Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo News 2020

[Zoofan15]

A male Malayan tapir was born August 8:

Endangered baby Malayan tapir born at Minnesota Zoo over the summer

The zoo has an online poll where guests can vote on one of four name choices, all of which have connections to the native area of Malayan tapirs: Tua, Zaka, Sabtu or Teruna.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Unfortunately, half of the Minnesota zoos reindeer have died of a seasonal disease. The 4 other reindeer, plus the 2 woodland caribou, have been token of exhibit and separated for the time being. Who knows if any of the will survive

Any further info on what kind of seasonal disease?

Does climate change also affect the reindeer here?

 

[birdsandbats]

Any further info on what kind of seasonal disease?

Does climate change also affect the reindeer here?

I wouldn't think so. This area is within the former range of Woodland Caribou but the reason they no longer occur in Minnesota is due to loss of habitat, not climate.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Do you mean habitat converted from ancient woodlands to farm land or other usage? How much of the state of Minnesota is affected and - more importantly - what is being done to stabilise or even repair and restore habitats that have disappeared?

Climate change affects reindeer and caribou in various ways in disturbing the permafrost landscape, their eco-physiology not being able to stand the changed environment and conditions, changing weather patterns (and this is over several decades), the impacts of acid rain and deposition of NOH3, CO2 impacts et cetera on habitats.

These are apart from any other manmade impacts on environment.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Warming climate can absolutely affect Caribou. Whether Minnesota has warmed up enough to have an impact on wild Caribou had they not already died out there or on the wild moose which are still present I don't know, but it's an entirely real possibility.

~Thylo

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I am yet open to comments about the extent and impacts of habitat conversion for Minnesota!
Also as far as restoration and habitat conservation programmes are concerned.

 

[birdsandbats]

Do you mean habitat converted from ancient woodlands to farm land or other usage? How much of the state of Minnesota is affected and - more importantly - what is being done to stabilise or even repair and restore habitats that have disappeared?

Climate change affects reindeer and caribou in various ways in disturbing the permafrost landscape, their eco-physiology not being able to stand the changed environment and conditions, changing weather patterns (and this is over several decades), the impacts of acid rain and deposition of NOH3, CO2 impacts et cetera on habitats.

These are apart from any other manmade impacts on environment.

Warming climate can absolutely affect Caribou. Whether Minnesota has warmed up enough to have an impact on wild Caribou had they not already died out there or on the wild moose which are still present I don't know, but it's an entirely real possibility.

~Thylo

I am yet open to comments about the extent and impacts of habitat conversion for Minnesota!
Also as far as restoration and habitat conservation programmes are concerned.

About half of Minnesota was originally prairie and these areas are now mostly farmland, with very little prairie still remaining. The other half of Minnesota was largely old growth boreal forest. These areas are still forested, but most of the old growth trees are all gone, with most of the forests now only being ~50-100 years old. Woodland Caribou require forests much older than this and therefore are no longer present. Moose are still found in Minnesota in decent numbers.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

About half of Minnesota was originally prairie and these areas are now mostly farmland, with very little prairie still remaining. The other half of Minnesota was largely old growth boreal forest. These areas are still forested, but most of the old growth trees are all gone, with most of the forests now only being ~50-100 years old. Woodland Caribou require forests much older than this and therefore are no longer present. Moose are still found in Minnesota in decent numbers.

I'm not denying habitat loss being the reason for their extirpation from Minnesota, I'm just pointing out that climate change can have a negative impact on Caribou, including captive stock.

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

I'm not denying habitat loss being the reason for their extirpation from Minnesota, I'm just pointing out that climate change can have a negative impact on Caribou, including captive stock.

~Thylo

Fair enough.

 

[Gondwana]

The zoo Reindeer were killed by insect-borne viral hemmorrhagic fever. I'd assume the local White-tailed Deer population served as the viral reservoir, but the disease itself is more prevalent farther south in the United States and only recently appeared in Minnesota so there is probably a weather/climate link there.

As for the loss of native Woodland Caribou from the Great Lakes region (including Minnesota), there are a combination of factors. Most of the area is still forested, but rather than lichen-rich spruce/fir forest, there is now more aspen and maple that have grown in since logging took place. This allowed more White-tailed Deer to move into the region, which compete with Caribou, serve as carriers for diseases (including hemmorhagic fever but more notably brainworm), and support larger populations of wolves. Caribou were also extensively hunted in the late 19th and early 20th century. The result is the retraction of the range of Caribou to the north, with the last mainland population of Great Lakes Woodland Caribou (in Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario) currently in the process of going extinct and the last island populations in Lake Superior requiring intensive management, including predator control.

 

[birdsandbats]

The zoo Reindeer were killed by insect-borne viral hemmorrhagic fever. I'd assume the local White-tailed Deer population served as the viral reservoir, but the disease itself is more prevalent farther south in the United States and only recently appeared in Minnesota so there is probably a weather/climate link there.

As for the loss of native Woodland Caribou from the Great Lakes region (including Minnesota), there are a combination of factors. Most of the area is still forested, but rather than lichen-rich spruce/fir forest, there is now more aspen and maple that have grown in since logging took place. This allowed more White-tailed Deer to move into the region, which compete with Caribou, serve as carriers for diseases (including hemmorhagic fever but more notably brainworm), and support larger populations of wolves. Caribou were also extensively hunted in the late 19th and early 20th century. The result is the retraction of the range of Caribou to the north, with the last mainland population of Great Lakes Woodland Caribou (in Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario) currently in the process of going extinct and the last island populations in Lake Superior requiring intensive management, including predator control.

