Saint Louis Zoo Saint Louis Zoo news 2024

cloudedleopard611 said:
-In addition to the takin calf, there is now a clearly very young addax calf as well.
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This Facebook post confirms that the young Addax is a girl and she has been named "Ariel"! Ariel was born on Friday, January 26, to mother, Amali, and father, Bruce.
The youngest member of the Addax family is out and about! Ariel was born on Friday, January 26, to mother, Amali, and father, Bruce. Ariel is doing well, and guests can see her in their Red Rocks habitat the next time you visit the Zoo! | Saint Louis Zoo | Ipiw · Bayi Lucu
 
Updates from today's visit:

-There is some kind of unsigned cichlid in the central American boa exhibit (uploaded for ID, I will update news thread if it can be identified.
-There is signage around and covering what was the greenhouse exhibits strongly implying that Komodo dragons will be taking over the space (photo uploaded to gallery for reference).
-Rio Pescado stubfoot toad is on exhibit in the Herpetarium again, this time taking over the Wampucrum (Atelopus sp. "Limon") exhibit. Right now, there are tadpoles.
-Red-and-yellow barbet is no longer on exhibit in the Bird House.
-The rhinoceros hornbill chick is out of the nest, but the walkway by the exhibit is still blocked.
-The curtains have been lifted on the Bird House central garden, allowing unobstructed viewing.
-There is a white-cheeked bulbul in the Central Garden despite the species not being signed there.
-The summer species have been moving back into the Cypress Swamp. Right now, since the last update, there are yellow-crowned night herons, a cattle egret, and a green heron.
-There is a new juvenile double-crested cormorant.
-There are two common gallinules, a new species for the zoo, in the Cypress Swamp.
-The American flamingos are back out.
-Amur tiger cubs were out.
-Both of the small Amur tiger viewing areas across from the smaller Big Cat Country species are barricaded off for some reason. I feel like it has something to do with the cubs but I can't understand how so.
-The Grevy's zebra exhibits are connected again.
 
Updates from my visit 4/24/2024
-Temminck's tragopan and Virgin Islands boa are finally properly signed (former was not signed at all, latter was signed with a piece of paper printer paper with their common and scientific name).
-Emerald tree monitor is no longer on exhibit.
-Utila Island iguana was off exhibit.
-Signage at the Sea Lion show arena indicates the bird show from last year will be back. It is unknown if it will be the same lineup of species. Notably, last year there was a tawny eagle which is a rare species in US zoos, so there will potentially be another chance to see one here.
-Bateleur eagle is back outside.
-There is a curtain covering the helmeted curassow/red-billed blue magpie exhibit on the Bird Garden Trail.
-Roseate spoonbills and snowy egrets are back on exhibit in the Cypress Swamp aviary.
 
Updates from my visit 04/28/2024
- The former Andean bear exhibit is vacant again and painted dogs are no longer signed there. The original painted dog exhibit is closed off as well.
-The capybaras in River's Edge are gone and no longer signed. This leaves only the giant anteater in the South America section of the complex.
-The Bird House was closed, but word on the street was it would be a brief closure and it has probably reopened since.
-The American white ibises are out on exhibit in the Cypress Swamp.
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
Updates from my visit 04/28/2024
- The former Andean bear exhibit is vacant again and painted dogs are no longer signed there. The original painted dog exhibit is closed off as well.
-The capybaras in River's Edge are gone and no longer signed. This leaves only the giant anteater in the South America section of the complex.
-The Bird House was closed, but word on the street was it would be a brief closure and it has probably reopened since.
-The American white ibises are out on exhibit in the Cypress Swamp.
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Do you think they might bring Andean Bears back? After all, there has been a lot of cubs born in recent years that probably need new homes?
 
A Grevy's zebra was born at the Wild Care Center. The first animal born there.
The center is not due to open till 2027 (think it was originally 2025
 
