Advice for New York visit wanted (mainly Bronx Zoo).

[Small Mammal Fan]

I am due to visit in September, and have never visited before. Can anyone offer any advice and tips please for the Bronx Zoo. I know it’s a big site, but I would be prioritising seeing mammal species. Please could anyone tell me if these species from Zoo TierListe are still at the zoo, and how and where best to see them. Thank you.
Should I also go to the Central Park zoo while there, or Queens or Prospect Park? As someone from the uk, coyote at the queens zoo sounds quite enticing. Thank you

 

[Tim Brown]

Id visit Central Park and Queens..unless you have lots of time,miss out Prospect Park (given enough time eight zoos are doable from NY fairly easily). Im sure I heard that the Coyotes at Queens are hybrids. Apologies if this is incorrect.

 

[Jambo]

Im sure I heard that the Coyotes at Queens are hybrids. Apologies if this is incorrect.

I don't believe so; their individuals have all been rescued from the wild.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

I don't believe so; their individuals have all been rescued from the wild.

Id visit Central Park and Queens..unless you have lots of time,miss out Prospect Park (given enough time eight zoos are doable from NY fairly easily). Im sure I heard that the Coyotes at Queens are hybrids. Apologies if this is incorrect.

thank u for the replies, we were planning on visiting the Bronx zoo and going to Arthur Avenue or something after. Central Park or queens was an extra thought, but CP may be easier as we will look round there anyway.
Apologies also, I forgot to add the list of species I am most interested in seeing at the Bronx. The same question in my previous post still applies about finding these species, many thanks.
African wild dog
American beaver
American buffalo
black and rufous sengi
Chinese dhole
Feathertale glider
Ring tailed vontsira
Matche’s tree kangaroo
Nine banded armadillo
Northern Luzon giant cloud rat
Spotted hyaena
Yellow bellied marmot

 

[USZOOfan42]

thank u for the replies, we were planning on visiting the Bronx zoo and going to Arthur Avenue or something after. Central Park or queens was an extra thought, but CP may be easier as we will look round there anyway.
Apologies also, I forgot to add the list of species I am most interested in seeing at the Bronx. The same question in my previous post still applies about finding these species, many thanks.
African wild dog
American beaver
American buffalo
black and rufous sengi
Chinese dhole
Feathertale glider
Ring tailed vontsira
Matche’s tree kangaroo
Nine banded armadillo
Northern Luzon giant cloud rat
Spotted hyaena
Yellow bellied marmot

I have never been to bronx but many of the animals you want to see you have to pay extra for (bison and tree kangaroo).

 

[15399]

Should I also go to the Central Park zoo while there, or Queens or Prospect Park? As someone from the uk, coyote at the queens zoo sounds quite enticing. Thank you

I'm not European, so my idea of what does or doesn't sound exciting is going to be different from yours. That said, I visited eight zoos in the NYC area last spring, so based on that experience here's what I'd say. I understand you likely are limited in how much time you have to visit zoos, so I'm going to provide an overview of each, so that you can decide for yourself where you'd like to visit:

