Oregon Zoo Oregon Zoo

Good to hear that the zoo is thinking of builiding a new elephant exhibit, specially now that their elephant herd is growing.
 
Repairs complete on zoo's amazon exhibit.

Oregon Zoo's Amazon Flooded Forest Exhibit Reopens
By Bill LaMarche

Portland, OR - Finally returning to the trees, rocks and pools they call home, the displaced residents of the Oregon Zoo's Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit have migrated back to their habitats with hisses and howls and sighs of relief. The animals had been transferred to other areas of the zoo, some for several months, while repairs were made to their exhibit.

Around 7 a.m. on July 15, keepers discovered a crack in the glass outside a large pool housing a caiman, some Arrau river turtles and several species of freshwater fish. The exhibit also features a howler monkey, two white-faced saki monkeys and four newly acquired female anacondas.

"All of the animals were relocated the same day the crack appeared," said David Thomas, senior primate keeper. "It was a great team effort. Water specialists, zookeepers, interns and volunteers all came out in full force to quickly resolve the tense situation."

Their efforts were a success, and not a single animal was lost during the transition. Many fish were transferred to nearby pools in the same area and remained on exhibit. Other fish and reptiles were placed in off-exhibit holding areas until they could return to their pool. The howler and saki monkeys were allowed to return to the exhibit once the glass was replaced, but on a tentative basis while crews were in and out of the exhibit making repairs.

"Some of our animals came down with a touch of cabin fever, especially the monkeys," Thomas said. "They're feeling a lot better now that the repairs have been completed and they've returned home."

The new glass was installed late October, and then a few weeks of curing were required to make sure it was properly sealed. The animals were only returned after several tests had been completed to guarantee the safety of the exhibit for both the animals and zoo visitors.

Even though it was a stressful time for the animals of the Amazon Flooded Forest, this situation presented some opportunities the zoo might have otherwise missed out on.

"With the animals relocated, the zoo made some other needed repairs and upgrades to their environment," Thomas said. "We even had teams redesigning the environment to be better suited for the new anacondas and other animals currently residing in the exhibit."

The public was also able to get up-close and personal with the new anacondas during the summer months while their home was being restored. Several additional keeper talks were held, educating the public about the snakes and their way of life.

"The juvenile anacondas were acquired from Brad Tylman, famous for his reptile shows, and they are accustomed to human contact," Thomas said. "This made it a lot easier for keepers to show them to the public and move them back and forth from their exhibit."

The new anacondas and newly repaired Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit can be seen during regular zoo hours.
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Zoo to restock wolf exhibit

The article notes that wolves will one day return to Oregon and it is important to educate Oregonians (is that right?) about the wolf's role in the environment.

The Wolves Return To Oregon Zoo
By Bill LaMarche

Portland, OR - After a five-month hiatus, the wolf exhibit reopens Friday, Dec. 12, with the addition of two new wolves acquired from the Minnesota Zoo.

The pair, an 8-year-old adult female named Cheyenne and a 7-month-old female named Yazhi (Navajo for "little one"), will move into the wolf habitat in the zoo's Elk Meadow, continuing that exhibit's unique predator-prey configuration.

"The wolves have been dearly missed by both zoo staff and the public," said Chris Pfefferkorn, the zoo's general curator. "The elk, on the other hand, may not have missed them as much as we did. But having the animals back together should be quite enriching for all of them."

Cheyenne and Yazhi were not familiar with each other before arriving at the zoo, but staff members worked hard to acquaint the pair during the wolves' stay in quarantine, before releasing them into their exhibit earlier this week. Keepers expect the two to form a pack in which the young Yazhi learns from Cheyenne.

Wolves are notoriously difficult to acquaint with one another," said Michelle Schireman, zoo hospital and quarantine keeper. "It was a noisy but successful process, and both wolves came away unharmed. Cheyenne, being the older and more experienced of the two, emerged as the alpha wolf, like we expected."

The Oregon Zoo has consistently had wolves on exhibit since June 1995, when it acquired three wolf pups -- Marcus, Ceann and Kira. All three lived to be 12 years old and spent their entire lives at the Oregon Zoo. Marcus, the last wolf on exhibit, was euthanized in July due to complications relating to old age.

"It was very important for us to bring wolves back to the Oregon Zoo," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "Once a significant character in the Great Northwest ecosystem, wolves were virtually extirpated in this region. They have returned in places such as Montana and Idaho, and will most likely be back in Oregon in the near future. It is important, as the zoo teaches about the roles of predators in nature and how people can live with them, that we don't forget to talk about what's in our own backyard."

