Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo News 2019

After weeks of bad weather, I made it out to Milwaukee County. It's been a while since I've seen the facility in its full summer glory, so it was a treat to once again see animals enjoying the warm sunshine, and the seasonal attractions booming. Let's start out with the main reason for my tour, and the aspect you're probably looking forward to the most...

My Thoughts on Adventure Africa: Phase 1

There have been some reviews, photos, and other thoughts about the long-awaited addition, and now I'm throwing mine into the mix. The complex seems to have a bit of a varied reception on this site - I think I fall somewhere in the middle. There is some great stuff that was either well-thought out or a substantial improvement from previous, but at the same time it's easy to see where some corners were cut or not reaching their full potential. Let's see what this safari has to offer:

Elephant Habitat - At 1.6 acres, this is much bigger than the original habitat. It isn't enormous like most other recent elephant expansions, but for the space the Zoo had to work with, and the future plans it has in place, it's fine. The size, however, is not the only thing updated; there are several forms of enrichment to keep Brittany and Ruth busy like a pair of enrichment walls to stick their trunks through, a trio of willow trees to feed from (still standing from when the moose exhibit was in place), a good-sized pool, and even grass. It was a pleasant blend of naturalism and functionality, resulting in a decent but unspectacular pachyderm enclosure. Lastly, there is a demonstration yard where elephant talks take place behind the main habitat, and across from African Forest; the girls were hanging out in here as the main exhibit was undergoing repairs. Without a doubt a major upgrade from the elephants' previous accommodations.

Elephant Care Center - Another big upgrade for Milwaukee's largest residents is the interior. The entry area looks stunning with a concrete/glass/wood decor; walking through the sliding doors is a viewing area that looks into a good-sized common area for the elephants complete with a sandy floor. When looking to the left, there are numerous stalls that seem to be used to separate animals at times for health checks or shifting animals to different areas. Additionally, the signage focuses on elephant care including what keepers do for enrichment and husbandry everyday. Younger visitors can even get an understanding of this through some kiosks more geared towards that certain age group. The only things I would say are that the visitor area seems a bit small for large crowds, and the actual barn area is a bit sterile, like a couple more sections to interact with such as a secured rock or wood area on the wall (I think Dallas has something like that I saw in an image?) would enhance this. There's not a whole lot that can be done there though, and it doesn't take away from the fact that the interior elephant experience has been nicely enhanced for the most part. *On a side note, I feel the pathway in front of the barn could be enhanced with some more African-themed decor like statues, drums, etc.

Impala Plains - For me, this was the least successful section of the new complex. Only a pair of crowned cranes was out (my first time seeing these two by the way), while the impala, plains zebra, and ostrich (there is an I.D. sign for them nearest to the hoofstock barn) were nowhere to be seen. To be fair though, the weather hasn't been on our side for impala to get used to the area properly yet, and the latter two are still in quarantine. Also, the size of the exhibit seems to be on the small side for the number of animals it wants to hold. And the fact that the entire enclosure is surrounded by fencing does take away from the natural appearance, especially as visitors don't get any open views; a water moat and some slopes towards the viewing areas would fix this issue in my opinion. To finish off on a good note, the quality of the exhibit itself is pretty good, with hilly terrain, green grass, and a foliage area in the middle.

African Forest - The highlight of Adventure Africa in my opinion. The original Australian building has been repurposed for the Zoo's African hoofstock and birds, and the kangaroo/emu yard was hardly changed for the bongos (the only species out at the time), yellow-backed duiker, and Kenya crested guineafowl that inhabit it. There is tall grass, a variety of terrain, and shady trees - a perfect environment for these secretive creatures. The only thing I have to say is that metal cables have been added to the top section of the exhibit walls. I would imagine they're for the guineafowl, but part of me also hopes they are only temporary until the animals get used to their new home. Aside from that, it's a good repurpose of an old enclosure.

Educational Features - One of the things Milwaukee has usually done well with is its exhibit interpretation and education sections - Adventure Africa is no different in that regard. Starting with the "Conservation Outpost," this is a repurpose of the former Wolf Viewing Cabin. There is a television that shows two different videos on connecting with elephants, a compare/contrast poster with forest and savanna elephants, and bits of information on the 96 elephants campaign. Other than a more authentic African setting being needed inside, this is another good reuse of an original area. Also, sprinkled throughout the complex are several kiosks related to certain animal behaviors such as safety in numbers, jumping distances of animals compared to impalas, and communication. Most noteworthy is a corner near the demo yard entirely dedicated to elephant dung; this is an intriguing spot where visitors learn about dung beetles, what the poop consists of, and there's even a few wheelbarrow loads of fake feces!

