Brookfield Zoo 2023 Year-in Review:
Merry Christmas to all! To close out the year, I’ve put together a brief overview of everything important that happened at Brookfield in 2023. It was a busy year, although not necessarily in the ways that were expected.
New Species Gained
Mammals:
Black-and-Rufous Sengi
Cotton-top Tamarin
Meerkat
Pallas’ Cat
Sand Cat
Tufted Capuchin
Birds:
American Flamingo
Chiloé Wigeon
Bay-headed Tanager
Chestnut-backed Thrush
Collared Finchbill
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise
Red-legged Seriema
Ringed Teal
Rosy-billed Pochard
Toco Toucan
Scarlet-faced Liocichla
Wonga Pigeon
Ectotherms:
Banded Archerfish
Cherubfish
Dwarf Seahorse
Flamefish
Frogfish
Neon Goby
Red Lionfish
Royal Gramma
Veiled Chameleon
Species Lost
Mammals:
Black-footed Cat
Gerenuk
Przewalski's Horse
Birds:
None
Ectotherms:
False Water Cobra
Kaup’s Caecilian
Magnificent Tree Frog
Mangrove Snake
Orinoco Crocodile
Notable Births
1.1 Addax
0.0.1 Crested Wood Partridge
0.1 Epaulette Shark
0.1 Generic Giraffe
1.0 Helmeted Curassow
0.0.2 Home's Hinge-backed tortoise
0.1 Kirk’s Dik-dik
1.0 Klipspringer
5.2 Mexican Gray Wolf
1.1 Nyala
0.0.4 Puna Teal
0.0.1 Squirrel Monkey
Notable Deaths
1.0 Black Rhino, Nakili
1.0 Bornean Orangutan, Ben
1.0 Snow Leopard, Buck
0.1 Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Kambora
Notable Specimen Arrivals
1.1 Alaskan Brown Bear, Tim & Jess
0.1 Generic Giraffe, Asha
1.0 Linne’s Two-toed Sloth, Luigi
1.0 Red River Hog, Strix
1.0 Western Lowland Gorilla, Jontu
Notable Specimen Departures
0.1 Capybara, Peru
1.0 Mexican Gray Wolf, Joe Jr.
1.0 South American Tapir, Alejandro
1.0 Western Lowland Gorilla, Zachary
Completed Animal-related Projects
Toco Toucan and Red-legged Seriema Aviary
Outdoor Macaw Trees
Native Turtle Exhibits
Expanded Reticulated Python Exhibit
Completed Non Animal-related Projects
Discovery Center Renovation
Nature Stage Revitalization
Roosevelt Fountain Gardenscape + Faces of the Wild Statues
Former Peacock Cafe rebranded into Sweety Bird treat shop
Upcoming/Ongoing Construction Projects
Penguin and Seabird Exhibit Maintenance (Winter 2024)
Seven Seas Dolphinarium Renovation (Winter 2024)
Eurasian Eagle Owl Aviary (Spring 2024)
Indoor Toco Toucan and Red-legged Seriema Exhibit (Spring 2024)
Sandhill Crane and Prairie Chicken Aviary (Spring 2024)
Prairie Dog Exhibit (Spring 2024)
Australia House Renovation (Summer/Fall 2024)
Tropical Forests (Spring 2025)
Obviously there’s no denying that this year wasn’t as exciting as initially planned. Just about every development intended for 2023 was pushed back to next year. From the small-footprint enclosures to the dolphinarium renovation to the reveal of the master plan itself, it seems the zoo is taking their time with new projects. Even the stuff that did get done came with caveats; the toucan/serima aviary was finished, but without a proper indoor enclosure. The turtle exhibits were completed yet for whatever reason have yet to be opened to the public. The macaw trees were finished after months of delays, but nobody cares about those.
However, I still found this year to be one of the best in recent memory. Lots of new additions including a massive gain in the bird collection, with both larger charismatic birds like flamingo, toucan, seriema, and bird-of-paradise, and a nice lineup of passerines and waterfowl with a few rarities like wonga pigeon and bay-headed tanager. That positive trajectory will continue next year with the cranes, eagle owls, etc. Elsewhere, acquisitions of pallas’ cat and sand cat show the zoo is still very committed to small felines and the return of black-and-rufous sengi was a terrific surprise. There were a few key losses like black-footed cat and orinoco crocodile, but at the very least they were promptly replaced with new species. The removal of gerenuk was probably the biggest disappointment for me personally, although considering there’s only been one individual for a while now it isn’t too surprising.
It was also an immensely successful year for hoofstock births. Seven calves between five species both big and small is nothing to scoff at. Otherwise, the only other remarkable birth was the epaulette shark pup born from a virgin mother. There were some exciting new specimens which arrived, mainly the brown bear cubs and a new silverback. I also really appreciate that the effort to fill dead-spaces was continued with a few non-animal related projects: It’s been years since the Nature Stage was last utilized and the old Peacock Cafe had been shuttered for the better part of three years. Additionally, the Discovery Center renovation brought some wonderful WPA artwork back out on show,
Even though much of what was supposed to make 2023 a major year for the zoo was delayed, that just means 2024 is going to be even more action packed. Think of everything the zoo did this year as a precursor to the master plan; small exhibits that were retoolings of existing spaces, upgrades to visitor amenities, infrastructure fixes, etc. The reveal of the master plan is just weeks away and after waiting four long years since it was first discussed, it’s almost unreal that we’ve finally arrived at this point. We’re going to be hitting the ground running too, as following the release of the master plan we’ll almost immediately get a diverse lineup of new and renovated enclosures in the months that will follow. With centennial campaigns at both Brookfield and Shedd Aquarium kicking off next year, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a Chicago zoo enthusiast. Can’t wait to watch it all unfold!
