Virginia Zoo Virginia Zoo News 2021

The zoo have welcomed a four year old male Cinereous vulture:

Virginia Zoo welcomes male vulture as a part of breeding program | WAVY.com

The male (JD) has been successfully introduced to the zoo’s female (Eve), and they are hopeful of the pair breeding.

The zoo’s other female (Meera) has been sent to Riverbanks Zoo.

 

A female Masai giraffe calf was born Jan 11:

Virginia Zoo welcomes newborn giraffe

The calf is the 8th for mom, Imara, and the 13th for dad, Billy, the Zoo said in a news release.

They performed a neonatal exam 24 hours after the birth and said the calf is healthy, feisty, strong and is already learning to run.

 

Two new Otters have arrived:

Otterly adorable! Virginia Zoo in Norfolk welcomes two new otters | 13newsnow.com

The Virginia Zoo welcomed two "otterly adorable" otters to its park last month.

Puba and Alana are Asian clawed otters and arrived in February as social companions in the zoo's Species Survival Plan.

Alana is a female otter and was born in October 2018 at the Columbus Zoo. Male otter, Puba, was born at Zoo Miami on September 2007.

Zookeepers said Alana is shy, very smart, food motivated and seems to enjoy swimming around the waterfall. Puba is outgoing, vocal, energetic, and seems to enjoy swimming deep to the bottom of the pool.

The two completed quarantine and wellness exams before they were introduced to each other. They will be featured at the Asia–Trail of the Tiger exhibit.

Alana and Puba officially made their debut on exhibit in late February, according to a news release.

"The pair are acclimating to their new habitat and will soon be introduced to their other exhibit-mates, white-cheeked gibbons Dexter and Asia, when temperatures are consistently warmer," the release said.

 

A bit odd, since they had said last year that they weren't planning on replacing the two that passed away!

 

Two Malayan tigers, Stubbley and Osceola, have tested positive for covid. Testing is being done on a third, Christopher, as he's showing some signs as well. No other big cats have shown symptoms and the staff appears well. For now they are all off display. All are expected to recover.

Two Virginia Zoo tigers test positive for COVID-19 | 13newsnow.com

 

Updates from a visit 3 weeks ago. The whole zoo is open with the exception of Australia walkabout ( though it can be seen and appears to no longer have wallabies).
The Gray's monitor exhibit was closed off.
The zoo is planning to add tropical bird species to the plant area at the end of World of Reptiles.
Ringtail is gone and and a new species is coming soon.
A Yellow-backed duiker has replaced the storks.
Sarus cranes were moved to the Binturong area so im guessing the Binturong is gone.

 

News from the newsletter
The roof of World of Reptiles is being replaced so access will be either fully accessible, partially blocked, or closed for the next few months.
New animals
11 goats
Siamang
New species
Ringtail is being replaced soon by Prevost's squirrel
African clawed frog in World of Reptiles.

 

That fast. It’s strange they didn’t do that during the extended closure and renovation just a few years ago.

 

Is that the outside exhibit next to the small yellow building (also next door to kookaburra)? I saw a sign saying "new animal coming soon".

 

Yes. The blue building over there is an indoors for them and Northern treeshrews and is sometimes accessible.

 

For the first time in the Zoo’s history, a Southern white rhino calf was born!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wtkr.com/news/good-news/virginia-zoo-announces-historic-birth-of-its-first-ever-southern-white-rhino?_amp=true

 

This is very exciting! I believe the calf's mother Zina was imported from Singapore Zoo which makes her very genetically valuable! Hopefully the other female (also imported from Singapore) has a calf soon, as well!

 

A few updates from Yesterday
Rhino baby is out
The Binturong is still alive
No idea what the old Sarus crane exhibit will be used for
World of Reptiles
Gray's monitor and exhibit next to it covered with white sheets
Alligator lizard terrarium empty as well the one right of it
It appears that some of the reptiles in Africa have moved there permanently old exhibit is being renovated.
Prevost's squirrel's not yet here.
Still no sign of wallabies. Exhibit next door which had duiker also appears to be empty.

 

I would assume the proven bull Sibindi to have successfully mated with both cows. Just a hunch, mind you!

BTW: nice to see Gray's monitors becoming established in US collections! Not all descendants of the LA Zoo confiscations and import line I do hope.

 

Forgot to add that the African clawed frogs replaced the Surinam toad and cichlids replaced the Alligator snapping turtle

 

The Rhino has been named ‘Mosi’.

 

A breeding pair of Prevost squirrel have arrived:

https://www.wtkr.com/news/virginia-zoo-welcomes-two-new-animals-diana-and-kelapa

Diana, female, was born on May 13, 2021, and Kelapa, male, was born on March 29, 2019.

The two squirrels arrived at the Zoo as part of the Species Survival Plan. As a breeding pair, they can have up to three litters per year consisting of one or two babies on average.

 

I'm visiting Virginia Zoo tomorrow - any tips or must-sees?

I know it's been super windy so I hope that there's animals out!

 

The reptile building is pretty nice and has some rare species!

 

a few updates
Prevost's squirrels took place of the Ringtail- very nice addition
Arboreal alligator lizards are back on display
Bees on display in the barn
Crowned pigeons in the outdoor titi exhibit
Armadillo moved to the indoor saki exhibit
Weaver aviary has been empty for the past month or so and one of the Asian aviaries