Animallover360
Well-Known Member
It’s saying that the zoo is in west Philadelphia when I type in west Philadelphia on Google earth
Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia Zoo News 2022
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Animallover360
Well-Known Member
Honestly, geography of large cities is confusing and this is Zoochat not Geography chat lol
I don't know what line is supposed to be the border, the red or yellow one, but either way it's a very generous boundary. Looking at google maps, they're pretty wide with it, stretching it up to Lincoln Hwy, including most of University City, and even bringing in the rest of Fairmount Park on the east side of the river.
Animallover360
Well-Known Member
Red is the border yellow is interstate 76 which goes right around the zoo
Antimony96
Well-Known Member
Avian influenza infects 13th Pennsylvania poultry flock: USDA
I'm basically holding off on visiting again until the birds are back. Looks like that won't be any time soon, unfortunately (this infection was in Berks County, which is quite close to Philadelphia)
I'm basically holding off on visiting again until the birds are back. Looks like that won't be any time soon, unfortunately (this infection was in Berks County, which is quite close to Philadelphia)
I went to the zoo today with my senior high school friends for asynchronous day for keystone testing. I’ll still be back Sunday as usual.
-The red river hogs and gazelle were back on exhibit. The gazelle is still unsigned, though. I hate the zoo keeping the signs in one area otherwise when new species are added not all species will be signed.
-The giraffes were back on exhibit, but the feeding station is not complete yet. There was a new wooden fence through the length of the exhibit and the floor was redone.
-The fossa exhibit says new animal coming soon so there will be a new animal there in the future.
-I never noticed before, but the domestic ducks in KidZooU are now in the former budgie exhibit. If you look through the windows, you can see them if you look way back. Not the best view, but better than nothing. I saw two today, I am not sure how many are actually still left.
-The red river hogs and gazelle were back on exhibit. The gazelle is still unsigned, though. I hate the zoo keeping the signs in one area otherwise when new species are added not all species will be signed.
-The giraffes were back on exhibit, but the feeding station is not complete yet. There was a new wooden fence through the length of the exhibit and the floor was redone.
-The fossa exhibit says new animal coming soon so there will be a new animal there in the future.
-I never noticed before, but the domestic ducks in KidZooU are now in the former budgie exhibit. If you look through the windows, you can see them if you look way back. Not the best view, but better than nothing. I saw two today, I am not sure how many are actually still left.
The fact a zoo views it as more important to sign a domestic cattle breed than a critically endangered species of Gazelle says a lot about that zoo and their values, in my opinion.
Well the cattle just came, I think the better idea would be to remove the red river hog sign if they had to keep the signs in one area.
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
It is not at all unusual in a zoo for the animal department and the graphics department to function on two different schedules. The lack of a sign today does not necessarily signify a policy decision. Cut them a break.
I visited the zoo today.
-I talked to a primate keeper about the sifakas. They are off exhibit because Gratian is leaving soon and they are looking to bring a new male for Julia. Gratian is around 20, so he’s really old. I’m not exactly sure how old is the oldest sifaka but Gratian is the oldest I know of. Sifakas live around 10-15 years generally which is shorter than most lemurs, and Julia is about 9. She’s also on the older side, so I still hope she can still breed.
-I had this wrong earlier but the zoo still has four aye ayes. The sign shows three because Loki lives behind the scenes. The new bushbabies are also in Loki’s exhibit and will eventually be introduced to the aye-aye Habitat 1(the left side.)
-I saw 3 ducks today in the KidZooU building, so I it’s still uncertain how many there are, but there are at least three. All are around 13-15 years old which is very old for ducks, and the zoo has lost quite a lot since KidZooU opened. At one point, I can recall there were more than 20 ducks.
-It seems like the zoo has started introducing the female Galapagos tortoises to Abrazzo because in the morning I saw Mommy and the Aldabras and when I went back later in the day I only saw the Aldabras. Abrazzo was in the outdoor yard by himself.
-I talked to a primate keeper about the sifakas. They are off exhibit because Gratian is leaving soon and they are looking to bring a new male for Julia. Gratian is around 20, so he’s really old. I’m not exactly sure how old is the oldest sifaka but Gratian is the oldest I know of. Sifakas live around 10-15 years generally which is shorter than most lemurs, and Julia is about 9. She’s also on the older side, so I still hope she can still breed.
