Zoo Bucket List

Went to the San Diego Safari Park yesterday and saw the platapuses.
It wasn't very busy but if you go when it is I suggest you beeline to the Walkabout area as you must get a timed entry ticket. They only allow about 4 groups at a time-like whatever is in your group (for me it was one). They didn't rush you out or anything but there is some pressure to move along. It was exciting to see them in person for the first time, however two things were drawbacks.
First it was VERY dark inside. They had simulated moonlight but it wasn;t like it was a full moon!
It was difficult to even see them much less any detail. Second is the water level only came up to my waist, whereas it would have been much more viewing effective if they had maybe raised the whole exhibit a couple of feet.
The zoo wasn't so bad but much of the safari park was not visible. No ride through the African plains, so you could only view some of it from the overlook, bats closed ,lorikeets closed, trail to asian hoofstock closed, lemur walkthrough closed . At the zoo half the reptile house was closed..
 
I’m lucky in that I have been to many zoos. In recent years I made some (occasionally exhausting) specific trips to try and fill the gaps where there are major zoos I haven’t visited. I’m really glad I seized the opportunities when I did.

Borås Zoo, Nordens Ark - two Swedish zoos I’d very much like to visit. Maybe a west coast trip will be possible next summer. It’s twenty years since I was last in that part of the country.

Ranua Zoo, Ähtäri Zoo - two significant Finnish zoos I haven’t visited. A Finnish road trip from here would be amazing. Only issue is that I can’t drive...

Aalborg Zoo, Skandinavisk Dyrepark, Givskud Zoo, Ree Park Safari, Knuthenborg Safaripark, Randers Regnskog - the main Danish collections I haven’t visited. A summer road trip through Denmark visiting these and smaller zoos would be fantastic... but, well, you know.

Planckendael - a zoo I hoped to visit while staying with my family in the Netherlands over the summer. Unfortunately the pandemic meant travel to Belgium wasn’t possible. Still a future possibility though.

Prague Zoo - perhaps the biggest gap in my European zoo visiting history. I’ve been to Prague once but was there with a friend who wasn’t that interested in zoos and back then I didn’t have the confidence to go off by myself. Would be very happy to do a comprehensive Czech zoo tour one summer and fortunately I think that’s very doable using public transport.

Jersey Zoo - An iconic zoo that was a significant part of my childhood and somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit yet always prioritised other places. It’s not impossible, would have to make a dedicated trip of course.

Highland Wildlife Park - this one is unlikely as I don’t drive but maybe one day. I went to university in Scotland and it’s ten years since I was last there so a trip would be nice but I don’t know how likely that will be.

Cotswold Wildlife Park - never made it here while I lived in the UK mainly as I don’t drive. I was once promised a trip here as a birthday present but it never materialised. A visit to England isn’t a priority and this is pretty low on the probability list.

Beyond Europe it’s mainly Australia and New Zealand that interests me. I had a planned trip this spring that was cancelled (it was for a wedding which didn’t go ahead) and due to the pandemic it wouldn’t have happened or wouldn’t have gone as planned anyway.

I’ve been to a handful of Australian zoos but never New Zealand. That’s a maybe some time in the future trip but less likely than anywhere in Europe, even without travel restrictions.
 
United States:
  • Akron Zoo
  • Brevard Zoo
  • Bronx Zoo
  • Brookfield Zoo
  • Central Park Zoo
  • Cincinnati Zoo
  • Cleveland Zoo
  • Columbus Zoo
  • Dallas World Aquarium
  • Detroit Zoo
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom
  • Georgia Aquarium
  • Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha)
  • Indianapolis Zoo
  • Los Angeles Zoo
  • Louisville Zoo
  • Maryland Zoo
  • Nashville Zoo
  • National Aviary
  • Newport Aquarium
  • New England Aquarium
  • Philadelphia Zoo
  • Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
  • Riverbanks Zoo
  • San Diego Zoo & Safari Park
  • Shedd Aquarium
  • St. Louis Zoo
  • Tennessee Aquarium
  • Zoo Atlanta
International:
  • Aquaria KLCC Malaysia
  • Auckland Zoo
  • Berlin Tierpark
  • Biblical Zoo
  • Cali Zoo
  • Colombia National Aviary
  • Frankfurt Zoo
  • Helsinki Zoo
  • Jurong Bird Park
  • London Zoo
  • Moscow Zoo
  • Ocean Park Hong Kong
  • Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
  • Pairi Daiza
  • Paris Zoo
  • Sea Aquarium Singapore
  • Sea Life Bangkok
  • Singapore Zoo
  • Taronga Zoo
  • Zoo Berlin
  • Weltvogelpark Walsrode
 
