DAY 7: Wednesday, July 18th – Part One
As a surprise I ended up adding on a major zoo to my itinerary (Toledo) and by the end of the day my feet were throbbing with the amount of walking that I made them do. The reason being was that Toledo has extended summer hours and I happened to see that advertised on a billboard while driving south through Michigan. I'll look at each of those major zoos over a two-part piece of writing. First up is Detroit.
Zoo #17:
I'm a big fan of Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak, MI) and I think that there are only around a dozen or so zoos that are better in the nation and I'd definitely have Detroit in my top 15. I visited once before, in 2008, and so exactly a decade later it was great to see so many improvements and changes. If I'm not mistaken, the zoo added a 2-acre Grey Wolf habitat and a North American Beaver exhibit but those are just about the only new major species added to the zoo in the past decade. However, Detroit has systematically renovated and enhanced many existing structures and the zoo is a very strong one with an excellent standard of exhibitry.
Besides the additions of the wolves and beavers, in the past decade the facility has spent $30 million on upgrading its penguin experience from the old 1960s-era Penguinarium to the amazing Polk Penguin Conservation Center. The African Lions had their exhibit expanded and significantly improved; the Giraffe Barn and exhibit received an upgrade in 2017 and the barn is huge and surely one of the largest giraffe barns in the nation. The otters had an upgrade, the seals currently have their pool drained and are having minor tweaks to their exhibit, and the trio of 1928 bear grottoes have been dramatically altered to make the entire area one large exhibit for Grizzly Bears instead of three smaller enclosures.
Besides the non-stop progress made in the past ten years, there is a lot more on the way. A new Japanese Giant Salamander exhibit is almost ready for its inhabitants, a brand-new restaurant has been built across from the historic Rackham Fountain and is due to open in a month, the Red Panda exhibit (which was already terrific) is doubling in size and should be open by the end of the year. The Amur Tiger exhibit, which is a fairly large grotto already, is tripling in size and due to open to the public next year. A 5th project on deck is the Bat Conservation Center (the old Penguinarium) but it doesn't seem as if the zoo has any concrete plans at this time.
Detroit has very large exhibits for some of its animals, as for example the Common Warthog enclosure is larger than some rhino paddocks that I've seen. The Kookaburra aviary is much bigger than many Bald Eagle aviaries. The new Grey Wolf habitat is arguably too big (2 acres) as there are only a pair of wolves and no one seems to be able to ever see them. Arctic Ring of Life is still fantastic and I love the plantings in that area, but Assiniboine Park Zoo has taken Polar Bear husbandry to a whole other level. Great Apes of Harambee has one massive yard for Chimpanzees that works well but the Gorillas don't really have an exhibit that caters to their needs. The apes switch on certain days,which is fantastic, but both enclosures are very open and of course Gorillas need some kind of overhead cover and a more substantial, 'jungle-like' environment. For the Chimpanzees the area seems great and other than Kansas City Zoo, chimps here might have the largest exhibit in the nation. (As an aside, I didn't locate any Drills at the zoo – are they definitely still there?)
In regards to the $30 million Polk Penguin Conservation Center, I would say that it is my 3rdtp favourite penguin exhibit of all-time. From outside it is bloody enormous and a first impression is a big WOW as there is a massive viewing window directly inside. However, it is downright weird seeing 100 people looking back at you from across the far side of the exhibit and that sight-line is a significant drawback in my opinion. Other thoughts: the constantly falling snow is neat to see, the building has an 'industrial' feel to it, the ramp down is a neat experience as the Ernest Shackleton Antarctic Expedition is the theme and giant images and sounds echo around visitors. Once below there is a spectacular tunnel and then my favourite section is a gargantuan viewing window and the penguins 'flying' through the water is incredible. Then there is a second tunnel with penguins soaring overhead, and then upstairs to the viewing area that looks directly across at other visitors. So there are 5 viewing areas and the whole thing is pretty darn good...but not as great as my #1 Saint Louis or my #2 Calgary. Yes, those two zoos have smaller penguin exhibits with smaller, shallower pools and some 'eager beaver zoo nerd' is going to tell me that Detroit's penguin habitat is better for the animals. He might well be correct, but in Saint Louis and Calgary the penguins can swim close to the visitors and splash them in the face and the entire building is a chilled environment and a magnificent experience. Detroit has a world-class penguin facility and it might well be one of the biggest and best on the planet, but it is difficult to top either Saint Louis or Calgary in terms of a memorable interaction with the birds and the VISITOR experience.
