Why are you Proud of your Home Zoo?

filipinos

Well-Known Member
Every ones likes a little bit more the zoo that you visit the most. It might not be the best for the rest of the world, but for you, there´s no zoo to compare it with. BeardsleyZooFan and ThylacineAlive just love Beardsley Zoo, Moebelle and Cinzoo Man praise Cincinatti and well, UK Zoochatters just love their zoos! :D

So, what´s so big about your local zoo/aquarium for you to love it? Is it the enclouseres? the collection? breeding?
 
Their success with gorillas and may be responsible for saving the Sumatran rhinos.
 
Thanks for mentioning me filipinos, and while Beardsley is pretty small and needs work done on some places, it's nice to visit a small zoo because you get to know it really well.
I like my home zoo because for a zoo our size, we have a lot of records;
Held the oldest Andean Condor in the world. (Thaao, male, Died on January 26, 2010 at 79, almost 80)
Currently holding likely the oldest Black Howler Monkey in the world (Zuele, female, 26 years old)
Was the first zoo in the Northeast to exhibit the Chacoan Peccary (2007)
On Halloween 2008, we had only the third successful artificial insemination of an ocelot ever, and the first one for conservation purposes.*
On January 22, 2011, another ocelot kitten was born. She was the first endangered wildcat to be conceived through oviductal artificial insemination.*
Our female Brazilian Ocelot Kuma is the only ocelot to have multiple successful births and pregnancies through AI, and the first endangered wildcat to successfully undergo oviductal AI.
First Chacoan Peccary born in the Northeast (Female, October 26, 2011)
*credit to Cincinnati Zoo's CREW and Dr. Bill Swanson for helping us with these AI's. The 2008 kitten (Milagre) resides at Dallas Zoo, and the 2011 kitten (Alya) resides at Buffalo Zoo.
 
I didn´t knew if some people would be worried by me mentioning them, but i see that this is not the case.
Thank you for the impressions, and i think i can leave mine.
I´m proud of my home zoo, Lisbon, for the diverse collection (almost 400 species), for the now good example of exhibitry and the great sucess with animal reproduction.
They even had to loose 1/4 of the species to start the "revolution", and still own the best collection of zoos in Portugal! (until some months ago, replaced by Santo Inacio, also in Portugal, also very good, and i´m also very proud of it...)
The other collection is Lisbon Oceanarium. The 2ª Biggest Indoor Aquarium in the World is a fine example of how an aquarium should be. If Lisbon isn´t one of the best examples for a great zoo, the Oceanarium is a very good example for a great aquarium.
I still need to find someone who didn´t liked it! And if you don´t know it, you should have a look to the gallery.
 
I love my hometown zoo, the Pittsburgh zoo & PPG Aquarium. For there successful work with African Elephants and Amur Tigers. and i also like the Aquarium.it will always be a special place in my heart too cause it's where i went as a kid, now as a adult. It never gets old :)
 
There's an urban legend that says that the lion in the MGM logo is actually Charlie, a lion who lived at Dublin Zoo years and years ago. Turns out it's not true, but it's still an interesting claim to fame. :p
 
Thanks for mentioning me filipinos, and while Beardsley is pretty small and needs work done on some places, it's nice to visit a small zoo because you get to know it really well.
I like my home zoo because for a zoo our size, we have a lot of records;
Held the oldest Andean Condor in the world. (Thaao, male, Died on January 26, 2010 at 79, almost 80)
Currently holding likely the oldest Black Howler Monkey in the world (Zuele, female, 26 years old)
Was the first zoo in the Northeast to exhibit the Chacoan Peccary (2007)
On Halloween 2008, we had only the third successful artificial insemination of an ocelot ever, and the first one for conservation purposes.*
On January 22, 2011, another ocelot kitten was born. She was the first endangered wildcat to be conceived through oviductal artificial insemination.*
Our female Brazilian Ocelot Kuma is the only ocelot to have multiple successful births and pregnancies through AI, and the first endangered wildcat to successfully undergo oviductal AI.
First Chacoan Peccary born in the Northeast (Female, October 26, 2011)
*credit to Cincinnati Zoo's CREW and Dr. Bill Swanson for helping us with these AI's. The 2008 kitten (Milagre) resides at Dallas Zoo, and the 2011 kitten (Alya) resides at Buffalo Zoo.

