Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Como Park Zoo News

Other 2021 News:

On January 14th, the zoo announced that they have acquired (0.2) blue-eyed black lemurs named West and Poehler from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina in December 2020.

Huddle and Cuddle - Como Friends

On April 29th, the zoo announced they have moved their saltwater reef tank from the Aquatics building to the Tropical Encounters building.

Como Live: Saltwater Tank

On October 1st, the zoo announced a new exhibit named "Wolves & Wild Lands in the 21st Century" has opened in the exhibit gallery section of the Visitor Center.

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"Wolves & Wild Lands" Traveling Exhibit Now Open! - Como Zoo Conservatory
 
Other 2021 News:

On January 14th, the zoo announced that they have acquired (0.2) blue-eyed black lemurs named West and Poehler from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina in December 2020.

Huddle and Cuddle - Como Friends

On April 29th, the zoo announced they have moved their saltwater reef tank from the Aquatics building to the Tropical Encounters building.

Como Live: Saltwater Tank

On October 1st, the zoo announced a new exhibit named "Wolves & Wild Lands in the 21st Century" has opened in the exhibit gallery section of the Visitor Center.

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"Wolves & Wild Lands" Traveling Exhibit Now Open! - Como Zoo Conservatory
I thought the saltwater tank was already in Tropical Encounters?
 
On May 24th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) Grant's zebra was born on the night of May 23rd-May 24th.

Como Zoo Welcomes Baby Zebra - Como Zoo Conservatory

The Grant’s zebra foal is a filly and has been named Aurora:

Como Zoo in St. Paul Finally Names Newest Baby Zebra

The name is a nod to Minnesota’s women-led and community-owned pre-professional women’s soccer team,and that choice ran away with the vote amassing 50% of the votes. Other name options were Subira and Izara, which each raked in 25% of the vote.

The herd at Como Zoo now consists of four zebras: Ulysses, Thelma, Minnie, and Aurora.
 
A couple of minor notes from a recent visit. Some of these may not be too new as I haven't visited in the past year:

In the African Hoofstock building
-Veiled Chameleon is now on exhibit in the former Meller's Chameleon enclosure
-The three "tree trunk" vivaria on the Antelope/Zebra side have been connected with tubes and the Spiny Mice can access all three. Two of these formerly held inverts.
-The "tree trunk" vivaria on the Giraffe side are still not finished or occupied

In the Aquatics building
-the former main indoor pinniped exhibit (no longer needed since Como Harbor opened) is now apparently decommissioned but no work has begun on planned conversion to aquarium exhibition space
-the Giant Octopus tank has sea stars and anemones on exhibit, but no octopus as of yet
-the "Caribbean" cylinder tank is now complete and has the following species: Volitans Lionfish, Red Squirrelfish, Queen Angelfish, Sargassum Triggerfish, and Tangs (either Atlantic Blue, Doctorfish, or both; can't quite remember).
-the "Hawaiian" cylinder tank is now complete and has the following species: Rabbitfish sp., Lemonpeel Angelfish, Clown Triggerfish, Palette Tang, Talbot's Damselfish, and Humbug Damselfish.
If I can editorialize a bit the latter two struck me as a bit too similar in look and species makeup to both one another and to the smaller cylinder marine tank in Tropical Encounters. Seems to me the zoo could have devoted one of these three exhibits to midsize reef fish, and used the other two for different types of organisms or different habitats.
 
A couple of minor notes from a recent visit. Some of these may not be too new as I haven't visited in the past year:

In the African Hoofstock building
-Veiled Chameleon is now on exhibit in the former Meller's Chameleon enclosure
-The three "tree trunk" vivaria on the Antelope/Zebra side have been connected with tubes and the Spiny Mice can access all three. Two of these formerly held inverts.
-The "tree trunk" vivaria on the Giraffe side are still not finished or occupied

In the Aquatics building
-the former main indoor pinniped exhibit (no longer needed since Como Harbor opened) is now apparently decommissioned but no work has begun on planned conversion to aquarium exhibition space
-the Giant Octopus tank has sea stars and anemones on exhibit, but no octopus as of yet
-the "Caribbean" cylinder tank is now complete and has the following species: Volitans Lionfish, Red Squirrelfish, Queen Angelfish, Sargassum Triggerfish, and Tangs (either Atlantic Blue, Doctorfish, or both; can't quite remember).
-the "Hawaiian" cylinder tank is now complete and has the following species: Rabbitfish sp., Lemonpeel Angelfish, Clown Triggerfish, Palette Tang, Talbot's Damselfish, and Humbug Damselfish.
If I can editorialize a bit the latter two struck me as a bit too similar in look and species makeup to both one another and to the smaller cylinder marine tank in Tropical Encounters. Seems to me the zoo could have devoted one of these three exhibits to midsize reef fish, and used the other two for different types of organisms or different habitats.
I wonder if those terrariums in the Giraffe House will ever see occupants. Seems strange they’d make those exhibits and then never use them.

Glad to see the cylinder tanks finally have inhabitants! The exhibits themselves have been pretty much complete for almost a year now, but haven’t held anything up until now.
 
Yes, it would be for Orangutans. The specific list of projects is here:
https://mn.gov/mmb/budget/capital-budget/current/
That said, it's up to the legislature to decide which projects to fund and usually it winds up that half of the items from the Governor's list are included.


Here is the text from the budget proposal:

The Governor recommends $13.776 million for a grant to the City of St. Paul to predesign, design, and construct the Phase I Entry Exhibit project at the Como Zoo. This project will provide an addition and renovate the entry exhibit area of the Como Zoo, provide an expanded outdoor animal habitat area for the orangutans, build a new indoor habitat for the orangutans, provide energy efficient building upgrades, and make ADA compliance improvements. The total project cost is $13.776 million.

Are they referring to the orangutan exhibit as the "Entry Exhibit", or is the entry exhibit a separate unspecified exhibit in addition to the orangs?
 
Here is the text from the budget proposal:



Are they referring to the orangutan exhibit as the "Entry Exhibit", or is the entry exhibit a separate unspecified exhibit in addition to the orangs?
I'm not sure unfortunately. The current entry exhibit is the flamingo/waterfowl yard, which is right next to the orangutan exhibit. I don't think the zoo has released any renderings or landscape plans that might provide clarity.
 
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