Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

I'm sorry but there was no elephant trainers around but moja was by herself again in the elepant barn and Victoria was with zuri. So all we have do is wait cause we all know the moja is getting bigger in her belly day by day and we know she has to be pregnant. And with Victoria there training her for motherhood if she's just out there with zuri.

For the top of the world and bear exhibits there going to break ground round September sometime and it will be a 2-3 year deal.

Does anybody else think the zoo should put the two-toed sloth and maybe the cotton top tamarins which are off exhibit in the PPG aqaurium right by the freshwater tank
? I think that would be so cool plus if you remeber there's a part as you walking down the path to the bottom part of the aqaurium where there's open area where they could put netting and possibly put the tamarins there.

 

This is good to here about Top of the World and the Bear Grottoes. Being a 2 to 3 year project, I expect that the Bear Grottoes could be first because a temporary bypass may need to constructed to allow visitors to get from the food court plaza and PPG Aquarium since they will probably use the main path for construction purposes. I expect that plans for these projects will likely be revealed sometime before construction begins.

 

I do not mean to beat jusko88 with the answer to one of his questions on the zoo's Facebook page, but the zoo answered on Facebook that none of the elephants are pregnant at the zoo. I was going to wait and let jusko88 post. But since this has been a hot topic, I wanted to let everyone know what the zoo said.

 

Stanley and Susan get to invade a campsite to demonstrate how bears are attracted to campsites. They have done this as enrichment for the past several years. See the article below.

Pittsburgh Zoo advice bears repeating: Don't invite them to your campsite - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

The zoo no longer has stonefish and lionfish on exhibit. There's cuttlefish now on exhibit.

 

I have been told by the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium that the two new young female Komodo dragons do not yet have names. Until they receive names, I will refer to them as Noname #1 & Noname #2 in the late Noname's honor.

 

Injured Sea Turtle Continuing Rehab At Pittsburgh Zoo CBS Pittsburgh

Article bout sunburst the green sea turtle

 

Accreditation team inspects ICC

Zoo review: Accreditation team inspects Fairhope conservation center

Randy Griffith

FAIRHOPE — Inspectors for Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium got a little bonus Thursday with a road trip to the idyllic countryside of southern Somerset County.

The team of inspectors spent the day reviewing conditions and operations at the zoo’s International Conservation Center in Allegheny and Fair*hope townships.

Currently hosting five elephants, the 724-acre center off Glen Savage Road is designed to provide a natural environment conducive to the zoo’s breeding program for endangered animals.

“It has been a tremendous program out here in Somerset,” zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said.

“We are looking forward to bringing more animals.”

African painted dogs and springbok gazelles will join the elephants this fall, Baker said.

The painted dogs originally were scheduled to arrive in the spring, but preparations for the inspection set back construction work on a building to shelter the animals.

Although the International Conservation Center is one of just a handful of off-site facilities operated by zoos in the United States, it must meet the same standards as traditional zoos, said Ed Aster, chairman of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums inspection team assigned to Pittsburgh.

In addition to the usual administrator, veterinarian and animal care expert, Aster’s team includes an elephant expert because of Pittsburgh’s large African elephant exhibit and breeding program.

The team spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the zoo’s main facility in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park.

“They look at everything: Financial, marketing, education, all of the animal areas and our animal care center,” Baker said.

Aster’s team will wrap up its work in Pittsburgh today and submit a report to the zoo association’s 12-member accreditation commission. Those findings will be presented at a hearing during the association’s annual meeting in September in Phoenix, Baker said, explaining that she will participate in the hearing.

The zoo will be notified of the commission’s findings following the annual meeting.

“The accreditation commission has three choices on its findings,” Aster said. “A zoo can be fully accredited, they can table the accreditation because there were some problems with the inspection, or they can be denied.”

His team does not make any recommendations and is not involved in the final decision, Aster said.

“We don’t make those decisions,” Aster said. “The team is the eyes and ears of the (accreditation) commission. It is our job to give them as much information as possible.”

Baker said she welcomes the inspections, which come every five years.

“The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium likes to exceed expectations,” she said. “This is our chance to shine.”


