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Minnesota Zoo’s Attendance Tops 1.3 Million; Sets All Time Record
The Minnesota Zoo is celebrating its most successful year ever, with fiscal year (July 1, 2011–June 30, 2012) attendance totaling 1,369,515 – the highest in the Zoo’s 34-year history. Zoo memberships also are at an all-time high of more than 45,000 households (representing over 175,000 individuals).

The Zoo’s strong attendance gains began last summer with the opening of the 3M Penguins of the African Coast exhibit, which immediately became a fan favorite, and continued into the spring with the ever-popular “Farm Babies” event, the re opening of an upgraded Tropical Reef exhibit, and beautiful weather. Since its opening in late May, the Zoo’s summer blockbuster exhibit – Dinosaurs! – has been a popular attraction for Zoo guests.

“Over the last five years, new and renovated exhibits and public spaces have transformed the Minnesota Zoo,” said Zoo Director/CEO Lee Ehmke. “We are gratified that our guests are responding to these changes in a big way: the three years of highest attendance in the Zoo’s history have all happened since 2009. And we are especially thrilled to report that fiscal year 2012 was our best year yet!”

The Minnesota Zoo’s attendance gains are consistent with many zoos across the country that have experienced record or near-record attendance this past year. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), accredited zoos and aquariums in North America welcome more than 175 million visitors each year.

New at the Zoo
Opening September 15, 2012 is the new “Black Bears” exhibit, located on the Medtronic Minnesota Trail. Returning to the Zoo next summer is a seasonal Africa exhibit which will feature a variety of animals including giraffes, ostriches, bongos and more.
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I'm so happy to see that they are still breaking attendance records
 
I wonder if they're probably going to add a new kopje exhibit (featuring meerkats, hyraxes, and klipspringers) and renovate the snow monkey exhibit for next year.
 
It's great to see that during tough economic times for zoos, this zoo is still going strong and is continuing to improve. I hope more zoos will start to have the same success MN Zoo is having now.
 
I'm so glad this zoo is getting rid of its last two dolphins. From what I remember, the pool wasn't very large nor did it seem stimulating for the intelligent cetaceans(not to mention the six deaths). A pinniped exhibit or a new shark tank would fit quite nicely in that space
 
The Minnesota Zoo plans to renovate its aquarium exhibit this fall, and then introduce fish and stingrays into the pools where dolphins once swam.
 
An endangered Amur tiger cub has been moved to the Minnesota Zoo, joining another her age.

The cub was born July 1 and flown from the St. Louis Zoo on July 19 to join the other at the Apple Valley site, where both are being "hand-reared" because their mothers could not nurse them, according to a zoo news release.

The pair will be raised together to enforce their "natural tiger behaviors," a decision made in conjunction with the tiger species survival plan coordinator for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo said.

Diana Weinhardt, the zoo's Northern Trail supervisor, said collaborating with other zoos to provide the best social situation for the cubs has been a highlight of her career, she said in the statement. "We are doing everything we can to make this the best possible situation," she said.

The Minnesota Zoo cub was one of two born June 17 to mother Angara and father Molniy; only one cub survived.

Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, have been part of the zoo's Northern Trail exhibit since the zoo's opening in 1978. There hadn't been a tiger birth at the zoo since 2004.

The zoo has set up a live tiger cam for viewing the cubs.
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I think this is a great idea. They are so cute together

Minnesota Zoo: Amur tiger cub moves in - TwinCities.com
 
A male Canada Lynx kitten went on exhibit recently. Man, all these baby cats makes me want to go to Minnesota Zoo now more than ever.:D
 
Does anybody know where the dolphnis are going? Hopefully they will go to Brookfield Zoo which lost two dolphins last year.
 
DavidBrown said:
I applaud the Minnesota Zoo for what had to be a very difficult decision to close an exhibit for what were no doubt some of their most popular animals. Given their track record in recent years with new exhibits (Russia Grizzly Coast, penguin exhibit, dholes) no doubt something first-class will replace the dolphins.
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Speaking of something replacing the dolphins being first class. I know people hate speculating on here but recently the Alaska Sea Life Center rescued 3 orphaned baby Walrus and The unit to hold the walruses in which came from generous donations both from the pittsburgh zoo and Minnesota zoo. So maybe the orphaned baby walruses will be split up and go to the minnesota zoo and Pittsburgh zoo. I was at my hometown zoo today Pittsburgh and i wrote a post saying that it was strange cause the zoo has taken down a couple pictures of sand tiger shark around there exhibit and the exhibit used to have cownose rays. fellow zoochatter TigerValley98 asked the zoo on facebook bout the rays bout a week ago and responded in saying quote The cownose rays are permanently no longer on exhibit with the sand tiger sharks. You can see many types of sting rays in the PPG Aquarium, but they are no longer on exhibit in Water's Edge. Now come on if that doesn't get you guessing and speculating idk what does. This exhibit was intended to hold walrus from the getgo when water's edge opened in 2006.
 
TropicWorld54 said:
Does anybody know where the dolphnis are going? Hopefully they will go to Brookfield Zoo which lost two dolphins last year.
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On the webpage that Jusko posted it says that for security purposes the new home of the dolphins will be revealed once they have been moved there.
 
jusko88 said:
Speaking of something replacing the dolphins being first class. I know people hate speculating on here but recently the Alaska Sea Life Center rescued 3 orphaned baby Walrus and The unit to hold the walruses in which came from generous donations both from the pittsburgh zoo and Minnesota zoo. So maybe the orphaned baby walruses will be split up and go to the minnesota zoo and Pittsburgh zoo. I was at my hometown zoo today Pittsburgh and i wrote a post saying that it was strange cause the zoo has taken down a couple pictures of sand tiger shark around there exhibit and the exhibit used to have cownose rays. fellow zoochatter TigerValley98 asked the zoo on facebook bout the rays bout a week ago and responded in saying quote The cownose rays are permanently no longer on exhibit with the sand tiger sharks. You can see many types of sting rays in the PPG Aquarium, but they are no longer on exhibit in Water's Edge. Now come on if that doesn't get you guessing and speculating idk what does. This exhibit was intended to hold walrus from the getgo when water's edge opened in 2006.
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Like how the MN Zoo said that other dolphins are simply not available, neither are walruses. MN definately won't put them in Discovery Bay as it features warm-water animals. Pittsburgh also will probably not get them. Alaska Sealife Center might keep the walruses themselves! If they will be relocated anywhere, it will probably be Indianapolis Zoo, or perhaps Pittsburgh, but this is just speculation, and it should be talked about somewhere else.
 
And the Black Bear Count Down begins! We’re 10 days away from our NEW Black Bear exhibit opening along the Medtronic Minnesota Trail. Join us on September 15th to welcome our three new additions!
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My Friend visited the zoo last weekend and was able to have an early sneak peek at the new exhibit. I can't wait to visit this fall.
 

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jackieo said:
My Friend visited the zoo last weekend and was able to have an early sneak peek at the new exhibit. I can't wait to visit this fall.
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Will this be the first time that the Minnesota Zoo has black bears?

Were there sloth and/or sun bears in their rain forest building at some point?
 
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