Zoo Miami Zoo Miami News 2023

[ZooNerd1234]

I recently visited the zoo for the first time ever on January 3rd and 5th. Here are some updates:

- The golden lion tamarin allegedly exhibited with the howler monkeys in the cloud forest was off exhibit both days.
- The walkthrough aviary in the cloud forest was quite bare on both my visits, and I only was able to spot the hilaire's side-necked turtle, the blue ground dove, the troupial, and the blue-grey tanager. A sign confirms that it is a rotational exhibit but I wonder if some species were initially taken off exhibit due to bird flu concerns and have yet to return.
- The exhibits inside the river building that says coming soon for the axolotl and Jamaican boa are still empty. (Does anyone know what was once in those exhibits? Where did the electric eel used to be kept)
- Marge, the female linnaeus two toed sloth that lives in the rotational exhibit shared with the tamandua, agouti, and prehensile tailed porcupine in the 'Atlantic Forest' has had a baby and is currently behind the scenes at the moment. A sign said that mom and baby will be coming out in 2023, but I did not see them on either of my visits so it could be a bit longer. There is still a sloth on display in the small meshed exhibit after the harpy eagles in the 'Land of Giants'
- The walkway inside the 'Wings of Asia' aviary by the hornbills is still closed off. A sign by the former exit (that is closed) says something along the lines of "changes are being made for the better of our guests..."
- I know this has been mentioned before, but there are still three Bantang living in an exhibit that is not on the map. I've looked at old maps of the zoo that list this exhibit, and say it once had cape buffalo, but nothing like that is shown on the current map.
- In the 'Asian River Life' the first otter exhibit was being drained and said "animals off exhibit" on my second day at the zoo (1/5/2023). Just days before on January 3rd it was nothing like this and the otters were on exhibit.
- There is a Lowland Anoa in the exhibit labeled "dromedary camel" on the current map. Correct me if I am wrong but the lone dromedary they had has passed away. Another Anoa is exhibited in the exhibit next to the sloth bear.
- I did not get a good look at the state of the black rhino exhibit in Africa so nothing to say about that.

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

I recently visited the zoo for the first time ever on January 3rd and 5th. Here are some updates:

- The golden lion tamarin allegedly exhibited with the howler monkeys in the cloud forest was off exhibit both days.
- The walkthrough aviary in the cloud forest was quite bare on both my visits, and I only was able to spot the hilaire's side-necked turtle, the blue ground dove, the troupial, and the blue-grey tanager. A sign confirms that it is a rotational exhibit but I wonder if some species were initially taken off exhibit due to bird flu concerns and have yet to return.
- The exhibits inside the river building that says coming soon for the axolotl and Jamaican boa are still empty. (Does anyone know what was once in those exhibits? Where did the electric eel used to be kept)
- Marge, the female linnaeus two toed sloth that lives in the rotational exhibit shared with the tamandua, agouti, and prehensile tailed porcupine in the 'Atlantic Forest' has had a baby and is currently behind the scenes at the moment. A sign said that mom and baby will be coming out in 2023, but I did not see them on either of my visits so it could be a bit longer. There is still a sloth on display in the small meshed exhibit after the harpy eagles in the 'Land of Giants'
- The walkway inside the 'Wings of Asia' aviary by the hornbills is still closed off. A sign by the former exit (that is closed) says something along the lines of "changes are being made for the better of our guests..."
- I know this has been mentioned before, but there are still three Bantang living in an exhibit that is not on the map. I've looked at old maps of the zoo that list this exhibit, and say it once had cape buffalo, but nothing like that is shown on the current map.
- In the 'Asian River Life' the first otter exhibit was being drained and said "animals off exhibit" on my second day at the zoo (1/5/2023). Just days before on January 3rd it was nothing like this and the otters were on exhibit.
- There is a Lowland Anoa in the exhibit labeled "dromedary camel" on the current map. Correct me if I am wrong but the lone dromedary they had has passed away. Another Anoa is exhibited in the exhibit next to the sloth bear.
- I did not get a good look at the state of the black rhino exhibit in Africa so nothing to say about that.

The Golden Lion Tamarins were on exhibit back in November so if they are gone it is recent. The Axolotl is taking over the former Malabar Wolf Fish tank, with the wolf fish itself taking over the electric eel's old enclosure. The Jamaican Boa replaced the zoo's Red Siskin. When I was doing the Kiwi tour they had 3 Dromedary Camels bts, the tour guide said they are planning on doing an experience with them.

