Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden What's Gnu at the Cincinnati Zoo? - 2012

As observed in the photographic section I really would wish that Cincin would acquire a bull GOH rhino in order to breed natural ...!
 
@Kifaru Bwana- As you know, I very much agree. It really should not be too hard for the zoo to bring in a bull, as they have a perfectly usable former Indian rhinoceros yard sitting empty and space in the barn. Hopefully they will decide to follow this path and bring in a bull to breed naturally with the two cows soon.

In honor of National Zookeeper Week the zoo will be highlighting several of the keepers on the zoo's blog this week.

The first keeper to be highlighted is Eunice Frahm, a Children's Zoo keeper at the zoo:
Eunice Frahm Walks on the Wild Side | Cincinnati Zoo Blog
 
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That's funny because on one of the zoo's walkie-talkies I heard, "A round press is hear for the baby cheetah", and 5 minutes later I get this email.

I saw the male okapi and also Nikki and Manjula now share the exhibits.
 
When you say that Nikki and Manjula now share the exhibits, what exactly do you mean? Do you mean that Manjula is now in the yard next to Nikki's yard that has been empty since Chitwan left, or do you mean that Nikki and Manjula actually share a yard now?
 
Kudu21 said:
When you say that Nikki and Manjula now share the exhibits, what exactly do you mean? Do you mean that Manjula is now in the yard next to Nikki's yard that has been empty since Chitwan left, or do you mean that Nikki and Manjula actually share a yard now?
Click to expand...

Manjula shares Nikki's two yards with her.
 
I visited the zoo with my wife yesterday. I normally go in the fall, so I'd almost forgotten how great the place looks when all of the summer flowers are out.

I was very pleased with the complete Cat Canyon/Night Hunters complex. i'd seen NH before, but appreciated it more on my second walk-through. it is by no means a perfect exhibit, especially where the size of the cat enclosures are concerned. Most of the Nocturnal House transfers, on the other hand, are far better off than they were in their old quarters. It's one of few heavily-themed zoo exhibits that manages not to be obnoxious to non-children.

Cat Canyon was slightly better than I expected. the tiger enclosures were very well done, IMO. I enjoyed the improved viewing opportunities and reworked pathway. The enclosures were also complemented by additional trees. The terrain and plant life in that particular part of the zoo make the exhibit very enjoyable. There's a really neat old juniper along the walk that I've always admired. I was hoping for more out of the snow leopard enclosure. It was very rocky with a sloped hillside, but not the most aesthetically pleasing. The size alone was an improvement over the old Cat House displays, but if you're expecting Bronx-type naturalism, then you will be let down. The cougar display is a pretty good one, IMO. Overall, I'm very happy with the revamped set of exhibits.

The rest of the zoo was great, too. It was threatening to be a 100+ degree day, so the crowds were apparently staying at home in the air conditioning. I checked out the new tortoise yard and the young galapagos tortoises. It made me feel good to see that they were being fed the same thing I'd fed my tortoise before I left the house that morning. Another similarity they shared with my little one was the devouring of their grass lawn. It takes them little time to mow a small space down to dirt.

Rhino Reserve was another strong point. One of the Indian rhinos was out swimming in it's pool. The okapi and bongo yards were very grassy and well planted compared to the dry concrete Veldt of the past. There may never be the same impressive number of species once held here, but it's still quite nice. Hopefully the new hoofed stock yard in the future African exhibit will more than make up for that.

Another highlight was the Jungle Trails area where the sifakas and aye-ayes were relatively active. This is the first time I've seen both on a visit. The outdoor area of the complex was impressive on a hot summer day. The two great ape enclosures were looking lush and green, and the inhabitants were very visible, just not too energetic. After two decades, Jungle trails has stood the test of time in my opinion.

