Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Beardsley Zoo News

savethelephant said:
Today I visited, for the first time, Beardsley zoo and I thought it was a very nice and small (but hard to photograph) zoo. If anyone has any questions either post here or pm me. And if anyone's curious, the pampas exhibit was nice. Post pictures later.


P.S., it seems that the zoo is going to try to make a whole South American themed exhibit to make it seem like one exhibit. I saw there were plans for Andean bears, coati, and tapir. Vicunas coming soon.

P.P.S., chatroom is a nice place to ask/answer questions
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You're correct about the South American exhibit. South American Adventure will include the Rainforest building, Pampas Plains, and Spirits of the Cloud Forest, which is the name of the future Andean Bear exhibit. In addition to the animals you mention, spider monkeys are also planned, and maras and the zoo's condors at the entrance are also possibilities.
 
Visited the zoo Saturday the 19th and noticed a few things. For one there are a pair of Cackling Geese in the New England Farmyard. I've never seen the species before at the zoo and thought they had left. Also, a pair of Ocellated Turkeys were freely roaming the grounds, while a third animal was still in the farmyard. The barn in the farmyard was closed and the Snowy Owls were off-exhibit. I'm not sure why but I kind of remember someone saying the prairie dogs were off-exhibit on a recent visit. However, they were back on-show when I went.

I'm not sure how I feel about Pampas Plains. The enclosure certainly are nicely sized and look good, but the peccaries are definitely in a smaller space than they were before and it's annoying to have to view the rheas from behind another enclosure. Also, I can't see how several vicuna are going to fit in the same enclosure as the anteaters comfortably.

~Thylo:cool:
 
@Thylo- I thought the Cackling Geese never left the collection. I also didn't see those turkeys.
The barn was open when I went. Also the Snowy Owls aren't off-exhibit, they just have that black tarp in front of their viewing. Maybe it's for heat-related issues or to encourage them to breed, I don't really know. And yeah, I saw the prairie dogs on exhibit too.

I visited the zoo on the 13th, and will add whatever news has been left out.
Weechie the Pygmy Marmoset was sent out, and now there are 1.1 new marmosets in his enclosure. I believe the male is from Fort Wayne Children's Zoo and the female is from Brevard Zoo.
There are 3 Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks on exhibit in the South American Rainforest.
I try not to practice anthropomorphism on this site, but I can't help but feel that Zuele the Black Howler looks upset after the death of her companion Rosario, who died at the age of 11 earlier this year. One has to wonder how much time she has left, as she is now 29 and the oldest howler monkey in captivity.
Finally, onto Pampas Plains. There are some new signs in the Maned Wolf viewing hut. One sign is about grasslands in general, and the other is a sponsor list for Pampas Plains. In addition, new glass-paneled viewing from the boardwalk for the wolf allowed the exhibit to be slightly expanded. Thylo, did you only see one wolf? From there you travel on a boardwalk, which offers some nice views. Like Thylo, I have mixed feelings on the peccary and rhea exhibits. Viewing is a lot better, but the peccaries do seem to have a smaller space than before. The terrain is a bit more varied for them though, though it's not much in a smaller exhibit. The rhea exhibit has some pretty awful viewing, but the birds do have a much larger space than before.
The best exhibit is for the Giant Anteaters, and they are definitely the stars of the complex. I've seen anteaters before, but not this close-up, and they really are peculiar animals. Other visitors loved them too. The exhibit is lushly planted and has a pool. Unfortunately, some of the things planned for Pampas Plains were cut out (termite mounds for the anteaters, a stream flowing through the exhibit.) Also, there is a lot of chain-link fencing holding the animals in. While you don't view the animals directly through chain-link, it's an eyesore for a new exhibit. Also, there is a small grassy fenced-in enclosure behind the anteaters. That might be off-exhibit space for the anteaters, or serve as a barrier between the Vicunas and anteaters as they get acclimated to each other. Then that might be taken down to allow for more space. In addition, the fact that the sign for the rheas is near the anteater viewing, I hope that that means the anteater exhibit will eventually expanded to the rheas, mixing the two habitats and species, but I'm not sure how feasible that is.
 
There were two wolves.

I was thinking the rhea, anteater, and off-show yards might be combined to allow for a larger space.

And the owl enclosure was empty with a sign in it when I went. I was with friends and didn't go up to the enclosure so I didn't see exactly what it said.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
There were two wolves.

I was thinking the rhea, anteater, and off-show yards might be combined to allow for a larger space.

And the owl enclosure was empty with a sign in it when I went. I was with friends and didn't go up to the enclosure so I didn't see exactly what it said.

~Thylo:cool:
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Ah, ok. The sisters are still together then.

That's what I was thinking (well, more like hoping) too. Maybe the rhea exhibit could be expanded closer to the boardwalk too.

Really? Maybe they are going off-exhibit for some reason. It could be breeding, as I believe both of these owls are from Europe (the female is from Hannover in Germany, and the male might be from the Czech Republic or some other country), so their genes should be pretty valuable.
 
The zoo is looking to keep Rochan the Red Panda permanently and are asking for donations to build him a proper enclosure.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
The zoo is looking to keep Rochan the Red Panda permanently and are asking for donations to build him a proper enclosure.

