Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati Zoo News 2019

Echobeast said:
I agree that this exhibit could be so much more and even compared to other Australia walkthrough exhibits, this seems to be majorly lacking. No emus, cassowaries, tree kangaroos, koalas, budgies, lories, or other common species seen in similar exhibits built before. The penguin exhibit will make it unique but that still makes it only 2-3 species in total where Wildlife Canyon had twice that in the same space with large hoof stock. It will bring in a lot of families and the ropes course seems real cool. So overall, I understand why they went with the species they did but it’s still slightly disappointing.
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Heck, it's already less interesting than when the Children's Zoo was an Australia exhibit for a few months. It had lorikeets (outside of the Children's Zoo), geese, penguins, kookaburras, an emu exhibit, koalas, a small aquarium, a cockatoo, and a walk through kangaroo area
 
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Moebelle said:
Heck, it's already less interesting than when the Children's Zoo was an Australia exhibit for a few months. It had lorikeets (outside of the Children's Zoo), geese, penguins, kookaburras, an emu exhibit, koalas, a small aquarium, a cockatoo, and a walk through kangaroo area
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While this is true, it is also a perfect example of the "bunch of smaller than ideal enclosures for a wider range of species" that I discussed earlier. Other than the "permanent" penguin and walk-through aviary, how many of those temporary exhibits were really adequate for the animals they housed? The former crowned lemur exhibit that was used for the kookaburras was a good size and the former cockatoo exhibit provided more perching than either of the current islands, but the rest were basic at best... As such, I stand by my opinion stated in my prior posts (#37 and #39). I'd love to see a wider range of species, I would, but I dislike the idea of seeing another Night Hunters-style exhibit even more.
 
Do you think Roo Valley's size is part of an attempt to encourage more red kangaroo breeding? I know the Red Kangaroo SSP is at the yellow level, and I think the AZA really wants that to change.
 
Kudu21 said:
How many of those temporary exhibits were really adequate for the animals they housed? The former crowned lemur exhibit that was used for the kookaburras was a good size and the former cockatoo exhibit provided more perching than either of the current islands, but the rest were basic at best
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Yes but we're talking about 2020 standards, not 2006;) plus twice the space than before.
 
Regarding Roo Valley, I am glad about the Little Penguin exhibit, the ropes course is great for families(I know NC zoo had one that was great for families in the area), and the Kangaroo exhibit seems adequate, though average. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have a few more Australian exhibits, even though much of the famous Australian Wildlife is either very hard to obtain or wouldn’t fit in remaining space. Maybe instead of a Beer Garden (which seems like a bad idea right beside the area where you can pet kangaroos), they could make a small Australian Reptile/Insect house with an improved area for Kookaburras outside.
 
Nate Brother said:
Regarding Roo Valley, I am glad about the Little Penguin exhibit, the ropes course is great for families(I know NC zoo had one that was great for families in the area), and the Kangaroo exhibit seems adequate, though average. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have a few more Australian exhibits, even though much of the famous Australian Wildlife is either very hard to obtain or wouldn’t fit in remaining space. Maybe instead of a Beer Garden (which seems like a bad idea right beside the area where you can pet kangaroos), they could make a small Australian Reptile/Insect house with an improved area for Kookaburras outside.
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But I think something we should all remember is that, unless @Kudu21 is secretly Thayne Maynard or something, we don’t know the full plans and inner workings of the project, so we don’t have the full story
 
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Moebelle said:
Yes but we're talking about 2020 standards, not 2006;) plus twice the space than before.
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I still have my reservations as to whether any major additions to the plans for Roo Valley would not have resulted in exactly what I described given the spatial restrictions of the canyon and the amount of "dead space" in the current plans. Below I have demarcated the boundaries of the future walkabout and penguin exhibits (red and blue, respectively), the biergarten (orange/yellow), and the picnic area/event space (green), as well as the existing flight cage (purple) for easier interpretation. When it is all laid out and clearly marked, there is little space leftover, and any reductions to the size of either planned exhibit would make them quite small for their intended purposes. The pathways take up a lot of space, but they needed reworked in order to be properly accessible for everyone, the biergarten will be a good new source of revenue, and the new picnic area/event space will be much needed when the zoo loses a large chunk of the current space devoted to that purpose with the development of Elephant Trek over the current Safari Camp.

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Roo Valley is not ideal, with its tried and true concept and lack of species diversity, but it is a very practical solution for a very tricky site that combines an engaging experience with charismatic species and amenities for visitors. While it might not be a drawcard for ZooChatters, it will no doubt be a huge hit with families and draw in visitors and revenue to fund the zoo's future projects, which will hopefully be more exciting for all of us. I do sincerely hope that we will see some additional species added to the plans, whether it be birds mixed into the walkabout or some terrariums and/or aquariums in the holding buildings as the plans come to fruition, but only time will tell.
 
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jayjds2 said:
What do you suggest then, for an innovative exhibit? What will bring in as many visitors as a new walkthrough exhibit, creating opportunities for visitors to interact with animals?
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I feel like there could be like Tasmanian Devils or maybe have the kangaroos and wallabies mixed in with some bird species or other marsupials. I didn’t mean the exhibit design was bad but I think that Roo walkabout should have more of a diverse collection of species.
 
The former python exhibit in Night Hunters that has previously held pottos now holds a single female Three-Banded Armadillo.

A single Garnett's Galago has been put on exhibit in the old Potto pair exhibit in Jungle Trails West. The zoo now has only a single Potto on display with the lone Bamboo Lemur

A Turquoise Blue Dwarf Gecko and Aruba Island Rattlesnake have gone onto exhibit in the Reptile House
 
Grant said:
I don't know. I know that the future of Pottos in zoos in general is somewhat unknown though.
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I think it's unlikely that pottos will exist in N. American zoos in the long term, unless current trends in nocturnal mammal keeping change. Pottos have outlasted some other unusual, lesser-known species due to the commitment of the few facilities still keeping them, but the population is nowhere close to large enough to be sustainable.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
I think it's unlikely that pottos will exist in N. American zoos in the long term, unless current trends in nocturnal mammal keeping change. Pottos have outlasted some other unusual, lesser-known species due to the commitment of the few facilities still keeping them, but the population is nowhere close to large enough to be sustainable.
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Thats very true unfortunately. There are only 11 left in 4 zoos.
 
I hope Roo Valley features wedge-tailed eagles, Tasmanian devils, wombats, koalas, and really cool, takahe, kakapos, or even tuataras!
 
LesulaMonkey said:
I hope Roo Valley features wedge-tailed eagles, Tasmanian devils, wombats, koalas, and really cool, takahe, kakapos, or even tuataras!
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All those species are off deck, with takahe and kakapos not even a chance. Wedge-tailed eagles would have abslutely no room. Wombats and koalas could be accomodated, though if they aren't outlined in plans now, it probably won't happen.
 
Kakapos and takahes outside NZ are of course absolutely impossible for now, but why do you think that wedge-tailed eagles would have no room? A number of non-australian zoos (overall falconry places) have this species (I suppose somebody breeds them?), and unlike the other two birds, it's a common species in the wild...
 
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