Zoo Miami Zoo Miami News 2024

Zoo Miami's Ron Magill interviewed by Forbes about the zoo's efforts to save the harpy eagle and other species:
When did Zoo Miami receive its first harpy eagles, and when did the first successful hatching occur?

Zoo Miami received its pair of harpy eagles in 2002. In 2009, Zoo Miami successfully hatched its first harpy eagle in captivity. This eagle was later sent to the Summit Zoo and Gardens in Panama to serve as a wildlife ambassador for the Harpy Eagle Project, educating visitors about this powerful bird and its tropical forest habitat.

You worked with Zoo Miami to request that the Panamanian government grant additional protections to the country's native harpy eagles back in 2002. Was this a lengthy process or did it happen quickly?

The process of securing additional protections for harpy eagles in Panama was quite a journey for me. It all started in 1990, when I visited a local zoo in Panama and saw harpy eagles kept in terrible conditions. I was deeply moved and knew I needed to do something. So, I reached out to my friend and co-host of Wild Kingdom Jim Fowler for support, knowing that if people saw him next to me, they’d be more likely to listen to our cause.

Jim agreed to come to Panama with me, and it paid off. With funding from Sony and the Panama City’s Mayor’s office, we built the Harpy Eagle Center at Summit Municipal Park that opened in August of 1993, and on April 10th, 2002, the harpy eagle was officially named the national bird of Panama. Now, when you visit Panama, you can see these majestic birds represented everywhere, from billboards to police department badges.
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What are some other wildlife conservation projects that Zoo Miami has had success with in the past?

Zoo Miami has been involved with and directly supported dozens of in-situ conservation projects around the world ranging from cheetah conservation in Africa to jaguar conservation in Brazil. Closer to home, Zoo Miami’s Conservation and Research Department has helped lead location conservation projects that have been instrumental to protecting a wide variety of wildlife ranging from endangered butterflies and bats to keystone species such as the threatened gopher tortoise and the endangered Florida panther. In total, in addition to hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind services, Zoo Miami provides over $100,000 of direct funding annually through its conservation funds dedicated to in-situ conservation.
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Saving The Harpy Eagle: An Interview With Conservationist Ron Magill
 
Zoo Miami have had to take all their great apes off of exhibit as the FWC has said their moats no longer meet the requirements to house the species. This is the excerpt from the zoo's website

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

At Zoo Miami, animal well-being is our top priority. Recently, we’ve worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) to ensure compliance with updated regulations. Their review highlighted that our aging moat habitats, built over 40 years ago, no longer meet the new regulations for housing great apes, including Orangutans, Gorillas, and Chimpanzees.

At no point has our animal’s well-being or care been in question; our dedicated staff provides the best possible care. The updated regulations concern the width required for moated systems, which we can no longer meet or achieve without significant modifications.

Our great apes have been temporarily transitioned to secure holding areas to prioritize well-being and compliance while we plan long-term solutions. Our immediate focus is constructing specialized facilities to ensure their care during this transition, giving us time to redesign state-of-the-art habitats thoughtfully.

Plans include preserving Zoo Miami’s iconic open vistas while creating immersive, comfortable experiences for animals and guests. We appreciate the community’s understanding and support as we take these essential steps to enhance animal welfare and improve our Zoo for generations to come.
 
There are 3 questions that came up to me with this news:
1. Were there any escapes of apes because of the width/form/deep of the moat?
2. Were there any accidents because of the width/form/deep of the moat?
3. Is there any impact of animal well being because of those "old" moat habitats?
 
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