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On the topic of the sea lion shows, wanted to provide a write-up from my visit yesterday!

I'll start with my notes about the Sea Lion Discovery show, sponsored by Royal Credit Union...
  • In order to attend you have to book tickets when you order your tickets online. It's completely free but the ampitheater only holds so many people so it's a book-in-advance sort of thing. There are shows at 11 and 2, with the theater opening 20 minutes beforehand and the show running roughly 15 minutes.
  • Some nice pre-show music with little bits of trivia. This runs for the full 20 minutes between when the ampitheater opens and when the show begins.
  • The stadium really filled up when I saw it on a Thursday, though it is spring break so YMMV. Seating is from top to bottom, so try to plan accordingly in terms of when you arrive. Arrive earlier for a higher seat.
  • The show is quite clearly aimed at a young demographic, which isn't necessarily a detriment but does mean that it's a bit hammy with the humor.
  • Show begins; we saw Jojo, who performed some pretty simple tricks. Blowing bubbles, swimming back and forth between two trainers, hops, flaps, claps, lying down, etc.
  • There's a volunteer opportunity about halfway through the show. You hand sanitize, do some simple hand motions through one of the glass pane to trigger tricks (blowing bubbles, doing jumps, etc) and throw fish over the glass.
  • At this point Clyde, the adult sea lion, was brought in and Jojo was brought backstage for a moment. I learned Clyde was removed from the wild because he was eating endangered salmon... what a fiend. Some more basic tricks and a brief... not advert, but definitely a very forward message about Seafood Watch.
  • Then Jojo returned, with both sea lions in the pool, and they did a brief intense session of swimming around, doing tricks, etc. At the very end Jojo got up in the front little platform area and waved a whole bunch.
Glad I saw it overall but it's quite brief and not like... overwhelmingly impressive. I'm glad to see the space in use again.

Some other updates from yesterday's visit...
  • Pit of shame in the Tropics Trail is still empty. I'm hoping the Asian small clawed otters from Seaquest end up here but I'm not holding my breath.
  • I didn't see any Bali mynas on exhibit. Instead there was a pair of beautiful fruit-doves (their name- not me adding an adjective lol).
  • I saw two hornbills and no sign about nesting. This might not be a new development? If I remember correctly they've had a nesting sign up for a while... I suspect the kiddo has finally moved out.
  • The embossing sheets are back on the Minnesota Trail!
  • There's a torpor sign up by the black bear exhibit explaining why they aren't on exhibit, but there was not one by the grizzlies. I didn't see any grizzly bears on habitat either, and the MN zoo website just says "bears are in torpor", so I'm assuming they're all off-exhibit.
  • Mangalista are still around.
  • I can confirm that the prairie dog exhibit does indeed house residents. Saw a few running around.
  • There appears to be some construction in the dhole habitat? About time. Very excited to hear that tufted deer/cranes/red pandas will be making a return... I suspect these two things are connected.
  • There's a sign by the takin that says "Electrical fence wires may snap and spark in wet conditions. Staff are aware and will monitor" which is...... mildly concerning lol.
The Wells Fargo Family Farm opened today, March 14th, which is unfortunate timing as I would've loved to see some critters yesterday. This is the 25th year of the farm.
 
Also, funny that the zoo is preparing a new exhibit just as I’m preparing to visit it for the very first time this summer. I’m definitely going to have to time my trip so I can visit it by the time the exhibit opens.
 
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SharkFinatic said:
New developments at the zoo: The amphitheater in Discovery Bay is now hosting sea lion shows.
https://mnzoo.org/sea-lion-discovery/
Plus the zoo has announced via Instagram and Facebook that red pandas are returning to the zoo at an unspecified date this summer, and will be joined by western tufted deer and red crowned cranes.
Click to expand...
The Zoo has a page on its website which has a piece of concept art in it. It just shows the red pandas.

The description opens conceptually with "In the shadow of the eastern Himalayas, these three animals depend on the unique mix of bamboo forests, mountainsides, wetlands, and river valleys."

I like that the zoo, at least in announcement, is likely still using geographical theming. The red crowned cranes are bit too far south compared to their actual range (at least from a cursory look at Wikipedia and elsewhere), but I'm happy that the zoo is doing something this big again that has animals with it.

Link: https://mnzoo.org/redpandaforest/?f...vJ3ncBup3paD3OO5JQ_aem_YfvcvF4RxQ7kPbCUNn8t5w
 
An eight-year-old male North American river otter called Tucker has moved from the Saginaw Children's Zoo. He is nearly twice as big as Cedar, the female who arrived a few months ago, and at 24 pounds, is one of the largest North American river otters in captivity ever.