Walking around the zoo and seeing all of the improvements made for a long list of animals, I was struck by the fact that Detroit Zoo doesn't have very much wrong with it at all. Since the lions, tigers, grizzlies, penguins, giraffes, red pandas and salamanders have already been or will get upgraded habitats, then what is left? I'd probably leave the Japanese Macaques as they are as the exhibit is fine; the Aardvark exhibit is bigger than most big cat exhibits and I saw two Aardvarks digging and shuffling around today – that enclosure is one of Detroit's true gems; the giraffes have beautiful stone work around their paddock; and I even saw two Matschie's Tree Kangaroos high up in their trees – stunning! I guess that I would personally overhaul the Wolverine/Bush Dog/Giant Anteater exhibits as even though all three of them are spacious, they are not aesthetically pleasing. However, Detroit is very much a zoo that is immensely popular (1.5 million annual visitors) and for the most part terrific with very little to complain about.
The Holden Reptile Conservation Center is the zoo's Reptile House and it is essentially one large room. There are 34 exhibits around the outer edge, plus 2 more exhibits that were temporarily closed for 'habitat improvement', and then 5 extremely large exhibits in the centre for a grand total of 41 exhibits. None of the terrariums are small and this 1960s building does a great job of showcasing a diverse range of species. All of the vivaria are at the very least medium-sized, and then there are a couple of 12-foot high masterpieces and at least 8 of them that are very spacious. So what animals are in the 41 exhibits. Here you go...
Species List for Reptile House (45 species): Chinese Alligator, Dwarf Caiman, Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Colorado Desert Sidewinder, Emerald Tree Boa, Jamaican Boa, Green Tree Python, Savu Island Python, Reticulated Python, Timor Python, Black-headed Python, Eastern Fox Snake, Gray-banded Kingsnake, Madagascar Giant Hognose Snake, Mangrove Snake, Black Rat Snake, West African Gaboon Viper, Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra, King Brown Snake, Bushmaster, Star Tortoise, Egyptian Tortoise, Pancake Tortoise, Matamata, Giant South American River Turtle, Fly River Turtle, Argentine Snake-necked Turtle, Yellow-spotted Side-necked Turtle, Western Pond Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, McCord's Box Turtle, Green Tree Monitor, Water Monitor, Sonoran Black Iguana, Black Iguana, Sahara Spiny-tailed Lizard, Giant Plated Lizard, Uromastyx, Prehensile-tailed Skink, Shingle-backed Skink, San Esteban Island Chuckwalla, Bearded Lizard and European Legless Lizard.
Leaving the Reptile House, many visitors take a stroll on the boardwalk that crosses a 2-acre wetland with many wild frogs that can be seen resting on lilypads. The setting is sublime. Across from the mini-lake is the National Amphibian Conservation Center and it is an absolutely brilliant Amphibian House with 25 exhibits and I was struck by how new it looked even though it is edging towards 20 years of age. Some of the terrariums are fantastic and even though they already have an excellent Japanese Giant Salamander exhibit (I saw two of the animals) there are 5 in total at the zoo and a terrific-looking new habitat for the species is almost finished and due to possibly open next month.
Species List for Amphibian House (37 species): Japanese Giant Salamander, Ozark Hellbender, Axolotl, Aquatic Caecilian, Narrow-striped Dwarf Siren, African Lungfish, Iberian Ribbed Newt, Striped Newt, Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, Wyoming Toad, Boreal Toad, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Kihansi Spray Toad, Mountain Chicken, Red-eyed Tree Frog, Lemur Tree Frog, Hourglass Tree Frog, Mexican Giant Tree Frog, White's Tree Frog, Denny's Tree Frog, Granular Glass Frog, Panamanian Golden Frog, Vietnamese Mossy Frog, Giant Waxy Monkey Frog, Bornean Eared Frog, African Clawed Frog, Golden Mantella, Bernhard's Mantella, Betsileo's Mantella, Splendid Mantella, Three-striped Poison Frog, Mimic Dart Frog, Dyeing Dart Frog, Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog, Blue Poison Dart Frog, Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog and Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog.
