Where you able to find out anything with the small mammals building? Recently visited and saw some new line markers, not sure if it was for the west enterance or not.
Milwaukee County Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo news 2017
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
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Other than the kinkajou exhibit renovations, the only other noticeable thing is that the furthest North day time habitats were blocked off. That was due to the recent golden lion tamarin birth.
Back again from another adventure to the zoo. My friends are now saying that I should apply to work there for as many times as I have visited the zoo this summer. I am not sure if its because I have gone so many times to the zoo or if as I do more research on what other zoos are bring to their zoo that I am started to become dishearten and slightly annoyed.
One of the things that has been getting at me is the lack of animals in some of the exhibits or buildings. When I walk around the zoo I come across several empty exhibits or ones that I think are too big/small for the number of animals in them. Already acknowledging the elephants are getting a new home, but the 3 toed sloth which is now in the former otter exhibit in the small mammals building, its just way too big for one sloth and the water stained glass even makes it hard for one to see the sloth in the first place. Not to mention it seems that there is little to no AC in that building. There are several things about this building I don't like but I am moving on from it. You have small mammals both in the primate building and then again in the small mammals building. There are some exhibits that say that there are animals suppose to be in there but have never seen any animal in them or any evidence that an animals was ever in that exhibit.
Another thing, when I walked around the bear exhibit areas, its all concrete and water, with some wooden structures in place to allow for the bears to sleep in the shade or play on, if that. Overall there is a lack of grass or dirt for the bears to experience. Also, they are planning to up grade the black/brown bear exhibit but again with no real change other then adding a few more plants and a larger waterfall (maybe).
Lastly, the overall all zoo looks very thrown together with the hope that it sticks, and the partially forgot to up keep the exhibit. From the fencing around exhibits having add ons instead of being replaced, signage not being posted about the animals, like who's in the exhibit and their backstory, like with the jaguar exhibit, or even exhibits that actually fit for the animal (big cat house is terrible, it looks nice but where is the effort to give these animals to do what they do best, be themselves). The landscaping looks terrible around the exhibits. Like around the bears, the hedges are overgrown where I have a hard time seeing them. Signs are faded like the ones over by the new West Entrance, and even the zoo's sky safari theres not much to look at, with overgrowth and then fly over into the soon to be home of elephants.
I realize that the zoo has been strapped for cash, county not supporting them like they should, the loss of parking and the new construction of the west entrance, and the list goes on and on, however maybe with this new master plan and the zoo celebrating its 125th this week, that maybe some of these problems will be fixed. I enjoy my city and my zoo and I want it to succeed and be that place that got me inspired to care about animals. Seeing the zoo like this is a heart breaker.
One of the things that has been getting at me is the lack of animals in some of the exhibits or buildings. When I walk around the zoo I come across several empty exhibits or ones that I think are too big/small for the number of animals in them. Already acknowledging the elephants are getting a new home, but the 3 toed sloth which is now in the former otter exhibit in the small mammals building, its just way too big for one sloth and the water stained glass even makes it hard for one to see the sloth in the first place. Not to mention it seems that there is little to no AC in that building. There are several things about this building I don't like but I am moving on from it. You have small mammals both in the primate building and then again in the small mammals building. There are some exhibits that say that there are animals suppose to be in there but have never seen any animal in them or any evidence that an animals was ever in that exhibit.
Another thing, when I walked around the bear exhibit areas, its all concrete and water, with some wooden structures in place to allow for the bears to sleep in the shade or play on, if that. Overall there is a lack of grass or dirt for the bears to experience. Also, they are planning to up grade the black/brown bear exhibit but again with no real change other then adding a few more plants and a larger waterfall (maybe).
