Page 31 - Annual Report 2022

Grey Seal

Last May, Pinniped Point’s grey seal colony welcomed
L as t M a y , P i nnip e d P o i n t ’ s g r e y s e a l c o l o n y we l c o m e d
a n e w m e m b e r , F i s h e r , a m a l e g r e y s e a l p u p . H e w a s b o r n
a new member, Fisher, a male grey seal pup. He was born
and hand-reared by staff at Lincoln Park Zoo. His transfer to
a n d h a n d - r e a r e d b y s t a f f a t L i n c o l n P a r k Z o o . H i s t r a n s f e r t o
Brookfield Zoo was recommended by the Association of Zoos
B r o o k f i e l d Z o o w a s r e c o m m e n d e d b y t h e A s s o c i a t i o n o f Z o o s
and Aquariums (AZA) Grey Seal Species Survival Plan® (SSP).
an d A quar i um s ( A Z A ) G r e y S e al S p e c i e s S ur v i v al P l an ® ( S S P ) .
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Grey seals are native to the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. .
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They were nearly extinct in the United States until they began
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to receive protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. .
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B r o o k f i e l d Z o o i s o n e o f o n l y 1 0 N o r t h A m e r i c a n f a c i l i t i e s t h a t
Brookfield Zoo is one of only 10 North American facilities that
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houses the species.
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l long and weigh up to 700 pounds. Grey seals are opportunistic
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p r e d a t o r s , f e e d i n g o n f i s h , c r u s t a c e a n s , a n d m o l l u s k s .
predators, feeding on fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
Pygmy Hippo
In July, Brookfield Zoo welcomed the arrival of 3-year-old female
pygmy hippopotamus, Banana, who had previously lived at the
Center for the Conservation of Tropical Ungulates (CCTU) in Florida.
Much smaller and rarer than the common river hippopotamus,
pygmy hippos weigh between 350 and 600 pounds and can reach
a body length of up to about 5 ¾ feet. Brookfield Zoo has been
home to pygmy hippos since the Zoo opened in 1934.
2022 ANNUAL REPORT 29