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Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo News 2019

Discussion in 'United States' started by MKE Zoo guy, 4 Jan 2019.

  1. Gondwana

    Gondwana Well-Known Member

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    A few of these changes happened not that long ago. I can recall from the early 2000s many of the species listed for the South America paddock, including the wing-clipped macaws. Wolverine was also present until the 2000s. As stated by @savetherhino they were near the brown bears. The exhibit was a smaller grotto similar to the badger exhibit in the other chunk of "North America".

    Regarding the river dolphins, I never visited the zoo while they had them but my understanding is that they were in a tank on the back wall exactly opposite of where the front doors are. Later on in the 80s, like quite a few other zoos, amusement parks, and other attractions, they had performing bottlenose dolphins in their sea lion show stadium.

    The collection sounds like it was quite a lot bigger back in the 70s, but I suppose that's the trend with most zoos.
     
  2. NSU42

    NSU42 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I am completely fascinated to learn that Milwaukee had both Bottlenose and Amazon River Dolphins. I did a bit of searching and if you go to PG. 71 (I think the link should open right to it) of the link below you will see a diagram of what the ARC looked like, along with a picture of the Amazon River Dolphins with a turtle that the book says is still in the collection. There are also images of other things you mentioned in the post. The book is on google books.

    Milwaukee County Zoo
     
    Last edited: 14 Oct 2019
  3. EsserWarrior

    EsserWarrior Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    We're taking a trip to Milwaukee Zoo for Zoology class in November, but I've actually never been there in colder temperatures before. I also haven't been there in a few months, so I haven't seen the Red Panda cub or the new facilities they built for the elephants and others.
    What should I expect to see? (Or especially look forward to seeing due to them being more active in cooler temps.) And what should I expect not to see in such cold temperatures?
    (I'm assuming that the North American species and large cats won't mind the temperature too much.)
     
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  4. savetherhino

    savetherhino Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Tigers, Snow Leopards, reindeer, polar bear, maquaqes, penguins and harbor seals I'd expect to be active. Other bears might be in their den.
     
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  5. MKE Zoo guy

    MKE Zoo guy Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Yeah there will be several species in winter housing but the animals that enjoy the cold are much more active due to not many people there and the colder weather. The snow leopard and red pandas come to mind right away, although the snow leopard may be hiding due to the hippo construction but hopefully you’ll get to see them.

    What’s the class that is bringing you to the zoo?
     
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  6. GoMarq

    GoMarq Member

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    According to comments on a 10/9 Riverbank Zoo Instagram post, Belle the elephant will make her transition to Milwaukee in mid-November.
     
  7. GoMarq

    GoMarq Member

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  8. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I paid a visit to the zoo over the weekend. Nothing new to report besides the ongoing construction of the new hippo exhibit. However, I feel like that in itself is worth a disscussion.

    I tried to invision what the final product will come out to be based on what I saw in person, and call me a pessimist but I simply cannot see how this area will come out to be anything good. It may seem to be a decent size at first glance, but based on whats being depicted it seems to new path to the underwater viewing plaza will take up the former hippo exhibit, and it seems that the actual space going to the hippos won't be much bigger than their old 1950s exhibit. In fact, based on the rendering on the Window to the Wild website, the land area may be even smaller than before in favor of a larger pool. It's so bizarre that this new area doesn't look like much of an improvement at all. Don't get me wrong, underwater viewing is great and this will obviously be better than that dreadful old yard. However, this exhibit - similar to the likes Cincinnati, Dallas and a few other recent hippo exhibits - looks like it will underwhelm and all suffer from the same issue, not enough land space. A grazing space is extremely important for hippos and this would have been a great addition. The hippos aren't even getting a new indoor area despite the existing one being terribly outdated. It's absolutely shocking how the zoo is going about this and is really missing several crucial points of a hippo exhibit. It really is dissipointing that this won't be something great at least from whats being depicted.

    On a more positive note, while were on the topic of Adventure Africa I also wanted to add that the first phase of exhibit complex has improved significantly since it's opening. When it first opened I had some reservations about the exhibit as a whole, and since then its aged pretty well. The elephant yard is significantly less barren than it was at opening, now filled with dozens of logs and a large mound of sand. Not to mention the grass has grown in and it improves the look of the exhibit greatly. The addition of another elephant next month will of course be great and will also help the exhibit look more complete. Speaking of which, the Impala Plains yard also feels much more spacious now that all of the species are actually on display. My opinions on this exhibit have also changed for the better. The only exhibit I still feel the same about is the African Forest. I still can't stand that a third of the viewing area is blocked off for the service path behind the impala plains. Why not just move it next to the barn? I also loath that new wired fence they added. The exhibit itself however is just as good as it was at opening, probably a little better now that plants have grown in.

    Overall, I consider myself satisfied with phase 1 despite a few gripes here and there. However, my feelings towards the new "Hippo Haven" are that the exhibit looks like it will leave a lot to be desired, and hopefully phase 3 can deliver something more exciting. I mean out of the big three rhinos surely have to be the easiest to design an exhibit for. They don't need large pools with underwater viewing or incredibly strict regulations. I suppose we will wait and see.
     
