Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo News 2022

Regarding usable space: Brookfield Zoo is a registered arboretum. A lot of people forget that, which is understandable. The focus is mainly on the animal species. I am attaching a picture of a map of the location of some of the notable tree species and here is a link to identifying them

https://www.czs.org/custom.czs/files/63/638a81f5-11c1-42ad-8d6f-c459aa0adda7.pdf

Therefore, space needs to be allocated for keeping the flora as well as the fauna. I am not sure exactly how it works, but it may have something to do with the accreditation as an arboretum. Either way, I dislike zoos with exhibits stacked upon exhibits and little actual grounds to walk through.

Miller Park Zoo is a good example of this. At least the last time I went, which was admittedly several years ago. I know they had a master plan that would consolidate their species and make the zoo more organized. Last time I went, though, it was so cramped and scrambled that it was impossible to keep up. You would go from hooded cranes to box turtles to rare livestock to primates within the space of a few yards it seemed, with little to no reasoning on where and how the animals were displayed. I am making it sound worse than it is, but this is not my favorite zoo. For it's size, it tries too hard to cram those species in, as it is located on a small parcel of parkland already taken up by spacious splash pads, sports fields and apparently some sort of antique train exhibit? It makes it seem sloppy and confusing.

Brookfield does very well at this. You go from Africa and are not immediately inserted into North America. There's a nice wooded area with restrooms and the visual entrance into Great Bear Wilderness. They made efforts to put those spaces between exhibits to give the mind a moment to rest and readjust. I very much appreciate it, for one, and hope they don't start cramming species in just for the sake of having them. Each section tells a story. Can those stories be expanded upon and made into something more with the addition of new species? Yes, but the zoo needs to consider cost, where the species fits into the narrative they are telling and space/location.

That's just my opinion. Feel free to tell me I am wrong and am an idiot.
 
I wonder how the zoo director feels about the aardvarks -- I would still love to see them return to their old building given there has been no discussion about repurposing it. It holds a special place in my heart and I'd really like to see it back.

I will definitely say the zoo should not renovate it's exceptional African habitats right now until the day Pachyderm House needs to go under for good. I would much rather see continued expansion of Tropic World - both the outdoor habitats for the existing apes and hopefully some compromises/changes indoors to add life back to the building once the gorillas and orangutans are out and about. I'm not sure what species are best for returning/rotating in though. I wonder if they plan to make any serious internal renovations?

I would also hopefully want to some new development in the eastern side of the zoo, which is where a lot of the current 'emptiness' is. There's no real animal attractions between the Fragile Hunters/Seven Seas area and the Children's Zoo area and lower row of buildings. The empty Bear Grottos used to add a lot there. The idea of adding some Asian animal habitats across from the Fragile Hunters, as discussed once before, could be smart. None of the zoos near Chicago have ever had much of an Asia-themed section.

All that said, I think if they were able to expand the Australia House or construct a new one of similar or superior quality, that would be an excellent zoo project. Bringing in koalas would be incredible, and I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the cassowary alongside the goose. Tree kangaroos could be a fun addition too since they are no longer present in nearby Milwaukee. Platypus is probably too fanciful but we all used to say that about San Diego so if such a project were ten or twenty years out, who knows?

Amphibiman said:
Brookfield does very well at this. You go from Africa and are not immediately inserted into North America. There's a nice wooded area with restrooms and the visual entrance into Great Bear Wilderness. They made efforts to put those spaces between exhibits to give the mind a moment to rest and readjust. I very much appreciate it, for one, and hope they don't start cramming species in just for the sake of having them. Each section tells a story. Can those stories be expanded upon and made into something more with the addition of new species? Yes, but the zoo needs to consider cost, where the species fits into the narrative they are telling and space/location.

That's just my opinion. Feel free to tell me I am wrong and am an idiot.
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This is something I think Brookfield has already lost a little bit of ground on, particularly in the Fragile Desert, which has started to lose a few original desert species which have been replaced with some unusual choices. I'm very happy to finally see Ocelot at Brookfield but in this particular exhibit it feels out of place. I also know the Orinoco crocodiles inhabit the American alligator space, which is very temperate looking and so the crocodiles feel a bit out of place. In neither case would I want to lose the new species at all, but they do feel a little oddly housed.

I understand what you mean though -- the continental theming of the zoo's western side is fairly consistent and that's an aspect of it I appreciated greatly, especially on more recent visits. The African section is incredible and it's cool that the Andean condors and Living Coast bring one from North to South America; bit of a shame there's no way to expand the South American area there with so many unique species that live there.
 
I know the Callitrichids are all gone from Tropic World but does anyone know if there are still free-roaming Golden Lion Tamarins?

Are the genets on exhibit in a non-extra fee area? I know they were in the Play Zoo for a while, have they moved?
 
birdsandbats said:
I know the Callitrichids are all gone from Tropic World but does anyone know if there are still free-roaming Golden Lion Tamarins?

Are the genets on exhibit in a non-extra fee area? I know they were in the Play Zoo for a while, have they moved?
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There are currently no golden lion tamarins at the zoo.

Genets can be seen in Desert’s Edge and Hamill Family Play Zoo. For the time being, the Play Zoo is free.
 
MeiLover said:
There are currently no golden lion tamarins at the zoo.

Genets can be seen in Desert’s Edge and Hamill Family Play Zoo. For the time being, the Play Zoo is free.
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Are any other normally fee-only areas free?

Also, and idea when Tropic World Africa will re-open?
 
Are any other normally fee-only areas free?

Also, and idea when Tropic World Africa will re-open?[/QUOTE]

Wild Encounters is still fee-only. Tropic World: Africa has been open for several months now.
 
MeiLover said:
I would go in anyway just to be on the safe side. Though it could be closed to give the gorillas privacy since silverback JoJo has passed away.
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The website says it’s closed for maintenance. Likely something similar to the maintenance done to the Asia room earlier last month.
 
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Several macaw exhibits will soon be added around the south end of the zoo. I was told construction should start around the end of this month or early September. I don't have any specific details, so I'm praying that this won't just be a cluster of sticks with wing-clipped parrots (a practice I can't stand).

Additionally, I can confirm that full plans for the ape exhibits are being unveiled early next year alongside a large-scale fundraising campaign. I am unsure if the South American primates will be included here or if that will be a later phase.
 
pachyderm pro said:
Several macaw exhibits will soon be added around the south end of the zoo. I was told construction should start around the end of this month or early September. I don't have any specific details, so I'm praying that this won't just be a cluster of sticks with wing-clipped parrots (a practice I can't stand).

Additionally, I can confirm that full plans for the ape exhibits are being unveiled early next year alongside a large-scale fundraising campaign. I am unsure if the South American primates will be included here or if that will be a later phase.
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I'm very curious about the macaw exhibits -- this could be something really exciting if it's done well, but I would agree that clipped parrots would be boring and needless. The southern part of the zoo could really use some more attention so this is welcome news.

I'm looking forward to ape unveiling - bummed it is next year but looking forward to the fundraising campaign! I hope to hear some more about the new outdoor gorilla and orangutan habitats and hopefully some other changes to Tropic World. It would be lovely if getting those species outside lead to some internal improvements too.
 
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