It really just reads like a vague "things are underway, dear visitor" ... especially when there are airy phrases being used such as "with new energy in the animal staff".
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum News
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
If this is the case, did you clarify whether you are at liberty to divulge the information? Unfortunately others have posted behind-the-scenes information which they were not meant to multiple times in the past.
Adventuredl
Well-Known Member
There was a staff meeting a few months ago where they developed a master plan. They were very open when talking about that. What I posted was as in detail as I am allowed.
Piece of 2023 News Not Mentioned:
On March 17th, the museum announced its names, Estrella, Luna, and Sol.
The winning names for our... - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
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On September 14th, the museum announced that their (0.1) bobcat passed away at age 22 due to an age-related illness.
With great sadness, we said... - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
On March 17th, the museum announced its names, Estrella, Luna, and Sol.
The winning names for our... - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
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On September 14th, the museum announced that their (0.1) bobcat passed away at age 22 due to an age-related illness.
With great sadness, we said... - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
On September 22nd, the zoo announced its name, Zucchini.
Coati Name Reveal Shout out to Coati Kid Izabela who won our coati naming contest. Thank you to everyone who voted. Our coatimundi is settling into... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
On November 6th, the zoo announced that they acquired a (0.1) bobcat from the Arizona Game & Fish Department which is now on exhibit in the Cat Canyon area.
Oh hey there…who is this kitty cutie!? Exciting news! We have a new bobcat resident in Cat Canyon! She is still settling in, but we are thrilled to... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
On November 15th, the zoo announced they reopened the Vulture Culture area to the public after exhibit renovations.
The Birds of Vulture Culture at the Desert Museum | The birds are back in town! Our Vulture Culture exhibit has REOPENED, after a period of habitat improvements. You can once again visit these beautiful... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
On January 13th, 2024, the zoo announced that they reopened the Life on the Rocks exhibit due to renovations and unspecified improvements.
Have you met Churro the roadrunner and Cantaloupe the antelope jackrabbit? They’re back at Life on the Rocks after some time living behind the scenes... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
Have you met Churro the roadrunner and Cantaloupe the antelope jackrabbit? They’re back at Life on the Rocks after some time living behind the scenes... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
Torgos
Well-Known Member
I suspect that white-nosed coatis were simply not available and hence the decision to sub with a ring-tailed. The population in AZA has tanked over last 8 years and at the time you wrote your comment there were only four breedable pairs in the SSP population and they weren't producing. I've been trying to find these coatis for five years with no success and the SSP coordinator is kind enough to think my institution would be a great place for them. We need to balance purism with a level of reality. Should you leave an exhibit empty or use something ese to fill in?
White-nosed Coatis are literally some of the most easily obtained of all exotic animals. Frankly, there is not a believable scenario in which that species is not obtainable. If they can't get them from the SSP then they can be easily obtained as rescues or through the exotic pet trade.
Also this "purism" you speak of is what ASDM was built on. They are betraying their very nature by exhibiting species from outside the Sonoran Desert.
Most AZA zoos acquisition policies prevent just purchasing them from “pet” dealers.
Maybe on paper, but zoos still do this all the time.
It varies from zoo to zoo, in my experience. You can't simply say that because some zoos do it, any zoo could.
I received a fundraising letter asking for donations to build a new Mexican wolf exhibit. According to the letter, it will be "nearly eight times the size" of the current exhibit with an estimated cost of five million dollars. No timeline for construction is given.
My question is where are they going to put such an exhibit? I hope no surrounding exhibits have to be demolished to make room for expansion.
If I had to guess based on the reported size of the future exhibit, I can see the wolves going on the Desert Loop Trail. That area has plenty of space, and it would look great with the immersive desert landscape alongside the coyotes and javelinas. On a side note, I’ve always thought a pronghorn exhibit would go great in this area too.
That makes perfect sense. I always thought Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) would make an excellent addition to the collection at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I think they did keep them historically actually...
The Sonoran subspecies would be a perfect fit ,but an additional
placeholder for the Baja subspecies would work as well
placeholder for the Baja subspecies would work as well
As far as I know, there is a home-range captive breeding center working with Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis). This facility is located
within the parameters of Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. If the United States Fish & Wildlife Service were to allow other facilities to participate in this breeding program, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum would be an excellent facility to participate in such a consortium.
No indication (that I know of) as to where new Mexican wolf exhibit will go.
Piece of May 2024 News Worth Mentioning:
On May 1st, it was reported that 2 wild foxes (species not specified) attacked an employee (though the worker did not sustain any injuries) and were later tracked down and killed. It was later found out that both had positive results for rabies.
Two possibly rabid foxes put down following attack at Desert Museum
Foxes in attack at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum positive for rabies
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On September 25th, the zoo announced that 2+ chuckwallas (species not specified) hatched.
257K views · 2.3K reactions | We’ve got a lot of baby chuckwallas and you need to look at them right now!! In fact, our HIIZ (Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Invertebrate Zoology)... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
On September 26th, the zoo announced they, alongside the Los Angeles Zoo in California and the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, started a new breeding program for the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake subspecies. The zoo also announced that 6 of the snakes hatched in August from an already-pregnant female.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
On May 1st, it was reported that 2 wild foxes (species not specified) attacked an employee (though the worker did not sustain any injuries) and were later tracked down and killed. It was later found out that both had positive results for rabies.
Two possibly rabid foxes put down following attack at Desert Museum
Foxes in attack at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum positive for rabies
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On September 25th, the zoo announced that 2+ chuckwallas (species not specified) hatched.
257K views · 2.3K reactions | We’ve got a lot of baby chuckwallas and you need to look at them right now!! In fact, our HIIZ (Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Invertebrate Zoology)... | By Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Facebook
On September 26th, the zoo announced they, alongside the Los Angeles Zoo in California and the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, started a new breeding program for the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake subspecies. The zoo also announced that 6 of the snakes hatched in August from an already-pregnant female.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Craig Ivanyi, who worked at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for 40 years, including over a decade as Executive Director, has now officially retired and his replacement is Hollie Colahan, who has been in the zoo industry for over 25 years.
Here's the zoo's October 16th press release about this week's changing of the guard:
https://www.desertmuseum.org/about/press_releases/New_Executive_Director_Announcement.pdf
Here's the zoo's October 16th press release about this week's changing of the guard:
https://www.desertmuseum.org/about/press_releases/New_Executive_Director_Announcement.pdf