RJB Wildlife
Well-Known Member
According to Volunteers at the Zoo, a new Male Sumatran Orangutan (Labu from Fresno Chafee Zoo) is currently undergoing quarantine and has arrived on a breeding recommendation with Aisha.
San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter Kudu21
- Start date
Oh so that’s where he went! I was at Fresno Chaffee Zoo last month and keepers had told me he had been transferred for a breeding recommendation, but I didn’t know what facility. Thank you for sharing!
Additional criticism has been levied against the current Zoo leadership team for their excessive pay packages, this time from the keepers themselves. Last week, local city councilmen criticised the $1.8 million dollar a year compensation the Board granted the former CEO - over doubling since 2019. The current interim CEO is currently receiving $800k a year.
San Diego Zoo workers push for higher wages as executive pay skyrockets
San Diego Zoo workers push for higher wages as executive pay skyrockets
Having seen this story circulate via various social media platforms in the last couple weeks, it’s very disheartening to see this pay disparity for the staff critical to the success of the parks. I understand that keepers historically haven’t made much in regards to salary despite the higher prerequisites for this very tough career. What gets me upset is that this isn’t a small AZA zoo, it’s one of the largest and most recognizable zoological organizations in the world. Prices have sharply increased in the last few years alone, right now one day tickets for adults being 76. That’s extremely high!
Yes I understand that there are expenses that come with running two major parks, one currently undergoing a major renovation for their elephant habitat. But the zoo has already high admission prices, hefty cost of merch/food, mega donors, etc. I love the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, they’re my favorite places to visit any day when possible. But seeing this certainly taints my view of the organization a bit. No one should have to break their back and only not make ends meets through their career, their hard working staff make these parks successful.
Not to mention - in one of the steepest COL areas of the US! Even if those are some of the highest wages for keepers in the country - that pay isn't exactly going far.
Heterocephalus Glaber
Member
Did the San Diego Zoo announce the death of their female greater one horned rhino that was killed by the male rhino? Can't find any mention of it online. Several citations on San Diego Zoo's most recent USDA reports where the investigators found deceased animals in their enclosures, including a duiker and flamingo.
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
No, it was only announced privately on the USDA inspection check. Also, this happened at the Safari Park, not the zoo.
PST_Inspection_Report_Zoological_Society_Of_San_Diego 02-20-25.pdf
I am planning on doing a full species list here soon, but in the meantime I have a few more noteworthy updates from my visit on Saturday:
- The upper level of Scripps Aviary is currently closed. I was told it would only be for 2-3 weeks while they do maintenance/renovations on the doors to that level. The lower level is still open, but between that and the canopy viewing window there is limited visibility to much of the aviary.
- Can confirm that the Sloth Bear cubs are now on exhibit, and are adorable
- A couple of fish species have returned to the deep kelp forest portion of the penguin exhibit - a handful each of Blue Runner (Caranx crysos) and Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber). They are both signed as well.
- There is (once again?) an unsigned Socorro Dove in the Arctic aviary.
- Sloths were not signed nor seen in Elephant Odyssey.
- There is no longer any signage for Parma Wallaby, and a docent informed me that it either died or retired to an off-show enclosure (either way due to old age).
- The coatis in Wildlife Explorers Basecamp have been replaced by another procyonid - Northern Raccoon.
I did not see any habitat or signage for this, where in Reptile Mesa was it?
Not sure if new or not, but there is now a carnivorous plant display by the entrance to Elephant Odyssey.
As of my visit two days this exhibit is once again just empty.
I saw them on my visit, in their usual exhibit. Every time I'm there they are up at the very top of the indoor room, so you have to get at the right angle and peer up to get visual on them.
- The upper level of Scripps Aviary is currently closed. I was told it would only be for 2-3 weeks while they do maintenance/renovations on the doors to that level. The lower level is still open, but between that and the canopy viewing window there is limited visibility to much of the aviary.