It is obvious that if any zoo enthusiast is a big fan of reptiles and amphibians then they should head to Detroit as with 82 species on display the zoo is one of the preeminent institutions in the United States for cold-blooded animals. But if someone likes penguins and polar bears then once again Detroit is tough to beat. A really wonderful zoo.
Zoo #18:
After spending around 5 hours at the Detroit Zoo, I drove for less than half an hour to Belle Isle, which is a park that is nearly 1,000 acres in size. That makes it tied with both Vancouver's Stanley Park and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Belle Isle Nature Center (Detroit, MI) is a free facility that has a herd of deer and then a number of tanks scattered around a loop inside the building.
Species list at Belle Isle Nature Center (18 species): Fallow Deer, Black Rat Snake, Eastern Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Wood Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Midland Painted Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Mudpuppy, Red-spotted Newt, American Toad, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Common Carp and Honey Bee.
One slight disappointment was that I wasn't able to visit the historic Belle Isle Aquarium, as that establishment is only open on weekends and I just couldn't make it work with my schedule. The aquarium opened in 1904 and along with Waikiki Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the USA.
After the one-two punch in the Detroit area I headed south and kept seeing signs for Toledo Zoo in Ohio, as that facility is practically right on the Michigan border. I toured Toledo in 2008, the same year as my initial visit to Detroit, and this time around I was excited to see a couple of billboards announcing 'Summer Hours' and 'Late Hours' and it got me thinking. I pulled over and checked on my Iphone and sure enough Toledo Zoo is open until 7:00 at night and at that point some of the buildings close and visitors are allowed to stay until 8:00. I only had to drive 25 minutes out of my way to revisit Toledo Zoo. A nice surprise! I'll discuss that major Ohio attraction in 'Part Two' tomorrow.
As a surprise I ended up adding on a major zoo to my itinerary (Toledo) and by the end of the day my feet were throbbing with the amount of walking that I made them do. The reason being was that Toledo has extended summer hours and I happened to see that advertised on a billboard while driving south through Michigan. I'll look at each of those major zoos over a two-part piece of writing. First up is Detroit.
Zoo #17:
I'm a big fan of Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak, MI) and I think that there are only around a dozen or so zoos that are better in the nation and I'd definitely have Detroit in my top 15. I visited once before, in 2008, and so exactly a decade later it was great to see so many improvements and changes. If I'm not mistaken, the zoo added a 2-acre Grey Wolf habitat and a North American Beaver exhibit but those are just about the only new major species added to the zoo in the past decade. However, Detroit has systematically renovated and enhanced many existing structures and the zoo is a very strong one with an excellent standard of exhibitry.
Besides the additions of the wolves and beavers, in the past decade the facility has spent $30 million on upgrading its penguin experience from the old 1960s-era Penguinarium to the amazing Polk Penguin Conservation Center. The African Lions had their exhibit expanded and significantly improved; the Giraffe Barn and exhibit received an upgrade in 2017 and the barn is huge and surely one of the largest giraffe barns in the nation. The otters had an upgrade, the seals currently have their pool drained and are having minor tweaks to their exhibit, and the trio of 1928 bear grottoes have been dramatically altered to make the entire area one large exhibit for Grizzly Bears instead of three smaller enclosures.
Besides the non-stop progress made in the past ten years, there is a lot more on the way. A new Japanese Giant Salamander exhibit is almost ready for its inhabitants, a brand-new restaurant has been built across from the historic Rackham Fountain and is due to open in a month, the Red Panda exhibit (which was already terrific) is doubling in size and should be open by the end of the year. The Amur Tiger exhibit, which is a fairly large grotto already, is tripling in size and due to open to the public next year. A 5th project on deck is the Bat Conservation Center (the old Penguinarium) but it doesn't seem as if the zoo has any concrete plans at this time.
