Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
- Thread starter snowleopard
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Technically, the flamingos do not fit in that area anymore either because they switched species last year. They now have American flamingos. My thought on African penguins is that there is a certain AZA institution about 8 miles away that just started an African penguin breeding program. Since Penguin Point is such an anchor exhibit at the National Aviary, I do not see it happening unless it is a partnership between the two. It is nice to see that Thabo-Umasai is now on exhibit. I look forward to meet the new German transplant soon. I wonder who they will be celebrating in June at the zoo's Dragon Renaissance Festival since the sea dragons are gone and Noname is no longer with us.
team tapir
Well-Known Member
Very good point about the National Aviary.As far as Sea Dragons we were told by a keeper in PPG that the zoo still has several sea dragons they have been moved to a smaller tank and are not going to be maintained in the large lobby tank.Which was expensive and they had problems with condensation in the summer.
Team Tapir
team tapir
Well-Known Member
do they still have the leafy sea dragons? I know theres only two weedy sea dragons in with the pot-bellied sea horses
Not exactly sure.She could have just been referring to the weedy sea dragons when she said they still had them.
Team Tapir
In the latest Zoo Insider, it talks about Moka's baby boy and the blue monkeys. It also talks about how this winter the zoo's aquarists helped rescued cownose rays from a power plant's intake canal. They are now on display at the zoo. They were most likely added to the zoo's deep ocean tank. There were several cownose rays there when I was there in the fall, but this was before the new ones acquired. It would have been nice if they could have been added with the sand tiger sharks and the small school of tuna in Water's Edge to give the exhibit a little more diversity and activity.
Philippine Crocodile
Some has posed a photo on the zoo's Facebook page of the Philippine Crocodile. It must be on exhibit. It looks like it might be in Worlds of Discovery. I wanted to let everyone know. It was not on exhibit when I was there in the fall.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium - Zoo/Aquarium - Pittsburgh, PA | Facebook
Some has posed a photo on the zoo's Facebook page of the Philippine Crocodile. It must be on exhibit. It looks like it might be in Worlds of Discovery. I wanted to let everyone know. It was not on exhibit when I was there in the fall.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium - Zoo/Aquarium - Pittsburgh, PA | Facebook
jusko88
Well-Known Member
@tigervalley: ya the phillippine crocodile is in the worlds of discovery right behind the baobab tree slide. The crocodile hatched in 2002. In other news the zoo is at the top of the list of getting a new komodo dragon but for the time being they don't know what there going to put in there. The seadragon tank is still empty. There was construction going on in the silvery cheeked hornbill exhibit in kids kingdom and the emperor scorpion was off exhibit in the bat cave exhibit. The west African dwarf crocodile exhibit is still empty but the docent told me that they will be returning real soon.
jusko88 - I thought that is where the Philippine crocodile was located. Thanks for confirming this.
This might have been mentioned before, but Thabo-Umasai is now on exhibit. There is video on Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's YouTube and Facebook pages for him playing with Angeline.
This might have been mentioned before, but Thabo-Umasai is now on exhibit. There is video on Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's YouTube and Facebook pages for him playing with Angeline.
jusko88
Well-Known Member
Expecting a Rhino Baby!
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is proud to announce that Azizi, our black rhino, is expecting! This calf will be the first born at the Zoo in 47 years. The birth of a black rhino at the Zoo is additionally significant because black rhinos are critically endangered and Azizi’s calf will introduce new blood lines into the Zoo population.
“We are so excited,” says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “For a while, we weren’t sure Azizi and Jomo would mate at all. Rhino breeding is intricate. It depends on the breeding cycle of the female and the mood of the rhinos. They both have to be interested at the same time. That may have to do with the fact that rhino breeding is anything but romantic. Rhinos chase each other, roar, and even hit each other before they mate.”
When keepers knew that Azizi was entering her breeding cycle, they allowed her to share the yard with Jomo. The first few times they were together, the pair went head to head, snorted, and charged each other. They repeated this for over a year before they finally mated.
“Once mating occurred, we studied blood work to record hormones levels,” says Dr. Baker. “Her progesterone is increasing, which indicates that she is likely pregnant. A recent ultrasound confirmed that she is.
Rhino gestation is approximately 15 months, so keepers and the vet staff expect Azizi to give birth in the fall. Females give birth to one calf. The first 30 days are critical for baby rhinos as the mortality rate is 25% in zoos and higher in the wild due to predators. But zoos arehaving great success in preventing the deaths of young calves, because of improved care and shared information between zoos. Keepers and vet staff will monitor the birth from another room and will only help if needed.
In early fall, the keepers will baby-proof the yard and the rooms where the calf will be born. Zoo staff said that natural barriers in the yard like logs and straw bales will be used to stop the baby from sliding through a fence or falling. Inside the rhino building, keepers will block off water gutters and add additional bars to prevent the baby from stepping through the gate into the main hallway. “After the calf is born, we will see what works and what doesn’t and make necessary changes,” says Kathy Suthard, lead mammal keeper.
