Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Columbus Zoo News - 2015

First baby video! The triplets are all males and were born early morning April 21st. This means they were conceived only weeks before Foli was transferred and after many years of hoping that he and Irisa would finally reproduce. Looks like he took his last chance to make one more surprise before he left. ;)

This video also has more info on Jupiter also. He was born in 2007 at Moscow Zoo and arrived at Columbus from Dvur Kralove Zoo on March 19th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3cuDjIMQmAM
 
Jungle Jack was on David Letterman for the last time before Dave bows. He brought two Spotted Hyena Cubs with and said they were being trained for Columbus Zoos African Veldt.
 
Gulo gulo said:
Jungle Jack was on David Letterman for the last time before Dave bows. He brought two Spotted Hyena Cubs with and said they were being trained for Columbus Zoos African Veldt.
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New exhibit in Phase 2 of Africa? (Was that ever confirmed btw?) or maybe a rotating exhibit with the cheetahs? Anyone have any ideas? Im excited either way, none of Ohio's big five zoos, (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus) have had any in awhile to my knowledge and visits.
 
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SamMetz said:
New exhibit in Phase 2 of Africa? (Was that ever confirmed btw?) or maybe a rotating exhibit with the cheetahs? Anyone have any ideas? Im excited either way, none of Ohio's big five zoos, (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus) have had any in awhile to my knowledge and visits.
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I saw on a Columbus news site that the hyenas will be rotated in the waterhole exhibit. Hope they are out when I go up this summer!
 
SamMetz said:
New exhibit in Phase 2 of Africa? (Was that ever confirmed btw?) or maybe a rotating exhibit with the cheetahs? Anyone have any ideas? Im excited either way, none of Ohio's big five zoos, (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus) have had any in awhile to my knowledge and visits.
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I don't think so unfortunately I was nosing around and found the master plan for the zoo in the next 30 years if the levy was passed and it didn't include a new africa zone :(
they do have a cheetahs exhibit they don't rotate they are there all the time and they have scheduled cheetah runs 2-3 times a week don't quote me on that though as I haven't actually seen the cheetah run yet

It did include southeast Asia, Madagascar, and an addition to the north America exhibit of south american animals however

Does anyone know when the results of the levy will be posted?
 
6536799 said:
I don't think so unfortunately I was nosing around and found the master plan for the zoo in the next 30 years if the levy was passed and it didn't include a new africa zone :(
they do have a cheetahs exhibit they don't rotate they are there all the time and they have scheduled cheetah runs 2-3 times a week don't quote me on that though as I haven't actually seen the cheetah run yet

It did include southeast Asia, Madagascar, and an addition to the north America exhibit of south american animals however

Does anyone know when the results of the levy will be posted?
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The levy didn't pass
 
bgeezle513 said:
The levy didn't pass
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The levy failed, mostly in part to a political campaign run by some anti-spending fanatics (the Supreme Court of Ohio found some of the political adds were deceptive and misleading, but the finding was too late to have any effect). The zoo's temporary levies has always succeeded in the past, often approved by large margins, but this permanent levy (the first on the ballot since a change in law) was handled poorly by the zoo. I can't help but think that the zoo's focus on development of its for-profit entities (notably its water park) and the delay and scaling back of its recent major additions had some effect. Not to mention that there seemed little enthusiasm for the idea of a satellite location.

The zoo has been silent about future plans since the levy's defeat; at the time, it was reported that the downtown satellite zoo idea has died and the zoo itself will seek a new levy (probably smaller) sometime in the future. This future levy may allow for further development - perhaps the promised later phase of the Heart of Africa (possibly the addition of African elephants and hippos), the South American section (mentioned prior to the failed levy - in the past levy, the idea was to incorporate a South American/Madagascan rain forest into the downtown satellite and to change North America into the Americas, incorporating Neotropic species), the addition of sea lions or seals (originally planned as a part of the Polar Frontier, later proposed for just inside the zoo's main entrance), or any of the other suggested changes to the main Zoo floated in the failed levy (movement of the animals from Congo Expedition nearer to the Heart of Africa, with Congo Expedition becoming a Southeast Asian section).

