Salisbury Zoo: Salisbury, Maryland - part 3 of 5

 This section of the zoo is home to a couple of areas.  Along the southern perimeter are the habitats of the North American River Otters and the Spectacled or Andean Bears.  In the central area are a series of habitats devoted to animals native to Central America: Coatimundi, Ocelot, Emperor Tamarinds, Black-handed Spider Monkeys, Agouti and a couple of species of ducks.  This is an area that is currently the focus of some renovation and then site of the major redevelopment of the Andean Bear habitat.  The latter is a capital project with an initial price tag of $6,000,000.00.  Both ambitious and exciting.  Given the zoo's history of successful breeding of this species, it also elevates its most iconic animal.

In anticipation, the North American River Otter habitat is closed.  Which is a blessing, because it was over 50 years old and woefully lacking by any objective AZA standard.  I asked the volunteer at the table near the entrance about it on my way out and she agreed adding that there are plans to replace it after the major work of the Andean Bear habitat is completed.

The area of Central American animals was uneventful.  It's nestled into a thick little grove of towering long-needle pines and bamboo.  The White-nosed Coatimundi were not gone, but so was the entirety of their habitat: ergo, not simply "no en casa," but "no casa!"  The placement of their habitat would require it to be removed within the design parameters of the new Andean Bear Habitat, and listening to an interview with the zoo's Director, Chuck Eicholz, he mentioned a new home for the Coati coming sometime this fall.  Later, I came upon new construction near the Bald Eagles which I assume is going to be their new habitat.

So out with the old and in with the new!  No Otters, no Coatimundi, and the Ocelot, Agouti, and Tamarinds were also enjoying siestas away from the prying eyes of guests.  The Andean Bears?  Both mama, Chaska, and offspring, Raymi were out and about.  A quick review of the history of Chaska.  Chaska was born to mother, Billie Jean, and father, Nikki, at the Smithsonian National Zoo in 2012.  She is a Twin and her brother, Bernardo, was transferred to the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom when she came to the Salisbury Zoo in 2014.  Her mother successfully bore three sets of twins before retiring 2023 at the age of 17 to the Cape May County Zoo in New Jersey.  And Chaska is proving to be equally as maternal.  

In 2015, she gave birth in January to a female cub named Alba, who was sired by 24 year-old male, Gritto.  A feat on his part that surprised many.  In October of that year, Gritto suffered a stroke and died.  Alba was transferred to the San Diego Zoo in 2016.  In 2017, a young male named Pinocchio was patriated to the Salisbury Zoo from Ecuador where he'd been rescued as a cub, and had grown up with no place to go, unable to be returned to the wild having been acclimated to humans.  in 2020, the pair produced a male cub, Sinchi--meaning "Strong" in Quichua.  Sinchi was transferred to the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania in 2021 (where I spent time with him on my July visit to that zoo), just in time for Chaska and Pinocchio's second iteration, twin males: Inti and Raymi.  Anticipating the need to relocate the animals during the construction period, and with the young males ready to strike out on their own.  Inti was transferred to the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin, followed by Pinocchio's move to the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee.  Later this month Raymi's passport approved, he will cross the "pond" like his uncle, Bernardo, and take up residence at Zoo Zurich in Switzerland.  As fate would have it, today, September 2, is his final day at the Salisbury Zoo.  And he was in rare form--what a gift to see him just before starting his new adventure. 

The current habitat is made up of two areas.  This large open yard with opportunities to climb and lounge in hammocks.

On this visit, Chaska was taking full advantage of the siesta in the hammock made from recycled fire hoses option until she heard something that caught her attention.

Unfortunately, the thickness of the chain link fencing made getting unobstructed photos impossible.  The only other option is a generous viewing carol with plexi-glass that was so smudged and filthy that even those images defied my ability to make them look sharp.  

The second area with its climbing tree and pool.

SPECTACLED [Andean] BEAR

Tremarctos ornatus

Partly Cloudy with a Change of Bear SHOWERS!

What goes up, must come down...
Bon Voyage, mon Beau Comarade!

Unfortunately the chain link conundrum was also present at the Black-handed Spider Monkey habitat, ergo, the only primates I could snap a pic of were the Homo sapiens sapiens kind!

Likewise, no Agouti or Emperor Tamarind were home, but a sleepy Gray Squirrel was happy to oblige!