Reid Park Zoo Reid Park Zoo News 2018

Arizona Docent said:
What’s Happening at Your Zoo, Reid Park Zoo

Here it is: the new master plan revealed! It is made possible by the new sales tax that went into effect this year. I must admit this looks exciting, considering how the zoo has gone downhill in the last few years (in my opinion, of course).

A surprise is that the much touted African safari lodge is being pushed back to phase two (even though there is already a banner promoting it on zoo grounds). Phase three will be a redo of the current South America. No dates given for these phases, though it is a "ten year master plan" so I assume they are aiming for 2028.

Phase one - a very nice surprise - is scheduled for 2022 and is a new Asia area. This will be on new ground for the zoo, taking over land that is currently part of the surrounding park. It will be to the west of the current fence line (South America) and will parallel South America, starting at the large park lake on the north and ending on the south adjacent to the Conservation Learning Center. The link shows this on a map so those of you who have been to the zoo should be able to visualize it.

More surprises for phase one - a reptile house and Komodo dragon exhibit. The zoo has never had a reptile house and currently has exactly one snake species and one lizard species on exhibit (not counting education animals). This will be sorely needed, though of course Yours Truly is much more interested in the new tiger exhibit.

Also interesting that phase three - South America - will feature "small animal habitats throughout." The zoo is also sorely lacking on small animals and I wonder what these will be? Please let one of them be a small cat!

Phase two - Africa - will also feature wild dogs, the first I have heard of this. (Black-footed cats would be better, but wild dogs are cool too).
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I have a feeling these small mammal habitats will include binturongs (in Asia) ocelots (in South America, although tayras and ringtails would be nice) and bat eared foxes (in Africa)
 
Erythrogaster said:
Why do you feel that the zoo has gone downhill?
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The animal collection has dropped by half (500 animals to 250 animals) and a lot of formerly lush exhibits have become barren and/or empty. The king vulture exhibit had the well foliated tree cut down and ugly metal panels installed over half the fencing for the red panda loan (the vultures are now back but the damage is permanent). The new gibbon exhibit (which is now lemur because the gibbons didn't acclimate) has ugly tubes and a jarring metal staircase - completely unnatural but built because transer tubes are the latest craze in American zoos. You can read more on the comments on these two photos from my recent visit:
american alligator exhibit | ZooChat
pool and waterfall GONE | ZooChat
 
Arizona Docent said:
The animal collection has dropped by half (500 animals to 250 animals) and a lot of formerly lush exhibits have become barren and/or empty. The king vulture exhibit had the well foliated tree cut down and ugly metal panels installed over half the fencing for the red panda loan (the vultures are now back but the damage is permanent). The new gibbon exhibit (which is now lemur because the gibbons didn't acclimate) has ugly tubes and a jarring metal staircase - completely unnatural but built because transer tubes are the latest craze in American zoos. You can read more on the comments on these two photos from my recent visit:
american alligator exhibit | ZooChat
pool and waterfall GONE | ZooChat
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Wow thats a massive drop in animals. What has the drop in species been like?
 
nczoofan said:
Wow thats a massive drop in animals. What has the drop in species been like?
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A lot of it is in the two walk-in aviaries. The South America aviary used to have over a dozen species and the Flight Connection a couple dozen species. Now there are half a dozen species in each (or so it seemed to me). The guanaco/llama are gone and the capybaras and crested screamers were moved from their (now empty) exhibit to the guanaco yard. The former exhibit had the only underwater capybara viewing I have seen and now that's unused. The macaw island is now empty and the perch removed. The dwarf caiman and pacu (fish) no longer has caiman so only fish are present (with the land area going to waste). The warty pigs were shipped out and the crowned cranes that were mixed with zebra/ostrich were moved into that exhibit. And so on...
 
Arizona Docent said:
A lot of it is in the two walk-in aviaries. The South America aviary used to have over a dozen species and the Flight Connection a couple dozen species. Now there are half a dozen species in each (or so it seemed to me). The guanaco/llama are gone and the capybaras and crested screamers were moved from their (now empty) exhibit to the guanaco yard. The former exhibit had the only underwater capybara viewing I have seen and now that's unused. The macaw island is now empty and the perch removed. The dwarf caiman and pacu (fish) no longer has caiman so only fish are present (with the land area going to waste). The warty pigs were shipped out and the crowned cranes that were mixed with zebra/ostrich were moved into that exhibit. And so on...
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Ugh that does not sound good. So much empty space, yet focusing mostly on expansion rather than maximizing their existing exhibits. Like adding a 3rd large aviary, while the other 2 are underfilled. Also to waste some of those exhibits that seemed perfectly adequate in the South American section is irritating. It seems the zoo has been thinking longterm, yet not have any cohesive plan for the short term. Say if you want to replace the asian section, whats the point of leaving that space empty for years, when you can display more animals and help of SSP's in the mean time.

Also it costs almost nothing to have extra species of bird in each of the aviaries? So why limit their collection, especially if they are planned to stay longterm?
 
Here is a recent article (zoo blog) on current changes and plans. If you don't want to click the link here is a short summary: a new viewing window and perch log have been added to otter exhibit for eye level viewing and more support staff have been added. This includes grounds/maintenance staff and (in my opinion especially crucial) a full time staff veterinarian. Up until now the zoo has always contracted out with a local veterinarian hospital.
Zoo Sales Tax Dollars Hard at Work Building Bigger Spaces and Creating Smiling Faces, Reid Park Zoo

And here is the page where the zoo posts construction updates: Construction Updates, Reid Park Zoo
 
Like many zoos in the United States, Reid Park is currently offering an annual Christmas light display. However they have just announced a new night event that will run in February and March. It's an Asian Lantern Festival (to coincide with Chinese New Year?) that will feature "over 40 colorful, customized lantern displays..."
Asian Lantern Festival, Reid Park Zoo
 
Arizona Docent said:
Like many zoos in the United States, Reid Park is currently offering an annual Christmas light display. However they have just announced a new night event that will run in February and March. It's an Asian Lantern Festival (to coincide with Chinese New Year?) that will feature "over 40 colorful, customized lantern displays..."
Asian Lantern Festival, Reid Park Zoo
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Cleveland Metroparks Zoo had an Asian Lantern Festival this past summer when I visited; I did not see it at night but the giant inflatable lanterns were rather impressive during the day too.
 
geomorph said:
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo had an Asian Lantern Festival this past summer when I visited; I did not see it at night but the giant inflatable lanterns were rather impressive during the day too.
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I suppose it is easier to have a night event in February-March in Tucson than it is in Cleveland! @geomorph do you have any idea how the attendance was at the Cleveland lantern festival?
 
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