Brayden Delashmutt
Well-Known Member
Is there a link to this? I genuinely can't find it
Milwaukee County Zoo Master Plan and Future Renovations
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
- Start date
Is there a link to this? I genuinely can't find it
The Zoo has finally released their new vision for the future. I will say that I am kinda more excited for this version than the previous version. The Zoo and the Zoological society are merging their resources into one and addressing many of the needs that the zoo has in this new plan. Though there's a lot of positives, I do have some questions about other areas.
Projects
Latin America: I would more dub this as the Belize Land. This is where there the rainforest exhibit is going, along with the salt water aquarium with sharks.
Primates of the World: Finally renovating the current facility to be better inline with current standards and getting rid of the box cages!
The Wild North: The former Alaskan Gold Coast, wolves, and the moose is coming out from back stage.
Sea Lion Cove: Combining the former pinnipeds exhibit that was recently shut down with the current one, to form a better experience for guests and animals.
Reptile House: The facility is going to become primary reptiles and amphibians.
Cheetah House: Finally bringing the former goat exhibit by the elephants to life again.
Entrance Renovation: Moving paying for entry and parking to the front of the zoo and not at the toll booths.
Consolidated Administration: Zoological Society and the Zoo sharing the same building/space.
Warehouse: New space for climate controlled storage to support the zoo.
Southeast service road: Creating a service road access from the south to the west side of the zoo.
Railroad Refresh: New tracks
New Carousal: New one
Questions:
My biggest question is what's going to happen with the building and exhibits around the current big cat building? This was similar to the old master plan but with them creating new space for the jaguar, tapirs, cheetahs to name a few, what's going in that area.
What's up with the guest flow around the former polar bear exhibit in this new plan? They are disconnecting it from the elephant loop.
What's the timeframe of this new plan? All the material that I was able to go through doesn't give a real time estimate on these projects.
Updated Master Plan
Projects
Latin America: I would more dub this as the Belize Land. This is where there the rainforest exhibit is going, along with the salt water aquarium with sharks.
Primates of the World: Finally renovating the current facility to be better inline with current standards and getting rid of the box cages!
The Wild North: The former Alaskan Gold Coast, wolves, and the moose is coming out from back stage.
Sea Lion Cove: Combining the former pinnipeds exhibit that was recently shut down with the current one, to form a better experience for guests and animals.
Reptile House: The facility is going to become primary reptiles and amphibians.
Cheetah House: Finally bringing the former goat exhibit by the elephants to life again.
Entrance Renovation: Moving paying for entry and parking to the front of the zoo and not at the toll booths.
Consolidated Administration: Zoological Society and the Zoo sharing the same building/space.
Warehouse: New space for climate controlled storage to support the zoo.
Southeast service road: Creating a service road access from the south to the west side of the zoo.
Railroad Refresh: New tracks
New Carousal: New one
Questions:
My biggest question is what's going to happen with the building and exhibits around the current big cat building? This was similar to the old master plan but with them creating new space for the jaguar, tapirs, cheetahs to name a few, what's going in that area.
What's up with the guest flow around the former polar bear exhibit in this new plan? They are disconnecting it from the elephant loop.
What's the timeframe of this new plan? All the material that I was able to go through doesn't give a real time estimate on these projects.
Updated Master Plan
- The cheetah exhibit's going to be given to hyenas, and I want to say that the tiger exhibit will be expanded into the old jaguar exhibit. Other than *maybe* some touch-ups to the rockwork, unsure.
- Based on how similarly Studio Hanson:Roberts did Sea Lion Shores at Omaha, I think this is moreso to provide a more immersive experience.
- Unsure about the timeframe unless they've prepped a press release about the master plan.
Wow! Highly impressed with this master plan. Whereas the previous master plan felt rather unambitious and more like a fresh coat of paint on the existing zoo, this one is far more inspired: directly addressing existing weaknesses, better utilization of the natural forest across the property, and an emphasis on brand new exhibits instead of just modifying old ones. There's a real effort being made in regards to naturalistic exhibit design with attention to landscaping and sight lines, which is something more recent projects have lacked. The concept art depicting the bonobo tunnel and new moose exhibit with visual connectivity to the lake look spectacular. In general, the new ape exhibits and Wild North area are probably the two projects that excite me the most. They respectively utilize the natural landscape of the zoo remarkably well and have potential to be quite innovative.
