Fifteen larger-than-life animatronic dinosaurs including the popular Tyrannosaurus Rex, Giganotosaurus and Brachiosaurus will take up temporary residence on the Minnesota Zoo’s Northern Trail from May 26 to Sept. 3.

Visitors have until Sept. 9 to say goodbye to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins Allie and Semo, the Star Tribune reports. The Apple Valley zoo's Discovery Bay exhibit, which houses the dolphins, is closing for a major $4 million facelift.

Zoo officials say the Asian wild dogs were born April 12 and 14, but an exact count is still unknown. The dhole pups are expected to spend more time outside their den in the coming weeks at the Apple Valley zoo.

The Minnesota Zoo will be in uncharted air space next week when it carries on without the bird expert who's been in Apple Valley since the zoo opened 34 years ago. Jimmy Pichner was instrumental in re-establishing trumpeter swans in Minnesota and guided development of the zoo's penguin exhibit. In his retirement he'll hunt and fish -- and watch birds.

Decades after the question was first raised about whether to display one of the enduring symbols of the Minnesota woods, three black bears have arrived at the Minnesota Zoo in a new exhibit that opens Saturday.

The Minnesota Zoo's new master plan, which was approved by its board on Nov. 1, features some ambitious ideas for the Apple Valley facility. CEO Lee Ehmke told the Pioneer Press, "We inspire to become a world-leading zoo with the ultimate intention on saving wildlife and wild places. This is the next step in that evolution."

Zookeepers in Apple Valley are raising the endangered Amur Tiger cub because her mom wasn't showing much interest in her. In fact, two cubs were born last week but only one survived the first few days. It's the zoo's first tiger birth in eight years.

The Minnesota Zoo and the Department of Natural Resources will cooperatively manage a herd of bison at state parks and a zoo exhibit. The herd will be genetically pure, unlike most modern-day bison which have domestic cattle in their family tree.