Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo News 2024

wild boar said:
According to an email from the zoo, two female Mangalica pigs recently went on-exhibit in Russia's Grizzly Coast. While they're at least a heritage breed, and one that was historically hybridized with wild boars, it is a bit of a let-down that they're replacing the wild boars. There never were many animals with a connection to the Russian Far East that the enclosure was capable of holding to begin with, so I suppose picking this domestic breed isn't a horrible outcome, although the invasive wild pigs spreading like wildfire in North America would be a better replacement.

I am looking forward to seeing the pigs, however, and I am happy there are animals occupying the enclosure again.
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In addition to the news today about the pigs, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium posted on Instagram that female wolverine Zola, who had two kits last year (at least one of which is still at the zoo), recently arrived there from Minnesota. @Kevin Miller posted this on the Ohio zoo's news thread.
 
wild boar said:
According to an email from the zoo, two female Mangalica pigs recently went on-exhibit in Russia's Grizzly Coast. While they're at least a heritage breed, and one that was historically hybridized with wild boars, it is a bit of a let-down that they're replacing the wild boars. There never were many animals with a connection to the Russian Far East that the enclosure was capable of holding to begin with, so I suppose picking this domestic breed isn't a horrible outcome, although the invasive wild pigs spreading like wildfire in North America would be a better replacement.

I am looking forward to seeing the pigs, however, and I am happy there are animals occupying the enclosure again.
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Im not quite sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m glad to see this space occupied again and not continuing to be empty and abandoned, but on the other hand it’s disappointing to see the Wild Boar’s replaced with a domestic species with zero conservation value. I guess it’s not a terrible replacement, especially considering there aren’t really any viable replacements that would have worked for this area, but it’s still quite underwhelming either way. I would hope the zoo could import more Wild Boar to occupy this space, but that seems very unlikely considering their status as an invasive species here in the U.S.

I also forgot to go over the updates as of my last visit on May 18th. There’s not that much but I thought it was worth noting

. The Southern Three-Banded Armadillo has been moved into the Sloth exhibit on the former Nocturnal Trail.

. The new holding exhibits next to the Treetop Trail entrance have been completed. At least one of the exhibits was home to a North American Porcupine.

. Two more Bison calves were born this year, bringing the herd’s total up to 10 individuals.
 
Dhole dude said:
Im not quite sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m glad to see this space occupied again and not continuing to be empty and abandoned, but on the other hand it’s disappointing to see the Wild Boar’s replaced with a domestic species with zero conservation value. I guess it’s not a terrible replacement, especially considering there aren’t really any viable replacements that would have worked for this area, but it’s still quite underwhelming either way. I would hope the zoo could import more Wild Boar to occupy this space, but that seems very unlikely considering their status as an invasive species here in the U.S.

I also forgot to go over the updates as of my last visit on May 18th. There’s not that much but I thought it was worth noting

. The Southern Three-Banded Armadillo has been moved into the Sloth exhibit on the former Nocturnal Trail.

. The new holding exhibits next to the Treetop Trail entrance have been completed. At least one of the exhibits was home to a North American Porcupine.

. Two more Bison calves were born this year, bringing the herd’s total up to 10 individuals.
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I honestly wouldn't be mad if they picked a pig breed that looks more wild, but Mangalica isn't that.
 
Dhole dude said:
Im not quite sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m glad to see this space occupied again and not continuing to be empty and abandoned, but on the other hand it’s disappointing to see the Wild Boar’s replaced with a domestic species with zero conservation value. I guess it’s not a terrible replacement, especially considering there aren’t really any viable replacements that would have worked for this area, but it’s still quite underwhelming either way. I would hope the zoo could import more Wild Boar to occupy this space, but that seems very unlikely considering their status as an invasive species here in the U.S.
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Personally, I'm happy that there are animals in the enclosure again, but very disappointed by the chosen taxon. The populations of wild boar-domestic pig hybrids are spreading closer to Minnesota from both the north and south, so when they inevitably inhabit the state, could be caught and moved to the zoo, which in my view is better than exhibiting a domestic breed. State law prohibits the import of feral swine from other states, so that isn't currently an option. What I am absolutely certain of is that there are other species that would have be a better addition to the exhibit than domestic pigs, with only minor changes to the enclosure. By covering the enclosure in mesh, for instance, Eurasian wolverines could move here or the zoo could acquire a pair of cranes and a few waterfowl species for the space.
 
