Indeed the Edge exhibit is a total head scratch. It like they put their Tigers in a large fish bowl. It's totally bewildering I find myself walking past it not interested. Thinking Tigers were better in older moaned exhibit! Haven't seen new grizzly exhibit. Indeed these past to exhibits a band aid and nothing to write home about. I have seen interactions of people and wildlife in yosemite national park, and peoples getting way to close to black bears southeastern alaska clearly people aren't getting the message of allowing in their own environment s the space they need! Indeed denver latest 2 exhibits are a head scratch. The new concept of discovery, immersion environments has made the new zoo nothing more than Disneyland.
Although we are now into summer season, I highly recommend going to the Denver Zoo in the spring time. This is when weather outside trying to get warm yet cool temperatures makes themselves know. For the larger animals now exploring the outdoor enclosures the weather influences their behavior. I rate it 10 plus as I have seen the Okapi galloping around their enclosure you could hear their hoof beats on the ground as they did their laps! SPECTACULAR!!! Watching the Malayan Tapir run around her enclosure and leap into to the air, GEE can it get any better than this? O YES! right next door to the tapir a large tank size indian rhino is literally run around it's enclosure. MAJOR toughness!!! An these 3 events happen ALL in one visit too! It was spectacular! Highly recommend it. Mosty of best tto visit the zoo is when the weather cool and not hot.
Kootenai the grizzly bear was euthanized. Denver Zoo's grizzly bear dies after years of health problems
I had this in mind today. No chick spotted, but I did see two seemingly full sized eagles on the middle tree. Half of Harmony Hill's viewing windows are covered with window clings, starting at the training wall. Not sure if it's related to the euthanization or otherwise, but without anything to pick up the slack Harmony Hill isn't much more than a quick walk through. That said, the space now available to the lone bear is a vast improvement over Bear Mountain, but I'm not sure a single exhibit -- and a rather generic one at that -- is worthy of the sobriquet "Harmony Hill". I'm still conflicted over The Edge too. On hot days the main focus of the exhibit -- the elevated walkway -- is completely unusable. Yuri & Nikita may have indoor-outdoor access, but it feels like the exhibit does nothing to encourage them to remain on exhibit. No water features, etc. It doesn't feel proper for two Amur tigers either; it's more aligned to having a single tiger. Of note: There are now Hyacinth macaws are occupying the former (?) snow leopard exhibits. Overheard a keeper state that the leopard exhibits are due to be demoed, but nothing about a date or a timetable. That could already be known information though. Construction continues on the animal hospital, but now they have banners up announcing its intended completion in 2020.
on the subject of rare primates does the zoo still have the Azara hooded Capuchins (S. cay). I don't know of any other zoos with those, unless some of the tufted capuchins (S. apella) at other places are just mislabelled
I believe that is the case as of three weeks back. Or was it two? I forget. Anyway, they were in the process of filling up the pool to their outdoor enclosure so that they get some roaming in before the seasons change again. On a related note, the zoo maintains a series of large monkeys in too small a cage -- Hanuman langurs and spider monkeys are the only one that come to mind, but there was a third species in that same row. Side note: Maybe this is normal for the rest of the world, but having a home zoo with wildly fluctuating seasons is weird.
To follow up: Not only does the zoo still have them, but they have thirteen of them according to a video the zoo posted on their Facebook page. All 13 appear to be outdoors at the same time too. On a related note, the zoo recently sent something to the Henry Doorly Zoo. Not sure what it, but it was some sort of fish based on the boxes.