It's mentioned that the hyenas will be moved to the current cheetah exhibit once they leave, which is a great decision. It's imperative that they be given their own space instead of having to rotate with the lions and the cheetahs will benefit from moving to a quieter part of the zoo. That also finally fills the void left by the closure of the dall sheep mountain. Also pleased to the ARC become a dedicated reptile house with the aquatic elements moving to the new Latin American tropics building which also has potential to be very interesting. I speculate that may be the next project post-Adventure Africa based on what's been rumored up this point.
Still a few things I'd like to see addressed, mainly the cat grottos/house and whatever they plan on doing with the old sea lion stadium. I also wonder if the orangutans will be getting phased out considering they aren't explicitly mentioned in the plans for the primate revamp -- they could be the "medium primate" listed for the but that's certainly not a label I would use to describe them. And while I understand they don't really fit into the grand scheme of things, I was hoping to see tree kangaroos brought back in some capacity.
Overall however, a fantastic vision for the zoo's future. Milwaukee has always been a zoo filled with potential and this plan really seems to capitalize on it. Looking forward to hearing an official press release from the zoo hopefully sooner than later.
It's mentioned that the hyenas will be moved to the current cheetah exhibit once they leave, which is a great decision. It's imperative that they be given their own space instead of having to rotate with the lions and the cheetahs will benefit from moving to a quieter part of the zoo. That also finally fills the void left by the closure of the dall sheep mountain. Also pleased to the ARC become a dedicated reptile house with the aquatic elements moving to the new Latin American tropics building which also has potential to be very interesting. I speculate that may be the next project post-Adventure Africa based on what's been rumored up this point.
Still a few things I'd like to see addressed, mainly the cat grottos/house and whatever they plan on doing with the old sea lion stadium. I also wonder if the orangutans will be getting phased out considering they aren't explicitly mentioned in the plans for the primate revamp -- they could be the "medium primate" listed for the but that's certainly not a label I would use to describe them. And while I understand they don't really fit into the grand scheme of things, I was hoping to see tree kangaroos brought back in some capacity.
Overall however, a fantastic vision for the zoo's future. Milwaukee has always been a zoo filled with potential and this plan really seems to capitalize on it. Looking forward to hearing an official press release from the zoo hopefully sooner than later.
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
This is an amazing master plan, maybe not as good as Brookfield's, but still absolutely insane and looks like one of the best zoo master plans out there in the country!
Hot take: I'm lowkey disappointed that polar bears aren't included in The Wild North the way they were in the old Alaska masterplan, but that's probably the smart decision given how few polar bears are left in the AZA. Henry Vilas, Lincoln Park and Brookfield are all relatively nearby and all have great polar bear exhibits anyway.
That being said, super excited to have the moose back in a visible area, and anteaters are an exciting species to pick up.
The lack of Australian animals is definitely a sore spot. In the early 2000s, the Australia House was an amazing exhibit with tree kangaroos, a mixed exhibit for emus and red kangaroos, koalas, and two small Great Barrier Reef tanks all with wonderfully themed indoor viewing and an outdoor covered viewing thingy for the koalas and kangaroos. Nowadays the zoo's only Australian animals are the kookaburras in the aviary and maybe some reptiles in the ARC.
That being said, super excited to have the moose back in a visible area, and anteaters are an exciting species to pick up.
The lack of Australian animals is definitely a sore spot. In the early 2000s, the Australia House was an amazing exhibit with tree kangaroos, a mixed exhibit for emus and red kangaroos, koalas, and two small Great Barrier Reef tanks all with wonderfully themed indoor viewing and an outdoor covered viewing thingy for the koalas and kangaroos. Nowadays the zoo's only Australian animals are the kookaburras in the aviary and maybe some reptiles in the ARC.
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At long last, Milwaukee has unveiled its master plan! 
Time to dive in:
Latin America - an excellent replacement of the current Small Mammals Building. New spaces for jaguars (though isn't a little over 4,000 sq. ft. a bit small?), Baird's tapir, etc. are all welcome, and the addition of a big saltwater tank, capybaras and giant anteaters are all very nice. Is that underwater jaguar viewing I'm seeing?
Bonus points for this complex putting the spotlight on Belize, which is one of the Zoo's most significant conservation projects.
