Prospect Park Zoo Prospect Park Zoo News

Other Late 2023 News:
Smaggledagle said:
On June 1st, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) North American porcupine was born on April 30th.

Prospect Park Zoo
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On November 16th, the zoo announced the porcupine's sex (0.1) and name, Pinnelopi.

Prospect Park Zoo

On December 6th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) Rote Island snake-necked turtle hatched.

Prospect Park Zoo

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On January 10th, 2024, the zoo announced that (0.0.8) Chinese crocodile lizards hatched on December 23rd.

Prospect Park Zoo
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Is this still the last anyone has heard on the subject? Trying to figure out if there’s any chance in hell they might be open again by spring….
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Knowing how the City of New York works, I would think August 2024 would be optimistic.
The renovated zoo has never fulfilled its potential.
Entire exhibits were never realized and large enclosures were left fallow.
In my youth - and its heyday- the PPZ was superior even to its municipal counterpart in Central Park.
Asian elephant, Black rhino, Nile hippos, African lion, jaguar, Polar bears, Asiatic black best among the collection
Of course the exhibits housing the collection was inferior - but not the collection in itself.
Instead of expanding the area it was diminished into what was supposed to have been a, “super children’s zoo”
There was no attempt to set a zoo geographic them - though , apparently , they made so attempt to build an Australasian biome but this was seemingly abandoned with the deacquisitioning of any macropods.
The one indoor exhibit - that could serve as a Tropical house was never built
No continuity
I would The City invests in adding in during the repairs but , likelier , they will diminish rather than enhance the facility and its collection
 
Don Majeski said:
In my youth - and its heyday- the PPZ was superior even to its municipal counterpart in Central Park.
Asian elephant, Black rhino, Nile hippos, African lion, jaguar, Polar bears, Asiatic black best among the collection
Of course the exhibits housing the collection was inferior - but not the collection in itself.
Click to expand...
Granted, I for one would like to think it's a good thing the zoo no longer attempts to cram large animals inside such a small footprint! While, yes, the current zoo lacks those charismatic megafauna, instead there is a pretty respectable collection of smaller species, including Hamadryas baboons, dwarf mongoose, sand cats, tufted deer, white-headed marmosets, wreathed hornbills, demoiselle cranes, white-crested laughing thrush, a variety of pheasant species, lettered aracari, Southern white-faced owl, fire salamanders, and more. Collection is not a weak spot of the Prospect Park Zoo, unless looked at solely from the perspective of charismatic megafauna.

Don Majeski said:
There was no attempt to set a zoo geographic them - though , apparently , they made so attempt to build an Australasian biome but this was seemingly abandoned with the deacquisitioning of any macropods.
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Is this necessarily a bad thing? Zoogeography is great, but it isn't the solution for every zoo or what each zoo wishes to achieve. I for one would rather see zoos that have all different sorts of layouts, rather than for every single zoo to have a zoogeographic theme, especially for smaller zoos where it becomes more difficult to pull off a zoogeographic theme successfully.

Don Majeski said:
I would The City invests in adding in during the repairs but , likelier , they will diminish rather than enhance the facility and its collection
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I'm under the impression this investment is mainly due to repairing flood damage. I wouldn't be surprised if changes to the visitor side of things is minimal. Are there ways Prospect Park Zoo can be improved? Absolutely, but that's the case for every zoo in the country. For what the zoo is trying to achieve, it's actually a really great zoo and I'm not sure there's much needed to "enhance" the facility, although something like some fresh signage could be a nice touch for a more visible change.
 
Neil chace said:
Granted, I for one would like to think it's a good thing the zoo no longer attempts to cram large animals inside such a small footprint! While, yes, the current zoo lacks those charismatic megafauna, instead there is a pretty respectable collection of smaller species, including Hamadryas baboons, dwarf mongoose, sand cats, tufted deer, white-headed marmosets, wreathed hornbills, demoiselle cranes, white-crested laughing thrush, a variety of pheasant species, lettered aracari, Southern white-faced owl, fire salamanders, and more. Collection is not a weak spot of the Prospect Park Zoo, unless looked at solely from the perspective of charismatic megafauna.


