Brandywine Zoo - Wilmington, Delaware

Added the diminutive Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, Delaware to my collection of Zoos and Aquariums visited back in mid-February.  (I now have 27 in 20 states and the District of Columbia).  Opened in 1915 in a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted along the Brandywine Creek, the zoo displays all of 24 species.  It's quaint and historic; clearly a neighborhood institution, and in February, it's free.  On this day I saw all of a single staff member for all of 2 minutes and when I looked away, he was gone never to be seen again...  So it's also very casual.

As zoos go, it is a member of the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).  It has recently seen an increase in visitorship and has made moves to shore up its funding.  It has also scene the loss of it's little primate house after a summer storm that destroyed it with an ancient fallen oak.  Thankfully, none of it's small collection of primates was injured or escaped.  Not long thereafter, the AZA SSP (Species Survival Program) tapped it's only Amur Tiger for breeding and she was whisked away without a replacement.  It demonstrates their commitment to species survival over their need for a marquee species.  I admire that.

So here are some images of some of the animals I encountered on Saturday, February 18.  It was a cool, drizzly day at the Brandywine Zoo.

 You approach the zoo through the park, and even on this sort of miserable day, lots of people relative to the inclement weather were traversing the park.

 The first species you encounter is the Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus.  The zoo has a pair, and I must say in all of my zoo going adventures in the past 20+ years, I don't think I've ever seen an Andean Condor before.

 Here's a tip.  If you want to see a shy animal be quiet.  Be patient.  Be observant.  Here are pics from my amazing encounter with the zoo's Florida Bobcat, Lynx rufus floridans   This sub-species is one of 12 or 13 recognized variations in the base species.  It's range is in the eastern United States and extends far beyond the state of Florida.

 Moving on down the path.

 The first of three enclosures from the early days of the zoo is now home to Red Pandas, Ailurus fulgens.  For a couple of years the Zoo was home to a pair of siblings.  Both of whom were transferred this past December to other Zoos for breeding under an AZA SSP protocol.  In place, the Brandywine Zoo has been sent two new Red Pandas.  A male and a female with the hopes of some day having baby Red Pandas.  An exciting move for this little zoo in its present iteration.

I had hoped to speak to the keeper about which one of the new arrivals this was, my Red Panda gender identification skills are sorely lacking!  But he was as illusive as the sun on this day.

 The only "Farm Animal" at the zoo were African Pygmy Goats, Capra aegagrus hircus_west_african_dwarf.

 And the only African Pygmy Goat out and about this fine day was this obese little dam!  She certainly has sweet eyes.

 Below this area, was a larger enclosure holding both Greater Rhea, Rhea americana, and Llama, Lama glama.  The Greater Rhea is native to South America and the largest land bird in the Americas.

 Hey, you!  Yes, you--Llama.  What's up?

 The little aviary was not one you could enter and housed a few species of ducks and this lone Black-crowned Night Heron, Nyctocorax nyctocorax.  I am a believer that birds need and deserve spacious habitats, too.

 One of the biggest bangs any zoo can get for its bucks is the North American River Otter, Lontra canadensis.  They are so adaptable, playful, charming and active that you rarely have any reason to be disappointed by an encounter with them.  The Brandywine Zoo'd habitat for them is spacious and well maintained.  Given free reign with it--I would 1) increase the natural turf ratio, and 2) provide a less conspicuous manner for transporting the animals to their holding facilities, just sayin'.

 The zoo has a really large enclosure for it's two American Bald Eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

 This one took a very strong, yet benign, interest in me and compelled me to spend a great deal of time returning the favor.

 Heading back out, I came upon the Serval, Leptailurus serval, that was not out on my first pass into the heart of the little zoo.

The final thing I noticed was this banner showing the zoo's signature species.  It was obviously old as it still had the Amur Tiger, Panthera tigris altica, on it.