The zoo has just announced the closure of bird world on October 1st. They will be relocating some species within the zoo and dispersing others. In 2020 they plan to raze to building to begin construction on future exhibits. "When it opened in 1973, Bird World was a feather in Denver Zoo’s cap. The $1.25 million exhibit—the most expensive installation at the time—featured open, natural habitats, and five different heating and cooling systems provided ideal conditions for more than 100 different species of rare, colorful birds. Bird World made guests a part of the birds’ environment, and served as a great home to countless birds for more than four decades. However, Bird World now needs extensive, costly repairs; no longer meets the needs of our animals and guests; and is below our current standards for efficiency and sustainability. Given these factors, the Zoo’s leadership made the difficult decision to close Bird World on Oct. 1, 2019 to proceed with future developments that will benefit our animals, staff and guests. Plans are being discussed for new animal habitats and guest experiences, and will be announced when they are finalized." Denver Zoo to Close Bird World on Oct. 1 - Denver Zoo
I visited the zoo this summer for the first time. I enjoyed the collection of the building, but it felt like a lesser version of the Aquatic Bird House at the Bronx Zoo. It was not up the high standards of the rest of the zoo, so I understand their reasons. That said I hope they use the site to build a new exhibit that includes a nice diversity of birds. The master plan has this area slated to be an african forest pavilion, yet I always take master plans with a grain of salt. The zoos facebook post seems to hint at the new development including birds, so that makes me hopeful. I also wonder if pachyderms will be torn down as well, given that it is across the path and underutilized as well.
The original article says: So looks like they've already sent some away, however it does not state where too.
The bird house was fairly empty in July, with many big exhibits having 1 or 2 species max. The species number was nowhere near what people wrote about on this site 3 or 5 years ago. I imagine this whole year they have been deacquisitioning species, as the thought did cross my mind that the end was near for the building.
It is interesting that Denver Zoo has chosen to close its famous Bird World building, and it might interest some people to read my report of it from 2012. I visited 50 zoos that summer and I extensively reviewed Denver Zoo on the Snowleopard's 2012 Road Trip thread. Here is the excerpt about Bird World and I was astonished to recall just how many species were there. Bird World – There are around 70 species inside this vast structure that opened in 1975 and around the building are very large aviaries for Steller’s sea eagles (two aviaries), bald eagles and Andean condors. An outdoor African black-footed penguin pool is tiny and quite outdated as I guess that it was built when the building first opened and it is placed directly at the entrance. Upon entering one encounters an introductory set of 8 exhibits with these 9 species: kea, green magpie, rainbow lorikeet, blue-naped mousebird, crested-wood partridge, white-collared yuhina, African pygmy falcon, Micronesian kingfisher and Bali mynah. All of the enclosures are perhaps 6 ft. squared and not very large at all for such active little birds. There are 3 walk-through aviaries that are all fairly small in comparison to the mammoth versions that have opened since the 1970’s in various other zoos, but they are the highlights of Bird World. The first of a trio of walk-through aviaries is called “Rain Forest” and features these 16 species: Lady Ross’ turaco, sunbittern, green-naped pheasant pigeon, green-winged dove, northern helmeted curassow, grosbeak starling, yellow-breasted ground dove, boat-billed heron, white-faced whistling duck, silver-beaked tanager, hammerkop, hottentot teal, nicobar pigeon, blue-crowned motmot, green-winged macaw and blue-and-gold macaw. Upon exiting this aviary an open-fronted Asian Jungle exhibit has these 5 species: Mariana fruit dove, hooded pitta, African pygmy goose, Pekin robin and blue-crowned laughing thrush. The second walk-through aviary is called “Tropical Forest” and it features these 11 species: turquoise tanager, blue-gray tanager, paradise tanager, nicobar pigeon, Bartlett’s bleeding heart dove, speckled mousebird, spur-winged plover, crested wood partridge, red-crested finch, red-legged honeycreeper and violaceaous euphonia. Upon exiting this aviary there is a rhinoceros hornbill exhibit. The third and final walk-through aviary is called “Aquatic Bird Habitat” and it features these 9 species: two-toed sloth, Lady Ross’ turaco, ringed teal, common piping guan, crested oropendola, hammerkop, Rothschild’s peacock pheasant, Inca tern and storm stork. Upon exiting this aviary there is an open-fronted Egyptian plover exhibit. “Deep in a Swamp” has these 8 species: three-toed box turtle, Mariana fruit dove, pileated woodpecker, golden-headed quetzal, elegant-crested tinamou, yellow-breasted ground dove, Pekin robin and African pygmy goose. “The Bird’s Kitchen” is a window that looks into the food preparation area, and “Living Jewels of the Bird World” ends the tour with these 7 species in 6 very small box-like exhibits: blue-crowned motmot, blue dacnis, tawny frogmouth, violaceous euphonia, blue-breasted kingfisher, green aracari and paradise tanager.
