Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo News 2019

Two little articles:
Dwarf goats born! - 12 Nigerian Dwarf Goats Born at the Milwaukee County Zoo | Milwaukee County Zoo
Baby Macaque born- The Milwaukee County Zoo announces the birth of a Japanese Macaque | Milwaukee County Zoo

 

Awesome to have you part of the group, not sure if you seen the thread on Milwaukee Zoo’s master plan but I’d thought I’d pass the overall plan along.

 

Thank you!!!! And I haven’t read about it but worked at the zoo last summer and this summer and have some extra info on Adventure Africa and new babies/arrivals

 

Feel free to share, many of us try our best to find out what’s going on, what animals are coming or going, or what’s happening to animals around the zoo.

 

Alright. So I found out that one of the female giraffes will give birth any day now. Also a female camel gave birth a few weeks ago. Impala plains has been rotated between the ostrich and cranes but soon should have zebra and impala on exhibit as well. Primate building had a temporary closed sign today. Not sure if it was for orangutan bonding or construction... only could walk by bonobo and gorilla exhibits

 

Yesterday I want to Milwaukee Zoo, not even knowing they were gonna be open late so here are some of thing I found out
The Impala have been going out, but only in the morning (wasn't able to see them sadly, but wanted to say this)
The Ground Hornbills were out for part of the day, when I saw them out they spent most of the time close to the wall
Saw a Turkey push a Peafowl into the Camel exhibit

 

The zoo is guessing a baby rhinoceros hornbill will be born soon

 

Wow. That's really great

 

Not sure but it could be that we have a baby chick. This zoo has got a lot of exciting next few years to look forward to

 

I received a full plan pamphlet regarding Adventure Africa Phase 2: Hippos in the mail today. It contained a full round up of info regarding the new exhibit space, including...

• A brand new 60,000 gallon outdoor pool. It will be 7 feet deep and more than 3 times the size of the existing outdoor watering hole. The View is sure to delight kids and families as they view hippos with only glass as separation.
• Creating a new hippo home that is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The water will be recirculated once it is filtered and will save more than 20 million gallons annually.
• Giving our hippos a beach area just outside the pool for grazing and basking in the sun.

Additionally, a graphic shows that the existing red river hog and hippo yards, plus the old African Forest exhibit will all be blocked off from public access until the new hippo exhibit opens in June 2020.

I have contacted the zoo regarding the fate of the red river hogs, the possibility of a new indoor hippo exhibit and any info pertaining to Adventure Africa Phase 3: Rhinos. I have yet to hear a response.

 

Listen, I'm a little biased here, as the river hogs are my favorite animals in the zoo, BUT I'd be devastated if they left. Hopefully when they respond to you, its good news

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on Zoochat, but I’ve been lurking. When I was little my family would go almost every Sunday and that is really what started my love for zoos and animals. Having gained the love of zoos from an early age I’ve also traveled as many of us have on here and seen many different zoos, including Columbus, Cincinnati, Indy, Omaha, Brookfield, Lincoln Park, Minnesota and several smaller zoos in the Wisconsin/Illinois area. Milwaukee has always had a special place in my heart and I remember going to the opening of the renovated Big Cat house in 2005 and being amazed by it. But having seen the other zoos really puts into perspective the shortcomings of Milwaukee. While it is still alright it still has so much room to grow.

I went back to the Milwaukee for the first time in about 2 years today and I can say I was pleased with the new additions. There is no doubt that the new elephant exhibit is 100% better than the previous exhibit, it still lags behind the exhibits at some of the other zoos but it is a drastic improvement. This was also my first time seeing the new Otter Passage. This is also a big improvement over the previous exhibit. Other members have said all there is to say about Adventure Africa, and I concur with all of them, it had the potential to be something great and it is kind of just meh. It’s a good addition to what seems to be dormant zoo and hopefully will spur the speed of the master plan.

Some notes from my visit today

· The Baird’s tapir was out and about in a very active South America yard

· Vultures and ground hornbills were out with the male impala and gazelles

· Kudu and zebra were out in the African waterhole exhibit

· Ostriches (one of the ostriches is missing a lot of feathers on their back) were pacing in the new Impala Plains with the crowned cranes

· Elephants were out enjoying the hot weather

· Octopus had an enrichment jar in its exhibit and was figuring out how to open it

 

@James Krasting The baby camel was out today, although no sign posted describing the new baby.

 

That’s great. Yeah I haven’t seen any info either. The whooping cranes have a successful hatchling too

 

I had the pleasure of going on a special behind the scenes tour today with a zookeeper that my mother knows, and I learned some things I thought I could share

• The ostriches (specifically the one with a bald patch on its back) have been over-pruning. They're still nervous in the new exhibit and are getting used to it. The zookeepers are trying to keep them occupied with enrichment, but everything is so new to the ostriches that they just keep pruning.
• The Adventure Africa zebras should be on exhibit sometime this week. I assume the impalas will go out as well, but I didn't ask about the impalas.
• Contrary to popular belief, the zoo is not getting a bull elephant and isn't actually required to have one. The AZA standards for elephants are to have the ability to house a bull elephant, but is not required to house one. The zoo and the SSP and the AZA are working to get at least another female elephant to Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Zoo will also not be a breeding facility for elephants, but rather a sort of "retirement home" or "over crowd net" for other zoo elephants. If a zoo runs out of space for its elephant population, we'll get some. If a zoo is breeding elephants successfully and doesn't need an older elephant, we'd get it. If an elephant fights or gets shunned from a herd, we would get the elephant.
• As for gorillas, the zoo is still waiting to hear whether we'll receive a new family troop to add with mom Shalia and Sulaiman, or if Shalia and Sulaiman will go to another zoo with a family troop. Obviously I've got my fingers crossed that we get a new family group rather than have them leave, but time will tell.
• New female orangutan Alex is very, very slowly adjusting to both the public and male orang Tommy. Apparently the male orangutan at her previous home was not nice to her, so she's a little cautious, but the zookeeper noticed that she approached Tommy during our visit, which was a first. The "Quiet Zone" signs are still up all over the area.
• The red river hogs are still alternating time on exhibit, so re-introduction attempts did not go well enough. Now the hogs get along "alright" but not enough where keepers feel confident putting them on exhibit together. Possible outcomes for the river hogs are to go out to other zoos that are better-equipped to trade exhibit time between individuals, and we would then possibly receive some new males, or perhaps hippo construction will drive the red river hogs out of the zoo, at least temporarily. Again, time will tell.
• No construction on the new hippo exhibit yet.

 

I assume we will have a gorilla family at some point in the future

 

According to the Milwaukee Zoo Society's Instagram the Red-bellied Piranhas are in a new tank.

 

Some great news, we have a new giraffe added to our heard. The baby was recently born and is currently being held in the giraffe barn with mom. Sounds like the baby is doing well, no word yet on the gender of the baby.

Edit: Correction it was born last night. So expect the baby out within the next week or two.

 

They move the piranhas over to the left tank area of the African Lake tank. Glad to see them moving around way more.

 

Not sure if this has been posted yet but the Kenyan Guinea Fowl are out in the African Forest exhibit now, I saw one for the first time today. Also the African spurred tortoises are living in the South America yard now.
The baby camel is a male named Jethro born on June 7. The wattled curassow from the primate building was shipped to another zoo for breeding, hence why he's been missing for the past months