Imagining once it gets to the point primates can't go outside but plants could still grow, we'll see the area grow more wild, also curious where the hoofstock will be going once the African exhibits start construction
Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo news 2025
- Thread starter MeiLover
- Start date
CarnotaurusSastrei
Well-Known Member
Visited the zoo earlier today, and it seems that the Reptiles and Birds building is closed (or at least it was today for one reason or another)
It was open when I visited later this morning.
CarnotaurusSastrei
Well-Known Member
Weird, I definitely remember trying to get in around 1 or so to no avail. Ah well, I'll probably just chalk it up to visitor error on my part
Craig Billington
Well-Known Member
Information about the gorilla bachelor group:
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Stories: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Stories: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Piece of February 2025 News Not Mentioned:
On February 7th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a female (0.1) Hoffmann's two-toed sloth named Jennifer Lawrence to Lion Country Safari in Florida.
Lion Country Safari
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 15th, the zoo announced that 2+ more western grey kangaroos were born, which are on exhibit.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
On February 7th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a female (0.1) Hoffmann's two-toed sloth named Jennifer Lawrence to Lion Country Safari in Florida.
Lion Country Safari
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 15th, the zoo announced that 2+ more western grey kangaroos were born, which are on exhibit.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Axhi, the 30-year-old Alaskan brown bear, has been euthanized.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Stories: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Stories: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Can’t believe I saw him just days before he passed. I remember on one of my earlier Brookfield visits there was a brown bear constantly diving through his pool - based on the description, it must’ve been Axhi.
Haven't seen much of Axhi these last few years since the cubs arrived. Knew this was coming soon and with Amelia Gray's forthcoming arrival, perhaps it's for the best that the bear complex is a little less crowded. A very respectable age.
I'd just been trying to do a Zoochat welfare check on him! Jim and Axhi were the first brown bears I'd ever seen and present on my very first visit to the zoo as a child, with Bear Grottos the first exhibit I saw, so they hold a special place in my heart. Godspeed, old friend.
Does anyone know what subspecies of brown bear Tim and Jess are considered? I know they were rescued from Anchorage. Jim and Axhi were both considered Sitka/ABC Islands bear, so I'm curious if this is the end of that subspecies here.
Thank you. I'd seen that description informally but wasn't sure if it referred to a subspecies in that context, and I confuse some of the common names for the North American brown bear subspecies at times.
I think it would be helpful if they newest knowledge and insights into genetics for brown bears was followed (not the indiscriminate lumping or other varieties ...).Thank you. I'd seen that description informally but wasn't sure if it referred to a subspecies in that context, and I confuse some of the common names for the North American brown bear subspecies at times.
I would appreciate some guidance in the right direction about this data.
With a bit of serendipity, I managed to make it out to the zoo today!
Trip Report
The brown bears were very active and easily the highlight of the day. One of the bears briefly wandered into the 'indoor' den area which was really cool - just inches from guests. They did a little playfighting as well.
We went through Tropical Forests twice, and it's a little easier to gather thoughts now. The exhibits are definitely becoming more lush, which is great to see, and all ten spider monkeys were outside and highly active, almost too much for good photos - this spot feels like the spiritual successor to departed Baboon Island. I completely missed orangutans both indoors and outdoors again and am getting kind of annoyed about it. Can confirm the gibbon-orangutan ropes are gone. The indoor enclosure is a bit bigger than I gave it credit, I think I spent too much of my last visit looking at it from the 'entrance' side and not after the bend, where the size is more apparent, although I do stand by a lot of my criticism. My least favorite part of the complex on review might be how narrow the last gorilla viewing area - this is where the family troop is, so usually the most active part of the complex, and I always find myself wanting to rush out due to the congestion.
The Grove is open and as much as I doubted the concept, it actually works pretty well. While the area used to feel a bit like a messy, understated transition between the South American plaza up to Great Bear Wilderness' closed loop here, with the bison yard visible there and Tropic World kind of this big dividing line and the playground as a necessary aside, but the construction of the Gorilla Conservation Center and reinvigoration of the Formal Pool since the addition of flamingos have made it a really buzzy and active area, the bison yard is now very visible from the area too, there's a nearby sales cart, and with the lack of seating at Great Bear Wilderness and the higher concentration of guest amenities and exhibits it just feels kind of right?
I spent some time inside Habitat Africa! The Kopje but kind of got too caught up with the White-cheeked turaco and completely forgot to check on the dwarf mongoose pups and white-throated monitors. Oops. Also forgot to stop and observe the dik-dik. Great look at the Nyala though. The Savannah Overlook is becoming one of my favorite spots again though. Feel like I didn't know it existed for years. One of the giraffes appeared to be pacing between the indoor and outdoor exhibits, behind the structure I can't explain. Made for a funny photo. I've had a weird, funny luck this year with spotting giraffes kind of in between their holding areas at both Chicago zoos.
One of the koalas was awake and eating - it was great to finally see the species active! Unfortunately, it was the one in the exhibit closer to the window, so the viewing wasn't great and it was mostly a silhouette. I took a short video but I'm not sure you'd know what was going on without some context.
