ZooAmerica ZooAmerica news

Today, ZooAmerica received a two-year-old bull elk, John Henry. He will stay in the rear elk exhibit for the next 30 days.

Also, new heat lamps have been added in both the Southern Swamps and Great Southwest exhibits. Between emitting a bright, white light and potentially being in the way, they make it harder to get a good photo. New lighting fixtures have been added to the Southwest building exhibits as well, including the chuckwalla exhibit (which is still under construction) and the nocturnal hall.

@SaritaWolf I visited last week and saw the Blue Spiny Lizard basking on the big rock under the heat lamps.

@TinoPup The Jolly Rancher aquarium was removed last year, and I suspect, but cannot confirm, that it will return as part of the new Jolly Rancher redeco of the Sidewinder this year.
 
MC Baron said:
Today, ZooAmerica received a two-year-old bull elk, John Henry. He will stay in the rear elk exhibit for the next 30 days.

Also, new heat lamps have been added in both the Southern Swamps and Great Southwest exhibits. Between emitting a bright, white light and potentially being in the way, they make it harder to get a good photo. New lighting fixtures have been added to the Southwest building exhibits as well, including the chuckwalla exhibit (which is still under construction) and the nocturnal hall.

@SaritaWolf I visited last week and saw the Blue Spiny Lizard basking on the big rock under the heat lamps.

@TinoPup The Jolly Rancher aquarium was removed last year, and I suspect, but cannot confirm, that it will return as part of the new Jolly Rancher redeco of the Sidewinder this year.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the updates! I'm excited to hear about the new elk. Not so excited to hear they're doing a Jolly Rancher themed sidewinder exhibit, lol. Do you volunteer with the zoo or just visit often?
 
TinoPup said:
Thanks for the updates! I'm excited to hear about the new elk. Not so excited to hear they're doing a Jolly Rancher themed sidewinder exhibit, lol. Do you volunteer with the zoo or just visit often?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have specified that the Sidewinder roller-coaster is getting a redeco, not the zoo exhibit. I'm a regular visitor at the zoo, sometimes weekly during the summer when Hersheypark is open.
 
TinoPup said:
Thanks for the updates! I'm excited to hear about the new elk. Not so excited to hear they're doing a Jolly Rancher themed sidewinder exhibit, lol. Do you volunteer with the zoo or just visit often?
Click to expand...

HersheyPark is doing a redesign of their ride that was called the Sidewinder, and making it Jolly Rancher themed. I think that’s what they meant. I’m not sure where the tank would go in relation to that ride though.
 
MC Baron said:
Sorry, I should have specified that the Sidewinder roller-coaster is getting a redeco, not the zoo exhibit. I'm a regular visitor at the zoo, sometimes weekly during the summer when Hersheypark is open.
Click to expand...

After I posted, I was wondering if that might have been a roller coaster name :D I'm not a theme park person, clearly.
 
Speaking of sidewinders…

According to a Facebook post, ZooAmerica did a snake swap with Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland. They traded their female sidewinder (who was apparently not getting along with the male anymore) for a female Western Diamondback rattlesnake. Her name is “Cayenne” as she reportedly has a “spicy” personality.
 
The chuckwallas have returned to their exhibit!

The tent in the woodlands patio has been closed off since after Halloween last year for animal holding. Today, I was finally able to get a peek at what was inside-- Atlantic harbor seals. The Aquatheater looks to be getting some work done on it so this must be a temporary arrangement until it's finished.
 
MC Baron said:
The chuckwallas have returned to their exhibit!

The tent in the woodlands patio has been closed off since after Halloween last year for animal holding. Today, I was finally able to get a peek at what was inside-- Atlantic harbor seals. The Aquatheater looks to be getting some work done on it so this must be a temporary arrangement until it's finished.
Click to expand...

Seals?!?
 
MC Baron said:
The seals belong to Oceans of Fun, which is also AZA accredited, and are normally exhibited in the Aquatheater inside Hersheypark for shows. They have California Sea Lions, and have had Atlantic Harbor seals since 2013. Their sea lions winter at their other facility in Milwaukee, but the seals stay in Hershey year-round.
Click to expand...

I knew that part :) I just wasn't expecting a large sea mammal to be under the tent on the little deck space!
 
