Henry Vilas Zoo Henry Vilas Zoo News 2023

Other 2023 News:

On May 17th, the zoo announced that they acquired (0.0.3) domestic goats (breed(s) not specified) which will be on exhibit in a few weeks.

Henry Vilas Zoo

On May 18th, it was reported that the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is ending its contract relationship with the zoo at the end of June due to increasing demand for its veterinarians grew beyond what the school could commit to as well as the fact that the zoo would hire its own in-house vet.

It was also reported that a former lead veterinary technician alleged that the partnership between the university and the zoo provided inconsistent care to the animals and health issues slipped through the cracks. Examples the technician notes include 4 different UV vets seeing a skunk that, unaware to the vets, had congestive heart problems and died of congestive heart failure, as well as a (1.0) generic giraffe named Eddie had an abnormal gait which was only noticed by a visiting vet outside of what the zoo hired. The zoo has denied these accusations.

UW vet school ends contract with Henry Vilas Zoo; new allegations from former employee highlight issues with the relationship

AnonGibbon said:
Three black and white ruffed lemurs born to mom Morombe

"OH BABY!! We are thrilled to announce the birth of three critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs. Mom Morombe gave birth on April 25th just three days after her 13th birthday. All three infants weighed less than 100 grams, which is approximately the weight of a medium sized tomato, at the time of their birth. Morombe gave birth to one male and two females."

Link
Click to expand...

On June 6th, the zoo announced the names of the lemurs: Masoandro, Rahona, and Volana.

Our lemur babies have names! These black and white ruffed lemurs were born on April 25 and are growing quickly! There were two females and one male born to mom, Morombe. All three were given Malagasy names. Malagasy is the language spoken in Madagascar where lemurs are found in the wild. Their names are: female Volana (VOO-luh-nuh) which means “moon,” male Masoandro (MAH-soon-AHN-droo) which means “sun,” and Rahona (RAO (like round) nuh) which means “cloud.” | Henry Vilas Zoo | Yevhen Lokhmatov · Happy And Cute
 
In addition to the new bison, the zoo has "found a camel" - no date is known yet for when the camel will arrive.

Lily the otter will be leaving for another zoo.

Following their quarantine, an owl, baby goats, and turkeys will be on exhibit.
 
AnonGibbon said:
In addition to the new bison, the zoo has "found a camel" - no date is known yet for when the camel will arrive.

Lily the otter will be leaving for another zoo.

Following their quarantine, an owl, baby goats, and turkeys will be on exhibit.
Click to expand...
Do we know what species of camel or owl?
 
I had a fantastic visit about a week and a half ago, and have a number of updates to share. My last visit was in early 2021, so I do apologize if some of this has already been mentioned:

- The climbing structures in the North American porcupine exhibit have been removed.

- Primates: it was babies galore, with the recent birth of black-and-white ruffed lemurs and one-year-old orangutan Menjadi! :) The lemurs were all over the place, bounding along the climbing frames, dangling on their hind feet, and giving their parents a hard time. I spent a good amount of time watching their antics. Across the building, I only saw Menjadi for a couple minutes before her mother pulled her into the off-display area. That said, she made the most of her appearance, swinging on a firehose low to the ground, and messing with a plastic enrichment item.

- While I have seen the Wisconsin Heritage complex before, this was the first time I could see it in its full glory thanks to the warm summer. While I still think the sandhill crane enclosure is on the small side (though fairly nicely designed), the average-sized badger exhibit is solid with plenty of digging space, and a burrow that gives some great up-close peeks. The greatest aspect though are the educational components; I like how it links the connection the animal has to both nearby UWM and its history as the state animal. With the former it's an example of community connection, while the latter shines a light on some neat history.

- Speaking of which, does the original badger exhibit in the North American Prairie complex have any residents still? It was cleared out and appeared to be set up for occupation, but I saw neither an animal nor any signage. Also, going off of mentioning the Prairie complex, the prairie dog exhibit no longer exists. In its place is a patch of wood chips with scattered clumps of grass, a couple small trees, and the centerpiece is an interesting bison sculpture. It all looks nice, but it's a shame to lose out on the charismatic prairie dogs as I remember them well on previous visits.

- Children's Zoo: The aardvark has been given a new outdoor habitat. It's basically a dirt-filled yard surrounded by chain-link fencing - nothing fancy, but it's nice that it gets to enjoy the great outdoors now. Also, a Von Der Decken's hornbill was added to the indoor meerkat exhibit (apparently there was a second bird too, but it was killed by the meerkats).

- Herpetarium: Near the alligators, a box turtle exhibit with about a dozen of the reptiles has been added. Going inside the building, I noticed a couple terrariums were closed with lights out and undergoing renovation.