Primates of the World - this was a long time coming. I've always wanted the gorilla and bonobo habitats to be extended and overhauled to take advantage of the surrounding forest, and it seems my wish will finally come true. That drawing is reminiscent to Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest, except it'll be with bonobos! I only wish we got more details, as outside of the exhibit for the "medium primate," it doesn't look like much is shown to change in the current building; maybe it's too early to tell though.
Wild North - the return of several species, from residents of long ago like cougars and wolverines, to more recent omissions such as moose and wolves, is very welcoming. The designs being proposed all look nice, and I like how Lake Evinrude will be utilized as a barrier and part of the moose habitat. Also, the fact that Milwaukee is even considering bringing polar bears back is a bit of an unexpected surprise. Not too sure with how the population is currently doing, but a little optimism can't hurt, especially since the Zoo has a history with the species.
Sea Lion Cove - this is almost exactly what I envisioned for this part of the Zoo, enough said.
Reptile House - not much is mentioned outside of more reptiles and amphibians taking place of the aquatic animals once they move out. Please be a sign of Komodo dragons coming...!
Cheetah Habitat - I'm glad the cats and hyenas will get new spaces, but I feel like a stronger utilization of the former Dall sheep mountain would've been either a dedicated vulture aviary, or a kopje display with klipspringer, hyrax, and maybe meerkats at the bottom. Again though, we know next to nothing about this portion, so I'll reserve judgement; just my initial reaction.
I'll be honest, I was hoping for some more new/returning species and that some other areas would've been added to or addressed (Predator-Prey Area and some of Adventure Africa for instance). Having said that, for what I'm seeing so far, this is for sure a solid step in the right direction for Milwaukee. Exhibit design is much more bold and sometimes even unique, there's more emphasis on immersion and taking advantage of the landscape, and most of the animals that were in need of change will be receiving it. There's still a lot we don't know about (former "Oceans of Fun" arena?), and perhaps there's more to come that hasn't been shown yet, but I'm sure we will get answers in time. For now though, I'll be delighted to ring in a new era for my home zoo.
Time to dive in:Latin America - an excellent replacement of the current Small Mammals Building. New spaces for jaguars (though isn't a little over 4,000 sq. ft. a bit small?), Baird's tapir, etc. are all welcome, and the addition of a big saltwater tank, capybaras and giant anteaters are all very nice. Is that underwater jaguar viewing I'm seeing?
Bonus points for this complex putting the spotlight on Belize, which is one of the Zoo's most significant conservation projects.Primates of the World - this was a long time coming. I've always wanted the gorilla and bonobo habitats to be extended and overhauled to take advantage of the surrounding forest, and it seems my wish will finally come true. That drawing is reminiscent to Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest, except it'll be with bonobos! I only wish we got more details, as outside of the exhibit for the "medium primate," it doesn't look like much is shown to change in the current building; maybe it's too early to tell though.
Wild North - the return of several species, from residents of long ago like cougars and wolverines, to more recent omissions such as moose and wolves, is very welcoming. The designs being proposed all look nice, and I like how Lake Evinrude will be utilized as a barrier and part of the moose habitat. Also, the fact that Milwaukee is even considering bringing polar bears back is a bit of an unexpected surprise. Not too sure with how the population is currently doing, but a little optimism can't hurt, especially since the Zoo has a history with the species.
Sea Lion Cove - this is almost exactly what I envisioned for this part of the Zoo, enough said.
Reptile House - not much is mentioned outside of more reptiles and amphibians taking place of the aquatic animals once they move out. Please be a sign of Komodo dragons coming...!
Cheetah Habitat - I'm glad the cats and hyenas will get new spaces, but I feel like a stronger utilization of the former Dall sheep mountain would've been either a dedicated vulture aviary, or a kopje display with klipspringer, hyrax, and maybe meerkats at the bottom. Again though, we know next to nothing about this portion, so I'll reserve judgement; just my initial reaction.
I'll be honest, I was hoping for some more new/returning species and that some other areas would've been added to or addressed (Predator-Prey Area and some of Adventure Africa for instance). Having said that, for what I'm seeing so far, this is for sure a solid step in the right direction for Milwaukee. Exhibit design is much more bold and sometimes even unique, there's more emphasis on immersion and taking advantage of the landscape, and most of the animals that were in need of change will be receiving it. There's still a lot we don't know about (former "Oceans of Fun" arena?), and perhaps there's more to come that hasn't been shown yet, but I'm sure we will get answers in time. For now though, I'll be delighted to ring in a new era for my home zoo.
