Assiniboine Park Zoo Assiniboine Park Zoo News 2023

BovidBabe

BovidBabe

Well-Known Member
Figure I would name the thread differently this year to encompass both news and chats, it just made a little more sense.

Today was a chilly one, sitting at a breezy -16. Today I got to try out a new camera gifted to me for Christmas, and made good use out of my macro lens. The only thing of note is *I believe* the addition of Taveta Golden Weavers to the kinsmen discovery centre. I swear I saw a post saying they were new, but I cannot find it now! Regardless, I will be uploading a couple of new photos onto the gallery later in the afternoon. Still haven't seen the woylie or the porcupine in the discovery center.

I also spent my afternoon at the Leaf. The tropical house is the best section, with the huge water fall, the tropical pond, and many species of plants I don't think I have seen anywhere else. The Mediterranean section was nice, although it felt small compared to the tropical section, especially as the Babs Asper display house was in the same room of the building. The butterfly garden is small - I think I could appreciate it better if it wasn't packed with people, but alas it is still the winter break so there was a lot of families. The most pressing gripe I have is the elevator situation - There are no stairs to the 3rd floor where the butterfly garden is, just a single elevator. It created quite the line up that impeded traffic in front of the doors between the tropic and Mediterranean sections. Overall however, I think the admission is worth it. I will have to go when it's not as busy. If you happen to be stopping by to the zoo, I'd recommend hitting the Leaf too.
 
A gorgeous morning to visit the zoo! Nothing too exciting to note, but there was some incorrect signage in the grasslands/boreal. I swear almost every time I go somethings in the wrong place. Curiously there was a reindeer in one of the enclosures, which means they are currently being displayed in three separate sections of the zoo. (grasslands/boreal, churchill, and asia)

In the discovery center the porcupine has moved to where the Prevost's squirrels were, where I thought he was going to go originally. Not sure if the squirrels are off display or have moved. Also STILL haven't even so much as caught a glimpse of the woylie. One day I will!!! I hope...

Looking forward to the spring. Hoping to see some new faces.
 
@BovidBabe, it will probably take you awhile to see the woylies (or as we in Toronto know them bettongs). They are good at hiding. Not sure if you know but your female is one Toronto bred. Her name is Jemima and she is 8 years old. Hopefully she will give you some joeys.
 
Got a trip in to the zoo finally! First things first - a new exhibit is opening May 20th. Wildlife Rescue will replace the dinosaur fossils in the indoor gallery. The dinosaur path is also reopening that day as well.

A few things I noted - The bats in the kinsmen discovery center are no longer there. It looks like they were redoing the habitat. I also finally got to see the woylie!!!!! She was right next to the glass and I think I scared my partner cause I was so excited :D

There were a couple of new additions - a baby reindeer in the asia exhibit, three Clydesdales (Poncho, bud, and Weiser), and a iguana thrown in with the dwarf caiman and amazon river turtle in toucan ridge. Will report more on the new exhibit as soon as I am able to visit again.
 
On June 28th, the zoo announced that (1.2) markhors were born on May 26th (1 male and 1 female) and June 16th (1 female) respectively which are now on exhibit.

Assiniboine Park & Zoo

On June 30th, the zoo announced that they bred and released several Poweshiek skipperling butterflies into the wild over the past couple of weeks.

Saving Critically Endangered Butterflies from Extinction | Over the past couple weeks, our Conservation and Research team has been releasing critically endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterflies into the wild!... | By Assiniboine Park & Zoo | Facebook
 
As stated in the Calgary thread, polar bears Baffin and Siku are headed off to Calgary come fall! I'm sad to see them go, I will have to come visit them sometime in Calgary. Sad our group is shrinking, but that still leaves Willow, Nanuq, Kaska, and Storm in the main exhibits. As well as Agee and Star in the separate habitats behind the conservation station, but those are still not open to the public.

Haven't been to the zoo in a while, perhaps a visit is in order...
 
The zoo has lost another resident, Slate the grey wolf. The pack is down to Gambit, Bear, and Jack, who are all up there in age as well. This puts in to question what may come next when they do pass, but I am sure they have thought up a plan. It is too nice of an exhibit to leave empty.