-I had this wrong earlier but the zoo still has four aye ayes. The sign shows three because Loki lives behind the scenes. The new bushbabies are also in Loki’s exhibit and will eventually be introduced to the aye-aye Habitat 1(the left side.)
-I saw 3 ducks today in the KidZooU building, so I it’s still uncertain how many there are, but there are at least three. All are around 13-15 years old which is very old for ducks, and the zoo has lost quite a lot since KidZooU opened. At one point, I can recall there were more than 20 ducks.
-It seems like the zoo has started introducing the female Galapagos tortoises to Abrazzo because in the morning I saw Mommy and the Aldabras and when I went back later in the day I only saw the Aldabras. Abrazzo was in the outdoor yard by himself.
With the ducks, pre-avian flu there were four ducks. There were six for a while until sometime in early-mid 2021. So with seeing three, the most there can be I didn’t see is one. The number of deceased ducks has decreased in recent years since for many years the number dwindled. Every time there is a big group of animals, there are always a lucky few who outlive all the others. For example, last year there were only four budgies left behind-the-scenes. Idk how many are still left now, soon there could be no budgies and ducks. Picture Nov 2021. As you can see, the ducks are ‘’sleeping’’ and not taking food from us. They frequently do that since they are so old. You may notice one duck is an orangey color very different from the rest, it’s a breed called a Buff Orpington Duck. The rest are two magpie ducks(white and black color) and one Ancona duck. The zoo has had numerous breeds in the past, including Call Ducks, Indian Runner Ducks and Orpington Ducks. Buff Orpington is basically the same as Orpington Ducks just a buff color
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Except there's also always the possibility of the zoo acquiring more. Especially with animals as ubiquitous as domestic ducks and budgeriars, the zoo would be able to acquire more if they so chose.
Yeah, I hope so. It would also make more feeding opportunities for us after the avian flu. Before the avian flu since there were so few ducks left that the food in the machines ran out very quick.
I visited the zoo today.
-There are now only three ducks left. The keeper said she was only aware of three, so she’s probably new. It is uncertain but very likely the fourth one passed away over the avian flu, due to their ages.
-I was wrong about the titi monkeys in my post a while ago. Pepper, the female from the old group, is still here. There is a new male in there as well named Biscuit. The door to the trail is closed due to the sloth, so they let the monkeys out sometimes when the sloth is sleeping.
-Some modifications to the blue eyed lemurs. They have access to their backyard during visitor hours(outdoor enclosure behind the scenes) because they are so old. A worker told me when I didn’t see them, but I saw them right before the zoo closed. Not all the animals in RACC have that option, it varies by animal. There is also a new sign that tells guests they are the oldest pair and the exhibit has significant been modified for their old joints(including thick bedding on the floor.)
-The alpacas, sheep and Angora goats have gotten their summer shear. They now look nice and thin without the extra wool on their bodies.
-There are now only three ducks left. The keeper said she was only aware of three, so she’s probably new. It is uncertain but very likely the fourth one passed away over the avian flu, due to their ages.
-I was wrong about the titi monkeys in my post a while ago. Pepper, the female from the old group, is still here. There is a new male in there as well named Biscuit. The door to the trail is closed due to the sloth, so they let the monkeys out sometimes when the sloth is sleeping.
-Some modifications to the blue eyed lemurs. They have access to their backyard during visitor hours(outdoor enclosure behind the scenes) because they are so old. A worker told me when I didn’t see them, but I saw them right before the zoo closed. Not all the animals in RACC have that option, it varies by animal. There is also a new sign that tells guests they are the oldest pair and the exhibit has significant been modified for their old joints(including thick bedding on the floor.)
-The alpacas, sheep and Angora goats have gotten their summer shear. They now look nice and thin without the extra wool on their bodies.
Another two observations I didn’t include.
