Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium Wildlife World News

CMP said:
I recently uploaded a species list for Wildlife World:
Species list for Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, and Safari Park [Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium] - ZooChat

Quite the long list, to say the least.
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Thanks for putting this together! For someone who will be visiting Wildlife World for the first time, from many states away, are there any rarities that I should pay particular attention to while I'm there? The beisa oryx, black backed jackal, onager, and obviously the black tailed hairy dwarf porcupine that was talked about earlier in this thread (if it's still around and if I can see where it's being used as an ambassador animal) all stand out to me. I just looked up Jamaican Fruit Eating Bats and in the thread Zoobat Collections in North America someone said they're at only 13 institutions which I'd categorize as worth paying attention to, especially since I've never seen that species before. Obviously this is a very subjective question but does anyone have any other examples at Wildlife World?
 
turkeyfox said:
Obviously this is a very subjective question but does anyone have any other examples at Wildlife World?
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If you like hyena they are one of the few place with both stripped and spotted hyena. They are one of three or 4 zoos in the US/Canada that have more than 25 species of primates - although no great apes.

Wobbegongs on the aquarium are fairly unique, but not exactly rare. Australian brush turkey are fairly uncommon, swamp wallaby, "African" leopard, ....WW has a lot of animals that are not common in the AZA any longer.
 
SwampDonkey said:
If you like hyena they are one of the few place with both stripped and spotted hyena. They are one of three or 4 zoos in the US/Canada that have more than 25 species of primates - although no great apes.

Wobbegongs on the aquarium are fairly unique, but not exactly rare. Australian brush turkey are fairly uncommon, swamp wallaby, "African" leopard, ....WW has a lot of animals that are not common in the AZA any longer.
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I'm lucky enough to have seen both striped and spotted hyenas at my local zoo (Milwaukee) but there hasn't been a striped hyena since I was a very small child so it'd be nice to see one as an adult. And good call outs on the brush turkey and swamp wallaby, I'm particularly fond of Australian animals. Thanks!
 
turkeyfox said:
I'm lucky enough to have seen both striped and spotted hyenas at my local zoo (Milwaukee) but there hasn't been a striped hyena since I was a very small child so it'd be nice to see one as an adult. And good call outs on the brush turkey and swamp wallaby, I'm particularly fond of Australian animals. Thanks!
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Cool! WW has a pretty nice macropod walkthrough, so don't miss that! WW is one of my top 5 zoos, so I am probably biased towards it, but I love that place. I am heading back there in the first week of January, so I am stoked about it. I get out once a year to see my wife's family, so the Phoenix area facilities are my second "home" zoos.
 
Other Late 2024 News:

On October 16th, the zoo announced that a sable antelope was born which is on exhibit.

Wildlife World Zoo

On November 5th, the zoo announced they acquired? a jaguar cub which is on exhibit.

1.4K views · 86 reactions | Election Day | WE VOTED! and this baby Jaguar waking up from a nap is the clear winner of #toocutetuesday #electionday #babyjaguar #babyanimals #zoocute #vote... | By Wildlife World Zoo | Facebook

On November 24th, the zoo announced that a lar gibbon named Mei was born which is on exhibit.

Wildlife World Zoo

On December 23rd, the zoo announced that a mantled guereza was born which is now on exhibit.

Wildlife World Zoo
 
Smaggledagle said:
On November 5th, the zoo announced they acquired? a jaguar cub which is on exhibit.
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I saw this cub last week, the sign did not say it was born at WW, so I would assume that it is an acquisition.
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Not exactly news, but an update on construction projects:

The tiger habitats are still under construction, for the last few years....they really look like they are nearly complete:
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There is a new large exhibit under construction where the red river hogs, birds, and ocelot were in the Original Zoo area just before you enter Dragon World:
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The new Capybara exhibit in the aquarium area is open:
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Unknown construction where the outdoor koi pond in the Aquarium used to be:
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A new tank for jellyfish is under construction in the Diversity of Life in Water building beside the nile crocodile:
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All the trout and the red tailed hawk were out of the tank in their exhibit in the Diversity of Life in Water building.

The Green Iguana exhibit in Adventureland looks complete but it is not open yet:
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Some pictures of the new mudskipper and arrow frog exhibits in the gift shops. These are so much better than the terrible turtle enclosures they replaced.
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The walkthrough Aviary in the Safari Park is still "under construction" but has not had any changes since 2022.

Lastly, perhaps a small thing, but nearly all the signage has been replaced/updated. Gone are 95% of the color faded signs. They have been replaced with signs like these:
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As you can see, Fallow Deer have been moved into the same huge yard in Adventureland that also houses capybara and rhea.
 
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SwampDonkey said:
Not exactly news, but an update on construction projects:

The tiger habitats are still under construction, for the last few years....they really look like they are nearly complete:
full

full



There is a new large exhibit under construction where the red river hogs, birds, and ocelot were in the Original Zoo area just before you enter Dragon World:
full

full


The new Capybara exhibit in the aquarium area is open:
full


Unknown construction where the outdoor koi pond in the Aquarium used to be:
full


A new tank for jellyfish is under construction in the Diversity of Life in Water building beside the nile crocodile:
full


All the trout and the red tailed hawk were out of the tank in their exhibit in the Diversity of Life in Water building.

