Zoo Miami Zoo Miami News 2025

Austin the Sengi said:
Recently, the zoo announced that not only will they celebrate the 134-year life of (1.0) Goliath, a Galapagos Giant Tortoise; but they also confirmed that Goliath is now a first-time father to (for now) a single hatchling* who hatched on June 4th!

Subspecies unspecified, @Kifaru Bwana, any ideas?
*one out of a clutch of eight that were laid on January 27th
Click to expand...
The post on Facebook also mentioned that Goliath is a pure Western Santa Cruz Galapagos Giant Tortoise, however it didn't make mention on which variety the mother is, I assume they wouldn't be mixing species(or subspecies depending on which taxonomy you follow)

Zoo Miami
 
Austin the Sengi said:
Recently, the zoo announced that not only will they celebrate the 134-year life of (1.0) Goliath, a Galapagos Giant Tortoise; but they also confirmed that Goliath is now a first-time father to (for now) a single hatchling* who hatched on June 4th!

Subspecies unspecified, @Kifaru Bwana, any ideas?
*one out of a clutch of eight that were laid on January 27th
Click to expand...
The species - not subspecies - as all Galapagos giant tortoises have now been recognised as species in their own right (15 with 3 extinct). The Miami MZ maintains a breeding group of 1.3 Western Santa Cruz giant tortoises Chelonoidis porteri.

Now, this is another phenomenal event hot on the Philadelphia Zoo finally getting their C. porteri to breed. The breeding pair at Miami MZ is M Goliath (b. 1885) and the female of the pair is Sweet Pea (arrived at Crandon Park Zoo in 1960 and around 85-100 years of age). Both individuals had been unrepresented in the SSP for Galapagos giant tortoises untill this successful first hatchling.
 
2 Pieces of June / Piece of July 2025 News Not Mentioned:

On June 4th, the zoo announced they expanded the overlooks at the pygmy hippo, Indian rhino, and Asian elephant exhibits, installed new fencing in the giant eland exhibit, and added new rockwork around and inside the Bornean orangutan, Galapagos tortoise, and Sumatran tiger exhibits.

Zoo Miami

On June 13th, it was announced that the zoo acquired 9 giant horned lizards from Los Angeles Zoo in California.

https://lazoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-Animal-Transaction-Commission-Report-6.2025.pdf

On July 4th, the zoo officially launched a new app which includes pages to buy tickets, food, and check show times/special events, as well as a map of the facility.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=727683006515529

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also on July 25th, the zoo announced that an American flamingo hatched on June 19th, with another flamingo hatched by July 31st.

Zoo Miami

On July 30th, it was announced that the zoo acquired (0.3) northern bald ibises from Rosamond Gifford Zoo in New York on May 7th.

https://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/Summer-2025-MyZoo.pdf

On July 31st, the zoo announced that 2+ emerald starlings hatched between May 29th-31st, 2+ red-breasted geese hatched between July 6th-23rd, 3 azure-winged magpies hatched between July 18th-20th, and 2 metallic starlings hatched between July 29th-30th. This is the first time in Zoo Miami's history to successfully hatch either emerald starling or red-breasted goose.

Zoo Miami

On August 2nd, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) golden lion tamarin named George, which is now on exhibit.

3.2K views · 102 reactions | Celebrate #GoldenLionTamarinDay with us and get to know George, our newest addition to the family...and yes, the hair is natural! ✨ #ZooMiami If you're visiting us today (August 2nd), swing by the Amazon & Beyond section for: Enrichment fun for George at 11:30 am Activities for all ages A special pop-up table in front of his habitat | Zoo Miami
 
