North Carolina Zoo North Carolina Zoo News 2023

Other 2023 News (2):

On May 11th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) red wolf (numbered 2344) to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina and was released into the wild along with a wild-born female.

Red Wolf 2322F leaving the acclimation pen on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge | More red wolves on the landscape in eastern North Carolina! Last week, two pairs of Red Wolves were released from their acclimation pens on Alligator... | By Red Wolf Recovery Program | Facebook

Breckenridge said:
The zoo posted that the newborn baby chimp is a male.

This marks the sixth chimp born at the zoo since 2010, currently making the North Carolina Zoo the most successful AZA facility for breeding chimps.

They also posted the new baby giraffe meeting his father, Jack, for the first time.
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On June 26th, the zoo announced the chimp's name, Gombe.

https://www.facebook.com/nczoo/post...7G7mt7KptxMtiLRy2Gh1hXNF1gKsiSS6HPb7NXAwpW3Nl

OkapiFan said:
The zoo announced today that 3 Sand Kittens have been born to parents Sahara and Cosmo!!
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On June 28th, the zoo announced the gender of the cats, (1.2). On July 7th, the zoo announced the names; Jabari, Amira, and Cleo.

https://www.facebook.com/nczoo/post...CAWesKXWTG23D8HUyHixoFB7EsVd61ptDQTXcVChjGD7l
https://www.facebook.com/nczoo/post...1k8WcSUBi61pMQF2jWqF1WkkxCZFixMZEjy7sc6A8kqsl
 
Piece of August 2023 News Not Mentioned:

IndianRhino said:
Another baby chimp was born! First-time mom Genie gave birth to a healthy female infant on July 1st. This brings the zoo’s troop to 4 generations including the new infant, her mom Genie, her grandmother Gerre, and great-grandmother Gari.

Chimpanzee Makes Her Debut at the North Carolina Zoo | North Carolina Zoo
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On August 8th, the zoo announced its name, Bintu.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/602004515290622

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On August 26th, the zoo announced that (0.0.4) horned puffins hatched.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1658769337963249
 
Worth noting that most of the Streamside exhibit area is closed off due to construction. I visited last week and was told it was closed off for the week and is supposed to be reopening this Tuesday. Too bad because I only had one day to visit and it was also on a day when the zoofari tour was inactive.
 
Here is a species list for the R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary, circa early 1990s:

full


And a map of the Sonora Desert building during the same era:

full
 
Update on Asia complex:

North Carolina Zoo’s $75M Expansion Makes Room for Asia Exhibit : CEG

Workers have completed the slab on grades at the café, the view pavilion and the vulture crane exhibit. The steel structure for the café is complete, and the view pavilion's structural steel erection is well under way.

Construction currently taking place involves concrete masonry unit walls at the view pavilion, work on the vulture crane exhibit, pump house, concrete walls at the tiger holding area, themed rock at the tiger and warty pig exhibits, caging foundations for the vulture crane exhibit, interior rough-ins at the café, bridge steel, waterproofing and air barrier at the café and the view pavilion and café roof.

Work remaining includes themed rock, life support systems, underground utilities, steel erection for the warty pig, vulture crane, tiger and otter exhibits, pathways, bridge and specialty woodwork.


upload_2023-9-15_9-43-56.jpeg
Photo source: North Carolina Zoo
 

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On one side, I'm very happy that the Asia Complex at NC Zoo will come to reality.
On the other side, I'm very disappointed from what was planed and what was (or will be) realized.
No Malayan Tapirs, no big/Walk thru aviary (unless smaller birds will be placed in the "visitor view pavilion"?) and - regarding this map - no Gibbons/monkeys. So it seems like a cheap version of the original plan to me...
The space is there. So it must be the costs. Was it really too expensive to create exhibits for some of those (or muntjacs, babirousas, axis deer, bantengs, etc.)?
 
zoomaniac said:
On one side, I'm very happy that the Asia Complex at NC Zoo will come to reality.
On the other side, I'm very disappointed from what was planed and what was (or will be) realized.
No Malayan Tapirs, no big/Walk thru aviary (unless smaller birds will be placed in the "visitor view pavilion"?) and - regarding this map - no Gibbons/monkeys. So it seems like a cheap version of the original plan to me...
The space is there. So it must be the costs. Was it really too expensive to create exhibits for some of those (or muntjacs, babirousas, axis deer, bantengs, etc.)?
Click to expand...
According to the article and the zoos website, gibbons are still on the plans, which is a relief!
 
It is certainly good, really good even....but it is hard to say how well it will compare to the Africa and NA sections, it looks a bit small at this point. However, I don't have much of a sense for the scale of it.
 
