San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo News 2025

RJB Wildlife said:
From everything I’ve heard it’s overall enhancements to the habitat including an expanded underwater viewing, filtration replacement and then the area would receive an overhaul with the educational elements, former Reindeer habitat, current Lynx and Magpie habitats and Aviary being removed in favor of new modern habitats and interactive educational material.
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That makes more sense. Not sure why expanded underwater viewing is a necessity though. Updating the old wire cages will be nice to see, but I do hope they keep an aviary there for sea ducks and native songbirds.
 
Sloth Bear Shala had twin cubs in early December (sire Kartick) and has started allowing the public to catch glimpses of them out on habitat! Here are some photos I snapped yesterday.
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There are two new Koala joeys this year! Adori has a female joey that has been making consistent appearances outside the pouch, already seen riding on mom’s back and munching on leaves. Merindah is also said to have a joey in pouch that has just started peeking its head out. Sex has not yet been confirmed.
This is a photo of Adori and her joey taken during my visit yesterday.
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ZooGirlSD said:
Sloth Bear Shala had twin cubs in early December (sire Kartick) and has started allowing the public to catch glimpses of them out on habitat! Here are some photos I snapped yesterday.
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The cubs look absolutely adorable!
ZooGirlSD said:
There are two new Koala joeys this year! Adori has a female joey that has been making consistent appearances outside the pouch, already seen riding on mom’s back and munching on leaves. Merindah is also said to have a joey in pouch that has just started peeking its head out. Sex has not yet been confirmed.
This is a photo of Adori and her joey taken during my visit yesterday.
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They now have like 40 koalas or something, that is insane, considering very few if any facilities in the U.S have more than three koalas apiece let alone 40!
 
Nile Hippo Expert said:
They now have like 40 koalas or something, that is insane, considering very few if any facilities in the U.S have more than three koalas apiece let alone 40!
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They have the right climate for housing them and they've got the expertise down due to their ties with some of the Aussie zoos. The majority or possibly now all koalas elsewhere in the US are all loaned from San Diego, they own the entire population (unless I'm forgetting that someone still has non-SDZ stock.)
 
Great Argus said:
The majority or possibly now all koalas elsewhere in the US are all loaned from San Diego, they own the entire population (unless I'm forgetting that someone still has non-SDZ stock.)
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San Diego owned every koala in America until a few years ago, though @IndianRhino has confirmed this was no longer the case as of 2022.
IndianRhino said:
According to the AZA/SSP, all the koalas here are of the Queensland (adustus) subspecies which I believe is the case for the majority if not all koalas in captivity. This population is relatively small and basically consists of SDZ's humongous colony and a few other pairs at a few other facilities. SDZ was the first to successfully breed and house this species in North America and until recently, owned all the animals in the country. For years now, SDZ has been loaning a koala or two to various other zoos for a few months as a special attraction at that zoo (Kansas City currently has a pair for this purpose).
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I believe Columbus owns their male Koala "Koen", though he may still be owned by his birthplace at the Cleveland Zoo, where he moved from in April 2023 per the L.A Zoo's (where his mother was born) animal transaction report from January 2023 (document is unavailable but posts in the population thread give some information), either way he appears to not be owned by San Diego. With this being said, as of 2022 there was at least one additional animal in the country not owned by the zoo, though I am not sure which animal(s) they are or where they are living. San Diego does currently keep about 75% of the Koalas in North America and have ownership of most, but there are at least a couple koalas out there that they do not own. Koalas are unsurprisingly, with the numbers San Diego has, a rare species in U.S Zoos with just ten other holders at the moment in North America (Brookfield, Cleveland, Columbus, Los Angeles, Louisville, Palm Beach, Riverbanks, San Francisco, Miami and ZooTampa, all of which no more than three koalas apiece).
 
Nile Hippo Expert said:
I believe Columbus owns their male Koala "Koen", though he may still be owned by his birthplace at the Cleveland Zoo, where he moved from in April 2023 per the L.A Zoo's (where his mother was born) animal transaction report from January 2023 (document is unavailable but posts in the population thread give some information), either way he appears to not be owned by San Diego. With this being said, as of 2022 there was at least one additional animal in the country not owned by the zoo, though I am not sure which animal(s) they are or where they are living. San Diego does currently keep about 75% of the Koalas in North America and have ownership of most, but there are at least a couple koalas out there that they do not own.
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Pitching a lot of assumptions there off limited information it would seem - potentially not wrong, but leaning pretty heavy on speculation.

Nile Hippo Expert said:
Koalas are unsurprisingly, with the numbers San Diego has, a rare species in U.S Zoos with just ten other holders at the moment in North America (Brookfield, Cleveland, Columbus, Los Angeles, Louisville, Palm Beach, Riverbanks, San Francisco, Miami and ZooTampa, all of which no more than three koalas apiece).
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There are more reasons besides the current population numbers, including for other places keeping only pairs and trios.
 
I have a couple questions - I hope it's not too much of a bother! Please let me know if this isn't the right place.

What the typical sources are for learning news about the zoo, other than direct communications from San Diego Zoo accounts/publications? Mainly specific information about individual animals and their exhibits. I'm always amazed at all the info people have to share, but no idea how I can be "in-the-know!"

Is this also the appropriate thread for Safari Park news? I didn't see a separate thread but maybe I just missed it.

Lastly, if anyone can share information on the black-billed magpie that was taken off exhibit near the polar bears, I would greatly appreciate it. I hope he is ok and will be back on exhibit, even if it's in a different area of the zoo. Searching for info on him is actually what led me to discovering ZooChat!

Thanks everyone. :)
 
bleunicorn said:
What the typical sources are for learning news about the zoo, other than direct communications from San Diego Zoo accounts/publications? Mainly specific information about individual animals and their exhibits. I'm always amazed at all the info people have to share, but no idea how I can be "in-the-know!"
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Usually the zoo's or zoo fan groups socials (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) are the way most zoo news is found out as well as news articles though some local members post information that hasn't been shared publicly via information/observations from visiting the zoo itself.
bleunicorn said:
Is this also the appropriate thread for Safari Park news? I didn't see a separate thread but maybe I just missed it.
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Yes there is a separate thread for the Safari Park from the Zoo.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park News 2025 [San Diego Zoo Safari Park]
 
bleunicorn said:
Lastly, if anyone can share information on the black-billed magpie that was taken off exhibit near the polar bears, I would greatly appreciate it. I hope he is ok and will be back on exhibit, even if it's in a different area of the zoo. Searching for info on him is actually what led me to discovering ZooChat!
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I’m very sorry to have to report that Rico the Magpie passed away. I don’t have more information but the news of the passing was from a very credible source.
 
Female Koala joey named:

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/baby-koala-born-at-san-diego-zoo-heres-what-makes-this-joey-so-special/amp/

The wildlife alliance says this year marks 100 years since the first two koalas arrived in San Diego as a gift from Sydney, Australia.

To announce the arrival and to celebrate 100 years of friendship and partnership with Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Taronga named the koala joey Inala, which means place of peace or rest and is from the Wakka Wakka / Jungara area in Queensland, Australia.
 
A couple updates from the Zoo:
- The Meerkat habitat is currently undergoing a renovation. The guest boundary is being completely demolished at the moment.
- There are no plans to replace the demolished Aye-Aye habitats.
- Silvered Leaf Langurs appear to be off habitat and have been removed from the apps map.
- The Polar Bear pool is being drained weekly in order to keep the water clear. Underwater viewing is abysmal at the moment.
 
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