Latest news with #BrookfieldZooChicago
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Trial opens in slaying of Chicago police officer
Good afternoon, Chicago. On the day he was killed, prosecutors said, Chicago police Officer Andres Vásquez Lasso woke up early in the morning in the home he bought in the same district he worked in. He said goodbye to his wife, a flight attendant, who had a full day of flights ahead of her. Later that afternoon, Vásquez Lasso began his final shift, prosecutors said, during which he was shot and killed while responding to a domestic call on March 1, 2023. 'Andres Vásquez Lasso was living the American Dream,' said Assistant State's Attorney Katie Siefert. 'Andres cared so much for the community he patrolled, he moved into the 8th District and bought his home there.' Attorneys delivered opening statements to the jury today at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in front of a courtroom packed with police officers and family members. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Restoring the world Robert Francis Prevost grew up in and around Dolton is not possible. The village has evolved, and many of the boyhood haunts that he and children his age may have frequented are now empty buildings and photos in history books. Read more here. More top news stories: An argument that city elections workers should not be allowed to unionize because doing so would constitute 'political activity' did not pass muster with a judge for the state's labor board. Read more here. More top business stories: This year's Midsummer Classic is fascinating for many reasons, including the introduction of Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on the big stage, the starting matchup between Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the mashing of catcher Cal Raleigh and the continued dominance of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the best players of their era. Read more here. More top sports stories: Brookfield Zoo Chicago opened its new Tropical Forests primate habitat, featuring an expanded space for the zoo's first troop of bachelor gorillas and endangered black-handed spider monkeys rescued from wildlife trafficking. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Two people in New Jersey were killed after their vehicle was swept up in floodwaters during a storm that moved across the U.S. Northeast overnight, authorities said. Read more here. More top stories from around the world:
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Bachelor gorillas, endangered spider monkeys make debut with Brookfield Zoo Chicago's new primate habitat
Brookfield Zoo Chicago opened its new Tropical Forests primate habitat Friday, featuring an expanded space for the zoo's first troop of bachelor gorillas and endangered black-handed spider monkeys rescued from wildlife trafficking. The bachelor troop is made up of two silverbacks — Shango, 36, and Barney, 31 — who lived at Zoo Miami before coming to Brookfield Zoo Chicago earlier this year. The James & Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests habitat, the largest project in the zoo's history thus far, is built along a trail intended to give visitors the feeling of finding the animals in their natural habitats. It features four areas, one for spider monkeys, two gorilla forests (one for a family troop and another for the bachelor troop) and one for Bornean orangutans, who are not yet visible to the public as they are still settling in, said Kim Skelton, director of primate care and conservation. Construction began in March 2023 on the $66 million redesign, which is an expansion of the old Tropic World building from the 1980s. At three acres, the Bramsen Tropical Forests habitat is about 125,000 square feet and is one of the largest outdoor primate habitats of any accredited zoo in the U.S., Brookfield officials said. Dozens of visitors stood outside the exhibit's entrance Friday morning, waiting to be among the first to visit the animals. Chicagoans Joyce Jablonski, 74, and husband Gerry, 72, the first ones to enter the exhibit, were most excited to see the spider monkeys. They had been anticipating the habitat opening for a while, and have been supporters of the zoo for about 45 years, Joyce Jablonski said. 'When we had kids, we decided, well, this is our favorite place to go,' she said. 'We've come here since we (ourselves) were kids, so we brought them, they enjoyed it, and we continue to support the zoo.' Brookfield Zoo Chicago announces $66 million Tropical Forests for primates as part of major redesignThe floor of the trail is imprinted with the footprints of the pygmy hippo and the duiker, a type of antelope. Bamboo poles and vines were installed in the habitat to encourage the natural behaviors of the animals and to make them feel like they're in their natural environment. 