Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Beardsley Zoo News

Beardsley Zoo was voted as the Best Local Attraction in the Fairfield County Weekly Readers Poll.
Today is Desmond the Andean Condor and Dakota the American Bison's birthdays. They turn 2 and 18, respectively.
Camel rides are now available! The camels are located in front of the greenhouse and will give daily rides. I don't know much information about the camels as the only thing I can find about them is this. I will try to see them sometime soon.
Camel Rides NEW this Summer! | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
 

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From my email:

"Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is known for offering special family programming during the summer months. In years past, the zoo has featured a free flight bird show, Rainforest Reptiles, and last year's Galapagos tortoises were a huge hit with the public. Starting this weekend, two camels will call Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo home through Labor Day.

"Kids of all ages are welcome to climb aboard these camels for an experience they won't soon forget," explained Gregg Dancho, zoo director. "While we don't encourage kissing the camels, we're sure that photos of these guys will be popping up on social media sites (#ctbzoo) all summer long!"

The camels, named Toby and Goliath, may be found on the greenhouse lawn and rides will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $5 per person, which includes photos. Visitors will be able to purchase ride tickets at the front gate, gift shop, carousel, and at the camel ride. While there are no age restrictions for riders, anyone five years old and younger requires an adult rider with them. The zoo also is offering a combo ticket for both a carousel and camel ride for $6.00."

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
From my email:

"Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is known for offering special family programming during the summer months. In years past, the zoo has featured a free flight bird show, Rainforest Reptiles, and last year's Galapagos tortoises were a huge hit with the public. Starting this weekend, two camels will call Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo home through Labor Day.

"Kids of all ages are welcome to climb aboard these camels for an experience they won't soon forget," explained Gregg Dancho, zoo director. "While we don't encourage kissing the camels, we're sure that photos of these guys will be popping up on social media sites (#ctbzoo) all summer long!"

The camels, named Toby and Goliath, may be found on the greenhouse lawn and rides will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $5 per person, which includes photos. Visitors will be able to purchase ride tickets at the front gate, gift shop, carousel, and at the camel ride. While there are no age restrictions for riders, anyone five years old and younger requires an adult rider with them. The zoo also is offering a combo ticket for both a carousel and camel ride for $6.00."
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Thanks for posting Thylo, I was about to post this exact piece of news from their website but looks like you got it covered.
The zoo planned to open the leopard exhibit in May, but as the end of the month draws near, I'm having my doubts that it will open until June. It is near completion though, as far as I'm aware. The Mexican Gray Wolves will be arriving very soon, and the zoo is still fundraising for Pampas Plains.
The zoo visited the state capitol recently, and presented some projects. If you look at the photo below, you can see plans for Andes Adventure, the second phase of South American Adventure.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
Thanks for posting Thylo, I was about to post this exact piece of news from their website but looks like you got it covered.
The zoo planned to open the leopard exhibit in May, but as the end of the month draws near, I'm having my doubts that it will open until June. It is near completion though, as far as I'm aware. The Mexican Gray Wolves will be arriving very soon, and the zoo is still fundraising for Pampas Plains.
The zoo visited the state capitol recently, and presented some projects. If you look at the photo below, you can see plans for Andes Adventure, the second phase of South American Adventure.
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Hope they break ground for Pampas Plains soon! And can you please post the picture, thanks!:D;)

~Thylo:cool:
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
Thanks for posting Thylo, I was about to post this exact piece of news from their website but looks like you got it covered.
The zoo planned to open the leopard exhibit in May, but as the end of the month draws near, I'm having my doubts that it will open until June. It is near completion though, as far as I'm aware. The Mexican Gray Wolves will be arriving very soon, and the zoo is still fundraising for Pampas Plains.
The zoo visited the state capitol recently, and presented some projects. If you look at the photo below, you can see plans for Andes Adventure, the second phase of South American Adventure.
Click to expand...

- Where is the photo?
 
Oh man, forgot to post the photo! :o Sorry about that, I guess I was in a rush. It's hard to make out the details of it, but it seems to include a viewing structure over water that looks out over a lush habitat for Andean Bears I think.
 

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BeardsleyZooFan said:
Oh man, forgot to post the photo! :o Sorry about that, I guess I was in a rush. It's hard to make out the details of it, but it seems to include a viewing structure over water that looks out over a lush habitat for Andean Bears I think.
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Right under the macaw there's a picture of an Andean Bear, too.

~Thylo:cool:
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
So what is meant to be: a pampa with vicunas and an Andean bear cloud forest? Anything else??
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Well the zoo is working on a whole South American extension to the zoo! Phase 1 is under way and is called Pampas Plains and it'll feature Maned Wolves, Greater Rhea, Chacoan Peccaries, Giant Anteaters, and possibly some other, not yet announced species. All we know about the rest of the project is that Phase 2 is called Andean Adventure and will include Andean Bears and an expansion of the current Andean Condor aviary among other things and that it's possible that an expansion of the South American building and a Jaguar exhibit are possible.

