I believe the zoo's Black Swan has died. I know it was old, but it hasn't been in the indoor exhibit for the flamingos. There is also now a whistling duck named "Tater Tot" in with them instead.
Henry Vilas Zoo The zoo has posted a check-up on the grizzly girls and Nuniq, but they still haven't posted any more news on Berit. Could this mean that they may be hiding cubs? Does anyone remember if the zoo said who she was inseminated with?
I know a fellow poster here asked the zoo on facebook if Berit was still denned up and they confirmed she was and more details would come soon. If she has cubs, they will have to do a paternity test as there was a couple semen specimen used.
Sheesh, with how unsuccessful the Polar Bear SSP has been recently, does anyone think it's time for the AZA to pull the plug and start phasing them out?
They were once really successful and breeding polar bears but since that time it seems that their are a lot more hurdles that they have to cross. Not sure that it’s time to pull the plug but to think smarter about how the SSP is done.
It seems like one of those hurdles is what appears to be an infertility epidemic, as all the SSP matched pairs have been observed breeding, but (with the exception of that one bear at Detroit whose cub only lasted a few days) none have produced cubs.
I don't. I think it's time that Congress passes new legislation so that US zoos can breed bears from USFWS or import them from Canada. This simple action would completely reboot the SSP in one generation.
The SSP did a few switch up of polar bear mates just last year. It may take a breeding season or two for the bears to be comfortable with each other and show results. I wouldn't be surprised if Suka in Detroit becomes pregnant again and we also have the two females in Columbus we may be able to count on.
I payed a visit to Henry Vilas today and, in tune with Valentine's Day, had a "lovely" trip! It's been a few years since I've been to this small but great free zoo, so here's some updates (forgive me if some has already been mentioned): *I've only ever been to Henry Vilas during the summer and fall, so seeing it during the winter made for a quiet and intriguing tour. Tons of animals were spending time outside like the tiger, red panda, otters, bison, and polar bears; even the Somali wild asses and lemurs went out in the cold! Additionally, some enclosures I felt looked nice with a layer of snow, like the otter and seal exhibits. *Primates: Lots of Valentine's Day-themed enrichment was put out in the exhibits, with the best part being honey smeared on the glass with paper hearts stuck on. Also, the colobus monkeys have retired, and are living behind-the-scenes; the enclosure is now extended space for the black-and-white ruffed lemurs, with the rock hyraxes still residing there. The ring-tailed lemurs rotate time on exhibit, and were nowhere to be seen today. *The lions and tiger have switched exhibits. It was a cool experience previously trying to find a tiger through the thick foliage of the wooded habitat, but I understand that it's a bit bigger and can probably accommodate the pride better. The Zoo is working on getting the newly arrived female tiger more accustomed to her surroundings. On a side note, I usually found the cats here to be quite active on most of my visits. *One of the Herpetarium's huge exhibits (the one closest to the alligators) is empty - I believe I remember seeing iguana in one of them a while ago, but don't remember which one exactly. The other exhibit (closest to the tortoises) has day gecko and leaf-tailed geckos residing in it; it's massive and excellent for the little reptiles! *No work has been done yet on the white rhino extension. *For the first time ever, I saw the Wisconsin Heritage complex. While I have yet to see it in its full glory during warmer months, and thus see it properly, I thought that the badger exhibits were fairly spacious, the educational signage well-detailed and fascinating, and the sandhill crane exhibit on the small side. *I also got my first look at the new North American porcupine habitat, aka the former harbor seal pool. It seems decent, with its biggest strength without a doubt being the size for the two rodents. *The enclosure in the Animal Health Center (yet another first visit for me) had a bearded emperor tamarin. Are there plans to have this species in the Rainforest Aviary eventually? HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: I've always wanted to see Arctic Passage during the winter time, and I wasn't disappointed! The bear habitats look great with snow, are fairly spacious, and offer an array of viewing opportunities. Berit the female polar bear was dozing for a while, but eventually woke up to walk around a bit, and proceeded to roll around in the snow for a while. It was a real joy to watch, and I even got my first look at new male Nuniq. He was mostly laying down in the back of his exhibit, but seemed to have adjusted well.
The exhibit that is empty wasn't the last one the iguana was in. The iguana was in the exhibit that those new geckos are in, the tree boas were in that large exhibit, now they are in that smaller exhibit next to it. So much potential for that closed exhibit! -- The Emperor Tamarins were in the aviary until a few months ago. The Golden Lion Tamarins were in the vet center for a very long time. The change was recent and was probably just to get the species in a new environment. -- I am so happy you enjoyed your visit to Henry Vilas! It is a very underrated zoo that I love dearly.
The zoo held a single geriatric female Malayan Tapir if I remember correctly. I believe it died of old age.
@MKE Zoo guy Due to the size of the exhibit, both current and when the improvements are made, I doubt it. Perhaps non-breeding holding for older females or, as of now, younger males may be the best bet, but never know. @EsserWarrior I could probably see either another small constrictor snake species, small monitor like black tree, or chameleon in that space.
Henry Vilas Zoo Henry Vilas Zoo's Berit and Nuniq have hit it off! Hopefully, they can produce cubs in the future.
The Henry Vilas Zoological Society's partnership with Dane County is in jeopardy. Henry Vilas Zoo nonprofit, county partnership could end over zoo operations dispute