• Bronx Zoo is the obvious must-see zoo. It's my favorite zoo I've ever visited, and is jam-packed with impressive exhibitry and rare-in-zoo species. That said, since it is so large it may be difficult to see in one day depending on how fast you walk and how long you spend at exhibits. The areas that impressed me the most were: Congo Gorilla Forest (absolutely incredible gorilla exhibits, paired with many other Congo species), Madagascar! (this is where your ring-tailed vontsira will be, as well as a number of lemur species and an impressive spiny forest habitat), Gelada Reserve (I know geladas aren't going to be a rare species for you as a European, but the habitat itself is still very impressive), Zoo Center (impressive display of monitor lizards, including a spacious Komodo dragon habitat), Sea Bird Aviary (spacious habitat for Magellanic penguins, Inca terns, and more), and the Wild Asia Monorail (massive yards for various Asian ungulates).
• For the species on your Bronx list, other areas I'd recommend are: African Plains (wild dogs and hyenas), World of Birds (an impressive historic bird house, the American bison live in a standalone paddock nearby- despite what @USZOOfan42 claims, you do NOT need to pay extra to see the bison), Mouse House (elephant shrews, cloud rats and feathertail gliders), and Jungle World (tree kangaroos). I don't recall seeing beavers, armadillos, or marmots at the Bronx Zoo- so I believe you may be mistaken about these species being exhibited.
• If you only have time for one non-Bronx Zoo facility, my recommendation would be the New York Aquarium. I'm not typically a big aquarium person, but New York Aquarium certainly impressed me a lot! Ocean Wonders: Sharks! is one of the best exhibits I've seen anywhere, while there is also a respectable line of outdoor marine mammal/penguin exhibits (including sea otters- which may interest you as a European). Throughout the facility there's also a sizeable collection of freshwater fish species, and everything is designed to be as engaging as possible. I've visited 39 zoological facilities total, and New York Aquarium is the only aquarium to rank in the top ten.
• If you have access to a car, I'd recommend driving out to New Jersey to the Turtle Back Zoo. This is larger than any of the non-Bronx city zoos, and has a lot of very well-designed areas. Their Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is particularly unique, and this will give you another chance to see multiple species on your list, namely American bison and spotted hyenas. There is also a very nice exhibit here for North American black bears, which may interest you as a European. While common in US zoos, North American river otters are another species at Turtle Back which you may not come across much in Europe. Turtle Back Zoo also displays bontebok- which I know isn't held at all in Europe.
• Of the four smaller zoos within New York City, Central Park Zoo should be the top priority. This is a historically significant zoo that has some really impressive exhibits- in particular their snow leopard exhibit and their Waterfowl Aviary (located inside the Children's Zoo). That said, most of the unique species at Central Park Zoo are amongst its impressive bird collection, so if you are not a bird person then it may not be the best use of your limited time.
• Staten Island Zoo is another great choice of a facility to visit, with the main mammal highlight being klipspringer. Besides Central Park, this is the smaller city zoo I'd be most likely to recommend. This will give you another chance to see feathertail gliders, too. The real highlight here, however, is in the historic Reptile House, home to a very impressive, sizeable collection of venomous snakes (especially rattlesnakes). I know venomous snakes aren't particularly common in Europe, so this may be especially interesting due to that. Most of the outdoor enclosures here are dated, however the real highlights are in the indoor main building, especially the Reptile Wing. While a no-show for me, Staten Island *does* exhibit nine-banded armadillos, so this is a species on your list that can be gotten despite not being at Bronx.
• Prospect Park Zoo is a very well-put together small zoo, with some really beautiful historic architecture. That said, there isn't anything unique enough that I'd argue you should prioritize time here over another facility. The only exception to that is if you'd like to see Chinese red pandas, (sub)species styani / refulgens, as Prospect Park would be your only chance to see them in the NYC area.
• I typically wouldn't recommend Bergen County Zoo as a top priority, however if you can drive into New Jersey it may be interest to you since it has a lot of neotropical species you may not be able to see in Europe. In particular, Baird's tapir and red brocket deer could be species of interest for you. Bergen County is another place where seeing bison is a possibility, too. Again, I don't think this should be your top priority, but I wanted to mention it in case the tapir and/or brocket are species you'd particularly like to see. Other than that, it's a fairly average small zoo, without any overly impressive exhibits but with every exhibit at a rather respectable quality.
• Queens Zoo is a facility I definitely do not recommend. This is a very small zoo, with a lot of wasted space and relatively few exhibits. The exhibits they have are generally unremarkable- with the exceptions of the historic aviary (which unfortunately lacks signage), and the really impressive Andean bear exhibit. If coyotes or pronghorn are particular must-see species, then I'd get it if you chose to go here, but I don't think it is worth heading out of your way to Queens for this small zoo, when there are better small zoos more easily accessible.

 

[Astrotom3000]

Apologies to interrupt the threat with my question. I am due to visit in September, and have never visited before. Can anyone offer any advice and tips please. I know it’s a big site, but I would be prioritising seeing mammal species. Please could anyone tell me if these species from Zoo TierListe are still at the zoo, and how and where best to see them. Thank you.
Should I also go to the Central Park zoo while there, or Queens or Prospect Park? As someone from the uk, coyote at the queens zoo sounds quite enticing. Thank you

As someone who just spent a week in the New York Metro area last month and visited all of the WCS facilities, I have some advice I can offer.

First off, I compiled a species list from my trio of visits last month which you can view here -> [VISIT] Bronx Zoo Species List - 2024/06/16. I wasn't initially planning on sharing this until I got to my review, but that's going to be a while.

How many days and how much time per day are you planning on allocating? The Bronx Zoo is indeed huge, and even if you just prioritize mammals, that would still require you to visit almost every corner of the zoo to see them all (you're looking at about 100 species to see). For mammals, and especially rare mammals, I would prioritize the following exhibits: Madagascar, Congo Gorilla Forest, Wild Asia Monorail, Jungleworld, African Plains, Gelada Reserve, Mouse House, Tiger Mountain (can skip if you don't need to see tigers, but Pere David's Deer are nearby), Himalayan Highlands (can skip if also doing Central Park), Bears/Dholes, and Bison Range (can skip if also doing Queens).