I went twice the other week and I could've sworn there was a sign saying that wild boars would be coming back in the fall... I regret not taking a photo. Next time I go I'll be sure to report back (if someone else hasn't already)
 
MidwestFan said:
Discovery Bay update coming soon per Facebook:
Did anyone else sea that?? Discovery Bay update coming soon. | Minnesota Zoo
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From what I can tell the animal in the video appears to be a California Sea Lion. If this is indeed the case, I'm not really sure how I feel abut this decision. While this was really the only realistic replacement for the Dolphins/Monk Seals, I can't help but feel thoroughly underwhelmed. Not only is the most overrepresented and common pinniped replacing the on of the rarest in the Country, but this species is already the star attraction of their main competitor, the free Como Zoo, which mean's it's unlikely to generate nearly as much extra revenue as the Dolphins did back in the day. while it's nice to see the zoo acquire a new species and finally have a permanent occupant for the former Dolphin tank, I don't think the former Marine Mammal tank is that well suited to Sea Lions, and immediately becomes one of the worst in the country, being entirely indoors and looking very unnatural.
Ultimately, this was probably the best and most logical choice, but I still end up feeling disappointed by this decision, especially considering how many possibilities there could have been for this exhibit. then again, maybe the animal in that video is something entirely different and I wrote all of this for nothing :p.
 
Dhole dude said:
From what I can tell the animal in the video appears to be a California Sea Lion. If this is indeed the case, I'm not really sure how I feel abut this decision. While this was really the only realistic replacement for the Dolphins/Monk Seals, I can't help but feel thoroughly underwhelmed. Not only is the most overrepresented and common pinniped replacing the on of the rarest in the Country, but this species is already the star attraction of their main competitor, the free Como Zoo, which mean's it's unlikely to generate nearly as much extra revenue as the Dolphins did back in the day. while it's nice to see the zoo acquire a new species and finally have a permanent occupant for the former Dolphin tank, I don't think the former Marine Mammal tank is that well suited to Sea Lions, and immediately becomes one of the worst in the country, being entirely indoors and looking very unnatural.
Ultimately, this was probably the best and most logical choice, but I still end up feeling disappointed by this decision, especially considering how many possibilities there could have been for this exhibit. then again, maybe the animal in that video is something entirely different and I wrote all of this for nothing :p.
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Agree. Hoping it is not, but seems most likely.
Maybe bachelor dolphin pod would be suited for the exhibit, but I know that is likely wishful thinking.
I hope it’s not just stingrays…..
 
There aren’t really any *good* solutions for that tank that don’t involve spending a lot of money. Now, Minnesota is blessed with mostly good exhibits that don’t need major work to be good. They could theoretically afford to put their resources towards a better marine mammal complex, or at least some rockwork. Theoretically. If they had an actual budget.

The best / least bad option for the space might be sea otters, but they already have those. Other seals, maybe? They need less land / surface area and would appreciate the diving depth. But Como Park also has seals iirc and sea lions are invariably more popular.

Part of me wants to be a contrarian and advocate for turning it into a massive freshwater tank for gar, catfish, paddlefish, sturgeon, etc. but that’s probably way worse financially than sea lions.
 
Glad to see the apparent addition of sea lions to complement the remaining monk seal. They should bring activity to the exhibit, and the setup is conducive to holding multiple species even if they need to be separated, as shown while they maintained Brookfield's dolphins. This means the zoo could theoretically still bring in another rarer species after the monk seal eventually passes, a la Pittsburgh.

From a husbandry standpoint the pools offer far more swimming space than most pinniped exhibits (more than 3x as much as Omaha, for example), so as long as they incorporate adequate haulouts the animals should do fine. Pinnipeds are also the only feasible non-cetacean option without massive/costly retrofits to the filtration system, which was the reason they didn't do the "school of stingrays" option when they originally sent out the dolphins in 2012. The upper viewing/amphitheater also works best for mammals.
 