For now, the zoo seems focused on developing further revenue from the additions to Zoombezi Bay and the development of Pirate Island (opening next week - yet another attempt to get some return from the exceedingly poorly planned boat ride, this time with animatronic people, gibbons, orangs, otters, and komodo dragons replacing the dinosaurs and a weak storyline tangentially related to conservation); I'd expect nothing large to be announced in terms of new exhibit development until a new levy appears on the ballot.
 
I am hoping that someone who goes to the Columbus Zoo frequently can help me identify the bonobos in the photos that I uploaded to the gallery.
 
huh well I can't say that I'm surprised by that outcome seeing that the 2014 levy got shot down too

I found a website that details possible Africa expansions i.e.- meercats & overnight camp

Zoo Tails: Evolution of Heart of Africa at the Columbus Zoo

picture of expansions

http://photos.zoochat.com/large/20070420150533_columbus_zoo_map-150336.jpg

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.AEROmuytuLf4D0oxCd0Gyg&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uj1LDfjWA...safari+africa+columbus+zoo+2014+expansion.jpg



picture of savannah concept drawings

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4w3VMVOBY...s1600/east+africa+plain+columbus+zoo+1998.jpg

heard advertising on the radio that they now have hyenas this year


animals that were originally included in 2014 version that were scrapped from design;
warthogs and guinea fowl.
wildebeest,
ostriches,
 
6536799 said:
huh well I can't say that I'm surprised by that outcome seeing that the 2014 levy got shot down too

I found a website that details possible Africa expansions i.e.- meercats & overnight camp

Zoo Tails: Evolution of Heart of Africa at the Columbus Zoo

picture of expansions

http://photos.zoochat.com/large/20070420150533_columbus_zoo_map-150336.jpg

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.AEROmuytuLf4D0oxCd0Gyg&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uj1LDfjWA...safari+africa+columbus+zoo+2014+expansion.jpg



picture of savannah concept drawings

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4w3VMVOBY...s1600/east+africa+plain+columbus+zoo+1998.jpg

heard advertising on the radio that they now have hyenas this year


animals that were originally included in 2014 version that were scrapped from design;
warthogs and guinea fowl.
wildebeest,
ostriches,
Click to expand...

All those plans and renderings are old. They do have warthog, wildebeest and ostrich...
 
6536799 said:
huh well I can't say that I'm surprised by that outcome seeing that the 2014 levy got shot down too

I found a website that details possible Africa expansions i.e.- meercats & overnight camp

Zoo Tails: Evolution of Heart of Africa at the Columbus Zoo

picture of expansions

http://photos.zoochat.com/large/20070420150533_columbus_zoo_map-150336.jpg

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.AEROmuytuLf4D0oxCd0Gyg&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uj1LDfjWA...safari+africa+columbus+zoo+2014+expansion.jpg



picture of savannah concept drawings

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4w3VMVOBY...s1600/east+africa+plain+columbus+zoo+1998.jpg

heard advertising on the radio that they now have hyenas this year


animals that were originally included in 2014 version that were scrapped from design;
warthogs and guinea fowl.
wildebeest,
ostriches,
Click to expand...



That was the 2014 levy that was discussed. As to the map you provided, that was an old map (as it listed the Heart of Africa being completed by 2010 and shows a large area as to be developed which has since become more parking).

Warthogs, guineafowl, wildebeest, and ostriches are all included in the Heart of Africa. Spotted Hyena will join the rotation in the waterhole exhibit, which, depending on the time, can be home to aardvarks, warthogs, lesser flamingos, cheetahs (for the cheetah runs) and their companion dogs, hoofstock from the main savannah exhibit (I've seen the entire zebra herd in this space before), silvery-cheeked hornbill (for a free-flight demonstration), and soon, spotted hyenas (which have not, to my knowledge, been out on public display yet; there is not yet any signage for the species).

