Which black-footed cat is left? In 2017 they had two parents, Ascari and Aza, and their daughter, Rhaegal. All 3 were living together. Now if there is only one behind the scenes, it’s probably Rhaegal because her parents are quite old now. Her two brothers also moved to other zoos, even before the rest moved. Anyone on here sure?
Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia Zoo 2021 News
- Thread starter CarLover
- Start date
Black-footed cats at the Philadelphia Zoo
ASCARI(M) born 2006 ?
AZA(F) born 2005 ?
RHAEGAL(F) born 2014 ?
DROGON(M) born 2014(moved)
VISERION(M) born 2014(moved)
? Means not sure if they are still in Philadelphia Zoo behind-the-scenes.
I have no idea, I only keep track of specific cheetahs.
Cheetahs at the Philadelphia Zoo
SPIDI(M) 2001-spring 2017(deceased)
NYIKA(F) deceased 2015-16? Ish. I don’t remember
KIRA(F) Nyika’s daughter, moved out
KASHI(F) Nyika’s daughter, also moved out
AMANI(F) born 2015, still at Philadelphia Zoo
KALIMA(F) born 2015, still at Philadelphia Zoo
Spidi also had two brothers that passed away a long time ago, not sure their names and when they died.
I don’t know all the names of the zoo animals, and some do not even have names. By zoo section or classification, I will post lists in the ‘’Philadelphia Zoo Animals’’ forum.
The zoo got back to me. It took almost a week but they are very short handed. I didn’t ask immediately after I posted about my last visit.
-Milan, the angora goat is still with us. Not sure why she was off exhibit, maybe vet care.
-There are actually four prehensile-tailed skinks on exhibit, two adults and two juveniles. The latter are smaller than the former. One of the juveniles tail got amputated due to an infection and it will not grow back.
-In African Plains, Charlotte the red river hog is still with us. She may have been hiding or inside.
-Wasn’t mentioned, but I asked the zoo about the mongoose lemurs. The zoo has eight mongoose lemurs, six on exhibit and two behind the scenes. The elder pair, Clara and Toby, did not get along with the main family troop and are now retired from public viewing in their old age. Clara is 30 and Toby is 24. 20-25 is a pretty good age for a captive lemur. In the wild they live around 15-20 years.
I’ve seen a lot in zoos as animals get older, they retire. Milan is now also retired from the contact yard. She can’t move as much and gets tired easily and with all the other goats that are stronger we don’t wanna risk her getting hurt. In 2019 she was first retired in the side yard, then returned to the contact yard, and when KidZooU reopened she spent lots of time in a stall so it wasn’t a good choice. So she’s now back retired. Good thing is she now often likes hanging out on top of the step where you can pet her and in the past she didn’t like to be touched. She’s now a lot more calm and gentle.
Other retired animals included Spiderman, the coati, that retired in 2018 before passing away. He needed to be closely monitored due to his ongoing kidney disease. His companion, Bob, passed away before Spiderman at age 12. Same thing with Spidi the cheetah back in 2016 and 2017. He was first retired then semi-retired. He had the same issues as Spiderman and was off exhibit for an extended period of time. Then in late 2016/early 2017 he was able to go outside again but often times he chose not to. The reason usually since old animals are retired is due to some sort of health issue or for the animal’s well-being.
I visited the zoo today.
-In PECO primate reserve, the aye-ayes once again got swapped. I saw two on the right and one by itself on the left. Kali and Damien now live on the right and Tolkien on the left. Tolkien no longer lives with the jumping rat, I didn’t see the rat but their are nest boxes on the ground for him on the right side. Didn’t see the bush babies and lorises, either.
-In the Reptile House, there is only one timber rattlesnake on exhibit(the tan one.) I saw both snakes two weeks ago, on October 10. I asked someone in another section at the zoo(didn’t see anyone in reptiles) and he said he never got an email regarding the snakes passing. The black timber rattlesnake has a hatch date of 1997 so he may have died in recent days or he’s off exhibit for some other reason like vet care, just like Milan the goat two weeks ago. I didn’t ask about Milan, but she was probably under vet care.
