Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo news 2014

Thought I'd start out my "New Zoo Year" with a trip to my home zoo (on one of the six free days offered).

*The little to no wind, light snowfall (right up until I left the Zoo), and upper 20's temperatures made for a beautiful day for a winter Zoo trip. Several animals were out enjoying the snow - the biggest highlights being the Amur tigers, cheetah, polar bear, elk, and the best part of the entire day (see my "Highlight of the Day" section for that).

*A new shade structure has been constructed in the elephant exhibit, and while it looks like it'll provide enough shade on a hot summer day, it is quite an eyesore.

*Today I visited the Aviary for the second time in about five years; honestly, I forgot just how great it was. In my opinion, it is the best that Milwaukee has to offer in terms of naturalistic exhibits, along with the Macaque Island.

*The de Brazza's monkey is still there, and I assume he is here to stay because there is a permanent information sign about the species.

*I found out more information about the outdoor lion exhibit construction. Apparently the entire yard has been demolished, and more natural features and enrichment will be added; there will also be an expansion of the yard as well. Long ago, before the big cat house was redone in 2005, visitors could also see the outdoor lion area from another window on the other side (by the outdoor jaguar viewing window), and enter the cat house from there too. From the 2005 opening of the cat house to now, that window and entrance have been blocked off. When I took a look at the progress, the wall on that side had been knocked down; I would assume that the expansion would be into that area, but don't know for sure. The project will be completed sometime later this year.

*According to the info board in Big Cat Country's kitchen, the tayras have been moved there. I don't know if this is permanent or their area back at the Small Mammals Building (which I didn't visit today) is getting redesigned and were temporarily housed here.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: The majestic snow leopards were by far the best part of the trip! I have always wanted to get a photo of a snow leopard in the winter. Last time, the snow leopards were off-display due to intros to one another. This time though, while male Genghis rested in a log, female Tomoris was walking along the top part of the habitat - allowing for some great photo opportunities! I hope to post them (along with some other winter photos) soon!

 

An article about how the animals are dealing with the cold.

Just chillin': Milwaukee County Zoo's animals adjust to the cold - m.JSOnline.com

 

Bonobo babies:

Bonobo Births | Milwaukee County Zoo

 

They don't give the sex or name of the bonobos. Do any zoochaters know?

 

Wow I would typically think of baby bonobos as pretty cute. Neither shot makes either baby look cute. And that one monther looks so bizzare with so little hair. I know hair loss is common but doesnt change the oddity of it for me.

 

The Zoo's got a brand new species: the chestnut teal.

Zoo Acquires Chestnut Teals | Milwaukee County Zoo

 

Milwaukee's last cheetah, Nama, died while under anesthesia during a health exam.

The Milwaukee County Zoo Announces Cheetah Death | Milwaukee County Zoo

The Zoo does plan to get more cheetahs, but in my opinion, this would be a perfect time to move the hyenas from the area they rotate with the lions to the now-empty cheetah exhibit. The redesigned outdoor lion exhibit will soon open, and both species would have more space all to themselves.

 

An article about the Zoo's successful breeding program for red-billed hornbills.

For hornbills, Milwaukee zoo's savanna is ultimate love nest

 

Thank you Milwaukee Man for sharing the Red-billed hornbill article ! I've a question about the Red-billed hornbill population in the USA, are they tried to be kept at species-level or are they a mix of the several Red-billed species ?

 

I don't know about the rest of the U.S. population, but when I checked the Aviary's species list, there was no specification of what species of red-billed hornbill it is. I actually didn't even know there were different species of red-billed hornbill (don't know my birds too well ).

 

Scientists study whether orangutan Mahal's death points to greater threat

 

The necropsy has shown that 5-year old orangutan Mahal was killed by a never before known species of tapeworm.

New parasite kills Wisconsin zoo's star orangutan - TwinCities.com

 

A female gorilla was born Mar 19 to mom Nuka. They are fairly sure its a girl and shes been named Kassiu. She and Nuka go on exhibit this weekend.

Milwaukee Zoo celebrates birth of baby gorilla | Local News - WISN Home

 

Elephant keeper struck quiet chords with Milwaukee County Zoo animals

 

The baby gorilla, Kassiu, unexpectedly died.

Baby gorilla dies less than month after birth at Milwaukee County Zoo

 

What's the group set-up with the Gorillas here? The mother looks very bald, indicating stress-related hair plucking,- which could in turn be related to the baby's sad death.

 

Milwaukee has two gorilla troops:

The family group consists of male Cassius (age 27, father of the deceased baby Kassiu), and females Naku (age 13, mother of the deceased baby Kassiu), Shalia (I believe age 12), and Femelle (I don't know the exact age but I think it's somewhere in the upper 40's).

The bachelor troop consists of Hodari and Maji Maji (both I believe in their 20's).

 

Shalia was born in Feb/Mar 2002, which would make her 12. The family group is a relatively new group, as Shalia was transferred to Milwaukee in June 2012 and Naku was transferred a year before that.

 

So its a proper group and she has other female company. But there must be some reason why she is so plucked/bald...

Femelle used to live in Washington. I saw her there many years ago now.

 

Sting Ray and Shark Bay is returning for the summer:

Meet the Animals: Special Exhibit | Milwaukee County Zoo

And an article about three Gentoo penguin chicks that hatched over the winter.

A Busy Winter for the Gentoo Penguins! | Milwaukee County Zoo