Kevin Miller said:
Do you think they might bring Andean Bears back? After all, there has been a lot of cubs born in recent years that probably need new homes?
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I'm not saying it for sure won't happen, but I would be surprised. The reason the exhibit no longer holds the species is because of two successful escapes. Even though from my understanding, the exhibit was determined to be up to standard in the AZA's inspection, bringing the same species back to the same exhibit could be a bad look for the general public. Theoretically, they could add additional safety measures and emphasize this at reopening, but seeing that they had already done that the first time the bear escaped and he still managed to escape a second time, I don't see people buying it.
What solidifies to me that they do not intend to bring the species back to the exhibit is that they stripped the main viewing shelter of all the Andean bear related signage, which was fairly extensive. Of course, they could and probably do still have them in storage somewhere, so its not the end all be all by any means, but for me it does signify that they are no longer intending to use the exhibit for the species. Those are just my thoughts though. I'm certainly not an expert, so I could be completely wrong.
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
Updates from my visit 04/28/2024
- The former Andean bear exhibit is vacant again and painted dogs are no longer signed there. The original painted dog exhibit is closed off as well.
-The capybaras in River's Edge are gone and no longer signed. This leaves only the giant anteater in the South America section of the complex.
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I wonder if we may be seeing the end of River's Edge: South America entirely? I know that probably sounds a little dramatic, but the anteater is older last I'd heard, the capybara, bush dog, Andean bear are gone... perhaps more African species might be integrated instead? Perhaps otherwise, they could redevelop the South America section entirely?

cloudedleopard611 said:
I'm not saying it for sure won't happen, but I would be surprised. The reason the exhibit no longer holds the species is because of two successful escapes. Even though from my understanding, the exhibit was determined to be up to standard in the AZA's inspection, bringing the same species back to the same exhibit could be a bad look for the general public. Theoretically, they could add additional safety measures and emphasize this at reopening, but seeing that they had already done that the first time the bear escaped and he still managed to escape a second time, I don't see people buying it.
What solidifies to me that they do not intend to bring the species back to the exhibit is that they stripped the main viewing shelter of all the Andean bear related signage, which was fairly extensive. Of course, they could and probably do still have them in storage somewhere, so its not the end all be all by any means, but for me it does signify that they are no longer intending to use the exhibit for the species. Those are just my thoughts though. I'm certainly not an expert, so I could be completely wrong.
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I do wish you were incorrect but I think you're actually one hundred percent on the money.
 
JVM said:
I wonder if we may be seeing the end of River's Edge: South America entirely? I know that probably sounds a little dramatic, but the anteater is older last I'd heard, the capybara, bush dog, Andean bear are gone... perhaps more African species might be integrated instead? Perhaps otherwise, they could redevelop the South America section entirely?
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I suppose it is possible. Especially with the peccaries in the African section, they might end up just ditching the continent sections and just making it more of a hodge-podge of different species, something like Lost Forest at San Diego. It would take some getting used to for sure, but I guess I am not 100% opposed with them going in that direction.
Alternatively, they could move the peccaries into the former capybara exhibit for geographical accuracy (they'd have to remodel it to give them more ground space, and maybe take down the fence between it and the giant anteater exhibit (which would require moving the giant anteater, I don't see that mix working out)), and then put another South American species in the former Andean bear exhibit. My personal preference would be a jaguar, but putting a big cat in the exhibit that an Andean bear managed to escape from twice might raise some safety concerns. Another alternative would be an ocelot, which wouldn't get much out of the water features but would benefit from the climbing opportunities. Perhaps a tamandua could work here too. Of course, the size of the exhibit would be overkill for both ocelots and tamanduas, but they go in the direction of picking a species that wouldn't pose a major safety concern if it were to escape, you would mostly be looking at species that would be a little small for the exhibit. Of course, it did house painted dogs for a few months, which are certainly dangerous animals, so maybe that's not so much of a consideration.
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
-The capybaras in River's Edge are gone and no longer signed. This leaves only the giant anteater in the South America section of the complex.
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The remaining capybara was sent to San Antonio. A different species will be inhabiting the exhibit soon according to the zoo.

Saint Louis Zoo on Instagram: "Wish capybara Fauna well in her new home! Fauna, a 4-year-old female, recently moved to San Antonio Zoo based on recommendations by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program between accredited zoos and aquariums. Fauna is settling in well in San Antonio where she will be introduced to other capybara friends. We plan to have other animals in Fauna's former habitat in River's Edge soon. Stay tuned!"
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
Of course, it did house painted dogs for a few months, which are certainly dangerous animals, so maybe that's not so much of a consideration.
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Surely you are aware that there are vast differences in the behavior of wild dogs compared to both jaguars or bears. The Andean bear climbed out of this exhibit- a behavior that would be completely unexpected from a terrestrial species like the wild dogs, which is likely why the dogs wouldn't have been considered a safety risk.
 
Neil chace said:
Surely you are aware that there are vast differences in the behavior of wild dogs compared to both jaguars or bears. The Andean bear climbed out of this exhibit- a behavior that would be completely unexpected from a terrestrial species like the wild dogs, which is likely why the dogs wouldn't have been considered a safety risk.
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Yes, I am aware. The commentary is more so about public perception than the actual risk of escape. You and I may know that the behavior of a painted dog would make them less likely to escape in that situation, but would the general public be able to appreciate these nuances? I am doubtful.
 
