Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens LA Zoo News 2010

I was at the zoo today and I got to see the new Sarus Crane in the Pachyderm Forest China exhibit. I've also read that the two Chinese Water Deer have been on exhibit lately. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that this exhibit will open soon.

I also saw another pair of Peninsular Pronghorn calves (1.1) in the Nursery, as well as a Black Duiker calf.

 

Blackduiker

Excellent news! I had raised the idea of an early opening for that section, with someone I'm in contact with in GLAZA. That was sometime last year. They didn't think that it was in the plans at the time. But you know from walking through the area Mario, that there shouldn't be any logical reason not to open, just that section for now, and allow access to the Sarus Crane, Chinese Water Deer, and even a good vantage point for seeing Billy. And since they're building in phases, there doesn't always have to be long delays until every phase is complete, to have one huge grand opening. This was true even before the main zoo was completed in 1966; the public was given an earlier look at the Children's Zoo ahead of time. I believe that was sometime in 1965.

 

Any idea whether the Peninsular pronghorn programme will be expanded this year? There has been talk for quite a while to increase the number of founders ....

 

The zoo has been trying to import more founders since they imported the first 4 pronghorns, but they haven't been able to do so. Hopefully this year the zoo is successful.

 

ISIS lists the birth of three giant otter cubs at the LA Zoo. Does anyone have information about this?

 

That was quick

And welcome to the site Saro

 

That's weird, I haven't heard anything yet. I even saw the otters on exhibit yesterday and I didn't notice anything different. I'll have to ask next time I'm at the zoo if this is true or not.

Hopefully this is not an ISIS mistake.

 

That's news to me as well, but would be very nice if indeed true. I'd be cautiously optimistic though.

 

I asked about the otters this afternoon at the zoo and was told that there were 3 pups born, but none of them survived. All I was told was that there was a problem with Dad. I was told that they were going to let them breed again, but separate Dad when she is nearing the birth date.

 

Thanks for asking.

It sucks that they didn't make it, hopefully next birth will be more successful.

 

I did check ISIS so apparently that did get it right. Thanks for checking polar bear.

 

Thank you polar bear - this is very interesting. Usually it is possible and also important that giant otter parents and older siblings rear cubs together. There could be something wrong with the keeping conditions, if that is not possible at LA. It might very well not work to seperate the parents for cub rearing, as they are strongly bonded and would be highly stressed if seperated. Only in a very few cases (at Sao Paulo in the seventies and at Hamburg in 1990 did it work to seperate the male and reintroduce it later on). Often a combination of stress and wrong keeping conditions cause giant otter parents to mistreat or kill their cubs.

 

Blackduiker

Recent Activities (from the April issue of Zoo Scape):

Arrivals:
0.0.2 Madagascar Giant Day Gecko
0.0.4 Green Tree Python
0.1.0 White-fronted Marmoset
1.0.0 Chimpanzee

Births:
0.0.1 Madagascan Spider Tortoise
1.0.0 Red-flanked Duiker
1.1.0 Peninsular Pronghorn(L.A.'s first female birth)

And probably the most exciting news; in January, the zoo's female Komodo Dragon laid a clutch of 24 eggs. Which hopefully, after some 9 months in a high tech incubator, that precisely maintains ideal temperature and humidity, will hatch in about October.

 

Thanks for the news!

I heard that the zoo has been allowed by the SSP to breed the chimps once again, which is why a new male chimp was brought in from Miami (I think).

 

Coudl you porvide me with some backgroudn info on this female? I heard she was born in 2003 at Toronto Zoo, moved to Minnesota in 2005 and then to LA Zoo?

 

That is basically all I know about her also.

 

Blacksuiker

That's correct. The new chimp is named Ben, a 7 year old from Miami's Metrozoo. The SSP also recommended L.A. breed the white-fronted Marmoset, so we received the female to go on exhibit with our lone male in the South American section. She has already completed quarantine.

 

I just saw some photos that indicate that the Nicobar Pigeon and Crowned Pigeon are back on exhibit in the walk through Aviary!

 

Blackduiker

Excellent news. Both of the aviaries need an increase in bird population.

 

I was at the zoo today and I found out that the new male Chimp Ben has been introduced to three females of the group: Pandora, Gracie, and Zoe. The good news is that he has been seen mating with the three, so hopefully there will be some babies soon! He has also been going on exhibit with the three females and the zoo will soon begin to introduce him to the rest of the troop.

There was also bad news. I found out that Methuselah, the American Alligator, passed away on March 17. He was one of the original animals that came from the old Griffith Park Zoo over 40 years ago. The zoo believes that he was at least 70 years old, as when he arrived to the old zoo in he was already a full grown alligator, so they think that his death was due to his old age. He was a favorite among staff, volunteers, and visitors, he will be greatly missed.