Phoenix Zoo Phoenix Zoo News

Ituri said:
Gerenuk are now on the African Savannah as well.
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Yes, it was quite humorous, that twice while I was watching one of the small gerenuks starting chasing one of the tall giraffes, who seemed to be running for his or her life.
 
Further updates from the zoo...

Speke's gazelles now share the rhino habitat.

Invisinet has been put into the viewing areas of almost all aviaries in the zoo, greatly improving viewing.

Harmony Farm has been paved and relandscaped and renovations done to the Big Red Barn. It looks great in my opinion. They've also paved the path down into the Children's Trail.

A plan view of the new orangutan exhibit is now in front of the current exhibit. I took a picture and will post later. They really hope to break ground this year.

There is a baby white-fronted marmoset in the Children's Trail.
 
Ituri said:
Invisinet has been put into the viewing areas of almost all aviaries in the zoo, greatly improving viewing.
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Really? I didn't notice this when I was there a week and a half ago. The main aviary area is adjacent to the tropics trail, the series of aviaries next to the lake. Their viewing is atrocious - thick metal with thin spaces between. When the sun hits them (which it usually does in sunny Phoenix), it is literally impossible to see in.
 
Almost all areas. Not all of the Tropical Flights (the area you are talking about) have had it replaced, although the last one with the eclectus parrots and crowned pigeons have been. The ones specifically I remember were the tamarin exhibits in the Children's Trail, and the aviaries adjacent to the warthog enclosure on the Africa Trail. Also the turkey vulture, golden eagle, and condor aviaries on the AZ Trail. Possibly some over by the jaguar on the Tropics Trail, but I don't remember for sure.
 
I'm going to Phoenix Zoo this weekend as I will be watching Spring Training too. Can't wait to see the Phoenix Zoo again because its been maybe 8 years since I've been and things always look better and bigger when you're a little kid. Oh, and I remember a sort of Asian village when I went, is there such architecture at the zoo like that?
 
You are probably recalling the Colombian village at the entrance to the Forest of Uco. They are breaking ground on the new orangutan exhibit next week as well.
 
Since the general Phoenix Zoo thread is getting a bit long, I thought I would start a new thread with latest updates. I recently bought a membership, so I should get news more regularly.

According to the new magazine, the zoo received a pair of male one year old masai giraffes (one from San Diego and one from Los Angeles). These are the start of a switch from reticulated/hybrid to masai, in accordance with AZA guidelines. They still have their older reticulateds in the savanna with these new young masai, so you can actually see both types in one exhibit!
 
Thanks for starting this thread AZDocent, I have a feeling there will be additional need for it in the future ;) Stay tuned...

As for the switch to Masai, it is not a case of AZA guidelines, there is still a management plan for reticulateds, rothschilds and hybrids (managed as one population) in AZA zoos. The switch to Masai was necessitated by the loss of their reticulated bull and the limited availability of reticulated giraffes due to high demand. They formed a consortium with the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara Zoos to manage their Masai giraffes as one population so that they eliminate the need to ship giraffes across the country which is costly and stressful.
 
That is interesting. I thought I read (on a link provided here on ZooChat) that AZA wanted everyone to go with masai.
 
Unless it's something new, I don't know, but here is a link to the 2009 Regional Collection Plan which plans for a PMP for Masai giraffe and a seperate PMP for the Retic-Rothschild Complex.

http://www.antelopetag.com/assets/d...iraffe RCP for WCMC Review January 1 2009.pdf

I do know for sure that the decision was in response to difficulty in replacing the reticulated bull, Samburu who passed away late last year.
 
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Arizona's first koalas will go on display at the Phoenix Zoo this October (2010). Stay tuned for photos and details from Yours Truly. They are arriving from San Diego Zoo.
 
Yep, been waiting a while for this to go public. They will be housed inside the Bush House (formerly an education space) next to Wallaby Walkabout on the Children's Trail.
 
Phoenix Zoo to begin Mt Graham Red Squirrel breeding project:

News : Red squirrel breeding program proposed - Eastern Arizona Courier

Humphrey said the Phoenix Zoo has successfully bred numerous animals in the past 40 years and the state is fortunate to have it interested in breeding the Mount Graham red squirrel. He said the main reason for the pilot program and any program implemented by Game and Fish to help sustain the squirrel is to eventually have it taken off the endangered species list, and that would open up areas of the Pinaleño Mountains to have less inclusive rules.
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