Dallas Zoo Dallas Zoo News 2009

jbnbsn99 said:
Would be interested to know what you think
about the renovation that took place for the Ghosts of the Bayou.
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Sorry, didn't see this post.

Great seeing the white alligator, and I thought they did a good job of re-designing the rainforest aviary to fit these animals.

I do wish that instead of housing all the birds formerly in there plus others in those cages in the reptile building, they should've built a larger rainforest aviary and removed all those cages especially the glass-fronted ones...They're quite small even for the smaller species.

Maybe a future project? I hope so...
 
Any news on when the building of Giants of the Savannah exhibit will start?
Which African elephants are still due before (talk of 2 more for Jenny and Gypsy)? Will they house only elderly non-reproductive or is breeding part of the plan (in other words housing for a mature bull provided or not)?

Whereas, I recognise a white alligator may be an instant hit with Joe Average .... Would it not be better for the Bayou exhibit to start with Crocodylus acutus (these are not exactly numerous anywhere) and a little bit more conservation value)? :confused:
 
Giants of the Savanna is well underway and moving quicker than anyone at the zoo has ever seen a project move. When I was last there on Sunday a good majority of the new elephant barn (60%?) was complete, today it maybe more! We will be capable of housing a bull and I believe that there is every attempt to be a breeding facility.

While I would have loved to have seen American crocodiles as well, they actually wouldn't have fit in with a Bayou exhibit. They bayou is a Louisiana themed exhibit and American Crocs can only be found in the USA in the very southern tip of Florida. That said the exhibit has been a big hit and I have been working over there from time to time. My only complaint is that it is a literal greenhouse and freakin' hot!
 
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Kifaru Bwana said:
Any news on when the building of Giants of the Savannah exhibit will start?
Which African elephants are still due before (talk of 2 more for Jenny and Gypsy)? Will they house only elderly non-reproductive or is breeding part of the plan (in other words housing for a mature bull provided or not)?
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Mama and Stumpy, two females from African Country Safari in Florida, are also due to arrive soon. However, they are non-breeders.
 
Most zoo are run by the city (i.e. the government) however some zoos have private zoological societies that run them like the Grater Los Angeles Zoo Association, the Chicago Zoological Society, or the Wildlife Conservation Society (New York Zoos and Aquariums). I actually believe it's beneficial to have a private society so the government doesn't have direct control.
 
ColumbusZoo001 said:
Most zoo are run by the city (i.e. the government) however some zoos have private zoological societies that run them like the Grater Los Angeles Zoo Association, the Chicago Zoological Society, or the Wildlife Conservation Society (New York Zoos and Aquariums). I actually believe it's beneficial to have a private society so the government doesn't have direct control.
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Actually LA Zoo is run by the City, and GLAZA is a "partner" that operates fundraising and some concessions to support the zoo. It has long been an unhappy and inefficient arrangement, although I understand greatly improved now. One of the reasons the LA zoo has taken so long and spent so much money (for relatively little) on capital improvements is that it is all run through/by the City of LA, which is hugely inefficient and wasteful.
 
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ColumbusZoo001 said:
Most zoo are run by the city (i.e. the government) ...
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I wonder how true that is?
So many zoos have privatized in recent years.
One of us ought to go through the AZA membership and see exactly what percentage of zoos are government run.

For example, in NYC: The Bronx Zoo is owned and run by WCS. Central Park, Prospect Park and Queens are owned by the City but run entirely by WCS. Nashville Zoo is private. Miami Metrozoo is County owned and run but funding assistance from the zoo society. It's complicated.
 
reduakari said:
Actually LA Zoo is run by the City, and GLAZA is a "partner" that operates fundraising and some concessions to support the zoo. It has long been an unhappy and inefficient arrangement, although I understand greatly improved now. One of the reasons the LA zoo has taken so long and spent so much money (for relatively little) on capital improvements is that it is all run through/by the City of LA, which is hugely inefficient and wasteful.
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Yeah, although recently there has been talks about giving full control to GLAZA, but nobody knows if it will happen or not.
 
Interesting topic and predicament for Dallas (to give up city control). Here in Tucson we have two zoos, one city owned and one private and they both seem to work equally well. The zoo where I volunteer (Reid Park Zoo) is city owned, all keepers and head staff are city employees, but concessions and membership are run by non-profit Tucson Zoological Society. Here, it seems to work quite well. We have lots of support from the city. In fact, our new elephant exansion that should break ground next year is being funded 50% by city and 50% by Zoological Society.

The private zoo here, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, is of course excellent but improvements go very slowly due to pressures of raising funds without tax support. (Life On The Rocks, which is a relatively small exhibit with only small animals, took almost a decade to complete).
 
The situation in Boise is similar to that in Reid Park. The animal care staff are city employees, the education staff are Friends of Zoo Boise employees, and the directors salary is split between the two. The city owns the grounds and the facilities, and FOZB owns the animals. They share costs for capital improvements. An outside company runs the front gate and the retail.
 
It is going to be a few very weird weeks for us. I'm not sure I can comment on more. If anyone is interested in details just PM me.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
It is going to be a few very weird weeks for us. I'm not sure I can comment on more. If anyone is interested in details just PM me.
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I hope it is easier for Dallas than it was for Houston when they did it. The zoo staff, all city employees, had to decide whether to walk away from their City tenure and retirement to work now for the zoo. Many left.
 
Is there an estimated opening date for Giants Of The Savannah (something more specific than just 2010)? MOLA is opening in February at Fort Worth Zoo and it would be great if Dallas new exhibit was close to that date.

I have planned a couple of previous trips for our docents to southern California and am contemplating a trip to Dallas/Ft Worth in spring 2010 - but only if Savannah will be open by then.
 
I wish I knew something more specific. I know the planned move in dates for some of the animals will be early spring, but for an official opening I can't say.
 
New Savanna update

Looks like the zoo's website has been updated with new pics and info on the Savanna. One change has occurred. The wilds dogs are going to be replaced with cheetahs.
 
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