Also. how are you traveling to the zoo? Regardless of how, I would plan to arrive early, maybe before opening, and getting in at rope drop so you have the maximum amount of time to see everything (as this is your first time, you don't want to rush it). The Bronx Zoo has really short operating hours for a zoo of its size, and they close all animal exhibits 30 minutes prior to the listed closing time (so for example, they are open 10am-5:30pm on the weekends, but the exhibits are only open until 5pm).

Regarding the other NY zoos you mentioned; if you are only visiting one other zoo and are still prioritizing mammals; Queens has the coyotes (although they were no-shows on my visit) and Andean Bears as well as Elk; Prospect Park has the 2nd highest mammal species count in the WCS, but there is some overlap with Bronx, but they still have species like Black-footed Cat, Pallas Cat, Straw-colored Fruit Bats, North American River Otter, and Sand Cat. Central Park has Japanese Macaques, Banded Mongooses, and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs (I have species lists for this places as well if you are interested).

And lastly, all of the WCS facilities require you to reserve your timed ticket online in advance, so make sure you check the website. The Bronx is unique in that they have several attractions that would normally require an extra fee, but you can easily purchase a full ticket that grants access to all of these attractions.

thank u for the replies, we were planning on visiting the Bronx zoo and going to Arthur Avenue or something after. Central Park or queens was an extra thought, but CP may be easier as we will look round there anyway.
Apologies also, I forgot to add the list of species I am most interested in seeing at the Bronx. The same question in my previous post still applies about finding these species, many thanks.
African wild dog
American beaver
American buffalo
black and rufous sengi
Chinese dhole
Feathertale glider
Ring tailed vontsira
Matche’s tree kangaroo
Nine banded armadillo
Northern Luzon giant cloud rat
Spotted hyaena
Yellow bellied marmot

The zoo does not have American Beaver, Nine-banded Armadillo, or Yellow-bellied Marmot on exhibit anywhere in the zoo (unless they have them as ambassador/program animals, which I am no aware of). Wild beavers do inhabit the Bronx river, though. The rest are present.

I have never been to bronx but many of the animals you want to see you have to pay extra for (bison and tree kangaroo).

The Bison Range does not require an additional fee. In fact, the tree kangaroo is the only one on the list that is held in a star attraction.

 

[USZOOfan42]

The Bison Range does not require an additional fee. In fact, the tree kangaroo is the only one on the list that is held in a star attraction.

I thought the bison was a star attraction, I must of mistook it for butterflies.

 

[Tim Brown]

Personally the thing i liked about Queens was ,apart from the geodesic aviary,the fact that most of the indoor housing is hidden (or was last time I was there). strange thing for me to say ,given that I like animal houses, but there you go. Prospect i found to be rather "bitty" - neither one thing nor another. Bergen County is easy from Turtle Back if you have a car. Similarly Staten Island isnt too easy from the ferry without a car as far as I know (the ferry itself being an experience worth doing). The reptile wing was re-modelled at that zoo a few years ago and is excellent. For what its worth, there is no shortage of venomous snake species in captivity in continental Europe,but they are definitely on the decline in the UK. Shouldnt really comment on NY Aquarium as I havent been there in 18 years..but it used to be really short on unusual fish species - plenty of stock, but nothing out of the ordinary. I really hate the fact that WCS now requires timed bookings if this is correct..makes zoo tourism very difficult,not to say tedious -do they no longer do a "free" day at the Bronx then?

 

[ZooElephantMan]

Personally the thing i liked about Queens was ,apart from the geodesic aviary,the fact that most of the indoor housing is hidden (or was last time I was there). strange thing for me to say ,given that I like animal houses, but there you go. Prospect i found to be rather "bitty" - neither one thing nor another. Bergen County is easy from Turtle Back if you have a car. Similarly Staten Island isnt too easy from the ferry without a car as far as I know (the ferry itself being an experience worth doing). The reptile wing was re-modelled at that zoo a few years ago and is excellent. For what it’s worth, there is no shortage of venomous snake species in captivity in continental Europe,but they are definitely on the decline in the UK. Shouldnt really comment on NY Aquarium as I havent been there in 18 years..but it used to be really short on unusual fish species - plenty of stock, but nothing out of the ordinary. I really hate the fact that WCS now requires timed bookings if this is correct..makes zoo tourism very difficult,not to say tedious -do they no longer do a "free" day at the Bronx then?

I definitely agree with you on Queens. I like the naturalism of many of the exhibits and overall find it to be a little underrated.

I have been to Staten Island Zoo once a couple years ago, when I was living in Manhattan. I took the bus to get there, and then a combination of bus, ferry, and train to get back. It was worth it since I didn’t have a car and I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to see that zoo. But I was also living in nyc at the time, so I had all the time in the world to do things at my own pace. If you are only in New York for a short vacation, wasting all that time on public transport probably isn’t the best idea when you could be squeezing other activities into your itinerary.