Detroit has very large exhibits for some of its animals, as for example the Common Warthog enclosure is larger than some rhino paddocks that I've seen. The Kookaburra aviary is much bigger than many Bald Eagle aviaries. The new Grey Wolf habitat is arguably too big (2 acres) as there are only a pair of wolves and no one seems to be able to ever see them. Arctic Ring of Life is still fantastic and I love the plantings in that area, but Assiniboine Park Zoo has taken Polar Bear husbandry to a whole other level. Great Apes of Harambee has one massive yard for Chimpanzees that works well but the Gorillas don't really have an exhibit that caters to their needs. The apes switch on certain days,which is fantastic, but both enclosures are very open and of course Gorillas need some kind of overhead cover and a more substantial, 'jungle-like' environment. For the Chimpanzees the area seems great and other than Kansas City Zoo, chimps here might have the largest exhibit in the nation. (As an aside, I didn't locate any Drills at the zoo – are they definitely still there?)
In regards to the $30 million Polk Penguin Conservation Center, I would say that it is my 3rdtp favourite penguin exhibit of all-time. From outside it is bloody enormous and a first impression is a big WOW as there is a massive viewing window directly inside. However, it is downright weird seeing 100 people looking back at you from across the far side of the exhibit and that sight-line is a significant drawback in my opinion. Other thoughts: the constantly falling snow is neat to see, the building has an 'industrial' feel to it, the ramp down is a neat experience as the Ernest Shackleton Antarctic Expedition is the theme and giant images and sounds echo around visitors. Once below there is a spectacular tunnel and then my favourite section is a gargantuan viewing window and the penguins 'flying' through the water is incredible. Then there is a second tunnel with penguins soaring overhead, and then upstairs to the viewing area that looks directly across at other visitors. So there are 5 viewing areas and the whole thing is pretty darn good...but not as great as my #1 Saint Louis or my #2 Calgary. Yes, those two zoos have smaller penguin exhibits with smaller, shallower pools and some 'eager beaver zoo nerd' is going to tell me that Detroit's penguin habitat is better for the animals. He might well be correct, but in Saint Louis and Calgary the penguins can swim close to the visitors and splash them in the face and the entire building is a chilled environment and a magnificent experience. Detroit has a world-class penguin facility and it might well be one of the biggest and best on the planet, but it is difficult to top either Saint Louis or Calgary in terms of a memorable interaction with the birds and the VISITOR experience.
Walking around the zoo and seeing all of the improvements made for a long list of animals, I was struck by the fact that Detroit Zoo doesn't have very much wrong with it at all. Since the lions, tigers, grizzlies, penguins, giraffes, red pandas and salamanders have already been or will get upgraded habitats, then what is left? I'd probably leave the Japanese Macaques as they are as the exhibit is fine; the Aardvark exhibit is bigger than most big cat exhibits and I saw two Aardvarks digging and shuffling around today – that enclosure is one of Detroit's true gems; the giraffes have beautiful stone work around their paddock; and I even saw two Matschie's Tree Kangaroos high up in their trees – stunning! I guess that I would personally overhaul the Wolverine/Bush Dog/Giant Anteater exhibits as even though all three of them are spacious, they are not aesthetically pleasing. However, Detroit is very much a zoo that is immensely popular (1.5 million annual visitors) and for the most part terrific with very little to complain about.
The Holden Reptile Conservation Center is the zoo's Reptile House and it is essentially one large room. There are 34 exhibits around the outer edge, plus 2 more exhibits that were temporarily closed for 'habitat improvement', and then 5 extremely large exhibits in the centre for a grand total of 41 exhibits. None of the terrariums are small and this 1960s building does a great job of showcasing a diverse range of species. All of the vivaria are at the very least medium-sized, and then there are a couple of 12-foot high masterpieces and at least 8 of them that are very spacious. So what animals are in the 41 exhibits. Here you go...
