Saint Louis Zoo Saint Louis Zoo News 2020

Update on Rani’s calf:

“We really wish we had good news to share about the health of the elephant calf, but we do not,” the zoo sad in an update on Twitter.

On Friday, the zoo said the calf had shown signs of being stable but has had multiple setbacks related to his “underdeveloped feeding response” and his ability to digest and stay hydrated.

The zoo said the calf is continuing to receive intensive care from the Elephant Care Team.

Saint Louis Zoo says elephant calf has had 'multiple setbacks'

They’ve clearly done everything they can (from the very start); and I sincerely wish them all the best, but sadly the outlook isn’t looking good.
 
Big news: The Emerson's Children Zoo will be closing for several years in the next few months. Many of the children's zoo features (interactive areas, docent handling, etc) have been taken offline due to COVID-19; as a result, the zoo has decided that the area is "no longer conducive to a COVID or post-COVID world."

In its place, an animatronic dinosaur area (also including live birds) will open in Spring 2021. This exhibit is meant to be temporary as the zoo decides how best to renovate and reopen the area.

The children's zoo will be open with free admission until the end of October. The animals currently living there are in the process of being relocated within the zoo or sent elsewhere. The Tasmanian devils will remain in their current enclosure (at least for now - I'm unclear from this press release if they are just staying there until October or if their current housing situation is permanent).

Here is the press release: Children's Zoo to Close | Saint Louis Zoo
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Big news: The Emerson's Children Zoo will be closing for several years in the next few months. Many of the children's zoo features (interactive areas, docent handling, etc) have been taken offline due to COVID-19; as a result, the zoo has decided that the area is "no longer conducive to a COVID or post-COVID world."

In its place, an animatronic dinosaur area (also including live birds) will open in Spring 2021. This exhibit is meant to be temporary as the zoo decides how best to renovate and reopen the area.

The children's zoo will be open with free admission until the end of October. The animals currently living there are in the process of being relocated within the zoo or sent elsewhere. The Tasmanian devils will remain in their current enclosure (at least for now - I'm unclear from this press release if they are just staying there until October or if their current housing situation is permanent).

Here is the press release: Children's Zoo to Close | Saint Louis Zoo
Click to expand...
How awful. I really don't think children's zoos can exist without touching things, and in many ways they are the most important part of the zoo. And replacing it with an animatronic dinosaur exhibit is about the worst thing they could have done. At least there will be birds I guess?
 
I mean, they don’t have to permanently closes it. Why can’t it just be temporarily closed. And replacing it with animatronic Dinosaurs!? That’s even worse. This decision makes absolutely no sense.
 
Well, the dinosaurs are temporary. The zoo is almost all funded by tax dollars, which will go down this year so it could be linked to that. That's speculation though. I imagine the children's zoo is not really aligning with the Saint Louis Zoos strategic plans. Most of the species are gonna be relocated in the zoo anyways, so not really too much of a loss. The dinosaurs will be temporary, while the zoo plans the future of the area.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Big news: The Emerson's Children Zoo will be closing for several years in the next few months. Many of the children's zoo features (interactive areas, docent handling, etc) have been taken offline due to COVID-19; as a result, the zoo has decided that the area is "no longer conducive to a COVID or post-COVID world."

In its place, an animatronic dinosaur area (also including live birds) will open in Spring 2021. This exhibit is meant to be temporary as the zoo decides how best to renovate and reopen the area.

The children's zoo will be open with free admission until the end of October. The animals currently living there are in the process of being relocated within the zoo or sent elsewhere. The Tasmanian devils will remain in their current enclosure (at least for now - I'm unclear from this press release if they are just staying there until October or if their current housing situation is permanent).

Here is the press release: Children's Zoo to Close | Saint Louis Zoo
Click to expand...

Other zoos should consider reevaluating how their children's zoos operate and whether they have a place in a post COVID world.
 
You know, it’s unfortunate that they’re eliminating the Children’s Zoo due to COVID-19 concerns. Tactile experiences are incredibly important for young people to learn about and engage with the natural world. That being said, I think this presents a great opportunity for them to have a dedicated Australian fauna exhibit space, which they currently do not have. River’s Edge has sections for Asia, Africa, North America and South America, but there’s no Australian Outback anywhere in the zoo, and the new Tasmanian Devil exhibit is already located within the Children’s Zoo complex. Move the Red Kangaroos over (which they’re planning to move anyway to make room for the Silk Road reimagining of the Red Rocks area), and maybe even bring in koalas, platypuses, emus, and/or saltwater crocodiles, and create a cohesive Down Under biome. Most of the current Children’s Zoo animals are domesticated livestock that can be seen/petted at a dozen farms in the STL area already. I would love to see them dedicate the site to Australian fauna, which were conspicuously missing from their 2016 Master Plan.