After concluding my latest visit to Zoo Miami. I have a few notes and observations to share, in addition to having seen Brianne the Andean Bear at her new home:
  • After a year of being occupied by Servals, their former exhibit in “Africa” is now home to the zoo’s Mongoose Lemurs*.
  • What remains of the former Asian River Life was blocked off with temporary barriers; with the neighboring Komodo Dragon Encounter still open, yet empty of any occupants.
  • Unfortunately, it appears that the zoo no longer has Slender-Horned Gazelles, with the species not being signed in any of the hoofstock moats.
  • Throughout the zoo, there was a lot of staff and construction activity that does affect the number of empty exhibits that are currently vacant of animals.
  • Thankfully, the Wings of Asia aviary was open for visitors; with some areas remaining off-limits. Additionally, at this time, the aviary is open from 11:00 to 4:00, so if you find yourself wanting to head inside the aviary around opening hours; you are likely to wait another hour before going inside.
  • Also, for those who are wondering, they are still using the temporary entrance to get visitors in and out of the aviary.
  • As I was heading towards Wings of Asia, I noticed that the former island for Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs was completely walled off due to construction.
  • Similarly, the moat for the original Mongoose Lemur enclosure has been filled in, with the animals having moved to the former serval enclosure (see the top of the post*).
  • As for the Siamang island, while currently drained and devoid of life; that enclosure did at least have static figures of dinosaurs to make up for their absence (hopefully, it’s temporary).
  • Strangely, over in Amazon and Beyond, the zoo’s adolescent babirusa (1.0) Turbo currently lives in the enclosure usually reserved for giant anteaters.
Fortunately, I was able to see a giant anteater beforehand in one of the ambassador yards; so while it was indeed confusing, it wasn’t a complete miss.
  • Additionally, a solid majority of the Amazon’s interpretive signage has been updated (some for the better, others not so much).
  • This update also includes digital signage for the indoor snake display in the Cloud Forest building; which was not as crisp as one might expect.
  • Outside of the Amazon, the former exhibit for spider monkeys is now signed for painted dogs?! I assume the dogs will be relocated relatively soon, for I didn’t see any in the otherwise empty space; and that the current pair were still present in their original enclosure when I saw them.
  • Finally, I haven’t checked the region’s koala population recently, but it seems like Zoo Miami may now be a former holder of the species. I say this as both of the indoor exhibits that typically held koalas were each occupied by two Matschie’s Tree Kangaroos.
 
Last edited:
Austin the Sengi said:
After concluding my latest to Zoo Miami. I have a few notes and observations to share, in addition to having seen Brianne the Andean Bear at her new home:
  • After a year of being occupied by Servals, their former exhibit in “Africa” is now home to the zoo’s Mongoose Lemurs*.
  • What remains of the former Asian River Life was blocked off with temporary barriers; with the neighboring Komodo Dragon Encounter still open, yet empty of any occupants.
  • Unfortunately, it appears that the zoo no longer has Slender-Horned Gazelles, with the species not being signed in any of the hoofstock moats.
  • Throughout the zoo, there was a lot of staff and construction activity that does affect the number of empty exhibits that are currently vacant of animals.
  • Thankfully, the Wings of Asia aviary was open for visitors; with some areas remaining off-limits. Additionally, at this time, the aviary is open from 11:00 to 4:00, so if you find yourself wanting to head inside the aviary around opening hours; you are likely to wait another hour before going inside.
  • Also, for those who are wondering, they are still using the temporary entrance to get visitors in and out of the aviary.
  • As I was heading towards Wings of Asia, I noticed that the former island for Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs was completely walled off due to construction.
  • Similarly, the moat for the original Mongoose Lemur enclosure has been filled in, with the animals having moved to the former serval enclosure (see the top of the post*).
  • As for the Siamang island, while currently drained and devoid of life; that enclosure did at least have static figures of dinosaurs to make up for their absence (hopefully, it’s temporary).
  • Strangely, over in Amazon and Beyond, the zoo’s adolescent babirusa (1.0) Turbo currently lives in the enclosure usually reserved for giant anteaters.
Fortunately, I was able to see a giant anteater beforehand in one of the ambassador yards; so while it was indeed confusing, it wasn’t a complete miss.
  • Additionally, a solid majority of the Amazon’s interpretive signage has been updated (some for the better, others not so much).
  • This update also includes digital signage for the indoor snake display in the Cloud Forest building; which was not as crisp as one might expect.
  • Outside of the Amazon, the former exhibit for spider monkeys is now signed for painted dogs?! I assume the dogs will be relocated relatively soon, for I didn’t see any in the otherwise empty space; and that the current pair were still present in their original enclosure when I saw them.
  • Finally, I haven’t checked the region’s koala population recently, but it seems like Zoo Miami may now be a former holder of the species. I say this as both of the indoor exhibits that typically held koalas were each occupied by two Matschie’s Tree Kangaroos.
Click to expand...
Any noticeable progress on the new kiwi house? It's been under construction for a while now with almost no updates from the zoo.
 
