zoocentral
Well-Known Member
Aline W. Skaggs Wild Utah
I first heard rumblings of a Utah themed exhibit back in 2014. The exhibit was always to be in the eastern portion of the zoo, previously only viewable to guests via the train. By 2014, the zoo had just opened African Savanna – the final project from the zoo’s 2010 master plan (and 2008 bond). I knew funding for a major new exhibit or expansion would take a while.
After a decade, it is quite exciting to see this plan come to life. While many exhibits dedicated to North American species (especially in the U.S.) tend to fall flat for me - this exhibit is not that. Instead of featuring charismatic megafauna of the American West, Wild Utah focuses on smaller but just as important species. The exhibit has some “rarities” or otherwise highlights species which often get overlooked at large zoos.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo visitors comprise of Utah residents as well as tourists from around the world traveling to Salt Lake City. This exhibit caters to both groups – those who care about their local wildlife, and those who want to see the wildlife found in Utah’s national parks.
Overall, I think the new three-acre exhibit is a welcomed addition and ultimately creates a sense of completion and continuity throughout the park. Its construction was most impressive to me. The zoo was able to turn a riverside bank into an engaging guest complex with indoor and outdoor spaces. The exhibit’s use of the natural Emigration Creek adds to the overall theming and education aspect of Wild Utah. For an exhibit dedicated to its state’s native wildlife, I would say Wild Utah can be considered one of the better ones.
Wild Utah…
To enter Wild Utah, guests follow a path immediately to the left of the zoo’s entrance. The path leads to Stillman Bridge. The same bridge once used by the train now leads guests over Emigration Creek into Wild Utah. Stillman Bridge is named after the historic structure of the same name that once connected Parley’s Canyon gully until 1964.
Rotating Exhibits
These smaller Utah native species were all rescues who have found forever homes as animal ambassadors at Hogle Zoo.
Norma W. Matheson Education Animal Center
The anchor of Wild Utah is the Norma W. Matheson Education Animal Center. This unique building displays animal ambassadors like never before at Hogle Zoo. The residents here have large habitats each tailored to the species' habitat needs. Recently there has been a movement within the AZA to provide more dynamic and engaging spaces for animal ambassadors - think Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo (Home Improvement). This exhibit follows this new standard while still showcasing Utah's diverse habitats and species. For the first time, guests are able to view the ambassador animals that participate in the zoo's Informal Science Education Enhancement (iSEE) Program (iSEE Program - Utah's Hogle Zoo).
The Education Animal Center is also home to the Utah Amphibian Conservation Room, a gorgeous new setup for the zoo's captive breeding program for the threatened western toad (Anaxyrus boreas). Also featured is an Interactive Kitchen where guests can help staff prepare diets for some of Wild Utah's residents.
Badger Habitat
Overlook Terrace
This part of the exhibit was the biggest let down for me. Guest sight-lines are blocked by fence line after fence line. My major gripe with this space is all the eyesores – especially the gigantic metal cougar holding facility.
Burros
In Utah, feral burros are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. While wild horses and burros are protected in Utah, their management is crucial in maintaining population numbers and protecting habitats from overgrazing. Excess burros are brought to Hogle Zoo for a couple of months before being "adopted" into private care. Zoo staff help "gentle" the burros, habituating them to human care.
The Wild Utah burro habitat is specially designed for husbandry practices. The animals can easily be shifted into their "barn space" - a shelter adjacent to the new train depot. Low fences offer easy access for grooming - something guests will be able to participate in. Feeding and enrichment hangs from large tree logs in the center of the habitat.
Conclusion:
The Aline W. Skaggs Wild Utah exhibit is Utah's Hogle Zoo's first major project in the last decade. When I first saw renderings for the Utah native exhibit, I was quite impressed. Ultimately those plans did not come to life, as this idea passed over a decade and though three zoo directors. That being said, what has been finalized in this new exhibit is quite impressive. From a husbandry/animal welfare viewpoint, the exhibit is successful. From a collections viewpoint, the exhibit offers a diverse array of unique North American fauna. But what I find most impressive about Wild Utah is the theming. Three themes stood out to me in particular.