'Watching the animals come out into the spaces for the first time and explore the yards, and to see them just comfortable (and) lying on their backs in the sunshine has been wonderful,' said Mike Adkesson, president and CEO of Brookfield Zoo Chicago. To reach maturity in the wild, male gorillas typically go out on their own or buddy up with another male gorilla, and the zoo had not been able to provide that for them, Adkesson said. The new habitat allows the two bachelors to socialize with each other first, and then they will move into the family troop of six gorillas. 'It's just really a neat way for us to let our guests see another side of gorillas and to really experience those silverbacks up close,' Adkesson said. The new habitat has short tunnels that allow guests to get an even closer view of the animals. The habitat also includes glass viewing panels for guests to interact with the animals up close and other interactive stations, including one where visitors can compare the size of their hands and feet to those of primates. One of the goals of the project was to incorporate more advanced technology to care for the animals while also maintaining environmental sustainability. New automated feeders dispense food at regular intervals throughout the day, and an energy-efficient lighting system minimizes energy consumption. Gorillas have their own indoor conservation centers. One is two stories and is visible to the public, and another is a private area where the zoo staff can interact with them and other monkey species. Also on the second floor is an area for the King Conservation Leadership Academy, a program for students who are interested in learning about conservation. Students volunteered at the opening by answering visitors' questions and handing out swag giveaways. Brookfield Zoo Chicago said the project's economic impact includes $69 million generated in labor income, $182 million contributed in economic activity and $24 million generated in combined federal, state and county tax revenues. 'The construction process over the last two and a half years has generated around a thousand jobs,' Adkesson said. Oak Park resident Laurie Conley, 42, and her children went to the new habitat Friday. Her daughter Alice, 12, has been running a lemonade stand to raise money for the gorilla habitat since she was 9. This year Alice earned $509 from her lemonade stand, the most she's made so far. 'I just felt sad that some of the gorillas had never seen the sun, the grass, the breeze before in their life,' Alice said. 'I felt like it would be amazing if they got to see that.' The Tropical Forests habitat is the first phase of a transformation that will continue into the zoo's centennial in 2034. Adkesson said the next thing he's focused on is the northwest corner of the zoo. The scope of that next project will be more than 10 times the size of this one, with Adkesson expecting a 35-acre footprint. 'We're looking to reimagine into these large immersive open habitats for multiple different species of animals,' Adkesson said. 'So this one kind of sets in motion a vision for what we want that to look like in terms of these big, open habitats, a lot of landscape design that will start to replicate that natural environment feeling as it comes into maturity.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Deeply saddened': 4-day-old bottlenose dolphin calf at Brookfield Zoo abruptly dies
BROOKFIELD, Ill. (WGN) — A bottlenose dolphin calf born at the Brookfield Zoo last week has abruptly died, officials confirmed Thursday. According to zoo officials, the male calf was born early Saturday morning and appeared healthy, but died abruptly on Wednesday evening. 'We know our guests and supporters share this sadness with us,' Dr. Rita Stacey, Brookfield Zoo Chicago senior vice president of programs and impact, said. 'This calf's birth brought hope and joy, and his sudden loss reminds us of the delicate balance of life.' Lincoln Park Zoo introduces new river otter 'Tucker' Zoo officials said the calf, who was under continual 24-hour, minute-to-minute observation by the Zoo's animal care and veterinarian teams, had been exhibiting positive and progressive indicators of development up until his death. The calf had been meeting all milestones, including healthy levels of nursing and other activities, and his mother, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Allie, was also providing appropriate maternal care, Dr. Stacey said. How can you enjoy Chicago on a budget this summer? But things rapidly changed on Wednesday evening when staff members witnessed a rapid, unexpected change in the calf's behavior. Officials said within minutes of noticing the change, the calf died. While the cause of death is unknown, zoo officials said a dolphin calf's first year of life is full of milestones that must be reached and even slight developmental challenges can become critical in a short time. In the wild, one in five calves born to first-time mothers do not survive their first year. Hong Kong's baby pandas finally have names. Meet Jia Jia and De De 'The first few days after birth are a vulnerable, critical timeframe for dolphin calves,' Dr. Rita Stacey said. 