Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden News From the Cincinnati Zoo 2011 #1

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It'll be interesting to see what becomes of all of the animals that weren't brought in for Night Hunters from the old Cat House and the Nocturnal House. There are 11 species left from those two buildings that were not used in Night Hunters.

So you haven't seen the Okapis either? I've been wondering the same thing. I've visited about a half dozen times since the Okapis moved to make way for the new Indian Rhinoceros exhibit, but I haven't seen them once.

Night Hunters Opens! | Cincinnati Zoo Blog
Night Hunters blog update. This update shows some pictures from Members Night and also talks a little about the Cat Canyon project!

And the construction continues now on the outdoor phase of Cat Canyon that links the Night Hunters building up with an outdoor trail to see cougars, Malayan tigers, and snow leopards. We’re pretty far along on the cougar exhibit already and hope to open that later this summer yet. The full and complete Cat Canyon is scheduled to open next spring/summer 2012. Stay tuned for updates!
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The 11 species did not count the cats that were not used. I had another list for the cats that weren't used, and I didn't even think about them when I said that. I'll add a seperate list for them.

-Black-headed Douroucouli
-Southern Douroucouli
-Linne's Two-toed Sloth
-Screaming Hairy Armadillo
-Southern Three-banded Armadillo
-Six-banded Armadillo
-Large-spotted Genet
-Slender-tailed Meerkat
-Cacomistle
-Feather-tailed Glider
-South American Coati

Cats:
-Serval
-Margay
-Geoffroy's Cat
-Siberian Lynx
-Canada Lynx
-Bobcat

In total, there were 17 species from the two buildings that were not used. I just didn't include the cats in my first number as that had already been discussed a few pages prior. Well I guess 18 if you count the Sugar Gliders, but they weren't on exhibit for very long anyways so I didn't include them.

I don't think it was ever mentioned on here, but Zuri, the Masai Giraffe calf, broke her leg a couple of days ago. Her leg is now in a cast and she is restricted to her indoor quarters. So far it is looking good, and the zoo's vet staff is confident in her recovery.
 
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For what it's worth, there is a coati in the nursery. I noticed a sign when I was there the other day saying they were grooming the coati to be a zoo ambassador like the wallabies, the bearcat and the aardvark.

Incidentally, is there a specific time and/or area when I can see the bearcat, aardvark, etc greeting zoo guests? I know I happened to go to the Children's Zoo last year and the aardvark was outside and eating. The zookeeper chaperone noticed me admiring him and asked if I wanted my picture taken with him. I jumped at that opportunity because I don't know many people who can say they've pet an aardvark. Felt like a really hairy man. LMAO
 
Thanks for the information. I wonder if the coatis are really the same ones that were on exhibit? It would be interesting if they were, as it's unsual for an animal to be on exhibit and then put into the outreach program. Usually animals are "born" into the program.

I would assume that there is a schedule for the outreach program animals in order to avoid animals being out with animals they may not be comfortable with or to allow animals to rest. However, I personally do not know that schedule.
 
No, I think this coati was bred into the ambassador/outreach program. He's still itty bitty, I saw him pop his head up while I was reading the sign. I have no idea where they put the animals when they're not on display. I would imagine they go to another zoo, but apparently there is a whole "behind the scenes" zoo the public rarely gets to see.

I wish I could get hold of that schedule though.. I would love to see the bearcat up close since it kind of scares me. LOL
 
Oh, that's very interesting. The coati must be new then. I wonder if it came from another zoo or if it was born here? They've never announced a birth, but, of course, the coatis haven't been on exhibit.

As far as were the animals go when they're not on display, all of the outreach animals live in the nursery and connected buildings. All of the other animals have off-display facilities where they spend the night or where they go when the weather is bad. The zoo also has an off-site breeding facility outside of the city called Mast Farms.
 
Kudu21 said:
Again, my sincere apologies, I had never seen the Sugar Gliders on exhibit nor had I heard that they had them so I had no idea!
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I saw the sugar gliders in the Nocturnal House when I was at the zoo last summer, so they've had them for a while.
 
It would be cool to see a few of the surplus cats spread to other areas of the zoo. Bobcats or perhaps the Canadian lynx would fit well into Wolf Woods. The serval could perhaps turn up in the new savannah. I suspect that the meerkats will as well. BTW, what happened to the Siberian lynx holding on the side of the Cat House?
 
I guess I must be blind then. I have never seen the sugar gliders, I've only seen the feather-tailed gliders.

