Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium 2020 News

PA herp laws are extremely lax and I understand, and agree with, not allowing Joe Anybody have Saltys in there back yard but there is no reason a properly licensed person or facility cant have them. Will affect quite a few traveling educators in the Pittsburgh area. Hence why I stated elephants were just the beginning of a bigger situation....
 
Hello everyone, I want to talk about the recent struggles of the zoo. I am not a zoo employee, volunteer, docent, or member, but I do visit at least once per year and I do follow the zoo. The zoo is one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh, and I consider it one of my happy places, but due to the recent struggles at the zoo, it is kind of sad to think about.

Is the zoo going to get any lions any time soon? The reason I bring this up, is because I last visited the zoo on September 21st, 2019, and that was when Ajani was still there. However, after watching recent video footage and going through pictures of the zoo, something that largely stood out to me and concerned me, was the lack of lion photos/footage since December. I found this very strange and concerning because the lion exhibit is ALWAYS a favorite exhibit of many visitors, including myself as lions are a popular species obviously. Well, this past Friday, I went on the zoo’s website and it says that the lion was off-exhibit and that the exhibit was closed. I found that concerning as well because the lion is almost never off-exhibit. Thinking optimistically, I assumed that they were either 1. Renovating the lion exhibit or 2. Introducing more lions to the exhibit. I let that thought go for awhile. Well about 30 minutes ago, while on the zoo’s press releases, I unintentionally discovered that the last remaining African Lion, Ajani MOVED to another facility as of January, 3rd, 2020, so that he can be with other lions, which is natural behavior for him, as lions are obviously social creatures. Anyways, it sounds that Ajani will have a better latter half of his life, which is GREAT, however the news really caught me by surprise. I was REALLY not expecting and truly not ready to learn that the once proud Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has NO remaining lions. While I am happy for Ajani, it honestly hurts, because lions are 1. One of my favorite animals, because I put an emphasis on wild cats especially big cats and 2. It does not feel right at all for a zoo to not have lions. Now that it has been 2 months since Ajani’s departure, does anyone genuinely feel that the zoo will acquire AT LEAST one more lion or is the lion exhibit going to be empty for the foreseeable future? I am well aware that the zoo dropped its AZA accreditation, and will that make it more difficult for the zoo to acquire any lions? Can it still acquire lions from any other ZAA facility? Anyways, does the zoo have any interest in getting lions for the lion exhibit? What I do not want to see happen is for the zoo to be without lions for the next several years because of the lack of AZA accreditation. I also, honestly do not want to visit the zoo until they acquire at least one more lion, but I know that that is going to take awhile. I usually attend the zoo in the summer and early fall, but I honestly doubt that the lions are going to be ready by then, given the lack of any update from the zoo since January, 3rd, 2020. Anyways, can anyone fill me in on the lion situation?
 
BigCatConniseur24 said:
Hello everyone, I want to talk about the recent struggles of the zoo. I am not a zoo employee, volunteer, docent, or member, but I do visit at least once per year and I do follow the zoo. The zoo is one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh, and I consider it one of my happy places, but due to the recent struggles at the zoo, it is kind of sad to think about.

Is the zoo going to get any lions any time soon? The reason I bring this up, is because I last visited the zoo on September 21st, 2019, and that was when Ajani was still there. However, after watching recent video footage and going through pictures of the zoo, something that largely stood out to me and concerned me, was the lack of lion photos/footage since December. I found this very strange and concerning because the lion exhibit is ALWAYS a favorite exhibit of many visitors, including myself as lions are a popular species obviously. Well, this past Friday, I went on the zoo’s website and it says that the lion was off-exhibit and that the exhibit was closed. I found that concerning as well because the lion is almost never off-exhibit. Thinking optimistically, I assumed that they were either 1. Renovating the lion exhibit or 2. Introducing more lions to the exhibit. I let that thought go for awhile. Well about 30 minutes ago, while on the zoo’s press releases, I unintentionally discovered that the last remaining African Lion, Ajani MOVED to another facility as of January, 3rd, 2020, so that he can be with other lions, which is natural behavior for him, as lions are obviously social creatures. Anyways, it sounds that Ajani will have a better latter half of his life, which is GREAT, however the news really caught me by surprise. I was REALLY not expecting and truly not ready to learn that the once proud Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has NO remaining lions. While I am happy for Ajani, it honestly hurts, because lions are 1. One of my favorite animals, because I put an emphasis on wild cats especially big cats and 2. It does not feel right at all for a zoo to not have lions. Now that it has been 2 months since Ajani’s departure, does anyone genuinely feel that the zoo will acquire AT LEAST one more lion or is the lion exhibit going to be empty for the foreseeable future? I am well aware that the zoo dropped its AZA accreditation, and will that make it more difficult for the zoo to acquire any lions? Can it still acquire lions from any other ZAA facility? Anyways, does the zoo have any interest in getting lions for the lion exhibit? What I do not want to see happen is for the zoo to be without lions for the next several years because of the lack of AZA accreditation. I also, honestly do not want to visit the zoo until they acquire at least one more lion, but I know that that is going to take awhile. I usually attend the zoo in the summer and early fall, but I honestly doubt that the lions are going to be ready by then, given the lack of any update from the zoo since January, 3rd, 2020. Anyways, can anyone fill me in on the lion situation?
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With the AZA's current big cat space situation, I think they are looking for any capable facility to take excess animals. It's a huge issue for big cat SSPs currently. You might want to message the zoo on social media and ask them what their plans are for the exhibit.
 