Charlie the dromedary camel has died.
Zoo Miami on Instagram: "It is with great sadness that Zoo Miami announces the passing of “Charlie,” a dromedary camel that became very popular greeting guests for over 15 years at Zoo Miami’s children’s zoo, known as “Critter Connection.” Charlie was born in 1998 in Wisconsin and arrived at Zoo Miami in 2008. For the last several months, he has been treated for chronic arthritis associated with advanced age, that limited his range of motion and level of comfort. Recently, he developed mobility issues that became progressively worse and despite a range of treatments aimed at providing pain relief and a good quality of life, his condition continued to worsen. With all treatment options exhausted and no other path available for relief, the difficult decision was made by the Animal Health and Animal Science teams to euthanize him this morning. Charlie is probably best known for greeting visitors at the Camel Feeding Experience located within Critter Connection, where guests had the opportunity to feed him some of his favorite treats. Those up close and personal interactions helped endear Charlie to countless individuals over the years. Today, nearly all dromedary camels have been domesticated and can be found in Northern Africa, Southwestern Asia, and Australia where they were introduced in the 1800’s and the largest numbers occur today. Contrary to popular belief, their single hump does not store only water, but rather fat that can provide nourishment when no other food is available. They are highly adapted to desert life and can survive for a week without water while being able drink up to 30 gallons at one time when it is available. In addition, they have exceptionally wide feet that enable them to walk in the desert sand, as well as the ability to close their ears, nostrils and eyes with special eyelids and lashes to protect against sandstorms. : Karli O'Neil : Kristen Kendrick"
 
A critically endangered Jamaican iguana (Cyclura collei) recently hatched:

Zoo Miami on Instagram: "On September 8th, after a 100-day incubation period, a critically endangered Jamaican iguana hatched at Zoo Miami! This island iguana was believed to be extinct since 1948 until an individual was discovered by a pig hunter in 1990. A small population of approximately 50 animals was then rediscovered in the area. Upon that rediscovery, a consortium of 12 zoos worked together to construct a Headstart Facility at the Hope Zoo in Jamaica. Headstart Facilities provide a safe and secure environment where eggs can be incubated, and hatchlings protected from predation. The greatest threats to Jamaican iguanas are mongooses that predate on them. They were introduced from India back in the late 1800’s to help control rat populations on the sugar plantations. Headstart facilities do just what the name implies by “headstarting” the hatchlings and raising them to a size where they can avoid predation and then be released to the wild. Thanks to these efforts, the population is now believed to be between 500-600 individuals. Though this is the 33rd Jamaican iguana hatched at Zoo Miami, it is the first hatching since 2014. It is also significant because it is the first offspring produced by the male named, “Vince,” and only the second produced by the female named, “Fat Girl,” representing significant new blood within the population under human care. : Ron Magill"
 
SeaOtterHQ said:
A critically endangered Jamaican iguana (Cyclura collei) recently hatched:

Zoo Miami on Instagram: "On September 8th, after a 100-day incubation period, a critically endangered Jamaican iguana hatched at Zoo Miami! This island iguana was believed to be extinct since 1948 until an individual was discovered by a pig hunter in 1990. A small population of approximately 50 animals was then rediscovered in the area. Upon that rediscovery, a consortium of 12 zoos worked together to construct a Headstart Facility at the Hope Zoo in Jamaica. Headstart Facilities provide a safe and secure environment where eggs can be incubated, and hatchlings protected from predation. The greatest threats to Jamaican iguanas are mongooses that predate on them. They were introduced from India back in the late 1800’s to help control rat populations on the sugar plantations. Headstart facilities do just what the name implies by “headstarting” the hatchlings and raising them to a size where they can avoid predation and then be released to the wild. Thanks to these efforts, the population is now believed to be between 500-600 individuals. Though this is the 33rd Jamaican iguana hatched at Zoo Miami, it is the first hatching since 2014. It is also significant because it is the first offspring produced by the male named, “Vince,” and only the second produced by the female named, “Fat Girl,” representing significant new blood within the population under human care. : Ron Magill"
Click to expand...
A significant hatching!

I do hope this will be the onset of a new lease of life for the Jamaican iguana ex situ program at Miami Zoo!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top