I know it’s notoriously difficult to import Australian fauna to US zoos due to regulations, but how many zoos here have koalas, emus, wallabies, etc. already?
 
imaginarius said:
You know, it’s unfortunate that they’re eliminating the Children’s Zoo due to COVID-19 concerns. Tactile experiences are incredibly important for young people to learn about and engage with the natural world. That being said, I think this presents a great opportunity for them to have a dedicated Australian fauna exhibit space, which they currently do not have. River’s Edge has sections for Asia, Africa, North America and South America, but there’s no Australian Outback anywhere in the zoo, and the new Tasmanian Devil exhibit is already located within the Children’s Zoo complex. Move the Red Kangaroos over (which they’re planning to move anyway to make room for the Silk Road reimagining of the Red Rocks area), and maybe even bring in koalas, platypuses, emus, and/or saltwater crocodiles, and create a cohesive Down Under biome. Most of the current Children’s Zoo animals are domesticated livestock that can be seen/petted at a dozen farms in the STL area already. I would love to see them dedicate the site to Australian fauna, which were conspicuously missing from their 2016 Master Plan.

I know it’s notoriously difficult to import Australian fauna to US zoos due to regulations, but how many zoos here have koalas, emus, wallabies, etc. already?
Click to expand...
Maybe a mix of red kangaroos and western greys, some cassowaries, tree kangaroos/koalas, inland taipans, perenties, an Australasian aviary?
 
Wyman said:
Maybe a mix of red kangaroos and western greys, some cassowaries, tree kangaroos/koalas, inland taipans, perenties, an Australasian aviary?
Click to expand...

Yes, that would be really cool, I think. The Herpetarium is 100% full, so showcasing the unique reptiles/amphibians of Australia/Oceania in a regional exhibit space, like the perenties/taipans/salties/brown snakes/sea kraits, along with the tree kangaroos (they currently have a few Matschie’s), koalas, cassowaries, and a tropical aviary would be great. But we’ll see. Their next new exhibit is Primate Canopy Trails due to open in 2021, an extension of the Primate House. And with COVID-19 impacting their bottom line, as well as the major $ they’re pouring into the 425-acre safari park, I don’t know if we’ll see any movement on major new exhibits for quite some time.
 
St. Louis Zoo reveals 25-year plan, including gondola, hotel, 6-acre flight cage and, perhaps, giant pandas
Is the 2016 master plan still in the works, or will at least some parts of it come to fruition? We haven't heard much about it and it seems that they are focusing on the 'safari park', which is fine, and certainly exciting. However, the new developments in the children's zoo and primate canopies do not reflect the master plan. At least the primate canopies is still similar to the new planned developments in historic hill, so maybe the plans have just been changed a bit. Silk road and the historic hill to legends of the forest conversions seem awesome and will hopefully fill in some of Stlzoo's gaps. Does anyone have any information if the master plan is still expected to be worked upon?
 
@ChunkyMunky pengopus that plan is from 4 years ago so it could have changed a lot by now and will continue to - case in point, the Children's Zoo being closed for the next few years.

The zoo could use some new additions and/or developments, but I'm personally a bit skeptical about these plans. Red Rocks houses (I think) one of the biggest hoofstock collections left in major US zoos, something that I fear would cease to be true in an overhaul of the area. Giant pandas is a little ridiculous I think, given the extraordinary high cost and the zoo's recent struggles to fund things like maintenance and upkeep. The historic houses could use some changes, but changing the focus of the whole area seems unnecessary.

Only time will tell - for the moment, I'll try to wait until I see official development plans before I pass too much judgement :p
 
Thanks! I had a feeling that this was either impractical or would not happen. However, it seems as though parts of it may still come into fruition, such as the new south entrance area across the interstate which has already been purchased and the conversion of the south parking lot, but then again, time will tell. At the very least could we may see more developments such as the primate canopies, adding on to the historic hill area and perhaps expanding the collection? Red rocks will not be around forever, but I think that even if those old plans were executed that most of the collection would stay and be split between the acacia woodlands and silk road. I think that St. Louis zoo has the potential to expand its collection with new additions, rather than contract like most other US zoos that have.
 
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