Updates from today's visit:

- There have been several replacements in the Herpetarium:
-Mexican dusky rattlesnake (Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus) has replaced the Mexican lance-headed rattlesnake.
-Guatemalan jumping pit viper (Metlapilcoatlus occiduus) has replaced the Central American bushmaster in the what was the smaller exhibit for the species.
-Timor python (Malayopython timoriensis) has replaced Utila Island iguana.
cloudedleopard611 said:
There is some kind of unsigned cichlid in the central American boa exhibit
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-The cichlids are now signed as Mayan cichilds. Oddly, the only signage at the upper floor viewing is for the Central American boa, and only signage at the lower floor viewing is for the Mayan cichlids.
cloudedleopard611 said:
There is a curtain covering the helmeted curassow/red-billed blue magpie exhibit on the Bird Garden Trail.
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-The curtain has been removed. On my 4/28/2024 visit it had been removed on one side only, I could have sworn I included it in the update but it looks like I did not.
cloudedleopard611 said:
The former Andean bear exhibit is vacant again and painted dogs are no longer signed there.
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-The former Andean bear exhibit is now signed for giant anteater, though I did not see it in there. Its not the best use of the exhibit by any means, as its not a species that will get much out of the climbing opportunities or the water features, but at least its geographically accurate, and its nice that the giant anteater will have a larger space with plentiful vegetation. Personally, I am content with this as a temporary arrangement. I did notice that the previous exhibit for the species is still signed as such, so I do not know if both exhibits are being used for the species or if they just haven't taken the signage down on the previous exhibit yet.
 
After visiting on Friday, it is clear to me that River’s Edge is in shambles.

  • If it is true that the Andean Bear habitat is being used for Giant Anteater, good luck being disappointed. In literally hundreds of trips through River’s Edge over the past three years, I have not seen the anteater once.
  • The Capybaras are officially gone, at least one of which moved to San Antonio.
  • With a no-show anteater, South America is empty.
  • Based on the behavior of the Black Rhino, you are lucky if you see it out even on a nice day.
  • The African Wild Dog exhibit is empty as well.
  • This means that on a normal day, you will pass five empty exhibits before you reach your first species: the classic African species, Chacoan Peccary.
  • The rest of the trip through River’s Edge proceeds as normal, but in an exhibit that guests are told is a one-way trail, it is absurd that your first ten minutes through River’s Edge is a scavenger hunt with no payoff.
River’s Edge is my favorite area of one of my favorite zoos. It really pains me to see it this way, especially because right now, the foliage is VERY lush and with the recent weather we’ve been having, the atmosphere when it is not raining is very immersive and has amazing rainforest vibes. I hope the zoo is working on rectifying the troubles this area is facing. Especially as they’re expecting a new baby Asian Elephant, I’d think they would be interested in making sure this area has maximum guest appeal.
 
Forge said:
The Capybaras are officially gone, at least one of which moved to San Antonio.
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Fortunately, the zoo does have plans to fill the capybara's vacancy. It won't fix everything, but it will hopefully be a good start towards improvement.
pachyderm pro said:
The remaining capybara was sent to San Antonio. A different species will be inhabiting the exhibit soon according to the zoo.
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I didn't realize the anteater was so rarely visible. In my experience, its certainly not the most consistently viewable species at the zoo, but I have seen it a fair number of times. I'd say its been visible about half the time during the warmer part of the year. I agree with you though, the back half of the complex is still great, but the front half has become a shell of what it once was. I really do hope the zoo starts prioritizing this area and can bring it back to its former glory.
 
Just spitballing here, but perhaps moving the anteater to the a different enclosure indicts that the former capybara and anteater spaces will be merged into one larger exhibit since they're adjacent to one another. Lots of possibilities: tapir, giant otters, maybe even the return of bush dogs if we're lucky. If we're unlucky, maybe it'll become a world-class guinea pig exhibit. :p
 
I visited the zoo last Sunday, 05/12/2024. Not much had changed since my prior visit, I only noticed two changes:
-The king vulture's exhibit in the Bird House was vacant and no longer signed for the species. Usually around this time of year, this species moves outside into the exhibit where the Reeve's pheasant and laughing kookaburra are currently, but the species was not present in any of the outdoor aviaries or anywhere else in the Bird House for that matter.
-The exhibit on the Herpetarium lower level that most recently was used for emerald tree monitor now holds black tree monitor, which is signed with just a piece of printer paper with the common and scientific name. This is odd to me since I know the zoo has had the species in recent years, so I am surprised they did not have signage for it left over.
 
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