Hi all! So yesterday I decided to take a trip to Franklin Park Zoo for the opening of their newest exhibit: Gorilla Grove. Before I get into the species list and subsequent review, I wanted to give a bit of background for this trip. FPZ is one of the closest zoos to me and thus I've been going most of my life. As a kid, it was one of my favorites as they had giraffes, gorillas, lions, etc. but as I got older and more in depth with the zoo field, it has definitely fallen out of favor with me. I wanted to go see the Gorilla Grove because it had been nearly 20 years since the gorillas had gotten to go outside and seeing them indoors most of my life was a pretty upsetting thing for me. I also have three friends who currently work at the zoo who urged me to come visit, so, having the day off, I decided to pop in, mainly because one of my friends who works there was able to get us in for free.
I'll probably be a little harsh here, I've watched FPZ change a lot since I was a kid in the early 00s and having seen all of this, I definitely have strong opinions towards this zoo. With that, let's get started.
Gorilla Grove
We entered the zoo through the Giraffe Gate around 2:30 pm and as the zoo closed at 5 we knew we probably weren't going to see everything and had to prioritize. Thus, we're going to be mostly going backwards from the other gate back towards Giraffe Gate.
This was my reason for visiting, seeing the gorillas outdoors for the first time since I was a really young kid. However, having seen the state of FPZ in recent years, I honestly wasn't expecting much from this exhibit. The old grottos that sat in front of Tropical Forest had housed cranes for the longest time and I honestly expected them to just be repurposed for gorillas again.
Upon seeing the exhibit, I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely nice this exhibit is. The faux rock grotto was very aesthetically pleasing and the inclusion of a waterfall and subsequent stream was also a very nice touch. I also love that the two yards are separated by a "research lab" that serves also as guest viewing indoors. The gorillas can climb over the roof of this building to access the front yard and also have windows to peek down and look at guests inside the viewing area.
As for interpretation, I was incredibly impressed by their signage and interactivity throughout the exhibit, including showcasing the names and profiles of each of the troop of gorillas (despite one of the signs showcasing a gorilla that my friend revealed FPZ no longer houses, though the name of this gorilla slips my mind at the moment.
Overall, I was surprised by this exhibit and by how much I enjoyed it. It's not the best gorilla habitat ever (I still think I'd put Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest and Disney's exhibits ahead of it from what I've seen personally) but it is very solid and for their newest exhibit, it hopefully tells me this zoo is turning around. I'd give this exhibit an A-.
A very old building themed to some sort of Asian-influenced structure with a Pagoda-style roof. This building houses four different rooms as well as a few exhibits along the outside of the building. While the interior exhibits are decent enough, providing good flight space and allowing the animals height to get away as well, they are old and aesthetically unpleasing, and the exhibits on the outside are bare-bones and also very ugly. While I adore birds, this exhibit is never one I really get excited to hit. It also smells a ton like pee in this building, I'm told it is the cleaner they use on the floors.
Located next to (and probably technically a part of bird's world) this giant aviary normally houses a pair of Andean condor and a smaller exhibit houses a lone Steller's sea eagle. These are two of the best exhibits at FPZ (alongside Gorilla Grotto), but they are under construction to remove and redo the outdated paint. The birds are currently behind the scenes at Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.
In a weird stand-alone exhibit, nowhere near the rest of the African plains animals, this old grotto is well foliated but honestly very small for a pair of hyenas. Out of all the exhibits at the park, this one feels like one of the biggest afterthoughts and I'd love to see an overhaul.
Australia Area
A loosely-defined area to the opposite side of Birds World from the condor aviary. This area features three exhibits and house seven different species amongst them. There is also a very loose Aussie theming that feels like it was put up temporarily in the 90s and just never got taken down.
Probably FPZ's most iconic portion, this is a large tropical building that explores the rainforests around the world. Parts of it are incredibly impressive, other parts I believe are completely outdated.
Africa Section
A large and expansive section of the zoo that takes up a good footprint and contains nine exhibits made up of thirteen different species. These exhibits are a mixed bag, but overall most are pretty solid.
The newest (Gorilla Grove excluded) area in the zoo. As a kid this area was one of my favorites, including a leopard exhibit that is still one of the best I've seen personally (I miss it dearly). However, this new Children's Zoo is not my favorite area of the zoo at all.
