Akron Zoo Akron Zoo News 2014

The zoo has told me that there is no news on the currently old aviary or the currently empty red-tailed boa exhibit. They also told me something interesting about the old Keeper’s Kitchen. The zoo has told me that it is being transformed into something new and to “Stay Tuned”. It could be connected to Hattie’s Garden at the Akron Zoo. I could not see the zoo saying “Stay Tuned” if it was not something noteworthy or press release worthy. I would not mind seeing an animal exhibit at this spot again. This area originally was a guinea fowl exhibit, then a temporary food stand, and then the Keeper’s Kitchen. I will post when I hear more.
 
The former Keeper Kitchen will be an interactive area call Ewww @ the Zoo. No details available yet.

Besides Ewww @ the Zoo, there are no other changes on the zoo’s Summer 2014 map.

At Hattie’s Garden at the Akron Zoo, members get 20% off and non-members get 10% with zoo ticket or map on produce at the farm store.
 
Ewww @ the Zoo will be an interactive area that will make you use our senses.
 
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BREAKING NEWS: Balawat has moved to Cleveland! Keesha is now being forced to stay on exhibit by the doors being closed. There is also now a female snowy owl living in one side of the snowy owl exhibit.
 
blospz said:
I am guessing Balawat's move was due to a SSP recommendation?
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I would assume so. I can access the studbooks and breeding/transfer recommendations documents on the AZA website because I am a friend of AZA. The latest documents they have on the sloth bear page were the 2010 for breeding/transfer recommendations and 2013 for the studbook. I am wondering what will happen to Sakar at Cleveland. Will he be Keehsa’s new companion/nemesis or will he be placed elsewhere? I assume Balawat is being paired with Asia. Keesha was in a better mood today with him gone. She was mad she was locked outside because the doors have been open because of Balawat’s issues, but she is going to have to get used to being outside again. I have asked the zoo about whether or not Keesha will get a new companion. It has been a bit of a surprise because the zoo in the past has mentioned when certain zoo celebrities left. They may be waiting until a new male will arrive. I am waiting for an answer from the zoo. If anyone else finds out anything, please post.
 
TigerValley98 said:
BREAKING NEWS: Balawat has moved to Cleveland! Keesha is now being forced to stay on exhibit by the doors being closed. There is also now a female snowy owl living in one side of the snowy owl exhibit.
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We are talking which species (for those willing to read and with no local inside knowledge)? :confused:
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
We are talking which species (for those willing to read and with no local inside knowledge)? :confused:
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I am sorry. I am so used to talking about individuals by name. Sloth bears. I did find out the zoo is trying to find a new companion for Keesha, but it might be a while. They may be looking at personality compatibility. I also found out the female snowy owl has not yet been named.
 
GRIZZLY RIDGE RECEIVES LEED SILVER CERTIFICATION

The Akron Zoo is pleased to announce that their new exhibit, Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge, has received the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED certification is achieved from a point rating system. Grizzly Ridge received a total of 50 points to achieve silver status.

Key factors that contributed to the silver designation included water efficient landscaping, construction waste management, on-site renewable energy and more.

“In addition to building an engaging, first-class exhibit for animals and people, we also wanted to be a leader in sustainability when we set goals for Grizzly Ridge,” stated L. Patricia Simmons, Akron Zoo president and CEO. “We feel it is imperative for us to not only talk about sustainability but show it every way possible when it comes to our operation.”

Some of the more prominent Green elements that are incorporated into Grizzly Ridge include rain barrels, a green roof, pervious concrete, LED lighting, a water reclamation pond and bio-retention filters.

“We were committed to finding ways to reduce water, energy and resources, thus saving money on an annual basis for the zoo,” added Doug Piekarz, the zoo’s vice president of planning and conservation programs.

Grizzly Ridge opened July 20, 2013 and is the largest capital improvement in the zoo’s 61-year history. The exhibit includes bald eagles, a walk-in aviary, grizzly bears, river otters, red wolves and coyotes. The LEED Silver certification comes on the heels of the exhibit being awarded the Cleveland Engineering Society Design and Construction Award of Excellence.

The exhibit was designed by Hasenstab Architects, constructed by Hammond Construction, THORSON BAKER & Associates, Inc., and Thomas & Marker Construction served as the owners representative.

The exhibit bears the names Mike and Mary Stark, after two of the zoo’s most ardent supporters and friends. Mike has been a zoo board member since 1994 and is the past Chairman of the Board.

https://www.akronzoo.org/News.aspx?P=1
 
The zoo’s former groundhog exhibit is being taken over by the zoo's horticulture department. It will no longer an animal exhibit.

