Brookfield Zoo Visit Report, 8/12/23
Today was a great day for what is undoubtedly my final visit to the zoo for at least several months. I'll be moving downstate for university shortly so my trips to the zoo won't be as frequent, but I’ll be following along closer then ever. I was really hoping that turtle exhibits would finally be open, but for whatever reason the gate was still locked. No progress on the macaw trees either, not like anyone cares about them.
I get that there are issues with obtaining the materials, but it’s just silly that it’s taken this long to construct such simple additions. Considering these are seasonal displays, at this rate it wouldn't surprise me if the turtles and macaws aren’t finished until next year.
Regardless it was a great time and I have a number of updates from my visit along with some other pieces of news that have not been discussed yet.
Updates:
The Bennett’s wallaby and cape barren goose enclosures have been combined and both species now share the whole space. I’m speculating this means that the cape barren geese will move to the new wallaby habitat as part of the Australia expansion.
While on the topic of Australia, apparently the koalas may only be a temporary addition. According to a docent they will be coming from San Diego (shocker
) and will stay for at least two years. At that time a decision will be made if the zoo can afford to keep them permanently. Fingers crossed they stick around.
A second red-legged seriema has arrived and is on exhibit. It was perched up in the trees alongside the toucans which was an odd sight for a primary terrestrial bird.
Signage for the Chinese giant salamanders has been removed indicating that they won't be coming back on exhibit anytime soon. I imagine they have begun to outgrow their accommodation.
The white-nosed coati are moving from Desert’s Edge to the former red panda enclosure in Wild Encounters. A new species has already arrived to take residence in the soon-to-be former coati enclosure.
After being closed for over three years, Peacock Cafe is undergoing a rebranding/renovation. It’s
now called Sweety Bird and will sell gourmet popcorn, funnel cake, and other treats. It should be open by the end of the month.
According to the zoo’s member magazine, “intricate rockwork” is being added to the dolphin pool as part of the ongoing renovations. Up until now the only known enhancements were infrastructure and quality-of-life improvements.
Natural substrate and live palms are being added to the interior Tropic World enclosures. I’m unsure how extensive it will be, but anything is welcome in this department. I was told this was going to occur sometime this fall.
Construction of the Gorilla Conservation Center has gone vertical. Interior walls and support beams have already been placed and the ape holding areas are visibly outlined.
Gorilla Conservation Center construction from formal pool:
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Gorilla Conservation Center construction from across the bison yard:
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Current state of the west mall; Tropical Forests still has a ways to go:
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Signage for Sweety Bird, a new dessert shop by the Nature Plaza:
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Some Thoughts:
Well, the zoo's summer season didn't go exactly as planned. It's a bit comical to look at some of the earlier posts on this thread from the start of the year that outlined what was in store for 2023 knowing pretty much everything has been delayed to next year (toucans aside). What this does mean is that 2024 is going to jam packed with new exhibits and species; some very cool species at that.
We've now entered the calm before the storm. Within the next month and a half the master plan will be unveiled in its full glory, barring any delays of course which is fully possible given the zoos track record. My excitement is at an all time high, which I feel like I’ve made abundantly clear at this point. We’ve received so many little teases of what’s to come and it all sounds so promising. It really is amazing the difference a year makes. Last year at this time we knew virtually nothing beyond a few vague ideas; now we are overwhelmed with new developments both of major and minor calibers. I’ve been waiting for a time like this for as long as I’ve been on this forum and man does it feel good.
As a quick aside, an
article was published about the town hall meeting a few weeks ago. It was mostly focused on covering stuff involving the high school baseball field owned by the zoo, but one paragraph here caught my attention:
"During the Q&A section of the town hall, audience members had the chance to share ideas, experiences and concerns relating to the future of the zoo. Participants offered suggestions about topics ranging from
maintaining biodiversity to improving visitors’ connections with animals."
It probably doesn't mean anything, but just seeing that my suggestion was significant enough to be mentioned here put a smile on my face.
