Minnesota Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Zoo is an AZA
-accredited zoo
in Apple Valley, Minnesota
. When it opened on May 22, 1978 it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment as opposed to their species. Exhibits are arrayed in six themed areas, including three themed walking trails ranging from one to two miles in length:
The Minnesota Zoo is a state agency. This differs from other zoos in Minnesota and most zoos in the United States, which are run by municipalities or private organizations. The Minnesota Zoo charges admission and sells annual memberships.
It is also home to a high school, the School of Environmental Studies
.
which is run year round. A few of the animals that can be seen along this trail:
However, visitors should note that in summer 2010 the former sun bear exhibit became home to a variety of animals, including Dwarf Crocodiles and rock hyrax. The Former Nocturnal animal area will be converted into a reptile hallway.
s with over 1.1 million gallons of water. Guests have an opportunity to touch sharks, rays, starfish and sea anemones in the Discovery Bay's interactive estuary and tide pool. In addition to the aquarium, guests can see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins
"Semo," "Allie," and their calf "Taijah," in the window to the Dolphin aquarium in the Great Hall. At the entrance to the Tropics building, you can see the Wyland
mural titled “Our Ocean Family,” dedicated September 8, 1997.
Some of the animals contained in this exhibit:
In March 2006, One of the dolphins, Rio, died at 35. She came to the Minnesota Zoo from the New York Aquarium
in 1980. Rio gave birth to four calves at the Minnesota Zoo. One of Rio's calves, 7 month old Harley, died earlier in January 2006 in a freak accident. He had been learning to swim between the pools when he jumped out of the water, and hit his head on the deck between the pools. Another dolphin, "Ayla", who suffered from Scoliosis
or curvature of the spine, was euthanized at age 14 in December 2006. She had stopped eating and stopped responding to her medication. At that time the remaining dolphins at the zoo were "Spree," "Chinook" and "Semo."
In 2007, the zoo shipped Chinook, a 24-year-old male, to the National Aquarium
in Baltimore. Chinook was moved because the aquarium had seven adult females and no adult males. Chinook fathered a calf and then moved to the Brookfield Zoo
in 2010.
Allie, and her mother, "April" were additions to the Minnesota Zoo's Bottlenose Dolphin Family in 2008. Both arrived on January 14th, 2008 from Dolphin Connection in Florida.
In September 2009, three Bottlenose Dolphins from the Brookfield Zoo
in Brookfield, Illinois, arrived at the Discovery Bay habitat while their home stadium; the Seven Seas Dolphinarium, underwent a massive upgrade and restoration process. The three dolphins, Tapeko, and her daughters Noelani and Allison, remained in Minnesota for roughly six months until the restoration process in Brookfield was completed in the Spring of 2010. This eventually brought the Minnesota Zoo's dolphin population up to 7.
It was also recently confirmed through the zoo's blog that "Spree" the zoo's 8 year old female dolphin, was to return to The Brookfield Zoo along with the other three dolphins once the renovating of the Brookfield dolphin stadium was completed. On April 15th, 2010, Tapeko, Noelani, and Allison, made the return trip back to the Brookfield Zoo with Spree along with them.
On Feb. 15, 2011, April passed away and a necropsy was pending to determine cause of death. April was around 42 years old, making her one of the older bottlenose dolphins known in human care.
Family Farm, which was opened in May 2000, is one of the areas at the zoo where people can touch and interact with domestic animals. The farm contains a collection of goats, sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, and horses. The Farm, a seasonal exhibit, is open every day beginning in April and the popular "Farm Babies" event and runs from April 1-April 30. It is the open weekends through October before closing for the winter.
, Amur Leopards
, and wild boars in environments reminiscent of their homes in the Russian Far East
. Considered the Zoo's biggest undertaking since the building of Discovery Bay, Russia's Grizzly Coast opened in June, 2008.
s.
in 1978 and transferred to the zoo shorthly thereafter. The pair became an instant sensation at the zoo. In later years, however, a bone infection found within "Big Mouth's" jawbone (resulting from a collision with one of the tank fixtures), forced the immediate transfer of both whales to SeaWorld San Diego
in the hopes of obtaining a more sophisticated means of veterinary treatment. In April of 1987, a crowd of nearly 30,000 people filled the gates of the Minnesota Zoo to bid their final farewells to the two whales, who were transferred out of the zoo shortly thereafter. Little Girl died of heart failure on June 13th, 1989 at the age of fourteen. Big Mouth, whose bone infection eventually proved to be fatal, was euthanized on July 16th, 1990. He was 17 years old.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
-accredited zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
in Apple Valley, Minnesota
Apple Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,527 people, 16,344 households, and 12,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,625.5 people per square mile . There were 16,536 housing units at an average density of 953.6 per square mile...