Keesha the sloth bear has been in a wonderful mood since Balawat moved to Cleveland.
 
rainyday said:
What do you mean by that?
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She has been more like her old self. She seems more social with guests. She has been awake more. She seems like she is in a better overall mood. She has been unable to hide in the back because the doors are closed now because Balawat is gone. They left them open because of him. She stayed inside a lot when they were open. Balawat and Keesha’s personalities did not seem to match. Keesha seemed to think of Balawat as an annoying younger brother. After five years, I have gotten to know these two a lot. The diva I have missed is back.
 
It may also just be the time of year since bears become more active in the spring after a period of less activity in the winter. Balawat leaving may have nothing to do with Keesha's behavior.
 
TigerValley98 said:
The zoo’s former groundhog exhibit is being taken over by the zoo's horticulture department. It will no longer an animal exhibit.

Keesha the sloth bear has been in a wonderful mood since Balawat moved to Cleveland.
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Totally agree that Keesha and Bala never really got along! Hopefully the move works out well for Bala in Cleveland as Sloth Bears is a SSP that the zoo has working very hard on recently.

Team Tapir223
 
Cave-dwelling rat snakes will move into the currently empty red-tailed boa exhibit in the nocturnal building in Legends of the Wild in the next couple months.
 
Keeper Kitchen Replacement Description:

Ewww! @ the Zoo - Ewww! @ the Zoo is a new interactive, educational exhibit opening in June 2014 for hands on fun with things that are considered gross. It's a fun way to learn about scat, snot, parasites and other gross things in nature. This new educational space is located near the African Lion Exhibit.
 
The Tiger Valley gorge exhibit is now covered in grass replacing the rocks that were their previously. I am trying to find out the purpose for this in case there is a change coming. The male and female snowy owls are now living together. The red panda holding building has been rehabbed on the outside. Fire gobies have been added to the coral exhibit in Journey to the Reef. Komodo Kingdom Café now does not serve lunch until 11:00 AM. They are open for snacks when the zoo opens at 10:00 AM. The granary will not sell crackers from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM during the summer.
 
TigerValley98 said:
The Tiger Valley gorge exhibit is now covered in grass replacing the rocks that were their previously. I am trying to find out the purpose for this in case there is a change coming.
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The zoo has told me that the ducks will return the the gorge exhibit eventually. I expect they want let the grass get a chance to grow.
 
RARE & ENDANGERED SNOW LEOPARDS CUBS BORN

For just the second time in its history snow leopard cubs have been born at the Akron Zoo. One male and one female cub were born on April 14, 2014. The cubs are currently off exhibit and indoors in a cubbing area with their mother, Shanti. Snow leopards are an endangered species and are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). A naming contest will be announced in a few weeks.

The cubs will remain indoors until they go onto exhibit, most likely at the end of June or early July. The cubs currently weigh about 6 lbs.; at birth they weighed around 1 ½ lbs. each. At six weeks old now the cubs’ eyes are open and they are able to walk and are starting to climb.

Since her last pregnancy, Shanti had been trained by staff, through protected contact, to allow them to perform ultrasounds. Staff had kept the training up in hopes Shanti would get pregnant again. Once staff suspected she was pregnant they performed an ultrasound at 44 days after breeding and continued to do so weekly to monitor the cubs’ development. For the first time in its history the zoo was also able to train Shanti to sit during x-rays so the cubs’ development could be even more closely monitored. This type of training is beneficial to the Shanti, avoiding the need to anesthetize her for these procedures. The Akron Zoo is one of the few zoos in the country to use these newer techniques with snow leopards.

This is Shanti and father, Roscoe’s, second successful litter at the Akron Zoo. Two male cubs, Raj and Sabu, were born at the zoo in 2012 and currently reside at the Binder Park Zoo in Michigan and The Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island, respectively.

Roscoe will be on exhibit every day until Shanti and the cubs start to go out onto exhibit. As in the wild, the father does not participate in the rearing process. He will never have direct contact with the cubs. Roscoe is 11 years old and came to the Akron Zoo in 2004 from the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. Shanti is five years old and came to the Akron Zoo from the Binder Park Zoo in 2009.

Snow leopards are an endangered species primarily due to loss of habitat, illegal poaching for their pelts and body parts and killings by local herders when a snow leopard has preyed on their livestock. There are less than 150 snow leopards in the SSP in the U.S. and there are believed to be as few as 4,000 left in the wild.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVTwkddw3Yk

Press Release: https://www.akronzoo.org/News.aspx?P=1
 
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