'This is a devastating loss for our Zoo community, especially the animal care and veterinary teams who dedicate their lives to the well-being of animals in our care. They provided exceptional, around-the-clock care to Allie and her calf. While the calf was progressing well, dolphin neonates face immense biological challenges. We are deeply saddened by his sudden passing.' The calf's mother, as well as the rest of the dolphin group, are now being closely monitored by animal care and veterinary staff. Officials said while the loss of the calf is devastating, dolphin births, which are rarely observed in the wild, contribute to the zoo's scientific understanding of dolphin neonatology and care. Endangered Amur tiger Malena euthanized at Brookfield Zoo Chicago 'Brookfield Zoo Chicago is one of only a few institutions globally with the expertise, resources and scientific partnerships capable of contributing to meaningful advances in marine mammal care and conservation,' a zoo official said in a release on Thursday morning. The zoo is now awaiting a complete necropsy to determine the calf's cause of death. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brookfield Zoo Chicago helps save endangered toad thanks to Bad Bunny
The Brief Brookfield Zoo Chicago is helping to save the endangered Puerto Rican Crested Toad. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has brought attention to the effort to save the toads. The toad is something of a local mascot for Puerto Ricans, and Bad Bunny featured one in videos for his latest album. BROOKFIELD, Ill. - The bunny and the toad may sound like a children's story. But it's a real-life tale at the center of an effort at Brookfield Zoo Chicago to save the rare Puerto Rican Crested Toad from extinction. And now that effort is getting a big boost from Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny. Local perspective Brookfield Zoo Lead Animal Care Specialist Mike Masellis showed Fox 32 two of the 30 Puerto Rican Crested Toads they keep at the zoo as part of a breeding and conservation program that's been going on for years. This year, they mated two pairs of the toads, which produced 1,762 tadpoles that have already been shipped to Puerto Rico and released into the wild. "We're well over 25,000 tadpoles released since we've been participating in the program," said Masellis. "So it's good to know that animals here can have an impact on the animals in the wild as well." Why you should care Brookfield is one of 20 zoos across the country involved in this conservation effort, which is critically needed. At one point, the toads were thought to be extinct in Puerto Rico. They are the only species of toad native to the island, but have been decimated by habitat loss, climate change and competition from invasive toad species. "If they were to go extinct, that would be a major loss of kind of the natural heritage of Puerto Rico," said Masellis. The Crested Toad and the efforts to save it weren't very well known until recently, when Bad Bunny featured them on his latest album. The rapper also produced a short documentary about the loss of Puerto Rican culture and wildlife. That video featured an animated Puerto Rican Crested Toad that interacts with real-life characters. Since the video's release, the toad has turned into an overnight cultural sensation. "Which is great, because critically endangered animals, particularly small animals, like toads and invertebrates and fishes, really need all the attention they can get," Masellis said. "Because so many of the endangered species out there in the world are maybe non-descriptive. Cute to me, I guess, but not to everybody." It's unclear whether Bad Bunny knows about the efforts being made at the Brookfield Zoo to preserve the toad. But Masellis said he has a standing invitation to see the program. "We have a large off-island Puerto Rican population here," he said. "So I think it's important to connect with the various communities in the Chicagoland area to feature animals that are culturally significant as well."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Endangered Amur tiger Malena euthanized at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
BROOKFIELD, Ill. (WGN) — Brookfield Zoo Chicago is mourning the loss of their Amur tiger named Malena, following its decision to 'humanely euthanize' the animal following life-threatening health issues. Zoo officials said Friday that their team of dedicated animal control specialists noticed changes in Malena's appetite and energy levels. Upon further examination, zoo veterinarians learned that Malena's kidneys were not functioning correctly, due to what officials called a 'cancerous process,' which led to life-threatening heart arrhythmias. Brookfield Zoo to welcome first bachelor gorilla troop this summer Due to the severity of Malena's ailments, the zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize her. Malena joined Brookfield Zoo Chicago in 2020 and made history one year later as the first Amur tiger in North America to undergo a successful total hip replacement. Amur tigers — also known as Siberian tigers — are critically endangered, with fewer than 500 remaining in the wild. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