Here is what the person who answers the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium’s Facebook messages had to say about the African Lion situation.

“Hi Joe, thank you so much for asking about Ajani! He moved to a new home just this past January, and he is doing quite well! Since his brother passed away a year ago, we wanted to give Ajani a new home with other lions to be around. His new home also provides a more flat terrain which will be easier for ten-year-old Ajani to navigate. While our lion building is empty, we will be doing some updates on it before bringing in a new group of lions. We certainly miss Ajani, but we are glad that he is comfortable in his new home! AJANI-LEAVES-FOR-NEW-HOME | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

I would imagine this would mean that after they finish updating the African Lion habitat that a new group of lions will be brought in and the minimum of 30 days (please correct me if I’m wrong) mandatory quarantine period would start soon before attempts to go out on exhibit would start. Hopefully, they are able to bring in both males and lionesses so that it can kind of look like a mini pride. Even a male and lioness pair is a good start. I honestly don’t know what kind of renovation they will be doing to the African Lion habitat. I don’t know how the habitat could be made better. It is definitely one of the better Lion exhibits I’ve seen (it’s not the best, but it is up there), and it is the second best wild cat habitat at the zoo second only to the South African Cheetah habitat.

Lastly, unrelated, there is now a Northern Copperhead in the bat cave section of Worlds of Discovery in Kids Kingdom near the domestic animal stalls and the goat yard. I believe the copperhead was donated by a local reptile center in Pennsylvania. The last time I can remember there being a copperhead at the zoo was when it shared a with a timber rattlesnake, but that was a few years ago.
 
I wasn't aware the zoo would be without lions for a while. I do hope they revise the enclosure before they pick up any new lions. It is fairly poor, and offers awful vantage points for patrons. I agree though that the zoo needs lions again eventually. They are beautiful animals.

Also, glad to hear about the copperhead. Any new additions that are local to the area are great.

Lastly, does ANYONE have ANY updates on the Top of the World project? It is dreadfully late and the zoo has provided absolutely no official updates in well over a year. It is offensive at this point.
 
I fully support the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium in everything they do, as it is my home zoo, and the zoo that I have been going to since I was born in the September of 1995 (I’m 24 years old). I have been going there countless times ever since I was a kid, I have attended Zoo Camp there and I did a Cub Scouts overnighted there. Let me say that the keepers and most of the other staff are incredibly compassionate and caring individuals. They truly have the best interest in all of the animals. I will say though, that I DO NOT support their 2015 decision to drop out of the AZA for ZAA. I think it is a HUGE mistake and will cost the zoo a lot of their species. The other thing that I am not a fan of, is I do not like how the Zoo handles communicating information to the general public. There have been numerous occasions where an animal has either died or moved onto a new facility and they have not said anything publicly. I believe the public deserves to know what is going on with the animal collection. It would be nice to know which animals are actually at the zoo and which animals are not at the zoo, BEFORE I make plans to go to the zoo and get my hopes up. It is a little frustrating to have to do my own research when the zoo could’ve just told everyone. The zoo’s app and the zoo’s website are both kind of frustrating as well. The app is not up to date and the website does not list all the animals at the zoo. Anyways, I am not here to vent, and I apologize for that, but despite my criticisms of the zoo, I still love the zoo to death and will fully support it until the day I die. It is truly my happy place and my favorite place to visit.
 
