Hello everybody, this is part 2 of my review of the Bronx zoo. Before I start, I would like to apologize for the spelling errors. I’m a bad speller and typer. I’m only 13. I also want to address some of the concerns that were brought up during my last post. Also, in congo gorilla forest there are fruit bats right next to the wolf guenons the high right corner there are a couple of fruit bats you can only see it if you bend down. I go to zoo camp and you get a birds-eye-view of all the exhibits so that’s how I found out about the bats. My bad, for saying bubble, it is a dome of sorts, but of course, the apes cant walk above your head but it’s a dome. Last thing, it might not be best gorilla exhibit, but I’ve seen photos on zoo chat and I’ve never really found a more superior gorilla exhibit. I’ve been to philly’s Gorilla Exhibit, and its basically like a football field, and does not seem like the actual forest. Thanks for the suggestions fellow zoo chatters. So, I’ll begin my review:
Part 2:
Madagascar:
Coquerel sifakas have a nice high lush exhibit that used to hold blue-eyed black lemurs rotated with the Sifakas. Nile crocodiles have a too-small pool that is shared with about 10 species of fish. Its all mock rock and has no grass and the crocodiles are indoors 24/7. Madagascar hog nosed snakes have a too small terrariums. Inside, there are terrariums for tomato frogs, four striped lizards, and a variety of snakes all are large and fair for its inhabitants. Grey mouse lemurs have a nice nocturnal exhibit with lots of bamboo and hiding stops. Ring-tailed lemurs have a nice exhibit shared with Collared lemurs and sometimes, but not likely, if you are lucky, you might find crowned lemurs. Redfodys and about 7 other species of birds native to Madagascar live in this spiny forest exhibit. On the bottom there are tortoises. In a cave there are at least 300 Madagascar hissing cockaroaches then at the end of the hall there is a nice sandy exhibit for 2 species of lizard and turtles. Ring-tailed mongoose have a nice hollowed out log exhibit. In the last room, there is a beautiful lush exhibit for red ruffed lemurs opposite from the ruffed lemurs- it is too small of an exhibit for fossa. Then, after that, the last exhibit in the building is a pool for ciclids. Exhibit rate overall: 4.5
African Plains:
The complex begins with a nice open plains exhibit that you can only access from a board walk. Here you can see lowland nyala, east African crowned crane and 2 other African birds. Then there is a dirt paddock for red flanked duiker. After that, there is an average exhibit for lions which are too small, but are grassy and have a nice predator and prey illusion. There is a nice grassy exhibit for lesser kudu, and thomphson gazzle. This exhibit is large and it has one of the largest herds of gazzelle I’ve ever seen. Next, bariango giraffe, reticulated giraffe, and common ostrich. African wild dogs have a nice grassy exhibit with a nice back drop of the giraffe exhibit. Spotted hyenas have a nice shaded exhibit with a pool. Then grevys zebra have a nice large grassy paddock. Lastly, slender horned gazzles have a sandy exhibit that’s big and has lots of tall grass for hiding.
Tiger mountain: first Amur, Malayan tigers have a nice grassy exhibit with lots of trees and some hiding places. The second exhibit is better with a pool with fish and a slope so the tiger can kind of hide. After that, Piere David deer have a large grassy Paddock shared with 10 species of waterfowl and swans.
Baboon reserve geladas, rock hyrax, and Nubian ibex have a 2 acre grass slope filled exhibit with rolling fields and a pond for turtles and 3 species of waterfowl.
Wild Asia Monorail:
First, Barisinga, and axis deer have a huge grassy exhibit shared with black buck antelope in this huge massive hoofstock yard. Next, a small hut yard has Indian or reeves mountjack. Mongolian wild horses have a wonderful grassy paddock that has to be more than 2or 3 acres. Indian Guar have a large wooded paddock that’s about as big as the wild horses exhibit. But they are not alone, they also share their paddock with brown antler deer. Then, amur tigers have a great grassy exhibit that has a small pool. Babarusas have a small bamboo/dirt paddock. Indian elephants have a 1.4 acre exhibit that’s kind of bad and if you want to know. I don’t know why the 2 elephants are separated from each other. Happy (elephant’s name) has a large grassy paddock with a large pool. The other elephant exhibit is way to small. Indian rhinos have a nice grassy paddock with 2 large mud pools. Formokasika, hog, and sambar deer have a wonderful exhibit with lots of trees and grass. Beside the deer there is also nigal, and maleguide antelope and more muntjack that also share this exhibit. Markor and Himalayan tar have a rocky exhibit with plenty of trees and rocks to climb on and the exhibit is huge. Lastly, red pandas have a nice exhibit with lots of bamboo shoots. Over all, the animals on the monorail have huge exhibits for its inhabitants and no exhibit is sparce. But the fact that you can only view the animals for like 30 seconds because the monorail moves, is not fun. Total Rate: 4.7
Northern ponds:
It’s really just a pond, but the 15 species of ducks/teals/cranes they have is might impressive and the pond is large and fair. Its really nothing but worth mentioning.
