I was reading some articles on the internet about Brookfield Zoo's now demolished Ibex Island almost every article said that the two remaining ibex moved to Dall Sheep Ridge near the zoo's east mall and these articles were from 2009. I have been to this zoo tons of times but never thought about this exhibit even though I knew that at one time the Zoo had Dall Sheep but they were on Ibex Island. So does anybody know if this exhibit still exist or if it has been demolished since the opening of Great Bear Wilderness?
Brookfield Zoo Does Brookfield Zoo Have a Dall Sheep exhibit?
- Thread starter TropicWorld54
- Start date
Is this exhibit attached to the back of the grottos because if it is then I know what exhibit you are talking about.
That is indeed the exhibit, and it is still present to this day, although nowadays it is usually behind a "beer garden" that on most of my visits is empty picnic tables.
This is a super old post, but I thought I'd answer since I find this whole exhibit especially fascinating since it has not been included in signage/maps since before my first visit. I can't help but wonder, if it were on the map, if I'd have seen the sheep as a child?
In the late 1970s, it was called 'The Ridge' and mostly served as a place for the Siberian ibex to be separated during breeding season, iirc
This is a super old post, but I thought I'd answer since I find this whole exhibit especially fascinating since it has not been included in signage/maps since before my first visit. I can't help but wonder, if it were on the map, if I'd have seen the sheep as a child?
In the late 1970s, it was called 'The Ridge' and mostly served as a place for the Siberian ibex to be separated during breeding season, iirc
There is some sort of bacteria (can’t remember what it’s called) that is preventing the grottoes from being demolished. It can be harmful to the goats, I was told.
This is news to me, but VERY interesting news to me. It's nice to get some explanation on this!
I've been vocal in my discomfort with having the old exhibits boarded up.
You could have given me about 500 guesses and I probably still would not have picked potentially dangerous bacteria as the reason for not tearing the grottoes down.
On my visit on Sunday, the Beer Garden area was closed - or rather open, as there was no fencing to keep me from approaching the former habitat. I was there with a relative who was speeding away on me so these photos were rushed (the sun did not look nearly as bad when taking them!) and most are not worthy of the ZooChat Gallery but here is the current condition of the habitat.
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I hope they incorporate these exhibits into the master plan. I imagine there is a lot they would need to fix and replace, but surely it is more expensive to completely take out and replace the structures? It'd be great if some caprines could be brought back to Brookfield.
I know this isn't part of the most recent plans, but a large Asia complex stretching from the fragile kingdom to these enclosures would have world class potential.
I'm skeptical we'll see any development to this part of the zoo for a long time, probably well over another decade, and unfortunately there's no caprine program likely to expand in this period, but it does depress me to see these former habitats remaining in a state of disuse and disrepair for such a long time.