-Recently the goats in the side yard have varied, it kinda varies by day. They don’t do like they used to with all the horned goats separated from the contact yard. Some of the young Oberhasli goats are in there a lot though as well as Sheldon the Arapawa goat, cause they are troublemakers . However today a couple goats were inside since they were tired of the crowds earlier, like Sheldon and Dale and a couple of the Oberhasli goats. Dale is 12 and the oldest goat in the contact yard. Not sure of all the ages in the north yard, but Sage is the only one I know specifically at 16 years old who is the oldest. She dosen’t act it at all, unlike Milan who died this year.
-The mhorr gazelle and red river hogs go inside earlier than the other African plains animals. I saw a keeper and he did not mention why, but probably because the gazelle and Charlotte the red river hog are on arthritis medications. Charlotte has been slower to go inside and showing her age lately, so they have adjusted her diet to the pellets in the evening and veggies in the morning because the pellets are the hogs favorite food. The other two hogs just get it reversed, pellets for breakfast and veggies for dinner. The gazelle gets meds in a special treat(either apple or zucchini) which she dosen’t usually get.
-The penguin pool is empty cause of the avian flu.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Updates from today:
- The Electus Parrots have moved to the first exhibit in the RACC, where the bats used to be and their open fronted exhibit is now empty.
- All three male sloths are in the RACC, as the baby recently moved away from mom, I’m not sure if this was said already so sorry if this is repeat info.
- The Sifaka exhibit was empty during my first 4 visits but housed Toby and Clara the Mongoose lemurs when I returned. One of them appears to have a VERY large bulge on their chest. The second group of Mongoose lemurs appeared only to have 2 members left as well.
- The old fossa exhibit has a sign that says new animal coming soon, as previously reported, and a sign that says the otters who currently inhabit it are being cared for by the vet.
- Zia, the female jaguar, is officially gone and only Jutai is left. *Sigh*
- Moira was out today lying in the grass, no sign of the Ankole cattle.
- The Electus Parrots have moved to the first exhibit in the RACC, where the bats used to be and their open fronted exhibit is now empty.
- All three male sloths are in the RACC, as the baby recently moved away from mom, I’m not sure if this was said already so sorry if this is repeat info.
- The Sifaka exhibit was empty during my first 4 visits but housed Toby and Clara the Mongoose lemurs when I returned. One of them appears to have a VERY large bulge on their chest. The second group of Mongoose lemurs appeared only to have 2 members left as well.
- The old fossa exhibit has a sign that says new animal coming soon, as previously reported, and a sign that says the otters who currently inhabit it are being cared for by the vet.
- Zia, the female jaguar, is officially gone and only Jutai is left. *Sigh*
- Moira was out today lying in the grass, no sign of the Ankole cattle.
Sifakas are off exhibit because Gratian is leaving soon and they are looking for a new male for Julia. Meanwhile, the mongoose lemurs have that space. The old group of mongoose lemurs should have more than 2 members, though. Although I know Ernie and I forget who else moved to other zoos. They could have been on Treetop Trail.
I saw the sign about the otters, too. Whenever an animal is cared for they always post it by their exhibit, but the otters were still on exhibit bin their usual exhibit.
That’s weird you didn’t see Ankole Cattle. They are signed but the gazelle isn’t. They replaced the entire gazelle/stork sign with sign of the cattle.
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Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Is it known why Gratian is leaving? He is really old and only moved from Maryland pretty recently. The gazelle signing being gone was very sad, hopefully she’s around a lot longer.
Gratian was swapped with Johann sometime in early 2021. However, Maryland is currently without sifaka as Johann moved somewhere else after the passing of their elderly female, Anastasia. I haven’t heard why Gratian is leaving, but since he is really old he isn’t a good candidate for breeding, so I think they might be trying to breed sifaka. Idk his exact but he is around 18-20 yrs old. I think he is still here for now because they don’t want Julia to be lonely. Julia is 9 so she is on the older side too although way younger than Gratian as sifakas generally live around 10-15yrs. As of plans to get a new male, idk if they the male is for breeding or just companionship. I hope Julia can at least breed one more time. I also heard sifakas are off exhibit because Julia and Gratian had some behavioral issues that they wanted to monitor closely to make sure they are still getting along.
The gazelle is unsigned but still there, but she’s on arthritis medication. I hope she will live a lot longer, but probably not given her age(14) and arthritis.