- Having seen the white rhino extension a couple times now, I can say that while it is nice that the pachyderm does get a little more space, I feel it would've benefited from additional upgrades. The extension (which is the former Malayan tapir exhibit) is simply a dirt yard with a shade structure, a few logs, and a mud wallow below the viewing area. It would've been nice to take down the wall and incorporate the patch of vegetation in between the exhibits as well. I will say though that the rhino was quite active, taking full advantage of his extended habitat and additional features, which is always a good thing - I even watched as he wallowed in the mud for a few minutes! :D

- Rainforest Aviary: there are no more birds in the two large fish tanks just before the walkthrough aviary. The exhibit hut that originally held sloth and tamarins now holds Geoffroy's marmosets, whose former exhibit now holds a colony of bats (Seba's short-tailed I think). There are no more agoutis in the left-side exhibit upon entering the walkthrough aviary, with red-footed tortoises being the main residents. The most significant new feature, however, is that the sloth(s) are now residing in the main walkthrough section. I also saw a few ropes draped over the boardwalk - if the sloth can access these, it would be really cool! One last note, there was a helmeted curassow showing off on the boardwalk - not only do I not recall seeing this type of bird in the aviary before, but I believe this may be a species first for me.

- I inquired about the penguins with a couple of staff members. They seemed unsure about what would replace them, with one saying large fish. They did say, however, that penguins would not be returning to the Zoo due to lack of space - not even in a new exhibit.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Not once, but twice I saw a highly active polar bear. The bear (based on the size, it seemed to be the male Bo) was playing with a large plastic enrichment barrel both in and out of the pool. It must've been stuffed with meat or had an appealing scent because he was moving it about quite vigorously, even getting up on his hind legs and pushing on the barrel on a rock, showing off just how colossal they can be! The first time I saw this was at the underwater viewing, while the second viewing was from the "Glacier Grill." Viewing polar bears is always a great time and treat, especially considering how the U.S. zoo population is currently doing, but this certainly is up there as one of my better viewing experiences with the species.
 
Milwaukee Man said:
I had a fantastic visit about a week and a half ago, and have a number of updates to share. My last visit was in early 2021, so I do apologize if some of this has already been mentioned:

- The climbing structures in the North American porcupine exhibit have been removed.

- Primates: it was babies galore, with the recent birth of black-and-white ruffed lemurs and one-year-old orangutan Menjadi! :) The lemurs were all over the place, bounding along the climbing frames, dangling on their hind feet, and giving their parents a hard time. I spent a good amount of time watching their antics. Across the building, I only saw Menjadi for a couple minutes before her mother pulled her into the off-display area. That said, she made the most of her appearance, swinging on a firehose low to the ground, and messing with a plastic enrichment item.

- While I have seen the Wisconsin Heritage complex before, this was the first time I could see it in its full glory thanks to the warm summer. While I still think the sandhill crane enclosure is on the small side (though fairly nicely designed), the average-sized badger exhibit is solid with plenty of digging space, and a burrow that gives some great up-close peeks. The greatest aspect though are the educational components; I like how it links the connection the animal has to both nearby UWM and its history as the state animal. With the former it's an example of community connection, while the latter shines a light on some neat history.

- Speaking of which, does the original badger exhibit in the North American Prairie complex have any residents still? It was cleared out and appeared to be set up for occupation, but I saw neither an animal nor any signage. Also, going off of mentioning the Prairie complex, the prairie dog exhibit no longer exists. In its place is a patch of wood chips with scattered clumps of grass, a couple small trees, and the centerpiece is an interesting bison sculpture. It all looks nice, but it's a shame to lose out on the charismatic prairie dogs as I remember them well on previous visits.

- Children's Zoo: The aardvark has been given a new outdoor habitat. It's basically a dirt-filled yard surrounded by chain-link fencing - nothing fancy, but it's nice that it gets to enjoy the great outdoors now. Also, a Von Der Decken's hornbill was added to the indoor meerkat exhibit (apparently there was a second bird too, but it was killed by the meerkats).

- Herpetarium: Near the alligators, a box turtle exhibit with about a dozen of the reptiles has been added. Going inside the building, I noticed a couple terrariums were closed with lights out and undergoing renovation.

- Having seen the white rhino extension a couple times now, I can say that while it is nice that the pachyderm does get a little more space, I feel it would've benefited from additional upgrades. The extension (which is the former Malayan tapir exhibit) is simply a dirt yard with a shade structure, a few logs, and a mud wallow below the viewing area. It would've been nice to take down the wall and incorporate the patch of vegetation in between the exhibits as well. I will say though that the rhino was quite active, taking full advantage of his extended habitat and additional features, which is always a good thing - I even watched as he wallowed in the mud for a few minutes! :D

- Rainforest Aviary: there are no more birds in the two large fish tanks just before the walkthrough aviary. The exhibit hut that originally held sloth and tamarins now holds Geoffroy's marmosets, whose former exhibit now holds a colony of bats (Seba's short-tailed I think). There are no more agoutis in the left-side exhibit upon entering the walkthrough aviary, with red-footed tortoises being the main residents. The most significant new feature, however, is that the sloth(s) are now residing in the main walkthrough section. I also saw a few ropes draped over the boardwalk - if the sloth can access these, it would be really cool! One last note, there was a helmeted curassow showing off on the boardwalk - not only do I not recall seeing this type of bird in the aviary before, but I believe this may be a species first for me.