Is this necessarily a bad thing? Zoogeography is great, but it isn't the solution for every zoo or what each zoo wishes to achieve. I for one would rather see zoos that have all different sorts of layouts, rather than for every single zoo to have a zoogeographic theme, especially for smaller zoos where it becomes more difficult to pull off a zoogeographic theme successfully.


I'm under the impression this investment is mainly due to repairing flood damage. I wouldn't be surprised if changes to the visitor side of things is minimal. Are there ways Prospect Park Zoo can be improved? Absolutely, but that's the case for every zoo in the country. For what the zoo is trying to achieve, it's actually a really great zoo and I'm not sure there's much needed to "enhance" the facility, although something like some fresh signage could be a nice touch for a more visible change.
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There is an entire building -actually a consolidation of two former facilities - that has gone unused since the renovation in 1993.
Never realized .
The original intent was to repurpose tbe former best dens and consolidate tbe northern and southern enclosures into one each
That was abandoned.
I agree that , while the pre 1990s collection was exceptional it was poorly housed by people who did not know what they were doing - civil service employees and not zoo professionals.
I also agree that every zoo need not be zoogeographic but it should be unique.
WCS has virtually no Australasian fauna and, it appeared that PPZ zoo was going in that direction
The abandoned exhibit should be repurposed into a habit for Australasian fauna in a building similar to COZ tropic zone with Echidna, tree kangaroo , cockatoo, wallaby ,cassowary etc to compliment the dingo and emu outdoor exhibit.
They could have continued to exhibit Asiatic black bear in one consolidate ( There previously had been three) open bear enclosure on the south side and housed the Hamadryas on the other.
They could have had Nile hippo remain as a single specie in the former pachyderm exhibit or even expanded it to include Black rhino - what is the square footage of the current White rhino
( two males ) , including indoor , at the Bronx ? And maintained Oragutan - none in any WCS facility .
Then kept their small fields as well
Thus they would have held about 20 species on their 12 acres
Look at the Queens zoo.
It holds bison, elk, spectacled bear, cougar, pudo though it lacks in door facilities
From the time I first went to the zoos as a toddler I found the entire concept of a “children’s zoo” moronic
So a child can only appreciate a mouse or a rabbit but not an Orangutan or Rhino?
The barn yard exhibit has to go
More money
Brooklyn has 2,000,000 people and deserves a better zoo
And I am NOT a Broolynyte
 
Don Majeski said:
There is an entire building -actually a consolidation of two former facilities - that has gone unused since the renovation in 1993.
Never realized .
The original intent was to repurpose tbe former best dens and consolidate tbe northern and southern enclosures into one each
That was abandoned.
I agree that , while the pre 1990s collection was exceptional it was poorly housed by people who did not know what they were doing - civil service employees and not zoo professionals.
I also agree that every zoo need not be zoogeographic but it should be unique.
WCS has virtually no Australasian fauna and, it appeared that PPZ zoo was going in that direction
The abandoned exhibit should be repurposed into a habit for Australasian fauna in a building similar to COZ tropic zone with Echidna, tree kangaroo , cockatoo, wallaby ,cassowary etc to compliment the dingo and emu outdoor exhibit.
They could have continued to exhibit Asiatic black bear in one consolidate ( There previously had been three) open bear enclosure on the south side and housed the Hamadryas on the other.
They could have had Nile hippo remain as a single specie in the former pachyderm exhibit or even expanded it to include Black rhino - what is the square footage of the current White rhino
( two males ) , including indoor , at the Bronx ? And maintained Oragutan - none in any WCS facility .
Then kept their small fields as well
Thus they would have held about 20 species on their 12 acres
Look at the Queens zoo.
It holds bison, elk, spectacled bear, cougar, pudo though it lacks in door facilities
From the time I first went to the zoos as a toddler I found the entire concept of a “children’s zoo” moronic
So a child can only appreciate a mouse or a rabbit but not an Orangutan or Rhino?
The barn yard exhibit has to go
More money
Brooklyn has 2,000,000 people and deserves a better zoo
And I am NOT a Broolynyte
Click to expand...
When the WCS acquired Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo in 1980, design philosophies were implemented to help the zoos distinguish themselves from one another. Central Park would focus on biomes (Tropic Zone, Temperate Territory and Polar Circle, plus the two "big animals" that would be kept would be polar bears and California sea lions), Prospect Park would focus on children's education, and Queens would focus on American animals (North and South America), and Bronx would be the go-to place for all the "big" animals. Having hippos or rhinos at Prospect Park wouldn't make sense given this theme and would just feel out of place since the focus would be shifted to small mammals. Especially when a three-year-old boy was mauled by polar bears at Prospect Park in 1987, and all the large mammal exhibits were in disrepair, there was a welfare imperative to move all the larger mammals to the Bronx and to highlight smaller mammals instead. THAT SAID, having visited Prospect Park in Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, it's *incredibly* charming. I think a couple things about it could be changed personally (sloth bears would be an INCREDIBLE addition to the Discovery Trail, and I agree that deacquisitioning the kangaroos was a perplexing and ultimately pointless move, plus murals could be added to Hall of Animals as the hallways between the different sections kinda feel like The Backrooms, but that's just me.). The important thing about zoos is that we niche zoo nerds are not the general audience. The general audience is the general audience, who want to see zoos that do right by their animals and inspire people of all ages and walks of life to learn about the natural world.