~Thylo:cool:
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The move to CBZ was an SSP recommendation. It was planned long before his "vacation", while FPZ started on their Children's Zoo renovation. The ploy to donate for a permanent enclosure was "cooked up" to tug on the heartstrings of supporters and potential donors.
 
Penguin Plaza (Plunge) has opened. It is the same temp. exhibit that has been making the rounds the past few years.
 
The male leopard, Oskar, that came from Copenhagen with his sister has been sent to the San Diego Zoo. CBZ now has a new male, Sochi, from Denver Zoo to breed with Freya.
 
A pair of rescued miniature horses will be joining the New England Farmyard in November.

The zoo has begun a 760-square-foot addition to the Rainforest Building to serve of a new kitchen. Visitors will be able to view into the building. It is expected to be completed in early 2017.

~Thylo
 
I recently purchased the 2002 history book Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo: The First Eighty Years and even though it is a slim paperback (64 pages) and not particularly well-written, there are a few pieces of information that I wasn't aware of before I made my purchase.

- the Master Plan (circa 2002) called for an Arctic Tundra area (Kodiak bear, caribou), an Asian Plateau (red panda, Asiatic black bear, snow leopard) and "the most immediate plans call for a Jaguar Walk exhibit to be constructed adjacent to the New World Tropics Building, on the site of the old elephant yard. The exhibit would also showcase tapir, monkeys, birds, and reptiles." Obviously none of that ever became a reality.

- In the book there is talk of a project involving Darwin's rhea, Chacoan peccary and giant anteater and of course Pampas Plains actually saw the light of day and is a recent development.

- essentially from 1959 to 1984 the zoo had a minimum of at least one elephant.

- The Bird & Mammal Building opened in 1956, became a rainforest zone in 1969 and eventually was called the New World Tropics Building in 1992.
 
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Beardsley Zoo 2016 In Review-
  • Mochilla, the Giant Anteater was born on February 13th, the first of his species to be born at the zoo. Helmeted Guineafowl and Guinea Hog piglets were also born at the zoo this summer.
  • African Penguins (first penguins ever at the zoo), Dromedary Camels, and Spurred-Thigh Tortoises temporarily exhibited this summer
  • Ruby, the female Red Wolf, died this year.
  • Zuele officially became the oldest howler monkey in the world, celebrating her 30th birthday this year. After the death of her companion Rosario last year, she went back on exhibit this summer with another elderly pair of howler monkeys (1.1).
  • The zoo welcomed a new male Maned Wolf to breed with the female, Bonita. I don't know where this new male is from, but I know that Bonita's sister, Chiquita, was sent to Philadelphia Zoo.
  • Jabba the sloth was moved to into the Goeldi's Monkey/Agouti exhibit.
  • The Boa Constrictor was off-exhibit throughout August. I don't know if it passed away or is still off-exhibit.
  • The Common Vampire Bats were also off-exhibit this summer for a behavioral study in collaboration with Southern Connecticut State University to monitor vampire bat feeding vocalizations, and group feeding strategies.
  • As Thylo mentioned above, the zoo broke ground on a new kitchen and commissary in September. Bridgeport Zoo and Beardsley Zoo Breaks Ground on Kitchen For Animals
  • As Thylo also said, the zoo welcomed two Miniature Horses, Caramel and Nutmeg, into the former goat exhibit in the New England Farmyard. The zoo removed the asphalt from the pen and there is now natural soil underneath for the horses. The goats are in the former llama exhibit. Miniature Horses Going on Exhibit At The Beardsley Zoo
  • Rochan the Red Panda is back on exhibit, and the zoo is trying to raise $150,000 to build a new exhibit for him. The link describes Rochan's new home featuring "plenty of tree-top spots for sunbathing", "a yard landscaped with bamboo", and "a cool place to enjoy in the summer and great outdoor space to explore in the winter." Rochan’s New Digs | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
 
The zoo has received a female Amur Tiger named Changbai from the Philadelphia Zoo. They plan on breeding her with Petya, the male tiger. Naka, the former female, was moved to the Racine Zoo.
The vampire bats are now back on exhibit in the Rainforest.
 
I visited the zoo a little over two weeks ago. Some updates:
  • Sochi and Freya the leopards are sharing exhibit space with each other. Sochi just turned three, so could they be trying to breed already?
  • There is a new female Red Wolf on exhibit with Harper, after his companion Ruby died last year.
  • The zoo has female peafowl on zoo grounds now.
  • The weird black tarp-like thing covering the Snowy Owl exhibit is now gone.
  • The goats have moved back into their original exhibit. It now has sand and natural substrates instead of concrete. They also have a new climbing structure, with scratching posts and for some reason, bells attached to it. The miniature horses are on exhibit where the goats were temporarily, and where the llama and rheas used to be.
  • The boa constrictor exhibit seems to have been refurbished, and the snake is back on exhibit.
  • The new zoo commissary should be open within the next few months.
  • The zoo's website says that funding for the new Red Panda habitat is at 95% completion.
  • Finally, the most exciting news! On the former peccary exhibit is a sign that says spider monkeys are coming soon.
 
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