The Green Iguana exhibit in Adventureland looks complete but it is not open yet:
full


Some pictures of the new mudskipper and arrow frog exhibits in the gift shops. These are so much better than the terrible turtle enclosures they replaced.
full

full

full


The walkthrough Aviary in the Safari Park is still "under construction" but has not had any changes since 2022.

Lastly, perhaps a small thing, but nearly all the signage has been replaced/updated. Gone are 95% of the color faded signs. They have been replaced with signs like these:
full

full


As you can see, Fallow Deer have been moved into the same huge yard in Adventureland that also houses capybara and rhea.
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I really like these updates all around, especially the signage!

Mudskippers are a massive upgrade to the terrible turtle enclosures. Hopefully WWZ will continue in this direction, building up to par new exhibits and bringing in exciting new species.
 
CMP said:
Hopefully WWZ will continue in this direction, building up to par new exhibits and bringing in exciting new species.
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Well the latter they will certainly continue to do, given they're one of the biggest distribution hubs for the non-AZA zoo sector. Personally I think they should spend more time properly caring for what they already have though.
 
Great Argus said:
Well the latter they will certainly continue to do, given they're one of the biggest distribution hubs for the non-AZA zoo sector. Personally I think they should spend more time properly caring for what they already have though.
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I should clarify that by saying 'new exhibits' I do include new and improved ones for existing species. Certain primate and small mammal enclosures are what come to mind.
 
CMP said:
I should clarify that by saying 'new exhibits' I do include new and improved ones for existing species. Certain primate and small mammal enclosures are what come to mind.
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I assumed as much, and it's definitely needed. Plenty more reasons for my comment though, seeing as Wildlife World prefers quantity over quality.
 
CMP said:
I really like these updates all around, especially the signage!

Mudskippers are a massive upgrade to the terrible turtle enclosures. Hopefully WWZ will continue in this direction, building up to par new exhibits and bringing in exciting new species.
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The improvements are very encouraging. Honestly, people tend to beat down on WWZ, but many forget that this is an entirely private enterprise. I would like to see any private zoo (or honestly, any zoo at all) that has made so many improvements over the last 15 years. They still have some really bad enclosures, but they have been making massive strides in improving the entire zoo, with recent focus being on the original zoo area.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Honestly, people tend to beat down on WWZ, but many forget that this is an entirely private enterprise. I would like to see any private zoo (or honestly, any zoo at all) that has made so many improvements over the last 15 years.
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Being a privately owned facility is not an excuse for having poor exhibits and husbandry, especially one open to the public - if you aren't able to do it right then wait til you can. It is hardly surprising they have heavily invested in building and updating exhibits as they have been extensively cited by USDA for their exhibits for over a decade and still continue to be, among other things.
 
Great Argus said:
Being a privately owned facility is not an excuse for having poor exhibits and husbandry, especially one open to the public - if you aren't able to do it right then wait til you can. It is hardly surprising they have heavily invested in building and updating exhibits as they have been extensively cited by USDA for their exhibits for over a decade and still continue to be, among other things.
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All I am saying is that they deserve to be recognized for the massive strides that they have made. We can simultaneously recognize that they have made massive improvements while also agreeing that they still have a ways to go in some areas. The recent focus on the original zoo area is great and the next logical step in the remaking of the zoo.
 
SwampDonkey said:
All I am saying is that they deserve to be recognized for the massive strides that they have made. We can simultaneously recognize that they have made massive improvements while also agreeing that they still have a ways to go in some areas. The recent focus on the original zoo area is great and the next logical step in the remaking of the zoo.
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I agree with the principle of this, but I find it a bit hard to give to them when they're still getting cited left and right. Or seemingly ignoring criticism and hoping for the best. They got a critical citation 5 years back for two separate incidents where a jaguar injured guests due to inadequate barriers - photos from '24 and '23 show the barrier still exactly as described in the citation, they appear to be merely hoping nothing further happens. If you have two injuries of the same nature and get in trouble for it, the logical move would be fix it (one would hope anyway...)
 
SwampDonkey said:
A giraffe has been born:

Wildlife World Zoo
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Some more important information; the female calf was named Bailey and she was born on March 15th.
Wildlife World Zoo on Instagram: "Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is thrilled to announce the arrival of a newborn reticulated giraffe, bringing excitement and joy to guests and staff alike! Baby Bailey made her grand debut on March 15, 2025, and at just one week old, she’s already standing an impressive six feet tall! Born strong and healthy, Bailey is thriving under the watchful care of her attentive mother. Both mom and baby are doing great and can be seen daily at the giraffe exhibit, where guests can enjoy a close-up view of the newest addition to the Wildlife World family. Come meet baby Bailey and celebrate the beauty and wonder of giraffes at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park, where your visit helps support conservation and education efforts for future generations! You can support conservation efforts for these amazing animals by registering for the November 1st Sanderson Ford Giraffe Jam Family Fun Run! Visit our website at wildlifeworld.com/events for more information or to register! #newbaby #babygiraffe @savegiraffesnow @sandersonfordaz"
 
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