  9. StoppableSan

    StoppableSan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    In terms of Hippo Haven, what'd really make it a "Haven" would be to give the hippos access to one of the rhinos' yards at night for grazing. Hippos need to graze. (Maybe some mixed species opportunities in the name of Egyptian geese, White-faced whistling ducks, hottentot teals, Cape teals, maybe Speke's gazelles in with the rhinos (and potentially hippos at night))? I dunno. I know San Antonio, while having a typical hippo exhibit with underwater viewing, allows their hippos to graze at night in the neighboring painted dog yard.
     
  10. Wild wolverine

    Wild wolverine Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I have to say I widely agree with you here. It was my thought/hope that the gazelles, all the impala, and maybe even the vultures left in the African savannah exhibit would move to Impala Plains, and then that space (which is pretty close to empty as it is right now imo) would also be used for at least some of the hippo exhibit to give them more space. Improvement is improvement and new is new, but I'm wondering how much better the Hippo Haven will be for the hippos and not just the people who see them...
     
  11. MKE Zoo guy

    MKE Zoo guy Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Question: Does anyone know if Milwaukee has a male Guam Kingfisher? Been wondering this for awhile since they say it’s extinct in the wild and know only lives in a very limited number of zoos.
     
  12. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I know that had a pair a few years ago, I don't know the status now.
     
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  13. Wild wolverine

    Wild wolverine Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    From my limited knowledge on the subject, to me it seems likely that they have a breeding pair off exhibit and then the one female on exhibit in the first aviary. Not 100% sure though, but I know it's a common practice for the zoo to hold breeding pairs of birds off exhibit so it's less stressful for the birds.
     
  14. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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  15. EsserWarrior

    EsserWarrior Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I will be visiting the zoo next week on Wednesday! Anything you guys would like to ask about?
     
  16. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  17. savetherhino

    savetherhino Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Just some photos
     
  18. savetherhino

    savetherhino Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    What animals are out in the cold?
     
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  19. MKE Zoo guy

    MKE Zoo guy Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Depends on how cold it is when you visit, and if there is snow on the ground. Otherwise you may see zebras, cheetahs, snow leopards, elephants, tigers, elk, caribou, bears (depending on hibernation), otters, llamas, camels, macaques, lions, and/or hyenas to name a few.
     
  20. MKE Zoo guy

    MKE Zoo guy Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Been muling some of these thoughts about the future of the zoo with the current happenings over for sometime now. Trying to understand what Milwaukee is envisioning for the future has been extremely difficult, even with the knowledge of their master plan.

    I would agree, I am kinda concerned on how things are shaping up to be with these new improvements to the zoo. I am glad to see the hippos getting a new outdoor area where we can now see them while in the water but yet I have been having a hard time seeing it as a real improvement since it seems like the size is similar to what already exist. Yes, the outdoor exhibit is becoming 3x bigger but yet the original exhibit wasn't that big to begin with, so promoting it like they are seems more like a gimmick than true expansion.

    I am trying to be hopeful of phase 3 in this build but there's a lot of work that needs to be down in order to tie everything together and I am not sure if the zoo has the confidence to do it, the right way. Phase 3 of this looks to be, if not the most intense overhaul to the area; The mallway (the area between the hippos and rhinos indoor exhibits) needs to be enclosed and renovated, and the outdoor rhino exhibits and other exhibits need to be renovated, just to name some of the larger projects. The zoo seems to be struggling to find donations for the first 2 phases, my hope is that they are going to do the final phase that wraps everything together well, although my hope for that is dwindling. Not to mention it looks like they are putting phase 3 off a year so it won't be done till 2022. Not sure if that is also due to events that are happening in Milwaukee next summer that might hamper the start of construction or not.

    Now that phase 1 has had some time to settle in, I still feel like it's a meh to disappointing phase. Yes the elephants have more room to roam, however there is a lot left to be desired. There is nothing to "write home to mom" about with these exhibits. The Impala Plains and African Forest exhibits are just eh, and the elephants exhibit is very sterile looking as well. At least in the past there was some vegetation that made the exhibit look more natural of sorts. In the Impala yard, the one ostrich was/is overly stressed out by the exhibit that it over pruned its backside to where there was very little feathers left. Not to mention with the chain link fence that does nothing really for the exhibit I feel, sure you can get "closer" to the animals but at what costs? People can't even get clear photos of animals unless they have a really good lens that can shoot through the fence. That African Forest area as well, its been hard to see the animals and people can now only travel around half the exhibit. The overall area doesn't feel as welcoming as I was expecting, especially when you walk past the the elephant center and around to where the former dall sheep were. Its a lot of fencing in that area and makes me personally feel a bit claustrophobic and that's not something I deal with.

    I really want to be optimistic about the changes that the zoo is making but they don't seem to making the changes that will positively impact and last years before they need to redo the exhibits. I keep hoping that something big and positive will happen that will change this trajectory but nothing is coming. Just looking at the master plan and seeing that by the time they finish Adventure Africa, the current timeline in the master plan would have been finishing up the first half of the master plan, Adventure African, Alaskan Gold Coast, renovation to the farm, and the main entrance area. I can't help look at other zoos, like the Omaha zoo, where in the same time frame that have rebuilt so much of their zoo and made exhibits that will last, that are both enriching to the animals and to the guest. Milwaukee just seems to be existing or trying to just meet the minimum requirements to retain their accreditation.