Local coverage of the upcoming Bramsen Tropical Forests -- no animal news but some insight into some of the new exhibit design elements for guests.
Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo news 2025
- Thread starter MeiLover
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GibbonGuy95
Well-Known Member
Are the birds with the meerkats part of the enclosure or are they sneak ins? I can't tell what they are because they fly so fast
No, they are not part of the exhibit.
GibbonGuy95
Well-Known Member
One thing worth mentioning is that the bat eared fox den has been closed. I'm beginning to wonder if kits were born?
I talked with a keeper about this a couple weeks ago. She said it’s unlikely the female is pregnant but it’s just a precaution.
This was so soon, can’t wait to look for the new improvements in my next trip.
That said, the Gateway of Africa will be worth the wait towards the end of this decade given the demolition and construction process. And that’s not going into all the new and returning animals either.
A squirrel monkey was born and will be on-exhibit when Tropic World reopens next week.
Tiny, fast and adorable: New squirrel monkey born at Brookfield Zoo | FOX 32 Chicago
Tiny, fast and adorable: New squirrel monkey born at Brookfield Zoo | FOX 32 Chicago
Oh you mean like ‘trees?’ Seems like a bit of an oversight for an exhibit called “Tropical Forests.” Sorry to be so critical, but only because of the disappointment at what could have been a gamechanging development for a zoo greatly in need of one.
Unlike the exhibits at Bronx or Disney, this complex wasn't built around an existing forest canopy, but instead was an open field abutting a massive building. Expecting it to be on the same level from a landscape immersion standpoint is unrealistic. With that said, the zoo done well planting numerous live trees in and around each of the enclosures and maintaining existing mature trees where it was possible. It'll gradually look better as the years go by as the vegetation continues to establish itself.
With less than a week before the exhibit opens I'll refrain from commenting on any design decisions until I see it all for myself. Like every new exhibit I fully expect some flaws (the lack of shade based on photos is a valid critique) and things I would've differently, but what I don't expect is to be disappointed. This is an incredibly exciting moment for the zoo and I'm counting down the days.
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1.2 California sea lions have departed the zoo.
0.2 Luci and her daughter Ady were returned to the Denver Zoo on May 26th, 2025. The pair arrived at Brookfield on September 29th, 2023 to facilitate reconstruction of Denver's sea lion habitat.
1.0 Owen was transferred to the Indianapolis Zoo on June 24th, 2025. Owen was initially rescued as a pup in 2015 and released after a month of rehabilitation, but was recaptured and deemed nonreleaseable eight days later. Owen was housed at the North Carolina Zoo for nearly six years before his transfer to Brookfield in 2021.
0.2 Luci and her daughter Ady were returned to the Denver Zoo on May 26th, 2025. The pair arrived at Brookfield on September 29th, 2023 to facilitate reconstruction of Denver's sea lion habitat.
1.0 Owen was transferred to the Indianapolis Zoo on June 24th, 2025. Owen was initially rescued as a pup in 2015 and released after a month of rehabilitation, but was recaptured and deemed nonreleaseable eight days later. Owen was housed at the North Carolina Zoo for nearly six years before his transfer to Brookfield in 2021.
Disney (100%new trees) and Bronx 50%+new trees) and more recently Houston (100% new trees) all invested significantly in the installation of multiple large mature trees, understanding the strong preference of gorillas for the security of a dense overhead canopy. I worry about a repeat of the other Chicago zoo situation where gorillas opt to spend the majority of their time indoors, by choice, given the lack of shade/canopy in their outdoor habitats. Agree this project is a big step forward for Brookfield, but still a number of missed opportunities to really do it well.
I don't understand why you all are worrying about the lack of cover when it's evident even in outdated photographs provided by community members that ample cover was provided. and as the trees mature and grow it will be better. Perhaps they should have invested in very large trees but lets not act like they made a concrete pit and that's it.
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Going to be a bit of a shame as I loved how large the group was and how active they were on my last few visits, but at least they both went to zoos I like!
