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
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).
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!
Wow! That is one of the coolest things I have seen. Jealous of all those who got to see it in person!
Nice clip. I'm sure I read somewhere once that elephants are more likely to swim during precipitation.
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.
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).
Donations sought to renovate the former Polar Bear exhibit for Grizzlies. REID PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY - Arizona Gives
Part of a one day donation drive throughout the state of Arizona for various non profit groups. Phoenix Zoo is participating as well.
The Friday night openings for summer 2013 will be from May 24 through July 12. Zoo reopens from 5:30-8pm on Friday nights.
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
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.
- 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.