Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia Zoo News 2023

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Antimony96 said:
Visited today. Some notes:
  • The Meerkat Maze has a sign displaying the zoo's official statement on their deaths.
  • Many, but not all, of the venomous snakes are gone, including the gaboon viper (whose former tank now houses the prehensile-tailed skink) and western diamondback rattlesnake. The timber and sidewinder rattlesnakes are still on display.
  • As mentioned earlier, the lemur walk-through is open. It's fairly small but the lemurs get pretty close.
  • McNeil Avian Center is fully open. Not sure when that happened because my last visit was in August of last year. Some of the African birds it formerly housed are now in Wings of Asia, namely the hamerkop.
  • The sloth bears were not out. The Andean bear was, and today was apparently Andean Bear day.
  • There's a cardboard Barbie-mobile in the southern ground hornbill aviary outside McNeil Avian Center.
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The only venomous snakes left are the cottonmouth and the sidewinder rattlesnake. The timber rattlesnake and copperhead are gone. A shame the desert wing of the reptile house has lost so many species. For the longest time, it held Conant’s milksnake, blacktail rattlesnake, broad-banded copperhead, spiny-tailed lizard, Gila monster, western diamondback rattlesnake, African bullfrog, red diamond rattlesnake, Shingleback skink, Hosmer’s skink, and sidewinder rattlesnake. It was themed to the Great Southwest but has some species from Africa and Australia. The sidewinder rattlesnake is leaving soon, so out of those species, the only ones will be left are spiny-tailed lizard, Shingleback skink, Hosmer’s skink and Gila monster. The spiny-tailed lizard and Hosmer’s skinks are well over 20 years old now, which is old for their species and for most small lizards. However, this is one of the few areas that the zoo has gotten quite a few new species.
 
ZooElephantsMan said:
No they aren’t— Geoffrey’s Marmosets have the scientific name Callithrix geoffroyi. Geoffrey’s tamarins have the scientific name Saguinus geoffroyi and they are much are rarer in American zoos.
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Ok, if that is the case, I know for a fact that Kali and Flash are Geoffrey’s marmosets. Kali used to live on-exhibit many years ago in Rare Animal Conservation Center. Before she left, she and Flash lived behind the scenes. And by the pictures @TinoPup posted, Kali and Flash look 100% like Geoffrey’s marmosets. The zoo still has two Geoffrey’s marmosets on exhibit in Rare Animal Conservation Center.
 
Kevin2342 said:
Geoffrey’s tamarins and Geoffrey’s marmosets are the same species
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Actually, they aren't! Here is a tamarin:
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And here is a marmoset:
20190917-skipbrown115.jpg
 
Kevin2342 said:
Finally. Vik has destroyed the zoo’s collection as a result of cost-cutting, so hopefully with a new president things can turn back around to the way they once were.
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Last I checked, non-profits cutting costs was usually to make sure they were operating at a fiscally sustainable level. Like Calgary quickly shipping their Giant Pandas back to China at the start of covid so they didn't go broke maintaining them. And MBA's limited functioning website during covid. You can't properly maintain an animal collection if your finances are ten feet under.
 
Kevin2342 said:
Finally. Vik has destroyed the zoo’s collection as a result of cost-cutting, so hopefully with a new president things can turn back around to the way they once were.
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I prefer how zooplantman characterized the previous director's legacy:

Zooplantman said:
The zoo has announced the planned departure in 2023 of long-time Director, Vik Dewan. A search for a successor has begun.
Vik has shepherded the zoo from bankruptcy to stability, introduced Zoo360 and set the zoo on course for its future.
Vik has been a director like no other zoo director. Watch for the zoo to take a new direction with the next CEO
Vikram H. Dewan set to Leave Philadelphia Zoo, National CEO Search to Commence
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From the USDA investigation, the meerkats died from the coat-marking dye being mixed incorrectly by an employee, resulting in them being poisoned by it. This dye is normally considered very safe for animal use.

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Hello, I am a new member. I’ve been along time viewer of this thread, but I’ve never made account but I just wanted to post this because I didn’t see this posted anywhere. But the Philadelphia zoo has 3 hooded vultures apparently I follow an account on instagram called Philly aazk on that account they said The Philadelphia Zoo is a new home to 3 Hooded Vultures. Come visit our Wings of Asia exhibit and meet our three newest vultures! I don’t know if it’s been posted before if it has I am terribly sorry
 
Randy Smith said:
Hello, I am a new member. I’ve been along time viewer of this thread, but I’ve never made account but I just wanted to post this because I didn’t see this posted anywhere. But the Philadelphia zoo has 3 hooded vultures apparently I follow an account on instagram called Philly aazk on that account they said The Philadelphia Zoo is a new home to 3 Hooded Vultures. Come visit our Wings of Asia exhibit and meet our three newest vultures! I don’t know if it’s been posted before if it has I am terribly sorry
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Welcome! That hadn't been posted here yet :)
 
I actually knew about the hooded vultures for some time but I didn't want to say anything until they came on exhibit.
 
Some updates;
- The hooded vultures are on exhibit. They are all males, three brothers, named after Nintendo Mario Kart characters: Mario, Luigi and Bowser. When I was younger I played Mario kart a lot, so I think it’s pretty interesting. There is a section of Wings of Asia that is blocked to give them more space. So far, they haven’t taken any hand feedings from people, but have eaten worms off the ground. Their favorite spot is the large corner in the left center of the exhibit.
- Male Amur leopard Nelkan passed away on September 5, at the old age of 17. The zoo is down to only one Amur leopard, Kira.
- The Vulturine guineafowl are now in the old Meerkat Maze. The zoo plans to get meerkats back eventually, and they will be placed back where they once were. The first part of Small Mammal House will be changing to Spiders Alive which is a limited-time exhibit that will be around for 2 years starting this fall.
- The zoo last eclectus parrot, Ruby, passed away last month after a years-long battle with a heart condition. A shame, she just went back on exhibit in late July. She most recently shared her exhibit with Westley, the azure-winged magpie. Ruby has been replaced with Cookie Monster the great blue turaco so Westley won’t be lonely.
- The McNeil Avian Center will be undergoing roof construction, and will be closed for a week or two while the construction is going on.
 
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