-In KidZooU, I saw Milan the angora goat. She’s alive and well. However she was standing against a rock so we can’t pet her.
-In McNeil Avian Center, Cookie Monster the great blue turaco was taken off exhibit last week. He may have been fighting with the other birds, not sure if it’s temporary or permanent.
-In McNeil Avian Center, I didn’t see the Guam kingfisher or Guam rails, both were still signed. Kingfisher may have also been off exhibit. Also only saw one of two hamerkops.
-I heard about the mountain lions but not by a keeper. Not 100 percent sure but she said that Sage passed away over covid and Dakota got moved to another zoo. Someone also proved there is one black-footed cat behind the scenes.
-I heard the zoo may have already gotten the new red river hogs from California. I didn’t see either the hog(s) or the saddle-billed stork today. Someone told me it’s possible they already got the additional ones or they are coming soon but he’s not a keeper. He also told me about the old hogs passing. Not 100 sure but he said Ruby had a procedure she didn’t wake up from which is a sudden passing and he’s not sure about Hamilton’s passing.
-Joaquin, one the Andean bears left the zoo on September 29. The zoo is down to one young male Andean bear, Sinchi.
-The sloth bears exhibit have a water problem outside so they have access inside 24/7 to drink whenever they want. Didn’t see any but a keeper told me the two bears still time share the exhibit.
-In PECO primate reserve, the aye-ayes once again got swapped. I saw two on the right and one by itself on the left. Kali and Damien now live on the right and Tolkien on the left. Tolkien no longer lives with the jumping rat, I didn’t see the rat but their are nest boxes on the ground for him on the right side. Didn’t see the bush babies and lorises, either.
-In the Reptile House, there is only one timber rattlesnake on exhibit(the tan one.) I saw both snakes two weeks ago, on October 10. I asked someone in another section at the zoo(didn’t see anyone in reptiles) and he said he never got an email regarding the snakes passing. The black timber rattlesnake has a hatch date of 1997 so he may have died in recent days or he’s off exhibit for some other reason like vet care, just like Milan the goat two weeks ago. I didn’t ask about Milan, but she was probably under vet care.
-In KidZooU, I saw Milan the angora goat. She’s alive and well. However she was standing against a rock so we can’t pet her.
-In McNeil Avian Center, Cookie Monster the great blue turaco was taken off exhibit last week. He may have been fighting with the other birds, not sure if it’s temporary or permanent.
-In McNeil Avian Center, I didn’t see the Guam kingfisher or Guam rails, both were still signed. Kingfisher may have also been off exhibit. Also only saw one of two hamerkops.
-I heard about the mountain lions but not by a keeper. Not 100 percent sure but she said that Sage passed away over covid and Dakota got moved to another zoo. Someone also proved there is one black-footed cat behind the scenes.
-I heard the zoo may have already gotten the new red river hogs from California. I didn’t see either the hog(s) or the saddle-billed stork today. Someone told me it’s possible they already got the additional ones or they are coming soon but he’s not a keeper. He also told me about the old hogs passing. Not 100 sure but he said Ruby had a procedure she didn’t wake up from which is a sudden passing and he’s not sure about Hamilton’s passing.
-Joaquin, one the Andean bears left the zoo on September 29. The zoo is down to one young male Andean bear, Sinchi.
-The sloth bears exhibit have a water problem outside so they have access inside 24/7 to drink whenever they want. Didn’t see any but a keeper told me the two bears still time share the exhibit.
@Kevin2342 do you have any idea where Keematee the sloth bear cub was transferred to? I thought she was sent to SDZ but turns out it was Cleveland's Shala who was sent there.
No, I’m not sure. You’re better off contacting the zoo online.