. When it opened on May 22, 1978 it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment as opposed to their species. Exhibits are arrayed in six themed areas, including three themed walking trails ranging from one to two miles in length:
- Medtronic Minnesota Trail, featuring animals native to Minnesota
- Northern Trail, featuring animals of the north (above the 45th parallel north)
- Tropics Trail, an indoor walking trail featuring animals from the tropics
- Discovery Bay, an activity area themed around marine wildlife
- Russia's Grizzly Coast, a part-indoor, part-outdoor new multi-million exhibit featuring animals from Russia's Far East and the Kamchatka Peninsula.
- Wells Fargo Family Farm, a petting zooPetting zooA petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
themed around farm animals
The Minnesota Zoo is a state agency. This differs from other zoos in Minnesota and most zoos in the United States, which are run by municipalities or private organizations. The Minnesota Zoo charges admission and sells annual memberships.
It is also home to a high school, the School of Environmental Studies
School of Environmental Studies
The School of Environmental Studies is an optional two-year high school in Apple Valley, Minnesota, United States. Also known as the "Zoo School" because of its active partnership with the Minnesota Zoo and its 12 acre site on zoo property, the school embraces project-based learning with an...
.
The Medtronic Minnesota Trail
The Medtronic Minnesota Trail features animals that are native to Minnesota. The Trail, which had been nearly the same since it opened in 1978, was reopened in 2007 after a year-long renovation. The new trail features a "north woods" look and includes exhibits for raccoons, coyotes, and gray wolves together with long-time residents like beaver, otter, puma, and lynx. Smaller Minnesota animals, like turtles, frogs, and salamanders, are featured in the exhibit’s “trailhead,” which is styled after a lodge. The quarter-mile Trail takes guests through more than fifteen wildlife exhibits where they experience a variety of Minnesota landscapes, ranging from views into a beaver pond, a walk alongside a northern forest glade, and a bird-watching perch in the treetops. The Minnesota Zoo received the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) 2008 Significant Achievement Award for this trail. Details on more of the animals:- WolverineWolverineThe wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
(Gulo gulo) - American BeaverAmerican BeaverThe North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
(Castor canadensis) - Cougar (Puma concolor)
- Canadian Lynx (lynx canadensis)
- River OtterRiver OtterNot to be confused with the animal Otter or the River Ottery in CornwallThe River Otter rises in the Blackdown Hills just inside the county of Somerset, near Otterford, then flows south for some 32 km through East Devon to the English Channel at the western end of Lyme Bay, part of...
(Lontra canadensis) - North American PorcupineNorth American PorcupineThe North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
(Erethizon dorsatum) - Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Pileated WoodpeckerPileated WoodpeckerThe Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
(Dryocopus pileatus) - CoyoteCoyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
(Canis latrans) - Gray wolfGray WolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
(Canis lupus) - FisherFisher (animal)The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...
(Martes pennati) - American black bearAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
(Ursus americanus) (Opening in Fall 2012) - Minnesota Herps
The Northern Trail
The Northern Trail contains a 3/4-mile walk that allows visitors to see the animals found north of the 45th parallel. The Northern trail can also be seen from the zoo's monorailMonorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
which is run year round. A few of the animals that can be seen along this trail:
- Amur TigerAmur TigerThe Siberian tiger , also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult-subadult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult...
(Panthera tigris altaica) - DholeDholeThe dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
(Cuon alpinus) (Opening December 2011) - Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
- Przewalski's HorsePrzewalski's HorsePrzewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
(Equus ferus przewalskii or Equus caballus przewalskii) - Bactrian camelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
(Camelus bactrianus) - TakinTakinThe Takin , also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor...
