Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo News 2023

Status
Not open for further replies.
A small fire broke out at the zoo today.

"This morning, the Minnesota Zoo had a small, contained fire in the offices of Discovery Bay. No people or animals were harmed. We expect to resume normal operations in Discovery Bay at 12 noon today, including for the 1:30 pm dolphin training demonstration. Special thanks to our expert staff on duty who responded quickly and efficiently."

Minnesota Zoo
 
wild boar said:
A small fire broke out at the zoo today.

"This morning, the Minnesota Zoo had a small, contained fire in the offices of Discovery Bay. No people or animals were harmed. We expect to resume normal operations in Discovery Bay at 12 noon today, including for the 1:30 pm dolphin training demonstration. Special thanks to our expert staff on duty who responded quickly and efficiently."

Minnesota Zoo
Click to expand...
Thank god nothing major was damaged! the zoo has already had enough bad luck these past few years, I'd hate to see them go through even worse :(.
 
From Facebook:

The Minnesota Zoo has a long history of supporting dhole conservation. From the care our team has provided onsite to this species to our past partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute to study wild populations in Thailand, dholes have been integral to the Minnesota Zoo. It’s with heavy hearts we share that the era of caring for dholes at the Minnesota Zoo has come to a close for now.
In recent years, the Zoo had the privilege of caring for two dholes – Basundi and Kallu, who came to the Zoo as adults in 2019. Dholes have a complex social structure and the two brothers shared a strong and unique bond with each other along with their team of keepers and animal care professionals. Sadly, earlier this month, Basundi died of cancer. In the days that followed, the team closely monitored Kallu for any visible changes to his behavior or health. A full exam on Kallu was scheduled and at that time signs of significant heart disease were discovered. Based on the health risks associated with his diagnosis, along with Kallu’s other age-related conditions, the difficult decision was made to move forward with humane euthanasia last week. This was a hard decision to make, but one made with great expertise and compassion.
This is a profound loss for our animal care and health teams and for the Zoo as a whole. Future plans for the Zoo’s dhole habitat are being discussed, but no immediate decisions have been made. We will continue to look into ways to support the conservation of this species in the wild. You can learn more about dholes by visiting this link: http://bit.ly/40KDgXD

This makes me really sad but I'm hopeful that the zoo will get new dholes. The post says that dholes are gone "for now" which may be an indication that new dholes are still a possibility for the enclosure.
 
Last edited:
wild boar said:
From Facebook:

The Minnesota Zoo has a long history of supporting dhole conservation. From the care our team has provided onsite to this species to our past partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute to study wild populations in Thailand, dholes have been integral to the Minnesota Zoo. It’s with heavy hearts we share that the era of caring for dholes at the Minnesota Zoo has come to a close for now.
In recent years, the Zoo had the privilege of caring for two dholes – Basundi and Kallu, who came to the Zoo as adults in 2019. Dholes have a complex social structure and the two brothers shared a strong and unique bond with each other along with their team of keepers and animal care professionals. Sadly, earlier this month, Basundi died of cancer. In the days that followed, the team closely monitored Kallu for any visible changes to his behavior or health. A full exam on Kallu was scheduled and at that time signs of significant heart disease were discovered. Based on the health risks associated with his diagnosis, along with Kallu’s other age-related conditions, the difficult decision was made to move forward with humane euthanasia last week. This was a hard decision to make, but one made with great expertise and compassion.
This is a profound loss for our animal care and health teams and for the Zoo as a whole. Future plans for the Zoo’s dhole habitat are being discussed, but no immediate decisions have been made. We will continue to look into ways to support the conservation of this species in the wild. You can learn more about dholes by visiting this link: http://bit.ly/40KDgXD

This makes me really sad but I'm hopeful that the zoo will get new dholes. The post says that dholes are gone "for now" which may be an indication that new dholes are still a possibility for the enclosure.
Click to expand...
How horrible :(. The Dholes were probably one of my favorite animals to see at the zoo, and its really hard to see them go like this. I do hope they are able to receive more Dholes from another zoo like San Diego or the Wilds. Unfortunately, the population doesn't look to be doing so well, so the likelihood of them returning is not all that high. I do hope, if they aren't able to re-obtain Dholes, that they don't just leave the enclosure empty forever similarly to the old Red Panda exhibit or the Nocturnal Trail.
 
Dhole dude said:
How horrible :(. The Dholes were probably one of my favorite animals to see at the zoo, and its really hard to see them go like this. I do hope they are able to receive more Dholes from another zoo like San Diego or the Wilds. Unfortunately, the population doesn't look to be doing so well, so the likelihood of them returning is not all that high. I do hope, if they aren't able to re-obtain Dholes, that they don't just leave the enclosure empty forever similarly to the old Red Panda exhibit or the Nocturnal Trail.
Click to expand...

They were one of my favorites too and will miss them greatly. If only the population was healthier overall. It's even sadder since they are one of the few feasible exotic species that can live outdoors year-round in Minnesota and are not at the zoo already (which seems to be a de facto requirement that the zoo has for wanting to display anything outdoors for a while).

