Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter MeiLover
- Start date
Great news! Something to watch for on my next visit.
Hope you had a good trip and that some of the advice was helpful!
The advice was certainly helpful. Thank you and @pachyderm pro.
I don't really think I saw enough of the zoo to post a full review (sorry @JVM) but I will share a few thoughts. I want to start off by mentioning that my day was cut slightly short. My good friend from high school and boss wanted to experience some of the food scene in Chicago and I wasn't having a spectacular time at the zoo anyways. I missed The Swamp, Reptiles and Birds, and Butterflies!; skipped the Hamill Family Play Zoo Hamill Family Wild Encounters, and the Kopje building; and Desert's Edge was sadly closed due to Brew at the Zoo.
1. I was not planning to go into Clouded Leopard Rainforest but I was immediately impressed. I thought it had one of the best indoor enclosures for the titular inhabitants as well as the binturongs and Prevost's squirrels. Of those three, I only saw a binturong but was still impressed by their homes. The fishing cat enclosure currently occupied by ring-tailed lemurs probably isn't that good for the usual inhabitants though.
2. Why were the floors and stairs at the underwater viewing for pinnipeds so wet? It was very slippery and with small kids running around, I thought someone was bound to get hurt. There were caution signs but those of course only serve as a warning.
3. The one-way glass at Regenstein Wolf Woods seems pointless when there are places to view the enclosure from mesh fencing. The landscaping at the exhibit was really nice but I disliked how much of their holding space was visible. I generally thought educational material throughout the zoo was of excellent quality, but at Regenstein Wolf Woods and Great Bear Wilderness what stood out to me was how much of it wasn't educational at all. There were so many quotes from quasi-famous people that served absolutely no purpose. That room you can go in to hear two minutes of wolves vocalizing was similarly confusing. These flaws made me question the wolf exhibit's popularity.
4. The smaller aviaries in Feathers and Scales were very outdated and held only very basic species. The single oversized aviary along the back offered only horrible viewing opportunities. The building's terrariums were also very poor and often seemingly too small. The whole building left a lot to be desired, especially when it isn't different to exhibit either birds or reptiles.
5. I really appreciated everything in Living Coasts. It could certainly use an update, especially the seabird room. It was actually quite good but could have been more aesthetically pleasing and had out-of-place terrariums. Kelp forest tanks are always appreciated, and Brookfield Zoo Chicago's was very good. I will be very sad if the plans to change The Living Coast to Amazon Waters see the light of day.
6. While Australia could certainly use an update, I enjoyed the exhibit for what it was. The echidnas and the wombat were very active and a treat to see. The outdoor yards were also pleasant.
7. I was very happy to see the giant anteater in Tropic World. The capuchins were all off-exhibit, as were the tamarins. I know this is a controversial opinion, of which I have many, but the South America room was a great habitat for the anteater Sure the exhibit could use more natural substrate, but that issue is easily rectified. All three rooms were understocked, but the only enclosure I really thought was bad was the gorillas'. They definitely need the upgrade they're getting.
8. I wish I had spent more time at Seven Seas. Dolphins, while very cool and a species I really like, usually aren't often that entertaining outside of shows, so there wasn't a lot to see. Nevertheless, I find I don't appreciate them enough.
9. I left the zoo before the pangolin feeding but I did see the one on-exhibit. He was eating something around 10a. I went to straight to Habitat Africa! The Forest after learning that Desert's Edge was blocked off for the majority of the day. I figured there wouldn't be much of a chance but I held out hope and was pleasantly surprised. Not very active like I expect is usual around feeding time but the pangolin was still awake and easily visible. The elephant shrews were going crazy for some reason, running all over. That was also nice to see. Lighting in Habitat Africa! The Forest was very poor.
10. The zebra foal and Banana the pygmy hippo were very active. I enjoyed watching them for a while. I also saw the tapirs relaxing at the back of their enclosure which I was very happy about.
Overall, Brookfield Zoo Chicago was pretty boring, left a lot to be desired, and is far surpassed by the Shedd Aquarium and the Lincoln Park Zoo in my view. The latter's collection was much smaller and had less rarities, but I have appreciated the exhibitry there on every one of my visits. I cannot say the same about Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Educational material was better than usual, but that isn't enough of a reason to visit. I felt myself feeling like I hadn't spent as much time at each exhibit as I theoretically should have, but there was never anything to keep me at any of them. Hopefully, major concepts of the master plan (Australia, dolphins, elephants, savanna gallery, Nile hippopotamuses) are realized. There is a lot of potential there. Completing those projects might make a visit to the Brookfield Zoo more worthwhile.
