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Greater Vancouver Zoo Greater Vancouver Zoo News

Discussion in 'Canada' started by snowleopard, 1 Mar 2009.

  1. Tatsuslava

    Tatsuslava Well-Known Member

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    i think that was an april fools joke and would only be loved by zoo lovers on this site
     
  2. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    I visited the Greater Vancouver Zoo twice this week and I have decided to post a few comments. For many years, up until 2011, I was a regular visitor to the zoo and knew practically every animal in the facility. Then, due to many controversies over the years and a complete stagnation of the premises, I stopped visiting the zoo even though it has always been approximately 20 minutes from my home. There were too many controversial events (4 zebras dying in one week due to having Cape Buffalo placed in their enclosure, a series of at least 3 giraffe deaths in around a year, a Golden Eagle being eaten by an African Lion during a raptor show, a baby hippo kept in a tiny shed for 18 months while its exhibit was being built, a stolen spider monkey, etc.).

    After an entire decade (2011-2021) of visiting the zoo only TWICE (2017 and 2020), my wife, 4 kids and I now have a membership and we will be regular visitors once again. After many years of wondering if the establishment would permanently close down due to ownership changes, a sparkling new entrance that wouldn't look out of place at a major zoo has been opened to the public. The Greater Vancouver Zoo is obviously here to stay, has ambitious plans such as a restaurant overlooking an African Savanna and a revamp of the Big Cat Complex, and I want to be supportive of the future of the zoo. Usually, pre-Covid, we'd head down to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle at least 3 times each year, and so my kids call GVZOO the 'fake zoo'. :) However, there's a new General Manager (Serge Lussier), a shiny new entrance, and the zoo officially joined WAZA this year. Things are looking up! There were a couple of news articles last year that mentioned how GVZOO intends to have $20 million at its disposal for improvements and so that's really exciting if there is truth to that figure.

    The downside to the zoo is that once a visitor gets past the expanded parking lot, the sleek new entrance and all the new visitor amenities (washrooms/gift shop/guest services), much of the zoo is the same as it's ever been...except that the animal collection has plummeted. The addition of a free loop with animatronic dinosaurs ('Mesozoic Adventure') is terrific and much loved by young kids. New-ish exhibits for Red Pandas, an American Alligator and a Northern Lynx have been good, but all the other carnivores are behind chain-link fencing and the ungulates are in basic, wood-and-wire paddocks.

    On the first page of the zoo's website there is a claim that there are 140 species but in fact the grand total is more like 60 species. For example, the hoofstock collection has been devastated in the past decade. The number of species now totally absent from the zoo in a relatively short time makes for a lengthy list:

    Guanaco
    Yak
    Markhor
    Fallow Deer
    Black-tailed Deer
    Mule Deer
    Blackbuck (at least 6)
    Alpine Ibex (maybe a dozen)
    Moose
    Cape Buffalo
    Ankole Cattle
    Bighorn Sheep (at least 10)
    Collared Peccary (maybe 20)
    European Wild Boar (maybe 20)
    White Rhino

    That adds up to 15 hoofstock species all gone, with Rocky Mountain Goat, Dwarf Zebu and Muskox the only 3 hoofstock additions. However, the Muskox herd of at least 7 has dwindled to a solitary specimen and the large herd of American Bison is down to a pair of animals. What's going on? With either an African Savanna or a B.C. wildlife drive-through experience planned to dominate the grounds in the future, depending on which article you read, many acres of space that once held hoofstock is now looking a bit barren and perhaps primed for something else.

    Other species now gone include: Coyote, Caracal, Racoon, Coati, Squirrel Monkey, Spider Monkey and Yellow Baboon (a whole troop). The entire Reptile House has been closed down and that means at least another 20+ species are now gone from the zoo. Plus, the raptor show has ended and all the small bird-of-prey exhibits sit empty.

    The handful of new additions include: Red Panda, Red River Hog, Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig and American Alligator.

    In summary, the zoo has gone from 140 species to 60 in a decade. Some of those changes have definitely been for the better, with small cages for the monkeys, coatis and caracal not acceptable judged by modern standards. The raptor aviaries are still there but far too tiny, and other exhibits were bulldozed to make way for the new entrance plaza. The most alarming has been the reduction of the ungulate collection, with the zoo's 120 acres looking rather sparse. The highlight of the zoo is the top right-hand corner when looking at the zoo's map. There are currently 3 juvenile Grizzly Bears, 3 American Black Bears, a mature female Grizzly Bear and a couple of Bald Eagles in a series of 4 exhibits that were all built in the past 20 years. Alongside that is the new dinosaur area which is hugely popular. After that, the zoo is looking a bit forlorn in spots. A single giraffe, a couple of hippos (with one currently locked inside and so only one hippo is out at a time), and some massive ungulate pastures with very few animals as dots on the horizon.

    I'm excited to see if a large restaurant and an African Savanna-type landscape is built, but the idea of riding around in a bus to see North American wildlife would be a big disappointment. That was done for many years at the zoo and so hopefully that idea does not see the light of day. A remodeled Big Cat Complex would be beneficial, as the zoo does have African Lion, Amur Tiger, Jaguar, Cheetah, Cougar and Northern Lynx in its collection. My overall feeling is that the zoo is looking better than it has in years, but with less than 50% of its former animal collection. ;)

    Lastly, for a zoo with only 60 species, the cost is outrageous. We bought a family membership and plan to go often, but I feel sorry for tourists and any out-of-town visitors. An adult ticket is $30, plus it is $8 for parking and an additional $6 per person to ride the train.
     
