Tulsa Zoo Tulsa Zoo News

Bebeto the jaguar has passed.

Bebeto the jaguar dies at Tulsa Zoo | FOX23

 

Sea Lion, Dorsey, has succumbed to bone cancer.

Tulsa Zoo's Dorsey The Sea Lion Dies - NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

 

Diana monkey baby:

Tulsa Zoo announces birth of endangered Diana monkey | KTUL

 

The zoo was closed today due to a security threat.

Tulsa Zoo Closed Following Phone Threat - NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

 

I was there two days prior, and I assure everyone I was not the cause of a security threat, but it could have been the unbearable heat & humidity. (Summertime in Tulsa, OK always seems like one of the hottest places I've ever been.) All joking aside, I'm glad they take these things seriously. It cost the zoo a lot of unrealized revenue to close for a day.

 

A jaguar cub was born one month ago:

First Look At The Tulsa Zoo's Baby Jaguar - NewsOn6.com

 

The jaguar cub has been named Babette - a tribute to her dad Bebeto, who died earlier this year from old age.

Baby Jaguar named after late dad at Tulsa Zoo | FOX23

 

Another article about the Jaguar cub :
Meet Baby Babette, the Jaguar Cub - ZooBorns

 

Message today from Tulsa Zoo on death of Wheezy, oldest Cape buffalo in captivity:
"Yesterday we said goodbye to our beloved African Cape buffalo, Wheezy. At the age of 34, she was the oldest documented African Cape buffalo in human care. Animal Health and Animal Care staff determined that Wheezy's quality of life had significantly diminished due to complications from multiple geriatric conditions. To honor her at the end of her life, and to ensure she did not suffer, staff made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Wheezy yesterday.

Wheezy was loved by everyone at the zoo. She was often referred to as "Mama," as she was known for being a fiercely protective mother in her younger days. While she lived in retirement, she would sometimes choose to explore the public portion of her home in the Mary K. Chapman Rhino Reserve. Zoo staff would gather around her exhibit just to get the chance to see her. Our zoo family is grateful that we were given the chance to know and care for her for so many years.

Zookeeper Eric Flossic cared for Wheezy for more than 15 years. Read his tribute to her below.

“As a zookeeper, your animals become a second family. Like a proud parent, you watch them grow and even have kids. You spend holidays with them, you think about their well-being when you’re away from work. For the past 15 years Wheezy was the queen of my zoo family. I feel very honored and blessed to have been able to share so much time with her. She will be missed greatly by all who had the chance to know her. Rest easy, Big Mama. You were truly a lifetime animal to work with.”"

 

That's a shame . She was the first (and only, until last year) Cape buffalo I'd ever seen. RIP Wheezy.

 

Does the Tulsa Zoo have any more Cape Buffaloes left? Or was she the only/last one?

 

The was then last one, and had been the only one for quite some time.

 

Thank you.

 

I uploaded a couple of photos to the Tulsa Zoo gallery of a cape buffalo I took in May, 2010. I assume them to be of Wheezy as she was the only one I saw. They're not great photos but, when that's all you got and you know there is no possibility of anymore, they look better.

 

A mistake in construction,specifically building the buildings below the flood plain, resulted in the Lost Kingdom complex costing an additional $2 million. Fortunately the exhibit is still on track to open next May.

Error Adds $2M To Construction Project At Tulsa Zoo - NewsOn6.com

 

Update about the Jaguar young :
Beautiful Babette Developing Big-Cat Skills

 

Update of the Snow leopard cubs :
Snow Leopard Cubs vs. Christmas Tree

 

What got bulldozed for Lost Kingdom?

 

There was an Amphitheater (that was seldom used) and a snack bar and restrooms that were all removed. The rest of the area was undeveloped.

 

An nice recent amenity added to the zoo is the St. John Family Den. It includes space for mothers who prefer to nurse in a quiet, more private setting; a quiet space for persons with autism; and an adult diaper-changing room. Good reuse of an older building that was most recently a gift shop, and long ago a small nocturnal animal house.
Family Den Opens at the Tulsa Zoo