Visited the zoo today and have to say they've made a lot of changes over the winter! Also quite possibly the second best visit I've ever had at the zoo, and I've been visiting regularly for about 5 years with multiple visits a year.
To start with the bad news, there was no sign of the Madagascar Crested Ibis today, which isn't unusual, but the sign was removed so I fear the bird might have kicked it. No sign of the Guanay Cormorant or Maxwell's Duikers either but wouldn't think anything of that just yet. No sign of the Malayan Tiger cubs yet either.
For the better news, over all many areas of the zoo have seen a bit of refurbishment. Many of the enclosures have been renovated and been fitted with new furniture, including almost all of the enclosures in the Mouse House (with the spiny mouse enclosure currently still being renovated) and many in World of Reptiles (the most notable being the final two enclosures which have been closed for almost two years now!). Many areas of the zoo have either additional or brand new signage, including most of the second floor of World of Birds. That cafe by Baboon Reserve has also been redone and now serves as a specialty burger hut, featuring BBQ Burgers, Hawaiian Burgers, Mac-n-Cheese Burgers, ect., as well as shakes and tatter tots. The nocturnal section of Madagascar! might be going through a slight renovation at the moment as well with some white boards covering up some walls at the beginning. The Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec enclosure appears to have been completely replaced with a larger enclosure which held what I think was a Malagasy Tree Boa (I have photos to double-check). Next to the ground boa enclosure, which is still closed for renovation, there was a sponsorship plaque for mouse lemurs, which may have always been there but I just noticed it.
A few species have been moved including the Lace Monitor into what used to be the young giant tortoise enclosure and the Mangrove Snake into what used to be the frilled dragon enclosure. Both the original monitor and snake enclosures are currently being renovated. A pair of North Indian Muntjac, originally displayed in the large mixed deer enclosure on the monorail but not seen in a while, can also now be found in their own pen by the Blackbuck/deer enclosure. It's one that has always been empty in the past with the Indian farm hut in it. The African Rock Python is back on-exhibit in Congo Gorilla Forest, too. With it being Spring, several new babies have been born. Most notable not already reported on being a Przewalski's Wild Horse foal, a Père David's Deer fawn, a White-Naped Crane chick, three Magellanic Penguin chicks, and three Western Capercaillie chicks. Some Mozambique Girdled Lizards and a False Tomato Frog have joined the World of Reptiles nursery as well. The Storm's Stork pair appeared to be nesting, though I'm not 100% positive. New species that I noted are Bruce's Green Pigeon, Grosbeak Starling, Indian Pygmy Goose (signed but not seen; not noted them in any form at the zoo since 2011), and Goliath Bird-Eating Spider (in a new small enclosure next to the Blue-Billed Curassow/Radiated Tortoise enclosure), Black-and-Rufous Elephant-Shrew and Screaming Hairy Armadillo in the Mouse House, and Chinese Alligator, Arrau River Turtle (not new but been off-exhibit for some time and now back in one of the two final enclosures), Northern River Terrapin, Painted Batagur, Philippine Sailfin Lizard, and Chestnut-Backed Thrush (all four species in the other final enclosure) in World of Reptiles. An unknown collared
Streptopelia and what I believe were Cinnamon Teal (with chicks) were in the Butterfly Garden as well. I have photos to properly ID them later.
Finally, the Birds in Flight bird show. I quite enjoyed it, though found the second showing to not be as different from the first one as advertised. While the birds were obviously trained, some were new (as admitted by the presenter) and often flew into nearby trees or on top of the old Monkey House, delaying the show slightly. The species used between both shows were a pair of nominate Yellow-Headed Amazon, thirteen Sun Conures, a Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill, a Green Aracari, a Galah cockatoo, a Scarlet Macaw, a Red-and-Green Macaw, a pair of Red-Fronted Macaws, a pair of Military Macaws, a pair of Black-Throated Magpie-Jays, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl, an Eastern Screech Owl, a locally-rescued Red-Shouldered Hawk, and a Texas-rescued Red-Tailed Hawk.
Overall a really great day (even if I got stuck in the back row on the monorail
) with lots of pleasant surprises. Fingers crossed, the species not seen today just happen to be temporarily off-exhibit and not lost just yet! Photos up when I find the time
~Thylo