 

[Joseph G]

I recently visited the zoo for the first time ever on January 3rd and 5th. Here are some updates:

- The golden lion tamarin allegedly exhibited with the howler monkeys in the cloud forest was off exhibit both days.
- The walkthrough aviary in the cloud forest was quite bare on both my visits, and I only was able to spot the hilaire's side-necked turtle, the blue ground dove, the troupial, and the blue-grey tanager. A sign confirms that it is a rotational exhibit but I wonder if some species were initially taken off exhibit due to bird flu concerns and have yet to return.
- The exhibits inside the river building that says coming soon for the axolotl and Jamaican boa are still empty. (Does anyone know what was once in those exhibits? Where did the electric eel used to be kept)
- Marge, the female linnaeus two toed sloth that lives in the rotational exhibit shared with the tamandua, agouti, and prehensile tailed porcupine in the 'Atlantic Forest' has had a baby and is currently behind the scenes at the moment. A sign said that mom and baby will be coming out in 2023, but I did not see them on either of my visits so it could be a bit longer. There is still a sloth on display in the small meshed exhibit after the harpy eagles in the 'Land of Giants'
- The walkway inside the 'Wings of Asia' aviary by the hornbills is still closed off. A sign by the former exit (that is closed) says something along the lines of "changes are being made for the better of our guests..."
- I know this has been mentioned before, but there are still three Bantang living in an exhibit that is not on the map. I've looked at old maps of the zoo that list this exhibit, and say it once had cape buffalo, but nothing like that is shown on the current map.
- In the 'Asian River Life' the first otter exhibit was being drained and said "animals off exhibit" on my second day at the zoo (1/5/2023). Just days before on January 3rd it was nothing like this and the otters were on exhibit.
- There is a Lowland Anoa in the exhibit labeled "dromedary camel" on the current map. Correct me if I am wrong but the lone dromedary they had has passed away. Another Anoa is exhibited in the exhibit next to the sloth bear.
- I did not get a good look at the state of the black rhino exhibit in Africa so nothing to say about that.

The walkthrough aviary has typically been pretty quiet over the last couple years. I've only seen the same three species in there as well.

 

[SusScrofa]

@ZooNerd1234 I'm pretty sure Dromedary are still at the Children's Zoo. The second Anoa habitat has been empty since I started visiting September 2021.

 

[Zoofan15]

Kemp's ridley sea turtles released:

Critically endangered turtles released into wild after rehab stay at Zoo Miami Turtle Hospital

The Kemp's ridley turtle is the world's most endangered and smallest species of sea turtle with a shell length rarely exceeding two feet and weighing up to a hundred pounds.

After spending weeks of being nursed back to health at the Zoo Miami Sea Turtle Hospital, six endangered juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles were released back into the wild.

 

[MidwestFan]

Visited January 11, 2023 for first time. Got to see all 4 elephants. Curious what the long term plan will be. Technically they have 4 elephants, they really have 2 exhibits of 2 (2 Asian and 2 African). Not sure that meets the AZA minimums. They have decent habitats, would be nice to see additional elephants for both species, it’s rare to be able to see both in a U.S. zoo.

Including a few pictures:

 

[15399]

Visited January 11, 2023 for first time. Got to see all 4 elephants. Curious what the long term plan will be. Technically they have 4 elephants, they really have 2 exhibits of 2 (2 Asian and 2 African). Not sure that meets the AZA minimums. They have decent habitats, would be nice to see additional elephants for both species, it’s rare to be able to see both in a U.S. zoo.

Including a few pictures:
View attachment 602366 View attachment 602367 View attachment 602368 View attachment 602369

AZA minimums refer to capacity, not current holdings. Due to how complex elephant social needs are and how much it varies between individuals, plenty of zoos keep less elephants than the minimum "recommends", but must have enough space to accommodate what the minimum number is. I don't know much about Miami's elephants specifically, but especially if they are older there might be legitimate social reasons for keeping only two elephants, despite the AZA requiring a zoo to have the capacity for three.

 

[Milwaukee Man]

A pair of Cuban crocodiles had to go through a series of procedures to remove foreign objects from their stomaches.

Cuban Crocodiles Undergo Procedures to Remove Foreign Items at Zoo Miami

 

[Joseph G]

Not something I’ve seen before (surprising since the video rendering was uploaded over a year ago), but according to the zoo’s socials pages, earlier tonight they kicked off fundraising for the zoo’s next big project: revamping the Sumatran tiger habitat.

From the website:

Our plans will double the space of our existing exhibit, introduce an Asian-themed gateway and viewing pavilion, and provide for future expansion, including additional outdoor exercise yards. Once guests cross a moat and enter the pavilion, they will have a unique opportunity to get nose-to-nose with the tigers, pressing hands against paws with only a layer of glass separation. Visitors also will see zookeepers training, feeding and caring for the tigers and learn about the tigers’ peculiarities from our own experts.

You can check out renderings here. It looks like they will be taking advantage of the monorail demolition and using the open space behind the Sumatran tiger exhibit to build the gateway and a similar viewing pavilion to Nashville’s. I am guessing the rest of the land will be used for the additional outdoor yards they mention on the website. I don’t doubt their goal of doubling the enclosure, as this is the entire wooded area on the north and east side of the pathway that goes from the orangutan exhibit to the Wings of Asia aviary.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the first time in awhile Zoo Miami is modernizing one of its typical moated exhibits to this extent. Hope to see them continue to do this as part of their “Connecting for Life” campaign.

