Future Wolverine Exhibit

Taken 18 May 2014

This is the former enclosure for the zoo\'s elderly grey seal that passed away two(?) years ago now. It\'s now being rehabbed for wolverines. They\'ve added some trees since Chimpangeek\'s last photo, but there\'s a lot of work to go still.

The building in the background is the former pachyderm building, and this is around the corner from the zoo\'s Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros and Lion Fountain.

Are the Indian rhinos where the Asian elephants used to be?

DavidBrown said:

Are the Indian rhinos where the Asian elephants used to be?

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Yes, but they only have one.

So the zoo only has one Indian rhino and one hippo? Do they still have black rhinos?

DavidBrown said:

So the zoo only has one Indian rhino and one hippo? Do they still have black rhinos?

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Yes and yes. They currently have two black rhinos -- the forty something Elly and her grandson Boone. Boone came from San Diego last year.


Personally, I think the hippo pool is too small for a second hippo, but there's plenty of room for a second rhino.

Personally, I think they should concentrate on the African pachyderms only (hippos and black rhinos).

The Indian rhino male (born 1995) actually can be traced back to wild founders on both sire / dam side. It is sad to see him unused / ignored within the current GOHR SSP.
(We - in Europe - would do a killer for him ..).


It will take a huge overhaul to make this exhibit even remotely interesting for - admittedly cool - wolverines.

I would like them to plant a couple of mature trees before any wolverines are put here.

Kifaru Bwana said:

Personally, I think they should concentrate on the African pachyderms only (hippos and black rhinos).

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I'm not against that idea. Though, I would like to see the Oakland Zoo focus on African species given the better weather and ample space. Given SF's coastal location I can't help but think that a collection focused on, say, the Himalayan foothills and other similar environs would thrive.

Kifaru Bwana said:

The Indian rhino male (born 1995) actually can be traced back to wild founders on both sire / dam side. It is sad to see him unused / ignored within the current GOHR SSP.

Click to expand...

This I did not know! Thanks for sharing.

Kifaru Bwana said:

It will take a huge overhaul to make this exhibit even remotely interesting for - admittedly cool - wolverines.

Click to expand...

blackduiker said:

I would like them to plant a couple of mature trees before any wolverines are put here.

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I'll keep an eye on its development, but if past performance is indicator, then it's going to look like another stock yard.

According to the Zoo's calendar of events, the wolverine will be on exhibit starting July 19.

If exhibits were supposed to depict the natural habitat of the species kept within, a naive zoo visitor might assume that wolverines are inhabitants of postapocalyptic wastelands. How fortunate that exhibits can also be considered examples of modern art (as recently illustrated by a certain orang utan exhibit complex), thereby explaining the abstract look of this. I hope that the wolverines will appreciate its artistic value...