The Bronx Zoo still has a free day every Wednesday, but most people advise against going on Wednesdays since that’s when it is by far the most crowded.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

I'm not European, so my idea of what does or doesn't sound exciting is going to be different from yours. That said, I visited eight zoos in the NYC area last spring, so based on that experience here's what I'd say. I understand you likely are limited in how much time you have to visit zoos, so I'm going to provide an overview of each, so that you can decide for yourself where you'd like to visit:

• Bronx Zoo is the obvious must-see zoo. It's my favorite zoo I've ever visited, and is jam-packed with impressive exhibitry and rare-in-zoo species. That said, since it is so large it may be difficult to see in one day depending on how fast you walk and how long you spend at exhibits. The areas that impressed me the most were: Congo Gorilla Forest (absolutely incredible gorilla exhibits, paired with many other Congo species), Madagascar! (this is where your ring-tailed vontsira will be, as well as a number of lemur species and an impressive spiny forest habitat), Gelada Reserve (I know geladas aren't going to be a rare species for you as a European, but the habitat itself is still very impressive), Zoo Center (impressive display of monitor lizards, including a spacious Komodo dragon habitat), Sea Bird Aviary (spacious habitat for Magellanic penguins, Inca terns, and more), and the Wild Asia Monorail (massive yards for various Asian ungulates).
• For the species on your Bronx list, other areas I'd recommend are: African Plains (wild dogs and hyenas), World of Birds (an impressive historic bird house, the American bison live in a standalone paddock nearby- despite what @USZOOfan42 claims, you do NOT need to pay extra to see the bison), Mouse House (elephant shrews, cloud rats and feathertail gliders), and Jungle World (tree kangaroos). I don't recall seeing beavers, armadillos, or marmots at the Bronx Zoo- so I believe you may be mistaken about these species being exhibited.
• If you only have time for one non-Bronx Zoo facility, my recommendation would be the New York Aquarium. I'm not typically a big aquarium person, but New York Aquarium certainly impressed me a lot! Ocean Wonders: Sharks! is one of the best exhibits I've seen anywhere, while there is also a respectable line of outdoor marine mammal/penguin exhibits (including sea otters- which may interest you as a European). Throughout the facility there's also a sizeable collection of freshwater fish species, and everything is designed to be as engaging as possible. I've visited 39 zoological facilities total, and New York Aquarium is the only aquarium to rank in the top ten.
• If you have access to a car, I'd recommend driving out to New Jersey to the Turtle Back Zoo. This is larger than any of the non-Bronx city zoos, and has a lot of very well-designed areas. Their Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is particularly unique, and this will give you another chance to see multiple species on your list, namely American bison and spotted hyenas. There is also a very nice exhibit here for North American black bears, which may interest you as a European. While common in US zoos, North American river otters are another species at Turtle Back which you may not come across much in Europe. Turtle Back Zoo also displays bontebok- which I know isn't held at all in Europe.
• Of the four smaller zoos within New York City, Central Park Zoo should be the top priority. This is a historically significant zoo that has some really impressive exhibits- in particular their snow leopard exhibit and their Waterfowl Aviary (located inside the Children's Zoo). That said, most of the unique species at Central Park Zoo are amongst its impressive bird collection, so if you are not a bird person then it may not be the best use of your limited time.
• Staten Island Zoo is another great choice of a facility to visit, with the main mammal highlight being klipspringer. Besides Central Park, this is the smaller city zoo I'd be most likely to recommend. This will give you another chance to see feathertail gliders, too. The real highlight here, however, is in the historic Reptile House, home to a very impressive, sizeable collection of venomous snakes (especially rattlesnakes). I know venomous snakes aren't particularly common in Europe, so this may be especially interesting due to that. Most of the outdoor enclosures here are dated, however the real highlights are in the indoor main building, especially the Reptile Wing. While a no-show for me, Staten Island *does* exhibit nine-banded armadillos, so this is a species on your list that can be gotten despite not being at Bronx.
• Prospect Park Zoo is a very well-put together small zoo, with some really beautiful historic architecture. That said, there isn't anything unique enough that I'd argue you should prioritize time here over another facility. The only exception to that is if you'd like to see Chinese red pandas, (sub)species styani / refulgens, as Prospect Park would be your only chance to see them in the NYC area.
• I typically wouldn't recommend Bergen County Zoo as a top priority, however if you can drive into New Jersey it may be interest to you since it has a lot of neotropical species you may not be able to see in Europe. In particular, Baird's tapir and red brocket deer could be species of interest for you. Bergen County is another place where seeing bison is a possibility, too. Again, I don't think this should be your top priority, but I wanted to mention it in case the tapir and/or brocket are species you'd particularly like to see. Other than that, it's a fairly average small zoo, without any overly impressive exhibits but with every exhibit at a rather respectable quality.
• Queens Zoo is a facility I definitely do not recommend. This is a very small zoo, with a lot of wasted space and relatively few exhibits. The exhibits they have are generally unremarkable- with the exceptions of the historic aviary (which unfortunately lacks signage), and the really impressive Andean bear exhibit. If coyotes or pronghorn are particular must-see species, then I'd get it if you chose to go here, but I don't think it is worth heading out of your way to Queens for this small zoo, when there are better small zoos more easily accessible.

