Brandywine Zoo, part 3

 We will finish this visit to the Brandywine Zoo with more of the amazing fauna it has to offer.  Beyond the Goat corral and the mid-level plaza is a long habitat that has been the home to a variety of birds and mid-sized mammals.  For the past few years the lord of the land has been this beautiful Giant Ant Eater named Lants (short for Lancaster).  He's a very charismatic fellow, and shares his space with a trio of bird species, including two types of duck, and 3 Scarlet Ibis.

Start by showing off his magnificent tail.

Handsome, gentle, Lants!

Adjacent to this Habitat is a small community garden designed to provide fresh treats for some of the animals.  The space around a couple of raised beds is home to at least two Eastern Box Turtles.

Finally, the far end of the zoo is home to it's crowning jewel.  A multi-species habitat that is home to three species of Lemur, Radiated Tortoise and Crowned Guinea Fowl.  Not only is there a spacious habitat with multiple arboreal elements and a generous water feature, but above the holding facilities is a large covered pavilion with a gloriously generous observation window from which to take in all of the wonders these animals have to offer.

There are three species of Lemur.  The Black and White Ruffed Lemurs which are Critically Endangered in their native habitat.  The Ring-tailed Lemurs which are Endangered.  And the Crowned Lemurs which are also Endangered.  You can sense a theme here, right?  Given the status of these animals, the zoo is a participant in the SSP (Species Survival Programs) for all three.  To date only the little Crowned Lemurs, Sophie and Kipp, have gotten on board, and in a big way--they have managed to produce 4 successful offspring since arriving with the opening of the habitat in the autumn of 2020.  

During this visit, they were not on display because their latest arrival, Kian, who was born back in mid-May has reached the point in their development where they no longer spends all of their time clinging to Sophie or Kipp, yet they're still small enough that they could conceivably squeeze their way out of the habitat.  They're growing fast and should reach a size where this is no longer a possibility in a few weeks.  Also, the zoo should be able to determine Kian's gender soon, as well.

The New Madagascar Pavilion with the great viewing window.

The wider view of the habitat from the window.

The different species co-habitat very well together.

Ring-tailed Lemurs are such curious animals bursting with personality.

Crowned Guinea Fowl

I hope that above all you've learned just how much I love this little zoo.  It's absolutely one of the best bang for your buck zoological parks in North America.  The Brandywine Zoo gives you the opportunity to see a wide range of fascinating animals from far away places.  To learn about their lives, their conservation status, and have a small role in participating in environmentally critical Species Survival Programs.  

If you don't have a home zoo that you belong to, but you do like to travel and visit zoos when you can, let me make a bold suggestion.  Why not join the Brandywine Zoo?  Anyone can.  Membership has its perks. Among AZA member zoos, many have reciprocal programs for members that will give you a decent discount, sometimes as much as 50% of the price of admission at other AZA Zoos (AND Aquariums).  The price to join the Brandywine Zoo is a lot more accessible than at most other larger institutions, but the discounts are the same.  

Brandywine Zoo: part 2

G)  Continuing our visit today, the next couple of habitats have long been on my naughty list.  The first is a small primate habitat that was once (not that long ago) shared by two species, and is today the home of one.  The beautiful White-faced Saki monkey from South America.  The zoo is home to a familial pair (Mother - Son).  I love them.  What I hate is the Zoo's choice of mesh.  It makes photography nearly IMPOSSIBLE!

H-J) The next building has long served as their "Reptile House".  It's not a house you can enter, but a series of three large habitats that have outer facing windows.  Here's the Problem(s):

1 - The lighting is poor.  You can't see shit with all the glare and shadows.
2 - The glass barriers are always FILTHY with streaks and smudges that further impede any hope of clearly seeing what's inside. 
3 - The brilliance of natural, sun light, further obscures the blurred details within.
4 - The ability to take a photograph is simply non-existent.  Which also is very disappointing.