By the way, I don't think there are any Vicuna in North American zoos.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Well the zoo is working on a whole South American extension to the zoo! Phase 1 is under way and is called Pampas Plains and it'll feature Maned Wolves, Greater Rhea, Chacoan Peccaries, Giant Anteaters, and possibly some other, not yet announced species. All we know about the rest of the project is that Phase 2 is called Andean Adventure and will include Andean Bears and an expansion of the current Andean Condor aviary among other things and that it's possible that an expansion of the South American building and a Jaguar exhibit are possible.
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First off, the zoo announced that the two goat kids born to Peaches were both males, so now there are 2.2 Nigerian Dwarf Goat kids that are half-siblings in the goat yard.
Thylo pretty much summed up Pampas Plains, which I will attach a site map of below. The wolves will keep their current enclosure which now has glass viewing, rheas and peccaries will get a new exhibit, and anteaters will be new to the zoo. An amphitheater will also be constructed with Pampas Plains. Andes Adventure seems to be the next phase. It will mark the return of Andean Bears to the zoo, but I don't think they're going to expand the condor aviary; I think they're going to build a new aviary near the bears. The news about the South American Rainforest building renovation was from a single article I read about the zoo. I know about the Jaguars because zoo staff have said that they want to get Jaguars by the end of the South American expansion. All of this is supposed to be complete by 2017. They are still fund-raising for Pampas Plains.
Diageo Donates $30K & 800 Volunteer Hours to Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo | Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
 

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You know I'm looking forward to see what ends up in the soon to be empty peccary and condor exhibits almost as much as I am Pampas Plains. Can you tell us a bit more about the amphitheater?

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
You know I'm looking forward to see what ends up in the soon to be empty peccary and condor exhibits almost as much as I am Pampas Plains. Can you tell us a bit more about the amphitheater?
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The zoo's description of the amphitheater: "A tiered amphitheater will offer staff and visitor interactions, educational programs, and wildlife encounters." I think that the peccary exhibit might become the amphitheater, but I think that space would be neat as an outdoor aviary with Guira Cuckoos, Elegant Crested Tinamous, Crested Screamers, Magellan Geese, and Three-Banded Armadillos.
A different species of bird of prey will probably just take the spot of the condors.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
The zoo's description of the amphitheater: "A tiered amphitheater will offer staff and visitor interactions, educational programs, and wildlife encounters." I think that the peccary exhibit might become the amphitheater, but I think that space would be neat as an outdoor aviary with Guira Cuckoos, Elegant Crested Tinamous, Crested Screamers, Magellan Geese, and Three-Banded Armadillos.
A different species of bird of prey will probably just take the spot of the condors.
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That would be neat for the peccary exhibit to become an aviary but I'd much rather it become an outdoor Brazilian Ocelot exhibit with some renovations done to it. Then the current Ocelot enclosure could become an aviary of some sort.

The condor aviary doesn't necessarily have to hold birds of prey, it could become home to a large tropical bird like a hornbill or toucan. Or it could become a multiple species aviary.

~Thylo:cool:
 
@Thylacine- There are vicuna in at least two "zoos" in Canada. Mountain View Conservation Center definitely has them.
 
The zoo is getting 3 Mexican Wolves (probably 1.2) but it's taking awhile for the zoo to get them because they have to go through a ton of paperwork since the wolves are releasable.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
The zoo is getting 3 Mexican Wolves (probably 1.2) but it's taking awhile for the zoo to get them because they have to go through a ton of paperwork since the wolves are releasable.

~Thylo:cool:
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I just got an email from the zoo that said that the wolves will be 3 females. Being as I heard the zoo was planning to breed them, that surprises me. The email also read that they will go on exhibit in mid-June as will Sophia the Amur Leopard.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I just got an email from the zoo that said that the wolves will be 3 females. Being as I heard the zoo was planning to breed them, that surprises me. The email also read that they will go on exhibit in mid-June as will Sophia the Amur Leopard.
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Thanks for sharing this info Thylo. Not only am I surprised that it will take until mid-June to get the leopard on exhibit, but also I am surprised that all 3 wolves will be female. Perhaps they will try to AI them, as they've been taking that approach a lot recently?
Also, I found out the birthdate of the most recent goat kids: May 4th. And the 6 Guinea Hog piglets' mother is Olivia.
 
When institutions are new to holding/exhibiting Mexican Gray Wolves, they start off by holding 2-3 animals of the same gender per the USFWS and SSP. If all goes well in the first few years, wolves are moved/brought in to accomodate breeding.
 
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