There are Woodland Caribou on Lake Superior islands? Which ones?

 

[Gondwana]

There are Woodland Caribou on Lake Superior islands? Which ones?

In Ontario, in the Slate Islands and in Michipicoten Island. They were of course native to Isle Royale in the US as well. Within the last couple years wolves got to Michipicoten Island via an ice bridge and nearly exterminated the entire island's population of Caribou, so their situation is very precarious.

 

[birdsandbats]

In Ontario, in the Slate Islands and in Michipicoten Island. They were of course native to Isle Royale in the US as well. Within the last couple years wolves got to Michipicoten Island via an ice bridge and nearly exterminated the entire island's population of Caribou, so their situation is very precarious.

I'm assuming the issue on Isle Royale was competition with Moose?

 

[Gondwana]

I'm assuming the issue on Isle Royale was competition with Moose?

Possibly, or maybe it was predators. I know wolves aren't supposed to have gotten to Isle Royale until the 1940s but it wouldn't surprise me if they had gotten there earlier. Coyotes were around earlier as well. Caribou are herding animals and can't defend themselves as well as a Moose, so they become easy pickings in space-limited environments like islands, especially when calving. When the last wolves on Isle Royale died a few years ago I would have preferred the park to reintroduce Caribou and Lynx, both of which are native to the island and are rare in the Great Lakes. Instead they reintroduced wolves, which are now abundant around the Great Lakes. Oh well...

 

[Jambo]

A male Malayan tapir was born August 8:

Endangered baby Malayan tapir born at Minnesota Zoo over the summer

The zoo has an online poll where guests can vote on one of four name choices, all of which have connections to the native area of Malayan tapirs: Tua, Zaka, Sabtu or Teruna.

The male Malayan Tapir calf has been named Tuah.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/the-votes-are-in-minnesota-zoo-names-baby-tapir

 

[Dhole dude]

The Minnesota zoo is getting 13 million dollar bonding bill, part of witch will go to the new “treetops trail” (a new walking path on the old monorail tracks) & supposedly new red panda/transcaspian urial & southern tamandua exhibits.

Updates from my visit today
.2 Atlantic sea nettles have replaced the moon jellyfish in discovery bay
.signage is now up for the Virginia opossum & red fox on the Minnesota trail
.the reindeer & woodland caribou are still of exhibit(hopefully there still alive)
.the pool in the new tiger lair was drained, possibly because of the snowstorm we just had yesterday
.forgot to ask a keeper about the status of the Persian goitered gazelles

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

The Minnesota zoo is getting 13 million dollar bonding bill, part of witch will go to the new “treetops trail” (a new walking path on the old monorail tracks) & supposedly new red panda/transcaspian urial & southern tamandua exhibits.

Updates from my visit today
.2 Atlantic sea nettles have replaced the moon jellyfish in discovery bay
.signage is now up for the Virginia opossum & red fox on the Minnesota trail
.the reindeer & woodland caribou are still of exhibit(hopefully there still alive)
.the pool in the new tiger lair was drained, possibly because of the snowstorm we just had yesterday
.forgot to ask a keeper about the status of the Persian goitered gazelles

I need to get over to the zoo quick. I want to see the sea nettles and when did they get the Virginia opossums? I'm not to up to date with the status of the zoo, since my last visit was in September of this year.

 

[Dhole dude]

I need to get over to the zoo quick. I want to see the sea nettles and when did they get the Virginia opossums? I'm not to up to date with the status of the zoo, since my last visit was in September of this year.

The opossum is an ambassador animal that is temporarily displayed in the old raccoon exhibit. I was fairly surprised when I saw the sea nettles when I visited and in my opinion are much more exciting the moon jellies. On a side note, how rare are Atlantic sea nettles in the US? I know that pacific sea nettles sure fairy common, but how about Atlantic’s?

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

The opossum is an ambassador animal that is temporarily displayed in the old raccoon exhibit. I was fairly surprised when I saw the sea nettles when I visited and in my opinion are much more exciting the moon jellies. On a side note, how rare are Atlantic sea nettles in the US? I know that pacific sea nettles sure fairy common, but how about Atlantic’s?

I don't believe that Atlantic sea nettles are not that rare in the U.S. Maybe less common than others, but I wouldn't call them rare. I really enjoy Atlantic sea nettles, and I would really like to see them at the zoo. I've seen plenty of opossums in the wild, I was just a little surprised that they had them, as I previously didn't know of their existence at the zoo.

 

[Dhole dude]

I don't believe that Atlantic sea nettles are not that rare in the U.S. Maybe less common than others, but I wouldn't call them rare. I really enjoy Atlantic sea nettles, and I would really like to see them at the zoo. I've seen plenty of opossums in the wild, I was just a little surprised that they had them, as I previously didn't know of their existence at the zoo.

in fact, a fairy decent portion of the zoos collection is of-display ambassador animals, although it is nice that they can bring these animals to various other places around the state, I still wish I could see all of the species the have their.