In 2014 the - then - Federal Governor announced the injection of considerable funding for renovation of zoo exhibits and new zoo facilities for quarantine, rehabilitation, education and visitor facilities.
Out of the aforementioned projects' range … the quarantine building has been built. I also believe an education facility has been built. Zoo classes are now a regular phenomenon in the Zoo de Zacango.
Further for 2013/ early 2014
* 2 reticulated giraffe (I am afraid probably crossbreeds with US/AZA bloodlines in them)
* 4 African lions
* new jaguar arrived from another Mexican zoo (no sex or further details).
Animal exchange news relating to 2015:
Link: CUENTA EL ZOOLÓGICO ZACANGO CON NUEVOS EJEMPLARES
* 1.1 hyaena (hyenas pardas is actually brown hyaena, whether it is indeed the brown is under review by yours truly, so I left it open ..)
* 2 white crested cockatoo
* 2 Moluccan cockatoo
* 3.2 Japanese macaque
* 1 jaguar (Mexican zoo - for diversifying bloodlines and the conservation breeding program)
All were undergoing quarantine at the time.
Kids were invited to the summer school classes for Zoo Verano 2015.
2016 news - 1.1 Mexican wolf cubs born on 11/5/2016. A first for the zoo and their breeding pair Naran x Luna. Nice little detail here, the pair only arrived in December 2015!
Other facts the article from August 2016 signals:
Zoo stats: 30 breeding pairs and 22 released to the wild. Total zoo population across North America 256 individuals (Mexico: 10 individuals at the time). Total wild population was 17 in Mexico and 110 in US territories.
2.0 white rhino arrive 25/2/2016
Link: DOS RINOCERONTES BLANCOS LLEGAN AL ZOOLÓGICO DE ZACANGO
Note: I assume they are M Omari (14) previously at Jack's TWP and New Jersey's Ferndale import / export facility and M Moose (10) born at Tampa Busch Gardens. They would fit the descriptions in the feature article.
Also their former M Pop had died the previous year in February 2015:
(Link: MUERE DE VEJEZ RINOCERONTE BLANCO EN EL ZOOLÓGICO DE ZACANGO)
This probably signaled both 1.1 original Zacango animals had deceased by 2015. However, I cannot find any reference to their F Sy / Su (she was actually wild born in 1969 in South Africa) though either way. But assume long since deceased.
BTW: Zoo Zacango was reportedly the first Mexican zoo that bred white rhino in the early 1980's according to the article here. I am afraid my studbook data do not show Zoo Zacango as having done so. I do have listings for Zoologico de Guadalajara and Zoologico de Morelia and Puebla - Africam Safari.
HINT: It would be really nice if US zoos started sending over female white rhinos to Mexican zoos so these 3 last can reinvigorate the captive-breeding program they had since the late 1970's. It would surely help if Mexican zoos started a consortium to import direct from wild as well (as Africam Safari has done for their African elephant group).
Some additional information on the 2013 breeding of (Mexican) jaguars:
The Zoo de Zacango maintains 1.2 indiviudals and the male was bred to both females. Both females gave birth to a single cub, 0.1 born 29/5 and 1.0 4/8 melanistic form.
Zacango Zoo welcomed its newest arrival when 22-year-old Tamba gave birth to a healthy baby hippo. Her previous birthing attempts were unsuccessful but this new calf appears healthy.
"Its health condition at the moment is stable. It has been observed with its mother and they go everywhere together. They go into the water together, go out to eat. In recent days we have observed it and it appears to be well."
The calf has been bonding so closely to its mother that keepers are yet to determine the sex or even give it a name.
The lions cubs are a male and two females and were born August 13 to Popeye and Barbara. They’re the first birth of their species in almost five years.
The cubs are being handraised after Barbara failed to produce milk.