As someone who just spent a week in the New York Metro area last month and visited all of the WCS facilities, I have some advice I can offer.

First off, I compiled a species list from my trio of visits last month which you can view here -> [VISIT] Bronx Zoo Species List - 2024/06/16. I wasn't initially planning on sharing this until I got to my review, but that's going to be a while.

How many days and how much time per day are you planning on allocating? The Bronx Zoo is indeed huge, and even if you just prioritize mammals, that would still require you to visit almost every corner of the zoo to see them all (you're looking at about 100 species to see). For mammals, and especially rare mammals, I would prioritize the following exhibits: Madagascar, Congo Gorilla Forest, Wild Asia Monorail, Jungleworld, African Plains, Gelada Reserve, Mouse House, Tiger Mountain (can skip if you don't need to see tigers, but Pere David's Deer are nearby), Himalayan Highlands (can skip if also doing Central Park), Bears/Dholes, and Bison Range (can skip if also doing Queens).

Also. how are you traveling to the zoo? Regardless of how, I would plan to arrive early, maybe before opening, and getting in at rope drop so you have the maximum amount of time to see everything (as this is your first time, you don't want to rush it). The Bronx Zoo has really short operating hours for a zoo of its size, and they close all animal exhibits 30 minutes prior to the listed closing time (so for example, they are open 10am-5:30pm on the weekends, but the exhibits are only open until 5pm).

Regarding the other NY zoos you mentioned; if you are only visiting one other zoo and are still prioritizing mammals; Queens has the coyotes (although they were no-shows on my visit) and Andean Bears as well as Elk; Prospect Park has the 2nd highest mammal species count in the WCS, but there is some overlap with Bronx, but they still have species like Black-footed Cat, Pallas Cat, Straw-colored Fruit Bats, North American River Otter, and Sand Cat. Central Park has Japanese Macaques, Banded Mongooses, and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs (I have species lists for this places as well if you are interested).

And lastly, all of the WCS facilities require you to reserve your timed ticket online in advance, so make sure you check the website. The Bronx is unique in that they have several attractions that would normally require an extra fee, but you can easily purchase a full ticket that grants access to all of these attractions.



The zoo does not have American Beaver, Nine-banded Armadillo, or Yellow-bellied Marmot on exhibit anywhere in the zoo (unless they have them as ambassador/program animals, which I am no aware of). Wild beavers do inhabit the Bronx river, though. The rest are present.



The Bison Range does not require an additional fee. In fact, the tree kangaroo is the only one on the list that is held in a star attraction.

Thank you all for your extensive in depth tip and recommendations, I really appreciate.
as it will be my first visit to New York anyway, the thought of two zoos plus New up York is overwhelming, if anything I think it will be under two hours at Central Park zoo if that is doable. I want to see Japanese Macaques! And grizzly bears are always impressive too, but I know they’re at Bronx also. We will not have a car as focus on New York tourist things but it is frustrating that New Jersey is so near yet so far to tick off another USA state!

As for the Bronx, I appreciate that it is a big zoo, and will focus on exhibits pointed out, thank you. The real priority for me if I had to pick one would be dholes as have never seen them and I am keen on canids especially hence Hence being intrigued by the Queens coyote but will probs not get there this time), are the dholes usually active or no show please?
I think opening hours say until just 5pm now, and we will use subway from manhattan. Does this take long and which station is best to exit to the zoo please?
I
was lucky enough to visit San Diego zoo (only one day there and didn’t see everything ofc so I accept u cannot do it all in one day), Aquarium of the Pacific near LA, and Vancouver Aquarium last year, so some species mentioned that may not be as numerous in Europe, I have had pleasure of seeing with sea otters being a highlight. I have also been lucky enough to see wild American black bears and NA river otters last year and previous Vancouver trips.

 

[AnActualFan]

Thank you all for your extensive in depth tip and recommendations, I really appreciate.
as it will be my first visit to New York anyway, the thought of two zoos plus New up York is overwhelming, if anything I think it will be under two hours at Central Park zoo if that is doable. I want to see Japanese Macaques! And grizzly bears are always impressive too, but I know they’re at Bronx also. We will not have a car as focus on New York tourist things but it is frustrating that New Jersey is so near yet so far to tick off another USA state!