I don't know how to fix this, but cleaning the layers of glass might be one place to start...and surely there's got to be a better way to balance the lighting so as not to harm the animals, but illuminate their presence better.

K-O) Beyond this is the New Multi-Species Habitat.  When I think about what it replaced, I am completely heartened by the direction the zoo is taking in terms of growing itself to a better, more wonderful place.  It's like, who doesn't have warts?  Are you doing something about it?  Brandywine Zoo definitely is.

This new Multi-species Habitat is called Hidden Falls.  True in reporting...after just one day, the Falls feature was "hidden"--offline after its initial operation proved problematic!  Hopefully, it's an easy fix.

The animals present were not daunted.  Of the expected 5 species, 3 were out and about.  Two male Guianan Squirrel Monkeys (Marzo & Frederick), a red-footed Tortoise, and a pair of Patagonian Mara who are also brothers.  The over-all initial theme of the habitat is about illegal exotic pet trade, so breeding is not on the agenda.  But a keeper with whom I chatted, indicated that it may happen that changes in occupants in the future could result in SSP (Species Survival Program) breeding.  

The New Habitat

GUIANAN SQUIRREL MONKEYS

PATAGONIAN MARA

RED-FOOTED TORTOISE

P-R) Beyond this habitat is the goat pen.  The aviary that was above it, was closed.  A good move in my opinion.  The Bald Eagle having been relocated, for example.

The elevated Goat Corral.

Brandywine Zoo: Part 1

Embedded in a park, the zoo's entrance is inauspicious.

Likewise, the name, emblazoned on a stone wall in brass is easily missed.

Which somehow makes the actual entrance charming.  A portal to a magical experience.

You know I love the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, Delaware.  A two-hour drive from my home, it is my AZA home zoo.  I am a sustaining contributor and also purchase an annual membership to the tune of a modest annual support of around $500.00.  It is money well invested.

The impetus of my visit was the inauguration of their latest multi-species Habitat: "Hidden Falls".  The actual ceremony was yesterday.  With somewhat limited parking and previous commitments, it made more sense to plan a post-inaugural in conjunction with nice weather.

Knowing where we're going, let's just start at the beginning.  

A) are the ANDEAN CONDORS.  This is a new pair that arrived at the zoo in 2022 and 2025.  An older female, named Jennifer (age 43) and an adolescent male, Luca, who is just 4.  Luca still has two years before he will molt into his adult plumage.  The goal of the pairing is to produce fertilized eggs.  Jennifer intimidates Luca at this point.  While he will eventually grow larger that her, she is physically larger than him at this point.  

Andean Condors average a lifespan in the wild of 50 years.  However, in captivity they can easily live to be 70 - 75.  This is an example of the power of human intervention and the need to provide abundant artificial habitats that allow animals in captivity to thrive as much as is possible.  

Jennifer is quite the proud bird.  While she may tire on hot days in the afternoons, she is very curious a alert in the mornings as the show of humans parading past her begins!

It was later towards the end of my visit that Luca came down to the lower edge of the habitat.

He also chose to display and present the full width of wing-span: easily 6.5 feet to give you perspective.  As an adult, this will increase upwards to as much as 10 feet!  Condors are the "gliders" of the mega-bird species.  Like their Dinosaur relatives, they evolved to fly in the highest of heights by soaring on the winds and updrafts common to steep, rocky, mountainous regions.

B-C) are a pair of habitats that are also "tented" over the rise of the palisade.  B was the longtime home to a Brandywine favorite, a bobcat named Squeakers.  Squeakers lived to be 20.44 years old, while the average for a bobcat in captivity is 13.5 years.  She was born at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans in 2007.  In her elder years (though she was always active) she loved to nap on the little trampoline that remains in the habitat. 

Today, an African Caracal wildcat named, Blue, abides there.  She was born at the Little Rock Zoo and was transferred to Brandywine in 2023.  As to the trampoline?  Blue preferred to sleep underneath of it when nap-time comes!

