Yep. I’ll hopefully post them later today.
Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo News 2021
- Thread starter Dhole dude
- Start date
Is that plastic in front of the primate exhibits gone too?
No, unfortunately.
Well, I admire the gravitas of the Minnesota zoo's safety precautions at this time, especially since cases are surging specifically in Minnesota.
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Updates from my visit today. Sorry if some of these aren’t new, it’s been a while since I’ve been to this zoo:
- The male Asian Forest Tortoise has moved into old small-clawed otter exhibit.
- The zoo recently obtained at least one Fawn-breasted Bowerbird. The bird(s) are kept off-exhibit because apparently they don’t get along with the argus, but I did see one in the off-exhibit cages inside the Asian Aviary.
- Two African Crested Porcupines have moved into the Visayan Warty Pig enclosure.
- There was no Red Panda on exhibit or signed. When did this happen?
- Today is the first day I’ve ever seen the beavers here.
- The Dhole Viewing Hut has re-opened.
Min, the zoo's last Red Panda, passed away in August. Tortoises are a very underwhelming replacement for the Otters (This is obviously temporary, but still an odd replacement & a species not well suited for this exhibit), and African Crested Porcupines are quite geographically inaccurate (There were Indian Crested Porcupines in the current Asian Forest Tortoise Exhibit but were phased out sometime in the last two decades). AFAIK the Fawn-Breasted Bowerbird has been around for a while, and the Dhole Viewing Hut has been open since the summer.
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Sorry I provided no new news then.
The news about the Porcupine & Tortoise replacements were new, yet ultimately disappointing news
.
Like dhole dude said, the bowerbirds have been here for quite a while now. And yes, the red panda has passed away.
@Dhole dude what do you suppose they will do with the former asian tortoise enclosure?
@birdsandbats glad you finally saw the beavers!
I’ll probably make a visit after the new year as well (late January?) Also as a sidenote birdsandbats I am passing through Toledo tomorrow unfortunately I am not going to the Toledo zoo
Just don’t have the time.
@birdsandbats said only the male moved over. The females still inhabit the old exhibit.Like dhole dude said, the bowerbirds have been here for quite a while now. And yes, the red panda has passed away.
@Dhole dude what do you suppose they will do with the former asian tortoise enclosure?
@birdsandbats glad you finally saw the beavers!
I’ll probably make a visit after the new year as well (late January?) Also as a sidenote birds and bats I am passing through Toledo tomorrow unfortunately I am not going to the Toledo zoo
The Asian small clawed otter exhibit will now be dubbed “the pit of shame” .
Sounds fitting
. I really wish this exhibit would be renovated or completely replaced, as there aren't really any good replacements for the Otters at the moment. Seeing as the zoo isn't doing very well financially, I doubt this exhibit will be the top priority, unfortunately .
Even with the small-clawed otters in there, the exhibit was still even not that great. I guess this would be a good time to make any donations to the zoo.Sounds fitting
This is correct.
Nice to hear those exhibits are being used even if the species aren't the most exciting. I wouldn't be surprised if both are stopgaps while the zoo explores other options.
Others mentioned the Bowerbird has been around a while; I believe that species was obtained in 2017, which is around the same time they obtained a number of new bird species like Cock-of-the-rock, Avocet, Marianas Fruit Dove, and Turaco.
Has anyone seen the Gaudy Red-throated Barbet since the Tropics aviary reopened? It was never signed and quite cryptic but was present at least as recently as December 2018.
I’m pretty sure I saw one last time I was there (Although my memory might be playing tricks on me).
Oh, forgot to mention. The turtle tank at the Minnesota Trail tank was empty, as was the trout tank at Russia's Grizzly Coast.
Both have been “Under Maintenance” for what feels like forever now. The Turtles are supposed to go back on exhibit soon, but who knows when that will be.
Update on the Gaudy Red-Throated Barbets. I found a picture of one on the zoo’s Facebook page from last summer. This doesn’t mean it was taken recently, but I doubt they would post that if the species was gone.
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