This was my first time catching a Flamingo Parade start, I kind of wish I'd have followed it myself but I was with someone and didn't think they'd want to follow on to it. It was still cool to see them leave the Formal Pool and step out with the keepers, although I prefer watching them at the Formal Pool than seeing them in the Swamp.
Also passed while a Penguin Encounter was in progress in The Living Coast and that was fun to watch. Four or five humboldt penguins were participating, and one of the guests was able to pet one a little. I'd always had trouble imagining how one of these went but now I've seen it. It was fun to watch from the sidelines and I'd love to try one of these encounters someday.
Updates
- The Eyelash viper was marked as off-display at The Swamp and the Utila island iguana had the 'this animal is off display while we heupdated the habitat' style sign.
- The Puerto Rican boa is still off-display in Feathers and Scales. I think this one has been off all year.
- The black and rufous elephant shrew had no sign but seemed to be deliberately off display, with the door shut between their enclosure.
- The lighting over the former wombat enclosure seemed a little better, but the sign is still there to say there are none.
Observations and Notes
- Tropic World felt a bit more lively this time than last, even without the orangutans. I did manage to see the capuchins (unsure which?) although they stuck to the back of the exhibit away from the squirrel monkeys, and further luck with the tamarins. I also saw the small-clawed otters on the bridge and active gibbons. Africa feels dead lately though.
- Briefly saw the small-clawed otters on the bridge in the back of Tropic World Asia. I wasn't sure they could reach that high in the exhibit. From a distance, for a second ,you'd think you were seeing a rat run across.
- One polar bear sighed today, using the water but kind of just chilling, similar to how I saw Kali at Toledo earlier this year, rather than really swimming, and then got out of the water and left.
- There was a Hycanith Macaw who looked as if it had plucked all of its feathers aside from the wings and head. I was honestly a lot more disturbed by this than I'd have expected.
- The Formal Pool only had one pelican today - is the zoo down to only one?
- I did catch the Black-faced Ibis in The Swamp, what a neat addition! That first habitat has really bounced back from how near empty it was a couple years ago.
- After previously expressing so much concern about missing Pistachio the Kemp's ridley sea turtle on my previous two visits, I can report I did sight her today and she seemed alive and well, but she was not visible for a while before or after. I'm really curious how she hides!
- In The Forest, one red-flanked duiker was inside and another out.
- The wolves were visible and kept popping out of the grass for a moment, then disappearing again, was particularly interesting to see them from behind the outside fences rather than just through the cabin glass.
- Skipped: Reptiles and Birds, Hamill Family Wild Encounters, Dolphin Underwater Viewing
- Missed: Yellow-billed stork, North American river otter, bettong, clouded leopard, bat-eared fox, sloth bear..
Building History note
As a quick historical note, I've had the historical versus present day layout of Feathers and Scales completely wrong for years. I had everything on the wrong wall in my head this whole time. The current desert habitat used to be the penguin area, the larger viewing area in back used to just be a swamp display for aquatic birds, and the Rabb tribute is in front of the former Kiwi enclosure. I wonder if that is part of why that area has not been installed with a new exhibit?
Trip Report
The brown bears were very active and easily the highlight of the day. One of the bears briefly wandered into the 'indoor' den area which was really cool - just inches from guests. They did a little playfighting as well.
We went through Tropical Forests twice, and it's a little easier to gather thoughts now. The exhibits are definitely becoming more lush, which is great to see, and all ten spider monkeys were outside and highly active, almost too much for good photos - this spot feels like the spiritual successor to departed Baboon Island. I completely missed orangutans both indoors and outdoors again and am getting kind of annoyed about it. Can confirm the gibbon-orangutan ropes are gone. The indoor enclosure is a bit bigger than I gave it credit, I think I spent too much of my last visit looking at it from the 'entrance' side and not after the bend, where the size is more apparent, although I do stand by a lot of my criticism. My least favorite part of the complex on review might be how narrow the last gorilla viewing area - this is where the family troop is, so usually the most active part of the complex, and I always find myself wanting to rush out due to the congestion.
The Grove is open and as much as I doubted the concept, it actually works pretty well. While the area used to feel a bit like a messy, understated transition between the South American plaza up to Great Bear Wilderness' closed loop here, with the bison yard visible there and Tropic World kind of this big dividing line and the playground as a necessary aside, but the construction of the Gorilla Conservation Center and reinvigoration of the Formal Pool since the addition of flamingos have made it a really buzzy and active area, the bison yard is now very visible from the area too, there's a nearby sales cart, and with the lack of seating at Great Bear Wilderness and the higher concentration of guest amenities and exhibits it just feels kind of right?