redpanda756 said:
International:
  • Aquaria KLCC Malaysia
  • Auckland Zoo
  • Berlin Tierpark
  • Biblical Zoo
  • Cali Zoo
  • Colombia National Aviary
  • Frankfurt Zoo
  • Helsinki Zoo
  • Jurong Bird Park
  • London Zoo
  • Moscow Zoo
  • Ocean Park Hong Kong
  • Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
  • Pairi Daiza
  • Paris Zoo
  • Sea Aquarium Singapore
  • Sea Life Bangkok
  • Singapore Zoo
  • Taronga Zoo
  • Zoo Berlin
  • Weltvogelpark Walsrode
Click to expand...

May I ask why Aquarium KLCC and Ocean Park HK?
 
I have a somewhat realistic chance to visit the US in the near future and probably go to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for the first time. Other zoos I'm interested in visiting during my lifetime are:
- San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Safari Park
- The Wilds
- Bronx Zoo
- St. Louis Zoo
- Cincinnati Zoo
- Berlin Zoological Garden
- Zoo Basel
- Jersey Zoo
- Taronga Zoo
- Auckland Zoo
- Singapore Zoo
 
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Monterrey Aquarium
Bronx Zoo
Zoo Miami
Shedd Aquarium
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Dallas World Aquarium
Cincinnati Zoo
Columbus Zoo
Detroit Zoo
Australia Zoo
Taronga Zoo
Singapore Zoo
Singapore Night Safari
Jurong Bird Park
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
 
TheChukaulorian said:
I have a somewhat realistic chance to visit the US in the near future and probably go to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for the first time. Other zoos I'm interested in visiting during my lifetime are:
- San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Safari Park
- The Wilds
- Bronx Zoo
- St. Louis Zoo
- Cincinnati Zoo
- Berlin Zoological Garden
- Zoo Basel
- Jersey Zoo
- Taronga Zoo
- Auckland Zoo
- Singapore Zoo
Click to expand...

Curious about why Basel out of all the other zoos in Europe? (Why not Burgers, or Zürich or Prague?)
 
Rayane said:
Curious about why Basel out of all the other zoos in Europe? (Why not Burgers, or Zürich or Prague?)
Click to expand...
Probably because of its historic relevance and large collection. You're right I forgot Prague Zoo. I haven't heard a lot of Burgers and Zurich since I'm admittely pretty new in the matter of zoos around the world. Any recomendations?
 
Here's mine

(Note: some of these depends, I'm a bit iffy on a lot of elephant programs)

Austria
Schoenbrunn Zoo

Australia
Australia Zoo
Lone Pine Sanctuary
Taronga Zoo

Belgium
Antwerp Zoo
Pairi Daiza
Planckendael

Canada
Toronto Zoo

Czechia
Prague Zoo

France
ZooParc de Beauval

Germany
Berlin Zoo
Zoo Leipzig

Japan
Zoorasia

Netherlands
Apenheul
Artis
Rotterdam Zoo
Royal Burgers Zoo
Wildlands Emmen

New Zealand
Auckland Zoo
Zelandia

Portugal
Oceanarium Lisbon

Singapore
Jurong Bird Park
Night Safari
River Safari
Singapore Zoo

Switzerland
Zoo Zurich

UK
Chester Zoo
Hamerton Zoo Park
Jersey Zoo

US
Dallas World Aquarium
Bronx Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Zoos I'd like to visit again
San Diego
San Diego Safari Park

Zoos close to me I haven't visited
Kansas City Zoo
Saint Louis
Lee G. Simmons Safari Park
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Como Park Zoo
Great Plains Zoo
Niabi Zoo (Nothing pops though)
 
Last edited:
Seeing many of your replies in this thread about wanting to visit the zoos here in Singapore makes me really happy! I definitely would recommend our 4 main parks, which will actually be merging together with a 5th new rainforest park in the near future - to create one mega zoological experience!

Anyway, as for me, I've had the opportunity to visit various excellent zoos, but the ones I really want to visit are:

- Cincinnati Zoo (Really want to check out Martha's memorial! I have always been fascinated with passenger pigeons since young!)
- Smithsonian National Zoological Park
- Bronx Zoo (Should have visited it when I went to NYC!)
- Prague Zoo (After all they did for the Przewalski's horse, I really want to check them out!)
- ZSL London Zoo (To see that gorgeous Reptile House!)
- Brookfield Zoo (To see Tropic World!)
- Edinburgh Zoo (Again, should have visited it when I went to Edinburgh... missed opportunity!)

