ABQ BioPark Zoo ABQ BioPark Zoo (aka Rio Grande Zoo / Albuquerque Zoo)

I was looking at the zoo map online and noticed two things.

1) Penguin Chill appears to be on the site of the former tropical building. Does anyone know if they used the same building exterior or if they demolished it and built an entirely new building?

2) The seal and sea lion pool is shown on the map as a blank blue pool but is unlabeled. Are the seals and sea lions gone?
 
This news video answers my question about the seals and sea lions - yes they are gone. The empty area will be repaired and will be the site of a new (expanded) Australia section. There are some very brief renderings shown in the almost three minute video.
 
The zoo has received two new mountain lions. One is an orphaned cub that was found (near its deceased mother) in Nebraska. (Note - I didn't know Nebraska still had wild mountain lions). The other was rescued as a cub by Oregon Zoo and lived for nearly a decade at Northeast Wisconsin Zoo before being transferred to Albuquerque.
Two New Mountain Lions at the Zoo — City of Albuquerque
 
Seven Mexican wolf pups have been born:

Endangered Mexican Wolf Couple Welcomes Litter of 7 Pups at Albuquerque BioPark

Introducing proud parents Kawi and Ryder!

The pair of Mexican gray wolves - an endangered species -welcomed a litter of seven pups back in May.

Officials have yet to schedule the pups’ first exam, where their sexes will be determined for the first time.

The new litter joins mom Kawi, dad Ryder, and older brother Archer, who was born last May along with two other baby wolves that did not survive.
 
Here are some updates from the Bioparks Website:

The ABQ BioPark has made a number of upgrades over the last two months.
June 2, 2020 - Although the ABQ BioPark has been closed to the public since mid-March, Zoo project staff have been busy at work making improvements to the facilities.

New Exhibits at the Zoo
The most noticeable upgrades are the brand new Birds of the Islands exhibit and the re-imagined Raptor Roost exhibit. Both are located along the Tropical Trail.

Birds of the Islands features a number of avian species that live on the world's islands, including the Socorro dove and Guam kingfisher, two endangered species that the ABQ BioPark breeds to boost worldwide populations. The exhibit also features educational material about the unique challenges facing island birds.

Raptor Roost, an old favorite full of raptors like eagles, owls and vultures, received a facelift including new signs and revamped habitats.

Pool Renovations for Zoo Animals
The African painted dogs, storks, cranes, warthogs and cheetahs all got pool upgrades in their exhibits. Staff renovated pools in existing exhibits and added some new ones in others to provide fresh water for the animals to bathe, drink and cool off. The pools will benefit the overall well being of our animals, promoting natural behaviors and relief in the summer.

Rhino Yard Updates
The rhinoceroses also got some updates to their home thanks to a generous donor to the New Mexico BioPark Society. Additional shade structures were added, their old concrete trough was removed and replaced with a new hay trough, and a new street sweeper brush was installed. The added trough provides a new place for our rhinos to eat and enjoy their food, and is located in the shade. The street sweeper is a form of enrichment for the rhinos, who can use it to get a good back scratch in.

New Walkways at the Zoo
Zoo-goers will also benefit from a new walkway in pheasantry (Mini loop on Tropical Trail before raptor roost) and new sidewalks near polar bears, flamingos and the Ape Walk. These walkways and sidewalks will make our exhibits more accessible to the public, and comply with ADA standards.

Beautification Projects
We also installed new sod, more trees and drains in Central Parq to beautify this popular green space.

New Zoo Babies
The Zoo welcomed two hyena babies in May. This is the second pair of hyena cubs for parents Smilla and Dubu.
 
Turtle Power!

The ABQ BioPark welcomes two sets of turtle hatchlings.
July 1, 2020 - Some new Aussie faces are calling the Zoo’s Reptile Building home.

Zoo staff welcomed two sets of turtle hatchlings over the last few months: 21 Krefft’s River turtles and three snake-necked turtles. Both species reign from Australia.
 
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