As for the Bronx, I appreciate that it is a big zoo, and will focus on exhibits pointed out, thank you. The real priority for me if I had to pick one would be dholes as have never seen them and I am keen on canids especially hence Hence being intrigued by the Queens coyote but will probs not get there this time), are the dholes usually active or no show please?
I think opening hours say until just 5pm now, and we will use subway from manhattan. Does this take long and which station is best to exit to the zoo please?
I
was lucky enough to visit San Diego zoo (only one day there and didn’t see everything ofc so I accept u cannot do it all in one day), Aquarium of the Pacific near LA, and Vancouver Aquarium last year, so some species mentioned that may not be as numerous in Europe, I have had pleasure of seeing with sea otters being a highlight. I have also been lucky enough to see wild American black bears and NA river otters last year and previous Vancouver trips.

From my experience, the best way to handle the Bronx Zoo by subway is to exit the station at West Farms Square-East Tremont Avenue. From there, walk to the zoo and at rope drop, go through JungleWorld, then Wild Asia Monorail, and then go from there.

 

[15399]

Personally the thing i liked about Queens was ,apart from the geodesic aviary,the fact that most of the indoor housing is hidden (or was last time I was there). strange thing for me to say ,given that I like animal houses, but there you go.

Interesting- I suppose indoor housing is something I didn't really notice while at Queens, but also not something I really had thought about. If I could describe Queens Zoo in one word based on my visit, truthfully I'd choose the word "incomplete". While nothing at the zoo was really bad, there was a lot of underutilized space, and relatively few animals on display. The aviary only has a small handful of species and very minimal signage, and including the aviary there are only fifteen exhibits in total in the main zoo. For having the theme "Animals of the Americas", there are some glaring gaps in Queens' collection- namely the complete lack of small mammals and primates, and only having a single herp on collection (American alligator, only seasonally).

Prospect i found to be rather "bitty" - neither one thing nor another.

That's fair- I found Prospect Park Zoo to be a good zoo, but not a really great zoo. Some of the indoor exhibits are really nice, the baboons are a real highlight, but it doesn't have anything super impressive or notable to put it above other facilities either.

Shouldnt really comment on NY Aquarium as I havent been there in 18 years..but it used to be really short on unusual fish species - plenty of stock, but nothing out of the ordinary.

New York Aquarium suffered a lot of damage in Superstorm Sandy (2012), so large parts of the aquarium have been completely redone over the past twelve years. Their star exhibit, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! opened in 2018, and is by far my favorite aquarium exhibit ever seen.

I really hate the fact that WCS now requires timed bookings if this is correct..makes zoo tourism very difficult,not to say tedious

They do not require timed bookings. Tickets should be reserved in advance (although I don't know if this is a requirement), however they are valid at any time on the given day.

I really appreciate.
as it will be my first visit to New York anyway, the thought of two zoos plus New up York is overwhelming, if anything I think it will be under two hours at Central Park zoo if that is doable. I want to see Japanese Macaques!

Two hours will be plenty of time to see Central Park Zoo. It's a small zoo- and in a very central location in Manhattan, perfect for combining with seeing other attractions. The Japanese macaques are in a central exhibit in the middle of the zoo- they have a troop of four older individuals in a very nice "island" exhibit.

As for the Bronx, I appreciate that it is a big zoo, and will focus on exhibits pointed out, thank you. The real priority for me if I had to pick one would be dholes as have never seen them and I am keen on canids especially hence Hence being intrigued by the Queens coyote but will probs not get there this time), are the dholes usually active or no show please?

Print a map ahead of time, and mark the exhibits you'd like to prioritize. On the first day of my Bronx visit, we saw around 75% of the zoo, only missing the two bird buildings, Sea Bird Aviary, and a few smaller attractions (all of which we visited the following morning). Obviously I don't know how fast you visit zoos, but it shouldn't be difficult to see most of the zoo in one day if you're crunched for time. Based on your must-see species and what the iconic areas of the Bronx Zoo are, I'd recommend skipping the following if you don't think you can do everything. The exhibits at the top of the list are most skippable:

