What are some overrated exhibit complexs?

[Pleistocene891]

I would say the Tiger River from the San Diego zoo. It's supposedly one of the highlights of the zoo, yet on my two visits in 2012 and 2019, the exhibits look very barren. The tapir exhibit is maybe the smallest I've ever seen and the tiger exhibit has very little vegetation. The fishing cat exhibit is also too small(although that's not uncommon in zoos). The highlight in this complex is the nice aviary though.

 

[StoppableSan]

I would say the Tiger River from the San Diego zoo. It's supposedly one of the highlights of the zoo, yet on my two visits in 2012 and 2019, the exhibits look very barren. The tapir exhibit is maybe the smallest I've ever seen and the tiger exhibit has very little vegetation. The fishing cat exhibit is also too small(although that's not uncommon in zoos). The highlight in this complex is the nice aviary though.

I think it's more an issue of too much meddling with the design. Adding that glass barrier to the tapir exhibit ironically making it even smaller, and splitting the tiger habitat in two while adding a crossview from Scripps Aviary really knocked this complex down quite a few pegs for me. If it ain't broke, don't break it.

 

[birdsandbats]

Arctic Ring of Life at Detroit.

 

[Corangurilla]

Arctic Ring of Life at Detroit.

I hate that I agree with you. It’s certainly a nice complex, but it feels like I never see any animals until the very end. And now the Arctic foxes are gone and the seals have been replaced by sea otters for some damn reason (more interesting, imo, but far less thematically appropriate).
And maybe this is just me being petty, but I’ve been to Detroit more times than I can count and I’ve never seen the polar bears in the water. Meanwhile, on my first and only visit to Columbus, the bears were in the water for the entirety of my time at Polar Frontier.

 

[Pleistocene891]

Arctic Ring of Life at Detroit.

For the visitors, sure. But it’s pretty much polar bear heaven.

 

[birdsandbats]

For the visitors, sure. But it’s pretty much polar bear heaven.

Yes, but it is a zoo's job to exhibit animals to the public. Obviously that required proper animal care, but it shouldn't make it difficult for the visitors to enjoy the empty-seeming exhibits. A few other exhibits at Detroit fall under this problem as well - the particularly overrated ones are the Aardvark and warthog exhibits.

 

[StoppableSan]

Tiger Mountain at Bronx. Maybe I went on a bad day and didn't have an optimal experience - but I was always confused by the way they executed the concept. It's supposed to be a Russian poaching camp in the Amur valley but there's deciduous trees? And Malayan tigers are rotated here as well? Literally all it is, it's a plaza with two viewing pavilions to "get up close and personal" with the tigers. The poaching truck and the researchers' camp were ironically the highlights of the experience. Again - maybe I went on a bad day, and if I visit more frequently I'll have a much more nuanced opinion. I honestly think the monorail habitat is much better for the tigers. 4/10.

Another note - I do like the nearby Pere David's deer habitat, but in the astronomical chance Bronx decided to shake things up and go all in on the Amur valley theme - throwing the deer onto the monorail and reinforcing the fence for moose...

 

[Corangurilla]

Yes, but it is a zoo's job to exhibit animals to the public. Obviously that required proper animal care, but it shouldn't make it difficult for the visitors to enjoy the empty-seeming exhibits. A few other exhibits at Detroit fall under this problem as well - the particularly overrated ones are the Aardvark and warthog exhibits.

To be fair, the current aardvark exhibit formerly housed a bull hippopotamus, as evidenced by the not-so-subtle empty pool.
The original plan was to keep African Slender-Snouted Crocodiles, but the crocs they got hated each other and had to be sent back, then it was a second warthog pen, then tortoises, then porcupines, then pelicans, before they went "screw it" and let the aardvarks have it. It could've been a great habitat if they put in more effort than just removing a wall and calling it a day.
I also think they were going to put pygmy hippos in there, but that was in a master plan video that seems to have been lost to the ravages of the internet.

 

[Corangurilla]

If I may throw my hat into this ring, I think the Savanna habitat at the Phoenix Zoo is supremely boring. Yes, it's big and stunning, but it just feels so empty these days. Most of the animals in this habitat are birds (crowned cranes, vultures, guinea fowl, ostriches), while the only mammal species are Masai Giraffes and Thompson's Gazelles. There were Elands and Watusi, who made the habitat feel more busy and alive, but they're long gone now.
I wouldn't mind all of this if not for the fact that the giraffes (who are the main stars of this habitat) like to hang out near the back, and guess what? The back is inaccessible at the moment! I've legit gotten better views of the giraffes from window seats on airplanes flying over the zoo than from actually being at the zoo.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

Another note - I do like the nearby Pere David's deer habitat, but in the astronomical chance Bronx decided to shake things up and go all in on the Amur valley theme - throwing the deer onto the monorail and reinforcing the fence for moose...