- I inquired about the penguins with a couple of staff members. They seemed unsure about what would replace them, with one saying large fish. They did say, however, that penguins would not be returning to the Zoo due to lack of space - not even in a new exhibit.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Not once, but twice I saw a highly active polar bear. The bear (based on the size, it seemed to be the male Bo) was playing with a large plastic enrichment barrel both in and out of the pool. It must've been stuffed with meat or had an appealing scent because he was moving it about quite vigorously, even getting up on his hind legs and pushing on the barrel on a rock, showing off just how colossal they can be! The first time I saw this was at the underwater viewing, while the second viewing was from the "Glacier Grill." Viewing polar bears is always a great time and treat, especially considering how the U.S. zoo population is currently doing, but this certainly is up there as one of my better viewing experiences with the species.
Click to expand...
I don't think the old badger exhibit is still being used but I could be wrong. The prairie dogs are gone because they all drowned - apparently the exhibit does not drain correctly in particularly heavy rain storms. Understandably they do not want to re-stock the exhibit.
 
Updates from today:

  • The zoo has recently redone all of their signage.
  • Two Wild Turkeys are now living in the former Indian Peafowl enclosure.
  • A Yellow-rumped Cacique has hatched.
  • The Guest Services building was closed, so I didn't get to see it except peering through the windows. Does anyone know what's in that wooden exhibit?
  • Does anyone know what species are currently being kept in the corncribs in the Children's Zoo?
 
New $21 Million Giraffe Exhibit

New giraffe building planned for Henry Vilas Zoo

Construction on a new $21 million giraffe exhibit is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 and will be part of a larger plan for to reimagine a section of the zoo to be known as "Edge of Africa."

Ahead of construction, the zoo's current giraffe, 14-year-old Eddie, will be transferred to the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay.
 
Zoofan15 said:
New $21 Million Giraffe Exhibit

New giraffe building planned for Henry Vilas Zoo

Construction on a new $21 million giraffe exhibit is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 and will be part of a larger plan for to reimagine a section of the zoo to be known as "Edge of Africa."

Ahead of construction, the zoo's current giraffe, 14-year-old Eddie, will be transferred to the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay.
Click to expand...

Definitely a bittersweet loss for visitors, but this expansion is much-needed and will be the beginning of a fantastic new section of the zoo. I'm curious to see if the new giraffe exhibit will expand into the existing rhino exhibit.
 
Henry Vilas Updates (10/22/2023)
  • New Signage - A majority of the exhibits with the new signs have information about the individuals in the exhibits. This is uncommon in most zoos. The new signage makes the zoo seem much more polished and professional.
  • Goats - The new goats were on exhibit! (So cute!)
  • New Barn Owl Exhibit - The corncrib-looking enclosure next to the path now has a barn owl in it. I did not see the owl, but it was signed for. His name is "Warrick" and he is from Cleveland, Ohio.
  • New Mural - A new mural is being painted on the pavement in front of the entrance to the barn in the Children's Zoo.
  • Massasauga - The exhibit is still empty.
  • Aldabra Tortoises - They have been moved into the larger indoor lemur exhibit during the winter to provide them with more space. Their former exhibit has a new floor.
  • Boa Constrictor - The empty exhibit that used to have them is now signed to contain a new boa. I did not see it, however.
  • Golden Lion Tamarins - They are still off-exhibit in the vet building.
  • African Penguins - The exhibit is still empty. I wonder if they scrapped the beaver idea.
  • Aviary Entrance - The entry area with the invertebrates has been Halloween-themed, with some of the empty exhibits being filled with fake webs, spiders, rats, etc. During the pandemic, I recall the zoo mentioning that they were renovating this area. However, I argue that it is one of the worst portions of the zoo. The entire area leading up to the walk-through exhibit is due for renovation
  • Pepper Roach - Their exhibit is empty.
  • Turaco - The turaco is no longer in the exhibit. It seems to be renovated - or at least beginning to be renovated - for a new species.
  • Geoffroy's Marmoset - I did not see the new baby, as they were all huddled in a corner.
  • Sloth - Slothra was not on exhibit. Hopefully, nothing bad has happened to the old girl.
  • Red-Footed Tortoises - They were not on exhibit.
  • Ring-Tailed Lemur - The sign for the lemurs only had four individuals listed, compared to the seven individuals they used to have. I wonder if the zoo will acquire new individuals once these ones pass, or if they will focus more on the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs.
  • Rock Hyrax - The zoo appears to only have one individual, compared to the two brothers they originally had. I am unsure if he passed or was sent to another zoo.
  • New Giraffe Exhibit - A dumpster is in the outdoor exhibit, and new renderings of the expansion are posted near the zoo's main entrance.
  • Turkeys - The turkeys are still on exhibit.
 
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