Zoo review: Accreditation team inspects Fairhope conservation center Local News The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown, PA

 

Sunburst press release

Meet our New Sea Turtle

(Pittsburgh) (July 2012)—After narrowly escaping possible death from a collision with a boat propeller in June of 2010, a green sea turtle arrived at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to begin long-term care and rehabilitation.

“Sunburst is lucky to be alive,” says Dwayne Biggs, curator of Aquatic Life at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “She was hit by a boat propeller off the coast of Florida’s George River Inlet. The propeller cut through her top shell causing a deep gash as well as creating a severe infection in the bones ofher front right flipper, disabling her ability to move and dive.”

Helpless, Sunburst was floating in the water when an alert boat crew rescued her. She was quickly transported to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island, Georgia, where treatment for her injuries began immediately. Sunburst is receiving her quarantine exam here at the Animal Care Center at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium after arriving three weeks ago.

“Georgia Sea Turtle Center did an amazing job stabilizing Sunburst and curing her flipper infection. While many of Sunburst’s injuries have healed she is still being treated for an infection in the deepest part of the boat strike on her back,” says Dr. Ginger Takle, Director of Animal Care at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “The shell is healing nicely and will only need additional topical treatments, but she will have a permanent scar. However, due to the previous bone infection in the flipper she has severely decreased mobility. We will continue to put Sunburst through physical therapy to try and increase the strength of her front limbs.” Sea turtles’ propulsion is generated by their flippers and enables them to quickly move away from boats, people, and predators.

Due to the severity of Sunburst’s injuries, she was deemed to be non-releasable. “As partners in the Sea Turtle Second Chance Program, Sunburst came to Pittsburgh because we have the ability and the space to provide the long-term rehabilitation that she needs,” says Biggs. “Because of her flipper injury, Sunburst cannot dive to the necessary depths. Right now, she is swimming in three feet of water. Our goal is to use enrichment opportunities to strengthen her flippers and increase her ability to dive. As she improves, we will gradually introduce her to deeper water.” Keepers will use target training and recall measures so that Sunburst will understand cues for treatments, encounters, and feeding.

Sunburst is a green sea turtle, and joins three loggerhead sea turtles currently in the Second Chance program here at Pittsburgh.. She is a herbivore and likes to graze on sea grass and vegetables. Her beak is serrated for tearing apart the lettuce and vegetables that she eats.

Visitors will be able to see Sunburst in the large tanks near the entrance to PPG Aquarium, joining three other sea turtles that were rescued from the coastal beaches of North Carolina as part of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Second Chance program.


Sea Turtle Information:

All seven species of sea turtles are endangered (leatherback, green, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and flatback).

Sunburst is nearly 20 pounds. Green sea turtles are the largest of all hard-shelled sea turtles and can reach 200 to 500 pounds in their lifetime.

We believe Sunburst to be around 10 years old, however as she was rescued from the wild this is an estimation.

The Sea Turtle Second Chance Program is a conservation/education program dedicated to giving sea turtles a “second chance” at life. We care for rescued sea turtles and hatchlings that may be returned to the wild or will need long-term housing/treatment. Ultimately, our hope is to bring awareness to sea turtle conservation and ensure their future success.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

 

Komodo dragons press release

Komodo Dragons are Back

Komodo Dragons are back at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and visitors can see them in the Asian Forest.

“Our young 2-year-old female dragons arrived from the Prague Zoo where they were hatched,” says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “The girls will spend some time acclimating to their new home in the Komodo building, before we introduce them to their outside yard. Komodo dragons are extremely endangered and we have an opportunity to educate our visitors about their plight in the wild.”

The females each weigh about 10 pounds and are 58 to 60 inches long. Even as young as they are, they have already started to develop their individual personalities. “One is inquisitive and likes to check out what is going on around her,” says Henry Kacprzyk, curator of Kids Kingdom and Reptiles. “The other female is more cautious. She approaches slowly, watching everything before she decides what she will do.”

Keepers have been slowly working with them on behavioral cues so the pair can develop a trust with the keepers and participate in their own care such as voluntary weigh-ins. “We want them to be as comfortable with us being around them as possible,” says Mr. Kacprzyk. “The girls understanding what we are doing will help to eliminate stress on both the keeper and the animal.”