 

[Smaggledagle]

On February 5th, it was reported that the zoo transferred a (0.0.1) blue-crowned motmot to the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=561816469310033&set=a.553923693432644

On February 8th, the zoo announced that (2.1) North American river otters were born on February 6th.

登录 Facebook

 

[Joseph G]

The zoo’s monorail will have one last hoorah and run February 16 through March 2 before closing for good.

 

[SwampDonkey]

A Malayan tapir escaped its enclosure this morning for a bit. It was successfully detained, tranquilized and moved back into its habitat. Apparently it jumped out after being scared by maintenance machinery.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=580344357459279&set=a.375197251307325

 

[SusScrofa]

A number of updates from my visit.

• The conservation action center has had all its animals removed. Signs say it was because of noise issues. They are not displayed anywhere now and not sure what will be with them.

• Malayan Tapirs are off-exhibit. Habitat is getting adjusted. Probably related to the escape a few weeks back.

• There are 5 Giant Eland on exhibit. All sources on this site list Miami as having only 4 females.

• Black Rhinoceros habitat heavily under construction now.

• Grevy's Zebra now in the former Somalian Wild Ass enclosure.

• Two Nyala fawns are on exhibit with parents. Not sure when they were born. Bay Duikers are also confirmed as completely gone from collection.

• The Critter Corner children's area has a Radiated Tortoise and some Gopher Tortoises. Radiated is a completely new species I was unaware the zoo had and never seen mentioned.

• At least one new species in Wings Of Asia - Abdim Stork.

• The unsigned spiny lizards I saw from my last visit in Amazon & Beyond are now signed as Emerald Swift (Sceloporus malachiticus).

• New species in Amazon & Beyond - Turquoise Tanager unsigned in aviary, Black-tailed Pit Viper (Mixcoatlus melanurus) and Black-necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari). The sign for Green Aracari coming soon is gone, so it was probably swapped for this species. Still signs for Axolotl and Jamaican Boa coming soon, but who knows when that will be.

• Harpy Eagle recently had another chick. Can be seen on livecam at zoo.

• The zoo has a Crested Seriema off-exhibit that can be seen in the area that keeps show animals. Possibly being trained for shows.

• Severe Macaw, Eclectus Parrot and Yellow-naped Amazon confirmed as species kept for shows.

 

[wild boar]

There are 5 Giant Eland on exhibit. All sources oh this site list Miami as having only 4 females.

However unlikely it may be, I am really hoping, now that you've said this, that the fifth eland is a male. Do you happen to have any idea of what gender the new animal is or any pictures of the herd together?

 

[SusScrofa]

However unlikely it may be, I am really hoping, now that you've said this, that the fifth eland is a male. Do you happen to have any idea of what gender the new animal is or any pictures of the herd together?

Female I believe.

 

[Kudu21]

• There are 5 Giant Eland on exhibit. All sources oh this site list Miami as having only 4 females.

They received the last male from the San Diego Zoo. To the best of my knowledge, all of the males were castrated before they were sent from the Safari Park to the Zoo — hence his female-like appearance in that photo.

 

[SusScrofa]

They received the last male from the San Diego Zoo. To the best of my knowledge, all of the males were castrated before they were sent from the Safari Park to the Zoo — hence his female-like appearance in that photo.

Do you know when Miami received this male and why he was castrated?

 

[wild boar]

Do you know when Miami received this male and why he was castrated?

I'm wondering why too. Was this decision allowed or made by the International Animal Exchange?

That was an evil choice of words on your part. You got me all excited about the prospect of calves.

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

Some info from my trip today

• Male and female Sloth Bear are together on habitat, the hope is that they will get comfortable with each other and one day breed, they were chasing each other and play fighting so hoping we hear of cubs in the future

• Female Great Indian Hornbill is locked up in the nest, saw the male bringing her treats.

• The birds from the now demolished mini african aviary alongside the White-Breasted Kingfisher and African Open-Billed Storks I saw bts during the Kiwi tour are now inside the Wings of Asia Aviary(not so asian exclusive now haha)

• The Male Giant Eland was very interested in the females sniffing their butts and almost seemed to be annoying the females lol, its sad he can't produce any calfs though.

• Both male and female Asian Elephants were on habitat, the male "scared" the group of children by revealing his "second trunk" right at the front of the exhibit

• While I didn't get to see the full show, during the presentation they brought out the Asiatic White-Rumped Vulture which was awesome to see as he is the only one of his kinds in America.

• The near mythical Black Duiker in the Okapi habitat was out and about today, quite a few of the more typically lazy animals were super active

• The Black Rhinos, Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, and Malayan Tapirs are still off exhibit

• The Baby two-toed sloth can be seen clinging to mom, she however stayed inside a barrel so it might still be a bit longer before she is comfortable bringing her baby out

 

[Great Argus]

Female Great Indian Hornbill is locked up in the nest, saw the male bringing her treats.

A successful chick would be phenomenal, even if not enough to do much for the population. One can hope.