TigerValley98 said:
The zoo is renovating the main entrance first. I think Compass Point construction could begin later this year.
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Thank you for the info TigerValley98. It would be amazing if Compass Point is started in 2020! I have a few more questions though if you are actually "in the know".

I had read a year+ ago that the Jungle Trails needed to be revised based on the size of the pygmy hippo's water enclosure. Apparently it was not built big enough for both pygmy hippos. If so, I have not seen any progress on this area.

Is the zoo actually doing a renovation to the entrance, or just fixing the escalator that has been broken for 2+ years (for non-Pittsburghers reading this, not a joke...2+ years broken)?

Again, thanks for the info TigerValley98. I'm not "attacking" in any way, as initiation on Compass Point would be amazing!
 
pachyderm pro said:
What will feature in Compass Point? I remember hearing about orangutans, manatees and pangolins, is this still the case?
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Wow! What an amazing set of species that would be in my hometown zoo!

All three of those species desperately need human support right now. I really hope the zoo continues to expand and build upon the endangered species they already have and conservation efforts continue for the animals we all love.
 
BigCatConniseur24 said:
I fully support the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium in everything they do, as it is my home zoo, and the zoo that I have been going to since I was born in the September of 1995 (I’m 24 years old). I have been going there countless times ever since I was a kid, I have attended Zoo Camp there and I did a Cub Scouts overnighted there. Let me say that the keepers and most of the other staff are incredibly compassionate and caring individuals. They truly have the best interest in all of the animals. I will say though, that I DO NOT support their 2015 decision to drop out of the AZA for ZAA. I think it is a HUGE mistake and will cost the zoo a lot of their species. The other thing that I am not a fan of, is I do not like how the Zoo handles communicating information to the general public. There have been numerous occasions where an animal has either died or moved onto a new facility and they have not said anything publicly. I believe the public deserves to know what is going on with the animal collection. It would be nice to know which animals are actually at the zoo and which animals are not at the zoo, BEFORE I make plans to go to the zoo and get my hopes up. It is a little frustrating to have to do my own research when the zoo could’ve just told everyone. The zoo’s app and the zoo’s website are both kind of frustrating as well. The app is not up to date and the website does not list all the animals at the zoo. Anyways, I am not here to vent, and I apologize for that, but despite my criticisms of the zoo, I still love the zoo to death and will fully support it until the day I die. It is truly my happy place and my favorite place to visit.
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Hey no need to apologize. Obviously, every poster on this forum has a deep love for animals and appreciates what zoos do not only for education but for conservation! Zoos (if done correctly) are truly amazing.

Having said that, I agree with some of the comments/thoughts that you have.

For Pittsburghers or posters local to the area, what do you think of Dr. Baker? Obviously, she has done some amazing things, but I don't think her performance is "above" criticism either.
 
Here the animal species that I know are at the zoo as of today, 3/13/2020. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Disclaimer: I’m not going to do all the species housed inside the PPG Aquarium, as I there are way too many to list, I will only a select few.

Free-Ranging Indian Peafowl (multiple)

Forest Passage:
1. Canada Lynx (at least 2)
2. Amur Tigers (I believe there are 4)
3. Western Red Pandas (2)
4. Komodo Dragons (2)

African Savanna:
1. American/Caribbean Flamingos (10)
2. Eastern Black Rhinoceroses (3)
3. Galapagos Tortoises (number unknown)
4. Amur Leopards (I think there are 4)
5. South African Ostriches (2)
6. Nyala (6)
7. Addra Gazelles (can anyone please confirm if they are still at the zoo?)
8. South African Bush Elephants (5)
9. Masai Giraffes (2)
10. Grant’s Zebras (2)
11. South African Cheetahs (2)
12. Koi/carp/goldfish


Tropical Forest Complex:
1. Ring-Tailed Lemurs (5)
2. Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs (2; they alternate with the ring-tailed lemurs; they go on exhibit in the very late afternoon)
3. Red Ruffed Lemurs (2)
4. Hoffman’s Two-Toed Sloth (1)
5. White-Faced Sakis (2; alternate with the tufted capuchins)
6. Tufted Capuchins (3; alternate with the white-faced Sakis)
7. Southern Black Howler Monkeys (3)
8. Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons (3)
9. Northern Bornean Orangutans (2)
10. Angola Colobus Monkeys (6; 3 at a time in the exhibit)
11. Western Lowland Gorillas (6)
12. Blue Monkeys (3)

The Islands
1. Philippine Crocodiles (4)
2. Aldabra Tortoises (4)
3. Visayan Warty Pigs (4)
4. Clouded Leopards (4)

Jungle Odyssey:
1. Capybaras (3)
2. Giant Anteaters (2)
3. North/Central American Ocelot (1)
4. Fossas (2)
5. Pygmy Hippos (1: I only know about Jahari, I don’t know about the female).

