Kansas City Zoo Kansas City Zoo News

A giraffe calf was born at the zoo.

New addition at KC Zoo: Lizzie the giraffe gives birth to second calf, a baby girl

 

Eight macaroni penguins hatched. Not only are these the first to hatch in Kansas City, but they are the first of their kind to live at the Zoo as they originally came as eggs.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox4kc...first-ever-macaroni-penguin-chicks-hatch/amp/

 

Can't open the link overhere in the Netherlands. Is it mentioned in the article from where the eggs came and howmany eggs were recieved ?

 

The eggs came from SeaWorld San Diego

 

A fire brokeout in the overnight building that houses the meerkats and a few other small animals. All animals were rescued, as the title says.

Crews fight fire at Kansas City Zoo building, all animals rescued

 

By May, the Zoo’s African elephants will enjoy a renovated habitat with a new pool and waterfall. The visitor area nearby will also be improved.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox4kc...improved-elephant-exhibit-to-open-in-may/amp/

 

Apparently the penguins at Kansas City Zoo have been out to visit an art gallery.

Penguins Wander Empty Art Museum During Field Trip from Zoo

 

$10 Million Upgraded Elephant Opens Friday May 22:

KC Zoo’s new and $10 million improved elephant exhibit opens Friday

The new habitat features a more elephant-friendly pool and waterfall.

Visitors should also expect to see improved viewing areas, including a deck at elephant overlook.

Kansas City Zoo has 1.6 African elephants:

1.0 Tamani (2005)
0.1 Lady (1968)
0.1 Tattoo (1978)
0.1 Megan (1978)
0.1 Lea (1978)
0.1 Lois (1978)
0.1 Zoe (1984)

 

Any elephant cows that still might make it to the calving stages yet (allthough looking at ages and all that is a non-starter now)?

 

I would say that ship has sailed for the current elephant cows at KC Zoo. They were part of an effort to import additional cows to the SSP, but with the CITES action and activists, I think that multi-zoo effort has ceased. Unfortunate, as those elephants will probably end up culled in Africa. I do believe that KC Zoo is committed to long term elephant exhibit and breeding, they will just need to find the cows to join their herd that can breed.

 

I don’t usually post news outside the Australasian region but I don’t think this has been mentioned. Back in February, Kansas City Zoo welcomed a White-cheeked Gibbon birth. The female was later named Leilani. The baby’s mother is Kit (2005) who came from Perth Zoo, Australia. Her parents are wild-born Phillip (1973) and Melbourne-born Viann (1993).

Facebook post: Kansas City Zoo

Full article: KC Zoo welcomes newborn white-cheeked gibbon

 

Death of Radi the Western lowland gorilla and a giraffe:

KC Zoo announces death of giraffe, gorilla

Radi the gorilla and the patriarch of the zoo's gorilla troop died on July 13.

According to the zoo, the 37-year-old gorilla had been in the zoo since the Africa section opened in 1995.

Radi had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had been losing weight. Declining health caused the zoo to humanely euthanize the gorilla Monday.

 

Dixie, a 2 1/2-year-old Masai giraffe was born in February 2018 and has died of unknown reasons. Zoologists think she died of rumenitis, which is an inflammation in her stomach that she was getting treated for right until her death on July 11th.

Kansas City Zoo mourns deaths of 2 animals, including Dixie the giraffe

 

A male Polar bear is coming from Henry Vilas Zoo:

Kansas City Zoo preparing for arrival of new male polar bear named Nuniq | FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

Nuniq was born November 14, 2016 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

He will join KCZ’s elderly female, Berlin (aged 31). Though Berlin is past breeding age, they hope they can eventually share an exhibit space.

 

$75 million aquarium receives final approval:

Kansas City Zoo receives final approval to build $75 million aquarium | KSNT News

Friends of the Zoo, the zoo’s operator, plans 600,000 gallons of tanks in a 60,000-square-foot building with 30-35 exhibits featuring marine animals from around the world.

As long as they can secure the rest of those private donations, the plan would be to begin construction early next year and open by June 2023.

 

Architectural renderings of the new potential Aquarium are below. As mentioned above, more funding is required before the go ahead. The Aquarium is to be built in the old Main Valley - destroying all of the historical exhibits created during the Zoo's formation in 1909.

While most of these funds were already secured pre-COVID and considering the Zoo has had to let go a majority of it's frontline staff (keeper staff have had to help tear tickets at the gate and conduct grounds work such as landscaping, bussing, and trash collection), I'm surprised they are moving ahead with such a big undertaking. A brand new staff of Aquarists and LSS personnel will need to be hired to run the new Aquarium.

https://www.ehdd.com/project/kansas-city-zoo-aquarium

 

1.1 Sand cat kittens were born in October:

Kansas City Zoo welcomes 2 sand cat kittens

 

Two Koala are arriving in March 2021:

Kansas City Zoo to host koalas for first time in 5 years

The Kansas City Zoo will welcome koalas for the first time in five years in 2021.

Sean Putney, chief zoological officer, told 41 Action News two koalas will come to Kansas City from the San Diego Zoo in March.

After a month in quarantine, which is standard protocol for all incoming animals, the koalas will be in an exhibit through the end of October.

He said the KC Zoo had koalas once about five years ago, and another time around 15 years ago.

 

Here is an article with an interview of the Executive Director, including details on the zoo's conservation initiatives and a few details of the zoo's future aquarium development:

Kansas City Zoo | CEO Randy Wisthoff on expansion plans | blooloop

 

The two koalas have now safely arrived from San Diego Zoo. They will go on display next month and stay at the zoo until November 2021: Chuckels and Thackory; KC Zoo's newest koala transplants