Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo news 2018

A friend of mine just told me that if he can convince his parents to take him to the Milwaukee Zoo this Saturday that I could come along. If I go, I can get updates on many of the things happening at the zoo.

Also, how fancy are the new primate exhibits suppose to be? I was looking at photos of construction and they didn't see too impressive.
 
EsserWarrior said:
A friend of mine just told me that if he can convince his parents to take him to the Milwaukee Zoo this Saturday that I could come along. If I go, I can get updates on many of the things happening at the zoo.

Also, how fancy are the new primate exhibits suppose to be? I was looking at photos of construction and they didn't see too impressive.
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The new primate exhibits aren’t really impressive, they are more for giving the primates more options for climbing and getting around their enclosure. It’s disappointing.
 
EsserWarrior said:
Hmph, isn't the zoo struggling financially right now?
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I don’t believe that they are struggling financially. They have been having record attendance year after year. The county parks which manages the zoo is financially struggling. So there may be some deferred maintenance but nothing extreme.
 
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Apparently the African Crowned Cranes have arrived already. There is signage for the cranes in the savannah exhibit. I didn't see the cranes in the exhibit though, only the male impala, the gazelles, vultures, and ground hornbills. I wonder if they're introducing the cranes to the female impalas and will introduce them to the animals one species at a time? I didn't expect the cranes to arrive until after Adventure Africa opens but its a welcomed surprise.
 
MKE Zoo guy said:
I don’t believe that they are struggling financially. They have been having record attendance year after year. The county parks which manages the zoo is financially struggling. So there may be some deferred maintenance but nothing extreme.
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Ah, okay. I heard that the zoo was originally struggling to make new exhibits. (Like the elephant exhibits.) So it's good to see the zoo doing building new exhibits.
 
EsserWarrior said:
Hmph, isn't the zoo struggling financially right now?
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'Struggling' is the tricky word. As alluded by MKE zoo guy and others previously, their relationship with the county is very difficult to navigate. The zoo is not in danger of closing or going under in any sense, but large-scale maintenance projects can be deferred for years, and new projects usually end up being only a shadow of what was initially hoped internally or externally, often constructed only after large funding campaigns, rather than using recent profits from zoo attendance.

I would say that the zoo has access to a reasonable amount of financial resources, but doesn't often have the 'liquid' cash to spend, so to speak.
 
Quick update, gorillas are still off exhibit, though I feel like they were outside today. The patio to view them outside was blocked off and the windows inside blacked out.

The red panda area is still off limits for the most part. There is some good news it does look like they are slowly reintroducing people to the exhibit with no additional barriers at this time.

Adventure Africa is coming along, looks like they are finishing the pool area, the demo yard grandstand is close to being complete, the inside to the elephant barn is being fitted out, and the area for the mixed species yard has sand now laid out. It’s cool to see that they are making an island with a totem pole still left from the wolf exhibit, not sure if it’s going to stay there or not though.

Milo the harbor seal is off exhibit as they are weaning him off his mothers milk and onto fish.

Still no African crowned cranes on exhibit.

We are now down to 5 tigers at the zoo. I believe we were at 7 earlier this year, or was I dreaming?


On a different note, I visited the Racine Zoo and they had their lions placed together, while we have our lions separated into two groups of two. When talking with a zoo ambassador they said they brought in a younger female to mate with our male but the female is with the other female. So why is our lions seperated and not in a full pride?
 
MKE Zoo guy said:
Quick update, gorillas are still off exhibit, though I feel like they were outside today. The patio to view them outside was blocked off and the windows inside blacked out.

The red panda area is still off limits for the most part. There is some good news it does look like they are slowly reintroducing people to the exhibit with no additional barriers at this time.

Adventure Africa is coming along, looks like they are finishing the pool area, the demo yard grandstand is close to being complete, the inside to the elephant barn is being fitted out, and the area for the mixed species yard has sand now laid out. It’s cool to see that they are making an island with a totem pole still left from the wolf exhibit, not sure if it’s going to stay there or not though.

Milo the harbor seal is off exhibit as they are weaning him off his mothers milk and onto fish.

Still no African crowned cranes on exhibit.

We are now down to 5 tigers at the zoo. I believe we were at 7 earlier this year, or was I dreaming?


On a different note, I visited the Racine Zoo and they had their lions placed together, while we have our lions separated into two groups of two. When talking with a zoo ambassador they said they brought in a younger female to mate with our male but the female is with the other female. So why is our lions seperated and not in a full pride?
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Thanks for all the updates! Glad to hear Adventure Africa is coming along.

Tigers: let’s see here, male Strannik (who I’ve only seen twice in the time he’s been in Milwaukee) died earlier this year. That leaves Female Amba, her daughters Tula (9), Bernadette (almost 2), Eloise (almost 2), and son Kash (almost 2). I don’t think I’m missing a seventh one, so yep you were dreaming! :p

Lions: I’ve had this same question before. Savannah and Amali are separated from Themba and Sanura because of the lack of space - also doesn’t help that they rotate with the hyenas. I believe I’ve also heard that Themba and Sanura are too closely bonded. I also assume the major age difference may play a part here too; the lionesses are about five I think, while the mated pair just turned fifteen. One of my thoughts (a small hint at my Part 2 in the Hopes and Dreams thread) is giving the hyenas a new exhibit in Adventure Africa down the road, and the lions get an expanded home into the prey area where the kudu and zebra are currently (after they move out of course!).
 
Milwaukee Man said:
Thanks for all the updates! Glad to hear Adventure Africa is coming along.

Tigers: let’s see here, male Strannik (who I’ve only seen twice in the time he’s been in Milwaukee) died earlier this year. That leaves Female Amba, her daughters Tula (9), Bernadette (almost 2), Eloise (almost 2), and son Kash (almost 2). I don’t think I’m missing a seventh one, so yep you were dreaming! :p

Lions: I’ve had this same question before. Savannah and Amali are separated from Themba and Sanura because of the lack of space - also doesn’t help that they rotate with the hyenas. I believe I’ve also heard that Themba and Sanura are too closely bonded. I also assume the major age difference may play a part here too; the lionesses are about five I think, while the mated pair just turned fifteen. One of my thoughts (a small hint at my Part 2 in the Hopes and Dreams thread) is giving the hyenas a new exhibit in Adventure Africa down the road, and the lions get an expanded home into the prey area where the kudu and zebra are currently (after they move out of course!).
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The Racine zoo seems to be smaller then ours with their lion exhibit that’s why I’m surprised ours aren’t together (outside).
 
Also while thinking about it, has anyone heard about the potential male otter that’s suppose to be coming to the zoo sometime this summer?
 
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