Entrance Animals

If you are lucky you can sometimes see the black rhinos when coming into Chester.
 
Capron park zoo has a tegu in the admissions then kangaroos first once in the zoo. Buttonwood zoo has dart frogs in admissions then bison first inside the zoo. National zoo has bison first. Roger Williams Zoo franklin park zoo and Cleveland zoo both have Africa exhibits. Brookfield zoo has a leopard. Central park zoo has sea lions. Some like colombia zoo dont actually have a first exhibit. Southwick zoo has capybara first. Zooamerica has spoonbill first.
 
Scottish Wildcat said:
I couldn't find a thread like this anywhere else, but I wanted to discuss the animals that are the first you see when you walk into any zoo. What are the most common? Most unusual? What ones work the best? Etc

I feel like the most common choices would be things like meerkats, flamingos, penguins, maybe otters. Things interesting enough to grab a visitor's attention but not too flashy that they have no reason to walk around the rest of the zoo (I think elephants at Chester, especially free-for-view elephants, is quite odd). I grew up with mid-2000's Edinburgh Zoo, so Sea Lions seem like a normal one for me, though I gather they were a bit unusual. I think it worked well for Edinburgh.

Other ones I've seen are the meerkats at modern Edinburgh, the flamingos at San Diego, the yak/camel/kiang at HWP, the 'Oasis' exhibit at DAK, sea lions again at Central Park, and capuchin monkeys at Lisbon.
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Does it really matter ?
 
A nice showy exhibit BEFORE you get in, like in as you are sometimes waiting in a long line to get in, seems like a nice touch.
I would venture what is also pretty common is no real greeter exhibit until you are well within the gates.
 
Daktari JG said:
A nice showy exhibit BEFORE you get in, like in as you are sometimes waiting in a long line to get in, seems like a nice touch.
I would venture what is also pretty common is no real greeter exhibit until you are well within the gates.
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In one of the zoos in Germany (I think it was Freiburg) there were Meerkats in an exhibit before one goes in.

At Healesville Sanctuary (in Melbourne, Australia) there are enclosures for Koalas and Echidnas before one goes in.

And in Dubbo (Australia) there are islands with Spider Monkeys and Ringtailed Lemurs before one goes in.
 
For the AZA an exhibit can not be part of the exterior boundry, so to get around that there would have to be a further wall/fence. But it would still be a nice touch if built so that while you were waiting in line there would be something to view.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
I would argue it does; first impressions and all that.

Unless you are just being snippy and asking if Scottish Wildcat wanting to discuss this topic really matters....in which case you are being a little rude.
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Sorry- I was not being rude - but to me it does not matter what exhibit I see first, and do not think that it matters too much at all, as when I go to see animals I really hope to see everything on display at that time and it is not important, to me, that I see them in any order. No disrespect was intended and I am quite happy for any topic to be discussed.
 
Daktari JG said:
A nice showy exhibit BEFORE you get in, like in as you are sometimes waiting in a long line to get in, seems like a nice touch.
I would venture what is also pretty common is no real greeter exhibit until you are well within the gates.
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DWA does this and it was a big hit with everyone in line! It's a nice preview of what you'll be seeing inside, and gives them extra spots to put animals.

Dallas Zoo has lemurs, but I didn't see any. Baltimore has prairie dogs, then their fantastic new penguin exhibit once you take the tram to the main part of the zoo (prairie dogs are the only ones between entrance and the tram). Philly's back entrance has cheetahs, their front entrance has multiple paths before you see something. DC has a dozen different entrances. Elmwood Park has their giraffes/zebras and their birds of prey. Oregon Zoo has the mountain goats, which I really liked, given the location.The walking part of Wildlife Safari has cheetahs at the entrance.
 
Terry Thomas said:
as when I go to see animals I really hope to see everything on display at that time and it is not important, to me, that I see them in any order. No disrespect was intended and I am quite happy for any topic to be discussed.
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Yeah the issue isn't quite as important for those of us who like to see everything regardless of quality or time - but for members of the general public the first impressions of a collection formed when visiting a collection and seeing the very first visible exhibit can be pivotal :)
 
Not really a first exhibit in a zoo but in 1984 I was on a bus from Chester to the zoo, and as it went along Caughall Road, I saw red-crowned cranes, in what is now the wader aviary/duckery. Although the enclosure was inside the zoo it was visible from the road. They made an impression on me, I have since been a crane fan. :p

Also visible from the road was the old orchard, at the time the wapiti paddock.

For those who do not know Chester, Caughall Road is the road running along the zoo's eastern boundary, past the offshow parrot house, greenhouses and sunken garden, leading to Cedar House and then carrying on northwards.
 
Having a nice exhibit with a colorful, crowd-pleasing species is great as a first impression. Furthermore, it can serve as an advertisment for people that didn't know there's a zoo there. They often don't visit right away, but simply the fact that they now know about the zoo is important.

Alternatively, some (smaller) zoos that lack buildings can use the entrance building to show some cold-blooded creatures. Mageburg is a prime example, while the small Dutch Zie-Zoo has an entire small animal attic. Some zoos also display species that don't fit with any theme they have as entrance animals.