(Budorcas taxicolor) - BisonBisonMembers of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
(B. bison) - Musk OxMusk OxThe muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
(Ovibos moschatus) - MooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
(Alces alces) - Black-tailed Prairie DogBlack-tailed Prairie DogThe black-tailed prairie dog , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen aboveground in...
(Cynomys luvodicianus) - Canada GooseCanada GooseThe Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
(Branta canadensis) - Goitered GazelleGoitered GazelleThe Goitered, Black-tailed or Persian gazelle is a gazelle found in the north part of Azerbaijan, in a large area of central Asia, including part of Iran and southern west Pakistan in the western end of the range, as well as the Gobi desert...
(Gazzella antilopenia) - PronghornPronghornThe pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
(Antilocapra americana) - Trumpeter SwanTrumpeter SwanThe Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
(Cygnus buccinator)
The Tropics Trail
The Tropics Trail is an indoor trail that gives the impression of being in the Rain Forest. The Tropics Trail contains a variety of animals, including:- White Cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus concolor)
- Tree-kangarooTree-kangarooTree-kangaroos are macropods adapted for life in trees. They are found in the rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland, and nearby islands. Although most are found in mountainous areas, several species also occur in lowlands, such as the aptly named Lowlands Tree-kangaroo...
(Dendrolagus ursinus) - Ring-tailed LemurRing-tailed LemurThe ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
(Lemur catta) - BinturongBinturongThe Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
(Arctictis binturong) - Komodo DragonKomodo dragonThe Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
(Varanus komodoensis) - Red PandaRed PandaThe red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
(Ailurus fulgens) - Golden Lion TamarinGolden Lion TamarinThe golden lion tamarin also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae...
(Leontopithecus rosalia) - Greater Indian Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)
- TamanduaTamanduaTamandua is a genus of anteaters. It has two members: the Southern Tamandua and the Northern Tamandua . They live in forests and grasslands, are semi-arboreal, and possess partially prehensile tails. They mainly eat ants and termites, but they occasionally eat bees, beetles, and insect larvae...
(Tamandua tetradactyla) - Greater Mouse-deerGreater Mouse-deerThe Greater mouse-deer, Greater Malay chevrotain or napu is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. It is found in Sumatra, Borneo and smaller Malaysian and Indonesian islands, and in southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia...
(Tragulus napu) - Visayan Warty PigVisayan warty pigThe Visayan Warty Pig, Sus cebifrons, is a critically endangered species of pig. The Visayan warty pig is endemic to two of the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines, and is threatened by habitat loss, food shortages and hunting - these are the leading causes of the Visayan Warty Pig's status...
(Sus cebifrons) - Lesser FlamingoLesser FlamingoThe Lesser Flamingo is a species in the flamingo family of birds that resides in Africa and in southern Asia...
(Phoenicopterus minor) - Burmese PythonBurmese PythonThe Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
(Python molurus bivittatus) - Asian Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea)
- Linnaeus's Two-toed SlothLinnaeus's Two-toed SlothLinnaeus's two-toed sloth , also known as the Southern two-toed sloth or unau, is a species of sloth from South America, found in Venezuela, the Guyanas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil north of the Amazon River....
(Choloepus didactylus) - Clouded LeopardClouded LeopardThe clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
(Panthera nebulosa) - Dwarf CrocodileDwarf CrocodileThe dwarf crocodile is an African species of crocodile. It is also the smallest extant crocodile species in the world. Recent sampling has identified three genetically distinct populations...
(Osteolaemus tetraspis) - Red River HogRed River HogThe red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...
(Potamochoerus porcus) - Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
- DeBrazza's Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)
- Mantled GuerezaMantled GuerezaThe mantled guereza , also known simply as the guereza, the eastern black-and-white colobus, or the Abyssinian black-and-white colobus, is a black and white colobus monkey, a kind of Old World monkey...
(Colobus guereza)
However, visitors should note that in summer 2010 the former sun bear exhibit became home to a variety of animals, including Dwarf Crocodiles and rock hyrax. The Former Nocturnal animal area will be converted into a reptile hallway.