I wouldn't be surprised if they leave it empty. However, if we are looking into parallel dimensions, it would be interesting to see if the space would be a decent fit as an outdoor exhibit for red pandas (with added vertical space), since it's a fairly shady spot in the zoo (although the pond wouldn't help with humidity).
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
This year's giving week page has some new information about the Treetop Trail. Unfortunately, plans for bighorn sheep, Père David's deer, red pandas and urials, cranes, and other new animals have either been tabled or canceled.

https://give.mnzoo.org/campaign/minnesota-zoo-giving-week/c462271

There is more information on Facebook including a different video and this text:

Connect with wildlife, animal habitats below, and ambassador animals like Quillber on the Treetop Trail. You can bring the community closer to the natural world with your gift during Minnesota Zoo Giving Week. Give today at MNZoo.org/GivingWeek.
 
Dhole dude said:
There are 5 animals in the Woodland Caribou Exhibit. 1-2 of these are actual Woodland Caribou, while the others should all be Domestic Reindeer.
Click to expand...
I'm assuming that once the caribou pass, the Minnesota Zoo will only have reindeer. How were the caribou originally acquired?
 
I visited on April 14 and noticed several unreported changes. I was also fortunate to speak with a few zookeepers that told me some good information.
  1. one of the three tamanduas passed away, the other parent was sent to another zoo, and the growing pup is now only in public with Wings and Things
  2. the last Linne's two-toed sloth is now only in Wings and Things
  3. Bahama teals, fawn-breasted bowerbirds, white-cheeked turacos, Temminck's tragopans, red-vented bulbuls, the remaining African magpie-shrikes, and gaudy red-throated barbets have been phased out
  4. several metallic starlings and a beautiful fruit dove hatched
  5. Has anyone seen two red river hogs lately? I would guess that there is only one now because I haven't seen a second for a few years.
  6. at least two Von der Decken's hornbills are in the rhinoceros hornbill enclosure temporarily
  7. there is nothing in the bat enclosure
  8. Tiger Lair has a fence through it to separate the cubs. Two, most likely the males, are together and the other is with Sundari.
  9. the dolphin presentation is, as is typical of cetacean shows, loud and cramped, making for a very overwhelming experience
I have a few more notes that I will post soon.
 
wild boar said:
I visited on April 14 and noticed several unreported changes. I was also fortunate to speak with a few zookeepers that told me some good information.
  1. one of the three tamanduas passed away, the other parent was sent to another zoo, and the growing pup is now only in public with Wings and Things
  2. the last Linne's two-toed sloth is now only in Wings and Things
  3. Bahama teals, fawn-breasted bowerbirds, white-cheeked turacos, Temminck's tragopans, red-vented bulbuls, the remaining African magpie-shrikes, and gaudy red-throated barbets have been phased out
  4. several metallic starlings and a beautiful fruit dove hatched
  5. Has anyone seen two red river hogs lately? I would guess that there is only one now because I haven't seen a second for a few years.
  6. at least two Von der Decken's hornbills are in the rhinoceros hornbill enclosure temporarily
  7. there is nothing in the bat enclosure
  8. Tiger Lair has a fence through it to separate the cubs. Two, most likely the males, are together and the other is with Sundari.
  9. the dolphin presentation is, as is typical of cetacean shows, loud and cramped, making for a very overwhelming experience
I have a few more notes that I will post soon.
Click to expand...
The birds and bats (no pun intended) really are huge losses to the Tropics Trail. :(
 
According to a Facebook post, the Treetops Trail opens 100 days from now on July 28.
 
Last edited:
I think everything else that had changed by most recent visit.

1. West Indian whistling ducks are now in the Creatures Beneath the Canopy aviary
2. black-tipped reef sharks and green morays are no longer signed and I didn't see any
3. there is a sign outside the wild boar mud wallow stating that the enclosure is unoccupied
 
birdsandbats said:
The birds and bats (no pun intended) really are huge losses to the Tropics Trail. :(
Click to expand...
I was at the zoo yesterday evening, and the bats were still there.

There was a sign in the Dhole yurt that they had moved the coyotes (or at least one of them) there. This seems to have been a very recent move according to the volunteers who stopped into the yurt. Anyone who was there last night (or will be there somewhat soon), feel free to corroborate and/or correct me.

It is a bit sad if they decide to not try to acquire any Dhole and have all of the interpretive material go away. At least the coyotes will enjoy the space so it will not sit empty for over a decade, and who knows, depending on how long-term and complete of a move this is, the wolves at the Minnesota Trail could make use of the coyote's space.
 
Sotolo said:
I was at the zoo yesterday evening, and the bats were still there.
Click to expand...
The bats you saw must be new because the zookeeper that I spoke with said that all of them had been sent out. There was also a sign in front of the enclosure explaining that a replacement would be found, much like the ones in front of the empty wild boar, sloth, and urial/red panda enclosures.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top