Total Rate: 5.0
Himalayan highlands:
Snow leopards have 3 exhibits. 1 exhibit is incredibly disappointing, and looks like cleveland’s primate cats and aquatic formor snow leopard exhibit. The other 2 are green, rocky, and steep. The 2 exhibits are amazing and the snow leopards are always active when I visit. Red pandas have a nice open aired exhibit with bamboo and lots of bushes and climbing and small trees. White naped cranes have a nice marshy pool with a grass slope and lots of foliage. Exhibit rate is 4.3
Flamingo pub:
A nice flamingo exhibit quite nice but nothing special. Exhibit rate: 5.0
Pelican pond:
Pelican pond is a nice exhibit for pelicans and other waterfowl. There is a huge pond and a land area. Exhibit rate 5.0
Before I start the best sections, some of the exhibits are great based off by the collection, but mostly not.
Mouse house: This is my favorite part of the zoo, so I’m sorry if I’m a bit biased.
First, starting on the left side, there is an nice sandy exhibit for zebra mice that has a long and tall grass. African pygmy mice have a nice sandy exhibit with lots of tall grass. Damerold mole rats have a decent exhibit with tubes and burrows to be in. Eurasian harvest mice have a good sandy exhibit like the African pygmy mice. Cinchillas have 2 small exhibits that are sand filled with a couple of rocks. On the right-side degus have a nice grassy exhibit very large for its inhabitants. Common tree shrews have 2 exhibits that are large and lush. Harris antelope squirrels have 2 exhibits as well and are both large and have lots of bushes, and shrubs. Rock cavys rotate with black and white rufous elephant shrews. It’s decent and has lots of hiding spots but its on the small side. Pygmy marmosets and red rumpped agouties have a nice tree filled exhibit. Madagascar lesser hedgehog tennrecks have an exhibit. I don’t have an opinion on because its not done yet. Cloud rats have a good tree filed exhibit and a box to hide in. Bush Babies, Madagascar jumping rats, and Cario Spiny Mice have a huge exhibit with lots of trees for the prosimians and a lot of land space for the ground dwelling rodents. Garnets Galogos have a tree filed exhibit that used to hold spotted skunks. Egyptian spiny mice have a large mock rock exhibit. Bushy tailed jirds have a sand filled exhibit. Egyptian Jerboas have a small exhibit with a hamster wheel. Desert Jerboas have a large sand filled exhibit with not one, but 2 hamster wheels. Cario spiny mice have a small sand filled exhibit with a hamster wheel. Short tailed jerboas have a good sand filled exhibit. Cactus mice have a large sand filled exhibit with a hamster wheel there. Other exhibit has some rodent unsigned maybe Arabian spiny mice. On the right side, california mice have a large tree filled exhibit. Deer mice have a good shrub, and tree filed exhibit. Kusu rats and mice that are unsigned maybe northern field mice. Then lastly house mice of course have a wooded exhibit that’s fairly large
Overall, I can’t express how glad I am rodents have their own building! What a treat!
Exhibit rate: 4.3 even though its over 50 years-old. It holds up fairly well.
Big bears grizzly bears: and 3 bc island bears have a beautiful rocky exhibit were the bears can sort of climb a mountain. The exhibit has 3 pools and streams and trees. Not a grotto like at cleveland metroparks zoo. The polar bear died, so it no longer has to live in its concrete grotto. I am glad something smaller took its place: dholes. This exhibit is average with a little too little land space for the dholes. And, I don’t like how there’s a mote with no water. overall its an average exhibit. But because bear no longer has to be there, it makes it a good exhibit. Exhibit rate 4.4.
Well, it's getting late, so I'll work on it again later this week. Stay tuned for part 3.
