Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden What's Gnu at the Cincinnati Zoo - 2014

More updates from my visit today and once again, not much to say.

1. Eastern Newts were added to the Reptile House
2. The saltwater tank in Manatee Springs was filled but fish are still absent.
3. Still only saw one, solo white lion (male), which is not a good sign.
4. The Bamboo Lemur exhibit in Jungle Trails was nearly completely emptied of all objects from plants to even paint.
5. The Siberian Lynx was off exhibit again and it certainly isn't because of the cold.
6. The Juvenile Wood Ducks and Hammerkop were taken off exhibit.
 
So tragic about the loss. I hope the Zoo will continue to carry on their gracious legacy of white lions. I absolutely adore the white lions and white tigers at Cincinnati and have wonderful memories of visiting when S&R donated them to the Zoo and later when the litter was born. My condolences to the Zoo and to Siegfried and Roy; they always remain extremely close to all of their animals.
 
WhiteTiger said:
So tragic about the loss. I hope the Zoo will continue to carry on their gracious legacy of white lions. I absolutely adore the white lions and white tigers at Cincinnati and have wonderful memories of visiting when S&R donated them to the Zoo and later when the litter was born. My condolences to the Zoo and to Siegfried and Roy; they always remain extremely close to all of their animals.
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I would not count on seeing white lions brought in to any more AZA zoos like Cincinnati. They have "regular" lions in their new African exhibit and once the last white passes I assume this exhibit will be used for an entirely different species.
 
Aside, white lions do not serve any educational or conservation purpose in zoos. Instead we look at a freak mutation of nature and use it as a commercial milking establishment only.

It really puzzles me that which we seem to frown upon in terms of animal entertainment in a circus and a Chinese zoo, while at home we seem to look away and continue to taunt and claim it is "breeding an endangered species" ethic / morality.
 
Moebelle said:
4. The Bamboo Lemur exhibit in Jungle Trails was nearly completely emptied of all objects from plants to even paint.
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I would assume that this means that it has passed.... We were down to one very elderly bamboo lemur, and I'm actually quite surprised it made it as long as it did.... It's a great shame. A truly lovely species and always a joy to watch.... Another species lost from captivity the United States.
 
I am currently standing within the exhibit and the Steller's Sea Eagles are nesting once again.
 
For those who visit the zoo regularly, ththey are frustrated when they come along a certain animal that never moves. Also right after I took the video, they started mating
Instagram
 
Kudu21 said:
I would assume that this means that it has passed.... We were down to one very elderly bamboo lemur, and I'm actually quite surprised it made it as long as it did.... It's a great shame. A truly lovely species and always a joy to watch.... Another species lost from captivity the United States.
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Luckily that's where you are wrong! The potto and lemur, along with all of the plants are back on exhibit. Speaking of Jungle Trails, there is a new Lapwing looking species in the main aviary. I have a picture.

Edit: Masked Lapwings were added to the Australasian aviary in Wings of the World.

Edit: The lapwing species in Jungle Trails is a Blacksmith Lapwing.
 
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I forgot to mention this two weeks ago and this news is quite large to some people that have asked me if they have seen this species in the past. Two weeks ago I saw the Guam Rail for the first time in my life, a species that has always had its sign up but has always remained in hiding at the same time.
 
Moebelle said:
Luckily that's where you are wrong! The potto and lemur, along with all of the plants are back on exhibit.
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That is something that I'm quite happily proven wrong about!

Though, I would still make sure to enjoy its presence while we can...

And it's also lovely to hear about the lapwings! Any new species is good news.

Also, have you seen the caracal lately? I missed her on my past two visits (two weeks ago and perhaps three weeks before that)... She, along with the Siberian lynx and bobcat are all rather elderly at this point....
 
Kudu21 said:
That is something that I'm quite happily proven wrong about!

Though, I would still make sure to enjoy its presence while we can...

And it's also lovely to hear about the lapwings! Any new species is good news.

