Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo & Adventure Park What's New at the N.E.W Zoo?

Milwaukee Man said:
The Zoo unveiled its master plan! :D

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birdsandbats said:
Another master plan document: https://newzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/MasterPlan-Projects-file.pdf

What is a flex habitat?
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My thoughts:

Campsites
I don't know anybody who doesn't love camping! Two campsites (I am assuming they will be rented out) should generate some money for the zoo.

Mar-An-Dol Conservatory
A conservatory will be a nice addition, and I hope to see some of my favorite exotic plants, like Sausage Trees, and maybe some cool free-flight birds.

Ski Trails
Another opportunity for recreation! This will be very popular in the winter.

Mountain Bike Trails
Wow. Looks like the zoo is really using the surrounding forest well.

Fat Tire & Snowmobile Trails
Huh. I guess even better than I thought.

Hiking Trails
See above.

Wisconsin Logging History and Logging Playground
I think it is good that the zoo is using this opportunity to teach about the rich history of Wisconsin's forests.

Sculpture Walk
While this doesn't sound exiting to me, other people will probably love it.

Equestrian Trails
Now this sounds more interesting to me. Not only the addition of a new animal species to the zoo, but an opportunity to ride it through the surrounding woods? Awesome!

Zoo and Adventure Plaza
A better entrance, along with more adventure park equipment and a couple new exhibits are great. Not sure how I feel about the water slide, though.

Kids Play Zone
Moving the carousel and the train station to the current farm area was a good idea. Even though the Fallow Deer will go, the new splash pad will be popular with kids in the summer. However, note that in the master plan PDF, Koi is misspelled "Coy".

African Savanna Exhibits
The new Lion Ridge looks great, and the expanded savanna habitat also looks cool. Not only more room for the Giraffes, but Common Ostriches and antelope will make it a nice mixed-species exhibit. Cheetahs will be very popular. The fact that the Wattled Cranes will be replaced with Flamingos (I assume Lesser) is interesting. I am not sure which exhibit I prefer.

Education Plaza & Discovery Garden
Although created mainly for school groups, some of this actually looks interesting. The add-on to the Conservation Learning Center gives an opportunity for a much larger reptile collection. The Biodiversity Lab also looks interesting. I am hopeful that this lab will have a good conservation message and more cool animals. The Dino Dig will appeal to all those little paleontologists out there. The Discovery Garden actually sounds interesting. I wonder what kinds of plants it will have. The two new amphitheaters will also be great for presenting animal ambassadors, and I am hoping will possibly add a bird show to the zoo.

Japanese Macaque Expansions
More room for these energetic primates means the zoo can really expand the size of their troop. The overhead trail is an interesting idea, although I am not sure it will turn out.

African Outpost Marketplace
This will be an interesting educational experience. Not sure what else to say.

Zoo Central
Lots of flex habitats means lots of new mystery species! Tropics sound intriguing, I'm guessing it will be similar to Henry Vilas' tropical building? I am glad to see the swans staying, and the new badger and prairie dog exhibit included. A new Red Panda exhibit will be great, and bamboo trails sound interesting. I think it is weird that they are replacing the NAROs with ASCOs, but whatever. The tortoises will be staying (I am happy to see that), and the restaurant renovations were an interesting move. I guess the zoo expects the attendance to be way up. (What Asiatic Bear though? Uh. I thing this question will haunt me for years until they build the exhibit.)

North American Great Plains
Expanding the Great Plains yard is good, but I am interested to know what else they could add to this yard. Caribou, maybe? Are the White-Tailed Deer being moved here? New habitats Black-Footed Ferret and Burrowing Owls will be great, also.

Eurasia & Northern Trail
Renovated exhibits galore!!!!!! Glad to see lynx, Snow Leopards, and wolves all getting cool-looking new exhibits. Tigers will bring in lots of visitors, and Milwaukee will have competition for Moose feeding. The Nature Play Zone will be popular. While the Riley Building and North American Aviary look like they will be staying about the same, I wonder what will inhabit the old ferret and owl exhibits.

Parking
An expanded parking lot. What else is there to say?

But the most exiting thing all:

THERE IS A BENCH SHAPED LIKE A SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p Because noting is more exiting than snake benches.
 
birdsandbats said:
My thoughts:

Campsites
I don't know anybody who doesn't love camping!
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You do now ;) ! It’s not something I would ever consider, due to my love of luxury. If I’m going to pay money to stay somewhere, at the very least I need a double bed, a bathtub, electric sockets, wifi and a full length mirror. A queen size bed, mini bar and room service are even better!
 
