Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum News

UngulateNerd92 said:
I saw the renovations for that project taking place and that looks like a good use of the building. Was that snack bar not bringing in enough revenue? Also, I'll say, the otters could use a bit more land space.
Click to expand...
I have no idea about the snack bar, which only had ice cream and drinks as I recall. Yes the otters definitely need more land area. As I posted this news I also recall you asked me on my photo of the coati pups why the coati exhibit is empty. Now that I think about it, they may need to keep it empty until this new project is complete. Whether or not the exhibit will be removed for the new riparian area, or used for the otter expansion, or remain as is for future coatis, I cannot say.
 
Small Cat Canyon now houses a ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua). (Their white-nosed coati exhibit is still empty and likely will remain so until after construction of the new Riparian area, which has not started yet). The ring-tailed coati is native to South America and not found in the Sonoran Desert which the Museum interprets. They are using it as a stand-in to represent the white-nosed species.

(I am biting my tongue as hard as I can to refrain from commenting on what I think of this).
 
Arizona Docent said:
Small Cat Canyon now houses a ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua). (Their white-nosed coati exhibit is still empty and likely will remain so until after construction of the new Riparian area, which has not started yet). The ring-tailed coati is native to South America and not found in the Sonoran Desert which the Museum interprets. They are using it as a stand-in to represent the white-nosed species.

(I am biting my tongue as hard as I can to refrain from commenting on what I think of this).
Click to expand...
While we're at it, let's have Andean bears as a stand-in for American black bears. Or markhor as a stand-in for bighorn sheep. Hell, let's go all the way and have tigers as a stand-in for cougars! Good grief.
 
StoppableSan said:
While we're at it, let's have Andean bears as a stand-in for American black bears. Or markhor as a stand-in for bighorn sheep. Hell, let's go all the way and have tigers as a stand-in for cougars! Good grief.
Click to expand...
Agreed. And let's not forget they have Atlantic cownose stingrays and stand-ins for the native species from Gulf of Mexico!
 
Arizona Docent said:
Small Cat Canyon now houses a ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua). (Their white-nosed coati exhibit is still empty and likely will remain so until after construction of the new Riparian area, which has not started yet). The ring-tailed coati is native to South America and not found in the Sonoran Desert which the Museum interprets. They are using it as a stand-in to represent the white-nosed species.

(I am biting my tongue as hard as I can to refrain from commenting on what I think of this).
Click to expand...

I would say Reid Park Zoo is a better place to hold that animal, that is my opinion. Reid Park Zoo has a South American section, therefore a Ring-tailed coati is appropriate for them. Hell, I would actually like to see Reid Park Zoo exhibit Ring-tailed coatimundi and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum exhibit White-nosed coatimundi. Dr. Ivo Poglayen, a former director of Reid Park Zoo, his main area of interest was Procyonidae, so there would be relevant historical value and context to such a dynamic. Dr. Poglayen's wife, Ingeborg was the general curator of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum many years back, while her husband served as the Reid Park Zoo's director.
 
Last edited:
Arizona Docent said:
Agreed. And let's not forget they have Atlantic cownose stingrays and stand-ins for the native species from Gulf of Mexico!
Click to expand...

I find that to be less problematic because unlike White-nosed coatimundi (Nasua narica), Golden cownose rays (Rhinoptera steindachneri), at least right now are legitimately unobtainable. The morphological differences between those two cownose ray species are also more subtle than the differences between the two coatimundi species.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Small Cat Canyon now houses a ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua). (Their white-nosed coati exhibit is still empty and likely will remain so until after construction of the new Riparian area, which has not started yet). The ring-tailed coati is native to South America and not found in the Sonoran Desert which the Museum interprets. They are using it as a stand-in to represent the white-nosed species.

(I am biting my tongue as hard as I can to refrain from commenting on what I think of this).
Click to expand...
my-disappointment.gif
 
I visited the Museum for the first time this week and I must say, I was quite impressed.
Someone might have to check some of these up against what we already know, but here are some updates I noticed:

- The former vulture (I assume it held vultures) exhibit in the Grasslands section is closed off and under construction. The same goes for what I believe used to be a small wetlands exhibit right next to it. I think this held a heron at one point based on the leftover signage.

- Not sure how long it has been like this, but the former Coati exhibit (former?) in the Riparian Corridor (Rivers) section is abandoned, and the Coatis are now supposedly exhibited in the Cat Canyon, however, I did not see them all day. I have nothing to report on the ringtails nor were they signed so I haven't a clue.

- Many former aviaries have been abandoned in the Mountain Woodlands section, these include one by the mountain lions, wolfs, and the viewing shelter for the deer exhibit.

- An exhibit in Life on the Rocks section has signs for both Gila Monsters and Jackrabbits, not really sure what is going on there.

Overall, I am surprised by the current state of the museum. Whatever it once was, it is now frail in comparison. Signage is messed up, exhibits left abandoned, and honestly some key species were no shows (not on the museum though). For anyone who is interested, I plan on featuring the Museum on my YouTube channel in the coming months. That might help give a visual to some of what I have stated here.
 
