Page 5 - Impact Report_2020

Births and Hatchings Calendar of Baby Animals
During 2020, a total of 279 animals were born or hatched
at Brookfield Zoo—an extraordinary year for baby animals! JANUARY
Some species bred and reproduced at the zoo for the first Grey seal pups (“Peanut,” “Celia”)
time ever. These first-timers included the red-cheeked cordon 7 African painted dog pups
bleu finch, white-cheeked turaco, and broad-tailed gecko. Desert grassland whiptail
(Some of our new animals are listed in the “Calendar of lizard hatchlings
Baby Animals” to the right.)
MARCH
Amur leopard cub (“Sasha”)
Red-cheeked cordon bleu
finch hatchlings

APRIL
White-cheeked turaco hatchlings
Guam kingfisher hatchlings
Yellow-backed duiker calf (“Goldie”)
Broad-tailed gecko hatchlings

MAY
Snow leopard cub (“Ahava”)

JUNE
Puerto Rican boa neonates
Humboldt penguin hatchlings

Animal Habitats AUGUST
Blanding’s turtle hatchlings
The habitats of our animals are thoroughly cleaned every Pygmy slow loris twins (“Rosie,” “Cosie”)
day. Many of these habitats, particularly the 50-plus aquatic
systems in the park, are monitored around-the-clock to
ensure habitat conditions—temperature, humidity, bacteria SEPTEMBER
levels, and pH, for example—meet the animals’ needs. CZS’ Squirrel monkey baby (“Jorge”)
environmental quality manager works with life support system OCTOBER
operators and other Plant & Facilities staff to keep watch Nyala calf (“Leah”)
on habitat conditions and respond to anomalies.

Environmental Enrichment
Environmental Quality Testing Animals thrive when given opportunities to exercise their
bodies and minds and express natural behaviors. CZS is a
leader in animal welfare research and environmental enrich-
2,809 individual samples 350,400 is the number ment. Scientists with CZS’ Center for the Science of Animal
of water collected of times aquaculture Care and Welfare® possess expertise in applied behavioral
monitors checked water strategies that enhance animal welfare. They work with the
15,978 tests performed quality last year animal care staff to provide our animals with enrichment
on water samples
opportunities and monitor the animals’ welfare levels.
5,000 gallons per minute flow During the past year, our animals continued to receive
through the water treatment plant environmental enrichment, including tree branches to gnaw
at SEVEN SEAS, which is monitored on and logs to be ripped up, courtesy of ComEd. They also
by a life support operator 24/7 received regular training sessions. Animal care specialists at
SEVEN SEAS, for example, provided the bottlenose dolphins
there with five to seven training sessions per day. █

CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | 2020 IMPACT REPORT 3