Discovery Bay
The Discovery Bay is the marine center of the zoo. It contains several aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s with over 1.1 million gallons of water. Guests have an opportunity to touch sharks, rays, starfish and sea anemones in the Discovery Bay's interactive estuary and tide pool. In addition to the aquarium, guests can see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
"Semo," "Allie," and their calf "Taijah," in the window to the Dolphin aquarium in the Great Hall. At the entrance to the Tropics building, you can see the Wyland
Wyland
Robert Wyland , known simply as Wyland, is an artist best known for painting large, outdoor murals of whales and other ocean life.-Personal life:...
mural titled “Our Ocean Family,” dedicated September 8, 1997.
Some of the animals contained in this exhibit:
- Bottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
(Tursiops truncatus) - Horn SharkHorn sharkThe horn shark is a species of bullhead shark, family Heterodontidae. It is endemic to the coastal waters off the western coast of North America, from California to the Gulf of California. Young sharks are segregated spatially from the adults, with the former preferring deeper sandy flats and the...
(Heterodontus francisci) - SwellsharkSwellsharkThe swellshark, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean between latitudes 40° N and 37° S, from the surface to 460 m....
(Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) - Leopard sharkLeopard sharkThe leopard shark is a species of houndshark, family Triakidae, found along the Pacific coast of North America from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico...
(Triakis semifasciata) - Grey Nurse SharkGrey nurse sharkThe sand tiger shark or grey nurse shark is a species of shark that inhabits coastal waters worldwide. It lives very close to the shorelines and beaches of North America, hence the name, sand tiger shark. Despite a fearsome appearance and strong swimming abilities, it is a relatively placid and...
(Carcharias taurus) - Bat rayBat rayThe bat ray, Myliobatis californica, is an eagle ray found in muddy or sandy sloughs, estuaries and bays, kelp beds and rocky-bottomed shoreline in the eastern Pacific Ocean, between the Oregon coast and the Gulf of California. It is also found in the area around the Galápagos Islands. The largest...
(Myliobatis californica) - Weedy Sea DragonWeedy sea dragonPhyllopteryx taeniolatus, the weedy seadragon or common seadragon, is a marine fish related to the seahorse. It is the only member of the genus Phyllopteryx. Adult weedy seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple markings; they have small leaf-like appendages that provide camouflage...
(Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Dolphin aquarium
As of 2011, the pod consists of 45 year old Semo, 23 year old Allie, and Semo and Allie's calf, Taijah. Dolphin shows at the zoo are currently on hiatus in 2011. Semo is now in his mid 40s, and the zoo feels it is best for them to avoid the more high-energetic behaviors usually performed by the younger members of the group. In November of 2009, it was confirmed by ultrasound that Allie was pregnant yet again, by Semo this time as well. The female calf was born on July 17, 2010 and through a Facebook vote was named Tajiah in late 2010. Semo had impregnated Allie in Mid 2008. However, Allie suffered a stillbirth on March 26th 2009, much to the disappointment of Zoo Staff.In March 2006, One of the dolphins, Rio, died at 35. She came to the Minnesota Zoo from the New York Aquarium
New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, having opened in Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan in 1896. Since 1957, it has been located on the boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The aquarium is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society as...
in 1980. Rio gave birth to four calves at the Minnesota Zoo. One of Rio's calves, 7 month old Harley, died earlier in January 2006 in a freak accident. He had been learning to swim between the pools when he jumped out of the water, and hit his head on the deck between the pools. Another dolphin, "Ayla", who suffered from Scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
or curvature of the spine, was euthanized at age 14 in December 2006. She had stopped eating and stopped responding to her medication. At that time the remaining dolphins at the zoo were "Spree," "Chinook" and "Semo."
In 2007, the zoo shipped Chinook, a 24-year-old male, to the National Aquarium
National Aquarium
There are two institutions called National Aquarium in the United States:* the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.* the National Aquarium in BaltimoreThere is a National Aquarium in Australia* the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra...
in Baltimore. Chinook was moved because the aquarium had seven adult females and no adult males. Chinook fathered a calf and then moved to the Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo is zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. The zoo covers an area of and houses around 450 species of animals....
in 2010.
Allie, and her mother, "April" were additions to the Minnesota Zoo's Bottlenose Dolphin Family in 2008. Both arrived on January 14th, 2008 from Dolphin Connection in Florida.
