Roger Williams Park Zoo Roger Williams Park Zoo News

The seal pool was freshwater? Did you know that there are populations of Harbor Seals that live in freshwater? Is there a special advantage to saltwater?
 
Seals can live in freshwater, but saltwater is optimal. The marine mammal act says the zoo has to keep the seals in a saltwater pool.
 
Nice day for a visit. Warm, breezy and low humidity. Took some friends from the west coast with us. Had to listen to them complain how it is nothing like San Diego Zoo, and so on. They did like the kids area, as our kids played for a few hours. The cheetah girls were out. Two were on top of the kopje while the other two were by the glass trying to swat at people amongst playing with each other. Did not see the lone painted dog in the back exhibit. Not much else is new. There were water stains in front of the otter glass. Could see a slow, bubbling coming from where the glass meets the concrete. Told a staff member and they were aware. The male gibbon has new ropes and hanging toys. Was quite active. Bears were trying to knock fruit out of their tumbler log. Snow leopard was in the same spot as usual by the bamboo on the rock. Sichuan takin were jostling around. The porcupine was swaying side to side like a drunk in the slammer. Not much else. Our friends made note of the lack of great apes, larger, normal cats, besides the timber rattlers, most reptiles could be found at a pet store. They thought it was weird to walk into the Zoo and see zebra and wildebeest. Told and showed them their possible future options. They enjoyed most, besides the fact of no great apes. They were intrigued by moose, though.
 
To answer why the seals are off-exhibit, they found that a window cracked during routine maintenance. They later discovered that the whole front viewing wall is structurally unsound and unsafe. Bubba and Action (the seals) are off to Aquarium of Niagra for the summer as they demolish and reconstruct part of the exhibit. They're raising funds right now, with the whole project scheduled to cost $100,000.
Bring the Boys Home | Roger Williams Park Zoo
@Gulo gulo- Good to hear that the Cheetahs are out.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
@Gulo gulo- Good to hear that the Cheetahs are out.
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Indeed. The four girls looked content surveying the elephants and playing amongst themselves while trying to swipe visitors. They trimmed the trees some so they do not hide the kopjes. The yard looked like it had new sod.

The seal exhibit. My friend was shocked to see the Zoo begging for donations to fix the exhibit when they eventually want to replace it in a few years. He said, for the amount they are asking they could demo what was left and add the sheep they want. Tried to explain how that could be years down the road, other things could happen in the time being. Still, didn't comprehend, but let it go. If the Zoo goes pre-cast wall vs. cip wall, they can save money and have a stronger product. Pre-cast are done in a controlled environment and to spec. Don't have to worry about weather or cure time. Concrete calculations to be used, how many trucks, contractors, etc. The wall is made off-site. Trucked in and hoisted into place. Waterproof seal with the rest of the pool to have consistency in layers. Add the window. I would hope they have checked the concrete PSI on the rest of the walls to make sure everything is kosher and solid. Even when poured at the same time, pockets can develop and variability in the PSI in one square foot can different. In a region like ours, where we experience extremes on both ends, frost lines, water, etc. It can wreak havoc of the structural durability over time. Considering when that was built, I hope they did their due diligence and checked everything.
 
