Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo News 2020

Is there any published information on the red panda/urial redesign you mentioned? I've seen all the other ideas in various news stories but haven't heard that one. Interestingly, some of the concept art for the Treetop Trail shows an outdoor exhibit for red pandas at the start of the trail, and it would be relatively straightforward to mix urials into one of the large outdoor hoofstock exhibits, so perhaps a new species is being planned. Spider monkeys were penciled in for the indoor space in the 2012 master plan, and an indoor orangutan exhibit concept was developed for that spot in 1999.
woh, didn’t notice that earlier. Maybe that’s what the article meant by a “re-designed red panda exhibit”, if so they would probably go somewhere near the current tamandua exhibit. And tamanduas are getting a new exhibit at the entrance of the treetops trail. Could you give us a link to the concept art for the new exhibit?
If something new goes in that space I would like to see it fit with the tropical Asia theme of that section of the Tropics Trail. Binturong or Prevost's Squirrel might be good choises. Maybe mixed with a smaller terrestrial animal such as a muntjac? Or perhaps Clouded Leopards?

If the zoo doesn't care about the theme, than maybe it would be a good space for an Aye-Aye or a group of Tree Pangolins.
The zoo never stated where the binturongs they had went to so they could very well still be there and awaiting a new exhibit, same with prevots squirrel. Muntjacs probably won’t do very well in such a steep exhibit, the zoo probably wants to get clouded leopards back so there a possibility. Aye ayes need dark, dimly lit exhibits and this one is right out n the open. They would doo much better on the nocturnal trail. Pangolins would personally be very cool to see and with the recent import of pangolins this could be a possibility, but yet again the nocturnal trail seems to be a better place for them. Spider monkeys seem like they could go well in there, klipspringers could be cool(but I think they want to keep a general Asian theme). Darien pika would have been great(if they stil had them:() tree kangaroos or a koala would go good in there(tree Kangaroos also may still be at the zoo). But who knows, Minnesota Zoo can be unpredictable sometimes. Though I think binturongs, tree kangaroos, and clouded leopards are the most likely ideas.
 
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woh, didn’t notice that earlier. Maybe that’s what the article meant by a “re-designed red panda exhibit”, if so they would probably go somewhere near the current tamandua exhibit. And tamanduas are getting a new exhibit at the entrance of the treetops trail. Could you give us a link to the concept art for the new exhibit?
The zoo never stated where the binturongs they had went to so they could very well still be there and awaiting a new exhibit, same with prevots squirrel. Muntjacs probably won’t do very well in such a steep exhibit, the zoo probably wants to get clouded leopards back so there a possibility. Aye ayes need dark, dimly lit exhibits and this one is right out n the open. They would doo much better on the nocturnal trail. Pangolins would personally be very cool to see and with the recent import of pangolins this could be a possibility, but yet again the nocturnal trail seems to be a better place for them. Spider monkeys seem like they could go well in there, klipspringers could be cool(but I think they want to keep a general Asian theme). Darien pika would have been great(if they stil had them:() tree kangaroos or a koala would go good in there(tree Kangaroos also may still be at the zoo). But who knows, Minnesota Zoo can be unpredictable sometimes. Though I think binturongs, tree kangaroos, and clouded leopards are the most likely ideas.
Nocturnal Trail? Do you mean that stupid empty tunnel? Are there any plans to do anything with that tunnel?
 
Nocturnal Trail? Do you mean that stupid empty tunnel? Are there any plans to do anything with that tunnel?
Yes, the stupid empty tunnel was the nocturnal trail and displayed various rare animals over the years like leopard cats, banded palm civets, striped hyenas, northern Luzon giant cloud rat, greater slow loris, common water monitor, king cobras, fishing cats, clouded leopards, tawny frogmouths, binturongs, prevots squirrel, and Pygmy slow loris. And Minnesota zoo plans to renovate and reopen the exhibit sometime in the next decade.
 
Wasn't Minnesota the third or second to last holder of Red Slender Loris in the US?

~Thylo
They never held Slender Loris as far as I know. Last place I saw Slenders was Cleveland so perhaps you're thinking of that zoo? Minnesota had "Slow Loris" (presumably Sunda) on exhibit basically continuously from opening up until the nocturnal hallway closed in the late 2000s, and had Pygmy Slow Loris in a separate exhibit from the late 1990s through late 2000s. After the nocturnal exhibit closed they kept one of those species (I think Sunda) on exhibit for a couple more years in the current sloth exhibit and then kept them as education animals until maybe 2016-2017.
 