This is a solid master plan and I'd like to add to the chorus I prefer it to the last one.
Latin American Tropics looks fantastic. I've always felt that a dedicated Latin/South American exhibit was lacking in this area and it looks like a great option. The existing mixed South America yard is one of the cooler ones at the zoo in my book and this feels like an improvement on it by adding anteater and capybara mixed with the tapir -- and as a really cool surprise, we're still getting a predator/prey view of the mixed species herbivore yard and jaguars! The saltwater tank is also a fantastic addition, and it looks like the anaconda will move over from the ARC. There are six terrariums/tanks mentioned so maybe more reptiles. Howler monkeys are a cool new addition, but I hope they can also find room for some of the callitrichids also at the zoo - maybe spider monkeys? Possibly too much to ask. Looks like macaws and caiman will also be added. There is no reference to sloth but I think it's likely they could be added, too, maybe mixed somewhere.
I was really skeptical about replacing Small Mammal House with a biome-based exhibit, and excited when I thought Morris had hinted at a small mammal building, but this concept is ambitious enough to feel worth some of the losses and risk. I do wonder if bats may be part of the plan in some capacity though as he did explicitly mention wanting to do an improved bat space.
I expect this will be the soonest and first development based on Morris' comments about the aging building.
Primates of the World is a little bit disappointing though absolutely necessary. The new gorilla and bonobo exhibits look fantastic, especially the tunnel -- this is all great stuff - but it feels like all of the work is on "Apes of Africa" while the actual "Primates of the World" building still looks kind of samey. I have no problem with giving the gorillas and bonobos a new home, it's much-needed, but I'd really like to see some positive work done with the other primates, too, and the closure of the Small Mammal House will leave a few primates (ringtail lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, pygmy slow loris) in need of new homes as well. Hopefully it's just because we're so early in the pipeline.
I do hope they keep with orangutan. An orangutan/siamang exhibit could be a real 'best of both worlds' situation. I can understand if they choose to focus on African Apes though.
Sea Lion Cove is one of those ideas that will probably be super cool when it's finished. I hope they do the common sea/sea lion mix here though. I love how it ties into the Wild North, too. The zoo definitely wants to bring back sea lion shows and in a big way.
The Wild North looks really neat and I'm glad they merged the Woods and Gold Coast proposals. Adding the crane, eagle and moose on the lakeside is particularly smart thinking in my opinion and I love the boardwalk. There's lots of rooms for much-needed, improved bear exhibits (and still a lingering interest in polar bears, I notice) but the additions of cougar and wolverine alongside bringing back wolf and moose are exciting. I will be sad to see the caribou, elk priaire dog, and badger go. I slightly hope either of the two small mammals can sneak back in somehow.
We're getting a Reptile House Renovation, which is a good thing. I don't think most of the aquatic exhibits being lost will be felt much, but I think losing Lake Wisconsin will be a shame - combined with badger, the zoo is losing a little of it's local heritage identity. Another big question mark is the Amazon tank(s) and African river tank. Both are aquatic-focused exhibits but with charming turtle residents, so will they stay or go? Rooting they stay as I'm quite fond of the turtles! The loss of anaconda and aquatic exhibits will open up room for more reptiles - I'd love to see a large monitor lizard join the collection myself, or the Komodo Dragon from the "Into the Islands" concept.
The Cheetah Habitat is a smart move. It would enable the zoo to be a future breeding facility and as mentioned end the Lion-Hyena rotation business, and the former sheep habitat will no longer be all ugly and boarded up, as will my jokes about reacquiring caprids. It will also add a lot of interest to the southern Adventure Africa path.
Speaking of which, the old South America Yard and indoor/outdoor Jaguar exhibits may be left wide open for development if Latin America is completed first. Alpaca, Rhea and Yellow-footed tortoise are not mentioned but could probably be moved fairly easily. Perhaps they could move Caribou here and introduce an Amur leopard behind them in the short term, to function as a second Asia exhibit... a Clouded leopard would also be a better use of limited space and the existing rainforest theming of the indoor exhibit but not sure what herbivore would pair well.