WCS Wild View: WCS’s City Zoos Project

Happy 25th Re(Birthday) Prospect Park Zoo!

https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/zoos/central-park-zoo#:~:text=Animals have been exhibited at,began in the late 1850s.
 
StoppableSan said:
When the WCS acquired Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo in 1980, design philosophies were implemented to help the zoos distinguish themselves from one another. Central Park would focus on biomes (Tropic Zone, Temperate Territory and Polar Circle, plus the two "big animals" that would be kept would be polar bears and California sea lions), Prospect Park would focus on children's education, and Queens would focus on American animals (North and South America), and Bronx would be the go-to place for all the "big" animals. Having hippos or rhinos at Prospect Park wouldn't make sense given this theme and would just feel out of place since the focus would be shifted to small mammals. Especially when a three-year-old boy was mauled by polar bears at Prospect Park in 1987, and all the large mammal exhibits were in disrepair, there was a welfare imperative to move all the larger mammals to the Bronx and to highlight smaller mammals instead. THAT SAID, having visited Prospect Park in Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, it's *incredibly* charming. I think a couple things about it could be changed personally (sloth bears would be an INCREDIBLE addition to the Discovery Trail, and I agree that deacquisitioning the kangaroos was a perplexing and ultimately pointless move, plus murals could be added to Hall of Animals as the hallways between the different sections kinda feel like The Backrooms, but that's just me.). The important thing about zoos is that we niche zoo nerds are not the general audience. The general audience is the general audience, who want to see zoos that do right by their animals and inspire people of all ages and walks of life to learn about the natural world.

WCS Wild View: WCS’s City Zoos Project

Happy 25th Re(Birthday) Prospect Park Zoo!

https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/zoos/central-park-zoo#:~:text=Animals have been exhibited at,began in the late 1850s.
Click to expand...
I do not disagree with you but..we need the , “show animals” to “Bring them in - if not Back Alive”
The polar bear tragedy - the children, it turns out, were never even in the enclosure.
This was entirely due to human error and incompetent staff and absurd policies that did not require the bears to be maintained in secured - off exhibit- enclosures to protect themselves as well the vandals who would have trespassed into the enclosures.
Three acres of the zoo could have been devoted to Black rhino or Nile or , even, Pygmy hippo - that is certainly as much square footage as the exterior and interior exhibit for White rhino at the Bronx Zoo.
San Diego has just built a magnificent
“Children’s Zoo”
I applaud the fact that the zoo is concentrating on small felids
I hope they would expand on that theme.
But, as there are currently no Palearctic nor Oriental bears in any of the New York zoological collections - including , the autonomous , Staten Island Zoological Society’s, Sloth bears would be a great addition as would be the utilization of the indoor exhibit that was never opened.
 