Hope you enjoyed this species list/review!
Mammals: 32
Birds: 53
Reptiles: 8
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 1
Invertebrates: 5
Total Species: 100
I'll probably be a little harsh here, I've watched FPZ change a lot since I was a kid in the early 00s and having seen all of this, I definitely have strong opinions towards this zoo. With that, let's get started.
Gorilla Grove
We entered the zoo through the Giraffe Gate around 2:30 pm and as the zoo closed at 5 we knew we probably weren't going to see everything and had to prioritize. Thus, we're going to be mostly going backwards from the other gate back towards Giraffe Gate.
This was my reason for visiting, seeing the gorillas outdoors for the first time since I was a really young kid. However, having seen the state of FPZ in recent years, I honestly wasn't expecting much from this exhibit. The old grottos that sat in front of Tropical Forest had housed cranes for the longest time and I honestly expected them to just be repurposed for gorillas again.
Upon seeing the exhibit, I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely nice this exhibit is. The faux rock grotto was very aesthetically pleasing and the inclusion of a waterfall and subsequent stream was also a very nice touch. I also love that the two yards are separated by a "research lab" that serves also as guest viewing indoors. The gorillas can climb over the roof of this building to access the front yard and also have windows to peek down and look at guests inside the viewing area.
As for interpretation, I was incredibly impressed by their signage and interactivity throughout the exhibit, including showcasing the names and profiles of each of the troop of gorillas (despite one of the signs showcasing a gorilla that my friend revealed FPZ no longer houses, though the name of this gorilla slips my mind at the moment.
Overall, I was surprised by this exhibit and by how much I enjoyed it. It's not the best gorilla habitat ever (I still think I'd put Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest and Disney's exhibits ahead of it from what I've seen personally) but it is very solid and for their newest exhibit, it hopefully tells me this zoo is turning around. I'd give this exhibit an A-.
- Gorilla Grove- A two-yard exhibit with a waterfall, lots of climbing, and decent space
- Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
A very old building themed to some sort of Asian-influenced structure with a Pagoda-style roof. This building houses four different rooms as well as a few exhibits along the outside of the building. While the interior exhibits are decent enough, providing good flight space and allowing the animals height to get away as well, they are old and aesthetically unpleasing, and the exhibits on the outside are bare-bones and also very ugly. While I adore birds, this exhibit is never one I really get excited to hit. It also smells a ton like pee in this building, I'm told it is the cleaner they use on the floors.
- Invertebrate Hall- A trio of small terrariums housing a few different species of invertebrates. There is room for six terrariums, but the rest of the spots to put them are covered up by black cloth. The tanks themselves are pretty standard and no much to look at. This short hallway is also tucked away and most people don't even notice it. All three species are separate.
- Chilean rose-hair tarantula (Grammostola rosea)
- Darkling beetle (Zophobas morio)
- Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentos)
- The Swamp- A cypress swamp with shallow water running along the front. This exhibit is my favorite of the four rooms as it is incredibly spacious, well foliated, and houses a wide variety of species. All species were signed
- Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)
- Blue-bellied roller (Coracias cyanogaster)
- Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
- Bali myna (Leucopsar rothschildi)
- Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
- Boat-billed heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) [Not seen but confirmed in exhibit]
- Ringed teal (Callonetta leucophrys)
- Marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris)
- Australian wood duck (Chenonetta jubata)
- White-cheeked pintail (Anas bahamensis)
- Black crake (Zapornia flavirostra) [Not seen, possibly removed]
- Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
- The Rainforest- A tall walkthrough "rainforest" with a fake rock wall that once featured a waterfall, but no longer. There are lots of plants here and this is probably my second favorite room, though it definitely isn't as strong as the first.
- Red-crested turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus)
- Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)
- Green aracari (Pteroglossus viridis)
- Black-naped fruit dove (Ptilinopus melanospilus)
- Brazilian Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus) [In separate enclosure]
- The Desert- This is the worst enclosure of the group in my opinion. I understand the desert is sparse in foliage, but this exhibit has only a single tree for (from what I counted) more than 50 birds. This tree and a bit of faux rock is the only perching and for that I think it needs a redo.
