Animals at the Zoo: Photos from our achives Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – A particularly mild winter contributed to a banner year for Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
The zoo received more than 372,139 visitors in 2012 – an increase of 8.3 percent over 2011 and the best total it has had in 15 years.
Zoo attendance in February was 19,253, an increase of 60 percent over 2011, and in March it was even higher as 30,804 represented an increase of 114.7 percent over the previous year.
Attendance was also up in May and August, when the zoo recorded visitation numbers of 52,151 and 57,591 respectively.
In addition to the weather, zoo staff said they recorded an “unprecedented” number of births, hatchings, and new arrivals.
“Guests are coming from all over to visit the Rosamond Gifford Zoo,” said Zoo Director Ted Fox. “We experienced a ‘baby boom’ in 2012. The community loves seeing new animals, and with the hatchings and births of everything from penguins and turtles to fennec foxes and snow leopards, there was something new to see nearly every month of the year.”
The zoo's new residents include:
January
| 2 Banggai cardinal fish hatched
5 Humboldt penguin chicks hatched
Patas monkey, Ty, born
Bald eagle, Ben, acquired
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February
| Humboldt penguin chick hatched
Panther grouper, Spot, acquired
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March
| 17 fish (11 species) acquired
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April
| 2 fennec fox kits, Todd & Vixey, born
27 yellow-spotted Amazon River turtles hatch
Harris hawk, Aniken, acquired
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May
| 2 kookaburra chicks hatch
5 green & black poison dart frogs hatch
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June
| 2 snow leopard cubs, Bajen & Ramil, born
2 rabbits acquired
3 guinea pigs acquired
Meerkat, Chamberlain, acquired
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July
| Markhor, Marisa, born
2 troupial chicks hatch
2 Flemish giant rabbits acquired
Virginia opossum, Alli, acquired
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August
| 2 fennec fox kits, Peapod & Pumpkin, born
2 alpacas, Finnien & Avernus, acquired
3 grey wolves, Romulus, Remus & Sylvia, acquired
2 chuckwallas hatch
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September
| 8 seahorses acquired
Dragonface pipefish acquired
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October
| 3 ringed teal hatch
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November
| Patas monkey, Zarina, born
Asian elephant, Doc, acquired
Sand cat, Alina, acquired
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December
| 5 Banggai cardinal fish hatched
Markhor, Thor, acquired
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