Don Majeski said:
There is an entire building -actually a consolidation of two former facilities - that has gone unused since the renovation in 1993.
Never realized .
Click to expand...
Has it gone "unused", or is it being used for things the public can't see? Looking at Google Maps and the map of the Prospect Park Zoo, I don't see any unused building- but I do see buildings labeled for education and administration, both of which are important even if not visible to everyday visitors.
Don Majeski said:
The original intent was to repurpose tbe former best dens and consolidate tbe northern and southern enclosures into one each
That was abandoned.
Click to expand...
I'm not aware of a single zoo who hasn't changed plans before. I really wouldn't hold it against a zoo for changing their plans thirty plus years ago, seeing as plans changing is just a part of life. I have no clue why the plans change, but the zoo probably had a good reason, whether it be financial, infrastructure-related, or something else.
Don Majeski said:
WCS has virtually no Australasian fauna and, it appeared that PPZ zoo was going in that direction
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say WCS has "virtually no" Australasian fauna. Bronx Zoo actually has quite a bit spread out between Jungle World (Matschie's tree kangaroo, Weber's sailfin lizard, Roti Island snake-necked turtle, Victoria crowned pigeon, spotted whistling duck, masked lapwing, fly river turtle, frilled lizard, etc.), World of Birds (maleo, red bird of paradise, green-naped pheasant pigeon, grosbeak starling, etc.), the Pheasantry (lesser bird of paradise, Australian magpie), and World of Reptiles (black tree monitor, green tree python, Mary river turtle, etc.). There are also babirusa on the Wild Asia Monorail. Yes, they don't have as many Australasian animals as they do animals from Africa or Mainland Asia, but still a decent collection spread out around the zoo, even if it lacks a few notable species (e.g., kangaroos).
Don Majeski said:
Thus they would have held about 20 species on their 12 acres
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And you think twenty total species would be preferrable to the current zoo? I'd imagine most would disagree with you on that, as Prospect Park still has a lot to see even if it is missing large megafauna.
Don Majeski said:
Look at the Queens zoo.
It holds bison, elk, spectacled bear, cougar, pudo though it lacks in door facilities
Click to expand...
Queens Zoo also has a very different theme than Prospect Park, focusing only on animals from the Americas. In 2023, I visited all of the New York facilities (plus both zoos in Northern New Jersey), and I found Queens to be the weakest of those zoos, mainly because of how few animals were displayed. I'd much rather a zoo like Prospect Park, with a large collection of small animals, than a zoo like Queens where I saw 23 species total.
Don Majeski said:
Brooklyn has 2,000,000 people and deserves a better zoo
And I am NOT a Broolynyte
Click to expand...
Brooklyn has the distinction of being the only borough with two zoological facilities- as they are home to the incredible New York Aquarium, which is my favorite aquarium I've visited. Ocean Wonders: Sharks! is probably one of the country's best aquatic exhibits, so it's really an incredible place for Brooklyn to have. Furthermore, if people in Brooklyn want to go to a better zoo, depending on their location in Brooklyn the Bronx Zoo is only an hour or two by public transit, likely shorter by car. Bronx easily ranks in the country's top ten zoos, and I think Prospect Park, Central Park, and Queens Zoos likely suffer from comparisons to the Bronx, since just by space alone of course Bronx is able to achieve more and feature more megafauna. I'd love it if every city had a Bronx Zoo in it, but unfortunately that simply isn't possible.
 
