Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary Heritage Park Zoo news

An non-releasable black bear from the Sonoita (Arizona) area has been placed at the zoo.

Orphaned bear cub enters home, tries chocolate cake - U.S. News

 

They've been talking about that in the local news all weekend. I'm glad he is getting a new home, even if it's only temporary, at Heritage park with the 2 orphaned cubs. They all look to be about the same age so hopefully they'll get along. Man, I wish Phoenix Zoo could have black bears.

 

I have not looked into this zoo for a while, but I just checked their website and they have some exciting cat additions.

2 Canada lynx arrived a couple years ago.
2 young clouded leopards arrived last December.

The latter surprise me because as a general rule this zoo is a rescue center that takes in unwanted animals. However these were born "at an organization in Florida" (according to the zoo website) and are clearly NOT rescue animals.

There is also 1 tiger that I do not remember seeing on my visit a few years ago, though it may have been there.

 

I don't remember the story about why the clouded leopards are there, but they're basically holding them until another facility can build a home for them.

Cassie is the tiger and she's been there since 2009. She was a rescue from a facility in Nebraska that had shut down and wasn't taking care of their animals. Cassie has two brothers who live at Keepers of the Wild and their parents went to a facility in Minnesota. They also have a mountain lion named Jade and what seems to be a revolving door of Bobcats because they are sometimes asked by Fish & Game to hold them when something happened where they were needed to removed from the wild. It's a pretty decent facility that seems to offer a little bit of everything for everyone. The first time I was there they had just done a wolf swap with Phoenix Zoo. Heritage Park took the two females from Phoenix and sent their pack of four (5?) males to Phoenix.

 

The zoo is open in summer on full moon nights from 8-9:30pm. Here are the dates for 2016:
May 21
June 20
July 19
August 18
September 16

This is the only time to likely see the clouded leopards, as they almost never come out during the day. This is according to staff I spoke with on a recent visit and confirmed by my own lack of a sighting. BTW the clouded leopards are siblings born at Miami Metrozoo.

 

I can't believe I did not find this before. Baby cats in my own state! A litter of five Canada lynx cubs were born in May (edit - or maybe late April) 2017.

 

Lynx cubs are currently off exhibit while being reintroduced to parents. All will be on exhibit in early October.

 

A sika deer exhibit will open Fall 2018. The deer are already on site in a temporary yard.

 

The small clouded leopard exhibit has received a much needed expansion, which doubles their available space. There are two cats and they are the only clouded leopards in Arizona.

 

One wallaby killed and one other hurt in fire :

Wallaby killed, other hurt in Prescott Heritage Park zoo fire

By the way, what wallaby species do they keep?

 

Swamp.

 

There is a new book on the history of the zoo, published September 2018. It is titled The Raven Wore Boots, written by Claire Waite. It is sold in their gift shop (which I just saw on their Facebook page) as well as on Amazon here: https://smile.amazon.com/Raven-Wore...44471623&sr=1-1&keywords=the+raven+wore+boots

 

The zoo's only tiger (Cassie) died on February 3 (2019). No announcements as to what will go in the now empty exhibit.

 

This small zoo runs on a tiny budget. They recently completed a fundraising drive called "Lew Loves The Zoo" with a goal of $30,000 (a huge sum to them but pocket change to major city zoos). They surpassed their goal and raised $43,000. No indication of specific projects for the money, so I assume just to help with general operations and upkeep?

 

The golden eagle aviary opens this weekend (October 6, 2019). New species at the zoo include rock hyrax and serval.

 

Sure wish I knew about this book sooner- the only copies on amazon are well over a hundred dollars.

 

I think they still have them in their zoo gift shop (at regular price). I bought one when I was there in June (which I read and then forwarded to @snowleopard ). Since your profile says you are in Chandler you are close enough to run up there and pick one up. (Unless you are too young to drive in which case you will have to beg your parents or friends to take you). I have no immediate plans to go back or I would pick one up and mail it to you. If you call the zoo I am sure they would take a credit card over the phone and mail it to you as well.

 

2 owlets and some chipmunk babies were rescued in May.

Also, this are not news but they keep a big brown bat (eptsicus fuscus) named Piñion off exhibit.

 

Recent rescues include a Canada goose which was rescue animal 100th this year and a greater roadrunner. The goose was released and the roadrunner is still at the facility.

 

The zoo has jaguars again: Notch (a 1 1/2 year old melanistic male jaguar) and Tulio (a 1 year old male). I believe they were born at Wildlife World Zoo.

Jaguars Return to Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary | Prescott eNews