There are 4,800 black rhinos remaining in the wild. Between 1970 and 1992, the black rhino population decreased by 96% — the most dramatic of all rhino species. Black rhino populations are recovering slowly despite intensive efforts to end poaching, the biggest threat to animals worldwide.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is proud to announce that Azizi, our black rhino, is expecting! This calf will be the first born at the Zoo in 47 years. The birth of a black rhino at the Zoo is additionally significant because black rhinos are critically endangered and Azizi’s calf will introduce new blood lines into the Zoo population.
“We are so excited,” says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “For a while, we weren’t sure Azizi and Jomo would mate at all. Rhino breeding is intricate. It depends on the breeding cycle of the female and the mood of the rhinos. They both have to be interested at the same time. That may have to do with the fact that rhino breeding is anything but romantic. Rhinos chase each other, roar, and even hit each other before they mate.”
When keepers knew that Azizi was entering her breeding cycle, they allowed her to share the yard with Jomo. The first few times they were together, the pair went head to head, snorted, and charged each other. They repeated this for over a year before they finally mated.
“Once mating occurred, we studied blood work to record hormones levels,” says Dr. Baker. “Her progesterone is increasing, which indicates that she is likely pregnant. A recent ultrasound confirmed that she is.
Rhino gestation is approximately 15 months, so keepers and the vet staff expect Azizi to give birth in the fall. Females give birth to one calf. The first 30 days are critical for baby rhinos as the mortality rate is 25% in zoos and higher in the wild due to predators. But zoos arehaving great success in preventing the deaths of young calves, because of improved care and shared information between zoos. Keepers and vet staff will monitor the birth from another room and will only help if needed.
In early fall, the keepers will baby-proof the yard and the rooms where the calf will be born. Zoo staff said that natural barriers in the yard like logs and straw bales will be used to stop the baby from sliding through a fence or falling. Inside the rhino building, keepers will block off water gutters and add additional bars to prevent the baby from stepping through the gate into the main hallway. “After the calf is born, we will see what works and what doesn’t and make necessary changes,” says Kathy Suthard, lead mammal keeper.
There are 4,800 black rhinos remaining in the wild. Between 1970 and 1992, the black rhino population decreased by 96% — the most dramatic of all rhino species. Black rhino populations are recovering slowly despite intensive efforts to end poaching, the biggest threat to animals worldwide.
jusko88
Well-Known Member
There's a window in the sand tiger shark tank and if you look close you can see stingrays in there like its a behind the scenes tank. I'll post a picture tomorrow cause Me and my gf are heading to the cincinnati zoo tonight and be down there most of day tomorrow.
This makes me wonder if they will join the sand tiger sharks and the small school of tuna in that exhibit. They would add more activity to the exhibit. The cownose rays they rescued are suppose to have a nearly three feet wingspan. I am wondering if they are waiting until it is warmer to add them since the main exhibit is outdoors. This is also giving time for Bruce, Wolverine, Large Marge, Storm, and Rogue time to get use to having them around and vice versa. It will be interesting to see if they will join the exhibit.
PS: I had to cheat. I used the zoo's name guide at the link below.
FAQ: What is that Animal’s Name?
jusko88
Well-Known Member
zoo welcomes orphaned sea otter pup
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, working with our partner the Alaska Sealife Center is providing a safe home for the newborn sea otter pup. It was found stranded along an alaskan coastline. Vistors can see the little pup in a special nusery in the lower level of Water's Edge beginning April 27th.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, working with our partner the Alaska Sealife Center is providing a safe home for the newborn sea otter pup. It was found stranded along an alaskan coastline. Vistors can see the little pup in a special nusery in the lower level of Water's Edge beginning April 27th.
jusko88
Well-Known Member
Pittsburgh Zoo's Blog Entry on Sea Otter Pup
Zoo Welcomes Orphaned Sea Otter Pup
April 23, 2012
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, working with our partner, the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC), is providing a safe home for a newborn sea otter pup found stranded along an Alaskan coastline. Visitors can see the little pup in a special nursery in the lower level of Water’s Edge beginning Friday, April 27.
Residents of Port Heiden found the little pup lying next to other sea otters, all who had died from exposure. The sea otters were cut off from the ocean by a frozen bay and, in an attempt to get to the ocean, accidentally beached themselves off the coast of Port Heiden. “Residents along the Alaskan coastline have helped to rescue stranded sea otters before, but this was a first for the residents of Port Heiden,” says Brett Long, husbandry director at the Alaskan SeaLife Center. “We told the caregivers how to keep him alive until we could arrive.”
The most important concern was to ensure the pup was in a cool environment, its temperature remained steady, and it received fluids and electrolytes. The residents used a baby bottle filled with “Pedialyte”, a milk replacer, to feed the pup every couple of hours.
“The little otter is very lucky,” says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “Sea otter pups depend on three things to survive—food, body temperature, and their coat being in good condition. They must eat enough food to replenish 35% of their body weight.” Mothers also care for their pup’s coats until they are old enough to do it alone. When the pup became separated from his mother, it was only a matter of hours before he would become hypoglycemic from not eating. And, he was susceptible to exposure, because his fur was matted and did not provide protection from exposure.