Species List for Reptile House (45 species): Chinese Alligator, Dwarf Caiman, Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Colorado Desert Sidewinder, Emerald Tree Boa, Jamaican Boa, Green Tree Python, Savu Island Python, Reticulated Python, Timor Python, Black-headed Python, Eastern Fox Snake, Gray-banded Kingsnake, Madagascar Giant Hognose Snake, Mangrove Snake, Black Rat Snake, West African Gaboon Viper, Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra, King Brown Snake, Bushmaster, Star Tortoise, Egyptian Tortoise, Pancake Tortoise, Matamata, Giant South American River Turtle, Fly River Turtle, Argentine Snake-necked Turtle, Yellow-spotted Side-necked Turtle, Western Pond Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, McCord's Box Turtle, Green Tree Monitor, Water Monitor, Sonoran Black Iguana, Black Iguana, Sahara Spiny-tailed Lizard, Giant Plated Lizard, Uromastyx, Prehensile-tailed Skink, Shingle-backed Skink, San Esteban Island Chuckwalla, Bearded Lizard and European Legless Lizard.
Leaving the Reptile House, many visitors take a stroll on the boardwalk that crosses a 2-acre wetland with many wild frogs that can be seen resting on lilypads. The setting is sublime. Across from the mini-lake is the National Amphibian Conservation Center and it is an absolutely brilliant Amphibian House with 25 exhibits and I was struck by how new it looked even though it is edging towards 20 years of age. Some of the terrariums are fantastic and even though they already have an excellent Japanese Giant Salamander exhibit (I saw two of the animals) there are 5 in total at the zoo and a terrific-looking new habitat for the species is almost finished and due to possibly open next month.
Species List for Amphibian House (37 species): Japanese Giant Salamander, Ozark Hellbender, Axolotl, Aquatic Caecilian, Narrow-striped Dwarf Siren, African Lungfish, Iberian Ribbed Newt, Striped Newt, Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, Wyoming Toad, Boreal Toad, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Kihansi Spray Toad, Mountain Chicken, Red-eyed Tree Frog, Lemur Tree Frog, Hourglass Tree Frog, Mexican Giant Tree Frog, White's Tree Frog, Denny's Tree Frog, Granular Glass Frog, Panamanian Golden Frog, Vietnamese Mossy Frog, Giant Waxy Monkey Frog, Bornean Eared Frog, African Clawed Frog, Golden Mantella, Bernhard's Mantella, Betsileo's Mantella, Splendid Mantella, Three-striped Poison Frog, Mimic Dart Frog, Dyeing Dart Frog, Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog, Blue Poison Dart Frog, Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog and Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog.
It is obvious that if any zoo enthusiast is a big fan of reptiles and amphibians then they should head to Detroit as with 82 species on display the zoo is one of the preeminent institutions in the United States for cold-blooded animals. But if someone likes penguins and polar bears then once again Detroit is tough to beat. A really wonderful zoo.
Zoo #18:
After spending around 5 hours at the Detroit Zoo, I drove for less than half an hour to Belle Isle, which is a park that is nearly 1,000 acres in size. That makes it tied with both Vancouver's Stanley Park and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Belle Isle Nature Center (Detroit, MI) is a free facility that has a herd of deer and then a number of tanks scattered around a loop inside the building.
Species list at Belle Isle Nature Center (18 species): Fallow Deer, Black Rat Snake, Eastern Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Wood Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Midland Painted Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Mudpuppy, Red-spotted Newt, American Toad, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Common Carp and Honey Bee.
One slight disappointment was that I wasn't able to visit the historic Belle Isle Aquarium, as that establishment is only open on weekends and I just couldn't make it work with my schedule. The aquarium opened in 1904 and along with Waikiki Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the USA.
After the one-two punch in the Detroit area I headed south and kept seeing signs for Toledo Zoo in Ohio, as that facility is practically right on the Michigan border. I toured Toledo in 2008, the same year as my initial visit to Detroit, and this time around I was excited to see a couple of billboards announcing 'Summer Hours' and 'Late Hours' and it got me thinking. I pulled over and checked on my Iphone and sure enough Toledo Zoo is open until 7:00 at night and at that point some of the buildings close and visitors are allowed to stay until 8:00. I only had to drive 25 minutes out of my way to revisit Toledo Zoo. A nice surprise! I'll discuss that major Ohio attraction in 'Part Two' tomorrow.