What is now the Heart of Africa had several elements that had been announced which were later either scratched or "postponed." These included a hippo exhibit (and some sort of boat ride), the return of African elephants, and the movement of the black rhinos (the rhino exhibit was included in the last announced design of the area, but was scrapped from the design shortly thereafter; I believe this plan also included areas for spotted hyena and/or wild dog, and did not include the small cheetah exhibit that was completed). In the 2014 levy, the zoo said future plans included possible expansion of the Heart of Africa, but no concrete plans were set forth (in contrast to the detailed maps of changes to other areas of the zoo - notably the sea lion exhibit and the Jack Hanna "experience," the movement of the African forest animals nearer to the Heart of Africa, a new Asian section replacing the current Congo Forest (featuring the orangutans, moved from the Islands), and the revised American section, replacing some of the North American animals with South American species).

I would be surprised if there is not a move to add meerkats and an overnight camp, but I hope there is a more substantial addition. I'm just not counting on anything in the very near future.
 
I just found some photos about the zoo getting two mountain lion cubs last fall rescued from a Montana fire. Lions rescued from Bitterroot wildfire begin life at Ohio zoo
Although I had heard about the initial rescue at the time, I did not realize one of the two cubs was very dark - perhaps pseudo melanistic? I am curious to know if it is still this dark or is lightening with age (as I suspect).

Does anyone know if these cubs are on display at the zoo? I also found another article stating they might be moved to The Wilds. Does anyone know if this has happened? If so are they on display there?
 
Arizona Docent said:
I just found some photos about the zoo getting two mountain lion cubs last fall rescued from a Montana fire. Lions rescued from Bitterroot wildfire begin life at Ohio zoo
Although I had heard about the initial rescue at the time, I did not realize one of the two cubs was very dark - perhaps pseudo melanistic? I am curious to know if it is still this dark or is lightening with age (as I suspect).

Does anyone know if these cubs are on display at the zoo? I also found another article stating they might be moved to The Wilds. Does anyone know if this has happened? If so are they on display there?
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Two younger mountain lion cubs were on display at the zoo last week; when I visited, both were sleeping so their color was not easy to see, but neither one stuck out as being dark to me. I'm assuming these two are the brothers referred to in the article. I can't see them being moved to the Wilds, which has very few education animals (while mountain lions could conceivably be kept in their carnivore center, the species they keep there are all endangered and part of breeding programs).

I'll try to get a picture of the lions the next time I get to the zoo (probably relatively soon).
 
Arizona Docent said:
I am curious to know if it is still this dark or is lightening with age (as I suspect).
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The photo of Jack Hanna accompanying the article about his response to scientists(Jane Goodall) criticising Zoos, shows him holding this cub- it is a sort of sooty grey colour. I don't know how old the photo is of course.
 
Pertinax said:
The photo of Jack Hanna accompanying the article about his response to scientists(Jane Goodall) criticising Zoos, shows him holding this cub- it is a sort of sooty grey colour. I don't know how old the photo is of course.
Click to expand...
the caption to the photo (the photo I see) says "Jack Hanna is seen posing with black mountain lion cub at 'Good Morning America' on Sept. 22, 2014 in New York City." - it was taken at the date of the article posted by Arizona Docent earlier.
 
A two-week-old orphaned male western moose calf (Alces americanus andersoni) named "Ojibwe" from Minnesota has been taken in by the zoo and is now on exhibit. This makes three subspecies of moose exhibited at the zoo, with a herd of Alaskan and a single eastern cow already present.

The pony ride in the My Barn area of North America has been moved to the top of bison hill, across from the prairie dogs where the dinosaur dig playground used to be.

In its place the zoo has opened yards for two Dexter cattle calves, two miniature donkeys, and two Tamworth pigs, as well as a coop for chickens. Silver fox rabbits have also been added to the inside of the barn.

In addition to these new additions, two Jacob's sheep lambs have been born recently.
 
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