Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo News 2019

Well said. I agree with everything you're saying here. It can be tough to be optimistic about the future with small, but repeated, let downs. Maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised by phase 2? Or at least hopefully phase 3. I've been going to the Milwaukee Zoo at least 6 times a year my whole life, I love the zoo, but even as someone who loves the zoo, you'd have to be blind to not see its unreached potential; especially when comparing it to other zoos.

 

I actually just visited the zoo today! (The visit as amazing! We were the only ones there and we got to see everything besides the Spotted Hyenas, Red Pandas, and some of the other seasonal animals like Impala, Duikers, etc. I also got to see AMAZING interactions between the bonobos.) When I saw the new expansion that they had been constructing last time I visited, I really wasn't too impressed. The African Elephant indoor space is extremely boring, the only thing one of the females had to do was break sticks in a corner. She only had one ball to play with as well. The Impala Plains exhibit was plain, but I guess they really don't need much to do. I didn't get around to seeing the bongo exhibit.
Everything else at the zoo is pretty interesting. I'm sure the North American expansion they plan on doing will be beneficial for the zoo, we all just have to hope that the zoo can actually get the funding to complete their projects.
After having such an impactful visit to the zoo I've really grown fond towards it. I haven't been there too many times in the past - due to it being three hours away - and visiting while you're the only people there and have almost every species you see be active is insane. I'm rooting for Milwaukee County Zoo!

 

Yeah I do feel kind of bad for the zoo because they want to make the best habitats possible and best experience for guests but don’t get the funding to do it all... I personally think that Adventure Africa is harder for the zoo to build because it’s just not something real natural to our typical Wisconsin atmosphere ... don’t really know if that’s the right way to explain it! But I feel hopeful for their future and the wild woods and Alaska cold coast should be easier because of our weather and nature so it will be easier to design better or more interesting exhibits... the zoo is doing a great job whether the exhibits are decent not great. They will eventually build up slowly and become even better especially with the next few areas of the master plan

 

I was pondering this thought the other day, about African Dogs coming to Milwaukee. Currently the African Savannah exhibit is looking a little sparse with many of the animals moving over to phase 1. The master plan has mentioned that Milwaukee would get them but I haven’t been able to figure out where and then it kinda hit me, what about the African Savannah exhibit? I’m not sure if that’s happening for sure there but that would seem like a good spot. Here’s to waiting patiently to see what’s happening.

 

I would agree that I am more hopeful for the Wild Woods area after seeing what they did with the otters. The Wild Woods also seems to be a little more budget friendly for the zoo since they already have the woods to work with, its more theming that they would have to do for that area. Although Alaska Gold Coast would be similar in design per se, I feel that this area too may struggle for finances cause the two big areas that would be apart of that area, sea lions and polar bears, have tanks that would need to be built. Just looking at zoos around us that have built some of those exhibits recently, they cost more than the first phase of Adventure Africa.

Not saying I don't believe in the zoo or anything of the sort, I feel that its going to be an up hill battle for them to get the funds to complete some of these projects because some of the projects coming up I am assuming will coast about the same as the whole Adventure Africa expansion.

 

Milwaukee having African Wild Dogs would be amazing! It's hard to not appreciate how diverse and interesting Milwaukee's collection is currently, but adding AWDs would make it even better.

 

Belle the elephant has arrived.

‘To thrive and live out her life:’ Milwaukee County Zoo welcomes new elephant, Belle

 

If they were to add AWDs, it would be another animal they, Brookfield, and Lincoln Park all have, but I would be interested in what the exhibit for them would be like

 

Not all of us constantly go to Brookfield and Lincoln Park

 

Was it the 2013 master plan saying this? I would love to see them at MCZ and I also am wondering where they could end up

 

It was included in the species list when discussing what animals to include for the Africa area.

 

Was at the zoo last week and started talking to a zoo ambassador about the fate of the Milwaukee Zoo and silverbacks. It appears that we shouldn’t expect much to change for at least a year. They are still trying to decided what should happen with working with the SSP. It appears that both of male silverbacks will be staying, however she did say there MAY be a a chance that we get a troop from the Columbus Zoo. I would take that with a huge grain a salt but also would be exciting to see a family unit again at the zoo.

min other news work seems to be going quickly on the hippo exhibit. The interesting part though it appears that they are filling in the hole in the wall in the African Savannah exhibit that used to look into the Bongos exhibit. Could that mean they are also trying to prepare the African Savannah for a new species or is it just making sure that exhibit is protected since a path is going to be running thru there when the hippo exhibit opens?

Also, you can see Belle the elephant in the back of the Elephant Barn and Ruth and Brittany are very intrigued by here and have been trying everything to meet her.

 

What hole are you referencing? Do you mean the viewing deck in between the Savannah and old bongo exhibit?

 

Hippo construction by MKE Zoo guy posted 4 Dec 2019 at 2:17 PM

Yes along that wall that separated the two exhibits

 

It would be amazing to see an entire troop of gorillas to Milwaukee again. Did she say how many gorillas from Columbus could be moved over?

 

She said that Columbus Zoo has a couple of troops and that we may get one, so depending on the troop size, but again I would hold this with a grain of salt.

 

How genetically represented are the erstwhile and currently remaining males for the Gorilla SSP?

 

There are 177 male gorillas in the United States, Canada, and Mexico that I've got recorded. Most of them are in the facilities associated with the SSP, so it would take a while to analyze how represented each of them are in the population. That's the SSP's job to do.

 

A random thought/question after reading about Akron Zoo's new lion exhibit, has anyone heard or seen anything regarding introducing the younger lionesses we got a couple of years ago to male, Themba, yet? I know that was the original plan with them and Themba is getting older, and I haven't heard anything since the girls arrived.

 

I don’t recall when I read or heard about it, either earlier this year or last year, but I believe it was mentioned that Themba did start getting introduced to one of the girls - forgot which one though (Amali maybe?).

I’m hoping to make it to the Zoo soon, possibly as soon as the weekend, so maybe I can find out.