Zoo Miami Sumatran tiger in ‘serious condition’ due to anemia, dehydration
For the past several days, Zoo Miami’s adult male Sumatran tiger, “Berani,” has been sluggish with a loss of appetite which has raised concern in the Animal Science and Animal Health teams at the zoo, Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill announced in a news release Thursday.
Ahead of county vote on Zoo Miami water park, conservationists fear habitat loss
A controversial vote is coming up next Tuesday before the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on whether to approve a new lease to build a water theme park right next to Zoo Miami, abutting land conservationists say is a critically important biodiversity hotspot.
After public outcry, commissioners postpone vote on Zoo Miami water park proposal
Members of the public packed Wednesday’s Miami-Dade County Commission meeting as officials were set to vote on a lease extension for the Miami Wilds water park proposal at Zoo Miami, a plan so controversial, the zoo’s chief spokesperson publicly denounced it as a private citizen.
Zoo Miami euthanizes green sea turtle paralyzed in boat strike
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers found the 80 pound female sea turtle floating in a Coral Gables waterway May 28 and transferred her to the zoo for treatment. The turtle had severe lacerations to the top of her shell and appeared to be partially paralyzed.
Zoo Miami celebrates Florida’s American flamingo conservation on International Flamingo Day
Monday, April 26, is International Flamingo Day, and if there’s anything more quintessentially South Florida (besides coconut trees and sunshine) it’s the American Flamingo. However, what most people don’t know is that the American flamingo hasn’t always been classified as a native species of Florida.
Zoo Miami lioness euthanized after suffering spinal cord injury
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami’s 11-year-old lioness, Kashifa, was euthanized Monday, weeks after the zoo’s Animal Health and Animal Science teams discovered that she had lost mobility in her hind legs. The lioness was immobilized and underwent an MRI so that her spine and nerve function could be evaluated. Veterinarians determined that Kashifa sustained a “non-compressive injury to her spinal cord,” the news release stated. The lioness underwent nearly three weeks of intensive care, but did not show any signs of improvement. Kashifa was born at the Bronx Zoo in 2010 and gave birth to a litter of four cubs in 2014 at Zoo Miami.
Miami-Dade COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration site is live
Cars line up at a COVID-19 testing site at Tropical Park, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Miami. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County’s new COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration system is now open. AdYou can preregister for those FDOH appointments at myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 888-499-0840 if you live in Miami-Dade. For more info on the various vaccination programs in Miami-Dade County, click here. If you’re looking for vaccine info in Broward County, click here.
Vaccine shortage has South Florida leaders pleading for more shots
MIAMI – South Florida leaders say the infrastructure is there — they just need more shots so they can vaccinate more people against COVID-19 in the state’s coronavirus epicenter. “We’re telling the governor we want three times or four times the amount of vaccine that we are getting,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. Yet as more and more vaccine locations pop up throughout Florida, the limited supply of shots is spread thinner and thinner. “Of course I’m worried,” City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said. Local leaders stress, however, that people who have received the first vaccine shot will still get appointments for the needed second shot weeks later, and won’t be affected by the shortage.
New conservation center at Zoo Miami is interactive learning experience
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – The new Conservation Action Center at Zoo Miami opens to the public on Saturday, Jan. 16, but Local 10 was able to get a sneak peek at the hands-on experience. Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill said the idea of the center is to introduce one of the “major pillars of the zoo and that’s conservation, but in a fun way.”There’s plenty to see and do, all with the goal of making it an interactive experience with games like Habitat Whack a Mole and Mating Game. There’s also “What’s the Poop?” where visitors can race to see how fast you can scoop the “poop” into compost bins. So, you can come in here and play a variety of games — Interactive games — to try to get involved and understand why it’s so important and what we do every day to conserve wildlife,” Magill said. The first 500 visitors into the center on Saturday and Sunday will receive a free gift, according to the Zoo.
Zoo Miami announces death of 43-year-old Eastern black rhino
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami announced the death of its beloved black rhino, Toshi, on Friday. PHOTOS: Zoo Miami photos of ToshiFull Screen Full Screen 1 / 4 Zoo Miami Eastern black rhino, Toshi, painting. He came to Zoo Miami by ship in April 1983, back when it was called the Miami Metrozoo. Zoo Miami officials say while Toshi was a strong and large animal, he was known to be gentle. The Eastern black rhino is a highly endangered species, but Toshi fathered several offspring during his time at Zoo Miami, and at the time of his death he was a great-great grandfather.
Zoo Miami COVID-19 vaccination site opens Friday
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The COVID-19 vaccination site for seniors 65 and older at Zoo Miami opens at 8 a.m. Friday. There will be just one way in and one way out,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said earlier this week. There are 250 appointments on Friday, 500 appointments on Saturday and 500 appointments on Sunday, according to the mayor’s spokesperson, Rachel Johnson. You can click here to access a registration page on the county’s website, though appointments will not always available. The county says to “check back periodically as additional vaccines become available.”RELATED LINKS:Before you go: Download and fill out COVID-19 vaccine consent formsHow to get coronavirus vaccines in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade getting limited coronavirus vaccine doses next week
But don’t expect to see more appointments available via the county’s website for next week at Tropical Park or Zoo Miami. Just revealed: next week’s #covid19 1st dose vaccine allotment from #Florida as state spreads supply:@MarlinsPark- 7K@HardRockStadium- 7K@JacksonHealth- 8k*Zero* for #Miami Dade Co’s sites. “In every case, it is limited by supply,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. But as more vaccine sites open, a finite supply is spread thinner among the counties, hospitals and other entities doing public vaccinations. ALSO SEEHow to get coronavirus vaccines in Miami-Dade CountyCOVID-19 vaccination site to soon open at Zoo Miami
COVID-19 vaccination site to soon open at Zoo Miami
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County briefly started allowing people to sign up for new COVID-19 vaccination appointments on Monday, but all 2,000 appointments were snapped up within 10 minutes. On Wednesday, the county announced that they will open Zoo Miami as a vaccination site starting on Friday. There will be just one way in and one way out,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. There are 250 appointments on Friday, 500 appointments on Saturday and 500 appointments on Sunday, according to the mayor’s spokesperson, Rachel Johnson. RELATED LINKS:Before you go: Download and fill out COVID-19 vaccine consent formsWhere are coronavirus vaccines available in Miami-Dade County?