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Updates from my visit today:

  • Lots of new signs promoting conservation were added to the Education & Conservation Center.
  • The baby Alpaca is clearly visible, and very cute.
  • The fence broke one of the petting zoo enclosures. It was being fixed today.
  • Today was the first time I have seen the Dusky Lorikeets in the winter. I didn't even know they stayed on exhibit in the winter.
  • The raccoons were more active than I have ever seen them, climbing almost to the top of the tree in their exhibit.
  • The zoo's pelican was off-exhibit today. I didn't know why, until I saw him with another pelican, in an off-exhibit side yard connected to the giraffe building. Possibly a female?
  • A sign said the Fallow Deer are currently under medical watch. What could that mean?
  • There was a Green-Winged Teal and a Hooded Merganser not with the other ducks, in a small pen inside the tortoise building (but not in the exhibit). I wonder why they are separated.
  • I went in the pop-up hole in the new prairie dog exhibit. They have conveniently built a tunnel in front of the underground viewing window.
  • Only one Red Panda in quarantine.
  • At noon, the Red Wolf pack all got together and howled at the tornado siren. That was cool.
  • The cougar has a new enrichment item, but I am not sure what it is. It looks sort of like a box.
  • Today was the first time I have seen the zoo's Golden Pheasant.
  • Two rats in the new exhibit. Now that I see them again, I am not sure what species they are, but I can confirm a Rattus species.
  • It appears the Black-Footed Ferret exhibit is under some kind of renovation.
  • The old native fish tank has been dried out and remodeled. It is now an expansion to the Burrowing Owl exhibit.
  • The Killdeer was not on exhibit. Not sure why.
  • The South American chiclid tank in the Riley Building still only contains Convicts, the original tank still has lots of fish.

That's about it.
 
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The zoo has revealed through Facebook that one of the indoor exhibits is being renovated, but the zoo did not say which one. The next time I go to the zoo, I will try to find out. :)
 
A Spiny Softshell Turtle named Pancake will soon arrive at the zoo from the Hecrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha, WI. Hecrodt just did a renovation to the turtle's enclosure at their nature center, and it stressed Pancake very badly. So Hecrodt is planning to give Pancake to the zoo. Not sure if Pancake will go on exhibit or stay off-exhibit as an animal ambassador.
 
birdsandbats said:
A Spiny Softshell Turtle named Pancake will soon arrive at the zoo from the Hecrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha, WI. Hecrodt just did a renovation to the turtle's enclosure at their nature center, and it stressed Pancake very badly. So Hecrodt is planning to give Pancake to the zoo. Not sure if Pancake will go on exhibit or stay off-exhibit as an animal ambassador.
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Just checked Facebook. It appears Pancake is already at the zoo and on exhibit. :) Just from the pictures I can see Pancake is much less stressed at her new home.

EDIT: However, the zoo says that the turtle's name is "Flapjack". Flapjack is another one of Hecrodt's softshell turtles. Did both turtles get sent to the zoo, or was only Flapjack sent?
 
birdsandbats said:
A Spiny Softshell Turtle named Pancake will soon arrive at the zoo from the Hecrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha, WI. Hecrodt just did a renovation to the turtle's enclosure at their nature center, and it stressed Pancake very badly. So Hecrodt is planning to give Pancake to the zoo. Not sure if Pancake will go on exhibit or stay off-exhibit as an animal ambassador.
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birdsandbats said:
Just checked Facebook. It appears Pancake is already at the zoo and on exhibit. :) Just from the pictures I can see Pancake is much less stressed at her new home.

EDIT: However, the zoo says that the turtle's name is "Flapjack". Flapjack is another one of Hecrodt's softshell turtles. Did both turtles get sent to the zoo, or was only Flapjack sent?
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I can now confirm Flapjack was sent to the zoo. Pancake is still at Heckrodt.
 
Updates from my visit today:

  • Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are back on exhibit.
  • Saw the zoo's Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine for the first time today.
  • All three exhibits in the Nutrition Center are now empty.
  • The Sandhill Crane has been moved to the Fallow Deer yard.
  • Gwendolyn the Golden Pheasant was actually not hiding today. This is the first time I have seen her outside the nest box.
  • The Indian Peafowl in the guineafowl exhibit has changed. It was a peahen. No it's a peacock.
  • birdsandbats said:
    The swan cygnets have hatched! There are seven of them.
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    I was wrong, there are eight.
  • The rats are Norway Rats.
  • The Black-Footed Ferrets are back on exhibit.
  • The Moose was vocalizing a lot.
  • The Killdeer is still gone.
  • Flapjack is living were the South American cichlids were being moved. All the cichlids are back in their old tank.
  • Several Green-Winged Teal chicks have hatched! I saw four.
  • Both pelicans are currently living in the North American aviary.
  • The prairie dogs pups already seemed used to people.
  • Indian Peafowl chicks have hatched! Saw at least four.
  • Saw the new agouti exhibit. Photos coming soon!
  • birdsandbats said:
    A sign said the Fallow Deer are currently under medical watch. What could that mean?
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    One was very clearly limping.
  • The baby Alpaca can now be found in the main yard.
 
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