John Ball Zoo John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids, MI)

Piece of 2022 News not mentioned:

On June 30th, it was announced that the zoo received $82,642 from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the AZA for the care of endangered species.

More Than $9 Million Awarded for Endangered Species Care During Pandemic | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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On September 14th, the zoo announced that the (2.0) koalas that were exhibited over the summer will be returned to San Diego.

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On September 22nd, the zoo announced the name of their (1.0) red-necked wallaby joey, JJ.

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Maned Wolf Nikko is headed for the National Zoo on a breeding recommendation. The zoo says his exhibit will be repurposed for a new species.

John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "Sometimes, John Ball Zoo is just a stop on an animal's journey to save their species. This is the case for our maned wolf, Nikko. Nikko has returned to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute as part of the Maned Wolf Species Survival Plan. Nikko was born at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas and lived at the National Zoo until coming to John Ball Zoo in 2016. He is recommended to breed with a female at the National Zoo as part of the Maned-Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). Our space is not set up to house a breeding pair, so it was best for Nikko to go to the National Zoo. Although we will miss him, Nikko’s team at the National Zoo is excited to welcome him back! In the future, we are hoping to repurpose his exhibit for another species."
 
Went today. Employee says the African forest exhibit will open next year if all goes well. It looks very finished from the peeks through the fence I got (eg a large impressive underwater viewing window), and apparently the main factor in deciding when to open is when and how the grass will grow back so the hippos and sitatunga can graze. The pygmy hippos that we have known of a while are the centerpiece and make up most of the area, (which is right at the front of the zoo before even the golden eagles) but there will also be another exhibit that is mixed species with sitatunga and white storks.
 
On November 12th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) Benett's wallaby named Junee passed away due to an infection in her jaw rapidly spreading. Junee was the first of her species to be born at John Ball and was ~1 year 11 months old at the time of passing.

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On March 8th, the zoo announced that they are transferring their (0.0.8) domestic goats (of different breeds) to another unspecified facility for retirement.

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On December 9th, 2022, it was reported that a (0.0.1) Mangellic penguin named Picchu had a successful surgical operation after it swallowed a dime that was thrown into the penguin exhibit.

Penguin at Michigan zoo ate a dime, had it surgically removed

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On March 9th, it was announced that the zoo acquired a (1.0) pygmy hippo named Jahari from the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium in Pennsylvania.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=590261586474852&set=a.482377003929978
 
While you may recall me in the Toledo thread criticizing their ugly logo change, this is nice. It'll take getting used to, but it's nice.
 
AlmightyKingPrawn said:
While you may recall me in the Toledo thread criticizing their ugly logo change, this is nice. It'll take getting used to, but it's nice.
Click to expand...

It's okay. It's not *bad* but there's nothing to it, it's very boring, there's no point to the shape or the stylized Z.

The website is better than it was but everyone has been going with the same designer lately, they're starting to look like AZA gift shops.
 
TinoPup said:
It's okay. It's not *bad* but there's nothing to it, it's very boring, there's no point to the shape or the stylized Z.

The website is better than it was but everyone has been going with the same designer lately, they're starting to look like AZA gift shops.
Click to expand...
I think the "Z" is meant to be curved like a big cat tail or a snake.
 
Linne's two toed sloth!
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "Guess who you can meet for the first time tomorrow? P.S. We’ll give you a hint, he’s not named Branch…"

Two coatis!
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "Did you guess right? We have just welcomed two Coatis to our family! Cusco, named after a city in Peru, and Durango, named after a city in Mexico, joined us just in time for our opening last week. Both boys are quite young, they are just under one year old! You will be able to tell them a part by their coats: Cusco is older and lighter, and Durango is younger and darker. But, they are both equally excited to meet you all! What are Coatis? Coatis are native to southern US and northern South America, and are a relative of the raccoon. They have long, pointed muzzles that they use to poke under rocks and into crevices. While on the ground most of the day, they like to sleep in treetop leaves and branches throughout the night. Stop by soon to learn more! P.S. Come back tomorrow for another new animal reveal…"

And according to the coati post, another new animal will be revealed tomorrow!
 
It seems the new animals teased in the coati post yesterday are two snow leopards named Milo and Yuki. Milo is from Toronto, while Yuki is from Toledo.
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "Introducing: Milo and Yuki! We have welcomed two snow leopards to our John Ball Zoo family and we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Milo, who will be turning 6 this May, is coming to us from Toronto and Yuki is just a year old and from Toledo. They are both playful, elegant, and beautiful (although, Milo would prefer to be called handsome). Did you know snow leopards could be olympic athletes? Not only are they capable of jumping 6 times their body length, but they can cover the distance of a marathon in one night alone. Be sure to stop by to meet them! But don’t forget to wear some warm shoes when you do so you can match the pair. Snow leopards have their very own built-in snowshoes: Their wide, furry paws serve as natural snowshoes, distributing their weight over the snow equally."
 
 
AlmightyKingPrawn said:
Went today. Employee says the African forest exhibit will open next year if all goes well. It looks very finished from the peeks through the fence I got (eg a large impressive underwater viewing window), and apparently the main factor in deciding when to open is when and how the grass will grow back so the hippos and sitatunga can graze. The pygmy hippos that we have known of a while are the centerpiece and make up most of the area, (which is right at the front of the zoo before even the golden eagles) but there will also be another exhibit that is mixed species with sitatunga and white storks.
Click to expand...

Remember when I said I got some views of the pygmy hippo exhibit through the fence? Well, now you can see what I saw! What he covered up at the end is the sitatunga/white stork space. John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "Announcing: HIPPOS For everyone asking what’s behind the big fences… It’s the future Hippos’ Crib, of course!! Our zoo will be joined by two Pygmy Hippos come this May! But, we wanted to give you a little sneak peek of where all of the magic will happen now. Poop shoots, geothermal heating, *redacted area*… this crib has it ALL. Not only will it be a cozy and fun home for the hippos, it is a state-of-the-art environmentalist’s haven. John Ball Zoo has been making incredible strides in what sustainability means for zoos across the nation(see: our SITES gold certification), but we realized we haven’t been telling you about it. In honor of Earth Day, we are excited to announce that this will be the first of a series sharing what we’re up to! We’ll be back to introduce our duo soon! *Ribbon cutting on May 30th!*"
 
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