Gondwana said:
Glad to see the apparent addition of sea lions to complement the remaining monk seal. They should bring activity to the exhibit, and the setup is conducive to holding multiple species even if they need to be separated, as shown while they maintained Brookfield's dolphins. This means the zoo could theoretically still bring in another rarer species after the monk seal eventually passes, a la Pittsburgh.

From a husbandry standpoint the pools offer far more swimming space than most pinniped exhibits (more than 3x as much as Omaha, for example), so as long as they incorporate adequate haulouts the animals should do fine. Pinnipeds are also the only feasible non-cetacean option without massive/costly retrofits to the filtration system, which was the reason they didn't do the "school of stingrays" option when they originally sent out the dolphins in 2012. The upper viewing/amphitheater also works best for mammals.
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I hadn’t thought about the possibility of bringing in another pinniped species before. I guess that would be the most ideal situation, but it’s far from likely to happen any time soon. While the exhibit is perfectly functional, and is by no means a bad exhibit, it’s not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing, which is the main problem I have with the current tank. It’s not the worst exhibit for the species, but it feels quite barren and doesn’t replicate the seals/sea lions natural environment well at all. It would be great if the zoo could eventually renovate the tank to be more like the 2012 proposal, that would likely remove most of the issues I have, but that seems very unlikely given the zoos limited access to funding. Finding a replacement for the Dolphins was always going to be a tricky task, as there really weren’t that many feasible options. I’m still a little dissatisfied they went with the most unoriginal optionEither way, it’s definitely nice to see the zoo acquire a brand new species and I’m still excited to see them when they go on display!
 
birdsandbats said:
Given how many Twin Cities area residents prefer visits to Como because it is free, does adding an animal Como promotes itself for adding while still offering an admission fee help them at all?
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I'd argue two things:

One, the two zoos serve different audiences. Don't get me wrong- I go to both, enjoy both, and know people who do the same. But the Minnesota Zoo has taken great pains to integrate itself into the south-of-minneapolis suburbs. The overwhelming majority of suburbanites I've spoken to vastly prefer the Minnesota Zoo for its size, appearance of exhibits, and its general... reputation?... within the suburbs. They've done a lot to push their brand towards young suburbanites (going as far as having an officially partnered high school on zoo grounds) and I think that helps too. They're also serving an audience with a different financial outlook- average household income in St. Paul is ~64k/year, versus Apple Valley's ~97k/year.
Basically- Twin Cities residents may prefer Como for its price and proximity, yes, but Twin Cities residents are not* who the Minnesota Zoo primarily markets to.

Two, I don't know if it helps per se, but I don't think it does any harm. I think that a tank with anything in it, even an overrepresented species, is going to be more popular than an empty concrete behemoth. They're also still very young (Flynn and Hudson are both about to celebrate their first birthday) and with male California sea lions not reaching sexual maturity until around 4 or 5, they can still push that "come see the babies/kids/teenagers" angle for a while.

JVM said:
Will the monk seal be mixed with the sea lion or rotated?
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Per their instagram the sea lions will be rotating with the Hawaiian monk seal as they adjust to their new habitat.
 
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The Minnesota Zoo is requesting approximately fourty-five-million dollars from the state to build the new veterinary building that was designed with the funds from last year's approved requests and for general infrastructure repairs. Thirty-five-million of that fourty-five-million would be for the animal hospital and the additional ten-million would be "for asset preservation to repair and replace masonry, roofs, roads, pathways, parking lots, bridge decking and safety railings."

Minnesota Zoo officials present 'mission critical' bonding request to House lawmakers - Session Daily - Minnesota House of Representatives

some details for the proposed building:
"The hospital would have features found in human hospitals such as ambulance bays, a surgical suite and intensive care unit, but built for the needs of animals large and small.

There would also be programming space for students, zoo guests and visiting veterinarians. The goal is to benefit animal welfare at the Minnesota Zoo and offer training and education opportunities for other veterinarians."
"[Director John] Frawley anticipates the hospital would have statewide impact, and the funding request has support from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, and the North American Bear Center in Ely among others."
 
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