Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee: Fantasy Ideas, Dreams, Hopes

An insect room would be great but, as you mention, probably might not be the best idea because of competition with the museum. I think it would make a better expansion to the AARC then the aviary or primates, though.

 

With the museum moving sometime in the near future, I’m not sure if the butterfly room is moving with it, hence the idea of it coming to the zoo.

The reason why I was thinking of the aviary, I was thinking birds eat they could showcase where part of the birds enrichment comes from. Kinda like at the Bronx Zoo having the beehives on the roof in order feed the specific bird that eats them.

Why would you say the AARC for the insects? Just curious on your thinking?

 

What!? The museum is moving! That's news to me! I'm kind of worried now, the current footprint of the museum is perfect, a move would probably make it worse. Why is it moving?

 

I have a few ideas in mind, as a sort of modification to your ideas.

In Mysterious Africa

• Essentially, the layout of the lions looking out onto the savanna would be the same, but the aesthetics would change drastically. For one, the lions would be in a wooded yard, acting as a sort of transition into a lightly wooded savanna. Said wooded savanna would contain animals from the Miombo ecosystem, such as eland, sable antelope and/or blue wildebeest. This is, of course maintaining the indoor lion habitat in Big Cat Country. Nearby could be habitats for hyenas and smaller exhibits for animals such as Ansell's and Upemba shrews, Lake Lufira weavers and black-lored waxbills.
• Adventure Africa (Phase 1) can be rethemed as an "open plains"/Ngorongoro Crater habitat, maintaining the elephants and combining the two yards (elephants/hoofstock). Ditching the fencing and going for the open-views/hahas that Milwaukee was originally famous for. Hidden views and a methodology of avoiding crossviews could be implemented, and the barn itself could be hidden with tall grasses and mounds of sod. Giraffes can have access as well, and their barn can be expanded significantly to have a glassed-in dayroom akin to Vienna's Giraffe Park and stalls akin to Copenhagen's Giraffe House.
• Adventure Africa (Phase 2) sees the hippo exhibit expanded even further, adding infrastructure such as a heated outdoor pool (powered by either biomass, geothermal or solar power) and a more wetland-themed environment instead of the typical riverbank/rock theming that the zoo decided to go with initially (for logical reasons, of course, mainly budget). Sitatunga and pelicans could be implemented, albeit with hidden creeps in case the hippos get too handsy.
  
• Adventure Africa (Phase 3) sees rhinos being implemented in the aforementioned Miombo ecosystem, taking over the Impala Country exhibit (and being mixed with cheetahs and potentially patas monkeys akin to Leipzig's Kiwara Kopje). Maybe a walkthrough exhibit for hyrax?

In Familiar America

• I would honestly maintain the Alaska's Cold Coast idea, renaming it as Wild Alaska! with habitats for polar bears (of course, since they are an iconic species for Milwaukee) and potentially a rotational habitat for grizzly bears. Nearby would be exhibits for puffins/murres, Steller's sea lions (LOVE that idea) and sea otters. Think Steller Cove at the Oregon Zoo mixed with Russia's Grizzly Coast at Minnesota with a splash (pardon the pun) of Detroit's Arctic Ring of Life. Taking over a portion of Lake Evinrude (with some nearby land) would be an exhibit for American bison, and nearby would be some raptor aviaries, containing bald eagles and peregrine falcons. (maybe some golden eagles as well with signage about "true eagles" and "sea eagles"?)
• I would also maintain the "Wild Woods" area as well (naming that Wild Milwaukee! *wait what*) and implement the Invasive Species idea from earlier in this thread.

In Immersive Asia

• I would do something akin to the Temasek River section originally planned for the Singapore River Safari, and bring in Malayan tigers, reticulated python, mouse deer, milky storks and other denizens of that historic area. This would be an area that takes up the existing Asian zone (the hoofstock e.g. the camels would be phased out and tigers would take up the entire space in a fenced-in yard conducive to providing more space). I would also incorporate the orangutan habitat from Primates of the World, expanding it heavily so that there is a natural "O-Line" taking over some of the nearby woods. (the crowns of the trees would be reserved for the orangs, with hotwired platforms to keep them from escaping). Nearby would be a "Cold Asia" section for the species you mentioned (maintaining and possibly expanding the snow leopard habitat, making the red panda habitat more naturalistic, adding dholes, cranes, tragopans/pheasants, white-lipped deer, Przewalski's horses, etc.). In terms of hoofstock from the tropical side of things, (taking advantage of some of the woods) I would add gaur, axis deer, thamin, etc.

Primates

• Aside from giving the gorillas and bonobos more naturalistic spaces both indoors and out (outdoor habitats could take advantage of the woods *does anybody see a pattern* akin to Denver's Primate Panorama (but with moats for unobstructed viewing of gorilla and bonobo alike). Maybe some mixed-species opportunities with colobus monkeys and potentially Debrazza's monkeys?