  3. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Wow a price tag of $30 is outrageous for what you describe when the country's largest zoo, Toronto, only charges that and you get to see roughly 500 species (or so the website claims). If I paid that much for that little I would be livid.

    That being said I do hope their master plan can transform the zoo. It has struggled definitely in the past but might be on the cusp of a better, brighter future. Vancouver deserves a zoo on par with Toronto and Calgary. Not saying it will get there any time soon. It would take a ton more money then budgeted to get there at any real rapid pace. But their plans do make it sound like a they are looking to move up the ranks in the Canadian zoo community.

    As always I appreciate your reviews of the places I can't visit.
     
  4. Elephant Enthusiast

    Elephant Enthusiast Well-Known Member

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    Acquisition & Birth:

    Six grey wolves arrived in April from Parc Omega. Their names are 1.0 Hugo, 0.1 Gigi, 0.1 Chia, 0.1 Lila, 1.0 Chinook, and 1.0 Raiden.

    Gigi gave birth to four pups in May. The pups have been named 0.1 Tempest, 1.0 Zephyr, 0.1 Zillah, and 0.1 Zuni.

    Grey Wolf | Greater Vancouver Zoo
     
  5. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The zoo won the CAZA Colonel G.D. Dailley Award for their Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Program.
     
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  6. Akula

    Akula Well-Known Member

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    The Greater Vancouver Zoo will be receiving Male, Southern White Rhino, Theodore from the Toronto Zoo.
     
  7. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    A new addition is coming to Vancouver. Snow leopards Batu, Kyanada and Bodhi are arriving from Winnipeg. The mom and her boys will join the zoo shortly.
     
  8. Elephant Enthusiast

    Elephant Enthusiast Well-Known Member

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    Acquisitions:

    Two Rothschild's giraffes named 1.0 Jagur and 1.0 Milo arrived in late September from African Lion Safari.

    Giraffe | Greater Vancouver Zoo

    A muskox named 1.0 Gaary arrived in early November from the Calgary Zoo.

    Muskox | Greater Vancouver Zoo

    Three white lions named 1.0 Kasal, 0.1 Prim, and 0.1 Tess arrived in early November from African Lion Safari.

    Lion | Greater Vancouver Zoo

    Three common elands named 0.1 Venus, 1.0 Thando, and 1.0 Makosa arrived in mid-November from Zoo de Granby.

    Common Eland | Greater Vancouver Zoo
     
  9. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Smaggledagle likes this.
  10. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  11. RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe

    RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe Well-Known Member

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  12. Elephant Enthusiast

    Elephant Enthusiast Well-Known Member

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    A few updates/developments from my recent visit to the zoo.

    • Nearly all the informational animal signs have been given an updated look.
    • The giraffe viewing deck and red river hog exhibit are still fenced off to visitors as renovations to the giraffe barn continue.
    • The felines have been moved around. The new white lions are exhibited where Boomer, the zoo's resident lion, used to be, Boomer is now exhibited where the jaguars used to be, and the jaguars are now exhibited where the cougars used to be.
    • Fencing modifications have been made to the former yellow baboon exhibit, and a ‘new arrival coming soon’ sign has been posted at the enclosure.
    • A pair of alpacas have been added to the American flamingo enclosure. Their names are 1.0 Titus and 0.1 Penelope.
    • A new barn structure was built behind the American alligator exhibit.
    • The cougars are now exhibited in the former northern lynx exhibit. The holding area in the back of the enclosure has been expanded.
    • The aoudad enclosure is now empty, and the aoudad sign has been replaced with a ‘new arrival coming soon’ sign.
    • Alban, the zoo’s youngest addax, has joined his father Cactus in the onager enclosure.
    • The female addaxes are now exhibited in the camel enclosure. The camels are now exhibited in the enclosure behind the addaxes.
    • Ernie, the common eland, has been moved from the eland and ostrich enclosure to the dwarf zebu enclosure.
     
  13. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Sounds like a real case of musical animals going on there. Lol.

    Do you have any inside info on what might be filling those empty exhibits?
     
  14. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    At least one rhino, methinks.
     
  15. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    @Kifaru Bwana, totally makes sense. I've never been there so I have no idea the size of the exhibits and what ones might make a good rhino exhibit. Would either the aoudad or baboon exhibits have enough space? I would guess rhino, Theo, might be better suited in an exhibit built for eland and ostriches or maybe even in with giraffes. But again I have zero concept of the size or structure of these exhibits.
     
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  16. Elephant Enthusiast

    Elephant Enthusiast Well-Known Member

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    A returning species and a new species will be taking up residence in those enclosures.

    If you're wondering about the size and structure of the exhibits at GVZoo, the media section of the zoo has recent and older photos of the enclosures for reference.
     
  17. RIPPompadour

    RIPPompadour Active Member

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    I’d bet on the snow leopards mentioned earlier in this thread to be the ones moving into the former baboon habitat given its location in the feline complex and that the fencing adjustments appeared to include upward extensions.
    In January, Theo was sharing a yard with red river hogs - though never at the same time.
     
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  18. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It would be good to have an idea and plan for what the zoo will be like going forward, especially since @snowleopard has observed how many species have been gone from the collection.

    I would hope they can make mends and re-include some of the cold climate animal species back on exhibit as I think e.g. musk oxen, Rocky mountain goat, bighorn sheep should be staple for this zoo.
     
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  19. RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe

    RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe Well-Known Member

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    When did female lions Mali and Kali die or leave? Also, does anyone know what exactly happened to Pompy the Giraffe?
     
  20. RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe

    RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe Well-Known Member

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    Have the Snow Leopards arrived yet?