Minnesota Zoo Visit Report 8/23/2024
While on vacation, I made a visit to the Minnesota Zoo as a try to do at least once a year. The place was packed with school groups and zoo campers, and there was another event going on at the Upper Plaza. Temperatures were very high but the weather was otherwise pleasant. I went on the Treetop Trail for the first time and wasn't all that impressed, to be honest. Most animals were active in either the morning or the late afternoon.
Tropics Trail Bird Collection Changes:
The single Sri Lankan junglefowl passed away in the past few months. She was the only individual the zoo had. The zookeeper who told me this suggested that they might try to acquire a different species of junglefowl.
There are some collared finch-billed bulbuls in quarantine to replace the red-vented bulbuls that were phased out a few years ago.
A blue-crowned laughingthrush and a rhinoceros hornbill recently hatched. White-crested laughingthrushes are behind-the-scenes for breeding. The rhinoceros hornbill pair is off-exhibit rearing their new chick while one of their previous offspring is on-exhibit.
The zoo no longer has Chinese hwameis or a white-rumped shama. I was told the Madagascar partridges are also gone.
General Updates:
One of the two cougars, Landslide, a male, tragically passed away because of epilepsy. The other cougar, Sequim, also a male, is on medication now to treat his anxiety stemming from the loss of his friend. What a horrible way for Landslide to die.
There are two Bahama pintails alongside the Madagascar teals, other waterfowl, and lesser flamingos on the Tropics Trail.
Rousey, the bald eagle used in programs, now resides in the bald eagle enclosure on the Minnesota Trail when she isn't working as an ambassador.
A Canada lynx passed away recently so there was only one at the Minnesota Trail. Apparently a new lynx will be on-exhibit shortly.
As
@Smaggledagle mentioned, there is a newborn snow monkey who is adorable!
Young sea otters Denali and Nuka were out swimming. They were super cute, seemingly not fully grown yet. The males were nowhere to be seen.
Natural Encounters Inc. now owns all of the birds in the Wings Financial World of Birds Show. Some of the birds, like the Harris’s hawk, domestic chickens, and red-legged seriema were sold to the Florida facility despite previously being owned by the zoo. As I understand it, birds in the Wings and Things show are still owned by the Minnesota Zoo, including Coconut the sulfur-crested cockatoo.
There is a new enclosure being set up by the path to the farm. It appears to be a small pasture for farm animals based on the cartoonish barn and fencing in place. Some work is still being done. It will be interesting to see what this enclosure is used for when it is finished.
Another one of the Alaskan gray wolves passed away. Three of the original five wolves are still alive.
There are also only three ring-tailed lemurs currently. I remember when there were seven a few years ago. The enclosure was certainly much more lively then.
Wild Boar Update:
Juvenile wild boar were originally supposed to come from a breeder in Canada this year. They were unable to sell any to the Minnesota Zoo this breeding season so those plans changed. The zookeeper I asked doesn't often work with the pigs and wouldn't usually work with the boar either, but he has a senior position and has worked at the zoo for a long time. He suggested that it might be a few years if at all before any attempts are made to get wild boar again because they now have the Mangalitsa pigs, but he also expressed uncertainty. It's certainly a disappointing update. Hopefully this ends up not being the case and there are some wild boar piglets at the zoo next summer!
Animal Highlights:
One of the Malayan tapirs was having a blast in their enclosure. I had a lot of fun watching whichever one it was prancing and trotting around the space, vocalizing very loudly.
In the late afternoon, American pine marten Marty McFly was very energetic, running around the enclosure, climbing up the walls and branches and playing in the little stream. I appreciated being able to see him active for my first time seeing the species.
I saw the coyotes each thrown part of a carcass. They began ripping them apart immediately and once they had gotten most of the meat, they started gnawing on the bones.
All five beavers were out in the afternoon. Many of them were working on their damn. One of the three younger beavers was also gnawing on the ladder to the right of the first area they can be viewed from. I don’t know if that would be good for their teeth, but it was certainly interesting to see.
I was also lucky enough to see brown bears Haines and Sadie participated in a training demonstration. Haines, at the training wall, was being particularly stubborn so the training session didn’t last long. I actually thought his behavior was sort of funny. Sadie was being trained by their den from above the lava tube viewing area.