1. Someone named Tony Rocca on Facebook said that both cougars Dakota and Sage left for another zoo. He works at Philly Zoo but is not a keeper so he may be right or wrong. I contacted the zoo online and when they reply I will post it.
2. Interesting fact, last time I visited someone told me that the oldest blue-tongued skink in captivity passed away last week. I saw a blue-tongued skink on exhibit years ago, where the Madagascar ground boa lives now. That may have been the one. He’s not a keeper but said the skink was on exhibit, I have a feeling it was in the large vertical exhibit with the four prehensile-tailed skinks but was never signed. I must have never saw it because it was always hiding in a log. The prehensile tailed skinks hide too, that exhibit has lots of hiding spots. I only saw two out of four prehensile-tailed skinks.
3. I heard there is a theory suggesting that Argyle the sloth’s lack of vision makes him less nocturnal than the sighted sloths. His one eye is no longer there and the other one has cataracts. Despite his very advanced age, on many visits during the daytime he is up and moving. On Sunday he was motionless in the middle of his exhibit and after a few minutes he moved back to his favorite platform. Before I went he must have made effort to move to the middle. Him and Felix the porcupine are always the first two animals I look for as soon as I am done with the ruffed lemurs and go into RACC(because on any visit they could be nocietably gone due to their old ages.) Felix is 17, turning 18 in March which is very old for a porcupine. He’s younger than Argyle, though. Once he passes I wonder what the zoo will do. Maybe his son Diego would go on exhibit.
I have posted lots of updates about the exhibit animals since joining in March 2020 which most zoochatters don’t do. I have actually been to Philly Zoo since 2006 but took a break between 2011-2013 when I moved to Maryland and about a year during covid due to everything closed from March 2020 to April 2021. I also have track records of many of Philly Zoo’s animal ages so I post about that a lot as well which is unique about my history on zoochat.
How many chinchillas and zebra mice did the zoo have? And did the other one(s) pass away and when?From a USDA inspection last month -
-The zoo no longer has mountain lions
-There's still one bfc
-Still 2 damaraland mole-rats
-Still 4 jirds
-Rodrigues numbers are up to 64, vampire bats are steady at 47
-Zebra mice are down to 25, harvest mouse are steady at 24
-Down to 1 chinchilla
-The mexican porcupine is definitely no longer there
And were there always 2 damaraland mole rats? They’re a colony animal, and that’s very surprising.
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Did the Mexican porcupine die and when? I would assume, he’s very very old. Simon, the Mexican porcupine is around his late 20s but I’m not sure of his exact age. I haven’t heard in a long time, last I heard was August 2020 he was still behind-the scenes. Porcupines only live about 15 years so he’s nearly doubled his lifespan and may be among the oldest in the world. Now the zoo no longer has any Mexican dwarf porcupines, that’s the end of an era for the species at Philadelphia Zoo.From a USDA inspection last month -
-The zoo no longer has mountain lions
-There's still one bfc
-Still 2 damaraland mole-rats
-Still 4 jirds
-Rodrigues numbers are up to 64, vampire bats are steady at 47
-Zebra mice are down to 25, harvest mouse are steady at 24
-Down to 1 chinchilla
-The mexican porcupine is definitely no longer there
I assume he died, I don't know when.
Ok and where did you hear from? If it was a specific person or source I may be able to directly contact them. And what exactly is a USDA Inspection
I already said it's from the USDA inspection. Every zoo gets inspected by the USDA at least once annually, and all mammals are listed on the inspection form. Quite frankly, it feels a bit obnoxious for you to demand sources (when I've already said it, as well) when you very rarely state yours as more than "someone".
Thanks, but I know
@protege the ‘’Philadelphia Zoo Animals’’ forum seems not very visible. There have been many posts I never gotten any likes. I will make lists of Philadelphia Zoo animals on here from now on, but one list about the reptiles and some of their individual stories is on the “Philadelphia Zoo Animals’’ forum. My next list is not a specific area of the zoo but an updated list of the elderly animals at the zoo. I posted another one, but some have come and gone so it’s updated.