Also, have you seen the caracal lately? I missed her on my past two visits (two weeks ago and perhaps three weeks before that)... She, along with the Siberian lynx and bobcat are all rather elderly at this point....
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I have been wondering the same thing for a couple of months now. However, just yesterday I did see her wave her paws around while the the rest of her body was hiding. I did not bother to pass by the bobcat exhibit but did see guests ppint to it from afar. On the other hand, a worker from the zoo posted a photo or a bobcat on a social media site whIle adding that she had to euthanize it. It was never confirmed if it was at the Cincinnati Zoo or not. I'm not sure about the Lynx.
 
Moebelle said:
I have been wondering the same thing for a couple of months now. However, just yesterday I did see her wave her paws around while the the rest of her body was hiding. I did not bother to pass by the bobcat exhibit but did see guests ppint to it from afar. On the other hand, a worker from the zoo posted a photo or a bobcat on a social media site whIle adding that she had to euthanize it. It was never confirmed if it was at the Cincinnati Zoo or not. I'm not sure about the Lynx.
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Well, it's good to hear that she's still kicking... She's always been a personal favorite of the building, seeing has she has been there for so long, and she's always had a very personable personality, at least in her younger years. I doubt she gets around too well anymore, and that's likely part of the reason why she's been a no-show for so long! That is interesting to hear about the bobcat because at the very least I would expect them to have putting up an "Improving the Zoo" sign, as the exhibit would then be empty if it had passed.... All three of them, the white tigers, and the white lions are all getting up there in age, and we will likely be receiving more news such as that with Future over the coming time.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Aside, white lions do not serve any educational or conservation purpose in zoos. Instead we look at a freak mutation of nature and use it as a commercial milking establishment only.

It really puzzles me that which we seem to frown upon in terms of animal entertainment in a circus and a Chinese zoo, while at home we seem to look away and continue to taunt and claim it is "breeding an endangered species" ethic / morality.
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How do white lions not hold any educational or conservation value in zoos? They occur in nature among the Timbavati lions – that alone is a subject of interest. They are rarer than other African subspecies and provide great educational value about genetics and diversity in the animal kingdom. We don’t reject other animals with different hair or skin colors, nor do we reject people of different hair or skin colors from society. Why discriminate a natural variation of an animal? Does the AZA no longer allow melanistic cats to breed either? It’s not like the white cats are still inbred – white tigers and white lions are not inbred anymore and haven’t been for a good twenty years. The animals usually generate lots of public interest and revenue for facilities with them. I see no reason to completely banish them, and neither do a lot of people. In addition, standard African lions are extremely common in captivity and not endangered in the wild, so why should AZA conservation efforts be exclusive to them? Even back in the EAZA they focus on rarer Asiatic lions.

Judging from numerous Cincy Zoo officials I know, there is pride and love of the white lions and white tigers there. Despite the AZA, the Zoo rejected phasing out either of the cats and built a new exhibit for the white tigers in Cat Canyon designed just for them (Zoo members and donors overwhelmingly demanded it). The implication I got is they are discussing the rules with the AZA since most of the cats are getting old, so I remain hopeful for the Zoo. It seems to me that they are hosting both AZA standard lions and tigers in an effort to maintain approval for hosting the others in addition, as was the AZA condition recently. I know several other AZA facilities discussing this as well. AZA accredited Capron Park Zoo is trying to breed a white and heterozygous lions and the fellow CAZA is very lenient on the felines.
 
Dream on!

African lions have disappeared from large tracts of Africa and are in fact very much endangered, even where they are thought to be still "common". In Kenya alone the total number is now below 2,000, not much for a robust and or sustainable population.

So, spare us the sermons!
 
It’s not like the white cats are still inbred – white tigers and white lions are not inbred anymore and haven’t been for a good twenty years.
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I'd be very interested to read your source for that information as I was under the impression no new animals had been added to the white tiger population and that all of the animals were descended from a small number and therefore inbred.
 
Sunbear12 said:
I'd be very interested to read your source for that information as I was under the impression no new animals had been added to the white tiger population and that all of the animals were descended from a small number and therefore inbred.
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All captive white tigers are descended from a single male (Mohan) since he was originally caught no other wild white tigers have been discovered. So inbred is one word for it....
 
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