Phoenix Zoo Phoenix Zoo News 2023

Corangurilla

Corangurilla

Well-Known Member
New year, new thread, new stuff to report!
  • Predator Passage is nearing completion! The hyena, leopard, lion, and hyena habitats are like 90% complete, and they look pretty neat! (by my standards, I don't know what the average Zoochatter would call them) Meerkat habitat is way smaller than the previous one (which now holds a Cape Porcupine), but I think that's better for something so small. Warthogs are seemingly out of the plans (for Predator Passage, they're still in their old homes), but it looks like Red River Hogs will be taking up the former Sumatran Tiger habitat on top of the hill! The question now is "what's going in the lion habitat once Boboo moves? I think they said something about guenons at one point?
  • On a more concerning note, Indu the elephant was a no-show. Chutti the rhino was in one yard, and the other was totally empty. I know she turned 57 last year, so I fear the worst has already happened... but maybe I'm wrong. Anyways, there's still stuff behind Giants of the Asian Realm. Same elephant cutout, same lion and oryx statues, and seemingly no progress made. Are they not building anything back there? Have I been mistaking the zoo's junk drawer for alternate elephant viewing??? I don't know, I just want somebody to say something about Phoenix's future with Asian pachyderms, horned or trunked!
  • Bird flu precautions are still in place. Tropical Flights walkthrough aviary is closed, Scarlet Macaw is off-display in Forest of Uco, and the main lake feels like a ghost town without any pelicans.
  • Savannah feels a lot emptier than usual. Only one giraffe, no ostriches, and even less plants than normal. Elands, Watusi, please come back...
  • No signs of Beaker the Giant Anteater. Has the zoo phased him out?
  • No Brocket Deer with the Sakis.
  • Renovated gift shop is a downgrade, honestly. Where are the books?! That's like, the best part of any zoo gift shop!
  • The Rhinoceros Hornbill in Tropical Flights looked... faded. Like, their beak and feathers looked a lot paler than usual. Too much time in the sun? Old age? What do you guys think?
I didn't have the time nor the phone battery to visit the Children's Trail. I'm planning to visit again once Predator Passage opens. See you then!
 
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Corangurilla said:
On a more concerning note, Indu the elephant was a no-show. Chutti the rhino was in one yard, and the other was totally empty. I know she turned 57 last year, so I fear the worst has already happened... but maybe I'm wrong.
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I feel like Phoenix would have announced her death if so...although, i'd imagine her age was probably a contributing reason to why she wasn't out.
 
Milwaukee Man said:
This summer, the Zoo will break ground on the new cougar and jaguar habitats. Also, near the end of the article, it states that late April will mark the opening of “Predator Passage,” and an animal hospital is the next project on the horizon.

Phoenix Zoo upgrading facilities, including habitats for Arizona's big cats
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Love to see it! Love to see new stuff outside of the Tropics Trail!
The article says that BCOA could be ready to go as early as next summer, which is great news!
Now for a big question: what’s next? Once Predator Passage opens, the zoo will have completed the Pride Campaign. BCOA isn’t on there, and neither is this proposed animal hospital, so are they part of a third master plan? Only time will tell.
 
On February 13th, the zoo announced some news about hornbills:

1. (1.1) rhinoceros hornbills named Diego and Minnie were introduced to one another and are now on exhibit in the Children's Trail area.

2. A (0.1) rhinoceros hornbill named Barbara Grace was acquired from the Santa Barbara Zoo in California and will be introduced to (1.0) hornbill Sylvester/go on exhibit in the Tropical Flights exhibit in the near future.

3. A (0.0.1) wrinkled hornbill named Tubac will be transferred to Moody Gardens in Texas in spring 2023. (0.0.2) rhinoceros hornbills named Nash and Pheonix will be transferred to other unspecified facilities in the future.

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Smaggledagle said:
On February 24th, the zoo announced they acquired (0.2) southern black howler monkeys named Bennie and Maddie from the Brevard Zoo in Florida which are now on exhibit.

Phoenix Zoo
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“Seven-year-old Bennie has a very blonde coat and moves FAST around the habitat.“ Hooray! The howler monkey habitat has historically been humungously humdrum, so hopefully Bennie and Maddie can be a hilarious hook for the humans to pay heed. (Holy heck, that was hell to write)
On a less alliterative note, did Bilbo (the male Howler monkey) die? He was old, last I heard.
 
Corangurilla said:
“Seven-year-old Bennie has a very blonde coat and moves FAST around the habitat.“ Hooray! The howler monkey habitat has historically been humungously humdrum, so hopefully Bennie and Maddie can be a hilarious hook for the humans to pay heed. (Holy heck, that was hell to write)
On a less alliterative note, did Bilbo (the male Howler monkey) die? He was old, last I heard.
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I think he died sometime last year. He was 33 and the oldest male in the US, so yes, he was quite old.
 
I have not followed the zoo's progress (nor been on ZooChat) in quite a while, since I have lost interest in zoos. However as a cat lover I am somewhat happy to see new lion and leopard exhibits opening soon and larger puma and jaguar exhibits about to break ground. I am not so crazy about having Amur leopard in the Africa section, though.
 
Arizona Docent said:
I have not followed the zoo's progress (nor been on ZooChat) in quite a while, since I have lost interest in zoos. However as a cat lover I am somewhat happy to see new lion and leopard exhibits opening soon and larger puma and jaguar exhibits about to break ground. I am not so crazy about having Amur leopard in the Africa section, though.
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I think it's a bit strange that zoos in arid environments are so dead set on having Amur leopards. I know that's all the AZA kind of encourages but the Living Desert, Phoenix, ect. just seem too warm for these animals/
 
I don't know when this happened, but it appears the zoo has taken down its Facebook page. I find this rather odd; I wonder if it was becoming a problem either with hateful comments or spam advertisements (or both)? They do have an Instagram page.
 
Arizona Docent said:
...it appears the zoo has taken down its Facebook page...
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SusScrofa said:
Huh? I still have access to it.
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After the comment from @SusScrofa I went back and figured out what is going on with their Facebook account. If I am logged in under my business account (Fred Hood Photography) it won't let me access it, but if I log in under my personal account (Fred Hood) then I can access it. I normally use Facebook under my business page and none of the other zoos or public institutions I interact with have this problem.
 
I got a mailing from the zoo with an insert regarding Predator Passage.
Grand Opening Autumn 2023 (no exact date given, members get a preview in Spring).

Species Lineup:
African lions
spotted hyenas
meerkats
warthogs
red river hogs
fennec foxes
Ruppel's griffon vultures
Amur leopards
 
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