Thank you so much for all of this! I have a specific interest in BZ's history so it's all deeply appreciated.
Penguins on the north, kiwi south, deserts on the east, where was the free-flight section located?
Yes, I've always found this interesting! Sources seem to say the bridge at one point lead to a snack shop or cart inside the rock as well.
A photo in
Images of America: Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Zoological Society book confirms the two cages in the central garden at Primate House and I think it explicitly mentions the lar gibbon. Look forward to photos if you can find them!
Thank you so much for all of the information. According to the video linked below, I believe those were Asian small-clawed otters. The video also shows bettong and Goeldi's monkey. It's good to know some of its late residents are still represented at the zoo today or until recently - sloth, mongoose, hyrax until recently, otters, bats.
I have memory of the Elephant's Trunk from my childhood. If I'm correct about the building location, I believe it transitioned to Woof-field Gifts before it eventually was shut down entirely for a while and converted hastily to Peacock Bar and Grill, which only lasted a year or so, and it is now becoming the winter holding for macaws... incidentally, I think it is parallel to the zoo's original Parrot House, I believe, which was originally on the opposite side of Perching Birds.
My recent assumption is the Elephant's Trunk shut down because it was managed by Dr. Mary Rabb, the wife of zoo director George Rabb, as it seems it's closure dates close to Rabb's retirement. I know it has been mentioned she often special ordered books for guests.
While I never saw them in life, I had a
video from the library with footage of the baboons and meerkats co-existing. Such a shame the mix was discontinued between two playful and active animals that enjoy living in large groups.