Climbing is a behavior that tends to be more common in young bears anyways, so as the bears aged it'd make more sense for the climbing behavior to decrease.
I was looking back at my Knoxville review to see how I described that bear exhibit, and I found this:
Now we all know who to point fingers at
I have mixed feelings about the exhibit myself, but one thing I can say about it: I can't even remember if I saw any bears in it because I was too distracted by giant concrete trees. Is that a good thing? I don't know, but it sure left a lasting impression. I'd chalk this up as a similar entry to Tropic World: it's worth seeing once, if only to find out once and for all how you feel about mock rock... because you really can't talk yourself into ignoring it here!
I'd also be curious to know how much the bears actually use that vertical space; maybe this selection would be more understandable to people if there was a known behavioral benefit, like with gorillas in Howletts-style cages. Regardless, it's a fascinating enclosure.
.
As ZooChats #1 concrete enthusiast, I was expecting you to appreciate this entry.So it is my fault now
To be clear I would never add this one to a must see list, I doubt whether it is an effective habitat for the bears and boy is it ugly.... With mock rock being an American staple, there are a lot of more tasteful examples, I would guess, to display your American's love for concrete. I really cannot fathom what went through the minds of the people that designed, approved and paid for this thing... Tropic World is a different beast, which is worth showcasing as a piece of zoo history. In my opinion this thing seems a better example for "what happens when zoo architects suffer from brain farts".
Quick suggestion: For when it's not obvious, a quick caption saying what animal an exhibit for would be appreciated with the photos. This certainly seems like an impressive exhibit, but a few of the exhibits pictured I have no idea what species they are for, since I've never visited this zoo and they can't be seen in the photos.36. African Rift Valley
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, CO
Opened: 2003
Size: 2.5 Acres (1 Hectare)
Inhabitants: Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Okapi, Red River Hog, African Lion, Guereza Colobus, Meerkat, Rock Hyrax, African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise and various birds.
Zoos in unconventional locations often face unique challenges when it comes to exhibit design; for example, being on a mountain 6,714 feet above sea level. If done well however, it can make for an experience far more exciting than it would be in a traditional setting. The rift valley is a unique sight in the American zoo landscape and one of the more interesting takes on an African savanna you'll find. The entire area is built on a narrow slope at the lowest point of the zoo and while there are attempts at theming like the standard thatch huts and a large artificial baobab, the enclosures themselves are largely functional. The giraffe paddock is rather basic in appearance, but enhanced by an imposing mountainous backdrop that is genuinely stunning. The herd is always quite large as the zoo has been one of the most prolific giraffe breeders on this side of the pond with over 200 calves born since the 50s. The adjacent hoofstock paddocks are pleasant, but not very large and in general most of the individual enclosures here are a bit on the small side. With that said, the zoo has gotten creative to maximize usable space, as almost every enclosure can be seen from multiple vantage points at different elevations and some make use of the steep terrain to create multi-tiered habitats like the lion exhibit. Luckily there are future plans to revamp the complex which will include an extension of the giraffe yards and additional mixed-species exhibits upon other enhancements.
@MGolka
@Baldur
@snowleopard
@MGolka
@MGolka
Similar Exhibits: None. However, I would like to highlight another complex at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that focuses on African megafauna. Encounter Africa is just up the hill from the Rift Valley and together they make up a cohesive series of uniquely designed African exhibits. Elephants and rhinos are highlighted here, presented in exhibits with even more stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The elephants in particular have a two acre paddock out of view from guests where they have full access to tall trees and dense vegetation.
@MGolka
@MGolka
@wilson
Except there's nothing memorable about LSZ's black bear exhibit. As in, I was just there a month ago and literally cannot remember seeing a black bear exhibit at all!
I still don't really remember the Grizzly exhibit either.
Sure, I can do that for the larger complexes with multiple enclosures if that's something people would find helpful. In the case of the African Rift Valley, the photos are the following:
Do the high altitude affect the animals in any way? The view itself its enough to put in on the list though, looks great.36. African Rift Valley
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, CO
Opened: 2003
Size: 2.5 Acres (1 Hectare)
Inhabitants: Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Okapi, Red River Hog, African Lion, Guereza Colobus, Meerkat, Rock Hyrax, African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise and various birds.
Zoos in unconventional locations often face unique challenges when it comes to exhibit design; for example, being on a mountain 6,714 feet above sea level. If done well however, it can make for an experience far more exciting than it would be in a traditional setting. The rift valley is a unique sight in the American zoo landscape and one of the more interesting takes on an African savanna you'll find. The entire area is built on a narrow slope at the lowest point of the zoo and while there are attempts at theming like the standard thatch huts and a large artificial baobab, the enclosures themselves are largely functional. The giraffe paddock is rather basic in appearance, but enhanced by an imposing mountainous backdrop that is genuinely stunning. The herd is always quite large as the zoo has been one of the most prolific giraffe breeders on this side of the pond with over 200 calves born since the 50s. The adjacent hoofstock paddocks are pleasant, but not very large and in general most of the individual enclosures here are a bit on the small side. With that said, the zoo has gotten creative to maximize usable space, as almost every enclosure can be seen from multiple vantage points at different elevations and some make use of the steep terrain to create multi-tiered habitats like the lion exhibit. Luckily there are future plans to revamp the complex which will include an extension of the giraffe yards and additional mixed-species exhibits upon other enhancements.