Dang you BeardsleyZooFan!!:D You always get to these before me:D
While Anaheim Zoo can do this better then I. I guess I'll go a little into the Bronx Zoo.
Not in any order:
Almost single handedly saved the American Bison from extinction.
Breeding geneticly pure American Bison (2012, 2 calves)
Being one of the first to work with nocturnal exhibit technology.
One of the only zoos breeding Kihansi Spray Toads
Had the last two Proboscis Monkeys in the U.S.
One of the largest metropolitan zoos in the world
Their conservation work (the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is based at the Bronx Zoo)
I'm personaly very proud of Jungle World and the Asian Monorail (except it moves too fast)
One of the best Amur and Malayan Tiger exhibits
Tiger breeding (I think they're like 9 cubs in two years or something like that)
Helped the Cincinnati Zoo complete the first AI on an Indian Rhinoceros
Indian Rhinoceros breeding

I'll do a little on the Smithsonian National Zoo as well:
First zoo in North America to have Giant Pandas
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI)- They breed some of the most endangered species in the world including Persian Onagers and Burmese Brow-Antlered Deer.
Giant Pandas ('nough said):D
endangered animal research

I believe the Cincinnati Zoo was already done but I'll put what I didn't already see posted:
First successful AI on an Indian Rhinoceros (with help from the Bronx Zoo)
Bonobo breeding
Florida Manatee recovery.
Successfuly breed several highly endangered and difficult species.
Home to the last Passanger Pigeon and Carolina Parakeet (a sad truth and not really something to be proud of:()

Mystic Aquarium:
Home to four Beluga Whales and are breeding the species.
Are one of only four institutions in North America to hold Steller Sea Lions.

And I believe you forgot a few things, BZF(:p):
The Breadsley Zoo is the only AZA accredited zoo in Connecticut.
The zoo has released back into the wild Red Wolves, Golden Lion Tamarins, and Andean Condors.

Thank you for mentioning me by the way.:D
 
Stone Zoo.

I just love it. Hard to explain. Visiting as a child, to volunteering and working there for nearly ten years, it has a special place in my heart. Largely due to Major, the Polar Bear, and all of the other animals and people that make it special to me. I also think it has one of the best Mexican Gray Wolf exhibits I have ever seen, due to the varied terrain and size of the exhibit (over one acre). The Snow Leopard Exhibit, just the height of the "cliffs" are amazing and all naturally occurring in that area, no concrete! Also, the fact how Markhor, surround the Snow Leopard Exhibit on three sides, is amazing. The leopards definitely keep the Markhor on their hooves. I just love that Zoo.
[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nhpanda/5178727054/"]Part of Tang's exhibit | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
Right-hand side of the snow leopard exhibit. The leopards can go all the way to the top and see for miles, as it is one of the highest points in the region.

I also like Roger Williams, for their African Eles, Red River Hogs and Sichuan Takin. Franklin Park, for their Gorillas, Dwarf Crocs, and Amur Leopards. New England Aquarium, for their eighty plus penguins of three different species (African, Rockhopper and Little), in 150,000 gallon pool. No underwater viewing, but who cares? There's so much acitivty, if you can't enjoy that, you probably should not be there. Oh, and the northern fur seals, largest collection in AZA accredited facility.
 
I could probably come up with more reasons if I looked into it, but the best is probably being the only AZA zoo in West Virginia.
 
I'll do a little on the Smithsonian National Zoo as well:
First zoo in North America to have Giant Pandas
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI)- They breed some of the most endangered species in the world including Persian Onagers and Burmese Brow-Antlered Deer.
Giant Pandas ('nough said):D
endangered animal research

Brookfield was the first zoo in U.S. to exhibit Giant Pandas.