I feel increasingly positive about this zoo with every visit. They do not make massive, big-money changes that wow you. They have seemingly mastered the art of making more modest, steady improvements year by year. With the new African exhibit on the horizon, there is much to look forward to here. Now if the could just address the atrocious bear line.
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I visited the zoo with my wife yesterday. I normally go in the fall, so I'd almost forgotten how great the place looks when all of the summer flowers are out.

I was very pleased with the complete Cat Canyon/Night Hunters complex. i'd seen NH before, but appreciated it more on my second walk-through. it is by no means a perfect exhibit, especially where the size of the cat enclosures are concerned. Most of the Nocturnal House transfers, on the other hand, are far better off than they were in their old quarters. It's one of few heavily-themed zoo exhibits that manages not to be obnoxious to non-children.

Cat Canyon was slightly better than I expected. the tiger enclosures were very well done, IMO. I enjoyed the improved viewing opportunities and reworked pathway. The enclosures were also complemented by additional trees. The terrain and plant life in that particular part of the zoo make the exhibit very enjoyable. There's a really neat old juniper along the walk that I've always admired. I was hoping for more out of the snow leopard enclosure. It was very rocky with a sloped hillside, but not the most aesthetically pleasing. The size alone was an improvement over the old Cat House displays, but if you're expecting Bronx-type naturalism, then you will be let down. The cougar display is a pretty good one, IMO. Overall, I'm very happy with the revamped set of exhibits.

The rest of the zoo was great, too. It was threatening to be a 100+ degree day, so the crowds were apparently staying at home in the air conditioning. I checked out the new tortoise yard and the young galapagos tortoises. It made me feel good to see that they were being fed the same thing I'd fed my tortoise before I left the house that morning. Another similarity they shared with my little one was the devouring of their grass lawn. It takes them little time to mow a small space down to dirt.

Rhino Reserve was another strong point. One of the Indian rhinos was out swimming in it's pool. The okapi and bongo yards were very grassy and well planted compared to the dry concrete Veldt of the past. There may never be the same impressive number of species once held here, but it's still quite nice. Hopefully the new hoofed stock yard in the future African exhibit will more than make up for that.

Another highlight was the Jungle Trails area where the sifakas and aye-ayes were relatively active. This is the first time I've seen both on a visit. The outdoor area of the complex was impressive on a hot summer day. The two great ape enclosures were looking lush and green, and the inhabitants were very visible, just not too energetic. After two decades, Jungle trails has stood the test of time in my opinion.

I feel increasingly positive about this zoo with every visit. They do not make massive, big-money changes that wow you. They have seemingly mastered the art of making more modest, steady improvements year by year. With the new African exhibit on the horizon, there is much to look forward to here. Now if the could just address the atrocious bear line.
Click to expand...

Very well said, the zoo just slowly keeps getting better each year. As for the bear exhibits, I'm not sure if you noticed (as I was also there yesterday and every week) but the spectacled bear does seem to try to make the best of it. He walks around and uses up every part of the enclosure, using the enrichment, going down into the moat, and swimming most of the day while the poor, poor black bears don't do anything of that. If you ask me, I'd say he's a pretty positive bear:p

I am starting to run out of ideas for photos as I have taken one of nearly every exhibit at the zoo. I was wondering if anyone had any requests on what they would like to see in the gallery.
 
Very well put groundskeeper24, and I very much agree with what you have said; I don't think I could have put it better myself.

Yes, the spectacled bears do tend to make the best of what they have, and they are usually quite active. That said, the spectacled bears are younger than the American black bears are. Hopefully the bears will receive some much needed renovations soon.

Here's a video of the zoo's new eastern bongo calf, Stevie:

The keeper being highlighted today is Markee Jefferies; she is a keeper for the Wings of Wonder Bird Show:
http://blog.cincinnatizoo.org/2012/07/19/markee-jefferies-is-living-her-dream/
 
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Can't say that I would have necessarily expected for an armadillo to turn up in the vampire bat enclosure, but with the enclosure being so large, the addition of the armadillo will add more activity and appeal to the enclosure.
 
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