Bronx Zoo Bronx Zoo News 2021

ThylacineAlive said:
Agreed, I worry for the future of species like Transcaspian Urial, Kordofan Aoudad, and Nubian Ibex in American zoos... The Aoudad itself is subject to losing most of its holders in the upcoming years.

~Thylo
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The auodad and ibex and not sitting pretty at the moment, so I would not hold my breath. Fossil Rim took on the former, only to lose all but one of their females-- only the San Diego Zoo Safari Park still has a group capable of breeding. The ibex is down to two mixed-sex holders, Baton Rouge, and, again, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The urial is doing *slightly* better, having spread out a little more-- mostly into non-accredited facilities, however. St. Louis is also without a breeding male currently, which is not great, considering they were the other main breeding facility. With the direction the AZA is going (essentially dissolving the SSPs to only have managed programs for the species already doing well) and with changes in leadership at some of the more speciose collections, I don't foresee a bright future for Caprids or most other hoofstock, quite frankly. The same could be said for many taxa--I have many friends involved with Avian TAGs, SSPs, and studbooks, as well, and they are all afraid they're going to lose their animals too.
 
Kudu21 said:
The auodad and ibex and not sitting pretty at the moment, so I would not hold my breath. Fossil Rim took on the former, only to lose all but one of their females-- only the San Diego Zoo Safari Park still has a group capable of breeding. The ibex is down to two mixed-sex holders, Baton Rouge, and, again, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The urial is doing *slightly* better, having spread out a little more-- mostly into non-accredited facilities, however. St. Louis is also without a breeding male currently, which is not great, considering they were the other main breeding facility. With the direction the AZA is going (essentially dissolving the SSPs to only have managed programs for the species already doing well) and with changes in leadership at some of the more speciose collections, I don't foresee a bright future for Caprids or most other hoofstock, quite frankly. The same could be said for many taxa--I have many friends involved with Avian TAGs, SSPs, and studbooks, as well, and they are all afraid they're going to lose their animals too.
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I've heard about the new management system, though the conversations I've had have been a bit more positive about its potential :p Regardless, due to small populations, decreasing holders, and high infant mortality (usually due to inbreeding) I don't have much hope for many of the current AZA hoofstock SSPs. That said, I think the result is the same regardless of whether the SSPs are changing.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I've heard about the new management system, though the conversations I've had have been a bit more positive about its potential :p Regardless, due to small populations, decreasing holders, and high infant mortality (usually due to inbreeding) I don't have much hope for many of the current AZA hoofstock SSPs. That said, I think the result is the same regardless of whether the SSPs are changing.

~Thylo
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It's all dependent on who you talk to, opinion varies greatly from facility to facility, generation to generation, and taxa specialty to taxa specialty. A lot of hoofstock and bird people are quite concerned, being two areas that have seen perhaps the greatest losses over the past decades and that rely the most on the private sector. It's not fully fleshed out yet, so we cannot quite say how it will turn out in the end. There is potential there, that is true, especially with some of the "consortium" programs, but there is fear that that potential will not be realized, either by misinterpretation of the new management programs or by facilities not being willing to put in the effort that will be needed to ensure that potential... It is true, for all of the reasons you've stated, that we would likely lose many of the hoofstock species either way. That said, from what I have heard, we might should expect to see losses beyond the aforementioned Caprids and other suffering programs. I've heard rumors of some pretty major and once quite popular species that are now on their way out, not for lack of population size...
 
Westcoastperson said:
I believe this is meant for the ABQ bio park thread not Bronx Zoo
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Nah, it’s for this thread:

The zoo transferred Malayan tiger Penari to the Bronx Zoo earlier this week, while Penari’s litter mate, Bunga (pronounced “Boon-ya”) arrived from the Dickerson Park Zoo in Missouri on the same day to take his place.

BioPark Zoo gets new tiger in swap for his brother

At the time of posting, I couldn’t find a media release concerning Penari’s arrival at the Bronx Zoo, but figured people would be interested to know of this arrival nonetheless.
 
Yeah all searches for the new arrival lead to the ABQ press releases which mention Bronx's new male. I think this is an exciting addition, as the zoo has not bred their Malayan Tigers for about five years now. The zoo has kept a trio of females for a couple years now. Earlier in the year they sent one of their females (the famous COVID-19 victim I believe) to Woodland Park Zoo to be paired with their lone male, and now the Bronx has welcomed a new male to be paired with one of the remaining females presumably. Fingers crossed within the few couple years we see successful breeding at both zoos. It seems Dickerson Park and ABQ have been both left with unpaired single animals.

~Thylo
 
Gomphothere said:
Has anyone tried any of the "Wild Encounters"? The prices are IMHO pretty eye-popping for thirty minute experiences: Wild Encounters - Bronx Zoo
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That is insane :eek: But I’ll play Devil’s Advocate for them :rolleyes: I think that it is quite a large price tag but is similar to other major zoos like mine here in California such as the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Events like the Cart Safari, Behind The Scenes, Wildlife Safari and other similar events are being priced as group events. This is most likely due to COVID rules and restrictions with different people in the same event. Yes it is a lot to fork over for a small group or even a couple. But it appears to be intended for a max capacity of 6 members. It’s most likely the best way these places can do these private events while making the necessary margins as current procedures are enforced. Unfortunately for me I don’t have a large group of people to justify the purchase of such ticketed events :(
 
And I used to condemn a hawker on a marketplace in Tunisia showing off a fennec fox for a few bucks! Or a villager in Indonesia showing an eclectus parrot on a stick on a roadside and waving at tourists!

