After more than 60 years, the Milwaukee County Zoo is set to close its small mammals building, bidding farewell to its tiny tenants.
Zoo officials have been concerned for some time that the building is small, outdated and doesn’t meet modern standards for animal care. Efforts to refurbish the building were also deemed too costly. Over the decades, the building has been home to the zoo’s fruit bats, foxes, sloths, porcupines, armadillos, tamarins, mongooses, otters, squirrels, bushbabies and lemurs.
“If I’m a bat, I should be able to fly in my exhibit. If I’m a prehensile-tailed porcupine, I should be able to climb a tree in my exhibit,” Amos Morris, the zoo’s executive director, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The goal is for animals to be able to perform their natural behaviors and have have a high level of wellness and welfare in their environment.”
“I really want the zoo to be seen as a place that provides a high level of care and a high level of wellness for their animals, and I don’t believe we’re able to do that in that facility,” he added.
Morris said that he does not anticipate any other building or exhibit at the zoo being tapped for a similar shuttering, at least in the next 15 or 20 years.
The relocation of the animals to accredited zoos across the country has already begun, according to the zoo’s spokesperson Megan O’Shea. Morris confirmed that the zoo’s vampire bats have already been rehomed at an undisclosed new zoo, with three other species on the verge of being relocated, leaving the building now half-empty.
As efforts to transfer animals is an ongoing process, Morris assured that all animals are trained for possible relocation. In most cases, the animals are transferred either by ground or by air to their new facility, with journeys lasting up to a day. The animals will then undergo a quarantine period, which is dictated by the receiving zoo that will pay for travel costs.
“We take great pride and care in moving our animals from one destination to another,” Morris said.
The zoo does not have an exact date for when the small mammals building will finally close for good, but it is expected to take place later this year.
Zoo’s strategic plan underscored commitment to modernized habitats
In April, the zoo announced its new strategic plan and revised master plan for the site’s future, emphasizing its commitment to adding modernized habitats and immersive visitor experiences.
Zookeepers who are impacted by the building’s future closure will be transferred to alternate animal care areas at the zoo.
Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Sheldon A. Wasserman, who is head of the county’s Parks and Culture committee, met with Morris to tour the building ahead of the public announcement. Wasserman told the Journal he has thrown his support behind the decision.
“The zoo is changing. Everything’s changing in Milwaukee, and we really are very fortunate to have one of the best zoos in the nation,” he said. “This is one of the things that we have to do to stay as one of the best zoos in the nation.”
In recent years, the zoo has removed animals from certain buildings due to inappropriate infrastructure or habitat limitations. It closed the polar bear exhibit in 2021 and the sea lion exhibit in 2023.
In late 2023, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported that following the completion of the zoo’s Adventure Africa campaign, Morris said he was turning his sights to the small mammals building. At the time, he mentioned concerns about the small mammals building not having enough space, as well as structural wear and tear.
“When we talk about modern zoological standards, we’re not just talking about new exhibitry. You can do modern animal care and husbandry in older facilities if the facilities will accommodate it. What we’re looking for is the animal to have choice and control over its environment,” Morris said.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales.
This story was updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County Zoo to shut down small mammals building, sending animals out of state
Reporting by Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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