The photograph released in the article definitely looks that way, which did concern me for a moment, but the images posted by @Sasha I suggest there will be more plant life than visible there, and it'll take time for some of the plants to grow in I imagine so I'm hoping this will be an "accounted for" situation. I also suspect the gorillas may sometimes have dual indoor/outdoor access (I don't think the zoo has confirmed on this) so it's possible indoor access may account for access to shade part time.
I'm hopeful that some of the trees are planted but have not reached full growth yet and that this is going to take some time. I know I've seen a few other zoo exhibits that seemed underplanted at opening but became more lush over time, so I'm not sure it has proven an opportunity missed just yet. I will say my experience at RCAA at Lincoln Park is that the bachelor gorillas don't mind going outside as much as the family troop, but even so it is often one or two gorillas out at a time; but I've also heard the silverback's preference can make a big difference, too, when it comes to family troops.
I'm hoping to attend the opening and maybe someone the can clarify about the plantings although I'm not sure how I would ask the question myself.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
It seems to me as if most of the plantings in this photograph are actually outside of the enclosures, in which case the issue may not have been adequately accounted for.
Well, Disney's exhibit was not built in an existing forest. All of the foliage in their exhibit was planted for the gorillas. A key difference between Disney's exhibit when it first opened and the Brookfield’s zoo's exhibit today, days before it opens, is that Disney planted more mature trees etcetera for their exhibit. That being said, you are right that, in time, the verdure will really develop, increasing the new exhibit's appeal to the enclosures' residents and to myself.
Personally, I would not want to see the exhibit with any expectations in mind, whether it is the expectation that I will not be dissapointed or the expectation of the contrary. The exhibit will be a vast improvement for the apes' welfare, even if the enclosures themselves are unspectacular. That is unequivocal. What is really being assessed, the question of whether or not they really are spectacular, will be best answered with an unbiased perspective.
It's possible. I am sure many of us will have different ideas for what is 'adequate' standard as well -- plantings outside the enclosure could provide some shade for hot days if they happen to grow over parts of the enclosure as I imagine is the intent, but that's not necessarily enough to simulate a canopy or a forest. There's also always the chance some intended plantings fail to grow, are damaged by weather, or that other things considered during the design process don't translate as intended.
I get what you're saying, it takes a more objective eye to compare across the country, especially for those who have seen the country's best gorilla habitats, but I think some of us are still very excited about the improvement on the former exhibit.
Craig Billington
Well-Known Member
Here are some comments about the new Tropical Forests exhibit from a recent Chicago Magazine article. CM makes it sound like the plantings will be lush and the exhibit was designed to give the primates a variety of options for comfort including shade. The link to the full article is below.
It feels like a rainforest, not a zoo.
Designing a tropical habitat in Chicago comes with obvious challenges, like frigid winter temps. To keep things functional year-round, the zoo used hardy plants that resemble rainforest species, integrated heated rockwork for cold days, and installed mesh canopies to let the animals experience sun, wind, and fresh air while staying safe. The space was built vertically to reflect how primates move through forests — by climbing, not pacing — to give them room to behave like, well, themselves.
Brookfield Zoo Is Dropping Visitors Straight Into the Tropics
It feels like a rainforest, not a zoo.
Designing a tropical habitat in Chicago comes with obvious challenges, like frigid winter temps. To keep things functional year-round, the zoo used hardy plants that resemble rainforest species, integrated heated rockwork for cold days, and installed mesh canopies to let the animals experience sun, wind, and fresh air while staying safe. The space was built vertically to reflect how primates move through forests — by climbing, not pacing — to give them room to behave like, well, themselves.
Brookfield Zoo Is Dropping Visitors Straight Into the Tropics
Per an email from the zoo, the orangutans will not have access to their outdoor exhibit until later this summer.
A local news coverage video about Tropical Forests.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago's new ape habitat
Brookfield Zoo Chicago's new ape habitat
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