These plans look very promising, although I can understand feeing a bit underwhelmed. From my perspective it looks like they could have utilized the space better. For example, I see no reason why the planned warty pig enclosure can't be enlarged a bit to include tapir as well. Red panda were cut from the plans, but now there's nothing listed for that space by the pedestrian bridge. That area could be used for a variety of small to medium sized species: clouded leopard, binturong, monkeys, passerines, etc. With all of that said though, I appreciate the pavilion for smaller species (giant salamanders are a great addition) and those aviaries for the larger birds. If this were built at another zoo I don't think it would be receiving as much flack, but considering the sheer magnitude of the zoo's African and North American exhibit areas, it was bound to suffer by comparison.
 
pachyderm pro said:
If this were built at another zoo I don't think it would be receiving as much flack, but considering the sheer magnitude of the zoo's African and North American exhibit areas, it was bound to suffer by comparison.
Click to expand...
I 100% agree with that.

They can always do some expansion and infill later, but loosing some pretty common and crowd pleasing species like red panda is a bit baffling. That said, warty pig and Chinese alligators are exciting additions to the zoo for me.
 
Zoofan15 said:
U
Workers have completed the slab on grades at the café, the view pavilion and the vulture crane exhibit. The steel structure for the café is complete, and the view pavilion's structural steel erection is well under way.

Construction currently taking place involves concrete masonry unit walls at the view pavilion, work on the vulture crane exhibit,
Click to expand...

Will this be the only zoo in America exhibiting vulture cranes? ;)

Seriously though, it looks like an interesting complex.
 
On one hand, I can see why some people are disappointed in Asia not being built on the same scale as the North America or Africa regions, but on the other hand, it's probably better that it's kept on the smaller side. As I mentioned in the 2022 news thread, the NC Zoo is already a huge zoo as it is, either pushing or already at a full day experience for a lot of people. Even as it is now, I personally find myself requiring the entire 8 hours its open to fully enjoy it (on my last trip, I entered the zoo at rope-drop and didn't get to the last exhibit until 4pm). IMO, if Asia was as big as either exisitng region, it would be borderline impossible for a lot of people to fully enjoy the zoo in one day even if they enter at rope-drop.

When I visit the zoo, I allocate half a day to each region. Now I have to fit Asia in there, and if Asia has any turtles, god help me. Asia will basically make the NC Zoo a mandatory 2-day visit for me again.

I am honestly not too bummed about Red Pandas not making the cut considering how common they are in zoos and the fact that Red Pandas already exsist (in a brand new habitat no less) less than an hour away in Greensboro.

I just hope they make the most of the space and try to have an interesting mix of animals that avoids too much overlap with the nearby Greensboro Science Center.

Zoofan15 said:
North Carolina Zoo’s $75M Expansion Makes Room for Asia Exhibit : CEG
Click to expand...

By the way, the first picture in that linked article isn't even from the Zoo, lol.

Jacob F said:
I think the vultures and cranes will share an exhibit.
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The article mentions "vulture crane", but if you look on the plans, it says "Vulture / Crane". Notice the slash. I think it will be the latter.
 
Astrotom3000 said:
On one hand, I can see why some people are disappointed in Asia not being built on the same scale as the North America or Africa regions, but on the other hand, it's probably better that it's kept on the smaller side. As I mentioned in the 2022 news thread, the NC Zoo is already a huge zoo as it is, either pushing or already at a full day experience for a lot of people. Even as it is now, I personally find myself requiring the entire 8 hours its open to fully enjoy it (on my last trip, I entered the zoo at rope-drop and didn't get to the last exhibit until 4pm). IMO, if Asia was as big as either exisitng region, it would be borderline impossible for a lot of people to fully enjoy the zoo in one day even if they enter at rope-drop.

When I visit the zoo, I allocate half a day to each region. Now I have to fit Asia in there, and if Asia has any turtles, god help me. Asia will basically make the NC Zoo a mandatory 2-day visit for me again.

I am honestly not too bummed about Red Pandas not making the cut considering how common they are in zoos and the fact that Red Pandas already exsist (in a brand new habitat no less) less than an hour away in Greensboro.

I just hope they make the most of the space and try to have an interesting mix of animals that avoids too much overlap with the nearby Greensboro Science Center.



By the way, the first picture in that linked article isn't even from the Zoo, lol.



The article mentions "vulture crane", but if you look on the plans, it says "Vulture / Crane". Notice the slash. I think it will be the latter.
Click to expand...
The slash may also indicate it to be a mixed species exhibit. Vultures and cranes have been mixed before in zoos with no issue, with Budapest and Antwerp being prime examples despite having crowned cranes.
 
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