Don Majeski said:
I do not disagree with you but..we need the , “show animals” to “Bring them in - if not Back Alive”
The polar bear tragedy - the children, it turns out, were never even in the enclosure.
This was entirely due to human error and incompetent staff and absurd policies that did not require the bears to be maintained in secured - off exhibit- enclosures to protect themselves as well the vandals who would have trespassed into the enclosures.
Three acres of the zoo could have been devoted to Black rhino or Nile or , even, Pygmy hippo - that is certainly as much square footage as the exterior and interior exhibit for White rhino at the Bronx Zoo.
San Diego has just built a magnificent
“Children’s Zoo”
I applaud the fact that the zoo is concentrating on small felids
I hope they would expand on that theme.
But, as there are currently no Palearctic nor Oriental bears in any of the New York zoological collections - including , the autonomous , Staten Island Zoological Society’s, Sloth bears would be a great addition as would be the utilization of the indoor exhibit that was never opened.
Click to expand...
This discussion might be better off in its own thread, happy to discuss this anytime!
 
Neil chace said:
Has it gone "unused", or is it being used for things the public can't see? Looking at Google Maps and the map of the Prospect Park Zoo, I don't see any unused building- but I do see buildings labeled for education and administration, both of which are important even if not visible to everyday visitors.

I'm not aware of a single zoo who hasn't changed plans before. I really wouldn't hold it against a zoo for changing their plans thirty plus years ago, seeing as plans changing is just a part of life. I have no clue why the plans change, but the zoo probably had a good reason, whether it be financial, infrastructure-related, or something else.

I wouldn't say WCS has "virtually no" Australasian fauna. Bronx Zoo actually has quite a bit spread out between Jungle World (Matschie's tree kangaroo, Weber's sailfin lizard, Roti Island snake-necked turtle, Victoria crowned pigeon, spotted whistling duck, masked lapwing, fly river turtle, frilled lizard, etc.), World of Birds (maleo, red bird of paradise, green-naped pheasant pigeon, grosbeak starling, etc.), the Pheasantry (lesser bird of paradise, Australian magpie), and World of Reptiles (black tree monitor, green tree python, Mary river turtle, etc.). There are also babirusa on the Wild Asia Monorail. Yes, they don't have as many Australasian animals as they do animals from Africa or Mainland Asia, but still a decent collection spread out around the zoo, even if it lacks a few notable species (e.g., kangaroos).

And you think twenty total species would be preferrable to the current zoo? I'd imagine most would disagree with you on that, as Prospect Park still has a lot to see even if it is missing large megafauna.

Queens Zoo also has a very different theme than Prospect Park, focusing only on animals from the Americas. In 2023, I visited all of the New York facilities (plus both zoos in Northern New Jersey), and I found Queens to be the weakest of those zoos, mainly because of how few animals were displayed. I'd much rather a zoo like Prospect Park, with a large collection of small animals, than a zoo like Queens where I saw 23 species total.

