Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ghost Exhibits revisited--Brookfield Zoos Ibex Island

Ibex Island Brookfield Zoo 1960

The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": Yesterday's Zoo--Ibex Island--Brookfield Zoo

Earlier this year, in April I posted some photo's of Brookfield Zoos now defunct Ibex Island. Learned zoo professional Jim Alexander pointed out that the exhibit used to be surrounded by a water moat, and not the dry moat that I was familiar with. After the "lumens gaff" I wasn't willing to just take Jim's word for it and I have been searching ever since for a picture of the "alleged" water moat surrounding Ibex Island. I'll be damned.

2 comments:

  1. The photo is of the guinea baboon and aoudad island between the Primate and Reptile Houses. The ibex island, formally dall sheep,formally Steller sea lion exhibit is west of the central fountain and near the giraffe building. Both had water moats but are now dry, probably leaks from old age. (This photo must have been taken on a breezy day so the wind could blow all the floating marshmallows to the other side.)

    The late Ron Blakely told me about the annual baboon round-up when keepers would catch the baboons to move them to a holding facility for the winter. Mr. Bean would stand atop the mountain and warn the staff of the aoudad stampede as the barbary sheep circled the drained moat. The days of when keepers got in with the animals - must have been a hell'va show.

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  2. Jim,
    Hell'va show is right. The only thing I can think of to possibly rival it was the "Annual Elk Round Up" out at the Cuneo estate in Greyslake. :)

    Wade

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