Some examples from the Netherlands:
- Wolverines and macaws in Zie-Zoo
- Nutria, harris's hawk, camels (and maybe still sarus crane) in De Paay
- Pelicans in Bestzoo
- Penguins (just after the entrace) in Burgers' Zoo
- Macaws and meerkats in Dierenrijk
- Squirrel monkeys (I think they replaced lemurs) in Beekse Bergen
- Spoonbills (and other waders?) and flamingos in Artis
 
For some reason, at the moment, my local Toronto Zoo has no animals near the entrance of the zoo. The closest thing we have is a Rhino House, but even that is a bit of a walk from the entrance plaza. I do think that the zoo is rectifying their mistake, as they're planning to make a River Otter exhibit near the entrance.
 
Heidelberg had a European Brown Bear enclosure by the entrance, and only visible from outside the zoo when I visited in 2009
 
Edmonton valley zoo has a rather nice river otter exhibit as its first exhibit, and it is indeed viewable without paying as well!
 
Upon entrance at the Melbourne zoo you used to be able to see Orangutans and gorillas to your left. Their enclosures have now been replaced by a lemur walkthrough recently.
 
Here is a list of every zoo I have been to and their entrance complex/animal(s):

Henry Vilas Zoo - Bornean Orangutan, Ring-Tailed Lemur
NEW Zoo - Black-Footed Penguin, South African Shelduck
Milwaukee County Zoo - Humboldt Penguin, North American River Otter
International Crane Foundation - Gray Crowned Crane, Wattled Crane
Menominee Park Zoo - N/A
Wildwood Zoo - Kodiak Bear, Cougar, Gray Wolf, American Elk
Wisconsin Rapids Municipal Zoo - Children's Petting Zoo
Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo - Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, Gray Wolf
Reiman Aquarium - Great Lakes Tank
Special Memories Zoo - Patas Monkey
Animal Haven Zoo - Goldfish
Animal Gardens Petting Zoo - Zebu
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - N/A
MacKenzie Center - American Bison, North American River Otter
Stevens Point Herptological Society - Common Box Turtle, Ornate Box Turtle, Red-Eared Slider, Green Iguana, Chinese Water Dragon
Glacier Ridge Animal Farm - Ring-Tailed Lemur
Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin - Painted Turtle, American Toad, Black Swallowtail, Eastern Comma, Question Mark
Timbavati Wildlife Park - N/A
Ochsner Park Zoo - Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl
Shedd Aquarium - Caribbean Reef Tank
Lincoln Park Zoo - Domestic Cow, Gray Seal, Harbor Seal, Domestic Bactrian Camel
Brookfield Zoo - N/A
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - N/A
Como Park Zoo - Tropical Encounters, Western Lowland Gorilla
Minnesota Zoo - African Penguin
SEA LIFE Minnesota - small reef tank
Gabbert Raptor Center - Eastern Screech Owl
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium - Bluegill
DeYoung Family Zoo - Bearded Dragon, Eurasian Brown Bear, Olive Baboon
Saint Louis Zoo - N/A
Grant's Farm - Domestic Horse
World Aquarium - Common Clownfish, Blue Tang (gee, I wonder why these two were picked...)
Lone Elk Park - American Elk, White-Tailed Deer, American Bison
 
birdsandbats said:
Here is a list of every zoo I have been to and their entrance complex/animal(s):

Henry Vilas Zoo - Bornean Orangutan, Ring-Tailed Lemur
NEW Zoo - Black-Footed Penguin, South African Shelduck
Milwaukee County Zoo - Humboldt Penguin, North American River Otter
International Crane Foundation - Gray Crowned Crane, Wattled Crane
Menominee Park Zoo - N/A
Wildwood Zoo - Kodiak Bear, Cougar, Gray Wolf, American Elk
Wisconsin Rapids Municipal Zoo - Children's Petting Zoo
Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo - Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, Gray Wolf
Reiman Aquarium - Great Lakes Tank
Special Memories Zoo - Patas Monkey
Animal Haven Zoo - Goldfish
Animal Gardens Petting Zoo - Zebu
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - N/A
MacKenzie Center - American Bison, North American River Otter
Stevens Point Herptological Society - Common Box Turtle, Ornate Box Turtle, Red-Eared Slider, Green Iguana, Chinese Water Dragon
Glacier Ridge Animal Farm - Ring-Tailed Lemur
Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin - Painted Turtle, American Toad, Black Swallowtail, Eastern Comma, Question Mark
Timbavati Wildlife Park - N/A
Ochsner Park Zoo - Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl
Shedd Aquarium - Caribbean Reef Tank
Lincoln Park Zoo - Domestic Cow, Gray Seal, Harbor Seal, Domestic Bactrian Camel
Brookfield Zoo - N/A
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - N/A
Como Park Zoo - Tropical Encounters, Western Lowland Gorilla
Minnesota Zoo - African Penguin
SEA LIFE Minnesota - small reef tank
Gabbert Raptor Center - Eastern Screech Owl
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium - Bluegill
DeYoung Family Zoo - Bearded Dragon, Eurasian Brown Bear, Olive Baboon
Saint Louis Zoo - N/A
Grant's Farm - Domestic Horse
World Aquarium - Common Clownfish, Blue Tang (gee, I wonder why these two were picked...)
Lone Elk Park - American Elk, White-Tailed Deer, American Bison
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There seems to be a lot of hoofstock, fish, reptiles and primates at the entrances of zoos you visited.;)
 
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