They should have an idea to dress better, go to a rich district in a major town, demand $300 instead of $3 and call themselves 'animal ambassadors' and all would be fine.
 
Gomphothere said:
Has anyone tried any of the "Wild Encounters"? The prices are IMHO pretty eye-popping for thirty minute experiences: Wild Encounters - Bronx Zoo
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Speaking to from professional experience those prices aren’t unusual for what they are offering. With a group of 6 people it works out to about $50 per person. And for a 30 min experience it probably takes the zoo 2 hours of work and potentially multiple staff depending on the animal. Just for context.
 
Please keep in mind, those aren't their regular prices! Normally the single-species ones are $60, which is among the cheapest you'll find in the USA. With covid, they had to stop doing experiences with unrelated people in groups and stick to ones of families/friends, so you're actually getting a private experience instead of a room full of people. I've done one before and would have loved to have less people there so I could ask more specific questions!
 
Anyone hear anything about Season 5 of the Zoo? I believe Season 4 premiered about this time last year, really hoping the show comes back- one of my favorites
 
A1st said:
Anyone hear anything about Season 5 of the Zoo? I believe Season 4 premiered about this time last year, really hoping the show comes back- one of my favorites
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I imagine new york city's covid rules kept filming from happening for most of the year.
 
I visited the zoo yesterday for the first time since January, there are definitely some exciting changes to report:

-The Maleo are back on-exhibit again, though it looks like the Sulawesi Forest Turtles have been removed (one was in with the tree-kangaroo in JungleWorld, however).
-The Keel-Billed Toucan is living with the trumpeters and motmots now.
-While I'm not positive, the zoo may have bred some of their bee-eaters again as the screen was pulled down indication new birds unfamiliar with the invisible barrier.
-There was at least one Nicobar Pigeon and two Great Argus chicks on-exhibit in WoB. Oriental Magpie-Robin has been introduced to that enclosure as well.
-The zoo's Painted Storks have been spread all around the grounds. Some are still in JW, others in the Aquatic Bird House, and some in WoB.
-I saw Green Wood-Hoopoe in the African walk-through for the first time in quite a while.
-One of the Southern Bald Ibis was nesting, though idk if it actually has any eggs.
-The oddly placed crowned-pigeon has been removed from the Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill enclosure.
-The Hyacinth Macaws were not on-exhibit.
-There are at least two Pere David's Deer fawns out on-exhibit.
-There is also at least one Brow-Antlered Deer fawn on-exhibit, though they had quite a large herd out on-display so I might have overlooked others.
-There appeared to be three night-heron chicks.
-The Florida Softshell Turtle has been put back on-display in the Children's Zoo
-The Lesser Hedgehog Tenrecs have gone back on-exhibit in the Mouse House as opposed to Madagascar!.
-The old chevrotain/slow loris enclosure in JW is currently stripped bare with new signage placed for cloud rats.
-The old spotted skunk enclosure has been renovated but doesn't yet have a new occupant.
-The old Storm's Stork enclosure in the ABH (the first one on your right upon entering) has had the glass front removed and now holds Snowy Egret and Boat-Billed Heron. The Anhinga was also signed and previously resided in the enclosure on my last visit (when the glass was still present) but has been moved to the Scarlet Ibis enclosure.
-The Peruvian Pelicans and Brown Pelicans are all out in that small pond here the ambassador animal building behind the Children's Zoo. I saw Bar-Headed Geese and one or two other waterfowl species grazing on the grass outside the building as well.
-Several of the Yellow-Headed Box Turtle and Golden Coin Turtle terrariums in the nursery section of WoR had "Columbus" written on them, presumably the zoo is to pick up this species from the Bronx.
-The Beale's Four-Eyed Turtle signage has been corrected to Chinese Four-Eyed Turtle, Sacalia quadriocellata, which I suspect the animals have always been.
-The electric catfish in CGF has been replaced by elephantnosefish.
-The Nile Monitor previously exhibited in WoR has been put on display in CGF, replacing the ornate-morph animal. A Gray's Monitor has replaced it.
-Baboon Reserve was completely void of all animals bar peafowl. It is quite strange, it appears neither the ibex or hyrax nor Gelada have been exhibited for most of the year and I am unsure as to why.
-The zoo has bred their babirusa, with a young but rapidly growing piglet on-exhibit on the monorail.
-The Children's Zoo petting zoo has welcomed two Mangalica Pigs, which are very amusing-looking animals.
-The Chinese Alligator adults have been put back on-display in WoR, replacing the temporarily exhibited Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle.
-Arrau River Turtle has been added to the large South American turtle display at the end of WoR. I have yet to spot the Red Tegu.
-The North Indian Muntjac were not on-exhibit and their small barn shut.
-The mangrove enclosures at the beginning of JW are currently empty and under renovations (again).
-There were quite a few young Sambar out on-display. Not newborns, but rather yearlings it seems. Some of the older males were sparing in front of females as well.
-The Dholes have completely gotten over their shyness and are very visible and active now.
-As expected, Mangshan Pitviper is now on-exhibit at the zoo. Also new on-exhibit here are Two-Striped Pitviper (did not see) and Ranitomeya vanzolinii.
-While I did not see any personally, according to my monorail guide the zoo has welcomed six Bactrian Deer to the Barasingha, Chital, and Blackbuck enclosure.

~Thylo
 
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