Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo news 2008-2011

I noticed the opening of the enlarged elephant yard. It features a mud bath, loose sand heaps and rock outcrops. Treewise it seems rather featureless (informed choice?).

Surprisingly I have seen its African elephant use the space effectively and some behaviours reminiscint of being in the wild (digging a hole with a foot, slapping water and mud, rolling in the sand)!!!

Now, what I am wondering about is long term plans ... The current female elephant is on her own - any plans for social groupings? Further, I remember reading earlier the new elephant habitat - as part of the long term Masterplan - was to be opened sometime in 2011 or 2012. Which brings up a second question; is this the short term stop gap measure (with future exhibit planned on the north side of the zoo) or rather final? :confused:

K.B.
 
You really do worry a lot...

If you have read any of the news article regarding the Brookfield Zoo's elephants in the last few months, one will read that the zoo is getting another elephant before the end of the year if not before the end of the summer.

Yes it appears the zoo will be building a brand new elephant complex. Obviously the recent expansion more than likely includes an adjacent yard at the zoo's Pachyderm House that previously contained another species? Just an easy way to give the elephants some more space.
 
The expanded elephant yard utilizes an adjoining space formerly an outdoor exhibit for black rhinos. They zoo still has 3 outdoor rhino yards. The other big changes are that the large pool has been filled in and a smaller pool has replaced it on the other side of the yard and the moat has been filled in and a fence has been put up, allowing the elephants to come closer to the visitor path.

This was always going to be a temporary fix, as okapikpr said there are plans for a new elephant complex. That complex is planned to be in the NW corner of the zoo taking over some antelope paddocks, loosely connecting to the Habitat Africa phases already there. Like many of the new elephant exhibits going up, the plans right now (although far from complete) include multiple yards allowing for females and bulls.

However, with Great Bear Wilderness opening Memorial Day 2010 and a new Illinois farm replacing the original Children's Zoo up next, the new elephant complex was never planned to open before 2013. There are lots of components to the Master Plan and after the Farm I have no idea what will be next to open.
 
Any plans for rebreeding the current black rhino pair again (after the recent transfers of young individuals elsewhere)?
 
they do plan to breed Shima and Nakili again, i believe. Also, brookfield has a new elephant named Joyce that joined Christy. The reason is because Affie died
 
mstickmanp said:
I don't know if this has been shown before: http://zoodesign.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/75236-revised-master-plan-1-to-100-copy.jpg

It is the map of the master plan.
Click to expand...

It shows a skyride. Do they have that now, or is that yet to be built? Also, is the "Siberian Escape" there now, or is that also in the future? (The adjoining siberian tiger, amur leopard, snow leopard habitats). The zoo is hosting AZAD convention in September 2010 and I am still trying to decide if I want to go. (Never been to Chicago, but nothing I have seen so far, zoos or otherwise, particularly interests me - except maybe Shedd Aquarium).
 
I like that the plan includes a Siberian exhibit. To me, it's a good thing that cold-weather zoos are building more temperate to cold-weather themed exhibits. They aren't as affected by seasonal changes and don't force animals inside all winter.
 
It'll be interesting to see what zoos will be receiving the warthogs and the buffalo. I would assume that San Diego would be getting the buffalo as they are the only other zoo in the United States to house Forest Buffalo.... Though I would love to see the buffalo heading over this way :P
 
Brookfield Zoo welcomes endangered African wild dog pups - Chicago Sun-Times
Brookfield Zoo’s African wild dog pack recently grew by ten little pups.

Six-year-old mother Kim birthed the sizeable litter — six males and four females — on Thanksgiving Day. After weeks in a dark, hay-lined nest box, the puppies recently began to emerge and explore the world around them.

“What we wanted to do was give them the full time they needed to be with the mother,” said Joan Daniels, associate curator of mammals. A nest box camera helped zoo staff see the puppies, but their small size and similar color made it impossible to count the pups until they left the den.

The zoo’s wild dog pack includes Kim, her “dominant male” mate Digger, 4, and Digger’s brother, Duke, also 4. The two brothers have spent weeks regurgitating their beef-based diet for Kim, who couldn’t leave her puppies to find her own food. Now Kim is joining them in regurgitating food for the 10 pups.

“This is normal behavior for wild dogs,” Daniels said. “It’s really very exciting to see the social behavior with a group.”

On Thursday the dogs were counted, weighed and vaccinated. Kim’s litter was one of only three born in North American zoos in 2010. The other two litters are being raised by humans, Daniels said.

The dogs, one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores, should be on exhibit at Habitat Africa! The Savannah as early as March.
Click to expand...
 
I have never heard of 10 puppies in a litter of one African Wild Dog (or Painted or Hunting whatever you want to call them!). Is it common in the wild to see larger litters than in captivity?
 
Does anyone know when the Brookfield Zoo starts building a new Elephant exhibit (according to their Masterplan there must be such a goal) and start keeping those pachyderms again.

Isn't it sad (or even a shame), that there are no Elephants in the Zoos of Chicago? (I for myself have to agree with some New Yorkers calling Chicago the "Second City"):).
 
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