Speaking of which, I know a lot of us would like to see some improvements to the Africa, but I'm a little glad we're taking a break from Africa after this, especially since Brookfield's Gateway to Africa is coming next. The Latin America and Wild North developments will be much more unique from what Chicago is up to and allow more reason for zoochatters from here to visit Milwaukee.
The only two missing pieces I really see in this master plan are that there is no nocturnal area to succeed the old small mammal house (which surprises me as Morris specifically mentioned wanting a new home for bats!) and there is still no Australia representation, which is a shame as Milwaukee's old Australia building was lovely. I hope when the zoo completes these phases of construction, they look into a good Australia or Australasian, development next, hopefully one with some room for bats.
For a quick review...
The possible losses under this plan include Cotton-top tamarin, Goeldi's monkey/Callimico, Ring-tailed lemur, dwarf mongoose, Prevost squirrel, Two-toed sloth, Pygmy slow loris, Fennec fox, Brazilian prehensile-tailed porcupine, Moholi bushbaby, Vampire bat, Straw-colored fruit bat and Armadillo (all from the current small mammal building) as well as Harbor seal, Caribou, Elk, American Badger and Prairie Dog. Alpaca, Rhea and Yellow-footed tortoise may also be lost depending on the fate of the South America yard.
The gains in this plan include Howler monkeys, giant anteater, capybara, macaws, sharks and various fish, California sea lion, cougar, wolverine, moose and wolf. All exciting and charismatic species.
I didn't include the Reptile House species in this because there was so little information on those changes.
Some of these losses could ultimately be mitigated. The porcupine, armadillo, vampire bat, tamarin, callimico and sloth could show up in the Latin America project, while the tamarin, callimico, lemur, loris and bushbaby could become part of the primate building renovation, and the seal could very likely be in the Sea Lion Cove project.
I am overall really impressed with this plan and quite excited to see how it plays out. I'm especially excited Latin America is coming soon as it looks like such a showstopper.
Latin American Tropics looks fantastic. I've always felt that a dedicated Latin/South American exhibit was lacking in this area and it looks like a great option. The existing mixed South America yard is one of the cooler ones at the zoo in my book and this feels like an improvement on it by adding anteater and capybara mixed with the tapir -- and as a really cool surprise, we're still getting a predator/prey view of the mixed species herbivore yard and jaguars! The saltwater tank is also a fantastic addition, and it looks like the anaconda will move over from the ARC. There are six terrariums/tanks mentioned so maybe more reptiles. Howler monkeys are a cool new addition, but I hope they can also find room for some of the callitrichids also at the zoo - maybe spider monkeys? Possibly too much to ask. Looks like macaws and caiman will also be added. There is no reference to sloth but I think it's likely they could be added, too, maybe mixed somewhere.
I was really skeptical about replacing Small Mammal House with a biome-based exhibit, and excited when I thought Morris had hinted at a small mammal building, but this concept is ambitious enough to feel worth some of the losses and risk. I do wonder if bats may be part of the plan in some capacity though as he did explicitly mention wanting to do an improved bat space.
I expect this will be the soonest and first development based on Morris' comments about the aging building.
Primates of the World is a little bit disappointing though absolutely necessary. The new gorilla and bonobo exhibits look fantastic, especially the tunnel -- this is all great stuff - but it feels like all of the work is on "Apes of Africa" while the actual "Primates of the World" building still looks kind of samey. I have no problem with giving the gorillas and bonobos a new home, it's much-needed, but I'd really like to see some positive work done with the other primates, too, and the closure of the Small Mammal House will leave a few primates (ringtail lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, pygmy slow loris) in need of new homes as well. Hopefully it's just because we're so early in the pipeline.
I do hope they keep with orangutan. An orangutan/siamang exhibit could be a real 'best of both worlds' situation. I can understand if they choose to focus on African Apes though.
Sea Lion Cove is one of those ideas that will probably be super cool when it's finished. I hope they do the common sea/sea lion mix here though. I love how it ties into the Wild North, too. The zoo definitely wants to bring back sea lion shows and in a big way.
