the chimp, has died.

'Oldest resident' of Dallas Zoo, Bon Bon the chimp passes | WFAA.com

 

They broke ground on a 13.5 million Nile Hippo habitat. It will be a 3.5 acre immersive African water hole. It will have a 24 by 8 foot underwater viewing window. There will be 120,000 gallons of water. https://www.facebook.com/DallasZoo/posts/10153492142246819:0
ZooHoo blog from the zoo later today.

 

Looks like it will be 1.2 hippos, okapi, red river hog, and saddle-bill stork. I'm pretty sure it is on the footprint of the current (former) okapi exhibit.

 

So where will the saddlebill storks be? What would happen to their aviary? Or will they just be exhibited in two places?

Also, link to blog: Dallas ZooHoo! | A blog gone WILD

 

From the sketches, it looks like that whole end of the nature trail will be devoted to the project.

 

Any clue about what'll happen to the vultures then? I like that Egyptian Vulture.

 

It'll probably go to the bird holding barn for the time being. Usually, there's one or two on the monorail route.

 

Sorry for all the questions, but this is one of my favorite bird species. Do you know how many the zoo has, and if they are breeding? Also, what happened to the Ornate Hawk Eagles- I couldn't come back to their habitat in San Diego to photograph them, I have to search forever to find them in DWA only to not be able to get a good photo (too far away and I have shakey hands) and Dallas's seem to be off exhibit. Are they still here? Thanks for answering all the questions.

 

One of the dozen best zoos in the USA is going to get even better.

Hippo Outpost:

http://zoonation.org/dallas-zoo-expansion-hippo-outpost/

 

The Elephants are on their way:

Swaziland elephants making their way to Dallas Zoo | | Dallas Morning News

 

I hope they make it ok. I can almost sleep easy now, except for an orca at SeaWorld is likely going to die.

 

Dallas will be receiving only five elephants. They 17 elephants were flown in so urgently because one died in Swaziland.
Elephants on their way to safe haven in U.S. | Room for Rhinos

 

I'm curious to know what people think about Dallas receiving elephants. Do you think Dallas has enough space to support a herd of the 5 plus the existing elephants? I'm assuming the will rotate on exhibit once clearing quarantine which I'm sure will be a lengthy process.

I ask because I would have assumed facilities like Fresno, SDWAP, or Lowry park zoo to receive elephants- the latter 2 have shown success rehabbing and breeding imports and I had thought like with Reid park, that they would send off some elephants and begin a new cycle of managing imports.

I'm happy for Dallas, no doubt, just wondered what others thought???
I wonder if the zoo's will eventually loan out elephants to places building new facilities like Nashville. I'm sure this would upset protesters though.

 

The new 1.4 Swazi Elephants should be fine. Will take some time to adjust to the cows (age 34-40 y.o.). It took all the inhabitants some time to adjust. Maybe they'll manage the Bull separately? I just hope the new herd combined with the cows there already, doesn't displace any of the other animals that call the exhibit home. It was unique, at least for U.S. Zoos.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope that the remaining cows integrate well with the current residents of the Zoo (the new ones are still in a sort of liminal state as far as I am concerned) and lead happy, productive lives together.