Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo news 2017

I was able to track down the diagram for the new elephant exhibit as well as what the Zoo is considering as phase 1 of their master plan, for the rhinos and hippos which are to come in the coming years.

Milwaukee County Zoo Adventure Africa

 

Thank you very much. Just curious, how did you "track down" these documents? And is this all confirmed?

Also, when I click the flickr link, I only see the new elephant and antelope exhibits, but not the hippos and rhinos.

Edit: I also just noticed, that my greatest fear is true. Dall Sheep Mountain will remain!

 

I fix the problem with showing what they are considering phase 1 or Adventure Africa.

As for are these confirmed, I would say yes. These images came directly from the county files from a September 13, 2016 Parks, Energy & Environmental Committee meeting. There may be a few tweaks to the design as with any project but I am assuming that this is as final as it is currently.

 

any idea of what animals are going into what exhibit?

 

Main Elephant Yard: African Elephant

Savannah Yard (former wolf woods): Zebra, Thomson's gazelle, Impala, Birds, African Elephant

Forest Yard (former Australia): Eastern Bongo, Yellow-Backed Duiker

 

what's going to happen with the current Thomson's gazelle & Impala exhibit?

 

Will most likely be used for the future Rhino and/or hippo expansion.

 

The savannah yard is being designed in a way that it will allow the gazelle's and the impala's into the elephant yard but not let the elephants into the savannah yard according to the zoo president during the meeting he present at. Either way still exciting to see something fresh coming.

 

Construction is now in full swing! The former brown bear exhibit is being dismantled, while other prep work to the site is being done. Glad to see it started.

 

Exciting news! Haven't been in almost 30 years, so this is a good excuse to take a day trip up from Chicago on my next visit.

 

I am not sure this true. I think the exhibit will remain, but will not have Dall Sheep. I read somewhere on zoochat that Dall Sheep are a phase-out species.

 

Not necessarily, while I hope you're right, zoos will still take in animals that are a phase out species. It doesn't completely dictate what animal is a zoo could or could not have.

 

For the first time in 25 years, Gila monsters are on display.

Zoo Marks Arrival of Two Gila Monsters | Milwaukee County Zoo

 

Are the Gila Monsters replacing another reptile?

 

@Moebelle was kind enough to upload a brief clip of Adventure Africa construction. The entire area is a huge dirt pile, as all the grass is been removed and the massive lake has been filled in. Almost all of the brown bear exhibit has been removed, except for the rock wall and the holding area

 

Not quite finished with my visit but I am with my videos. I covered nearly the entire zoo: Family Aviary, Apes of Africa and Primates of the World, Small Mammal House, Asia/South America/Africa/Big Cats/Pachyderms section, North America, and within a couple days I will post a more in depth video of the elephant complex.

 

Looking at the Phase One overlay it looks like it incorporates the giraffe area also, in addition to the elephants, hippos, rhinos. Are there any announced plans to build a new giraffe exhibit eventually, or is it assumed that the existing giraffe area will remain as is and be integrated into the new Africa zone?

 

That’s what I was wondering. Wasn’t sure if there were going to be incorporated into the rhino expansion and having the two species together or not.

Also was wondering what is going to be happening housing buildings for the larger African animals? Will that area be torn down and rebuilt or would they repurpose the holding areas? Hoping that they will be torn down and rebuilt creating a new path of sorts to the big cats area and maybe a make over for that area to have better outside viewing of that cats. Although it may not happen until after the African adventure phases, and then the Alaskan coast phase too.

 

Not sure if this is old news or not, but I took a look at the zoos map and noticed that the outdoor siamang exhibit is listed as "Mandrill & Siamang." Is the zoo finally getting to work on the primate house renovations?

 

They have been slowly reworking the outdoor exhibits it appears, as big renovations no, nothing real big renovations are happening.