Not sure if this counts as a zoo, don't think it does, but I really want to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China! Heard many good things of them for the conservation of pandas and I really want to check them out!

EDIT: Oh! And the Izu Mito Sea Paradise in Numazu, Japan. One of my favourite Japanese idol groups performed there, so it will be cool to check it out!
 
TheChukaulorian said:
Probably because of its historic relevance and large collection. You're right I forgot Prague Zoo. I haven't heard a lot of Burgers and Zurich since I'm admittely pretty new in the matter of zoos around the world. Any recomendations?
Click to expand...

Basel is not in my European top 10, although it is a great zoo and has a good size collection, it's ont of a few zoos where I get bored while revisiting.
I'd recommand checking Chester, Prague, Plzen, Zürich, Burgers, Leipzig, Köln if you're interested in European collections. Beauval and Pairi Daiza are in their own league but are nice places as well.
 
Sauroposeidons said:
ZSL London Zoo (To see that gorgeous Reptile House!)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there are plans to build another reptile house on the lawns in the middle of the zoo. The old reptile house will be turned into a museum of some kind. Still a lovely building, but I would suggest Vienna to see the best examples of old buildings repurposed to fit modern day standards, or even Paris Menagerie.

Unfortunately Edinburgh is not what it once was either, so I would probably suggest a place like Berlin, Zurich or Wroclaw instead, or Chester for that matter - all of them are far better.
 
amur leopard said:
Unfortunately, there are plans to build another reptile house on the lawns in the middle of the zoo. The old reptile house will be turned into a museum of some kind. Still a lovely building, but I would suggest Vienna to see the best examples of old buildings repurposed to fit modern day standards, or even Paris Menagerie.

Unfortunately Edinburgh is not what it once was either, so I would probably suggest a place like Berlin, Zurich or Wroclaw instead, or Chester for that matter - all of them are far better.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see! That's unfortunate to hear, but at least the building will still be there! Unfortunate to hear that for the Edinburgh Zoo too! :<

Thanks for the recommendations, though! I checked out the Berlin Zoo & Aquarium before and it was a lovely experience! Will definitely add these zoos you listed to my bucket list - especially Chester Zoo! Heard some good things about that zoo before too :-)
 
birdsandbats said:
If you want to see a different gorgeous reptile house I can recommend Saint Louis Zoo.
Click to expand...

You’re right!! I just searched it up and wow! The reptile house’s exhibits are truly stunning! Love the pillars and the sandy colours of the walls, as well as those details on walls above the front entrance. Will have to check it out!
 
My Top 10 Are:
San Diego Zoo
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Zoo Atlanta
St. Louis Zoo
Memphis Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
Detroit Zoo
Dallas Zoo
Columbus Zoo
 
MonkeyBat said:
Here's mine

(Note: some of these depends, I'm a bit iffy on a lot of elephant programs)

Austria
Schoenbrunn Zoo

Australia
Australia Zoo
Lone Pine Sanctuary
Taronga Zoo

Belgium
Antwerp Zoo
Pairi Daiza
Planckendael

Canada
Toronto Zoo

Czechia
Prague Zoo

France
ZooParc de Beauval

Germany
Berlin Zoo
Zoo Leipzig

Japan
Zoorasia

Netherlands
Apenheul
Artis
Rotterdam Zoo
Royal Burgers Zoo
Wildlands Emmen

New Zealand
Auckland Zoo
Zelandia

Portugal
Oceanarium Lisbon

Singapore
Jurong Bird Park
Night Safari
River Safari
Singapore Zoo

Switzerland
Zoo Zurich

UK
Chester Zoo
Hamerton Zoo Park
Jersey Zoo

US
Dallas World Aquarium
Bronx Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Zoos I'd like to visit again
San Diego
San Diego Safari Park

Zoos close to me I haven't visited
Kansas City Zoo
Saint Louis
Lee G. Simmons Safari Park
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Como Park Zoo
Great Plains Zoo
Niabi Zoo (Nothing pops though)
Click to expand...
I'd like to add a few to the list

Columbia
Zoo de Cali

USA
Cincinnati Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo
 
My Top 10 (no specific order)
  • Denver Zoo
  • Georgia Aquarium
  • Dallas Zoo
  • Zoo Tampa
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Dallas World Aquarium
  • Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
  • Brookfield Zoo
  • San Diego Zoo
  • Saint Lous Zoo
Zoos close to me I want to visit
  • Potter Park Zoo
  • Binder Park Zoo
  • John Ball Zoo
I also want to visit (or re-visit) all of the zoos in Ohio. Most of them have added a lot of new exhibits since I've last been to them. The only two I have not been to in the state are Akron Zoo and The Wilds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top