Australia

• Aside from adding a herp area with cave racers and tailless whip scorpions along with inland taipans, and a Great Barrier Reef exhibit in the ARC building, and adding more species of kangaroo (maybe a partnership with the Australia Zoo to make a creative and unique facility for saltwater crocs as a headliner along with other unknown and underappreciated species like bilbies, bandicoots, potoroos, etc.) I don't see anything else that could be done. Basically, a more modernized version of Australian Adventure at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. (with some working animatronics...?)

Latin America

• Pantanal exhibit for jaguars, tapir, anteater, scarlet ibis, anaconda, howler monkeys, etc. (taking over the existing South America section of Africa/Asia/South America, obvs with a much more modernized layout).

 

How would the zoo get any of the species highlighted in red?

 

Negotiations with other zoos/greater conservation outreach...? If Zoo Boise could get a number of rare species for their Gorongosa habitat, I'm sure Milwaukee could as well.

 

I also wish for you guys and girls that Milwaukee Zoo might get a little more adventurous with their new exhibits. It is very much in the updating exhibits, rather than creating a "woaww" effect.

Hopefully, with the rhino and hippo exhibits MWZ will re-invent the future of ...!

 

I haven't visited Milwaukee in some years, so I kept plans vague.

Primates
- All three sub-buildings will be significantly renovated and unified as 'Primates of the World', with new outdoor exhibits on the southern end open for gorillas, bonobo, mandrill, orangutan/siamang mixed exhibit, lemur mixed exhibit, and a mixed South American monkey exhibit.

Undeveloped Area
- The space between the Special Exhibits building and Fish, Frogs & Snakes/ARC building will see the construction of a new Nocturnal House, which will house nocturnal mammals, reptiles and birds, including bats, bushbaby, sugar glider, armadillo, potto or loris, aardvark and more.

Small Mammal House / North America area
- Transform this entire section into a new North American complex, with badger and prairie dog on display closest to the otter and current Small Mammal building, with bison, caribou, elk, wolverine, cougar, and wolves, included as well as a coastal-themed area with brown bears, moose, harbor seal and sea otter.

Undeveloped Area
- North of the Family Farm, a new Australia House will be constructed, holding red kangaroo, emu, kookaburra, little penguins, reptiles and at least one additional mammal, and maybe cassowary?
- Directly across from Fish, Frogs and Snakes, east of Australia House and north of the African Waterhole would be a new Neotropics exhibit focused on small species, including sloth, agouti, anteater, kinkajou, bush dogs, some primates, and a new Amazon tank of same or better quality than previous.

Fish, Frogs and Snakes / Aquatic-Reptile House
- The old Amazon tank will be replaced with a display for a large crocodilian or lizard, or another marine exhibit.
- Bring back cuttlefish.

Big Cats/Asia/Africa/South America
- If possible, renovate African Waterhole/Lion section to be Jaguar/South America to face the new neotropics building upward, then alter left side of building to reflect Asia/Tiger and African Waterhole, integrating with below Adventure Africa changes.
- Bring back Malayan tapir for Asia.

Harbor Seal / Polar Bear
- The whole exhibit will be torn down and replaced by a new Africa-themed exhibit, depending on how Adventure Africa Ph3 goes. It's placement feels a little strange otherwise. Possibly integrate dwarf mongoose, fennec fox, or primates, possibly include a new lion exhibit depending on jaguar/tiger situation above.

Adventure Africa
- Renovate the former Dall Sheep island into an exhibit for Nubian ibex.

 

I really like the notion of creating a new area for creatures of the dark similar to what’s at the Omaha Zoo. That exhibit space is one of my favorite and could easily be slid under an expansion of the aquatic building. If they could possible even combine the two expansions that would be amazing while creating the North American area expansions.

 

Thank you! It's a very unlikely choice for any zoo but I really think it would be a smart choice for Milwaukee -- one of my fondest memories of the zoo was a particular day when it felt like every animal in the nocturnal house was active and it was an almost overwhelmingly fun experience. Two of their most significant past rarities, potto and tayra, were nocturnal animals, and even if they don't plan to get those specific species back, I don't know, it feels like that past experience invites the investment a little. It is also a unique enough concept it would help give them a little more of a 'name' in the zoo world again, I think. On a much smaller level, the placement of the exhibit hooks nicely with the northernly roster of exhibit buildings.

It also frees up the Small Mammal House, which doesn't have as many exciting species in the day room, although I still accounted for each of those animals (save the squirrel, whoops) which allows for the former space to open up to the North American expansion. One of my other fondest memories is the Moose, and in general I think they did well for their North American collection. The wooded atmosphere really helps; they feel more natural there than in some city zoos.