Saint Louis Zoo Saint Louis Zoo News 2023

Status
Not open for further replies.
I visited the zoo yesterday and meant to post updates, but I had other things to do once I got home and it slipped my mind. Regardless, here are the changes I noticed:
-One of the exhibits in the Herpetarium is now occupied by Solomon Islands prehensile-tailed skink. This particular exhibit has been vacant for a long time so I was excited to finally see it occupied again.
-The previously unsigned map turtle with the Ozark hellbender is now signed, as northern map turtle (my ID was incorrect).
-The exhibit next to the indoor bateleur eagle exhibit is now occupied by another bateleur eagle.
-Northern walking stick is temporarily off exhibit.
-The gate between the two adjacent Grevy's zebra yards is now open, so the zebras can move freely between the two. I know that when they were separated, they were two different herds. I wonder if one herd has left the zoo.
I will also mention that I have noticed a fair number of changes to the species on display here since the most recent species list and I plan on starting a new one once the seasonal species are put back out.
 
Zoo fanatic said:
Ben The Andean Bear is moving to Gladys Porter Zoo
Click to expand...
"That's a nice argument, Senator. Why don't you back it up with a source?"

Saint Louis Zoo on Instagram: "We have an important update regarding Andean bear Ben. Saint Louis Zoo staff experts have consulted with members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Andean Bear Species Survival Plan (SSP), the AZA Bear Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Queens Zoo in New York to determine next steps with Andean bear Ben. The Saint Louis Zoo is partners with the AZA Andean Bear SSP, which is a conservation breeding program that manages a genetically healthy population of this endangered species in North American zoos. The AZA Bear TAG consists of bear expert advisors who help to identify, manage and support AZA’s cooperative animal care programs to support zoos that work with bears. Ben was born at and is on loan from the WCS’s Queens Zoo. Even though the Andean bear habitat at the Saint Louis Zoo met all standards for this species set forth by the AZA and the United States Department of Agriculture prior to the habitat’s opening in 2014, and has housed several bears successfully during that time, the SSP, the TAG, the WCS’s Queens Zoo, and the Saint Louis Zoo team focused on Ben’s specific and unique personality to help determine the best home for the young bear. Together, the group agrees that it is in Ben’s best interest to transfer him to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. The Gladys Porter Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo with a long history of working with Andean bears. Their Andean bear habitat includes a moat rather than steel mesh outdoor habitat, which the group believes would be a more ideal environment for Ben. Ben currently resides in a non-public area of the Saint Louis Zoo that has both indoor and outdoor options, including a pool. Staff members are providing Ben with excellent care and fun enrichment opportunities while also using positive reinforcement training to help him become comfortable with his travel crate so that he has a smooth journey to his new home in Texas. Read more on the press release: https://bit.ly/3JYlJpr"
 
Last edited:
Two Puma have arrived from Elmwood Park Zoo:

From socials:

Russet and Yukon are a female-and-male sibling pair that were saved as cubs. They were found in the wilds of Idaho after being orphaned.

Afterwards, they spent many years living at Elmwood Park Zoo. Yukon is the female and Russet is the male.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Two Puma have arrived from Elmwood Park Zoo:

From socials:

Russet and Yukon are a female-and-male sibling pair that were saved as cubs. They were found in the wilds of Idaho after being orphaned.

Afterwards, they spent many years living at Elmwood Park Zoo. Yukon is the female and Russet is the male.
Click to expand...

This was already covered, they arrived months ago
 
Updates from today's visit:
-southern cantil is back on exhibit in the same terrarium it was kept in before it went off exhibit.
-The Cuvier's dwarf caiman's pond was drained and it did not seem to be out but no signage indicated that it was off exhibit. Its probably just a quick maintenance thing.
- The bird House central garden has curtains drawn over it but the birds are still in there. I wonder if they have new individuals and this is to help them adjust.
-There is an unsigned brown piebald Barbary dove in the Bird House.
-Eastern screech owl is back on exhibit.
-The solo red-billed blue magpie now has access to both of the aviaries that have recently been used for the species.
-Edward's ("Vietnam") pheasant is no longer in the small walk-in aviary, leaving only tawny frogmouth in this exhibit. With this, the species is no longer on exhibit at this zoo at the moment. It is of course hard to know if this is just temporary or not, but if this is permanent it is a significant loss as to my understanding this is a rarity.
-Apparently I spoke too soon about the white winged ducks because I saw one in the Cypress Swamp for the first time in a while today.
-I noticed a hand sanitizer dispenser at the front of the walkway around the giraffe mixed species yard, yet another indication of giraffe feeding.
 