- Can confirm that the Sloth Bear cubs are now on exhibit, and are adorable
- A couple of fish species have returned to the deep kelp forest portion of the penguin exhibit - a handful each of Blue Runner (Caranx crysos) and Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber). They are both signed as well.
- There is (once again?) an unsigned Socorro Dove in the Arctic aviary.
- Sloths were not signed nor seen in Elephant Odyssey.
- There is no longer any signage for Parma Wallaby, and a docent informed me that it either died or retired to an off-show enclosure (either way due to old age).
- The coatis in Wildlife Explorers Basecamp have been replaced by another procyonid - Northern Raccoon.
I did not see any habitat or signage for this, where in Reptile Mesa was it?
Not sure if new or not, but there is now a carnivorous plant display by the entrance to Elephant Odyssey.
As of my visit two days this exhibit is once again just empty.
I saw them on my visit, in their usual exhibit. Every time I'm there they are up at the very top of the indoor room, so you have to get at the right angle and peer up to get visual on them.
The fish have been back for probably almost a year now? I do not know what the long-term plan is, though — whether they plan to give the penguins access back to the deep portion of the pool and try the mix again or whether they’re just going to use it as an aquarium space. As it stands, if the latter is the case, it certainly isn’t enough animals for an interesting display for a tank that large.
That would be “once again”! That aviary was completely emptied to allow for the updates needed for the USDA bird regulations, and they have been very slow to restock it. That is exciting!
The sloths have been gone for a long time now. I do not not think they’ve been on exhibit with the dik-dik for the entire two years I’ve been regularly visiting.
This is a shame! I always really enjoyed them — although they were never particularly easy to spot… There can’t be many others left in the country, now… Hopefully they will be interested in finding a suitable replacement as they added a nice bit of movement and contrast to the larger koala exhibits. We just have so few Macropods left to choose from in the States
They were in a smaller terrarium on the back side of the Reptile House, across from the outdoor Eurasian herp exhibit. They were not signed, though.
That has been there for awhile. As long as I can remember, anyways. Was the carnivorous plant display in the old coconut crab exhibit reopened again? It looked like they were replanting it the last time I was there.
While what you have written above is absolutely true, they have genuinely been off-exhibit a couple of times so far this year, as well.
I can't remember to be honest - I moved quickly through that area, a tiger roaring up close to the glass had created a visitor choke point
Good to know... I found at least two unsigned exhibits in the Reptile House with animals (one had Green-and-Black Poison Frogs, the other some kind of viper) but I didn't have time to thoroughly check all of the terrariums without signage. I know at least one or two were filled with water.
This is a shame! I always really enjoyed them — although they were never particularly easy to spot… There can’t be many others left in the country, now… Hopefully they will be interested in finding a suitable replacement as they added a nice bit of movement and contrast to the larger koala exhibits. We just have so few Macropods left to choose from in the States
There was a fairly recent Tammar Wallaby import in the AZA, hoping that population grows enough to spread around a bit more.
Does the zoo still have Bontebok on show?, they are one of the antelope species I would love to see when I visit. Also I know the Pronghorn are not on show at the Safari Park but are they on show at the zoo? Thank you
Neither are on show at the zoo currently. A regular can correct me if I'm misremembering, but I think the Bontebok are a temporary off-show and the Pronghorn are permanently gone.
Just to check, are you asking about San Diego or Fort Worth? Only the latter is listed in ZTL under luteocephala.
If you are asking about San Diego's, I have a good photo of it from 2023 I can upload
(as of 2025 they are not on display anymore it seems)
Just to check, are you asking about San Diego or Fort Worth? Only the latter is listed in ZTL under luteocephala.
If you are asking about San Diego's, I have a good photo of it from 2023 I can upload
I was asking about Fort Worth, I'm not actually sure how my post ended up hear lol
I'd be happy to look at your photo from SDZ, though! From past photos I've seen they've looked like the nominate to me.
~Thylo
No problem!
Looks nominate to me! Subspecies luteocephala should have black stripes running vertically as well as horizontal.
~Thylo
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
I saw that species at the Denver Zoo back in 2022. Are they gone from there now?