List: Holiday season activities in Miami-Dade County
MIAMI – There are a few holiday season activities available this week in Broward County. For tickets and for more information, visit the museum’s page. THE ZOO: Outdoor with social distancingZoo Miami is open on Christmas Day from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit Zoo Miami’s site. For more information, visit the garden’s site.
2 FIU students receive $5,000 scholarships from Zoo Miami
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two Florida International University students received a special surprise Thursday from Zoo Miami. “The Ron Magill Conservation Scholarship came as a product of the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment -- that’s an endowment I started here at the zoo to help protect animals in the wild,” Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill said. Magill passed out the $5,000 checks Thursday to the two students who participated in the first ever selection process. Both students are focusing on species of sea turtles and doing their field studies of hatchings. “I would love to use this money for (that) and also to support my research.”“I was trying to do a sea turtle project in Cuba.
PHOTOS: ZooMiami animals’ treats get holiday season twist
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Ron Magill wants everyone to know the holiday season is in full swing at ZooMiami this year. Zookeepers recently used gift wrapping paper and Santa Claus-style decorations to make some regular treats more festive. Here is what Magill reported on Monday:The zookeepers gave Hank, a sloth bear, a gift wrapped box with mealworms. (ZooMiami)The zookeepers gave Hank, a sloth bear, a gift box with mealworms. Reina and Adonia, two jaguars living in ZooMiami, found icy treats, disguised as holiday candy.
Area beaches, marinas, parks closing in advance of Tropical Storm Eta
MIAMI, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Parks shut down its beaches, marinas, golf course, Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at 8 p.m. Saturday. They will remain closed through Monday, Nov. 9 and officials said they will evaluate a possible reopening for Tuesday, Nov. 10. Meanwhile, the city of Miami is closing its beaches, and parks at 5 p.m. Sunday and will remain closed until further notice due to possible impacts from Tropical Storm Eta. (This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Local 10 and Local 10.com for updates.)
Development plan for water park at Zoo Miami has potential issue due to rare bats
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County commissioners are negotiating with a developer who plans to build a water park near Zoo Miami. In 2006, voters approved the development of an entertainment district on land at Zoo Miami that is not environmentally sensitive. Miami Wilds Manager Paul Lambert anticipates it could be up and running 36-months from today. Lambert added that it will be built on a Zoo Miami parking lot, not any green space. “But our thinking right now is that Miami Wilds' development will not have an impact on feeding habits of the bats.”Lambert said they are also open to potential mitigation efforts.
Zoo Miami giraffe undergoes successful series of procedures
MIAMI – An 11-year-old reticulated giraffe named Pongo from Zoo Miami underwent a series of successful procedures over the weekend. It took more than two dozen people, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, zookeepers and farriers, to immobilize the giraffe and perform the procedures. Full Screen 1 / 9 Photo courtesy: Ron Magill/Zoo MiamiAccording to a Zoo Miami news release, Pongo stands at more than 16 feet tall and weighs close to 2,000 pounds. Pongo has since made a full recovery from his anesthesia and has been reunited with the rest of the herd at Zoo Miami. It is expected to take several weeks for the fracture to heal, so Pongo will be closely monitored over the next few months.
8-year-old cheetah undergoes wellness exam at Zoo Miami
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami’s 8-year-old male cheetah named Koda received a wellness exam last week and is said to be in excellent health. After the exam, Koda was reunited with his brother, Diesel, at the amphitheater. “Being able to detect any problems at an early stage plays an important role in the success of any treatment, which is why these types of exams are a fundamental part of the zoo’s overall preventative medicine program.”Full Screen 1 / 7 Zoo Miami's 8-year-old cheetah named Koda undergoes a wellness exam. According to Zoo Miami officials, cheetahs are considered to be Africa’s most endangered big cat. Cheetahs can be found in Eastern and Southern African, and there is also a very small population of cheetahs in Asia.
Zoo Miami reopens to public following two-month closure
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami reopened to visitors Tuesday after being forced to re-close its doors on the Fourth of July. “We feel relieved and a bit elated,” Ron Magill, of Zoo Miami, said. But with the state now entering Phase 2 of its reopening, zoo officials decided to reopen most outdoor attractions, but not without changes. Zoo officials are also limiting the number of guests they let in each day. “As long as I think they’re taking precautions and safety, I think it’s a good thing,” Ophelia Gualtieri said.
Zoo Miami opens for one girl who shows her bravery
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. Zoo Miami has never opened for just one person, but that changed to make a dream come true for a young girl battling brain cancer. The zoo still hasnt been able to reopen to the general public since being forced to close by the coronavirus pandemic, but they made a special exception for their guest Friday. See video from that visit above.