OVERALL: I feel like a good comparison for Milwaukee's Adventure Africa would be Toledo's Tembo Trail. Both offer an environment that does not quite emphasize naturalism, but do a good job at catering to the animals' natural behaviors and providing new challenges for them. In the Wisconsin establishment's case, this complex was a long time coming. It is unfortunate that some of the original ideas like the bridge connecting the elephants and hoofstock were scrapped, along with some additional corners that needed to be cut even during the actual construction/planning (like size of some enclosures). The biggest issue of Adventure Africa, though, is that the level of naturalism and immersion needs a good amount of improvement, a problem that could've been easy to fix in some areas in my opinion. On the flip side, the animals' new areas are for the most part improvements from previous, there is a level of creativity in showing off some natural behaviors, and a solid, well-rounded educational experience is on offer. It isn't anything phenomenal, but a sign of forward progression nonetheless.


Moving on to the rest of the Zoo, what else is new (apologies if some of this has already been posted)?

*I believe both red river hogs were on display in the morning, but later in the afternoon there was only one.
*The signage for the American black bear has been taken down. Considering the age of the last bear, I wouldn't be surprised if Milwaukee no longer has the species.
*The red panda exhibit was blocked off; it was previously reported on here that we might have a panda cub. The only thing I saw was the tail of an adult hanging out of a hut. Using my zoom on the camera, I tried to see if I could spot anything within; it could've been just the animal's front leg or head, or indeed a cub, but it was really hard to tell from a distance.
*I saw the flamingos swimming and wadding in the middle of their large pond - interesting as I recall them mainly hanging out near the primary viewing area.
*The pathway to the pheasantry and whooping crane aviaries is completely fenced off in order to give the two cranes privacy to better their bond.
*Looks like there is a new baby Japanese macaque - it was swinging around a bit, before tumbling off a rock into some bushes. A little moment of cuteness.
*Alexandria the new female orangutan continues to adjust to her new surroundings. Two of the three indoor rooms have been covered up by drapes to help with privacy, while one was uncovered - resident male Tommy was in that particular room.
*2019's summer special exhibit, Brick Dinos, is a unique take on the usual dinosaur exhibits. All the displays are made of Legos, and are wonderful creations of fossil sites and different prehistoric beasts like Pterosaur, Plesiosaur, Stegosaurus, and even trilobites. At the end is a T.V. projection on the building process of the structures, and a play area with all sorts of Legos and a dig site. On the whole, this is an intriguing and well-done exhibit that is sure to be popular with visitors - especially kids who adore Legos and dinosaurs!
*There is the following in quarantine: two female ostrich, two male plains zebra, a female silver beaked tanager, a female pekin robin, six piranha, and six clownfish.

 

A Whooping Crane has hatched:

Whooping Crane Egg Scorecard 2019 | International Crane Foundation

 

Updates from my visit yesterday:

• No currasow to be seen in Primates of the World.
• Even though I couldn't see them, I sure could hear the Whooping Cranes!
• Several Laysan Teals (presumably last year's chicks) not inhabit the free flight aviary.
• Three new species for the zoo are on display in the free-flight room: a pair of Chinese Hwamei, a pair of Pied Imperial Pigeons, and two male Baikal Teals.
• There is a Cape Thick-Knee chick in the larger of the two savanna aviaries.
• Two Waldrapp Ibis chicks have hatched.
• There is a single Puna Teal in the Guam Aviary. Is this new?
• Turns out one more Australian animal did stay: a Laughing Kookaburra is now on display in the Australian aviary.
• Asian Fairy-Bluebirds and Spangled Cotingas noticeably gone.
• Domestic Cat and Domestic Rabbit are no longer on exhibit.
• No Baird's Tapirs at all.
• All of the zoo's tortoises seem to have disappeared.
• The Emerald Tree Monitors moved into the old flying snake enclosure, NOT the turtle/basilisk one.
• No more Leopard Sharks in the kelp forest tank.
• Anyone know what happened to the Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle?
• A keeper told me "the exhibit is built for three elephants".
• According to the sign, a Desert Spiny Lizard now lives with the Gila Monsters. I couldn't find it, though.
• The South American and Elk yards had large sections cut off.
• No Hooded Mergansers to be seen.
• Nests, nests, nests! The following birds were building or sitting on nests in the aviary. As for how many of them will have chicks, I have no idea:

-Tawny Frogmouth
-Black-necked Stilt
-White-headed Buffalo Weaver
-Victoria Crowned-Pigeon
-Black-naped Fruit Dove
-Plush-crested Jay
-White-faced Whistling-Duck
-Waldrapp Ibis
-White-bellied Stork
-Chinese Hwamei
-Taveta Golden Weaver
-Superb Starling
-Indian Peafowl (intimidately outside the aviary entrance).

