Gorilla swapping time. The zoos current bachelors are heading out to new homes soon. Goma is heading to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo while Kivu is headed to Little Rock Zoo. But the zoo will not be without bachelors long, brothers Nzinga and Bangori are arriving from Gladys Porter Zoo.
A Masai giraffe named Parker was born. https://www.noozhawk.com/article/santa_barbara_zoo_welcomes_new_baby_masai_giraffe_20160807
Gorilla brothers Nzinga and Bangori have arrived and are now on exhibit. Santa Barbara Zoo welcomes bachelor gorillas | The Tribune
Giraffe, Buttercup, has moved to Oregon. Buttercup, a giraffe from Santa Barbara, joins the Oregon Zoo family
Just visited the zoo yesterday. Some species updates: - The capybara are gone, and their exhibit is now a second enclosure for giant anteater; - The exhibit between the two leopard species is currently inhabited by a crested porcupine; - There are no longer crowned cranes in the giraffe exhibit; - The bird exhibit near the front entrance that once held cockatoos now holds kookaburra and tawny frogmouth; - The black-footed cats have been replaced with fennec foxes. Ask me any questions you might have; there aren't a lot of gallery photos and nothing but small news updates since 2011, so I don't know how much of what I saw was different than in the recent past. Also, weird experience. There was a black-crowned night heron in the Humboldt penguin exhibit. The reason that it's weird is because this is the second time I have seen a wild black-crowned night heron in a Humboldt penguin enclosure at a zoo; the first time was at Saint Louis. The penguins looked equally uncomfortable both times.
Black crowned night herons are notorious for taking up residence in zoos (also yellow crowned night herons in the southeast). No more black footed cats? I guess I have no reason to ever return to SB Zoo (not that I planned to anyway, but if I was in the area that would be my only reason to go).
A trio of Asian small-clawed otters was born. Three Asian Small-Clawed Otter Pups Born at the Zoo | Edhat
A real pity because I remember the exhibit well and I managed this photo in 2011: Black-Footed Cat | ZooChat
Interesting note to learn the male partner of the breeding pair is a loan in from a German zoo originally. I wonder if more exchanges have happened this way?
From their Facebook page: "10:30 a.m. update: The Zoo is now in the voluntary evacuation zone. Some animals are going into crates and being staged for possible evacuation to predetermined locations. Staff has training and transportation. We DO NOT need public assistance. Do not come to the Zoo. Stay safe."