In September 2009, three Bottlenose Dolphins from the Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo is zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. The zoo covers an area of and houses around 450 species of animals....
in Brookfield, Illinois, arrived at the Discovery Bay habitat while their home stadium; the Seven Seas Dolphinarium, underwent a massive upgrade and restoration process. The three dolphins, Tapeko, and her daughters Noelani and Allison, remained in Minnesota for roughly six months until the restoration process in Brookfield was completed in the Spring of 2010. This eventually brought the Minnesota Zoo's dolphin population up to 7.
It was also recently confirmed through the zoo's blog that "Spree" the zoo's 8 year old female dolphin, was to return to The Brookfield Zoo along with the other three dolphins once the renovating of the Brookfield dolphin stadium was completed. On April 15th, 2010, Tapeko, Noelani, and Allison, made the return trip back to the Brookfield Zoo with Spree along with them.
On Feb. 15, 2011, April passed away and a necropsy was pending to determine cause of death. April was around 42 years old, making her one of the older bottlenose dolphins known in human care.
Wells Fargo Family Farm
The Minnesota Zoo's Wells FargoWells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Family Farm, which was opened in May 2000, is one of the areas at the zoo where people can touch and interact with domestic animals. The farm contains a collection of goats, sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, and horses. The Farm, a seasonal exhibit, is open every day beginning in April and the popular "Farm Babies" event and runs from April 1-April 30. It is the open weekends through October before closing for the winter.
- Cow (Bos taurus)
- ChickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
(Gallus gallus domesticus) - GoatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
(Capra hircus) - HorseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
(Equus caballus) - PigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
(Sus scrofa domesticus) - RabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
(Oryctolagus cuniculus) - Sheep (Ovis aries)
Russia's Grizzly Coast
The Zoo's "Russia's Grizzly Coast" exhibit gives guests a chance to see animals that live around Russia's Pacific coast, including sea otters, grizzly bears, Amur tigersAmur Tiger
The Siberian tiger , also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult-subadult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult...
, Amur Leopards
Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard , also known as the Far Eastern leopard, Korean leopard, and Manchurian leopard is one of nine recognised subspecies of leopard. It is a wild feline predator native to the mountainous areas of the Russian Far East. It used to inhabit the forests of Korea and China, but it has...
, and wild boars in environments reminiscent of their homes in the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
. Considered the Zoo's biggest undertaking since the building of Discovery Bay, Russia's Grizzly Coast opened in June, 2008.
3M Penguins of the African Coast
On July 9th, 2011, the Zoo premiered a new exhibit focused on African penguinAfrican Penguin
The African Penguin , also known as the Black-footed Penguin is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters. It is known as Brilpikkewyn in Afrikaans, Inguza or Unombombiya in Xhosa, Manchot Du Cap in French and Pingüino Del Cabo in Spanish...
s.
Other attractions
The Great Clips IMAX Theatre is located on Zoo grounds, along with an outdoor amphitheater that is used for bird shows during summer zoo hours and after-hours concerts for its "Music in the Zoo" series.Past Exhibits
One of the first and perhaps most popular exhibits at the zoo was the beluga whale exhibit. The exhibit was home to two Belugas, a male by the name of Anookalik (nicknamed "Big Mouth"), and a female by the name of Anana (nicknamed "Little Girl"). Both whales were captured from Hudson BayHudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
in 1978 and transferred to the zoo shorthly thereafter. The pair became an instant sensation at the zoo. In later years, however, a bone infection found within "Big Mouth's" jawbone (resulting from a collision with one of the tank fixtures), forced the immediate transfer of both whales to SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group....
in the hopes of obtaining a more sophisticated means of veterinary treatment. In April of 1987, a crowd of nearly 30,000 people filled the gates of the Minnesota Zoo to bid their final farewells to the two whales, who were transferred out of the zoo shortly thereafter. Little Girl died of heart failure on June 13th, 1989 at the age of fourteen. Big Mouth, whose bone infection eventually proved to be fatal, was euthanized on July 16th, 1990. He was 17 years old.
External links
- http://www.mnzoo.org
- http://whopooped.org
- Article about Russia's Grizzly Coast groundbreaking.