Adventure Africa thoughts in the next post.

 

When I visited the zoo today, one thought kept going through my head:

"The zoo feels empty."

Cages not filled, or under-stocked, or containing "repeat" animals plague the zoo, even more so with AA. Here I am going to run some numbers. Normally I hate math but here it is zoo math so it is okay. I am going to go though each complex, and give each one a point for empty enclosures. 1 point for a completely empty enclosure, and 0.5 points for an almost empty one. I will show this number as a fraction (out of the total number of enclosures) and then as a percentage.

ARC: 1/35 or 2.86% empty
The former side-necked turtle and basilisk exhibit is still empty.

Aviary: 1/20 or 5% empty
One point for the small enclosure in Wong Family Peasantry which I assume is still empty.

North America (inc. Otter Passage and Arctic Animals): 0.5/9 or 5.55% empty
Not empty, but not the highest quality area of the zoo either. 0.5 point for the large area of the Elk enclosure sectioned off. Almost gave a full point for the prairie dogs, which I haven't seen for the past three visits, but didn't because I don't know if they truly aren't there or not.

Family Farm: 6/19 or 31.58% empty
Point each to the empty porcupine, rabbit, cat, woodchuck, and squirrel exhibits. Also a point to the now empty raptor perches. Almost awarded 0.5 points to the bird show which featured maybe half the amount of species it did last year, but decided against it in the end. Almost awarded one point to the duck enclosure as well, which was empty yesterday. I decided against it due to the fact the duck was elsewhere in the zoo (animal ambassador).

Big Cat County (including outdoor carnivore exhibits): 1/11 or 9.09% empty
The Asian Black Bear exhibit is still unused and overrun with Yellow Sweet-Clover, which makes it look worse. Almost awarded 0.5 point to the Serval enclosure, because it took me forever to find the cat.

Africa/Asia/South America: 6.5/18 or 36.11% empty
One point each awarded to empty elephant, hippo, tapir, African forest, and Red Panda yards. Plus one more point for empty indoor tapir area. Plus 0.5 point for large, empty, sectioned off area of South American yard. I considered adding 0.5 point to the African waterhole, which had only zebras, but didn't because I assume the rest of the animals are bts only temporarily.

Apes of Africa: 1/5 or 20% empty
One point to empty Rainbow Lizard enclosure. None of the apes were outside during my visit yesterday, but I didn't count those in my total.

Primates of the World (inc. Macaque Island): 0.5/13 or 3.84% empty
0.5 point given to Goeldi's Monkey enclosure. It's great for the animals but it's very big and makes them hard to find. I'm not against enclosures like that one but it still does add it's own piece of the empty feel.

Small Mammals: 2/27 or 7.4% empty
Two empty enclosures. That might not seem that bad, but this house is the definition of repeat animals.

Adventure Africa: 1.5/3 or 50% empty
0.5 point awarded to all three yards! Impala Plains is a large area, but is kind of boring and underused with just a pair of crowned cranes. I could only find one Bongo in the forest yard after about 10 minutes of looking. The elephant yard doesn't fare much better with only the two elephants. Is this what Milwaukee needed? Yes. Is this better than what was there before? Yes. But does it currently suffer from the same emptiness as the rest of the zoo? Yes.

I still love Milwaukee. It is by far the best of the Wisconsin zoos, and I still love visiting. I hope this emptiness is temporary and soon Milwaukee will be a great zoo again. But that doesn't change its situation right now.

Total: 21/160 or 13.12% empty

 

Also, some Indian Peafowl and Hellbenders are leaving the zoo. I don't know how many are going or where.

 

I would agree with you, much of the zoo feels empty at times while other areas there just seems to be over filled with the same animal you have previously seen. I think that much of the central part of the zoo will remain that way until all phases of AA is completed. Until that happens I don't see the zoo populating this area like it used to. Even still, I think there is a more of a shift in the way animals are being housed that is driving this emptiness feeling, and the zoo is trying to adapt to it. Overall, there seems to a growing shift from displaying as many kinds of animals as one zoo can, to displaying a good habit for the population that they have.

Also, I believe personalities of the animals are playing a large role in the emptiness feeling. For a person that goes at least once a weekish to the zoo, I can't tell you how many times that I have just seen the two female zebras out in the African waterhole exhibit. Yes, now that its finally warm enough the stork is out, but that still leaves two species of animals that I have hardly seen. I saw a male and female greater kudu one time out, with a zoo ambassador watching, which I could only assume that they are working with the SSP to start a program at the zoo. However, the waterbucks I still haven't seen yet.

