Detroit Zoo Detroit Zoo News 2021

Any tips on what to see at DZ this time of year? going to visit when I'm home for the holidays
The Holden Reptile Conservation Center, National Amphibian Conservation Center, indoor Butterfly Garden, and Matilda Wilson Free-Flight Aviary are all open (though sadly the Polk Penguin Conservation Center currently is not). There is also a very small building between the rhinos and macaques where you can see a sloth and some fruit bats in addition to an African rock python.

There are numerous animals outdoors that are likely to be active in cold weather, including the Bactrian camels, Amur tigers, red pandas, Japanese macaques, Grizzly bears, polar bears, sea otters, river otters, wolves, bison, bald eagles, and prairie dogs. Some additional ones such as the lions may be outside when it’s not so brutally cold. There is indoor viewing for the great apes, rhinos, and giraffes.
 
Just came back from Zoo Lights. Including seeing the Photographer of the Year gallery (which I strongly recommend, it was great) it took about 1.5 hours to see everything.

The path goes by the otters, beavers, camel/elk/Thorold's deer, and giant anteater exhibits. Of course, being nighttime and cold, only the beavers and camels were out and about.

There is signage introducing a new giant anteater, Maya.
 
Just came back from Zoo Lights. Including seeing the Photographer of the Year gallery (which I strongly recommend, it was great) it took about 1.5 hours to see everything.

The path goes by the otters, beavers, camel/elk/Thorold's deer, and giant anteater exhibits. Of course, being nighttime and cold, only the beavers and camels were out and about.

There is signage introducing a new giant anteater, Maya.
I’m hoping to finally see the beavers this year.
 
Wait, is the penguin center still not open? I thought it was reopening in like, July. What the hell is taking them so long?! :eek:
I don’t remember all the details, and perhaps someone else here could elaborate on them more, but basically there was some issue with the building’s infrastructure so it closed for repairs in September 2019 and was anticipated to reopen in June of the next year. However, it has obviously been greatly delayed, possibly because of the pandemic and/or renovations just taking longer to do than anticipated, and evidently they’re still not quite finished after two-plus years.
 
I don’t remember all the details, and perhaps someone else here could elaborate on them more...
Pretty much what happened was there were about 9 gallons of groundwater leaking into the building every day and being pumped into the tank. The contractor ended up being sued because he/she knew about the issue when the building was still being constructed but decided not to do anything about it.
 
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