Greensboro Science Center Greensboro Science Center: News & Expansion Updates
- Thread starter nczoofan
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Jaggar has gone to Nashville. Greensboro received female, Huntley from Nashville in exchange for him. So each institution now has 1.1
Great news. Greensboro wanted a female but tbh I didn't expect it so soon.
I was at odds here. Had to check back, Sumatran tiger exchange it is.
The tigers got to Greensboro last year.
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Heres a link to a preview video for Revolution Ridge opening in May. All the exhibits bar the flamingos seem to be done. The last work remaining seems to be landscaping and paving walkways.
Heres a link to a preview video for Revolution Ridge opening in May. All the exhibits bar the flamingos seem to be done. The last work remaining seems to be landscaping and paving walkways.
Greensboro Science Center chose to borrow more money to complete its zoo expansion. Was it the right move?
Major expansion at Greensboro Science Center brings new animals, a colony of treehouses and lots of technology and science
The Greensboro Science Center just revealed they went into about 6 million in debt from their expansion. Double what they initially expected, due to the pandemic. They decided the debts would have been even higher if they stopped the project during the pandemic, so they trudged on. The article also mentions how the center continued to pay all of their employees last year, using its cash reserves. Attendance did not drop as much as expected as well. So a mixed financial picture, although given the rate of growth of the center I doubt they will have future troubles with this debt.
The second article mentions that while the zoo still plans for the same four cat species, they do not have black-footed cats lined up yet. The facility is looking into importing captive-bred cats from South Africa potentially. The zoo has a temporary plan for the space though "If the black-footed cats don’t arrive in time for the grand opening, Dobrogosz said the center may partner with a local animal rescue to foster cats and display them in the space for potential adoption."
In the animal hospital the center will have space for breeding freshwater mussels for reintroduction in the region.
The article also includes some pictures of the exhibits from last week. Note these are not all complete. Climbing structures are still to come.
Fishing Cat Outdoor Exhibit
Red Panda Outdoor Exhibit (1/2 of it. The other half is across the path)
Red Panda Indoor Exhibit
Another shot of the Red Panda Exhibit
Pygmy Hippo Outdoor Exhibit
Tree House Village
Windows for visitors at new Animal Hospital
Major expansion at Greensboro Science Center brings new animals, a colony of treehouses and lots of technology and science
The Greensboro Science Center just revealed they went into about 6 million in debt from their expansion. Double what they initially expected, due to the pandemic. They decided the debts would have been even higher if they stopped the project during the pandemic, so they trudged on. The article also mentions how the center continued to pay all of their employees last year, using its cash reserves. Attendance did not drop as much as expected as well. So a mixed financial picture, although given the rate of growth of the center I doubt they will have future troubles with this debt.
The second article mentions that while the zoo still plans for the same four cat species, they do not have black-footed cats lined up yet. The facility is looking into importing captive-bred cats from South Africa potentially. The zoo has a temporary plan for the space though "If the black-footed cats don’t arrive in time for the grand opening, Dobrogosz said the center may partner with a local animal rescue to foster cats and display them in the space for potential adoption."
In the animal hospital the center will have space for breeding freshwater mussels for reintroduction in the region.
The article also includes some pictures of the exhibits from last week. Note these are not all complete. Climbing structures are still to come.
Fishing Cat Outdoor Exhibit
Red Panda Outdoor Exhibit (1/2 of it. The other half is across the path)
Red Panda Indoor Exhibit
Another shot of the Red Panda Exhibit
Pygmy Hippo Outdoor Exhibit
Tree House Village
Windows for visitors at new Animal Hospital
If they could import black-footed cats to increase the gene pool that would be fantastic.
They seem pretty committed to the species. They first suggested getting them back in 2014/2015 and still want them. I hope they can do it.
Also with the red pandas and fishing cats (2 exhibits) moving soon I wonder what will fill those spaces.
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What is your opinion of the new exhibit complex from what you have seen of it? It looks like this zoo has set itself up as a nice complement to the North Carolina Zoo, at least in terms of species exhibited.
From what I have seen so far it’s a fairly high quality complex that will make the center more of a full day attraction (ok maybe a 3 hour attraction but still). It complements the existing outdoor zoo well. I know that initially they may have planned to stuff more species on the site but then a federally protected wetland and stream was discovered, and I applaud them for adapting to it and using it as a key feature.
The exhibits are not naturalistic in the way one would see at the nearby NC Zoo (40 minutes South with no traffic). But they are pretty nicely sized and have animal welfare at the center of the design. I also enjoy that almost all the animals will have indoor viewing (hippos will have underwater viewing of their indoor space).
The zoo was very clear throughout the process that they choose species never before kept in the state. While they never explicitly said it, they definitely did not want to stop on the larger zoos toes. Personally I believe locals can distinguish the institutions. Greensboro is more geared towards families with young kids and is a shorter experience, lacking the largest of ABC’s, while NC is essentially a mega-zoo that covers all the bases.
I’m just happy to see the meteoric growth of rhe center continue. Just 14 years ago they opened the first half of the outdoor zoo. Before then they had just a few native animals outdoors to my knowledge. And now they have an aquarium, penguins, Komodo dragon, Okapi, 5 species of cat, Red Panda, Javan Gibbon, Pygmy Hippo, Cassowary, lemur, fossa, and many more species.
Sorry for the rant but I am a bit excited to see the center propose something and fully follow through with it
Any place that focuses on adding small cats gets my approval. In fact I almost booked my June vacation out there to see the new exhibit, along with NC Zoo and Virginia Safari Park (for king cheetahs). I decided to join another photographer in Sequoia instead, but I still may head out that way next year.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
It just got delayed to June 4th with a member preview on the 3rd. This will give the animals more time to adjust to their new homes and will make sure the Sand Cat and Southern Ground Hornbills (How are going to go on exhibit with Bakari the Okapi) arrive in time for the grand opening. A male black-footed cat that was just born at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas is hopefully going to arrive at the GSC when he is old enough to be separated from his mother (In about 4-5 months)
Any new bird species would be great considering how few they have
Any idea what they will put in old fishing cat and red panda exhibits?
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
They have been silent on both, however by the looks of the Gateway Project (Their master plan for the center) designs that whole area by the current Red Panda habitat will become a secondary exhibit for the Javan Gibbons connected to the main habitat by mesh tubes. The renovation of the gibbon habitat will make the main part WAY more lush and will even add a big water feature. This will be here because their Asian Small-clawed Otters will move in with them, which then raises the question: what will replace them in the aquarium.
From the zoos Facebook page it seems that the sand cats will have an indoor only exhibit as expected. All other cats will have indoor and outdoor displays. Should be better photography though compared to the NC Zoo as this will not be nocturnal. Hopefully the pair at the NC Zoo can breed again this year.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
Hopefully!!!