Gulo gulo said:
Nice day for a visit. Warm, breezy and low humidity. Took some friends from the west coast with us. Had to listen to them complain how it is nothing like San Diego Zoo, and so on. They did like the kids area, as our kids played for a few hours. The cheetah girls were out. Two were on top of the kopje while the other two were by the glass trying to swat at people amongst playing with each other. Did not see the lone painted dog in the back exhibit. Not much else is new. There were water stains in front of the otter glass. Could see a slow, bubbling coming from where the glass meets the concrete. Told a staff member and they were aware. The male gibbon has new ropes and hanging toys. Was quite active. Bears were trying to knock fruit out of their tumbler log. Snow leopard was in the same spot as usual by the bamboo on the rock. Sichuan takin were jostling around. The porcupine was swaying side to side like a drunk in the slammer. Not much else. Our friends made note of the lack of great apes, larger, normal cats, besides the timber rattlers, most reptiles could be found at a pet store. They thought it was weird to walk into the Zoo and see zebra and wildebeest. Told and showed them their possible future options. They enjoyed most, besides the fact of no great apes. They were intrigued by moose, though.
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I'm actually grateful that the zoo doesn't have those more prestigious and popular animals. Growing up I used to wonder why they didn't but now as an adult I appreciate the lack of a lot of those things, as it made me realize that you do not necessarily need those animals in order to have a good zoo, as well as making me realize that the animals that they do have are very interesting. Sure I didn't see a lion (seeing the pride at Capron Park for the first time was truly an earth shaking experience, I'm glad it happened in my 20s because it means I was paying attention and can remember it) or a rhino or a non human great ape until my 20s because of this, but had the zoo had those animals I think it would have kept me from appreciating a lot of the lesser known, less prestigious animals that are my favorites, e.g. Gibbons. My favorite primate species is the Northern White Cheeked Gibbon. Also, I don't think I ever would have paid Prairie Dogs or Harbor Seals a second glance had Roger Williams been displaying some of the more popular species. Don't get me wrong, I never want them to not have Elephants and I appreciate Chimpanzees and company very much but I think that pooh poohing Roger Williams because they lack animals like certain Big Cats and members of the Great Apes family et al. to be very misguided.

Also they have the biggest Snapping Turtle I have ever seen living in their wetlands, I get a kick out of her being there. As far as I am concerned their wetland area is very underrated.
 
Roger Williams collection has changed the most over the last twenty years or so. They have refined their collection and built up areas that were unused, like the Nature/Playscape area and that will continue to change with the Butterflies being their last year. In the past, they had the same animals in Africa as of now, but they also had Bongo, some 'bok species and others, NMRats, Hornbill/Mongoose. Barbary sheep came later and the hill across from Zebra had Tahr. Out of sorts, but still nice. Seal used to have Sea Lions. They had a huge male and watching him swim was awe inspiring, as there weren't other places to see them under water. OzAsia, has changed the most. It was an area called adaptations and had cloudies, p dog (where binturong is), ascotter, red panda, yfrwallaby and others. As you mentioned, there are other Zoos in the area that don't compete but offer others in their collections. Capron has the lions, warty pig, japmacaque, sloth bear, and other odds and ends. If you truly want a great ape fix, between mendon, boston and LEO, can see Chimps, Gorilla and Orang. One area, RWPZ had before Madagascar blew up, was their Lemur Flight cages. Lots of Lemurs on the hillside, lush, loud, busy, etc. Also part of this area were various Malagasy Tortoises (no yniphora), and other smaller reptiles and amphibians. I had never seen more lemurs in one place at the time and being so young, it stuck with me over the years. Now you can see lemurs almost everywhere with few dedicated exhibits like Bronx. While nice, it's cramped and the building is half mothballed unless and event is taking place. Each of the Zoos in our neck of the woods adds something to the collective that you may find at one Zoo, like SDZ and more. Buttonwood is heavy on North America, yet, they have the Asian cows that walk the grounds in the morning. Lumbering giants, that check out neighbors and go to commissary and knock on the door for breakfast treats (true story). We may not have the SDZ or Omaha or other packed collection, but we have options in our region. Sidechicks is bringing back elephant rides, if that is your cup of tea. Not mine. But joe regular will surely visit just to ride an elephant and absorb the carney-like atmosphere.
 
Gulo gulo said:
Ari, a female White-cheeked Gibbon from Nashville Zoo has joined the resident male, Ba-hee on exhibit.
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I'm glad he will have company again. I have many fond memories of the Gibbons at Roger Williams, especially of the young ones they have had in the past (Gibbons are one of the only animals where I look forward to their having babies.) I hope they get along, and have children if that is in the best interests of the species.
 
wensleydale said:
I'm glad he will have company again. I have many fond memories of the Gibbons at Roger Williams, especially of the young ones they have had in the past (Gibbons are one of the only animals where I look forward to their having babies.) I hope they get along, and have children if that is in the best interests of the species.
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Yes, they were extremely vocal at each other and using the new exhibit furniture (ropes, spools, etc). She's young? I think staff said around six. Gibbon babies, shouldn't be an issue.
 
GuloGulo, while injury from protected contact is an incredible issue, I am not as worried for keepers as I am about the pain being endured by the three cows from bull hooks.
 
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