Zoo News

Ground Hog Day at the Zoo

Thursday, February 2

Ground hog

The Milwaukee County Zoo’s Ground Hog, Wynter,
to make Expert Weather Prediction

Ground hog day festivitiesThe Milwaukee County Zoo’s resident ground hog, Wynter, will take center stage in the annual weather prediction festivities on Ground Hog Day, Thursday, February 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the Zoo’s Northwestern Mutual Family Farm.

Wynter did not see her shadow, and Zoo Director Charles Wikenhauser made the declaration that "spring is on its way!" Thank you to all of the visitors who joined us for the ceremony, including the Milwaukee Montessori School. Wynter is now back in her "burrow" in the Zoo's Animal Encounter Building, and enjoying a bit of rest after the festivities.

 

Meet the Zoo's New Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs

Recently, the Zoo welcomed a group of three prairie dogs to its collection.  The group is made up of all males, and came to us from Scovill Zoo in Decatur, Illinois.  Their ages are estimated at 3 years.

Prairie dogs live in social units called coteries, consisting of an adult male, several adult females and their young.  Resources are shared within the territory and no one animal is dominant within the coterie.  Several coteries form “towns,” which may cover areas up to 160 acres!  New territories are set up when adults move out of an established coterie.  The burrows are often surrounded by crater-shaped mounds of earth to help prevent flooding.

Within the Zoo’s coterie, there seems to be one prairie dog that is more adventurous than the others, based on how he investigated the exhibit initially.  One of the members seems shyer, and not seen as often as the other two.  For their diets, our group eats Purina Lab Diet monkey biscuits, along with browse and hay.  They also eat many of the plants growing in their exhibit.

Milwaukee County Zoo iPhone App Now Available

Black rhinos

The Milwaukee County Zoo would like to announce the release of its new guide via the uGuideMe iPhone App. This is an interactive multimedia guide that provides information about all areas and aspects of the Zoo, including directions, ride information, prices, animal information and more.

The Zoo’s guide contains more than 50 different points of interest where users can view interesting and educational facts about their favorite exhibits via web and pictures. The guide also includes information about dining options and menus, gift shops, ATM locations and restrooms, to mention a few.

Anyone with an iPhone or iTouch can download and use the guide for a one-time cost of $0.99. Users will not only get to view the Milwaukee County Zoo’s guide, but all other guides in the uGuideMe database for no additional charge.

The Milwaukee County Zoo guide can be accessed by downloading the uGuideMe application on Apple’s App Store by searching “uguideme” and then searching “milwaukee county zoo”.

UGuiceMe is offered by Mobile Excursions, LLC of Kingston, MA.

 

New Outdoor Bonobo Exhibit Now Open

Bonobo exhibit

A new outdoor bonobo exhibit is now open at the Milwaukee County Zoo and is located next to the Stearns Family Apes of Africa building.

The outdoor exhibit is one of three major upgrades to the Zoo’s bonobo area and was made possible by Milwaukee County and an anonymous grant to the Zoological Society.

Bonobos are native to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but due to rainforest destruction and poaching, bonobo population is declining. This makes them among the six African primate species highest in conservation priority. Bonobos are also rare in captivity. On average, zoos have seven times as many chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans as they do bonobos.

The new exhibit, inspired by the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, was built to make the bonobos feel closer to their natural environment in Africa, where they spend most of their time high up in trees.

This outdoor exhibit features two loops of mesh chutes, towers and playrooms, which range from 4 to 26 feet off the ground. “The higher they are, the happier they are,” said bonobo zookeeper Barbara Bell.

The bonobos will be able to look down to see the western lowland gorillas in their outdoor yard as well as Zoo visitors watching them. Visitors will be entertained by the loud, active bonobos running through the chutes and playing near the treetops.

Bonobo ExhibitWhen outside temperatures are warm enough, at least 60 degrees, the Zoo’s 17 bonobos that make up the troop will be able to exit the Apes of Africa building to climb on the nearly 500 feet of passageways that wind through the woods.

In addition to the new outdoor exhibit, there are also new additions to the indoor bonobo exhibit, which include new graphics and interactive displays. Visitors can view videos of Dr. Gay Reinartz, the Zoological Society’s conservation coordinator, as she travels through the Congo surveying the forest for bonobos.

The new graphics at the bonobo indoor exhibit will also give visitors insights into great ape research being done at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Some of this video includes Emery University (Georgia) researchers describing tests they have given our Zoo’s bonobos, where the bonobos tested as smart as children on some of the exams.

Both of these new exhibit areas focusing on the bonobo troop are permanent features at the Zoo. For more information, please contact the Zoo’s Public Affairs and Services Division at (414) 256-5466.

Meet the Zoo’s New Elk

Elk

Two new female elk can now be seen on exhibit in the Zoo’s Elk Yard. Both females were born in spring of 2010 and came to our Zoo this summer from a private farm.

Elk are relatives of deer, but are much larger. In the wild, they can be found mostly in mountainous areas of western North America. Male elk, also called bulls, can have antlers that grow up to 4 feet above their head so that the animal towers 9 feet off the ground.

The new elk are not exactly shy, but on exhibit they like to stick together because sometimes the older elk, also in the yard, have been known to chase them. They will also spend time in the barn together.

Don’t worry if you stop by the Elk Yard and don’t see the elk immediately; they are usually shifted off exhibit in the morning for cleaning and feeding. When they are on exhibit, usually you can see them grazing in their yard, or near their pool.

Happy the Hippo Update

Happy Update: Fall 2011

Happy the Hippo

Happy is indeed happy here at the Milwaukee County Zoo. His keepers said everyday he gets to eat two full bales of hay, fruits, vegetables and 10 pounds of high fiber grain or pellets during his training sessions. His most recent weight measurement is approximately 5,234 pounds.

Training for Happy is progressing at somewhat of a slow pace. Our female hippos, Patti and Puddles, seem to distract him during training – some days more than others, so the zookeepers only train with him on days when they can keep his attention.

Happy remains separate from the females, as we are unsure if the birth control the females are on is working properly. Staff continue to test its effectiveness, and are hopeful that they’ll eventually be able to introduce the girls to Happy.

Happy still seems to be interested in both Patti and Puddles, however since the beginning, Patty has not been a fan, and has not grown more accustomed to him.

The keepers were able to get some grass growing in the outdoor Hippo Yard, and all three of the animals enjoyed eating and grazing on it all summer long. Now that the winter months are approaching, Happy will spend more time inside, which he seems to enjoy – especially because his indoor pool has warm water! We are hoping to also finish tooth trims with him during the winter, something that the National Zoo staff, had tried to also do every couple of years.

News Archive

Zoo Hours 2012


January & February 2012 / November & December 2012
Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

March 1 through May 25, 2012
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 26 through September 3, 2012
Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 4 through October 31, 2012
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Zoo accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Unfortunately, we do not accept personal checks.

General Admission Rates 2012
View our Education Rates or Group Rates

January 1 through March 31, 2012
and November 1 to December 31, 2012
Adult: $11.75
Junior (age 3 to 12): $8.75
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $10.25

April 1 through October 31, 2012
Adult: $14.25
Junior (age 3 to 12): $11.25
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $13.25

Parking fees: $12 for cars, $16 for buses

Milwaukee County residents with I.D. receive $1.75 off regular Zoo admission everyday except Wednesday. On Wednesdays, Milwaukee County residents with I.D. are admitted at a reduced rate of $8 for adults and $5.50 for children (age 3 to 12).

For more information, call the Zoo at (414) 256-5466.