I did get a visit in the other week. The Wildlife Rescue exhibit was okay. I didn't realize it was Little Ray's - one of their traveling exhibits. The most interesting part was how they used the old stingray tank - they put a large tortoise named Bob in it. Nothing else too interesting to report, other than the emus still aren't out, so I am not sure if they are gone, of if the bird flu risk is still too high.

The zoo also announced a collaboration with Wildlife Haven, a rehab center in Île-des-Chênes. They were featured in Arctic Vets along side the zoo. With this, there will be a new drop off point for sick or injured wildlife in the park.
 
I uploaded 5 zoo maps from Assiniboine Park into the gallery and this one from 1989 is a gem. Some of the species held back then are very rare in North American zoos these days. Here's a selection: Giant Panda, Chinese Dhole, Bush Dog, Brown Hyena (!!), Stone's Sheep, Alpine Ibex, Pronghorn, Vicuna, Guanaco, Wisent, Markhor, Yak, Hartmann's Zebra, Musk Ox, Wolverine and Coypu.

full
 
The zoo announced that White-handed Gibbon Maya has given birth!

Wonder how that will affect the dynamics with Hoot from TZ coming our way.as well. Look forward to seeing the little one!
 
Got a nice afternoon visit before I visited their annual Zoo Lights today!

In the exhibit attached to the burrowing owl building now has a red tailed hawk. The three metal habitat cages in the beginning of the Grasslands and Boreal section are now gone. The space is currently hosting some lights for the seasonal event. This is where Simon's habitat was, as well as one of the snowy owls, with the third never seeming to see use. Fingers crossed that sees an upgrade either a bigger or better designed habitat.

New in the Kinsmen Discovery Center are naked mole rats. They are right before the room with the free flight birds, where bats were held, unsure of the species. It seems rather... sloppy. It's just brown paint on a glass window that doesn't look great even in the darkened room. Image will be dropped in the gallery in due time. The skink exhibit that was near the meerkats is gone. Said skink has moved Toucan Ridge, where three new reptile and amphibian exhibits have been built into the wall. Was unable to get a picture, but will next zoo visit.

Curiously, I noticed a new face in with the donkeys and remaining miniature horse, a young stone's sheep. No sightings of the other two individuals on this visit. Curiously no sighting of the serrow either. Hoping he is just off exhibit for the season.

No luck on seeing the newest addition to the gibbon family, named Maavi by public poll, as the exhibit was being cleaned.
 
Over time(4 months) I watched their website and two species have dissapeared while on I'm not aware ever was on the website.
The three species that disappeared are cotton top tamarin,violet starling and the inca tern. What happend to them?
Also does the zoo still house these three species(if so they don't appear on the website): saddle billed stork any vulture, and the yellow throated marten.
 
The zoo does not have saddle billed stork, no vultures, and no yellow throated marten.

For the inca tern - it was housed in toucan ridge free flight. I only ever saw one individual, so my best guess is it probably passed. The violet starling was held in the free flight room of the discovery center. Not sure what happened, but the golden weavers came shortly after it's disappearance.

As for the cotton top tamarins... I am not sure at all! I don't even remember them being on display at all this year. Toucan ridge has seen many changes to both habitats and residents since I have been here. The zoo has a lot of senior animals too.
 
I have seen a post from 4-6 years ago about the zoo holding one female yellow throated marten. It was located somewhere near toucan ridge.(evidence in the gallery for the zoo and online. serch up "yellow throated marten assiniboine park zoo") Sad that the zoo no longer houses those species. when you say "toucan ridge has seen many changes to both habitats and residents" other than sad goodbyes, anything else.
Thank you for replying to my question(and quickly).:D

To be noted: corn snake just appeared on the website.
 
I would say a bit of both! Off the top of my head, this year they've gotten Heads and Tails the boa constrictors, Cuchara, Cuchollo, and Tenedro the Roseate spoonbill, and Radar the yellow anaconda, just in toucan ridge. I think red pandas have been switched around too. They also switched a large exhibit to three smaller reptile/amphibian tanks.

The corn snake is most likely Cornelius, who lives/lived in the discovery center.

It's a shame we've lost some pretty cool species in the past years, but so many cool species just do not match the climate here. Assiniboine Zoo just doesn't have the space for them either, nor really a reason. The park is still recovering from building the Leaf, so I don't think we will see any big new things for a while. No large warm barns for savanna species... sigh...
 
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