The Wild North looks really neat and I'm glad they merged the Woods and Gold Coast proposals. Adding the crane, eagle and moose on the lakeside is particularly smart thinking in my opinion and I love the boardwalk. There's lots of rooms for much-needed, improved bear exhibits (and still a lingering interest in polar bears, I notice) but the additions of cougar and wolverine alongside bringing back wolf and moose are exciting. I will be sad to see the caribou, elk priaire dog, and badger go. I slightly hope either of the two small mammals can sneak back in somehow.
We're getting a Reptile House Renovation, which is a good thing. I don't think most of the aquatic exhibits being lost will be felt much, but I think losing Lake Wisconsin will be a shame - combined with badger, the zoo is losing a little of it's local heritage identity. Another big question mark is the Amazon tank(s) and African river tank. Both are aquatic-focused exhibits but with charming turtle residents, so will they stay or go? Rooting they stay as I'm quite fond of the turtles! The loss of anaconda and aquatic exhibits will open up room for more reptiles - I'd love to see a large monitor lizard join the collection myself, or the Komodo Dragon from the "Into the Islands" concept.
The Cheetah Habitat is a smart move. It would enable the zoo to be a future breeding facility and as mentioned end the Lion-Hyena rotation business, and the former sheep habitat will no longer be all ugly and boarded up, as will my jokes about reacquiring caprids. It will also add a lot of interest to the southern Adventure Africa path.
Speaking of which, the old South America Yard and indoor/outdoor Jaguar exhibits may be left wide open for development if Latin America is completed first. Alpaca, Rhea and Yellow-footed tortoise are not mentioned but could probably be moved fairly easily. Perhaps they could move Caribou here and introduce an Amur leopard behind them in the short term, to function as a second Asia exhibit... a Clouded leopard would also be a better use of limited space and the existing rainforest theming of the indoor exhibit but not sure what herbivore would pair well.
Speaking of which, I know a lot of us would like to see some improvements to the Africa, but I'm a little glad we're taking a break from Africa after this, especially since Brookfield's Gateway to Africa is coming next. The Latin America and Wild North developments will be much more unique from what Chicago is up to and allow more reason for zoochatters from here to visit Milwaukee.
The only two missing pieces I really see in this master plan are that there is no nocturnal area to succeed the old small mammal house (which surprises me as Morris specifically mentioned wanting a new home for bats!) and there is still no Australia representation, which is a shame as Milwaukee's old Australia building was lovely. I hope when the zoo completes these phases of construction, they look into a good Australia or Australasian, development next, hopefully one with some room for bats.
For a quick review...
The possible losses under this plan include Cotton-top tamarin, Goeldi's monkey/Callimico, Ring-tailed lemur, dwarf mongoose, Prevost squirrel, Two-toed sloth, Pygmy slow loris, Fennec fox, Brazilian prehensile-tailed porcupine, Moholi bushbaby, Vampire bat, Straw-colored fruit bat and Armadillo (all from the current small mammal building) as well as Harbor seal, Caribou, Elk, American Badger and Prairie Dog. Alpaca, Rhea and Yellow-footed tortoise may also be lost depending on the fate of the South America yard.
The gains in this plan include Howler monkeys, giant anteater, capybara, macaws, sharks and various fish, California sea lion, cougar, wolverine, moose and wolf. All exciting and charismatic species.
I didn't include the Reptile House species in this because there was so little information on those changes.
Some of these losses could ultimately be mitigated. The porcupine, armadillo, vampire bat, tamarin, callimico and sloth could show up in the Latin America project, while the tamarin, callimico, lemur, loris and bushbaby could become part of the primate building renovation, and the seal could very likely be in the Sea Lion Cove project.
I am overall really impressed with this plan and quite excited to see how it plays out. I'm especially excited Latin America is coming soon as it looks like such a showstopper.
If you look closely in the key, it says "Bear (Polar or Brown)" so Milwaukee is definitely still interested in them. I think in practice, they will construct the bear exhibits to accommodate either species, so should polar become available again down the line they will be able to fit in. That's a big "if", of course.
Milwaukee tends to put their orangs in the spotlight quite often, plus they've had moments of glory such as when the orphaned Mahal resided for a few years. I'd be surprised if they were phased out.
Going off of the orangutan talk, I noticed something on the overview maps. Look carefully at the "medium primate" area, and you'll see a couple shapes above and below the exhibit, connected by lines that also bisect the space. Could this be for the orangutans and/or siamangs to brachiate along cables and towers much like Indianapolis or Smithsonian? That would be amazing to see amongst all the greenery the building is situated in!
