Reid Park Zoo Reid Park Zoo News 2019

According to zoo FB page, the Andean bear exhibit will renovations will be finished by this Saturday (January 19, 2019). I think it is just replacement of glass and other basic maintenance. No major changes that I am aware of, but I could be wrong.
 
Minor updates from my visit today (February 10, 2019):

Tiger exhibit is closed for renovations. It looks like new glass windows are being installed in the viewing cave and new foliage is being planted.

Squirrel monkey exhibit is under construction in former snack bar in South America (now renamed Tropical Trail). Snack bar will be an overgrown temple theme indoor exhibit (roll eyes) and outdoor portion has some artificial large tree trunks being installed to the left of this, which will make the outdoor area directly adjacent to jaguar exhibit.

Also in South America (err Tropical Trail), former red-footed tortoise exhibit is now empty. Crested screamers and capybaras have been moved to former guanaco and llama exhibit (I presume these animals have died). (And veering off topic, there is an unrelated facility called Tucson Petting Zoo where you can pet a capybara). The former capybara and screamer exhibit is now a second exhibit for Baird's tapir (though it was empty during my visit).

The Asian Lantern Festival is running this month and next and there are huge Chinese themed creations throughout the zoo (most of which are lit up at night I presume). Photos in the gallery.
 
In other news, it snowed here a few days ago (which almost never happens, at least in the city) and I believe the zoo was closed for one or two days. Unfortunately I missed it because I was in Europe (hoping to see snow and got none due to a heat wave).
 
This summer (2019) the zoo is moving its summer evening openings to Saturday nights. It will run from May 25 to August 17, 6-8pm. Members get in free.

In past years it has been on Friday nights and members had to pay. The nearby Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has done theirs on Saturday nights for years, so it will be interesting to see if this new overlap affects attendance at either zoo. Given the massive attendance at both evening events, I doubt the change will impact either one.
 
Here is a nice article from our local newspaper about the upcoming additions. It focuses a lot on phase one, which is the Asia expansion (expanding into the neighboring park). It also includes two pieces of cat news that has me jumping for joy. (Regulars on this forum know I am a cat fanatic). The first news is that the new tiger exhibit will feature underwater viewing. The second news is that the new area will include the addition of sand cats. This is the first I have heard of this and I am very, very excited (though I was hoping for fishing cats because the Fishing Cat Conservancy is headquartered in Tucson). Still this will be great because the only other sand cats in the state, at the new Phoenix Zoo exhibit, are not visible to the public except those participating in a special event in the building their exhibit is attached to.
Voter-approved sales tax quickly pumps $12 million into Reid Park Zoo
 
I'm more excited about the zoo's planned reptile house, as I feel their current reptile collection is a bit too sparse, and could definitely use some additions. I'm also excited by the mention of exhibits for fruit bats and sloth bears, since neither of those are in any Arizona zoos, AFAIK. By the same token, I can't wait for the planned hippo habitat in the Africa expansion, regardless if they'll be pygmy or common hippos.
 
NVP said:
I'm more excited about the zoo's planned reptile house, as I feel their current reptile collection is a bit too sparse, and could definitely use some additions. I'm also excited by the mention of exhibits for fruit bats and sloth bears, since neither of those are in any Arizona zoos, AFAIK. By the same token, I can't wait for the planned hippo habitat in the Africa expansion, regardless if they'll be pygmy or common hippos.
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I was so excited about the sand cats that I completely missed the part about sloth bear. That will be a great addition as well. Pretty amazing that a zoo this small will have three species of bear (which they had in the recent past until the sun bear died). And of course you are correct, they desperately need a reptile house.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Pretty amazing that a zoo this small will have three species of bear (which they had in the recent past until the sun bear died).
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Yeah. I wish I had visited the zoo back when it had sun bears, since they're currently on the AZA phase out list (why couldn't they have been more prolific?!?).
 
NVP said:
Yeah. I wish I had visited the zoo back when it had sun bears, since they're currently on the AZA phase out list (why couldn't they have been more prolific?!?).
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Too be somewhat direct: If and when on phase out in AZA part, why not relocate the last representatives to a zoo region which has an active conservation breeding program. Help a species and share the burden of ex situ conservation activities across your active zoo region(al) program networks!

As for local developments: Super about the sand cat conservation part and some of the other additions (cannot read as thankfully the news item is blocked for European users given the lack of commensurate outside country privacy legislation across the pond ... ( ahum ... sorry, but yes it is becoming somewhat frustrating to not be able to read more than 50/50 percent of all North American zoo news items)!
 
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