Phoenix Zoo Phoenix Zoo News 2021

Huckleberry the Spotted hyena was euthanised on March 19:

Phoenix Zoo euthanizes 27-year-old hyena Huckleberry due to health

Huckleberry and another hyena, Cahli, arrived in 2015 as the first hyenas ever at the Phoenix Zoo. He was born in 1993 at UC Berkeley in a spotted hyena colony established in 1985. The famous colony was studied by biologist Stephen Glickman and behaviorist Laurence Frank. Huckleberry, the descendant of wild-born Kenyan hyenas, participated in giving a wealth of knowledge on hyena reproduction and social behavior.

Huckleberry spent 10 years along with Cahli at the Milwaukee County Zoo, eight months at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, and 11 more years at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, before coming to Arizona.
 
Prairie dog pups born; nyala arrive:

Phoenix Zoo welcomed new species and 14 prairie dog pups this week - KTAR.com

The Phoenix Zoo welcomed a new species along with the birth of 14 prairie dog pups this week, the zoo announced.

In addition to newborn pups, another two litters are anticipated in the coming weeks.

The zoo also introduced the spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa, Nyala, which hasn’t been previously exhibited.
 
Two male Desert bighorn sheep have been born:

Phoenix Zoo welcomes two baby bighorn lambs

Two male baby bighorn lambs have made their debut at the zoo. One little guy was born on March 30 to mother Mija. The second was born April 9 to mother Athena. Both lambs share the same father, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Captain Jack is a wild-caught ram from southern Arizona, brought to Phoenix through a collaboration between the zoo, Arizona Game & Fish, and and the Species Survival Plan program for desert bighorn sheep.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Two male Desert bighorn sheep have been born:

Phoenix Zoo welcomes two baby bighorn lambs

Two male baby bighorn lambs have made their debut at the zoo. One little guy was born on March 30 to mother Mija. The second was born April 9 to mother Athena. Both lambs share the same father, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Captain Jack is a wild-caught ram from southern Arizona, brought to Phoenix through a collaboration between the zoo, Arizona Game & Fish, and and the Species Survival Plan program for desert bighorn sheep.
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Nice endeavour for local wildlife in the backyard.
 
Does the zoo still have ocelot? I'm not seeing any social media or anything from the last few years for one, but the species is still listed on the children's tail page (Children's Trail - Phoenix Zoo). Same for bobcat and caracal?
 
TinoPup said:
Does the zoo still have ocelot? I'm not seeing any social media or anything from the last few years for one, but the species is still listed on the children's tail page (Children's Trail - Phoenix Zoo). Same for bobcat and caracal?
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No ocelot. The last one (which I presume died though maybe it was transferred) was replaced with a sloth. The exhibit next to that in Children's Trail had a three legged caracal when I was there last, but it's been a few years so I don't know if it's still there. They have a dedicated bobcat exhibit in Arizona Trail so I assume they will always have bobcat (unless they are temporarily between them because one died and they are awaiting a new one).
 
During the summer months (June, July, August 2021) the zoo will be closed to walk-in visitors and open only for drive-thru. This comes at a substantially higher price (even for members), though I suppose if you had a full carload it would be cheaper. Several members voiced opposition on Facebook and at least one poster has cancelled their membership. (I let my membership expire a couple years ago and am glad I did because this policy of not letting members use their membership to walk through their zoo for half the week is insane IMO).
 
Arizona Docent said:
During the summer months (June, July, August 2021) the zoo will be closed to walk-in visitors and open only for drive-thru. This comes at a substantially higher price (even for members), though I suppose if you had a full carload it would be cheaper. Several members voiced opposition on Facebook and at least one poster has cancelled their membership. (I let my membership expire a couple years ago and am glad I did because this policy of not letting members use their membership to walk through their zoo for half the week is insane IMO).
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The mix of drive-through and pedestrian visitors at a zoo seems like a disaster in the making to me. Too many distracted drivers, too many un-tethered toddlers all in the same space.
 
Arizona Docent said:
During the summer months (June, July, August 2021) the zoo will be closed to walk-in visitors and open only for drive-thru. This comes at a substantially higher price (even for members), though I suppose if you had a full carload it would be cheaper. Several members voiced opposition on Facebook and at least one poster has cancelled their membership. (I let my membership expire a couple years ago and am glad I did because this policy of not letting members use their membership to walk through their zoo for half the week is insane IMO).
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Good thing I'll be visiting next week before this starts.
 
Zooplantman said:
The mix of drive-through and pedestrian visitors at a zoo seems like a disaster in the making to me. Too many distracted drivers, too many un-tethered toddlers all in the same space.
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It's become pretty popular with non-AZA zoos over the last year to offer both, though usually not at the same time in the same area.
 
Just to clarify it is NOT being offered at the same time, which is why members are upset (and I don't blame them). On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday the zoo is drive-thru only meaning if you want to walk around like usual you will have to pick a different day.
 
A very nice and entertaining video on the Galapagos tortoises at Phoenix Zoo from June 2020.
Link: Phoenix Zoo Digital Safari: Galapagos Tortoises

Of note: The video alluded to female Mary laying eggs around 2 weeks before the video airing.
These have since hatched and confirmed that 6 hatchling Volcan Darwin tortoise C. microphyes (Nrs. 3-8 to be exact). The breeding is from the pairing with male Mopey (B/L courtesy of Brownsville Zoo, their former breeding male).
Link: Annual Report 2020
(2020 Annual Report)

The AP 2020 also sports an informative article on the Corridor Research Initiative (for jaguars in Costa Rica, Mexico and US ...).
 
Arizona Docent said:
No ocelot. The last one (which I presume died though maybe it was transferred) was replaced with a sloth. The exhibit next to that in Children's Trail had a three legged caracal when I was there last, but it's been a few years so I don't know if it's still there. They have a dedicated bobcat exhibit in Arizona Trail so I assume they will always have bobcat (unless they are temporarily between them because one died and they are awaiting a new one).
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I just went to the Phoenix Zoo for the first time yesterday, and the three legged caracal was still there. I saw her sleeping inside a box, so I couldn’t get a picture. I also saw a magpie-robin in the bird exhibit near the tigers and orangutans, could someone identify what type it was? Oriental magpie-robin?
 
Question about the crowned pigeons at the Phoenix Zoo. I saw a Victoria's crowned-pigeon, G. victoria, and another species. Was it G. cristata?
 
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