Forge said:
According to the members magazine, Giraffe Feeding is CONFIRMED for Saint Louis Zoo this Spring:

"$5 per ticket; includes two pieces of lettuce (limited tickets available). Daily Feedings will be offered at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m."
Click to expand...
Interesting! I am actually not a zoo member (as odd as it may seem) so I don't have access to the magazine. Does it say specifically when it will be starting?
 
Updates from today's (technically yesterday's) visit
-Signage at zoo entrance says this is the final year for Dinoroarus
-Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake is back in its former exhibit after being off-exhibit for a couple months or so
-The curtains at the Bird House central garden are removed
-Unfortunately red-legged seriema has moved back into its former exhibit. The most recent exhibit for the species (the bigger one) seems to have some construction going on so I am hoping this is a temporary thing.
-There are now great egrets in the Cypress Swamp
-The sarus cranes have moved to one of the smaller hoofstock yards
Forge said:
According to the members magazine, Giraffe Feeding is CONFIRMED for Saint Louis Zoo this Spring
Click to expand...
Giraffe feeding is now advertised on the new zoo map and there is signage in the feeding area that says it is "coming soon" but no sign of a specific start date.
 
Another visit, another obligatory list of updates. I was surprised by how many changes I noticed, seeing that it had only been a few days since the previous visit:
-Caspian cobra is no longer on exhibit in the Herpetarium. On a separate occasion fairly recently it was temporarily off exhibit but the signage was still there, but its no longer signed in its exhibit. That leads me to believe it won't be coming back but the same thing happened to southern cantil where the signage was taken out and they returned to the same exhibit, so I can't be entirely sure.
-Red legged seriema has been moved back into its previous exhibit (the larger one, I realize this is probably getting confusing at this point). The one it was in last visit now seems vacant but there is no signage indicating as such, but also nothing is signed there. The only sign there is just one asking guests not to play bird calls.
-There is only one bateleur eagle in the Bird House, and the door between the two exhibits for the species is open, giving it access to both. There is another one outside in the same exhibit they were in last now. As such, red-billed blue magpie no longer has access to that exhibit.
-There are three species now added to the Cypress Swamp since last visit: green heron, yellow-crowned night heron, and black-crowned night heron. I also noticed northern cardinal last visit, and saw it again today. I did not report it last visit as they are so abundant in the area that I thought there was a decent chance it just found its way in there and was not actually on exhibit but seeing it on two separate visits makes me more convinced that it is part of the exhibit.
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
Another visit, another obligatory list of updates. I was surprised by how many changes I noticed, seeing that it had only been a few days since the previous visit:
-Caspian cobra is no longer on exhibit in the Herpetarium. On a separate occasion fairly recently it was temporarily off exhibit but the signage was still there, but its no longer signed in its exhibit. That leads me to believe it won't be coming back but the same thing happened to southern cantil where the signage was taken out and they returned to the same exhibit, so I can't be entirely sure.
-Red legged seriema has been moved back into its previous exhibit (the larger one, I realize this is probably getting confusing at this point). The one it was in last visit now seems vacant but there is no signage indicating as such, but also nothing is signed there. The only sign there is just one asking guests not to play bird calls.
-There is only one bateleur eagle in the Bird House, and the door between the two exhibits for the species is open, giving it access to both. There is another one outside in the same exhibit they were in last now. As such, red-billed blue magpie no longer has access to that exhibit.
-There are three species now added to the Cypress Swamp since last visit: green heron, yellow-crowned night heron, and black-crowned night heron. I also noticed northern cardinal last visit, and saw it again today. I did not report it last visit as they are so abundant in the area that I thought there was a decent chance it just found its way in there and was not actually on exhibit but seeing it on two separate visits makes me more convinced that it is part of the exhibit.
Click to expand...
Captive cardinals have been in the Cypress Swamp for years. There's also Mourning Doves and White-throated Sparrows in there.
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
These are probably wild unless there is evidence otherwise, I've seen some around the pond right outside the flight cage and they should be able to fit in and out fairly easily.
Click to expand...
I've seen them in the flight cage in midsummer, a time of year this species shouldn't even be present in Missouri.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top