Oklahoma City Zoo Oklahoma City Zoo News 2022

Does anyone know if some of the generics are actually ssp. albescens from Texas, Arizona or north Mexico.

In fact among those generics are most definitely purebreds from other subspecies. Ik is not like all individuals are admixed already. But if allowed to interbreed than yes generics. As such the term in use there is not fully correct, perhaps pointing to another form of population management.

If you ever find out, I'd be very interesting in a list of facility's holding purebred subspecies within the generics population.

~Thylo
 
Here’s an interesting piece of Oklahoma City Zoo history. Apparently, a leopard escaped from the OKC zoo seventy-two years ago. This event has inspired a new novel. The OKC paper has the story of the escape and the new novel here.
 
Here’s an interesting piece of Oklahoma City Zoo history. Apparently, a leopard escaped from the OKC zoo seventy-two years ago. This event has inspired a new novel. The OKC paper has the story of the escape and the new novel here.

Sounds interesting! Leopards seem to be innovative escape artists compared to lions and tigers, which are usually allowed to escape by direct human error - a cage door left open.

Auckland Zoo had a female Indian leopard escape in 1925 with the story much sensationalised by the media. The leopard was eventually found drowned in the harbour: How an angry leopard escaped Auckland Zoo and people weren't told for three days

A second leopard escaped 10 years later. It was found outside zoo grounds and was flushed out with thunderflash grenades, before being shot.
 
From the zoo’s social media:

This spring, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is initiating a new in-park program and providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to create an enhanced Zoo visit for guests who are deaf and hard of hearing. ASL interpreters will be available the second Saturday of every month and present at the Zoo’s sea lion and elephant presentations plus, scheduled Wild Encounter experiences! This program begins Saturday, March 12, 2022, in time for the spring break holiday. To learn more, head to the link here! -> News
 
The agenda for this month’s zoo trust meeting was posted today. The zoo had previously hired a firm to design a new seal and sea lion habitat. This month, the trust is voting to increase the amount of the contract to add a new penguin habitat also.

My editorial comment: I love OKC’s overall collection, but I have always been confused by the lack of penguins. This is a cool development.
 
The Oklahoma City Zoo is currently in negotiations with the Chickasaw Nation to build a new aquarium in OKC, along the Oklahoma River near downtown. The project would complement the recently-opened First Americans Museum and the upcoming OKANA Resort and Waterpark developed by the Chickasaws. I would share the full story here, but it is behind the Oklahoman’s subscriber paywall.
 
North American river otter arrives:

OKC Zoo announces addition of 1-year-old female river otter

The Oklahoma City Zoo announced Tuesday that it has welcomed a 1-year-old female North American river otter to its animal family.

Hazel recently came to the Oklahoma City Zoo from the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan. Officials said zoo visitors can see her at the river otter habitat in the Big Rivers building at Oklahoma Trails.

The announcement comes a day after zoo officials posted to social media that 7-year-old male North American river otter Rocky died during a medical procedure.
 
Nia, the 14-year old female chimpanzee, is pregnant and due with her second offspring in fall 2022. She rejected her first infant, Maisie, who was later transferred to Maryland Zoo to be foster reared but zoo staff are hopeful Nia will be a good mother this time around. However, just to be safe, they’ve been training another adult female, Kito, to be the baby’s surrogate in case Nia rejects this one as well.

OKC ZOO’S ENDANGERED CHIMPANZEE, NIA, IS PREGNANT
 
African wild dogs arrive for breeding:

OKC Zoo welcomes two African painted dogs to Predator Pass

The painted dogs, named Guy and Remy, are almost 4 years old and recently came to Oklahoma City from Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park as part of a breeding recommendation for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for African painted dogs.

Guy and Remy were matched with the Oklahoma City Zoo's female painted dogs, River and Pele.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is home to two African-painted dog packs. The zoo's Predator Pass will be home to one pack, and a separate pack of five inhabits Lion Overlook on a rotational basis, a news release says
 
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