Here is mine For Brookfield:
-Longest running study of dolphins in the wild.
-Have the most southern hairy nosed wombats in the U.S. (there are less southern hairy nosed wombats then pandas in AZA zoos) and are responsible for bringing their numbers up in AZA zoos this year (one birth and imported two babies)
-Most Goeldi's Monkeys in AZA zoos with over 20
 
ThylacineAlive- Have you been to Cincy Zoo before? Also thanks for mentioning those other tidbits of info about Beardsley. I'm also proud of how for the most part strongly stick to a North/South American theme (except for the Amur Tigers.)
Gulo gulo- Thanks for more of that info on Stone Zoo, and I hope I might be able to visit next year.
Mystic Aquarium also was the first to AI a Beluga, though it was unsuccessful. I'm proud of Mystic for their marine mammal collection (Belugas, Steller Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals, Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions), their fantastic exhibits, their rescue and rehabilitation program, and their conservation work for African Penguins. Also, they have a strong emphasis on connecting with their animals.
Maritime Aquarium I'm proud of for having a very strong emphasis on Long Island Sound, and the recent refurbishment that made the aquarium look a whole lot better, plus how interactive the aquarium is.
I know I live a long way from Naples, but it seems no one here but Meaghan Edwards, snowleopard, and I have visited Naples Zoo, and I'd like to point out that I'm proud of their fantastic American Black Bear exhibit, and for being dedicated to having some of the rarest animals in the US (Honey Badgers, Striped Hyenas, Fossas, Dingos, Cuban Crocs, Kinkajous, 4 lemur species and 3 gibbon species)
 
BZF -
You're Welcome. I do thoroughly enjoy Mystic, but that's as far as I go in CT. I was crushed when I heard about Kodiak. :(
 
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-Have the most southern hairy nosed wombats in the U.S. (there are less southern hairy nosed wombats then pandas in AZA zoos) and are responsible for bringing their numbers up in AZA zoos this year (one birth and imported two babies)

Let's see, if there are 10 Giant Pandas in AZA zoos currently, and 5 wombats at Brookfield, what are the other collections that hold them? I think Toronto has one, and I think San Diego does too. How many do they have? Also, those 2 babies you imported are going to Toronto, correct?
 
BZF -
You're Welcome. There's something in the works for next year at Stone, but my lips are sealed! I do thoroughly enjoy Mystic, but that's as far as I go in CT. I was crushed when I heard about Kodiak. :(

Can you give me an idea of what is in planning if I PM you?
If you ever go down further into Connecticut, make sure to visit Maritime and Beardsley! Yes, Kodiak was one of my favorites at the aquarium, but at least Northern Fur Seals returned.
 
San Diego zoo has 2 wombats
Memphis zoo has 1 wombat
Toronto zoo has 3 wombats
Brookfield zoo has 4 wombats including the newborn joey ;)
 
Oregon Zoo
Having many many years of Asian elephant reproduction research
Monitoring birth control in captive sea otters (along with performing a procedure that has Oregon with the only sea otter in captivity to have 1 lung!)
Contributing to research to document wolverines in the Oregon Cascades
Having a California Condor breeding site.
Breeding & releasing Oregon native animals (frogs, turtles and butterflies and the pygmy rabbit released in Washington)

And for having a really awesome enrichment program.
Those are the things I can think of right now.
 
San Diego zoo has 2 wombats
Memphis zoo has 1 wombat
Toronto zoo has 3 wombats
Brookfield zoo has 4 wombats including the newborn joey ;)

so if i did my math with the pandas correctly, there are exactly as many wombats in the US as there are giant pandas. but brookfield has 2 parents, a joey, and 2 imports, so shouldnt they have 5 wombats?
 
you might be right idk. We were discussing the wombat situation on the toronto zoo thread the other day and i thought they said brookfield had 4. idk thou.
 
I know I live a long way from Naples, but it seems no one here but Meaghan Edwards, snowleopard, and I have visited Naples Zoo...

If you are talking about the zoo in Naples, Florida that used to be known as Caribbean Gardens, I have been there. Pretty bad zoo and basically a complete waste of my time. I should have gone to the Everglades instead.
 
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