I was thinking about that the other day. I too would like to see some of the surplus cats spread to other areas of the zoo. It was such a shame that we lost so many species, of course, beside the Siberian lynxes and the bobcats, there weren't more than one or two of those species of cats.
 
I could have sworn I saw the bobcat in the Night Hunters building. I may have very well been dreaming. There is only one "cage" outside the Night Hunters building, and that temporarily houses the cougars. I saw a map of the new Cat Canyon and it looks like it's gonna be really awesome.

I can't wait for this African Savannah to get finished!! Anyone have an idea of when it's estimated to be completed. I haven't seen a hippo at the zoo for about 20 years.
 
I doubt you did. The Bobcats were taken off the zoo's website once the Cat House closed and they were not on the Night Hunters species list.

I've only seen the one little concept picture of Cat Canyon. It's the one with the Malayan Tiger viewing area with the underwater viewing. I haven't seen the whole map. Would you mind telling us a little about the map?

Originally, the final phase of the African Savannah, the hippopotamus exhibit, was supposed to open in 2012, but I don't see that happening. Perhaps the exhibit will be completed in 2013 or 2014, but I can't see it being completed next year when only one of the four phases is complete.
 
It looked to me like you go down a path and the cats are on either side of you. It's not like now where they're all lined up.. I guess it's more like inside one of the houses where there are exhibits on either side. Just... outdoors. I'm sure that's not making any sense... I'm going to the zoo tomorrow (shocker) and will take a picture of the blueprint and post it here. :) I also hope to finally see the aardwolf and aye aye.
 
I understand what you're trying to say. That's an interesting concept for the area, being in a canyon like it is. That would be great if you could get a picture of it. I'm very excited to get a look at the plans myself. Good luck with the aardwolves and aye-ayes!
 
All this sounds great. I have made three trips to Cincinnati Zoo, the last in 2001, for the cats (being a wild cat fanatic).

I think once everything is done (including the savannah), I will have to make a return trip.
 
@Kudu21: thanks for posting the video! To be honest Night Hunters looks remarkably similar to a combination of the old cat house (which was awful) and the nocturnal building (which was worse). Toss in the outdated and tiny reptile house, the average gorilla grotto, wildlife canyon and its revolving door of hoofstock in basic paddocks, the bear pits/grottoes and there are a lot of substandard exhibits at the Cincinnati Zoo. The animal collection is amazing, Jungle Trails and Insect World are at times spectacular...but even the newer habitats for giraffes and elephants are nowhere near as impressive as similar exhibits at other major zoos. The Night Hunters 4-minute video just shows another average exhibit complex (with very little natural substrate) at this fascinating zoo. Am I being too harsh? It is well worth a visit just for the list of species, but there must be 30 American zoos that are better.
 
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After watching video, I am not nearly as excited about Night Hunters as I was during construction updates. Looks very bland indeed. I think I already miss the Cat House.
 
I think it's a little unfair to judge an exhibit based on a video. However, I do agree that the video does make the exhibit look a little less than flattering. Having actually been in the new building, I can assure you that most of the animals have a lot more space. Especially the animals that transfered over from the nocturnal house. The vampire bats have so much room it's incredible. The aardvarks and flying fruit foxes have a ton more space to maneuver. Granted, the potto and the pygmy slow loris don't have a lot of room at all... but they're small animals as it is. The bearcat and fennec foxes didn't seem to know what to do with all the space they had! The cats, I concur, are pretty much in the same space and exhibits they were in when it was the old cat house. But overall it's a very neat experience and one you have to see in person, not on a tiny computer screen.
 
It looks better than I expected. Snowleopard, I agree totally with your statements. I love this zoo b/c it was my home zoo and at one time probably ranked behind only Bronx and SDZ in terms of rarities. I was fortuante to see animals as a child that I will likely never see again.

All of the issues you mentioned are fixable, and cash money is the unviersal lubricant for advancements. I think that over the next ten or fifteen years that these problems will be addressed. I did not always feel that way. My opinion is that Cincy is a very old urban zoo that badly needed to imporve physical plant issues before they could do major exhibit facelifts and reorganization. I'm confident that the are coming.

Gorilla World is very fixable. The hoofstock yards hold far less animals in numbers than they once did. As for the poor bears, that's one place that I'd take a backhoe to and just completely rework. Maybe they cold connect it with Wolf Woods and make it an exhibit for smaller North American species and perhaps build a better black bear holding.

If only I had 50 mil or so laying around to donate. The things I could do for that place.........
 
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