Utah Natives: Utah is known for above all its wilderness, so it only makes sense for the state's only AZA zoo to have an exhibit dedicated to the native fauna. The zoo has had a long history with most of these species, so it is great to see them back in the collection. The Norma W. Matheson Education Animal Center also has greatly increased the zoo's invertebrate collection, adding to Hogle's diversity in species.
Rescues: Almost all of the animals on exhibit in Wild Utah were rescued from the wild, rehabilitated, and deemed non-releasable by the Division of Wildlife Resources. From rescued puma cubs with frostbite to a pet magpie that was confiscated by officials, Wild Utah residents have been given a second chance at life and a forever home at Hogle Zoo.
Animal Ambassadors: Forever kept behind the scenes or behind glass in the Small Animal Building, Hogle Zoo's animal ambassadors are getting the spotlight. From the tarantula to the bobcat, it is a joy to see these animals get upgraded habitats. Furthermore, their ability to engage with guests makes Wild Utah an interactive and exciting space. Guests encounter daily trainings and feeding opportunities. (This also makes it a photographer's dream!) These memories will hopefully inspire visitors to protect their native wildlife and wild spaces.
Does this exhibit make Utah's Hogle Zoo a destination place? Unfortunately I don't think so. However, momentum is kicking at the zoo once again. New species have arrived and exciting births are expected. There are only a few outdated exhibits left that will be either renovated or demolished. I am looking forward to an upcoming master plan to see if Hogle Zoo can push itself back onto a national level.
I first heard rumblings of a Utah themed exhibit back in 2014. The exhibit was always to be in the eastern portion of the zoo, previously only viewable to guests via the train. By 2014, the zoo had just opened African Savanna – the final project from the zoo’s 2010 master plan (and 2008 bond). I knew funding for a major new exhibit or expansion would take a while.
After a decade, it is quite exciting to see this plan come to life. While many exhibits dedicated to North American species (especially in the U.S.) tend to fall flat for me - this exhibit is not that. Instead of featuring charismatic megafauna of the American West, Wild Utah focuses on smaller but just as important species. The exhibit has some “rarities” or otherwise highlights species which often get overlooked at large zoos.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo visitors comprise of Utah residents as well as tourists from around the world traveling to Salt Lake City. This exhibit caters to both groups – those who care about their local wildlife, and those who want to see the wildlife found in Utah’s national parks.
Overall, I think the new three-acre exhibit is a welcomed addition and ultimately creates a sense of completion and continuity throughout the park. Its construction was most impressive to me. The zoo was able to turn a riverside bank into an engaging guest complex with indoor and outdoor spaces. The exhibit’s use of the natural Emigration Creek adds to the overall theming and education aspect of Wild Utah. For an exhibit dedicated to its state’s native wildlife, I would say Wild Utah can be considered one of the better ones.
Wild Utah…
To enter Wild Utah, guests follow a path immediately to the left of the zoo’s entrance. The path leads to Stillman Bridge. The same bridge once used by the train now leads guests over Emigration Creek into Wild Utah. Stillman Bridge is named after the historic structure of the same name that once connected Parley’s Canyon gully until 1964.
Rotating Exhibits
- North American porcupine Erethizon dorsatum (1.1)
- Gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus (0.2)
- Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis (0.1)
- Bobcat Lynx rufus (1.0)
- Black-billed magpie Pica hudsonia (1.0)
These smaller Utah native species were all rescues who have found forever homes as animal ambassadors at Hogle Zoo.
Norma W. Matheson Education Animal Center
- Yellow-bellied marmot Marmota flaviventris (0.2)
- Southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans (0.2)
- Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia (1.2)
- Western screech owl Megascops kennicottii (0.1)
- American kestrel Falco sparverius (0.0.1)
- Common raven Corvus corax (0.1)
- Sonoran mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana (0.0.1)
- California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae (0.0.1)
- Great Basin gopher snake Pituophis catenifer deserticola (0.0.1)
- Common desert iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis (0.0.1)
- Common chuckwalla Sauromalus ater (2.1)
- Collared lizard Crotaphytus collaris (0.0.3)
- Western fence lizard Sceloporus occidentalis unseen
- Desert horned lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos unseen
- Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii (0.0.3)
- Western toad Anaxyrus boreas (0.0.2)
- Western tiger salamander Ambystoma mavortium (0.0.2)
- Western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis
- Desert blonde tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes
- Desert hairy scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis
- Vinegaroon Uropygi
- Triops Triops spp.