Really glad to hear this!
Happy to help. Sorry to hear about the misses, especially Desert's Edge!
The first exhibit has always been a highlight of the building and they've done a great job improving it when they moved over the Clouded leopards from the current binturong enclosure. They can be surprisingly active in there. The fishing cat enclosure was ahead of its time long ago but has seen better days; I've only seen the cat for sure once.
Very odd! This isn't a typical situation if it helps to know.
Great Bear Wilderness is very stylistically distinct from the rest of the zoo and seemed to have a different design philosophy; it was the only major project during Strahl's tenure as zoo director which may play a part. Wolf Woods was opened under George Rabb but retroactively integrated into the complex, and some signage was changed later on. The real popularity of Wolf Woods on zoochat has a lot more to do with the scale of the habitat than the educational aspects as far as I know, and the close connection to captive breeding for release probably plays a part. The wolves are very shy and tend to avoid the viewing areas.
Very interesting. The large rainforest aviary is pretty popular on zoochat. I think Feathers and Scales has outgrown it's original purpose (under that name) and it's unfortunate the zoo lacks an effective, dedicated bird space.
Do you mean the terrariums are out-of-place in terms of species or just physical space?
So glad you were able to enjoy the wombat and echidnas!
I haven't seen the tamarins in forever. I'd have assumed they were gone if not for other sources. It's always fun to see the anteater. I really wish there were more terrestrial animals that could be introduced but welfare-wise it's not really plausible anymore.
Brookfield has been trying to help this along by recently introducing more toys and features to their environment - the cliffs you saw are recent, as you might already know. On my last visit there was a ball in the pool one of them kept trying to play with. It adds tremendous value to the exhibit to watch the animals enriching themselves and not simply swimming.
Really glad you had the chance to see an active pangolin and the sengi!
That's great to hear. Banana is one of my favorites.
This is a fair view and I have been vocal that Lincoln Park Zoo has surpassed Brookfield in the last decade. I think Reptiles and Birds is one of the few exhibits that lets Brookfield show off more than Lincoln Park only as the latter is quite limited in reptile space, but I don't think it would have changed your conclusions or anything. The Kopje and the Swamp include some unique species but also a lot of overlap still with Lincoln Park.
pinnipedpal93
Active Member
We're planning on going to the zoo next weekend. Any interesting/new things we should check out? We haven't been there since May. I think chickens are pretty cute so we'll probably take a gander at the aviary.
I know about the koalas-- has the hype died down enough for it to not be a mob?
We also are planning on participating in the penguin feeding, no photos allowed but I'm more excited for the experience, if I'm being honest.
I know about the koalas-- has the hype died down enough for it to not be a mob?
We also are planning on participating in the penguin feeding, no photos allowed but I'm more excited for the experience, if I'm being honest.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
I’m sure koalas depend on the day but my last visit there wasn’t even a line.
A chicken coop is now open behind the Hamill Family Play Zoo. Several American breeds are displayed including partridge rock, barred rock, golden Wyandotte, and silver laced Wyandotte.
Two updates:
Female Amur leopard Lisa has moved to Houston Zoo.
Per recent social media posts, the zoo is down to just two African painted dogs.
Female Amur leopard Lisa has moved to Houston Zoo.
Per recent social media posts, the zoo is down to just two African painted dogs.
pinnipedpal93
Active Member
I wonder why Lisa was moved.
I didn't even know they still had painted dogs. I haven't caught them in their habitat in years.
Nocturnal House
Member
Was Lisa the leopard who shared the snow leopard exhibit or the one outside the Desert’s Edge? Or would they rotate?
ContraryPython
Active Member
The Amur Leopard exhibit is the one outside Desert’s Edge. The Snow Leopard exhibit is right next to Clouded Leopard’s Rainforest
That is correct, they rotated in the snow leopard exhibit.
Nocturnal House
Member
I’m aware, but the snow leopard exhibit sometimes featured one of the Amur leopards instead.
Thank you! Is there now just one Amur leopard at the Zoo, then? And the snow leopard now presumably has free rein of her exhibit?
There are two Amur leopards, male Sasha and female Mina. My guess is that they will keep Malaya (snow leopard) in her exhibit full time.
pinnipedpal93
Active Member
I would love to hear more about the experience when you can! I came very close to booking the penguin feeding some years ago but at the last minute we didn't, so still have some curiosity.Just got back from the zoo. I'd like to upload more pictures when I'm not so tired.My boyfriend and I participated in the penguin feeding this afternoon. It was such a a cool experience. I highly recommend it to any animal or penguin lover.
Very tragic to lose both mother and child! Terrible shame.