Lastly, the overall all zoo looks very thrown together with the hope that it sticks, and the partially forgot to up keep the exhibit. From the fencing around exhibits having add ons instead of being replaced, signage not being posted about the animals, like who's in the exhibit and their backstory, like with the jaguar exhibit, or even exhibits that actually fit for the animal (big cat house is terrible, it looks nice but where is the effort to give these animals to do what they do best, be themselves). The landscaping looks terrible around the exhibits. Like around the bears, the hedges are overgrown where I have a hard time seeing them. Signs are faded like the ones over by the new West Entrance, and even the zoo's sky safari theres not much to look at, with overgrowth and then fly over into the soon to be home of elephants.
I realize that the zoo has been strapped for cash, county not supporting them like they should, the loss of parking and the new construction of the west entrance, and the list goes on and on, however maybe with this new master plan and the zoo celebrating its 125th this week, that maybe some of these problems will be fixed. I enjoy my city and my zoo and I want it to succeed and be that place that got me inspired to care about animals. Seeing the zoo like this is a heart breaker.
I have to say, for the most part, I agree with your statements. I do actually work on the grounds crew at the Milwaukee County Zoo and in general, the zoo does have a very "forgotten" feel to it. It's nice, a fine zoo nonetheless, and I will always enjoy it. But when push comes to shove I have to be honest (now especially because I've worked on the grounds crew for a few years) there doesn't seem to be a lot of pride in/for the zoo. Part of it I think is just the design. It was planned and built in the 1950s and 60s with a LOT of concrete and a train track and an entire forest; makes its a little more difficult and expensive (money is a reoccurring problem for the zoo) to expand or even change much at all. Another big problem I see for the zoo is its PR but I know that has been talked about on this thread before.
Whenever the zoo decides to actually change something, it sticks to what is already there and just builds off of it. That's fine, but its leaving the quality of the exhibits behind. I mean the last time anything major changed/was built at the zoo was the Apes of Africa in 1992.
Overall I think the zoo generally doesn't have the PR or the funding to make the big changes that it wants and/or needs. Moats were great in the 50s, but it isn't the 50s anymore and so much of the zoo is outdated and made out of ugly concrete but there isn't much room to make any major upgrades or changes because of the train, forest, hills ect. Even with this new elephant exhibit, sure they're taking out moose, wolves, and bears, but the "shape" will remain the same I predict.
There is so much hope and potential but the odds are stacked against us being able to keep the world class upkeep as more and more time goes on without major changes. Big cat outdoor yards, most exhibits in the zoo's inner circle, and the bear grottos all need to be upgraded and expanded, but that would require a lot of money that the zoo doesn't have, not to mention the small mammal and primate buildings that need (in my opinion) a ground-up renovation.
Just some thoughts and opinions and also a way of saying, its not just the "zoo nerds" that want these changes, its everyone.
Whenever the zoo decides to actually change something, it sticks to what is already there and just builds off of it. That's fine, but its leaving the quality of the exhibits behind. I mean the last time anything major changed/was built at the zoo was the Apes of Africa in 1992.
Overall I think the zoo generally doesn't have the PR or the funding to make the big changes that it wants and/or needs. Moats were great in the 50s, but it isn't the 50s anymore and so much of the zoo is outdated and made out of ugly concrete but there isn't much room to make any major upgrades or changes because of the train, forest, hills ect. Even with this new elephant exhibit, sure they're taking out moose, wolves, and bears, but the "shape" will remain the same I predict.
There is so much hope and potential but the odds are stacked against us being able to keep the world class upkeep as more and more time goes on without major changes. Big cat outdoor yards, most exhibits in the zoo's inner circle, and the bear grottos all need to be upgraded and expanded, but that would require a lot of money that the zoo doesn't have, not to mention the small mammal and primate buildings that need (in my opinion) a ground-up renovation.
Just some thoughts and opinions and also a way of saying, its not just the "zoo nerds" that want these changes, its everyone.
If I could, after all the animals have been safely placed elsewhere I would be so glad to be driving the demolition team on that build.