- Desert millipede Orthoporus ornatus
- Desert centipede Scolopendra heros
- Blue death-feigning beetle Asbolus verrucosus
- Pillbug Armadillidiidae
- Red-backed jumping-spider Phidippus johnsoni
- Wolf-spider Lycosidae
- Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus
- Western black widow Latrodectus hesperus
- Bold jumping spider Phidippus audax
- Ten-lined June beetle Polyphylla decemlineata
- Darkling beetle Tenebrionidae
- Sunburst diving beetle Thermonectus marmoratus
- Whirligig beetle Gyrinidae
- Giant water bug Lethocerus americanus
- Brown water scorpion Ranatra fusca
- Brine shrimp Artemia spp.
- Bumble bee Bombus spp.
- Honey bee Apis spp.
- Harvester ant Formicidae
The Education Animal Center is also home to the Utah Amphibian Conservation Room, a gorgeous new setup for the zoo's captive breeding program for the threatened western toad (Anaxyrus boreas). Also featured is an Interactive Kitchen where guests can help staff prepare diets for some of Wild Utah's residents.
Badger Habitat
- American badger Taxidea taxus (1.0)
Overlook Terrace
- Desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni (4.0)
- Puma Puma concolor cougar (2.1)
This part of the exhibit was the biggest let down for me. Guest sight-lines are blocked by fence line after fence line. My major gripe with this space is all the eyesores – especially the gigantic metal cougar holding facility.
Burros
- Burro Equus africanus asinus (6.0)
In Utah, feral burros are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. While wild horses and burros are protected in Utah, their management is crucial in maintaining population numbers and protecting habitats from overgrazing. Excess burros are brought to Hogle Zoo for a couple of months before being "adopted" into private care. Zoo staff help "gentle" the burros, habituating them to human care.
The Wild Utah burro habitat is specially designed for husbandry practices. The animals can easily be shifted into their "barn space" - a shelter adjacent to the new train depot. Low fences offer easy access for grooming - something guests will be able to participate in. Feeding and enrichment hangs from large tree logs in the center of the habitat.
Conclusion:
The Aline W. Skaggs Wild Utah exhibit is Utah's Hogle Zoo's first major project in the last decade. When I first saw renderings for the Utah native exhibit, I was quite impressed. Ultimately those plans did not come to life, as this idea passed over a decade and though three zoo directors. That being said, what has been finalized in this new exhibit is quite impressive. From a husbandry/animal welfare viewpoint, the exhibit is successful. From a collections viewpoint, the exhibit offers a diverse array of unique North American fauna. But what I find most impressive about Wild Utah is the theming. Three themes stood out to me in particular.
Utah Natives: Utah is known for above all its wilderness, so it only makes sense for the state's only AZA zoo to have an exhibit dedicated to the native fauna. The zoo has had a long history with most of these species, so it is great to see them back in the collection. The Norma W. Matheson Education Animal Center also has greatly increased the zoo's invertebrate collection, adding to Hogle's diversity in species.
Rescues: Almost all of the animals on exhibit in Wild Utah were rescued from the wild, rehabilitated, and deemed non-releasable by the Division of Wildlife Resources. From rescued puma cubs with frostbite to a pet magpie that was confiscated by officials, Wild Utah residents have been given a second chance at life and a forever home at Hogle Zoo.
Animal Ambassadors: Forever kept behind the scenes or behind glass in the Small Animal Building, Hogle Zoo's animal ambassadors are getting the spotlight. From the tarantula to the bobcat, it is a joy to see these animals get upgraded habitats. Furthermore, their ability to engage with guests makes Wild Utah an interactive and exciting space. Guests encounter daily trainings and feeding opportunities. (This also makes it a photographer's dream!) These memories will hopefully inspire visitors to protect their native wildlife and wild spaces.
Does this exhibit make Utah's Hogle Zoo a destination place? Unfortunately I don't think so. However, momentum is kicking at the zoo once again. New species have arrived and exciting births are expected. There are only a few outdated exhibits left that will be either renovated or demolished. I am looking forward to an upcoming master plan to see if Hogle Zoo can push itself back onto a national level.
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