ABQ BioPark Zoo ABQ BioPark Zoo (aka Rio Grande Zoo / Albuquerque Zoo)

I really hope that the African aviary will give a home to the white-necked ravens. I miss those birds!

 

Chopper, a white rhino calf, made his debut.

Baby rhino debuts at ABQ zoo | ABQ Journal

 

A giraffe was born.

Photo: Giraffe born at Rio Grande Zoo | ABQ Journal

 

Giraffe Calf to be hand Raised, Chopper the Rhino getting along with adult Female

Giraffe Calf to be hand Raised, Chopper the Rhino getting along with adult Female Rhino.
Good looking babies for the zoo. Look forward to seeing them in late May.


Zookeepers to Hand Raise Female Giraffe Calf — City of Albuquerque

Rhinos Chopper and Bertha Together in Habitat — City of Albuquerque

 

Baby Orangutan Born at the ABQ BioPark Zoo — City of Albuquerque

 

Snow Leopard Twins Born at ABQ BioPark — City of Albuquerque

 

Gender of orang baby is revealed:
Zoo "reveals" gender of baby orangutan

 

The giraffe calf was given a name: Giraffe Calf Named "Abiquiu" and Baby Orangutan is a Girl — City of Albuquerque
Also, http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2013/05/13/opinion/zoo-in-jeopardy-if-jobs-do-not-return.html

 

All zoos with free-ranging peafowl should take note!
Peacock attacks 2-year-old girl at Albuquerque zoo | Fox News

 

I have long disliked free roaming peafowl, though not because of any potential danger. I dislike seeing an African savanna ruined with birds that are native to India. (Or a South American pampas or whatever other exhibit...).

I suspect the reason the peafowl may have been aggressive is because people feed them and get them used to going up to people for handouts, even though zoos have clear rules stating do not feed the animals.

 

I thought I saw some new signage not to chase the birds.

Just made a visit to the zoo.
It looks like there are at least 3 common ravens in the African aviary (with the vultures, stork and goose) and some guinea fowl. Kind of wondering why they put common ravens in that exhibit when the white-necked ravens were moved out, supposedly because they bit one too many fingers that were poked through the exhibit fence. The common ravens seem to keep their distance from the fence and may have some sort of injury.

There are roadrunners in with the saddle billed storks and where the turacos and rollers used to be while a new aviary is being built that will house sun conures, road runners and burrowing owls. (I thought that was a random combination)

And it looks like the zoo now has a great hornbill (unsure on number since I can never seem to see the Asian hornbills).

 

The male peafowl we have are always passive aggressive they do weird stuff..

 

The Life of a Zoo Herpetologist: An Interview with Curator Doug Hotle of the Albuquerque Biological Park – News Watch

 

The zoo has just opened a new Birds Of The Americas exhibit.
Birds of the Americas — City of Albuquerque

 

The two snow leopard cubs, a little less than two months old, are just starting to go out on exhibit.
Snow Leopard Twins Venturing Into Exhibit — City of Albuquerque

Yours Truly is of course a cat fanatic and is also within reasonable driving distance. Next Thursday is an American holiday (or should I say THE American holiday) and I managed to convince a coworker to cover my Friday shift. So look for cub photos in the gallery in just over a week.

 

Back From extinction

3 Mexican Gartersnakes which were long thought to be locally extinct were found in New Mexico over a week ago. Another three were discovered shortly after. The zoo has taken 4 into its hands to establish a breeding program.


BioPark Protects Snake Thought to Be Extinct in NM — City of Albuquerque

Northern Mexican Gartersnake Back from Extinction — City of Albuquerque

 

Does anyone know what happened to the white rhino calf they got from White Oak. I only saw two adults on my recent visit and no sign of a calf. Did it die or something?

 

https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/news/biopark-re-opens-sunday-after-storm-clean-up

Storm at the Albuquerque Zoo - YouTube

 

Chopper is still there. "he's getting big, but still a puppy " I just got in a text reply from my friend at the Zoo.

 

Zoo discovers orangutan gender mix-up