Blue began the day pacing while she waited for the arrival of her morning meal.  Her amazing ears could no doubt hear the sounds she daily associated with the arrival of food.  Caracals are like Africa's Bobcats.

C) is home to a North American Porcupine.

D-F) are three habitats that were built back during the 1930's Work Projects Administration.  So many zoos that were in existence at that time benefited from this Federal Back to Work initiative.  They are formed to a large extent from large stone masonry, which was the fashion.  They are also woefully lacking when it comes to modern, state-of-the-Art, habitats.  They certainly are not appropriate for the types of large animals for which they were originally intended.  By upgrading them, the Brandywine Zoo has found a way to maintain their use and still meet AZA standards for accreditation.  In large part, this means selected species who don't require the largest areas in which to thrive.  

Today, they are home to the zoo's Red Pandas, American Bald Eagle and Binturongs.  Initially, Blue inhabited the center habitat, but Squeaker's demise permitted an up-grade in her digs.

And the Red Pandas were already in full morning nap mode.

Wilmington, DE: Brandywine Zoo

 The final stop on my Spring Break Zoo Trek was the lovely little Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, DE.  The smallest of all the zoos covering just 12 acres, it hugs a gentle palisade along the Brandywine River in the heart of the city.  It has great dreams and has developed an incredible master plan that would more than double the size and give it the ability to share a wider range of animal species. 

Perhaps by reaching for the stars it was able to achieve an amazing first step.  In 2019, it opened its first truly new habitat in decades.  The new Lemur Habitat costs over 3.5 million and created a home for three species of Lemurs: Ring-tailed (4), White & Black Ruffed (2), and Crowned (2--now, 3 with the birth of a baby in 2024), Guinea Fowl (4) and Radiated Tortoise (3).  They also renovated the huge habitat for their signature species, the Andean Condor.

The next major phase was a new animal welfare and quarantine facility that was completed in 2022.  For such a small zoo, it is nothing short of amazing.

New Entrance blueprint.

Originally the third phase would be led by the creation and expansion of the zoo's entrance.  This plan involves a new pathway, a new entrance gate, a new large water feature built around a new multi-species habitat.  The price tag for this sits at around 8 million.  The state has committed half of that--which is pretty amazing.  They collected contributions toward a quarter more.  But given the gap, the project has been shifted to the final phase.  

Replacing it with a new multi-season Habitat built at the "elbow" of the plaza at the end of the zoo--kitty-corner from the new Lemur Multi-species Habitat.  In preparation for the new entrance, the zoo took on a pair of Southern Pudu and a pair of Toco Toucans who were given a home in the old habitat at this juncture.  Southern Pudu, a diminutive antelope from South America was brought to the zoo in part to excite the community and bolster contributions for the new entrance.  In the present situation, both the Pudu and Toucans have been relocated to other AZA institutions.

The intention of the new Habitat is to create a venue where animals can be viewed both during the warmer months and within a building, during the colder months and inclement weather.  Once completed, it will most likely become the home of a species of sloth along with a return of Toucans.

Any visit to any zoo is a crap shoot.  On this visit, the Brandywine zoo's Bobcat was out, the Andean Condors weren't.  No Pudu or Toucans, but lots of great viewing of Lemurs.  

Andean Condor Habitat.

FLORIDA BOBCAT

Lynx rufus floridanus

Squeakers is a Florida subspecies Bobcat that was rescued in the wild as a kitten and taken in at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.  From there, she was transferred to the Brandywine zoo around the age of 1, and has called Wilmington her home ever since.  

Encountered a wonderful Keeper who was sharing this amazing lady!

Ball Python

Python regius

The Red Pandas were not in a photogenic mood... 

Two of the RADIATED TORTOISE, Astrochelys radiata.

CROWNED LEMUR

Eulemur coronatus

Mother and child.

WHITE & BLACK RUFFED LEMUR

Varecia varegata

RING-TAILED LEMUR

Lemur catta

HELMETED GUINEAFOWL

Numida meleagris