• Birds of Prey: a line of very standard exhibits for birds of prey, if you walk past it then fine, but not worth going out of your way for.
• Butterfly Garden: a fairly standard butterfly-themed attraction, but probably not worth the extra time and money.
• Carter Giraffe Building: the indoor housing for the giraffes, also home to a few small exhibits (aardvark, scops owl, and dwarf mongoose), but is an easy to bypass exhibit- especially if giraffes are outdoors.
• World of Reptiles: a fairly standard reptile house, but not overly impressive. There are some neat species in here like Ethiopian mountain viper, jeweled chameleon, Mangshan pit vipers, and Cuban crocodiles, but there are also plenty of herps interspersed throughout the zoo. If you're not a big reptile person, this building is probably not worth your limited time.
• Himalayan Highlands/Tiger Mountain: Both of these are excellent exhibits, albeit for very common species you've likely seen many times before. See them if you have time, even if only for a few minutes, but an area there's no harm in skipping past to prioritize more time elsewhere.
• Aquatic Bird House: if you only have time for one bird building, World of Birds should be the higher priority building, as it has many of the more unique birds (bee-eaters, maleo, etc.,) and is both larger and more historically significant. Aquatic Bird House does have kiwi and little blue penguins, as well as the zoo's Storm's stork, but if you aren't a big bird person then it may be an easy exhibit to by-pass.

I really appreciate.
as it will be my first visit to New York anyway, the thought of two zoos plus New up York is overwhelming, if anything I think it will be under two hours at Central Park zoo if that is doable. I want to see Japanese Macaques!

How many days do you have in NYC? A lot of the classic touristy things in NYC will be open later than the zoos, so it shouldn't be difficult to fit them in. The New York Aquarium is located right next to Coney Island, so could be easily combined with that classic New York attraction and/or anything else in Brooklyn that you'd like to prioritize. If you only do two zoos, Bronx and Central Park are good choices, but if you can fit in a third facility and aren't driving, then NY Aquarium is by far the best choice.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

From my experience, the best way to handle the Bronx Zoo by subway is to exit the station at West Farms Square-East Tremont Avenue. From there, walk to the zoo and at rope drop, go through JungleWorld, then Wild Asia Monorail, and then go from there.

thank you, how long does this take from midtown Manhattan, our hotel is close to Times Sqyare. Will it be a struggle to get there close or just after opening?

Interesting- I suppose indoor housing is something I didn't really notice while at Queens, but also not something I really had thought about. If I could describe Queens Zoo in one word based on my visit, truthfully I'd choose the word "incomplete". While nothing at the zoo was really bad, there was a lot of underutilized space, and relatively few animals on display. The aviary only has a small handful of species and very minimal signage, and including the aviary there are only fifteen exhibits in total in the main zoo. For having the theme "Animals of the Americas", there are some glaring gaps in Queens' collection- namely the complete lack of small mammals and primates, and only having a single herp on collection (American alligator, only seasonally).


That's fair- I found Prospect Park Zoo to be a good zoo, but not a really great zoo. Some of the indoor exhibits are really nice, the baboons are a real highlight, but it doesn't have anything super impressive or notable to put it above other facilities either.


New York Aquarium suffered a lot of damage in Superstorm Sandy (2012), so large parts of the aquarium have been completely redone over the past twelve years. Their star exhibit, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! opened in 2018, and is by far my favorite aquarium exhibit ever seen.


They do not require timed bookings. Tickets should be reserved in advance (although I don't know if this is a requirement), however they are valid at any time on the given day.


Two hours will be plenty of time to see Central Park Zoo. It's a small zoo- and in a very central location in Manhattan, perfect for combining with seeing other attractions. The Japanese macaques are in a central exhibit in the middle of the zoo- they have a troop of four older individuals in a very nice "island" exhibit.



Print a map ahead of time, and mark the exhibits you'd like to prioritize. On the first day of my Bronx visit, we saw around 75% of the zoo, only missing the two bird buildings, Sea Bird Aviary, and a few smaller attractions (all of which we visited the following morning). Obviously I don't know how fast you visit zoos, but it shouldn't be difficult to see most of the zoo in one day if you're crunched for time. Based on your must-see species and what the iconic areas of the Bronx Zoo are, I'd recommend skipping the following if you don't think you can do everything. The exhibits at the top of the list are most skippable:

• Birds of Prey: a line of very standard exhibits for birds of prey, if you walk past it then fine, but not worth going out of your way for.
• Butterfly Garden: a fairly standard butterfly-themed attraction, but probably not worth the extra time and money.
• Carter Giraffe Building: the indoor housing for the giraffes, also home to a few small exhibits (aardvark, scops owl, and dwarf mongoose), but is an easy to bypass exhibit- especially if giraffes are outdoors.
• World of Reptiles: a fairly standard reptile house, but not overly impressive. There are some neat species in here like Ethiopian mountain viper, jeweled chameleon, Mangshan pit vipers, and Cuban crocodiles, but there are also plenty of herps interspersed throughout the zoo. If you're not a big reptile person, this building is probably not worth your limited time.
• Himalayan Highlands/Tiger Mountain: Both of these are excellent exhibits, albeit for very common species you've likely seen many times before. See them if you have time, even if only for a few minutes, but an area there's no harm in skipping past to prioritize more time elsewhere.
• Aquatic Bird House: if you only have time for one bird building, World of Birds should be the higher priority building, as it has many of the more unique birds (bee-eaters, maleo, etc.,) and is both larger and more historically significant. Aquatic Bird House does have kiwi and little blue penguins, as well as the zoo's Storm's stork, but if you aren't a big bird person then it may be an easy exhibit to by-pass.

