Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens LA Zoo News 2012

The February Zoo Commission meeting minutes have been posted. Nothing really stands out other than a new Chimp being introduced, and the loaning of Babirusas to St. Louis and Louisville.

http://lazoo.org/about/commission/minutes/February2012Minutes.pdf

Thanks for posting mstickmanp.

It is very curious that something as fundamentally important to the future of the zoo as it's potential "privatization" from being a city-run zoo is nowhere to be heard. Does anybody know what is going on with this?

I found this statement interesting and weird in the minutes:
"Catherine Doyle commented that Dr. Wiedner spoke before a panel in Massachusetts stating it is necessary to continue the use of bull hooks in the care of elephants. This time Dr. Wiedner did not represent herself as an employee of the Los Angeles Zoo, but Ms. Doyle wanted the Commission to be aware of the Dr’s comments."
Who is "Dr. Wiedner"? It sounds like the elephant welfare people may be going around smearing the LA Zoo again. Not good.
 
Blackduiker

On my most recent visit to the Los Angeles Zoo, spring was in the air, everywhere. In the Children's Zoo nursery, I was delighted to see 3 newborn Giant Otters, 2.1., recently arrived on March 21. And making my way outside to the hoofstock yard, two very young Peninsular Pronghorns awaited me. Along with the usual residents; Gerenuks, Red-flanked Duikers, a Steenbok and a Speke's Gazelle.

Walking through the Red Ape Rain Forest, I overheard the conversation between a volunteer and several biology students concerning several recent primate births. One he mentioned in particular, was a one week old newborn Chimpanzee, which could be found in the Penthouse upper section of their habitat with its mother. Making my way to Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, I was unable to make a sighting. But I did notice several other newborn primate youngsters, like, Coquerel's Sifaka and a Buff-cheeked Gibbon.

The Prevost's Squirrels are now on exhibit, and Rainforest of the Americas is going up at a rapid pace. The project appears to be right on schedule. And with our relatively mild temperatures, the animals were quite active, as you'll see in many of the photographs I'll be uploading.
 
Walking through the Red Ape Rain Forest, I overheard the conversation between a volunteer and several biology students concerning several recent primate births ...one week old newborn Chimpanzee ...several other newborn primate youngsters, like, Coquerel's Sifaka and a Buff-cheeked Gibbon.

For those who have not been here, Los Angeles has just about the best primate collection of any zoo I have been to (and I have been to several dozen).
 
On my most recent visit to the Los Angeles Zoo, spring was in the air, everywhere. In the Children's Zoo nursery, I was delighted to see 3 newborn Giant Otters, 2.1., recently arrived on March 21. And making my way outside to the hoofstock yard, two very young Peninsular Pronghorns awaited me. Along with the usual residents; Gerenuks, Red-flanked Duikers, a Steenbok and a Speke's Gazelle.

Walking through the Red Ape Rain Forest, I overheard the conversation between a volunteer and several biology students concerning several recent primate births. One he mentioned in particular, was a one week old newborn Chimpanzee, which could be found in the Penthouse upper section of their habitat with its mother. Making my way to Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, I was unable to make a sighting. But I did notice several other newborn primate youngsters, like, Coquerel's Sifaka and a Buff-cheeked Gibbon.

The Prevost's Squirrels are now on exhibit, and Rainforest of the Americas is going up at a rapid pace. The project appears to be right on schedule. And with our relatively mild temperatures, the animals were quite active, as you'll see in many of the photographs I'll be uploading.

I'm a little surprised to hear that the zoo has produced another litter out of their giant otter pair after the last pups were rejected, and the two previous litters did not work out. Although I do not condemn this breeding, as this species is endangered and there is an obvious solution to the problem, I'm still surprised they have still received the go ahead to continue breeding this pair. Can anyone shed some light as to what exactly the previous problems with the litters have entailed ?
 
And I finally got the best view ever of the most recent Orangutan newborn, Elka, the second offspring of mother Kalim and father Minyak. Now some 5 months old. Photos taken of her will be uploaded soon. Kalim and Minyak's other daughter, Berani, was born in 2005.
 
For those who have not been here, Los Angeles has just about the best primate collection of any zoo I have been to (and I have been to several dozen).

I agree, for some reason the LA Zoo always gets overlooked when it comes to great primate collections. Although we have lost two species in the last couple of years...
 