Once the ASLC and the Pittsburgh Zoo staff agreed on transporting the little otter to Pittsburgh, they quickly utilized a relationship with FedEx, whose FedEx Ground operating company is headquartered in Pittsburgh, to organize transport from Anchorage to Pittsburgh though FedEx Express’s air network.
The next milestones for the little pup will be to acclimate to his new environment in Pittsburgh, begin eating solid food, and to respond to keeper’s cues which will teach him cooperative and husbandry behaviors. These behaviors will allow him to participate in his own care such as voluntary weigh-ins, and presentation of paws and flippers. He will develop his natural instincts as he grows and when he is bigger will be slowly introduced to Alki and Chugach, the Zoo’s current sea otter residents.
Zoo Welcomes Orphaned Sea Otter Pup
Zoo Welcomes Orphaned Sea Otter Pup
April 23, 2012
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, working with our partner, the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC), is providing a safe home for a newborn sea otter pup found stranded along an Alaskan coastline. Visitors can see the little pup in a special nursery in the lower level of Water’s Edge beginning Friday, April 27.
Residents of Port Heiden found the little pup lying next to other sea otters, all who had died from exposure. The sea otters were cut off from the ocean by a frozen bay and, in an attempt to get to the ocean, accidentally beached themselves off the coast of Port Heiden. “Residents along the Alaskan coastline have helped to rescue stranded sea otters before, but this was a first for the residents of Port Heiden,” says Brett Long, husbandry director at the Alaskan SeaLife Center. “We told the caregivers how to keep him alive until we could arrive.”
The most important concern was to ensure the pup was in a cool environment, its temperature remained steady, and it received fluids and electrolytes. The residents used a baby bottle filled with “Pedialyte”, a milk replacer, to feed the pup every couple of hours.
“The little otter is very lucky,” says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “Sea otter pups depend on three things to survive—food, body temperature, and their coat being in good condition. They must eat enough food to replenish 35% of their body weight.” Mothers also care for their pup’s coats until they are old enough to do it alone. When the pup became separated from his mother, it was only a matter of hours before he would become hypoglycemic from not eating. And, he was susceptible to exposure, because his fur was matted and did not provide protection from exposure.
Once the ASLC and the Pittsburgh Zoo staff agreed on transporting the little otter to Pittsburgh, they quickly utilized a relationship with FedEx, whose FedEx Ground operating company is headquartered in Pittsburgh, to organize transport from Anchorage to Pittsburgh though FedEx Express’s air network.
The next milestones for the little pup will be to acclimate to his new environment in Pittsburgh, begin eating solid food, and to respond to keeper’s cues which will teach him cooperative and husbandry behaviors. These behaviors will allow him to participate in his own care such as voluntary weigh-ins, and presentation of paws and flippers. He will develop his natural instincts as he grows and when he is bigger will be slowly introduced to Alki and Chugach, the Zoo’s current sea otter residents.
Zoo Welcomes Orphaned Sea Otter Pup
jusko88
Well-Known Member
philippine Crocodiles
Starting early to Mid May depending on the weather The philippine Crocodiles will go on exhibit where the Komodo Dragon was.
heres a video from Pittsburgh Today Live with Head reptile curator Henry Kacprzyk talking bout the crocodiles. Pittsburgh zoo has 4 philippine crocodiles.
Starting early to Mid May depending on the weather The philippine Crocodiles will go on exhibit where the Komodo Dragon was.
heres a video from Pittsburgh Today Live with Head reptile curator Henry Kacprzyk talking bout the crocodiles. Pittsburgh zoo has 4 philippine crocodiles.
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jusko88
Well-Known Member
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jusko88
Well-Known Member
more on the orphaned sea otter pup
Orphan Otter Finds New Home in Pittsburgh - ZooBorns
cant wait to see him this weekend
Orphan Otter Finds New Home in Pittsburgh - ZooBorns
cant wait to see him this weekend
With the surprise announcement about the sea otter pup and the crocodile invasion of Asian Forest, this leaves three major mysteries left.
1. What are they planning for the sand tiger shark exhibit? Since this was hinted to jusko88 on Facebook, we should know soon since the summer season starts rather soon.
2. They have not formally announced that Moja's pregnant, but everyone seems to know. When is she do and who is the father? Is it Jackson, Callee, or a mysterious male from a far off location?
3. When will the finalized plan be revealed for Top of the World since it is suppose to open next year?
Once these three questions are answered, I will be happy. I bet some of you will be too.
1. What are they planning for the sand tiger shark exhibit? Since this was hinted to jusko88 on Facebook, we should know soon since the summer season starts rather soon.
2. They have not formally announced that Moja's pregnant, but everyone seems to know. When is she do and who is the father? Is it Jackson, Callee, or a mysterious male from a far off location?
3. When will the finalized plan be revealed for Top of the World since it is suppose to open next year?
Once these three questions are answered, I will be happy. I bet some of you will be too.