Tucker and Cedar are currently being introduced to one another, so for the time being, Tucker is in the exhibit by himself.
 
Kare11 reported the following about the animals from Roseville's SeaQuest: "The Minnesota Zoo has taken in 128 creatures including a wide-variety of fish and mammals including two wallabies, two two-toed sloths, two crested porcupines, a three-banded armadillo, and seven sugar gliders. All animals are reported in in stable health."
All SeaQuest animals removed from facility, are adjusting in new homes | kare11.com
 
Apologies for the double post, but the Star Tribune put their article out a little later and has this list of animals: "The Minnesota Zoo brought in a variety of fish and mammals, including two wallabies, two two-toed sloths, a three-banded armadillo, and seven sugar gliders; several reptiles, one crab and even a tarantula."
I'm very interested to know what reptiles were taken in and how many are destined for the Zoomobile vs some kind of display at the zoo.
 
Notes from my visit a few weeks ago:
  • four white-breasted woodswallows have been added to the main aviary on the Tropics Trail
  • Brutus, the bison herd's breeding male, has been relocated elsewhere. The state herd wants breeding paused at the zoo for a few seasons so he won't immediately return or be replaced.
  • one of the two Komodo dragons passed away
  • There were two Bolivian gray titis with the agoutis; one of them arrived recently. The group previously consisted of three individuals, so two of them have either passed or been transferred.
  • The live coral tank in Discovery Bay has been replaced and it is now built into a wall partition. The last tank on the opposite end of the little corner gallery has also been replaced and built into a wall partition. Hatchling dwarf cuttlefish reside in the new tank.
  • blacktip reef sharks have been gone for a few years
 
A male western tufted year named Douglas from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has arrived in preparation for the opening of the renovated exhibit. A female will be arriving soon, if she hasn't already.

Three beavers born in 2023 have moved to the Utica Zoo, where one of them, male Cauliflower, promptly escaped and has not yet been found.

At the family farm, there are six goat kids, Gigi, Kiki, Heath, Horton, Auggie, and Norma; kunekune pig Marjorie has given birth to her litter; Dutch Belted cow Annie, who was born at the zoo two years ago, has given birth to her first calf, a male named Alfie; and Buckeye chicks have hatched in the farmhouse.
 
Surprised nobody has posted this yet!

Two red pandas (2.0), Cedar and Spruce, have arrived at the Minnesota Zoo. The two are from the Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska, born Aug 10 2024 with a sister (yes, triplets) named Juniper. The three account for 25% of red pandas born in North American zoos last year.

They'll be housed with Douglas the western tufted deer (and an as-of-yet unarrived/unannounced doe) and at least one red-crowned crane.
 
Some notes from today's visit:
  • 2 lambs were born today aroundddd noon? ish? 11-12ish. Being so specific because I thought it was really interesting. Buddy and I walked into the sheep/goat barn and mama sheep was still workin on the placenta.
  • They're trialing some automatic feeders in the Japanese macaque habitat, hanging on the walls. They're "gathering data on [the feeders] to offer the troop more stimulation and foraging opportunities".
  • Mangalistas are still there.
  • There's now a dwarf cuttlefish in one of the tanks in Discovery Bay- in the side area with the smaller tanks, it's in the tank closest to the concessions. It's VERRRRY tiny right now- less than an inch I reckon. But we saw it ink which was pretty neat.
 
The Asian water monitor from SeaQuest has moved into the former Asian small-clawed otter enclosure, after being rehabilitated . She has been named Toothless after the How to Train Your Dragon character.

I'm very happy to know that there is a long-term inhabitant for the enclosure after several years without one. She is an especially nice addition to the public collection because visitors will be so easily able to compare her species to the Komodo dragon on the other side of the path!
 
wild boar said:
The Asian water monitor from SeaQuest has moved into the former Asian small-clawed otter enclosure, after being rehabilitated . She has been named Toothless after the How to Train Your Dragon character.

I'm very happy to know that there is a long-term inhabitant for the enclosure after several years without one. She is an especially nice addition to the public collection because visitors will be so easily able to compare her species to the Komodo dragon on the other side of the path!
Click to expand...
That is a great replacement! That exhibit hasn’t had a permanent inhabitant for nearly half a decade, so it's great to hear there will finally be a new, permanent resident. With Red Panda Forest opening, much if the zoo's empty exhibits being filled, and construction (hopefully) beginning soon on the animal hospital and upper plaza/Japanese Macaque renovations, things seem to be looking good for the zoo for what feels like the first time in a while. Can't wait to visit the zoo soon to see all of these changes!
 
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