They never held Slender Loris as far as I know. Last place I saw Slenders was Cleveland so perhaps you're thinking of that zoo? Minnesota had "Slow Loris" (presumably Sunda) on exhibit basically continuously from opening up until the nocturnal hallway closed in the late 2000s, and had Pygmy Slow Loris in a separate exhibit from the late 1990s through late 2000s. After the nocturnal exhibit closed they kept one of those species (I think Sunda) on exhibit for a couple more years in the current sloth exhibit and then kept them as education animals until maybe 2016-2017.

Maybe, or perhaps I just had my info. wrong. Either way as far as the slow lorises go I'm not sure about the identity of the "Sunda" lorises kept in the US over the years. Bronx's old animal was a Javan, and LA's old animal morphologically matches Bornean. Of course, all of these taxa were lumped into Sunda at one point. If you have a photo, I can try and work it out as a historical note (or for you/anyone else who saw the animal and want to know).

~Thylo
 
Maybe, or perhaps I just had my info. wrong. Either way as far as the slow lorises go I'm not sure about the identity of the "Sunda" lorises kept in the US over the years. Bronx's old animal was a Javan, and LA's old animal morphologically matches Bornean. Of course, all of these taxa were lumped into Sunda at one point. If you have a photo, I can try and work it out as a historical note (or for you/anyone else who saw the animal and want to know).

~Thylo

Over the course of several decades it wouldn't surprise me if their stock had a variety of origins. The exhibit was so dark that it would have been impossible for a zoochatter to take a decent photo, but it looks like Joel Sartore photographed what were presumably their last animals:
You searched for slow loris - Joel Sartore
 
Over the course of several decades it wouldn't surprise me if their stock had a variety of origins. The exhibit was so dark that it would have been impossible for a zoochatter to take a decent photo, but it looks like Joel Sartore photographed what were presumably their last animals:
You searched for slow loris - Joel Sartore

Those appear to be genuine coucang :)

~Thylo
 
The zoo no longer keeps lorises. There Pygmy slow lorises where transferred to the Lake Superior zoo in Duluth. It’s possible that only one of there two lorises where transferred but both could have been transferred.
 
The zoo no longer keeps lorises. There Pygmy slow lorises where transferred to the Lake Superior zoo in Duluth. It’s possible that only one of there two lorises where transferred but both could have been transferred.
The Minnesota Zoo hasn't kept Pygmy Slow Loris for quite a few years, so the ones now at Duluth didn't come from there. A quick check on facebook shows that at least one of Duluth's pair is from Columbus.
 
The Minnesota Zoo hasn't kept Pygmy Slow Loris for quite a few years, so the ones now at Duluth didn't come from there. A quick check on facebook shows that at least one of Duluth's pair is from Columbus.
So when did they phase out lorises? I saw Minnesota’s lorises only 2 years ago in 2018
 
There is a 2018 species list here: Species List [Minnesota Zoo]

There is no species even remotely like a loris on there.
This list doesn’t count ambassador or education animals. The lorises where ambassadors from circa2010 to when ever they where presumably phased out. But I trust @Gondwana that both loris species where Phased out around 2017, since he has given me very good information so far. And plus my memory isn’t the greatest.
 
Some updates from today’s visit:

.the great horned owls are temporarily staying in the former Minnesota aviary, which hasn’t had any permanent residence since the birds left. The owls might just moved for breeding, which i think is the case but I could be wrong. But judging by how they worded the sign, the fox/raccoon will go back on exhibit in a few months

.3 bison calfs have been born this year, bringing the heard up to around 14

.the red panda is temporarily of exhibit

.the cow-nose rays have been moved from the estuary in d-bay, to the indo-pacific tropical reef in the tropics trail

.and the renovated walk through & rhinoceros hornbill aviaries are finally finished.

Sorry about not posting the photos I took last time. The didn’t turn out very well, hopefully my new ones are better.
 
Some updates from today’s visit:

.the great horned owls are temporarily staying in the former Minnesota aviary, which hasn’t had any permanent residence since the birds left. The owls might just moved for breeding, which i think is the case but I could be wrong. But judging by how they worded the sign, the fox/raccoon will go back on exhibit in a few months

.3 bison calfs have been born this year, bringing the heard up to around 14

.the red panda is temporarily of exhibit

.the cow-nose rays have been moved from the estuary in d-bay, to the indo-pacific tropical reef in the tropics trail

.and the renovated walk through & rhinoceros hornbill aviaries are finally finished.

Sorry about not posting the photos I took last time. The didn’t turn out very well, hopefully my new ones are better.
Are the tropics trail aviaries open yet, or just completed?
 
Unfortunately, half of the Minnesota zoos reindeer have died of a seasonal disease. The 4 other reindeer, plus the 2 woodland caribou, have been token of exhibit and separated for the time being. Who knows if any of the will survive:(
 
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