Perhaps when the cheetah project gets going, maybe some other additions and/or modifications will take place then? We don't know a timeline for this master plan, so some areas of Adventure Africa may need some attention and sprucing up by then. On a side note, I've always thought at least one of those picnic areas could be eliminated for a few small animals, like meerkats, dwarf mongoose, or even bringing warthogs back.
Going off of the orangutan talk, I noticed something on the overview maps. Look carefully at the "medium primate" area, and you'll see a couple shapes above and below the exhibit, connected by lines that also bisect the space. Could this be for the orangutans and/or siamangs to brachiate along cables and towers much like Indianapolis or Smithsonian? That would be amazing to see amongst all the greenery the building is situated in!
Speaking of which, I know a lot of us would like to see some improvements to the Africa, but I'm a little glad we're taking a break from Africa after this, especially since Brookfield's Gateway to Africa is coming next. The Latin America and Wild North developments will be much more unique from what Chicago is up to and allow more reason for zoochatters from here to visit Milwaukee.
Perhaps when the cheetah project gets going, maybe some other additions and/or modifications will take place then? We don't know a timeline for this master plan, so some areas of Adventure Africa may need some attention and sprucing up by then. On a side note, I've always thought at least one of those picnic areas could be eliminated for a few small animals, like meerkats, dwarf mongoose, or even bringing warthogs back.
That'd be super cool! I think you're on to something there.
I hope Milwaukee can continue to maintain three species of ape. It's always been one of the cooler things about them in my opinion.
I'd certainly welcome that. It would be cool if they could do something similar to Saint Louis' setup with a smaller mammal in the foreground and Cheetah in the background. It'd also be great to see warthog back in the Illinois-Wisconsin corridor. They could even mix them with porcupines.
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know how I forgot the Siamang! I probably should have said "great ape" to start though.Four including siamang
Adventure Africa is the expansion. So far, because they're focusing on the elderly females they have, it's sufficient for now. That being said, it's up to the zoo to decide what they'll do in the long run, considering they also have a giraffe exhibit that's getting up there in age...
OK makes sense
Some honest thoughts, I feel focusing on the America's is a great idea with how long it'll be before Brookfields will be worked on, and South America has probably been the most lacking within the area, only real worry on that side is the animals that'll get displaced in that area, really hoping the primate house does end up getting some indoor renovations, could see stuff like the sloth and Tamarins going between the Debrazzas and Spider Monkeys, speaking of that, I have been thinking they could integrate the exhibits into the forest for so long, and it finally looks like it's being planned, but the biggest thing right now is probably the return of the Moose, looking forward to see how the Boardwalk comes along
I realistically really don't see that happening. They completed the project very recently and it brings them up to AZA standards which is all they wanted to accomplish. I don't see Milwaukee (or any northern cities to be frank) attempting to become a breeding powerhouse like some of the zoos further south. It doesn't make sense to compare Milwaukee to, for example Houston, where the elephants have good weather to be outside basically all year.
Just finished watching the Parks and Culture Committee meeting for Milwaukee county, where they finally shared their updated vision for the future. The meeting was informative and not asking for money, that will go through the normal process when they get to that point.
Just some high level things that I picked up from the conversation today.
Just some high level things that I picked up from the conversation today.
- They have yet to decide what is their next project; “Latin American Tropics,” “ Primates of the World,” or “The Wild North”
- None of the 3 projects have been officially created so take the artwork that was provided with a grain of salt per se.
- “The Wild North” project hopes to create a flexible exhibit so they can create an exhibit for polar bears when the time comes. They aren’t going after polar bears right away because there are so few of them in zoos at the moment.
- The orangutans are on the phase out list at the moment. The zoo director mentioned that in order to build an exhibit and maintain the orangutans, he feels is something that the zoo could spend elsewhere. Even just maintaining them currently, is extremely costly, and he feels that swapping the orangutans out for a different primate could save a lot of money that they could use elsewhere at the zoo.
- Speaking of phase out, the zoo director and his team will be doing a cost analysis on all species at the zoo. He wants to see the cost/benefit to maintaining the collection that they have currently and if there is way to save resources and create more enriching life for the animals they have in their collection.