ZooNerd1234 said:
I visited the Museum for the first time this week and I must say, I was quite impressed.
Someone might have to check some of these up against what we already know, but here are some updates I noticed:

- The former vulture (I assume it held vultures) exhibit in the Grasslands section is closed off and under construction. The same goes for what I believe used to be a small wetlands exhibit right next to it. I think this held a heron at one point based on the leftover signage.

- Not sure how long it has been like this, but the former Coati exhibit (former?) in the Riparian Corridor (Rivers) section is abandoned, and the Coatis are now supposedly exhibited in the Cat Canyon, however, I did not see them all day. I have nothing to report on the ringtails nor were they signed so I haven't a clue.

- Many former aviaries have been abandoned in the Mountain Woodlands section, these include one by the mountain lions, wolfs, and the viewing shelter for the deer exhibit.

- An exhibit in Life on the Rocks section has signs for both Gila Monsters and Jackrabbits, not really sure what is going on there.

Overall, I am surprised by the current state of the museum. Whatever it once was, it is now frail in comparison. Signage is messed up, exhibits left abandoned, and honestly some key species were no shows (not on the museum though). For anyone who is interested, I plan on featuring the Museum on my YouTube channel in the coming months. That might help give a visual to some of what I have stated here.
Click to expand...
Basically all of the enclosure you mentioned have been abandoned for years.
 
ZooNerd1234 said:
I visited the Museum for the first time this week and I must say, I was quite impressed...

Overall, I am surprised by the current state of the museum. Whatever it once was, it is now frail in comparison. ..
Click to expand...
Are your opening and closing statements not contradictory?
Many of us have observed the sad state of decline for over a decade. My membership expired last week and for the first time in the three decades I have lived in Tucson, I don't think I will bother to renew it.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Are your opening and closing statements not contradictory?
Many of us have observed the sad state of decline for over a decade. My membership expired last week and for the first time in the three decades I have lived in Tucson, I don't think I will bother to renew it.
Click to expand...
Arizona Docent,
Though this isn’t necessarily a review thread, I will elaborate. I agree with you on many terms and do recognized how much you have preached good things regarding the establishment many times in the past. Some of the things you have promoted about the Museum made me want to visit in the first place. Yes, it is stale in comparison to what it once was, but I still believe that it should be recognized as there is truly nothing else like it as far as I know of. Therefore, I will be saying good things about it while respecting it’s shortcomings as best as I can.
 
Changes to the museum are underway. With new energy in the animal staff, old projects are being completed and new ideas are being moved forward. Steps have been taken to source animals for empty exhibits, or renovations to house animals in outdated exhibits. Efforts to modernize the facility are underway. The renovation of the vulture exhibit is underway. The new master plan is being laid out, which includes a new reptile area, an expansion to the aquarium, and a jaguar exhibit.
 
Adventuredl said:
Changes to the museum are underway. With new energy in the animal staff, old projects are being completed and new ideas are being moved forward. Steps have been taken to source animals for empty exhibits, or renovations to house animals in outdated exhibits. Efforts to modernize the facility are underway. The renovation of the vulture exhibit is underway. The new master plan is being laid out, which includes a new reptile area, an expansion to the aquarium, and a jaguar exhibit.
Click to expand...
It's been a while since a piece of zoo news has made me this happy! :D I was so disappointed when I visited in 2021, I hope to revisit again one day and see ASDM restored to its former glory!

They'd better not have White-nosed Coati though.
 
Adventuredl said:
Changes to the museum are underway. With new energy in the animal staff, old projects are being completed and new ideas are being moved forward. Steps have been taken to source animals for empty exhibits, or renovations to house animals in outdated exhibits. Efforts to modernize the facility are underway. The renovation of the vulture exhibit is underway. The new master plan is being laid out, which includes a new reptile area, an expansion to the aquarium, and a jaguar exhibit.
Click to expand...

Paging @Arizona Docent!
 
Adventuredl said:
Changes to the museum are underway. With new energy in the animal staff, old projects are being completed and new ideas are being moved forward. Steps have been taken to source animals for empty exhibits, or renovations to house animals in outdated exhibits. Efforts to modernize the facility are underway. The renovation of the vulture exhibit is underway. The new master plan is being laid out, which includes a new reptile area, an expansion to the aquarium, and a jaguar exhibit.
Click to expand...
This is genuinely great news. Happy to hear the museum is directly tackling the issues that have been discussed at nauseam throughout the forum. I sincerely hope Life on the Rocks is revitalized the most, as it is a truly well designed complex that has been in a state of decline for a while. They've been talking about adding a jaguar exhibit for years though so I'll believe it when I see it. ;)
 
Adventuredl said:
Changes to the museum are underway. With new energy in the animal staff, old projects are being completed and new ideas are being moved forward. Steps have been taken to source animals for empty exhibits, or renovations to house animals in outdated exhibits. Efforts to modernize the facility are underway. The renovation of the vulture exhibit is underway. The new master plan is being laid out, which includes a new reptile area, an expansion to the aquarium, and a jaguar exhibit.
Click to expand...
What is your source for this information?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top