Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum News

Does the plan not include holding space for the wolves? Or did they just not label/draw it?
 
reduakari said:
Where in the Sonoran Desert would one find--or ever have found--an American crocodile??????

One can only hope this generic, cookie-cutter midwestern zoo design never sees the light of day in the generally brilliant ASDM.
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The theme idea I saw in one of the earlier proposals was that it was supposed to recreate the journey of a river from Arizona down to the Sea of Cortez somewhere where there are crocodiles.

This press release for the current aquarium enunciates the theme and specifically mentions crocodiles: http://www.desertmuseum.org/about/press_releases/AquariumJune2012REV.pdf

Here's a planning document that outlines "The American Crocodile Experience" that they want to build (as of 2013 at least): https://www.webcms.pima.gov/UserFil...eum-Exhibits-Facility-Expansion-criteria1.pdf
 
The latest newsletter has a really nice feature article from executive director Craig Ivanyi about their upcoming exhibits. It includes a lot of details as well as some philosophy behind current exhibit trends. Unfortunately the article is not available online, which is too bad because it is exactly the kind of article ZooChatters would dig into. There are three upcoming exhibit areas featured in the article. I will present each one as a separate post below, in the order they are presented in the article. This is the same order in which they will be completed and opened to the public.
 
"Return of the Birds: Winged Wonders of the Southwest." That is the title of the first section of the article. The museum will build several new aviaries over the course of time. The first will be in the Desert Grasslands and is slated to open in December 2015. It will be for turkey vultures and black vultures initially and eventually for caracaras as well. In the same area, the current burrowing owl exhibit will be improved and expanded. "Both exhibits will feature state-of-the-art aviary mesh, with non-traditional support structures and entirely new, fun, and engaging graphics and interpretation." It will be interesting to see what they mean by non-traditional support structures.
 
"Hidden in the Midden: Alice in Wonderland Meets the Packrat." That is the title of the second feature in the article. This will be a packrat exhibit with no live animals. It will be an oversized midden that people can walk into to learn about packrats and their predators, including a 75 foot long diamondback that visitors can climb through. The museum expects the one million dollar funding goal to be reached in 2016 and the exhibit to open some time in 2017.
 
"Coast to Canyons: Journey of the Jaguar." This is the title of the third feature and is by far the largest and most ambitious of the projects (and most exciting to me). "Without question, this will be the most complex exhibit initiative the Desert Museum has ever undertaken." The entry building is indoor with view of American crocodile and other marine creatures. Outdoors will be another view of the crocodile. "As recently as 150 years ago, American crocodiles occurred along the western edge of Sonora and they are still found along the coast of Sinaloa (just south of our region)."

Next will be a new habitat for Mexican wolves, providing more space than their current exhibit in the Mountain Woodlands. (No mention of what will happen to their current exhibit). Next will be exhibits for magpie jays, Tarahumara frogs, giant leaf frogs, beaded lizard.

Finally will be the jaguar exhibit. "You will be able to see this magnificent cat in its enclosure from multiple vantage points, including shaded areas designed for group presentations and viewable training experiences." No time frame is given for the opening, but a note is made that part of the funding will come from a county bond to be voted on this November. This is assuming of course the bond passes (the same bond has funding for Reid Park Zoo's African expansion).
 
Thanks for the terrific updates and ASDM is long overdue for a series of new exhibits. Life on the Rocks opened some time ago and the recent aquatic renovation was a fairly minor addition. The new aviaries will be most welcome for the first phase; I had to Google what a "midden" was for the second phase:); and of course the Jaguar exhibit has been gestating for what seems like a couple of decades. I appreciate you typing out the news in regards to the forthcoming projects.
 
Minor updates from my visit of March 17, 2016:

Stingray exhibit is starting construction, anticipated opening this summer. It is (oddly located IMO) next to the desert tortoise and large aviary.

Art Gallery has a very nice international traveling exhibition from the Society of Animal Artists.

(This one is HUGE for me). A volunteer told me they are actively seeking to return jaguarundi to Small Cat Canyon. No time line given. (The Museum has never officially announced this that I know of, so I would not consider it a sure thing until they do).
 
Is the stingray exhibit you mention a touch tank? The kind that is popping up all over?

Also, could this be the beginning of the phasing-in of jaguarundis?
 
jayjds2 said:
Is the stingray exhibit you mention a touch tank? The kind that is popping up all over?

Also, could this be the beginning of the phasing-in of jaguarundis?
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I do not recall seeing any specific information, but yes I assume the stingray exhibit will be one of those where you pay money to touch them. It is a trend in zoos, but the Desert Museum has always been innovative and not followed these trends. Personally I am disappointed they are going with what I consider a cheap gimmick, especially since it really does not fit their theme.

I have heard that for a few years now there was the possibility of AZA doing a phase in of jaguarundis (after they phased them out), so I hope his is the beginning.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Minor updates from my visit of March 17, 2016:

Stingray exhibit is starting construction, anticipated opening this summer. It is (oddly located IMO) next to the desert tortoise and large aviary.

Art Gallery has a very nice international traveling exhibition from the Society of Animal Artists.

(This one is HUGE for me). A volunteer told me they are actively seeking to return jaguarundi to Small Cat Canyon. No time line given. (The Museum has never officially announced this that I know of, so I would not consider it a sure thing until they do).
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That position seems odd now but will end up being near the American Crocodile exhibit if they are ever able to build Coast to Canyon. GLMV Coast to Canyon
 
Another desert bighorn sheep was born on April 24, 2016.

(Note - I will be going out tomorrow when the sheep will be 4 days old, so watch for pics in the gallery).
 
Beginning this month, the member newsletter is being offered in a digital format instead of a print format. The new one (Oct-Nov 2016) features a main article from the director listing all the recent and upcoming developments. This includes a reconfiguration of the anticipated Coasts to Canyons project, splitting it into two separate projects.

For this reason, many ZooChatters will want to read it: ASDM Oct Nov Dec 2016
 
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