@MGolka
@Baldur
@snowleopard
@MGolka
@MGolka
Similar Exhibits: None. However, I would like to highlight another complex at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that focuses on African megafauna. Encounter Africa is just up the hill from the Rift Valley and together they make up a cohesive series of uniquely designed African exhibits. Elephants and rhinos are highlighted here, presented in exhibits with even more stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The elephants in particular have a two acre paddock out of view from guests where they have full access to tall trees and dense vegetation.
@MGolka
@MGolka
@wilson
If someone were to ever make a list of "America's 50, or 100, or whatever, Most Scenic Zoos," there's no doubt that Cheyenne Mountain would be pretty close to the top. The view from Shrine of the Sun at the top of the park is breathtaking
36. African Rift Valley
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, CO
Opened: 2003
Size: 2.5 Acres (1 Hectare)
Inhabitants: Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Okapi, Red River Hog, African Lion, Guereza Colobus, Meerkat, Rock Hyrax, African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise and various birds.
Zoos in unconventional locations often face unique challenges when it comes to exhibit design; for example, being on a mountain 6,714 feet above sea level. If done well however, it can make for an experience far more exciting than it would be in a traditional setting. The rift valley is a unique sight in the American zoo landscape and one of the more interesting takes on an African savanna you'll find. The entire area is built on a narrow slope at the lowest point of the zoo and while there are attempts at theming like the standard thatch huts and a large artificial baobab, the enclosures themselves are largely functional. The giraffe paddock is rather basic in appearance, but enhanced by an imposing mountainous backdrop that is genuinely stunning. The herd is always quite large as the zoo has been one of the most prolific giraffe breeders on this side of the pond with over 200 calves born since the 50s. The adjacent hoofstock paddocks are pleasant, but not very large and in general most of the individual enclosures here are a bit on the small side. With that said, the zoo has gotten creative to maximize usable space, as almost every enclosure can be seen from multiple vantage points at different elevations and some make use of the steep terrain to create multi-tiered habitats like the lion exhibit. Luckily there are future plans to revamp the complex which will include an extension of the giraffe yards and additional mixed-species exhibits upon other enhancements.
@MGolka
@Baldur
@snowleopard
@MGolka
@MGolka
Similar Exhibits: None. However, I would like to highlight another complex at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that focuses on African megafauna. Encounter Africa is just up the hill from the Rift Valley and together they make up a cohesive series of uniquely designed African exhibits. Elephants and rhinos are highlighted here, presented in exhibits with even more stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The elephants in particular have a two acre paddock out of view from guests where they have full access to tall trees and dense vegetation.
@MGolka
@MGolka
@wilson
One of my favorite stories about design is the story of the iconic stretching room at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. When designing the Haunted Mansion attraction Imagineers were faced with a predicament: how to connect the mansion facade with the rides show building which was on the other side of a railroad. The answer: an elevator that went below ground and continued the attractions queue beneath the railroad. This created the iconic idea for the stretching room pre-show. Without the obstacle of the railroad there never would have been the idea for the stretching room. I personally believe obstacles and rules inspire creativity and outside of the box ideas. Cheyennes exhibits, especially the Rift Valley, embody this idea. The zoos complex geography forces designers to get creative about how they design exhibits, thus creating interesting exhibits. Cheyenne absolutely deserves its place on this list and I wouldn’t be surprised if another Cheyenne exhibit was mentioned in this list.36. African Rift Valley
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, CO
Opened: 2003
Size: 2.5 Acres (1 Hectare)
Inhabitants: Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Okapi, Red River Hog, African Lion, Guereza Colobus, Meerkat, Rock Hyrax, African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise and various birds.
Zoos in unconventional locations often face unique challenges when it comes to exhibit design; for example, being on a mountain 6,714 feet above sea level. If done well however, it can make for an experience far more exciting than it would be in a traditional setting. The rift valley is a unique sight in the American zoo landscape and one of the more interesting takes on an African savanna you'll find. The entire area is built on a narrow slope at the lowest point of the zoo and while there are attempts at theming like the standard thatch huts and a large artificial baobab, the enclosures themselves are largely functional. The giraffe paddock is rather basic in appearance, but enhanced by an imposing mountainous backdrop that is genuinely stunning. The herd is always quite large as the zoo has been one of the most prolific giraffe breeders on this side of the pond with over 200 calves born since the 50s. The adjacent hoofstock paddocks are pleasant, but not very large and in general most of the individual enclosures here are a bit on the small side. With that said, the zoo has gotten creative to maximize usable space, as almost every enclosure can be seen from multiple vantage points at different elevations and some make use of the steep terrain to create multi-tiered habitats like the lion exhibit. Luckily there are future plans to revamp the complex which will include an extension of the giraffe yards and additional mixed-species exhibits upon other enhancements.
@MGolka
@Baldur
@snowleopard
@MGolka
@MGolka
Similar Exhibits: None. However, I would like to highlight another complex at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that focuses on African megafauna. Encounter Africa is just up the hill from the Rift Valley and together they make up a cohesive series of uniquely designed African exhibits. Elephants and rhinos are highlighted here, presented in exhibits with even more stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The elephants in particular have a two acre paddock out of view from guests where they have full access to tall trees and dense vegetation.
@MGolka
@MGolka
@wilson
To be fair Grizzly Bears once inhabited much of the lower 48 states, it's only the least 100 years or so that they've been pushed out of all but northern Washington, Idaho and Montana, as well as Greater Yellowstone.