- Australian walking stick (Extatosoma tiaratum) [In separate enclosure]
- Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae)
- Bourke's parakeet (Neopsephotus bourkii)
- Blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua sp.) [Unsure of species as it was hiding and no signage]
- The Riverbanks- The last of the exhibits inside the building, the riverbanks is a small vignette with a pool about three feet deep right at the front that you can easily reach your hands into. This exhibit is decent, but the animals are right there and I was told there are many issues with people touching the animals, especially the turtle.
- Green iguana (Iguana iguana) [Separate Exhibit; Off exhibit, sign said under veterinary care]
- River cooter (Pseudemys concinna) [Temporary until summer when it moves outside to children's zoo]
- Marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris)
- Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- Golden-breasted starling (Lamprotornis regius)
- Orange bishop (Euplectes franciscanus)
- Violet turaco (Tauraco violaceus) [Did not see; Possibly removed though sign remains]
- Outdoor Exhibits- There are three wire mesh enclosures wrapped around the outside of the building, as well as a grotto that once held flamingos but now houses cranes. The birds on the outside were on exhibit, but cranes were off due to avian influenza (though my friend told me FPZ will be bringing their birds back on exhibit in the next few weeks, chickens are already out). The aviaries are mostly dirt with a few perches and are nothing to write home about. I'd love to see them all demolished and redone (along with the whole building). Each species is in a separate enclosure.
- Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) [Did not see]
- Kea (Nestor notabilis)
- Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
- White-naped crane (Antigone vipio) [Off-exhibit due to avian influenza]
Located next to (and probably technically a part of bird's world) this giant aviary normally houses a pair of Andean condor and a smaller exhibit houses a lone Steller's sea eagle. These are two of the best exhibits at FPZ (alongside Gorilla Grotto), but they are under construction to remove and redo the outdated paint. The birds are currently behind the scenes at Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.
- Condor Aviary- Largest aviary with lots of height and space to fly.
- Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) [Off exhibit]
- Eagle Aviary- Smaller aviary attached to the back. Used to be condor holding.
- Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
In a weird stand-alone exhibit, nowhere near the rest of the African plains animals, this old grotto is well foliated but honestly very small for a pair of hyenas. Out of all the exhibits at the park, this one feels like one of the biggest afterthoughts and I'd love to see an overhaul.
- Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
A loosely-defined area to the opposite side of Birds World from the condor aviary. This area features three exhibits and house seven different species amongst them. There is also a very loose Aussie theming that feels like it was put up temporarily in the 90s and just never got taken down.
- Kangaroo Yard- A very large grassy yard with lots of mature trees. The yard is split in half by a chain link fence but the gate was open allowing access to both sides of the yard.
- Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
- Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) [Off exhibit due to avian influenza]
- Aussie Aviary- An, admittedly very large, walkthrough aviary that spans approximately two stories. It features an elevated walkway and a pool at the bottom as well as a few trees that can be used for perching. This exhibit is usually only open in the summertime as it is the stereotypical budgie feeding area.
- Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) [Off exhibit due to avian influenza]
- Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) [Used to be free roaming, unsure if temporary or permanent here]
- Black swan (Cygnus atratus)
- Kiwi Exhibit- A nocturnal house featuring two split exhibits. One side is split even further to allow a male and female to both be on exhibit which makes both sides too small in my honest opinion. The second exhibit is a very nice exhibit for tawny frogmouths that used to live with the kiwi but are now separated.
- North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)
- Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
Probably FPZ's most iconic portion, this is a large tropical building that explores the rainforests around the world. Parts of it are incredibly impressive, other parts I believe are completely outdated.
- Gorilla Exhibit- A large gorilla enclosure with decent space but next to no height for the animals to be able to climb and explore. This is a perfectly adequate indoor exhibit when combined with the outdoor exhibit now present at the zoo, but prior to that this was not an enclosure I was a fan of. The gorillas do not (at present) have access to this exhibit while outside.
- Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) [Did not see; were outside]
- Lemur Enclosure- A decent-sized exhibit with an absolute ton of climbing and perching. While I'm not a big fan of primates being exclusively indoors, this exhibit does a very good job being stimulating for the animals and aesthetically pleasing for the guests.
- Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)
- Ocelot Exhibit- A large faux rock enclosure with a pool out front and tons of height for the animal to climb. This is my favorite of the exhibits in Tropical Forest.
- Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
- Tamarin Enclosure- A very small exhibit with small mesh netting along a faux rock background. This exhibit has a few branches and perching for the monkeys to use, but it otherwise is pretty barren.
- Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
- Falcon Enclosure- An even smaller continuation of the tamarin enclosure using the same mesh netting but even less inside the enclosure. Possibly one of the worst enclosures at the zoo and nobody even notices it.
- African pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus)
- Hippo Enclosures- Two small yards, one with a very large deep pool and the other with barely any water whatsoever. The second exhibit used to house capybara but now both serve as a exhibits for pygmy hippos. The large pool exhibit also has underwater viewing with African cichlids in a tank in front of the viewing window. Hippo water was very green.
- Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)
- Potto Enclosure- A small nocturnal enclosure with lots of branches and perching. Overall, it's easy to miss, but the exhibit is nice enough for what it is.
- West African potto (Perodicticus potto)
- SlitherInn- A medium sized room that can be easily skipped for those who aren't fans of snakes. This exhibit houses two separate enclosures, one large one (though not large enough) with a Rubbermaid livestock tub as a pool and bark mulch for substrate that houses an anaconda. The other exhibit is a decent enough sand boa enclosure, though the animals are barely visible.
- Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
- Kenyan sand boa (Gongylophis colubrinus)
- Stork Enclosure- A medium-sized dirt hill with a few live plants and a nest that has been there for as long as I can remember. This enclosure is really where the bad in this building begins and (unfortunately) chugs along through most of it.
- Saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
- Anteater Enclosure- A very small plain yard with honestly next to nothing in it. The anteater in it is constantly pacing, and while this is an issue that I know so many anteaters face around the world, this exhibit is honestly the worst I've seen of the type, especially as this animal has absolutely no access to the outdoors, nor anywhere to dig or tear. This is the worst exhibit in the zoo in my personal opinion.
- Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
- Python Enclosure- A very large terrarium exhibit with live plants and lots of climbing. After the stork and anteater, despite being just a snake terrarium, this is a breath of fresh air.
- Ball python (Python regius)
- Tapir Enclosure- Another small yard, especially for the size of the animal, with a small pool and a bit of live plants to spruce it up a bit. This exhibit is also not very good, but on warmer days these animals do get outdoor access, which bumps it up just a tiny bit over the anteater.
- Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii)
- Frog Enclosure- A decently sized terrarium with lots of plants (albeit fake this time) and a mister. There is also a weird curtain that pulls in front of it, as you'd see in a nocturnal exhibit despite this just being a standard terrarium.
- Amazon milk frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix)
- Bat Enclosure- A faux rock enclosure made to look like the inside of a cave. This is a decently large enclosure for a group of bats.
- Ruwenzori long-haired fruit bat (Rousettus lanosus)
- Crocodile Enclosure- A small enclosure with a small pool and an even smaller bit of land space.
- African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
- Sloth Enclosure- A medium-sized enclosure with lots of branches, vines, and perching with a basket near the front window where the sloth sleeps. This exhibit also houses more tamarins and used to house emperor tamarins as well, but those have left in the last couple years.
- Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
- Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
- DeBrazza Enclosure- A decently-sized enclosure with faux-rock and gunite trees around the exhibit. There are lots of branches and perches for the family group of guenons that live here. While I wish these animals had an outdoor space, the exhibit is still decent for what it is.
- De Brazza's guenon (Cercopithecus neglectus)
- Free-flight Animals- Throughout the Tropical Forest from the ocelot to the tapirs. This includes a large amount of birds and bats. All the birds were signed but the bats were not. I got them based on my friend's testimony.
- Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
- Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) [Did not see]
- Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
- Red-crested turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus) [Did not see]
- Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii) [Did not see]
- Yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis) [Did not see]
- Bearded barbet (Lybius dubius) [Did not see]
- Blue-bellied roller (Coracias cyanogaster) [Did not see]
- Golden-breasted starling (Lamprotornis regius)
- Kenyan crested guineafowl (Guttera puncherani) [Did not see]
- Yellow-rumped caique (Cacius cela) [Did not see]
- Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis)
- Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)
A large and expansive section of the zoo that takes up a good footprint and contains nine exhibits made up of thirteen different species. These exhibits are a mixed bag, but overall most are pretty solid.
- Bustard Enclosure- A small enclosure sitting well below the path that can easily be missed if you're not looking for it. This exhibit is fine, but the bird inside is most likely pinioned as there is no top to the enclosure.
- Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori)
- Hog Enclosure- A very large enclosure with oak trees and grass and lots of space to dig and burrow. Enclosure is among my favorites but is also easily missed for guests who don't trek this way. Housed bongos as well up to a year or two ago, but now just the hogs.
- Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus)
- Tortoise Enclosure- A small enclosure with a shed sitting up on top of a hill nearby the hogs and lions. This enclosure was not easy to see and when animals are out aren't super visible. However they weren't even out upon my visit.
- Sulcata tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
- Lion Enclosure- An old carnivore grotto enclosure that has been renovated for the modern age. It features lots of rocks and trees as well as tons of grass. The exhibit has two sets of viewing windows, one of which you can climb into a truck and sit "inside" the enclosure which is a hit with kids. My biggest issue with this enclosure is the massive moat in the front of it that, allegedly, had a lion fall to death at some point. I really don't like large moat enclosures and that'll knock this exhibit a bit.
- Lion (Panthera leo)
- Tiger Enclosure- This exhibit was set up really quickly as the two (now one) tigers were rescues from the illegal pet trade. This exhibit is grassy with nice bamboo around the perimeter hiding the fence. There is a small pool but the enclosure is small and has no climbing or any other major enrichment like other enclosures I've seen.
- Generic tiger (Panthera tigris)
- Giraffe Exhibit- A very very large yard with trees all around it. There are a few structures inside for the giraffes to eat from, but otherwise it's simply a very large grassy enclosure for a family (including a baby) of giraffes.
- Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
- Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi)
- Crane Exhibit- A small circular yard with some grass and a small pond. This exhibit was empty but normally houses a pair of cranes.
- Wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) [Off exhibit due to avian influenza]
- Serengetti Exhibit- A medium-sized overgrazed enclosure that I hate very much. The biggest reason isn't that it's bad, but that it has been shaved down by more than half what it used to be. It's very disappointing to see this exhibit in this state and while some of the exhibits in the TF are technically worse, this exhibit is definitely my least favorite exhibit in the zoo.
- Common ostrich (Struthio camelus) [Off exhibit due to avian influenza]
- Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmann)
- White-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
- Porcupine Exhibit- A small exhibit yard that is very muddy and full of holes for the two residents. This exhibit is an odd mixed species with a small yard to separate the two if need be.
- African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) [Off exhibit due to weather]
- Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)
The newest (Gorilla Grove excluded) area in the zoo. As a kid this area was one of my favorites, including a leopard exhibit that is still one of the best I've seen personally (I miss it dearly). However, this new Children's Zoo is not my favorite area of the zoo at all.
- Barnyard- A large barn with individual stalls and pastures outside the stalls. These exhibits aren't anything special and definitely needs an improvement. The petting zoo is only open May-September and the rest of the time the animals can't interact with people. Each species is kept separate.
- Domestic cattle (Bos taurus) [Dexter cow]
- Domestic pony (Equus ferus caballus) [Unsure breed]
- Domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) [Guinea hog]
- Domestic goat (Capra aegarus hircus) [African pygmy goat]
- Domestic donkey (Equus asinus) [Poitou donkey]
- Barn owl (Tyto alba)
- Chicken Coops- A large chicken coop with three yards. These exhibits continue the theme of giving very small exhibits to domestic species.
- Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) [Barred rock, golden comet chickens]
- Prairie Dog Enclosure- A large dirt enclosure with lots of digging space for a colony of prairie dogs.
- Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
- Red Panda Enclosure- A very small enclosure with some bamboo and a small climbing structure that is intricately detailed but only offers three spaces for the pandas to actually utilize, not really serving a role as a climbing structure.
- Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
- Reeves's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi)
- Aviary- A very large aviary with lots of live plants and a large pool for waterfowl. This enclosure is actually one of the best enclosures at the zoo in my personal opinion. It provides optimal flight space and lots of swimming and diving for the birds. While Children's Zoo is my absolute least favorite area in the zoo, this one aviary is what keeps me going in.
- Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamata)
- Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis)
- Ringed teal (Callonetta leucophrys)
- Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
- Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
- Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)
- Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
- Azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus)
- Rosy-billed pochard (Netta peposaca)
- Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) [Off exhibit due to avian influenza]
Hope you enjoyed this species list/review!
Mammals: 32
Birds: 53
Reptiles: 8
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 1
Invertebrates: 5
Total Species: 100
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