I went to the zoo today on my Hershey Park trip.
-Keira, the oldest bobcat has passed away earlier this month. She was just a few days shy of her 24th birthday. She had a limp in her old age and there was a sign saying why she was limping but near the end she was very sick, not eating and moving much. She passed in her sleep. She is survived by her son and daughter, Reese and Kit Kat, which zoo staff also call them Fluffy and Boy
-The male elk is on exhibit with the females.
-The machines where we could feed wild geese are out of use, due to avian flu and geese mating season
-Only saw three out of four wolves, and two out of four lynx. A worker said the lynx have access to indoors since it’s hot. May be same about wolves as well.
-Only one armadillo was on-exhibit, not sure where the other is. I also didn’t see the sidewinders, vampire bats and ringtails in the nocturnal hall.
-As mentioned by another person, I found the blue spiny lizard with the chuckwalla but not with the Gila monster.
-Looks like Samson the beaded lizard has left and has been replaced by a new female named Delilah.
-Dora, the Gila monster in the nocturnal hall is no longer there. She is young, so I’d be shocked if she died. The other three were in their usual exhibit.
-The barred owl in the Southern Swamps building is a different owl. The former one died earlier this year and it was very old(late teens.)
-Many birds off exhibit due to the avian flu, including the red tailed hawk, bald eagle, peregrine falcon and snowy owl. Some with roofs were still on like the thick billed parrots and barn owls.
-I’d really hoped to see Ozzy the ocelot in the Southwest building since he’s 22 years old and no one knows how much longer he’ll be around. An ocelot was on the right side so it was Santo as on the website it said Santo likes the right side and Ozzy likes the rock by the sign. A keeper told me as well it was most likely Santo as it was on the right side and not on a rock, and they would not change the ocelots mid day so it wouldn’t change if I went back. Both ocelots look very similar, though. When they are moving all over the place, Ozzy moves slower with a slight limp. He is on fish oil joint vitamins.
 
Last edited:
Some interesting things about ZooAmerica’s beaded lizards. Website says they both are Mexican beaded lizards which are the most common and well known species. Eros looks 100% Mexican but the new lizard, Delilah, and the previous female, Samson, both have less speckles and are darker in color. Rio Fuerte Beaded lizards which are a close relative are generally darker with less spots. Also the markings tend to be a more whitish color than yellow like the Mexican kind. So maybe Samson and Delilah were/are hybrids between different species of beaded lizards?
 
Kevin2342 said:
Some interesting things about ZooAmerica’s beaded lizards. Website says they both are Mexican beaded lizards which are the most common and well known species. Eros looks 100% Mexican but the new lizard, Delilah, and the previous female, Samson, both have less speckles and are darker in color. Rio Fuerte Beaded lizards which are a close relative are generally darker with less spots. Also the markings tend to be a more whitish color than yellow like the Mexican kind. So maybe Samson and Delilah were/are hybrids between different species of beaded lizards?
Click to expand...
Compare/contrast from Philadelphia Zoo: Mexican beaded lizard(first photo) and Rio Fuerte beaded lizard(second photo.) these two are both males. The Mexican beaded lizard in this photo has a unique ‘’seasonal shed’’, he’s gray in the summer and turns darker in the winter.
 

Attachments

  • 553C68BA-2713-4059-9D39-220C42A08A53.jpeg
    553C68BA-2713-4059-9D39-220C42A08A53.jpeg
    162.3 KB · Views: 3
  • 7E84F520-86C1-4F69-89F4-3B29B10B9C3B.jpeg
    7E84F520-86C1-4F69-89F4-3B29B10B9C3B.jpeg
    130.7 KB · Views: 3
MC Baron said:
Shows have resumed at the aquatheater and the woodlands patio is back to normal.

The aquatheater has received some upgrades and is now home to a Gray Seal.
Click to expand...

Where in the zoo is the aquatheater? I don't see it on the map and there's no photos in the gallery.
 
Unfortunately, male wolf Husker has passed from anasthesia complications following a neuter. Husker was the playful “troublemaker” of the group.

The zoo has reported that remaining male Twister and the two females Hazel and Freya are doing well.
 
SaritaWolf said:
Unfortunately, male wolf Husker has passed from anasthesia complications following a neuter. Husker was the playful “troublemaker” of the group.

The zoo has reported that remaining male Twister and the two females Hazel and Freya are doing well.
Click to expand...
Pretty sad. I wondered what kind of subspecies they are.
 
It was really disappointing to see that news this morning. The wolves have been my favorite animals to watch at ZooAmerica since the two females arrived. I noticed one of the males was missing the past few visits, but didn't think much of it since they have places to hide out of view.

@CarLover The white wolves were 1/4 Arctic wolf.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top