The zoo is reopened after being closed since the beginning of January. I have some things that changed since the zoo has been closed:
- McNeil Avian Center is fully open again, after a year-long closure due to avian influenza. Visitors are required to sanitize their feet upon entering and exiting the building. Over the year of closure, there have been some changes on the birds. The Mariana fruit dove passed away after extended age-related health issues and living off display for quite some time. He was at least 24 because he hatched in the wild which is very old for doves. There is only one elderly white-winged wood Duck left, the other one died due to old age and cancer. The olive-headed lorikeet also passed away. There are only two Victoria crowned pigeons left, the third one moved to another zoo. Both great argus pheasants are now in the walk-through rainforest. The eclectus parrot is still behind-the-scenes but I saw her from the rainforest section from a far distance in one of the back enclosures.
- The cheetahs have a new climbing structure, they now have a lower height den connected with tree branches. The zoo got rid of their old tall den which they would sometimes surprisingly climb up all the way to the top of it.
- The black-and-white ruffed lemurs moved to PECO Primate Reserve and are in the space where the mongoose lemurs used to live. The mongoose lemurs now live with the ring-tailed lemurs and will be out on the island in front of the building on warmer days. There are only the three brothers left in the family troop, the mother passed away during the closure.
-Several exhibits in the reptile house are being renovated, mostly in the center. The sailfin lizards, king cobra and Travancore tortoise/black tree monitor exhibits are all being renovated and cleaned due for pest control. Two young male black tree monitors arrived at the zoo back in September and once they grow older they will go on exhibit and the two very old males will retire off-exhibit. But they are still a little too small, so when the exhibit is done the old ones will still be on exhibit for a little while. The zoo is getting a new king cobra in the spring, but before it arrives, a false water cobra will go in that exhibit temporarily. There were some cockroaches sneaking their way into the exhibits so they are being cleaned for pest control. The zoo hopes to get them done by March 9th. The emperor spotted newt exhibit is also being cleaned but the zoo hopes to have that done by next week. The hosmers skinks are moving into the exhibit where the Panamint rattlesnake used to live, and a second shingleback skink that arrived a month ago will go into the exhibit with the lone shingleback skink. Additionally, the hellbender passed away on Wednesday after a sudden decline. She got all bloated and was taken off exhibit on Monday, but she passed on her own two days later.
- McNeil Avian Center is fully open again, after a year-long closure due to avian influenza. Visitors are required to sanitize their feet upon entering and exiting the building. Over the year of closure, there have been some changes on the birds. The Mariana fruit dove passed away after extended age-related health issues and living off display for quite some time. He was at least 24 because he hatched in the wild which is very old for doves. There is only one elderly white-winged wood Duck left, the other one died due to old age and cancer. The olive-headed lorikeet also passed away. There are only two Victoria crowned pigeons left, the third one moved to another zoo. Both great argus pheasants are now in the walk-through rainforest. The eclectus parrot is still behind-the-scenes but I saw her from the rainforest section from a far distance in one of the back enclosures.
- The cheetahs have a new climbing structure, they now have a lower height den connected with tree branches. The zoo got rid of their old tall den which they would sometimes surprisingly climb up all the way to the top of it.
- The black-and-white ruffed lemurs moved to PECO Primate Reserve and are in the space where the mongoose lemurs used to live. The mongoose lemurs now live with the ring-tailed lemurs and will be out on the island in front of the building on warmer days. There are only the three brothers left in the family troop, the mother passed away during the closure.
-Several exhibits in the reptile house are being renovated, mostly in the center. The sailfin lizards, king cobra and Travancore tortoise/black tree monitor exhibits are all being renovated and cleaned due for pest control. Two young male black tree monitors arrived at the zoo back in September and once they grow older they will go on exhibit and the two very old males will retire off-exhibit. But they are still a little too small, so when the exhibit is done the old ones will still be on exhibit for a little while. The zoo is getting a new king cobra in the spring, but before it arrives, a false water cobra will go in that exhibit temporarily. There were some cockroaches sneaking their way into the exhibits so they are being cleaned for pest control. The zoo hopes to get them done by March 9th. The emperor spotted newt exhibit is also being cleaned but the zoo hopes to have that done by next week. The hosmers skinks are moving into the exhibit where the Panamint rattlesnake used to live, and a second shingleback skink that arrived a month ago will go into the exhibit with the lone shingleback skink. Additionally, the hellbender passed away on Wednesday after a sudden decline. She got all bloated and was taken off exhibit on Monday, but she passed on her own two days later.
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