PPG Aquarium:
1. Catfish
2. Rainbow Trout
3. Long nose Gar
4. Bass
5. Perch
6. Hellbender
7. Banded Archer Fish
8. Pig-Nosed Turtle (1)
9. Macaroni Penguins (multiple)
10. Gentoo Penguins (multiple)
11. American Lobster (1)
12. Puget Sound King Crab (1)
13. Giant Pacific Octopus (1)
14. Moon Jellyfish
15. Clownfish
16. Blue Tang
17. Yellow Tang
18. Sea Anemones
19. Sea Urchins
20. Starfishes
21. Green Sea Turtle (at least 1)
22. Zebra Sharks (3)
23. Blacktip Reef Sharks (2?)
24. Bigtooth River Stingrays
25. Blue spotted ribbontail rays
26. Yellow spotted Amazon River turtles
27. Panamian Golden Frogs (someone please correct me on inis
28. Pot-Bellied Sea Horses
29. Red-Bellied Piranhas
30. Pacu
31. Arapaimas
32. Stone Crabs
33. Cichlids
34. Electric Eels
35. Laced Moray Eels
36. Queensland Grouper (1)
37. Dusky Grouper
38. Chocolate Grouper (1)
39. Royal Grammas
40. Northern Pike
41. Giant Gouramis
42. Harlequin Rabsora
43. Longhorn Cowfish


Water’s Edge:
1. Polar Bears (2)
2. Northern Sea Otters (2)
3. Northern Elephant Seals (2)
4. California Sea Lions (2)

Kids Kingdom
1. California Sea Lions (3 or 4)
2. Striped Skunks (2)
3. Silvery-Cheeked Hornbills (anyone please confirm)
4. North American Barn Owl (1)
5. Alpacas (10)
6. North-American River Otters (multiple)
7. North-American Beavers
8. Bennett’s Wallabies (multiple)
9. Red Kangaroos (5)
10. Kunekune Pigs (5)
11. Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys (2)
12. Domestic Alpine/Nubian Goats (4)
13. Domestic Nigerian Dwarf Goats (2)
14. Dorset/Suffolk Domestic Sheep
15. American Alligator

Worlds of Discovery
1. Fish (multiple)
2. Axolotl
3. Eyelash Palm Pit Vipers
4. Honduran Milksnakes
5. Black-Tailed Rattlesnakes
6. Naked Mole Rats
7. Jamaican Fruit Bats
8. Short-Tailed Leaf Nosed Bats
9. Northern Copperhead (1)
10. Prairie Rattlesnakes
11. Neotropical Rattlesnakes (2)
12. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (1)
13. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (1)
14. Timber Rattlesnake (1)
15. Gila Monster (1)
16. Mexican Beaded Lizards (2)
17. Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (1)
18. Yellow-Footed Tortoises (2)
19. Meerkats (2 or 3)
 
Another thing no one seemed to mention is the zoos acquisition of gharial, which will be added to compass point. Combined with the aforementioned pangolins, manatees and possible new orangutan enclosure is a heck of species lineup. And that's just the species we know about.
 
PSO said:
Another thing no one seemed to mention is the zoos acquisition of gharial, which will be added to compass point. Combined with the aforementioned pangolins, manatees and possible new orangutan enclosure is a heck of species lineup. And that's just the species we know about.
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Good call. The more crocodilians at the zoo, there merrier. I have honestly never seen gharials at a zoo before, so that would be an exciting experience.
 
I've never visited Pittsburgh, so take what I'm about to say with that disclaimer in mind. Purely from an outsiders perspective, Pittsburghs management seems shockingly bad. Here are a few things I have noticed in this regard.