Komodo dragons are the world’s largest lizards. They can grow up to 10-feet long and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Though they have short legs and are low to the ground, they can run up to 11 miles per hour. Komodo dragons have big appetites and can eat 80 percent of their body weight in one meal. These big dragons are extremely endangered with less than 5,000 left in the wild.

Although we are excited to have our visitors meet our new dragons, we are also remembering Noname, our 18 and ½-year-old dragon who passed away earlier this year.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

 

Here is a video the zoo posted from the shoot of the new commercial.

Behind the Scenes for the Zoo's New Commercial Shoot - YouTube

 

That tamarin and sloth in the aquarium idea is nice. I always thought it would be a good idea to have primates in the rainforest section of the building. It seemed a bit bland without them. The rainforest fish are amazing as well, but it's odd to have a rainforest without arboreal animals.

 

I wonder what will take the Orangutan, Snow Leopard, Spectacled Bear exhibits when they are moved to the Top of the World.

For the Orangutan, it could be another ape, but I wish there was outdoor viewing for them. For the bear, it's probably going to be another species of bear. Perhaps a Moon Bear or Sloth Bear? For the Snow Leopard, they're probably going to demolish that one. It's far too small.

 

i think what they should do is use the orangutan exhibit for another indoor exhibit for gorillas. the bear grottoes are going to be demolished probably turned into a entrace for the new set of exhibits. for the snow leopard exhibit i actually like them to turn that into maybe a red panda exhibit, wolverine exhibit or another small asian species of carnivore. The snow leopard exhibit is so small cause that exhibit was built for a cub snow leopard the zoo received years ago and the zoo thought that they wouldve had a bigger exhibit for the snow leopard and a breeding program for the species by now but look how that turned out . supposedly in september sometime the zoo will come out and tell us more about the new project Top of The World. cross fingers everyone

 

I finally saw the blue monkeys on Saturday. I also saw the new pygmy cuttlefish too. The cownose rays were missing out of the sand tiger shark tank. There are still cownose rays in the deep ocean tank though. I am not sure what's up, but I am wondering if this has anything to do with the zoo sending someone to assist with the baby walruses up in Alaska. They have already sent the zoo a baby sea otter this year. Perhaps the zoo will finally get their walruses. Time will tell I suppose. It would be nice if the zoo would put in a larger stingray touch tank somewhere because the cownose rays could go in there as well as the honeycomb rays who are getting a little big for the current touch tank. They could still use the current touch tank for smaller stingrays and for additional species. The signs have been updated at various exhibits because of last month's AZA visit. The baby sea otter no longer looks like a baby anymore. I also noticed that the DC sea lions have moved home because there were less sea lions now.

 

Cownoses Gone From Water's Edge

This is the response from the zoo:

The cownose rays are permanently no longer on exhibit with the sand tiger sharks. You can see many types of sting rays in the PPG Aquarium, but they are no longer on exhibit in Water's Edge.


Here is a link that mentions the involvement of Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium with the young walruses at the Alaska SeaLife Center.

http://www.alaskasealife.org/New/documents/20120809_Alaska_SeaLife_Center_I_Sea_U_ First Patient.pdf

Here is a link to another related article with discussion about Pittsburgh involvement with the walruses.

http://sewardcitynews.com/2012/07/aslc-gets-two-more-walrus-calves/

 

The sea lions from the smithsonian national zoo left in July. And exciting news there starting to take down the sand tiger shark pictures around there exhibit. do I smell walruses coming wink wink.

 

I doubt walruses will go to any more zoos or aquariums. I do not think any zoos got walruses in the last 10 years but a few got rid of them (Brookfield, etc.)

 

Interesting history fact the zoo had sun bears back in 1970's in the old childrens section.

 

Ya but from what the docent told me, The zoo put alot of money into saving the baby walruses from out in the wild and a lot of if went to there exhibit at the alaska sea life center. The zoo a couple months ago received a baby sea otter from the center. the zoo puts alot of time and effort into the center. So I cant say for sure that the zoo will get them but never say never and most likely that Pittsburgh will get them if they have the chance. THe current shark exhibit was intended for walruses. Will see though.