Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo news 2025

pinnipedpal93 said:
This is a random question, and it has been some time since I visited it, but are there any plans for Dragonfly Marsh in the Master Plan? When I decided to take a trip over last year, I was surprised to see it seemed virtually untouched and most of the murals and walls succumbed to sun damage and peeling. I have this photo from that time:
Dragonfly Marsh 5/9/2024 - ZooChat
Click to expand...
In the master plans Savannah passage section it lists the marsh building as “renovated marsh building” so I assume it’ll be touched eventually
 
FYI from the Donor Circle email:

Save the Date!

We’re excited to announce that James & Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests opens to the public on Friday, July 11!

Celebrate With Us
Join us from July 11 to 13 for a Grand Opening Celebration filled with Zoo Chats, live music, inflatables, family activities, and more!

Members Are First in Line
During the celebration and through July 20, you are invited to Member Mornings, featuring a special two-hour window with member-only access to the habitat from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day.

Members can still reserve tickets in the afternoons but the habitat will be open to both members and general admission visitors.

How to Get Tickets

  • Timed-entry tickets are required to visit Bramsen Tropical Forests.
  • Tickets are FREE with your membership, but must be reserved in advance.
Also reopening on July 11 is our newly refreshed Tropic World habitat, ready to welcome guests once again.

We can't wait to see you there!
 
Craig Billington said:
FYI from the Donor Circle email:

Save the Date!

We’re excited to announce that James & Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests opens to the public on Friday, July 11!

Celebrate With Us
Join us from July 11 to 13 for a Grand Opening Celebration filled with Zoo Chats, live music, inflatables, family activities, and more!

Members Are First in Line
During the celebration and through July 20, you are invited to Member Mornings, featuring a special two-hour window with member-only access to the habitat from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day.

Members can still reserve tickets in the afternoons but the habitat will be open to both members and general admission visitors.

How to Get Tickets

  • Timed-entry tickets are required to visit Bramsen Tropical Forests.
  • Tickets are FREE with your membership, but must be reserved in advance.
Also reopening on July 11 is our newly refreshed Tropic World habitat, ready to welcome guests once again.

We can't wait to see you there!
Click to expand...
n8og1bmihdka1.jpeg
 
Craig Billington said:
FYI from the Donor Circle email:

Save the Date!

We’re excited to announce that James & Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests opens to the public on Friday, July 11!

Celebrate With Us
Join us from July 11 to 13 for a Grand Opening Celebration filled with Zoo Chats, live music, inflatables, family activities, and more!

Members Are First in Line
During the celebration and through July 20, you are invited to Member Mornings, featuring a special two-hour window with member-only access to the habitat from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day.

Members can still reserve tickets in the afternoons but the habitat will be open to both members and general admission visitors.

How to Get Tickets

  • Timed-entry tickets are required to visit Bramsen Tropical Forests.
  • Tickets are FREE with your membership, but must be reserved in advance.
Also reopening on July 11 is our newly refreshed Tropic World habitat, ready to welcome guests once again.

We can't wait to see you there!
Click to expand...
Wonder how much of Tropic World has changed
 
ContraryPython said:
Wonder how much of Tropic World has changed
Click to expand...
This is what the press release says:
As part of the transformation, the Zoo also made thoughtful updates to Tropic World, its iconic indoor primate habitat, which was temporarily closed to accommodate construction and connection to Bramsen Tropical Forests. The grand opening on July 11 will mark not only the debut of the new outdoor experience but also the highly anticipated reopening of Tropic World. Guests will enter through a newly reimagined entryway designed to look like a fallen log, emerging beneath a breathtaking 48-foot waterfall. Inside, they’ll journey through three richly detailed tropical regions—South America, Asia and Africa—each highlighting the distinctive climates, wildlife and conservation challenges of these ecosystems. Along the way, guests can encounter fascinating species such as two-toed sloths, a giant anteater, Asian small-clawed otters, squirrel monkeys, cotton-top tamarins and a variety of bird species including blue-gray tanagers, saffron finches, Taveta golden weavers, white-cheeked turacos, white-headed buffalo weavers and more. Unlike Bramsen Tropical Forests, no reservation is required to visit Tropic World.
Click to expand...
 
JVM said:
I'm pretty sure they just changed the new log entrance and added the outdoor access for the animals and that's it. It'll be basically the same building.
Click to expand...
If they decided to update the building they would be putting out press for that, they would also have to send away the animals so that they can work on the building. If they ever decide to update the building it will be in a long time.
 
Sasha I said:
If they decided to update the building they would be putting out press for that, they would also have to send away the animals so that they can work on the building. If they ever decide to update the building it will be in a long time.
Click to expand...
Yes, exactly.

In addition, much of it is concrete and the zoo has struggled to find funs to demolish the concrete Bear Grottos (the new Master Plan has ditched the demolition plans) and took some years to do so for the concrete Baboon Island, both of which are smaller than Tropic World, so it will probably be really expensive even just to gut the building.
 
While Tropic World likely hasn't undergone any major alterations, I'm optimistic there may be some notable upgrades. If nothing else there's the question of what will happen to the former gorilla enclosure -- removing the net underneath the bridge and expanding the African monkey exhibit seems like the most plausible idea at this stage, which will hopefully allow for at least one or two new species to be introduced. Stuff like adding mulch substrate, live plants, updated signage, new paint jobs, etc, doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility either.
 
What's next after the Tropical Forest?

If the Zoo does planning on bringing back African Elephants which Zoos would offer them same with the Common Hippos?
 
Thomas said:
What's next after the Tropical Forest?
Click to expand...
Appears to be Gateway to Africa. Preliminary construction has already commenced on the pachyderm house and several species in the surrounding area have been shipped out. More details should be revealed in the new five-year strategic plan which will be completed later this year.
Thomas said:
If the Zoo does planning on bringing back African Elephants which Zoos would offer them same with the Common Hippos?
Click to expand...
In regards to elephants, Omaha comes to mind considering they have several young males who will need to be moved in a few years. Otherwise I have no idea, but breeding has picked up significantly as of late. Likewise for hippos of which there's no shortage of options.
 
So, what areas of Habitat Africa! that will become Gateway to Africa, will be improved or added, and what animals will be returning, moving to, or be new to the zoo will be part of this new area?
 
Thomas said:
So, what areas of Habitat Africa! that will become Gateway to Africa, will be improved or added, and what animals will be returning, moving to, or be new to the zoo will be part of this new area?
Click to expand...
Based on what is presented in the master plan and related articles: Elephant, giraffe, rhino, hippo, pygmy hippo, zebra, nyala, kudu, eland, addax, bongo, forest buffalo, lion, cheetah, pangolin, ostrich, Nile crocodile and others. There are several others whose status remains unclear (painted dog, okapi, duiker, red river hog, klipspringer, etc). Species will likely be added/removed in the final version. The existing kopje and forest buildings will remain, but otherwise nearly all of the zoos northwest quadrant will be redeveloped for the project including all of the hoofstock yards and pachyderm house.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top