  • They are radio silence on the deaths of major animals. I recall a year or two ago, an elephant died (not the calf, but a middle aged female I believe) and they quite literally said nothing about. Now, the zoos last lion just died and they didn't say a word. Who thought this practice was a good idea? By being transparent with the public, it's showing you have nothing to hide, where if you keep things like this off the books, it's only going to create more confusion and criticism than if you told them yourselves. I'm not seeing you need to report when every leafy stick insect dies, but for major ABC species, this should absolutely be the case.
  • Disappointing new exhibits in the form of the Top of the World Project. The Islands, from photos as least - seems pretty underwhelming. However, jungle Odyssey already looks outdated. They had to do renovations to the pygmy hippo exhibit just months after it opened. All the grass in the capybara/anteater exhibit was gone after a few weeks. Now, the status of the rest of the project seems pretty up in the air at this point, with virtually nothing to go off of for what Compass Point/The Mountains will be.
  • Dropping accrediation with the AZA. This one is still beyond me. I understand each zoo will want to do manage things differently, but protected contact with elephants seems to the objective better management option. Less risk for keepers, better view from Joe publics respective, less stress for the animals etc. Even if they didn't agree with it, is it really something worth losing your status over? I believe they had to give up at least a few endangered species in the process, and while Pittsburgh still works with AZA facilities, the overall perception of the park as become rather poor as a result.
  • The elephant management as a whole seems extremely sloppy. I get things will happen, but the way they handled the elephant calf situation in 2017 was a complete mess. It never should have gone on exhibit in the first place in the condition it was in. That combined with the use of free contact plus the dreaded ankus, not a very pretty sight.
Again, I have never visited the zoo. I would certainly like to, but there are plenty more which I'd rather see first. Pittsburgh really needs some new management and a significant overhaul of much of the place. A brand new PR team would be a good start, and in general they need to be more transparent with their visitors. Getting back their AZA accreditation would also be a smart move.
 
pachyderm pro said:
I've never visited Pittsburgh, so take what I'm about to say with that disclaimer in mind. Purely from an outsiders perspective, Pittsburghs management seems shockingly bad. Here are a few things I have noticed in this regard.

  • They are radio silence on the deaths of major animals. I recall a year or two ago, an elephant died (not the calf, but a middle aged female I believe) and they quite literally said nothing about. Now, the zoos last lion just died and they didn't say a word. Who thought this practice was a good idea? By being transparent with the public, it's showing you have nothing to hide, where if you keep things like this off the books, it's only going to create more confusion and criticism than if you told them yourselves. I'm not seeing you need to report when every leafy stick insect dies, but for major ABC species, this should absolutely be the case.
  • Disappointing new exhibits in the form of the Top of the World Project. The Islands, from photos as least - seems pretty underwhelming. However, jungle Odyssey already looks outdated. They had to do renovations to the pygmy hippo exhibit just months after it opened. All the grass in the capybara/anteater exhibit was gone after a few weeks. Now, the status of the rest of the project seems pretty up in the air at this point, with virtually nothing to go off of for what Compass Point/The Mountains will be.
  • Dropping accrediation with the AZA. This one is still beyond me. I understand each zoo will want to do manage things differently, but protected contact with elephants seems to the objective better management option. Less risk for keepers, better view from Joe publics respective, less stress for the animals etc. Even if they didn't agree with it, is it really something worth losing your status over? I believe they had to give up at least a few endangered species in the process, and while Pittsburgh still works with AZA facilities, the overall perception of the park as become rather poor as a result.
  • The elephant management as a whole seems extremely sloppy. I get things will happen, but the way they handled the elephant calf situation in 2017 was a complete mess. It never should have gone on exhibit in the first place in the condition it was in. That combined with the use of free contact plus the dreaded ankus, not a very pretty sight.
Again, I have never visited the zoo. I would certainly like to, but there are plenty more which I'd rather see first. Pittsburgh really needs some new management and a significant overhaul of much of the place. A brand new PR team would be a good start, and in general they need to be more transparent with their visitors. Getting back their AZA accreditation would also be a smart move.
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The zoo’s last African Lion, Ajani did NOT die. He RELOCATED to another zoo, so that he can live with other older lions and also because the terrain their is more suitable for older lions. They are currently renovating the empty African Lion exhibit and when they are done renovating they hope to acquire a new African Lion group. There was a press release on their website from January 3rd, 2020, but I did not see it until last Sunday evening because they never announced on social media, or any news outlets. There were no news articles or stories on the lion’s relocation.
 
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