I agree with what you said, and I wonder if it will take a new zoo president or CEO to come in to get things done. You're right there doesn't seem to be much pride, and especially on their 125 birthday, I would have thought there would be more energy at the park and the community. It's just not there...
The Milwaukee County Zoo is woefully out of date, and there's no denying it, as each passing year makes the facility seem a lot worse than it did before. All that said, I simply can't place the long-term blame the zoo itself, which seems to be constantly trying to find ways to innovate and succeed despite the horrible financial conditions. Even the zoo's history chalks up almost all of its development since the early nineties (i.e. Giraffe House, Macaque Island, Big Cats) to a single influx of a large enough amount of cash.
I think if the zoo was given more freedom to seek outside donations, not to mention more support from the country itself, we would see a much stronger Milwaukee County Zoo.
I just hope if the Small Mammal House is ever revised, they keep their collection of nocturnal species, since it seems common for zoos to remove these sections due to costs.
I think if the zoo was given more freedom to seek outside donations, not to mention more support from the country itself, we would see a much stronger Milwaukee County Zoo.
I just hope if the Small Mammal House is ever revised, they keep their collection of nocturnal species, since it seems common for zoos to remove these sections due to costs.
Went there on a 25-zoo tour of Wisconsin,Minnesota and the bit of Michigan thats on the west side of the lake two years ago...and ive got to say i loved the place,arguably my favourite of the entire tour(although i had visited before).I like zoos that are unashamedly zoos you see...not trying,and failing,to convince folks that theyve stumbled into Paraguay or wherever.
As the master plan unfolds, there is one thing I want to become of the small mammal building. Make into a full, complete nocturnal house. Make the entire building "Animals Of The Night". They don't have to change anything in the current nocturnal side of the building, just focus on renovating the day time side.
Combine the 2 small Goldie's monkey habitats = Pygmy Loris Exhibit
Combine all current lemur habitats = Aye-aye habitat
Night monkey stays in current habitat
Combine current Cotton top tamarin/golden lion tamarin exhibits = Tayra exhibit
Current large Goldie's monkey exhibit = Another Tayra exhibit
Current sloth exhibit = unknown?
1. Milwaukee seems to be a zoo low on funds, and as nocturnal houses have a very high upkeep cost, I doubt they'd go through a costly renovation only for a higher cost of day-to-day running.
2. Tayras aren't nocturnal
Do you think we will know what the new master plan is or will it be revealed slowly when they start their next project? That way no hopes will be dashed, "never announced, never failed."
Also did we ever know what was on the last master plan?
Also did we ever know what was on the last master plan?
I'd love to know what the new species are
I would also love to know, because I don't know them
.
Looking at the capitol projects request fund for the Milwaukee Zoo the timeline over the next couple years for the zoos new master plan as follows...
2017 - 2018 construction and completion of the elephant exhibit
2018 - 2019 construction of the hippo exhibit with the designs being drawn up for the rhinos
2019 - 2020 construction/ design of the rhino exhibit
2020 - 2021 construction and completetion of rhino exbit and Adventures of Africa
2021 - 2022 the design process for Alaska's Cold Coast begins
2017 - 2018 construction and completion of the elephant exhibit
2018 - 2019 construction of the hippo exhibit with the designs being drawn up for the rhinos
2019 - 2020 construction/ design of the rhino exhibit
2020 - 2021 construction and completetion of rhino exbit and Adventures of Africa
2021 - 2022 the design process for Alaska's Cold Coast begins
Keep in mind that in between multiple smaller renovations will be added for otters, red panda, mandrill, siamang and colobus monkeys.
I did leave out items such as roof repairs to the aquatics building, primates mesh repair, farm walk about improvements, penguin exhibit improvements, as well as gift shop and restaurant upgrades.
When were penguin improvements mentioned?
They are in a line the capital improvements request submitted to the county Financial Committee.
So, the county will fund or co-finance?
As far as my understanding of these capital projects, the county will fund half and the zoological society will pay the other half.