Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo News 2022
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
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Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
Ooooh, nice! Just one question: is there room in the Australia House for Puzzle?
Yes, there‘s an empty exhibit that used to house kookaburras. It’s been empty for a long time.
This is absolutely wonderful news! Tree kangaroos are an awesome addition and this will fill an exhibit that’s been empty for quite some time. It’s been years since Milwaukee last had their tree kangaroos so it’ll be great to see them locally again.
More excellent news for Brookfield! It seemed as though Tree Kangaroos were one of the only large commonly held Australian mammals missing from the collection. Koala and Tasmanian devil just aren't as easy to find, and I don't think the zoo has a good spot currently for either species.
That space does seem a bit small for tree kangaroos, however.
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
That was why I was asking if there was room for Puzzle in the Australia House. I knew that space wasn’t being used, but you’re right; it does seem a little cramped for a Tree Kangaroo.
Totally agree. Will be interesting to see how the space will be utilized. I’m going to stop by tomorrow and see if they’ve begun preparing the exhibit for her, though I’m thinking she will be spending some time in quarantine at the animal hospital for a bit before moving over to Australia House.
It's definitely not huge, but it's about the same size as the the old enclosures in Milwaukees old Australia building which I thought were fine. As long as they stock it with enough climbing structures it should be a perfectly adequate accommodation. Since this is a move apropos to the SSP however, the zoo will likely need to build a new facility if they want to commit to the species by eventually bringing in a male for breeding.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
How often do tree kangaroos go to the ground? Maybe they could build climbing structures over the echidna habitat and put them there. Once the puggle is older, of course.
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t that mean Puzzle would be directly over the visitor path? Or am I misremembering the layout of that room?
A crummy photo from my visit late last month -- yeah the empty exhibit is directly across the path from our echidna friends, who are in the exhibit on the left. It's bigger than it looks in the photo.
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Persephone
Well-Known Member
I meant only above the echidna, not connecting the empty exhibit. After looking at photos, though, I don’t think it would work. Maybe it’ll get put somewhere in one of the children’s areas?
Wow, I had no clue they were there that recently. I went to Australia House once around 2000 and then skipped it for a few visits before I began to appreciate what a special and unique exhibit it is, by which time the tree kangaroo were almost certainly gone. I'd seen them at Milwaukee and thought it was the only local holder. Puzzle could add a lot of life to that space and I think it is spacious enough to fit a potential mate in the future.
...but then that opens back up the question for the former kookaburra exhibit! What could fit there?
As someone who is from Toronto and losing Puzzle I just want to thank you guys for being so excited about her arrival. Makes me feel good to see she is going to be in place where she will be just as loved as she was here. She is a friendly tree kangaroo with a big personality. If you guys want to get to know more about her check out Toronto's Facebook page and look for Facebook Lives the keepers did with her over the course of the pandemic. I hope Brookfield gets to enjoy her for a long time to come... oh and Adelaide too.
Potential new additions for Feathers and Scales?