I disagree; that would entail taking an exhibit for an extinct-in-the-wild hoofstock species that has a fascinating conservation story and that is the only extant member of their genus, and replacing them with a solitary species that is currently least concern and that most zoo visitors are already familiar with. Having one or two meese in that large habitat would also make it feel very empty, in contrast to the current deer herd. On many of my visits I’ve seen the deer wading and resting in the water, and it’s been amazing and unique to watch. Throwing this incredible species on the monorail would also sideline them, giving visitors much less time to be able to stop and watch the animals. In some cases, things like conservation status, rarity, and opportunity to teach the public about a lesser known and underrated species should trump geographic accuracy for the sake of geographic accuracy.

 

[CMTM]

Tropic World

 

[StoppableSan]

I disagree; that would entail taking an exhibit for an extinct-in-the-wild hoofstock species that has a fascinating conservation story and that is the only extant member of their genus, and replacing them with a solitary species that is currently least concern and that most zoo visitors are already familiar with. Having one or two meese in that large habitat would also make it feel very empty, in contrast to the current deer herd. On many of my visits I’ve seen the deer wading and resting in the water, and it’s been amazing and unique to watch. Throwing this incredible species on the monorail would also sideline them, giving visitors much less time to be able to stop and watch the animals. In some cases, things like conservation status, rarity, and opportunity to teach the public about a lesser known and underrated species should trump geographic accuracy for the sake of geographic accuracy.

That is a valid argument - hence why I said in the astronomical chance. The Pere David's deer exhibit truly is one of a kind, it really is quite peaceful and tranquil.

 

[Pleistocene891]

Tropic World

I actually think Tropic world is underrated. Outside of the great apes, the rest of the primates have an astronomical amount of climbing space.

 

[Great Argus]

I actually think Tropic world is underrated. Outside of the great apes, the rest of the primates have an astronomical amount of climbing space.

Isn't most of what's left in that giant expanse of concrete apes?

 

[Pleistocene891]

Isn't most of what's left in that giant expanse of concrete apes?

I haven't been to the Brookfield zoo since 2010 so I honestly don't know.

 

[birdsandbats]

Isn't most of what's left in that giant expanse of concrete apes?

There's still the excellent African mixed exhibit, as well as the gibbon/otter mix that is pretty good. But other than that, yes.

 

[JVM]

Tropic World

In order to be an overrated exhibit, that would imply some people say nice things about it. Tropic World is one of the most notorious exhibits in a major zoo on this entire website and is a massive blemish on Brookfield's reputation. It's considered an embarrassment by many who have worked at the zoo and was famously known as "Dickinson's Folly" for how expensive it was to build but being out of date before it even opened. When I proposed that the whole thing would be better off dismantled, not one zoochatter argued against me.

It's definitely the worst exhibit in Chicago and perhaps the entire state of Illinois since the renovation of Lincoln Park Zoo's Kovler Lion House.

 

[Sheather]

It's a very good habitat for the small primates left in it. I'm not sure there are many with more climbing space.

 

[15399]

I was very much unimpressed by the Big Cat Falls at Philadelphia Zoo. I've seen a lot of praise for those exhibits, and I know it won an AZA exhibit award, but to me the exhibits seemed too small for the larger carnivores, especially the lions. I also felt that the Zoo360 Trails for the most part were an eye sore, maybe it's just that I didn't see any animals using them, but to me it seemed like a good idea and flawed eexecution. One thing I was impressed with at Philadelphia Zoo, however, was the Reptile House.

 

[CMTM]

In order to be an overrated exhibit, that would imply some people say nice things about it. Tropic World is one of the most notorious exhibits in a major zoo on this entire website and is a massive blemish on Brookfield's reputation. It's considered an embarrassment by many who have worked at the zoo and was famously known as "Dickinson's Folly" for how expensive it was to build but being out of date before it even opened. When I proposed that the whole thing would be better off dismantled, not one zoochatter argued against me.

It's definitely the worst exhibit in Chicago and perhaps the entire state of Illinois since the renovation of Lincoln Park Zoo's Kovler Lion House.

Some people do seem to like it (see below). I agree that it is a blemish of a building though.

I actually think Tropic world is underrated. Outside of the great apes, the rest of the primates have an astronomical amount of climbing space.

There's still the excellent African mixed exhibit, as well as the gibbon/otter mix that is pretty good. But other than that, yes.

It's a very good habitat for the small primates left in it. I'm not sure there are many with more climbing space.

I am sure it is a satisfactory home for some of the species living in it, I also appreciate how revolutionary it was when it opened, and third I genuinely love the rain system.

Isn't most of what's left in that giant expanse of concrete apes?

All that being said, I agree with Great Argus. I just think it looks more like a fountain in a shopping mall than a tropical rainforest. Husbandry should always come first, but in order to be a truly great exhibit I think that aesthetics are important as well. Tropic World looks ugly and arguably is not a good home for several of the current and past residents.