Brooklyn has the distinction of being the only borough with two zoological facilities- as they are home to the incredible New York Aquarium, which is my favorite aquarium I've visited. Ocean Wonders: Sharks! is probably one of the country's best aquatic exhibits, so it's really an incredible place for Brooklyn to have. Furthermore, if people in Brooklyn want to go to a better zoo, depending on their location in Brooklyn the Bronx Zoo is only an hour or two by public transit, likely shorter by car. Bronx easily ranks in the country's top ten zoos, and I think Prospect Park, Central Park, and Queens Zoos likely suffer from comparisons to the Bronx, since just by space alone of course Bronx is able to achieve more and feature more megafauna. I'd love it if every city had a Bronx Zoo in it, but unfortunately that simply isn't possible.
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This is a difference. While I am not for exhibition for exhibition sake , my formulative interest in zoos and aquaria began in the, still, “postage stamp “
era of zoological collections.
I believe the PPZ has always been underfunded.
It was designed - in the 1934 ( WPA era) as a superior - and larger- counterpart to CPZ and its collection - large paddocks for hoofed , six exhibits for bears, large cats and elephant, rhino, hippo and sea lions as well as primates, small carnivores and aviaries
It’s reached always exceeded its grasp
If the success of an institution is measured by attendance and revenue
than PPZ fails
If it depends almost totally on subsidy than it can be closed at any time as it is always subject to the whims and caprices of a city council - which grows less and less interested in supporting 19th and 20th Century institutions
Tbe problem with the 1930’s PPZ manifestation was that its reach exceeded its grasp in that it should have had greater acreage devoted to the collection it chose
I never hear of anyone advocating the expansion of CPZ, PPZ or any of the NYC zoos or aquariums into existing g parkland
There virtually no marsupials in the WCS collections and certainly no cohesive Australasian zoogeographic exhibit - which PPZ could accomodate.
As to Queens Zoo. The failure is not having indoor housing to hold Neo Tropical species year round or any reptiles or amphibians
The “farm in zoo” has to go and clubs be converted into an indoor / outdoor Neotropical exhibit with maned wolves,Rhea guanaco and tapir as well primates, edentates, jaguar instead of goats, pigs and cows
As to the aquarium ..walrus have a signature speciessince the opening in 1957 when both Atlantic and Pacific were maintained - though , not , bred.
Beluga soon followed and became the signature of the aquarium
No attempt was made to build a larger breeding facility for either species
However seal lion shows were maintained
Again , initial plans for the aquarium designed to be,” the world’s largest” - a combination of Miami’s Oceanarium and Chicago’s Shed - were never realized .
It comes down to will and money
New Yorkers are apathetic
No civic pride
I firmly believe that the purpose of zoos today to breed endangered species in captivity as a stop gap to extinction .
But can not devote a collection to black footed ferrets, black footed cats, golden headed lion Tamarins if nobody comes to see them. The must be augmented by large carnivores , anthropoid apes or pachyderms.
Orangutan, rhinos, hippos, crocodile, Panthera and bears bring them in and one can build a collection around them
Of course this is self serving but it is alarming to see that the attendance a NYC zoos the nation’s largest urban area - is far below many smaller cities
No enthusiasm
How can Atlanta have superior aquarium to New York?
And Columbus draw more people?
 
iluvwhales said:
MSN

Baby baboon and two pudu from Queens are on display at the zoo now.
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For clarity, the pudu are in the old prairie dog habitat. :)

In addition, the old habitat for green turaco in Hall of Animals now displays kookaburras. The Bolivian gray titis have swapped exhibits with the golden lion tamarins in Animal Lifestyles, and the green turacos have been moved to the lettered aracari habitat. I could not find the aracari anywhere.

There is also a crate in the wreathed hornbill habitat with signage about desensitizing the birds to the crate. Wonder if a move is eminent...
 
Visited Prospect Park earlier today (I was visiting Brooklyn for a concert but had a lot of spare time before having to go back home). Enjoyed it overall--clearly geared towards younger children and with only two "headliner" species, but this gives it an understated charm and allows for a diverse collection including a few rarities--the Eurasian harvest mice alone made my day, and the Discovery Trail feels like a relaxing little woodland hike. Great waterfowl collection too.

Only significant drawback was the lack of signage in several places, including zero signs in the walkthrough aviary, though at least they're almost all common captive species.
 
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Antimony96 said:
Visited Prospect Park earlier today (I was visiting Brooklyn for a concert but had a lot of spare time before having to go back home). Enjoyed it overall--clearly geared towards younger children and with only two "headliner" species, but this gives it an understated charm and allows for a diverse collection including a few rarities--the Eurasian harvest mice alone made my day, and the Discovery Trail feels like a relaxing little woodland hike. Great waterfowl collection too.
Click to expand...

IMO it's the second best WCS zoo.
 
On September 25th, the zoo announced they acquired 3 alpacas which are on display in the Barnyard area.

Prospect Park Zoo

On August 23rd, the zoo announced that a trumpeter swan hatched which is on exhibit.

Prospect Park Zoo

On February 5th, 2025, the zoo announced that a Hamadryas baboon was born on November 27th which is on exhibit.

Prospect Park Zoo

On April 17th, the zoo announced they acquired a Vietnamese mossy frog which is now on display in the Kaiser's spotted newt exhibit.

Prospect Park Zoo

On May 23rd, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred a (0.1) tufted deer to Minnesota Zoo in Minnesota*.

* Information given by @wild boar in the Minnesota Zoo News 2025 thread (Page 2 Post #34).
 
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