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USZOOfan42

USZOOfan42

Well-Known Member
 
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Quite an eventful visit today, few things I’d like to note-
• Wood Turtles have received a new habitat
• Donkeys have moved behind the scenes for the winter
• Saw the white lipped deer!
• The baby gorilla has started to leave the mom
• The zoo gave the apes snow as enrichment
• I can confirm the addition of white naped cranes
• White Storks are now is the pelican habitat
• Rhinos and Zebras were out in the snow
• Keeper was in the Wolverine habitat, setting up enrichment while it was circling her and playing around her
• I only saw one Wolverine
• The macaw exhibit is getting renovated (heard for more)
• The gift shop is getting renovated and will reopen this year.
 
Kudu21 said:
Just for those that are not aware, this animal is not actually a purebred white-lipped deer, but it is rather a white-lipped deer x Bactrian deer hybrid.
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Ouch ... how did this happen? Not aware that Detroit Zoo ever had Bactrian deer (or is this an acquisition from up west in California?)!
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Ouch ... how did this happen? Not aware that Detroit Zoo ever had Bactrian deer (or is this an acquisition from up west in California?)!
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Accidents happen, I guess! This animal was conceived and born at Detroit when both species were held together in one of their large mixed-species hoofstock exhibits. This animal was born in 2000, so my guess is at the time white-lipped deer were still considered to be of their own genus and it was thought they couldn’t interbreed.. Not that that seems to matter in deer, given the more recent accidental hybrids of Indochinese sika and barasingha and Burmese brow-antlered deer produced at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
 
Kudu21 said:
Accidents happen, I guess! This animal was conceived and born at Detroit when both species were held together in one of their large mixed-species hoofstock exhibits. This animal was born in 2000, so my guess is at the time white-lipped deer were still considered to be of their own genus and it was thought they couldn’t interbreed.. Not that that seems to matter in deer, given the more recent accidental hybrids of Indochinese sika and barasingha and Burmese brow-antlered deer produced at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
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@Kudu21, thanks again for your well informed observations.

NOTA BENE: I do find the last line very disconcerting...., given that it seems that Deer are now the target item for phase out and all three species are those of some conservation concern. I suppose that be worthy of its own thread.
 
AlmightyKingPrawn said:
Curious about the macaw renovations! (Late to this thread lol, forgot that we move threads each year and was confused by Zoochat going silent on me)
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Here’s the current renovations, mainly signage but shows some of it. Possibly more macaws?IMG_7631.jpeg]
Edit- I'd also like to add that the zoo has removed signage for the macaw and there is just this.
 

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USZOOfan42 said:
Here’s the current renovations, mainly signage but shows some of it. Possibly more macaws?View attachment 764183]
Edit- I'd also like to add that the zoo has removed signage for the macaw and there is just this.
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I love that sign ... with an up and personal story what happened to Max the red and green macaw Ara chloroptera while in private hands. Both highly evocative, instructive and provides a call to action and positive care when one of her kind become your own.

NOTA BENE: Not all is bad, as there is a really great community among serious aviculturalists and private breeders' whom take expert care to every psittacine in their care and most of the times provide better environments for their birds to do well and breed and make a significant contribution to ex situ conservation as well as in quite a few cases to in situ work with some of the threatened and endangered psittacine species in their care.

I do hope they do devote some accomodation to breeding some of the macaws or psittacine birds the Detroit Zoo is managing.
 
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USZOOfan42 said:
Yes! I just noticed it in their recent post, good to see it didn’t leave the collection. Its old habitat is still empty.

One of the holding areas in the flamingo exhibit, similar to the rhea, sandhill cranes and flamingo indoor holding.
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I wonder if the new cranes will be moved to where the vultures are now. This species of crane is native to Asia.
 
Do you guys have any news on a possible Tree Kangaroo exhibit being opened in the Discovery Trails? I remember seeing in an inspection report that they still housed one, I wonder if they are looking into building an exhibit for one or if they will just keep one behind the scenes.
 
Miles Leonard said:
Do you guys have any news on a possible Tree Kangaroo exhibit being opened in the Discovery Trails? I remember seeing in an inspection report that they still housed one, I wonder if they are looking into building an exhibit for one or if they will just keep one behind the scenes.
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I think I heard that the one they have now, AJ, is too old and gets nervous in exhibit. Maybe they could get a younger one.
 
Miles Leonard said:
Do you guys have any news on a possible Tree Kangaroo exhibit being opened in the Discovery Trails? I remember seeing in an inspection report that they still housed one, I wonder if they are looking into building an exhibit for one or if they will just keep one behind the scenes.
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A volunteer has stated that in the previous exhibit it put a lot of stress upon ”AJ” and he’s doing a lot better now. She said she that he will most likely spend his remainder of his life bts.
 
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