Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo News 2022

It's a new year and first full year with the new zoo director in charge, I am excited to see what this year will bring.

I took my first trip to the zoo in some time, and I was surprised at some of the things. I was able to go through the primates building. It was honestly kinda depressing. The primates weren't active, many of the exhibits had experience a decline of animals since it was last open to the public, pre covid. I kinda just was sad to see that so many of these animals really didn't have natural substrate, or mates.

As I ventured over to the ARC, the jellyfish/cuttlefish exhibit is empty, instead they have filled it with single use plastic. I believe that they are trying to make a statement about use of plastic and how it ends up in the oceans/lakes/rivers, however there was no sign at all explaining what is happening in the exhibit.

Plastic Exhibit by MKE Zoo guy posted 12 Jan 2022 at 1:42 PM

Also the former Suriname toad exhibit is now a brackish/mango grove exhibit.

Former Suriname Toad Exhibit by MKE Zoo guy posted 12 Jan 2022 at 1:46 PM

Lastly, the milk frog exhibit is no more.

The small mammals building is pretty much the same as it was before. The back half of the daylight primates is either roped off or the exhibits are empty.

Small Mammals Building by MKE Zoo guy posted 12 Jan 2022 at 1:55 PM

Something that I noticed while walking around the larger outdoor exhibits was that there has been a renewed effort to plant trees but then also to protect them from the animals. Many of the exhibits such as the caribou, and elk had new trees planted.

Caribou Exhibit by MKE Zoo guy posted 12 Jan 2022 at 1:56 PM

The former rhino yard now has a new structure being built within it. It appears to be a shelter of some sort, not sure if it's for the South American tortoise or not.

Former Black Rhino Exhibit by MKE Zoo guy posted 12 Jan 2022 at 1:58 PM

Other then that not much was going on at the zoo. I am excited to see what is coming this year, with the knowledge that the new zoo director would like to acquire more animals that can be out longer in Wisconsin's seasons, the potential start to the last phase of adventure Africa, the updates to the elephants pool, will something replace the former polar bear exhibit, and will we finally get a male bongo to start a breeding program at the zoo. This year its looking to be an interesting one for sure, hopefully a lot of positive things are coming and

 

Looking forward to seeing what is coming in 2022

 

The zoo has added 2 male and 2 female rockhopper penguins:
Four Rockhopper Penguins Join the Colony

 

In my recent visit
-A Helmeted Curassow is in the Plush Crested Jay enclosure
-The Potto signs are gone, might finally be the end of the species here
-A pair of Yak are in the old Rhino Enclosure now

 

The yak is an great addition.

The Potto is a huge loss.

Did the curassow move from Primates of the World or is it a different individual?

 

Thanks for the updates, bu this is extremely disappointing news to hear...

 

The sign for the new Curassow said they were from San Diego

 

Yak is a nice addition

 

You're right, one one in Primates of the World is Wattled, isn't it. Well Helmeted Curassow is a nice addition, too.

 

Milwaukee losing their pottos would be devastating. Let's hope that wasn't the case.

 

Does this really compliment the collection and make it more diverse.
How is this fitting into their masterplan?

 

The new zoo director wants more animals that can be outdoors in the colder weather

 

American pure-bred prairie bison, maybe with an native First Nations tribe affiliation, Przewalski horse, various large deer like Bactrian wapiti, musk ox (would have been an obvious candidate). What else?

 

I will also add that the zoo needed to add some sort of animal in that space while they work on raising fund for the last phase of Adventure Africa. I’m not sure how long term it will be to have yaks there.

 

Yaks aren't very common in US zoos. Certainly not as nice as a Potto, but more interesting than a rhino IMO.

 

To clarify, the exhibit the yak is in will be demolished within the next year for the upcoming rhino/hippo complex so this is very much a temporary addition just to fill the space until then.

 

I don't think the zoo would bring in a new megafauna species just to a temporary enclosure. Once the enclosure is gone the yak will go somewhere.

 

I hope that's the case

 

That would be cool but where would they go? Any large enclosure is already taken so what are they going to do? Are they getting rid of a species, are the going to try to create a new one, or are they going to combine species?

 

Any of those are possible. Alternatively they (the yak or whatever species is currently in the habitat they are going) could be kept bts. I'm wondering if the yak was brought in for a future Asian complex though?