I spent some time inside Habitat Africa! The Kopje but kind of got too caught up with the White-cheeked turaco and completely forgot to check on the dwarf mongoose pups and white-throated monitors. Oops. Also forgot to stop and observe the dik-dik. Great look at the Nyala though. The Savannah Overlook is becoming one of my favorite spots again though. Feel like I didn't know it existed for years. One of the giraffes appeared to be pacing between the indoor and outdoor exhibits, behind the structure I can't explain. Made for a funny photo. I've had a weird, funny luck this year with spotting giraffes kind of in between their holding areas at both Chicago zoos.
One of the koalas was awake and eating - it was great to finally see the species active! Unfortunately, it was the one in the exhibit closer to the window, so the viewing wasn't great and it was mostly a silhouette. I took a short video but I'm not sure you'd know what was going on without some context.
This was my first time catching a Flamingo Parade start, I kind of wish I'd have followed it myself but I was with someone and didn't think they'd want to follow on to it. It was still cool to see them leave the Formal Pool and step out with the keepers, although I prefer watching them at the Formal Pool than seeing them in the Swamp.
Also passed while a Penguin Encounter was in progress in The Living Coast and that was fun to watch. Four or five humboldt penguins were participating, and one of the guests was able to pet one a little. I'd always had trouble imagining how one of these went but now I've seen it. It was fun to watch from the sidelines and I'd love to try one of these encounters someday.
Updates
- The Eyelash viper was marked as off-display at The Swamp and the Utila island iguana had the 'this animal is off display while we heupdated the habitat' style sign.
- The Puerto Rican boa is still off-display in Feathers and Scales. I think this one has been off all year.
- The black and rufous elephant shrew had no sign but seemed to be deliberately off display, with the door shut between their enclosure.
- The lighting over the former wombat enclosure seemed a little better, but the sign is still there to say there are none.
Observations and Notes
- Tropic World felt a bit more lively this time than last, even without the orangutans. I did manage to see the capuchins (unsure which?) although they stuck to the back of the exhibit away from the squirrel monkeys, and further luck with the tamarins. I also saw the small-clawed otters on the bridge and active gibbons. Africa feels dead lately though.
- Briefly saw the small-clawed otters on the bridge in the back of Tropic World Asia. I wasn't sure they could reach that high in the exhibit. From a distance, for a second ,you'd think you were seeing a rat run across.
- One polar bear sighed today, using the water but kind of just chilling, similar to how I saw Kali at Toledo earlier this year, rather than really swimming, and then got out of the water and left.
- There was a Hycanith Macaw who looked as if it had plucked all of its feathers aside from the wings and head. I was honestly a lot more disturbed by this than I'd have expected.
- The Formal Pool only had one pelican today - is the zoo down to only one?
- I did catch the Black-faced Ibis in The Swamp, what a neat addition! That first habitat has really bounced back from how near empty it was a couple years ago.
- After previously expressing so much concern about missing Pistachio the Kemp's ridley sea turtle on my previous two visits, I can report I did sight her today and she seemed alive and well, but she was not visible for a while before or after. I'm really curious how she hides!
- In The Forest, one red-flanked duiker was inside and another out.
- The wolves were visible and kept popping out of the grass for a moment, then disappearing again, was particularly interesting to see them from behind the outside fences rather than just through the cabin glass.
- Skipped: Reptiles and Birds, Hamill Family Wild Encounters, Dolphin Underwater Viewing
- Missed: Yellow-billed stork, North American river otter, bettong, clouded leopard, bat-eared fox, sloth bear..
Building History note
As a quick historical note, I've had the historical versus present day layout of Feathers and Scales completely wrong for years. I had everything on the wrong wall in my head this whole time. The current desert habitat used to be the penguin area, the larger viewing area in back used to just be a swamp display for aquatic birds, and the Rabb tribute is in front of the former Kiwi enclosure. I wonder if that is part of why that area has not been installed with a new exhibit?
I had previously noticed stereotypical behavior before but had a discussion with a keeper about how some of the birds were rescued pets and retained some of their social and developmental problems from that, and excused it for a while, but this is too much now. The whole thing is so confusing and disappointing. Brookfield seems committed to progressive animal welfare in every other respect and this lead me to presume, incorrectly, that there was a plan for the macaws beyond leaving them on sticks indefinitely, which does not appear to be the case for at least a decade.
It's also unfortunate because macaws are beautiful birds and absolutely should have a place at Brookfield Zoo.
Shame they can't put sloths or koalas on the sticks instead.
For a couple of neurotic former pets the current set up is far from the worst thing, especially since they’re only out there for several hours during the day. My biggest issue with it is the message it sends to the general public. Many visitors probably walk by these “exhibits” and think it’s perfectly fine to keep highly intelligent birds like decorative ornaments, which risks perpetuating the very mindset which led to the observed behavioral issues. I sincerely hope the zoo will reconsider things in the future and construct a proper aviary.
Are they there only for a few hours a day? The greenwing macaws that were in Reptiles and Birds for 10+ years only had a small stand of branches to perch on and couldn't access the rest of the room or the ground. The indoor macaw room now is also just a bunch of sticks over a sandy floor and all the birds are clipped, AFAIK they're never anywhere but this room or the sticks outside.