Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo News 2013

Another set of fantastic photos of the jaguar cubs:

Woodland Park Zoo Blog: Jaguar cubs ace their final exams)

Latest in the baby boom? The zoo's first giraffe to be born in 16 years is due any day now:

Woodland Park Zoo Blog: Zoo’s giraffe due to give birth any day)

WPZ has been experiencing an unprecedented baby boom, and during the past 8 months there has been a lot of high-profile youngsters born at the zoo. Babies include 4 Lions, 3 Jaguars, 2 Sloth Bears, at least 5 Humboldt Penguins, 1 Red-Crowned Crane, 1 North American Porcupine...and off-exhibit for now are several Asian Small-Clawed Otter pups and 1 Matschie's Tree Kangaroo.
 
The Honeyeaters, Masked Lapwings, and Laughing Kookaburras have recently gone back on exhibit after their enclosure was refurbished and replanted.
 
I visited the zoo last Friday, only to be completely underwhelmed by the elephant enclosure. I was very disappointed by the indoor space provided to the three cows. In winter months, where outdoor access is limited, they would each have space to essentially turn around in the stalls... Out door space was more than enough for the present herd size, however... Bamboo, the older Asian cow was isolated. As I expected, but following the focus group's findings I expected efforts to integrate her to be more apparent. All and all, the exhibit, with it's abundant shade, varied topography, and swimming/wading opportunities could hold its own in the 21st century (with perhaps a slight expansion into the trees and area that was once the FC demo yard) and of course a necessary expansion of the barn and a revision of its herd grouping (still don't understand why Watato was not transferred to Oakland or San Diego SP prior to the opening of the Asian forest?).
 
All and all, the exhibit, with it's abundant shade, varied topography, and swimming/wading opportunities could hold its own in the 21st century (with perhaps a slight expansion into the trees and area that was once the FC demo yard) and of course a necessary expansion of the barn and a revision of its herd grouping (still don't understand why Watato was not transferred to Oakland or San Diego SP prior to the opening of the Asian forest?).

This exhibit was truly state-of-the-art when it opened 25 years ago, but now they have the problem that many urban zoos do in that the exhibit is only about 1/3 the size that modern elephants exhibits are (or even smaller than that?) and they have very limited space to expand, or maybe none.
 
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