Philadelphia Zoo Elderly Animals(as of October 2021)
Sloth:Argyle,47(estimated)
Porcupine:Felix,17
Amur leopard:Emma,19,Nelkan,15
Jaguar:Jutai,17
Red-capped mangabey:Storm,27
Madagascar giant jumping rat:Edward,12
Gazelle:Moira Abby,13
Red river hog:Charlotte,19
Saddle-billed stork:Will,35-40(at least. Arrived 1986)
Red panda:Jaya,13 or 14(don’t remember)
Goat:Milan,15,Dale,13
Blue-eyed black lemur:Stewart,31,Bardot,29
Anaconda:Angus,42,Amanda,30(es.)
Saki monkey:Bugsy,26
Aye-aye:Kali,23,Tolkien,20
Sifaka:Gratian,18
Squirrel monkey:Chestnut,21
Mongoose lemur:Clara,30,Toby,24(both retired)
Ring-tailed lemur:Cleveland,24
Spider monkey:Arana,30,Chanza,24
That’s not all the elderly animals the zoo has. The list just goes on and on making it impossible to list everybody. Some of the animals on this list are considered ‘’extreme old age’’ and some potential record-breakers. Also a lot of geriatric and ‘’extreme old age’’ animals have died in recent years. Some other animals considered as ‘’extreme old age’’ include two black tree monitors, both 17, and Della, a ring-necked dove who is one of the oldest doves at 27 years old. She lives behind-the-scenes and is an education animal.
Unfortunately, Will the saddle-billed stork passed away about two weeks ago. The keepers said they couldn’t remember the exact date, but no wonder why I did not see him in his typical ‘’spot’’ the last two visits. He liked being near the fence by the bottom right corner by the gazelle/hog holding area.
Will was at least around 35-40 years old. He arrived in 1986 as an adult with his longtime partner Grace who passed away last year. He was still quite healthy in his old age, and never really showed it. It was a sudden death when the keepers found him deceased one morning in his holding. I’m not sure if his last days he just got sick or he was just fine the day before. Of the large herds in the 90’s, Will was the last surviving individual. That leaves The Phase with one less species, which has been a weird setup for a long time. I will miss him every time I visit the zoo. He’s now reunited with Grace.
My last picture of Will, 10/10/2021. He was a great bird. Forever in our hearts.
Will was at least around 35-40 years old. He arrived in 1986 as an adult with his longtime partner Grace who passed away last year. He was still quite healthy in his old age, and never really showed it. It was a sudden death when the keepers found him deceased one morning in his holding. I’m not sure if his last days he just got sick or he was just fine the day before. Of the large herds in the 90’s, Will was the last surviving individual. That leaves The Phase with one less species, which has been a weird setup for a long time. I will miss him every time I visit the zoo. He’s now reunited with Grace.
My last picture of Will, 10/10/2021. He was a great bird. Forever in our hearts.Attachments
Unfortunately, Will the saddle-billed stork passed away about two weeks ago. The keepers said they couldn’t remember the exact date, but no wonder why I did not see him in his typical ‘’spot’’ the last two visits. He liked being near the fence by the bottom right corner by the gazelle/hog holding area.
Will was at least around 35-40 years old. He arrived in 1986 as an adult with his longtime partner Grace who passed away last year. He was still quite healthy in his old age, and never really showed it. It was a sudden death when the keepers found him deceased one morning in his holding. I’m not sure if his last days he just got sick or he was just fine the day before. Of the large herds in the 90’s, Will was the last surviving individual. That leaves The Phase with one less species, which has been a weird setup for a long time. I will miss him every time I visit the zoo. He’s now reunited with Grace.
View attachment 517285 My last picture of Will, 10/10/2021. He was a great bird. Forever in our hearts.
Thank you for posting this, I always liked seeing him about (especially with Grace). He will be missed!