I know that they recently got a new animal curator this year, and obtaining animals and integrating them into the zoo takes time. So as much as this year seems like there should be a lot of excitement around the first phase opening, it maybe be an off year for the zoo. They mentioned how they didn't meet the numbers that they were hoping for last year, plus many of the animals for the first phase didn't arrive till weeks before the new area opened. So maybe some of the things that are happening are cost saving measures, and other are just unknown.

I don't understand how the new impala yard isn't actually being used by the hoof stock yet, I've been there so many times and the exhibit just has the crown cranes and no other animals, not even footprints that I have seen, even in the area corded off in the exhibit. Or how about the outdoor Colobus exhibit, the permitter fence is still down, and the last several times I've been there, there is a ladder in the exhibit.

Overall, Yes the zoo does feel emptier then it previously has, and I feel like its a mix of things like you have previously mentioned, like doubles of animal species, new exhibits, new animals that aren't out yet, also old exhibits that aren't filled. Hopefully its just a blimp and maybe by the end of summer things will be better.

 

Zoo Welcomes Two Female Ostriches to Adventure Africa | Milwaukee County Zoo

 

Wow, Milwaukee Man called it. Does this mean we'll finally see impala and zebras at the enclosure?

 

It may take a while but hopefully soon. In the impalas’ case, it’s simply the case of a brand-new environment with a different layout - like mostly being elevated at visitor eye-level for example, along with mostly species that Milwaukee hasn’t had them with before so perhaps they’re playing things safely and carefully. Also doesn’t help that we haven’t been having the spring and early summer we are familiar with.

Considering the recent weather, maybe the zebras will be the first to adapt and be put out more often as they can be hardy from experience. Plus, not only is their quarantine likely close to being complete (if not already done) as I believe they arrived around the same time the ostriches did, but the two species have been kept together in Milwaukee’s past, so there may be more priority in getting something already proven successful done first.

 

Quick updates: since the weather has been so bad this spring, it has hampered the animals from being put out. Also it’s confirmed that we will be getting a new elephant sometime “soon.” Paperwork just needs to be finish but that they are hoping by September but who knows for sure. The zoo ambassadors haven’t been told yet if it’s a male or female. Lastly, the ostriches were out today. Soon the zebra and the impalas will be joining them. Apparently the impalas were just moved over about a week and a half ago.

Milwaukee County Zoo on Twitter

 

A single elephant makes me wonder if it will be a bull. Although I do believe their may be a single female African elephant at private owner in Wisconsin.

 

Really? Can you find more information on her?

 

Did the male impala move too?

 

No he’s still in the former exhibit, when asked about him moving to the exhibit the ambassador had no idea why he wasn’t moving.

 

A little rain earlier in the day did not stop me from making a visit today. And a visit it was.

-I finally got to see the elephants in the main yard today and it was really a sight to behold. They look much smaller then they were in the previous exhibit. They were also incredibly active tossing over logs, eating from the trees (which are already almost destroyed) and I even got to see them up close to the glass.
-The two ostriches we’re out today and were also quite active, running all over the plains. Interestingly there was no sign of the cranes like previously, likely just to help the ostriches get used to the yard.
-Still no impala, zebra or gunieafowl on exhibit.
-Construction has not started on the hippo exhibit just yet, though it will be starting very soon from what I was told.
-The old elephant stall closest to the the giraffes is boarded up.
-All three orangutan rooms are opened up and the new female was incredibly active, climbing all over the indoor space from the ceiling to the ropes.
-The fencing in the South American yard has been removed.

 

I have a theory as to why the resident male impala is not included in Adventure Africa.
The only times I've seen him out is with the thomson's gazelles. I may be wrong but I feel like the female impalas weren't introduced to or didn't get along with the gazelles, so they rotated them, because I had never seen the male impala with the female herd. Perhaps he is older, and there is a new, younger, male with the females in Adventure Africa. Or maybe he isn't needed genetically in the captivity population. Thoughts? Does anyone know about how old the male impala is?

 

Hey guys I’m new to the chat...

Some updates on the zoo are that I heard a giraffe is pregnant and will give birth soon. Not sure if it was true or not but one of the giraffes stomach was much bigger than the others. The waterbucks are apparently still adjusting to the waterhole exhibit. Orangutan exhibit is completely uncovered and both were in the same room

 

Welcome and thanks for the updates!

 

Welcome to the site James, feel free to ask any questions.

 

Glad to be here and I will do Also any questions you guys have I could answer to the best of my availability... like for the next phases of AA