Those are interesting comments about primates at the zoo, as by glancing through the listing of mammals on the zoo's website I counted 21 species of primate, plus the uakari(s) off-exhibit. The book "America's Best Zoos" listed Los Angeles as one of the 10 best zoo for primates but nevertheless as Mario pointed out the zoo often gets overlooked in discussions revolving around zoos with great primate collections. I know on my solitary visit to the zoo in 2008 I personally really liked the chimpanzee exhibit, found the gorilla exhibit to be more than adequate but nothing spectacular, and I was disappointed in the orangutan enclosure. I seem to remember most of the primate collection being in the roundhouses, which are 50 year-old enclosures. What would the best monkey exhibits at the zoo be?
 
Those are interesting comments about primates at the zoo, as by glancing through the listing of mammals on the zoo's website I counted 21 species of primate, plus the uakari(s) off-exhibit. The book "America's Best Zoos" listed Los Angeles as one of the 10 best zoo for primates but nevertheless as Mario pointed out the zoo often gets overlooked in discussions revolving around zoos with great primate collections. I know on my solitary visit to the zoo in 2008 I personally really liked the chimpanzee exhibit, found the gorilla exhibit to be more than adequate but nothing spectacular, and I was disappointed in the orangutan enclosure. I seem to remember most of the primate collection being in the roundhouses, which are 50 year-old enclosures. What would the best monkey exhibits at the zoo be?

The new langur exhibit is definitely a highlight (originally built for golden monkeys from China that never showed up).

You are right that most of the monkeys are in the roundhouse exhibits. Some of those exhibits are pretty good, and some could use some work. The mandrill exhibit is very good; it was rebuilt a few years back. The Coquerel sifaka and blue-eyed lemur exhibits are decent. There are some good tamarin exhibits.

At one time there were free-range golden-lion tamarins during the summer. This ended when the construction boom started.

The new Rainforest of the Americas will have new exhibits for the uakaris and likely other primate species. Perhaps this will lead to an upgrade of some of the South American primate roundhouses also.
 
The March 20th Zoo Commission Meeting minutes have been posted. Here are some highlights:

-Yellow-backed Duiker sent to Zoo Miami until it is ready to be sent to Germany.
-Harbor Seals will be going to the Hogle Zoo and there is discussion to move Gray Seals to the exhibit.
-Gracie the Chimp gave birth to a famale on March 6.

Link: http://lazoo.org/about/commission/minutes/March2012Minutes.pdf

Why the heck are they sending away the harbor seals? ALL of them, or just some? Isn't there only one old grey seal left? Does anybody know what is going on here:confused:
 
Why the heck are they sending away the harbor seals? ALL of them, or just some? Isn't there only one old grey seal left? Does anybody know what is going on here:confused:

I don't know the answer to your question, but it does answer a question I've been wondering about. Where is Hogle Zoo getting its harbor seals from. That just leaves me with wondering about where they're getting sea lions from.

Back to the LA Zoo. Why not put Sea Lions back in there? Then they can rename it BACK to Sea Lion Cliffs. I always felt Sea Life Cliffs sounded awkward.
 
I don't know the answer to your question, but it does answer a question I've been wondering about. Where is Hogle Zoo getting its harbor seals from. That just leaves me with wondering about where they're getting sea lions from.

Back to the LA Zoo. Why not put Sea Lions back in there? Then they can rename it BACK to Sea Lion Cliffs. I always felt Sea Life Cliffs sounded awkward.

The whole sea lion exhibit has been confusing from the beginning. The sea lions disappeared without warning and got replaced with harbor seals, and now it seems like it is happening again possibly? Or perhaps only some of the harbor seals are leaving? I guess that time will tell. It seems logical that sea lions would return at some point.
 
The whole sea lion exhibit has been confusing from the beginning. The sea lions disappeared without warning and got replaced with harbor seals, and now it seems like it is happening again possibly? Or perhaps only some of the harbor seals are leaving? I guess that time will tell. It seems logical that sea lions would return at some point.

From what I know, the Sea Lions were all old and couldn't make their way through the exhibit which is why they were replaced by the Harbor Seals. The seals are on loan from an aquarium (forgot which...), and I believe that only Hudson (youngest) and the blind male belong to the LA Zoo.

In the minutes it says "move gray seals"...as far as I know there is only one left, so maybe the zoo will be getting some from another zoo?:confused:
 
Is it a male that is being sent over to Germany as the only 2 Yellow-backed Duikers left in Europe are both female,and should both still be of breeding age?

Sorry, I have no idea. This was actually the first time I heard of the zoo sending Yellow-backed Duikers to Germany.
 
Sorry, I have no idea. This was actually the first time I heard of the zoo sending Yellow-backed Duikers to Germany.
Thanks for that if you find out any more can you let me know as I know a few people that,could be interested if its a case of the zoo's in the USA helpping to keep the species going in Europe!
 
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