Originally housed in the zoo's Alaska Tundra exhibit, the wolves' space was moved to Elk Meadow in 2007 and occupies about 10,000 square feet. The terrain features natural contours that slope from a shady spot downhill up to a sunny knoll, and is seeded with grasses and native Northwest trees and shrubs. Boulders and mounds create places for the wolves to explore and climb for better vantage points, as well as spaces where keepers can stash food and treats. A rock "tunnel" den in one of the mounds gives the wolves a place to seek cover while still on view to the public.

The wolf exhibit is open during regular zoo hours and is free with zoo admission.
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Article Details - Daily Journal of Commerce.

The massive number of construction projects for this zoo should mean that there are building contractors lining up outside the zoo's entrance...but that doesn't seem to be the case. The new "Predators of the Serengeti", "Red Ape Reserve", elephant habitat polar bear exhibit, chimpanzee forest, veterinary hospital, etc...I'm not sure that there is a zoo in North America that has more projects on the go than this one in Oregon. Jobs, jobs, jobs.:)
 
The viewing area for the amur tiger exhibit has had an overhaul, with covered areas and glass windows added to allow visitors closer access to the big cats in their traditional grotto. If you scroll down on the link there is a large article detailing the changes, as well as a 1:15 minute long video.

Oregon Zoo June 2009 Press Releases
 
For the 9th time in the past 11 years the Oregon Zoo has broken its attendance record, and the local community truly supports this establishment. With over 1.6 million visitors it is one of the most popular zoos in all of North America.

Oregon Zoo breaks attendance record - OregonLive.com
 
The Oregon Zoo has been pitching in to help save orphaned animals. A baby mountain goat from Pocatello who now has a home at the zoo with the other two resident goats, and a baby cougar who has been transferred to the NEW zoo. And now the zoo has a baby river otter. She was found with an injury to her side near Milwaukie. A lady had found her and took her to the right authorities, and it was decided that she would be given a home at the Oregon Zoo. she's currently serving her quarantine period of 30 days to make sure she's fully recovered, and given the chance to better her swimming abilities.
And of course is a link to baby river otter Tilly. Oregon Zoo Video Gallery: Baby River Otter Rescued
 
Audit shows cost overruns and mangled management of Oregon Zoo projects | Oregon Local News - OregonLive.com

An interesting article that lists many problems that have emerged since there was a full-scale audit of the zoo's finances. The zoo has been attempting to do too much at once, and thus has paid the price for it in terms of cost overruns and delayed construction projects. The upcoming $125 million bond money (water filtration for penguins and hippos, polar bear renovation, elephant exhibit boosted to 6 acres, chimpanzee enclosure, etc) will now need to be reevaluated.
 
Black Bear Euthanized

Oregon Zoo Euthanizes Black Bear - Portland News Story - KPTV Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Zoo euthanized an 18-year-old black bear Wednesday after veterinarians said his quality of life diminished because of old age and "debilitating arthritis."

Mitch Finnegan, the zoo's veterinarian, said bears typically live longer in zoos than they do in the wild. As a result, it's common for their joints to wear out.

"When their pain becomes untreatable, euthanasia is the only humane option," Finnegan said.

Pete is the zoo's third and final geriatric bear to pass away in 2009. He came to Oregon in 2007 when the zoo opened its Black Bear Ridge exhibit.

He earned his name from Petersburg, Alaska, where he had been orphaned as a cub in 1991.

Zookeepers said Pete loved lounging with his favorite tractor tire.

"(Pete) was laid-back and brought a lot of happiness to the keepers who worked with him," said zookeeper Virginia Grimley. "And he really loved that tire."

The zoo now hopes to acquire three black bears from a zoo in Utah.
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It mentions acquiring three black bears from a zoo in Utah. I would imagine this refers to Utah's Hogle Zoo, where they currently house three black bears in an outdated grotto, that will be demolished to make room for their new Arctic Edge exhibit.
 
That'll be an interesting move. Black Bear Ridge is not at all very old. Talk was planned if it was going to be split or not, but it'll be nice if the zoo does happen to house Utah's bears and all three use that space.
 
The indoor gibbon exhibit of the Red Ape Preserve is now open, as well as the hollow log that leads to the exhibit.


Also, a red-flanked duiker was born.

 
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