The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens The Living Desert News

The zoo announced today via social media that heavy rain and severe wind caused a large tree to fall onto one of the African bird exhibits, resulting in the deaths of Stevie, a 4 year old male Von der Decken's hornbill, and Jana, a 25 year old Cape thick-knee. Additionally, 2 male green woodhoopoes named Hoops and Yo-Yo escaped and efforts to recover them have thus far been unsuccessful.
 
- Talked to a zookeeper today and the klipspringer that were once in the rhino savanna (moved off exhibit due to conflicts with the springbok) will now be moving to the Grevy's zebra habitat where they have placed small rock formations.
- The vultures, yellow billed stork, and kori bustard are back on exhibit with pelicans to return to the rhino savanna in June as the bird flu subsides (unfortunately one of the great white pelicans passed away while off exhibit now having 1 great white and 2 pink back).
- The fennec fox exhibit adjacent to the meerkats now exhibits black footed cats, sand cats, and fennec foxes on rotation with new signage labeling it as the small cat conservation station.
 
On June 7th, the zoo announced that a (1.0) common warthog named Squiggy passed away at age 14 on June 6th due to a rapid decline in health.

Also on June 7th, it was announced that (2.0) fennec foxes named Flynn and Phineas were transferred to the Santa Barbara Zoo in California.

The Living Desert
Santa Barbara Zoo

On June 14th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) laughing kookaburra to the Los Angeles Zoo in California.

https://lazoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Animal-Transaction-Commission-Report-June-2023.pdf
 
The attached document was recently created for significant donors of Living Desert Zoo (2023 Capital Campaign) but it holds very exciting content for what is to come in the next 2 years at Living Desert:):

- Pages 10-12 and Pages 25-26: showcase renderings and a project map for the new Lion Ridge exhibit and new Events Center coming in Fall 2025!
- Pages 12-14: showcase renderings for the new splash pad and marketplace with a patio overlooking bighorn mountain.
- The Lions will have 37,500 square feet of exhibit space total, spanning over 3 exhibits and 1 holding yard. (To put into perspective the amount of space they are creating, Woodland Park Zoos lion exhibit is about the size of "lion habitat 1" at 14,750 sf and is considered a great sized lion exhibit).
- This will hopefully turn out to be one of if not the best lion exhibit in the US and possibly could hold the most amount of lions at any AZA facility. Does anyone know if this will be the only exhibit for lions with walkover bridges connecting the exhibits in the US, thanks!

The Living Desert Zoo Capital Campaign 2023:
Capital Campaign 2023 by the-livingdesert - Issuu

Woodland Park Zoos Lion exhibit (Seattle, WA):
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/african-lion-exhibit.522272/
 
GoldenTakin said:
T
- This will hopefully turn out to be one of if not the best lion exhibit in the US and possibly could hold the most amount of lions at any AZA facility. Does anyone know if this will be the only exhibit for lions with walkover bridges connecting the exhibits in the US, thanks!
Click to expand...

The Fresno Zoo lion exhibit has a bridge connecting their main exhibit with the holding facility. The bridge crosses over the visitor pathway.
 
GoldenTakin said:
The attached document was recently created for significant donors of Living Desert Zoo (2023 Capital Campaign) but it holds very exciting content for what is to come in the next 2 years at Living Desert:):

- Pages 10-12 and Pages 25-26: showcase renderings and a project map for the new Lion Ridge exhibit and new Events Center coming in Fall 2025!
- Pages 12-14: showcase renderings for the new splash pad and marketplace with a patio overlooking bighorn mountain.
- The Lions will have 37,500 square feet of exhibit space total, spanning over 3 exhibits and 1 holding yard. (To put into perspective the amount of space they are creating, Woodland Park Zoos lion exhibit is about the size of "lion habitat 1" at 14,750 sf and is considered a great sized lion exhibit).
- This will hopefully turn out to be one of if not the best lion exhibit in the US and possibly could hold the most amount of lions at any AZA facility. Does anyone know if this will be the only exhibit for lions with walkover bridges connecting the exhibits in the US, thanks!

The Living Desert Zoo Capital Campaign 2023:
Capital Campaign 2023 by the-livingdesert - Issuu

Woodland Park Zoos Lion exhibit (Seattle, WA):
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/african-lion-exhibit.522272/
Click to expand...

Philly's use only one exhibit at a time, but all of their big cat yards (which all have a primarily species but they get rotated sometimes) are connected to their 360 trail that allows cats to walk over the main path, under the gorillas, by the restaurant, etc.
 
GoldenTakin said:
- Talked to a zookeeper today and the klipspringer that were once in the rhino savanna (moved off exhibit due to conflicts with the springbok) will now be moving to the Grevy's zebra habitat where they have placed small rock formations.
- The vultures, yellow billed stork, and kori bustard are back on exhibit with pelicans to return to the rhino savanna in June as the bird flu subsides (unfortunately one of the great white pelicans passed away while off exhibit now having 1 great white and 2 pink back).
- The fennec fox exhibit adjacent to the meerkats now exhibits black footed cats, sand cats, and fennec foxes on rotation with new signage labeling it as the small cat conservation station.
Click to expand...
Visited the zoo last week and have some updates from my last visit in May:

- The 2 Klipspringer have indeed been added to the Grevys Zebra/Marabou Stork exhibit with 2 rock hills for them. (Photos of this exhibit uploaded to the media page)
- Budgerigars and the Tawny Frogmouth pair have been added back on exhibit at Australian Adventures. In addition all other bird species are back on exhibit from bird flu precautions with the exception of the African Grey Crowned Cranes (not sure if the zoo still holds the species or not)
- 2.0 Springbok calves born in July are on exhibit with their mothers, the adult male was separated off exhibit on my visit.
- Addra Gazelle calf born this August was out on exhibit.
 
GoldenTakin said:
- The Lions will have 37,500 square feet of exhibit space total, spanning over 3 exhibits and 1 holding yard. (To put into perspective the amount of space they are creating, Woodland Park Zoos lion exhibit is about the size of "lion habitat 1" at 14,750 sf and is considered a great sized lion exhibit).
- This will hopefully turn out to be one of if not the best lion exhibit in the US and possibly could hold the most amount of lions at any AZA facility. Does anyone know if this will be the only exhibit for lions with walkover bridges connecting the exhibits in the US, thanks!
Click to expand...
Whenever I see lions getting new and innovative exhibits I jump for joy!! Lions are such unique animals from a social perspective, and I feel like zoos often overlook that their really interesting pride dynamics make a great opportunity for an engaging and educational exhibit for guests. This looks like a great plan
 
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