Virginia Zoo Virginia Zoo news

This zoo has applied to import a Malayan Tapir from the Singapore Zoo.

Applicant: Virginia Zoological Park, Norfolk, VA, PRT-209661
The applicant requests a permit to import one male captive born
Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) from the Singapore Zoo, Singapore, for
the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
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I figured I would start a news thread since this zoo did not one. I know that sun bears came from the Woodland Park Zoo in late March. The plan was that they were supposed to replace the binturongs in their exhibit. I asked on their facebook page if they are on view and they said that the bears did have access to their exhibit. However, there has been no news release or changes on their website announcing these new additions. I am just curious when they will be on display and where did the binturongs end up.
 
For those who also may be interested, after talking with a couple of people, here is what I found out. The sun bears are in the old binturong exhibit. The binturongs are off exhibit and they are building an exhibit for them which should be completed in a month's time or so. I will be sure to take and post photos of each exhibit next month when I go there.
 
I was just at this zoo a week ago and I can confirm what you said. I saw one very reluctant sun bear in a large netted enclosure. By reluctant, I mean that he was sitting directly below the elevated visitor walkway, very close to his door to the indoor area. There was a keeper there, watching him from below, and he told us that the sun bears (he said there was more than the one we could see) were still getting used to their new habitat, thus their reluctance.

Further on this trail, across from the Malayan tapirs, I saw what looked like an exhibit area with a large tree in the middle -- but no animals. When another keeper walked by, I asked her and she said they were building a habitat for the bingturongs there.

All in all, I was very impressed with both the Zoo's Asian and African exhibit areas. Both have quite natural animal habitats with plenty of room for the animals. I love the elevated boardwalk viewing for visitors, and I'm a huge fan of the cultural "theming" that this zoo uses for both Asia and Africa.
 
Thank you for this information. I was wondering if the sun bears were hiding when I got the reply, "they do have access to their exhibit." Perhaps they haven't announced their arrival at the zoo because they are not that visible. I am very excited to visit this zoo as it looks like they have a very solid Asian and African section.
 
Quick question, looking at the map across from the tapirs looks like where the red pandas used to be. Did they get moved?
 
blospz said:
Quick question, looking at the map across from the tapirs looks like where the red pandas used to be. Did they get moved?
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Hopefully they have not moved them there red panda exhibit was very cool.The boardwalk basically splits the red pandas exhibit and the pandas can cross either side of its enclosure via trees branches over top of you.

Team Tapir
 
ANyhuis said:
Further on this trail, across from the Malayan tapirs, I saw what looked like an exhibit area with a large tree in the middle -- but no animals. When another keeper walked by, I asked her and she said they were building a habitat for the bingturongs there.
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We think the exhibit you are speaking of is the Asiatic Black Bear exhibit and it sounds like they are converting it into the new Bingturong exhibit this is definately not the red panda exhibit.

Team Tapir
 
I spoke with one of our fellow zoochatters who has friends working at the zoo and he said that the binturongs are not taking the place of the red pandas or Asian bears. He said with the board walk, it leave small spaces for them to put up a new exhibit. So it sounds like its a new section between the bears and red pandas.
 
OK, I didn't mean exactly across from the tapirs, but somewhere near them. I was going off of my memory.
 
blospz said:
Orangutans now have full access to their exhibit space:
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This is a big deal for these orangutans, as I was told that they've come from the Brookfield Zoo (in the Chicago area), where they were exhibited in Tropic World, a completely indoor habitat. For that reason, these apes will not be too happy about very hot or cold weather.
 
I think it's wonderful they finally have access to the outside. I do hope the adjust to the changing of the temperatures.
 
Have you gone out at all? I feel like I saw a recent photo of them on their platforms.
 
Does any one know how many they got from Brookfield Zoo. And if they got the orangutans from Brookfield Zoo did a young (I think 2 year old) orangutan come to this zoo.
 
TropicWorld54 said:
Does any one know how many they got from Brookfield Zoo. And if they got the orangutans from Brookfield Zoo did a young (I think 2 year old) orangutan come to this zoo.
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Virginia Zoo has 2 orangutans currently, Pepper and Schnitz. Pepper is 32 and Schnitz is 30.
There is a picture on the Virginia Zoo's Facebook page with Pepper in the outdoor habitat.
 
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