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Reid Park Zoo Reid Park Zoo News 2013

Discussion in 'United States' started by BeardsleyZooFan, 12 Feb 2013.

  1. BeardsleyZooFan

    BeardsleyZooFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    African Elephant Shaba moved to San Diego last year with her Asian Elephant companion, Connie, to make room for the new elephant complex at Reid Park, and so that the lifelong friends wouldn't be seperated. Connie unfortunately died shortly after arriving in SD. Here is an update on how Shaba is fitting in with the female herd of Elephant Odyssey in SD.
    Elephant Shaba Meets the Girls
     
  2. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The former polar bear exhibit will be used for grizzly bears. Currently the grass side has a young marabou stork and the pool side is empty. The older marabou stork that was in the rhino exhibit has died, so the young marabou stork will be moved to that exhibit once they are ready to start renovations on the bear exhibit. The pool will have steps added to allow easier access for the bears and a tunnel will be built to connect the grass and pool yards, so the bears do not have to go in back through the night house to switch sides (as it is designed right now).

    In other news, there are a pair of boat billed heron chicks in a nest in the South America aviary (hatched just over two weeks ago).
     
    Last edited: 20 Feb 2013
  3. Ituri

    Ituri Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Whoa. That's unexpected.
     
  4. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Not that unexpected - the herons have nested before! :p;)
     
  5. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Today we had a freak snowstorm here in Tucson. (I was at work today, but yesterday I was at the zoo and it was sunny and warm). Anyway, apparently the elephants do not mind snowy weather. They decided to go swimming during the storm!

    Elephants swimming while its snowing - YouTube!
     
  6. BlackRhino

    BlackRhino Well-Known Member

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    Wow! That is one of the coolest things I have seen. Jealous of all those who got to see it in person!
     
  7. BeardsleyZooFan

    BeardsleyZooFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Those elephants sure look like they're enjoying themselves!
     
  8. Shirokuma

    Shirokuma Well-Known Member

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    Nice clip. I'm sure I read somewhere once that elephants are more likely to swim during precipitation.
     
  9. azcheetah2

    azcheetah2 Well-Known Member

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    That is such a cool video. They looked like they were having a blast
     
  10. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Two new capybaras went on exhibit today. (I was there when they were let out for the first time and they were very active). They are a brother and sister pair almost three years old, arrived from Sea World San Diego.

    Boat billed heron chicks are fledging and standing on branches next to the nest area. Also in the South America aviary, a blue crowned motmot is on exhibit again after being taken out for veterinary treatment.
     
  11. MeiLover

    MeiLover Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Any idea when the grizzly exhibit will be ready?
     
  12. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Construction company has been chosen and renovations should begin in the next week or two. Barring any setbacks, exhibit will be ready this summer. Hopefully occupied shortly thereafter (depending on if US Fish and Wildlife has any orphaned or "problem" bears available at the time).
     
  13. Gulo gulo

    Gulo gulo Well-Known Member

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  14. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Part of a one day donation drive throughout the state of Arizona for various non profit groups. Phoenix Zoo is participating as well.
     
  15. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The Friday night openings for summer 2013 will be from May 24 through July 12. Zoo reopens from 5:30-8pm on Friday nights.
     
  16. BeardsleyZooFan

    BeardsleyZooFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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  17. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    A single guanaco and a pair of black necked swans will soon arrive to go on exhibit with the single llama we currently have.

    Bear exhibit renovations are underway - workers are drilling through the concrete to connect the grassy and pool yards.

    Last Sunday we hosted a speaker from Wildlife SOS in India. Really fantastic organization and a great presentation. We are one of at least a dozen US zoos that support them. Here is their website:
    Welcome to Wildlife SOS
     
  18. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The zoo has launched a completely redesigned website:
    Reid Park Zoo | Tucson, Arizona
    I see they have also made the domain name ReidParkZoo.org instead of the former TucsonZoo.org. This makes sense, although in my opinion they should rename the entire zoo Tucson Zoo.
     
  19. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It's a nice website. Did they use any of your photos to put it together?
     
  20. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    - Nice website!

    - Now the zoo needs to update its map, as it still has a polar bear on it and isn't the mandrill exhibit also undergoing a changing of inhabitants?

    - Tucson Zoo makes sense, but then so does Seattle Zoo instead of Woodland Park and countless other alternatives at major zoos in the United States.