How many days do you have in NYC? A lot of the classic touristy things in NYC will be open later than the zoos, so it shouldn't be difficult to fit them in. The New York Aquarium is located right next to Coney Island, so could be easily combined with that classic New York attraction and/or anything else in Brooklyn that you'd like to prioritize. If you only do two zoos, Bronx and Central Park are good choices, but if you can fit in a third facility and aren't driving, then NY Aquarium is by far the best choice.

thank you. Think it will be the Central Park Zoo if we do a second zoo.
I would do Himalayan Highlands for the dholes. Unless they are more often than not a no show. Spotted hyaena are a big draw for me in the Africa area too, do they provide good viewing there too please. I would go in both bird houses as I know the Bronx has great avian species and I have never seen a kiwi.
The Bronx Zoo app, which I have found to be a bit unhelpful so far, states that a good few exotic species are kept in the children’s zoo. Is this true, or is it just your typical domestics farm, thank you.
So my priority list has increased to jungle world, monorail, Himalayan highlands, Africa area, Congo gorilla, mouse house, zoo centre, Madagascar, aquatic bird house and seabird aviary, buffaloes, and world of birds… sigh!

 

[15399]

So my priority list has increased to jungle world, monorail, Himalayan highlands, Africa area, Congo gorilla, mouse house, zoo centre, Madagascar, aquatic bird house and seabird aviary, buffaloes, and world of birds… sigh!

That list is very doable in one day.

I would do Himalayan Highlands for the dholes.

The dholes do not live in Himalayan Highlands, they have their own exhibit labeled as "dholes" on the map- next to the brown bears.

Spotted hyaena are a big draw for me in the Africa area too, do they provide good viewing there too please.

Yeah, the Spotted hyenas are in African Plains. Not one of the more memorable exhibits in that area, but you shouldn't have an issue seeing them.

The Bronx Zoo app, which I have found to be a bit unhelpful so far, states that a good few exotic species are kept in the children’s zoo. Is this true, or is it just your typical domestics farm, thank you.

Correct- the Children's Zoo has a number of exotic species including prairie dogs, fennec fox, squirrel monkeys, and flamingos.

 

[AnActualFan]

thank you, how long does this take from midtown Manhattan, our hotel is close to Times Sqyare. Will it be a struggle to get there close or just after opening?

Near Times Square is pretty easy IMO; you should be able to take the 2 up to the Bronx to West Farms Square. Looking now, it's around 40 minutes, so as long as you leave by 8:50-9:10ish, you should be fine to get there close to opening.

 

[AnaheimZoo]

I would do Himalayan Highlands for the dholes. Unless they are more often than not a no show.

Admittedly, I haven't visited many times since the Dholes joined the collection, but they have always been out when I've stopped by. Whether or not they've been sleeping, though, is a different story.

Spotted hyaena are a big draw for me in the Africa area too, do they provide good viewing there too please.

"Fine" viewing is more like it. As Neil chace alluded to, it's an average enclosure at best, but roughly 75% of it is viewable. There is a slightly elevated, open view on the path to the Carter Giraffe Building, which may be your best view if the hyenas are roaming around; across from that there are two relatively small windows of varying heights that can offer a good view if the hyenas are nearby (I had a solid shot of one resting and grooming itself underneath the bush in front of the windows today). The entire adjacent side is visible through chain link fence, but a good portion of it is separated from the path by a strip of brush (I.e., it's not the closest view).

The Bronx Zoo app, which I have found to be a bit unhelpful so far, states that a good few exotic species are kept in the children’s zoo. Is this true, or is it just your typical domestics farm, thank you.

Off the top of my head based on my visit today (please do correct me if I'm wrong on any of these):
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Monk Parakeet
Asian Small-clawed Otter
Common Degu
Giant Anteater
American Flamingo
Squirrel Monkey sp.
Coati (White-nosed, I believe)
American Alligator
Linne's Two-toed Sloth
Mara
North American Porcupine
Great Horned Owl
Striped Skunk
Fennec Fox
And a miscellany of snakes, turtles, and fish in small tanks scattered throughout the area.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

Thank u all, I feel more relaxed about making the trip over to the Bronx now, and hopefully we can do the majority in just one day. Can u view animals from the monorail at their own enclosures or only from the monorail, thanks? What species are in mouse house please?

 

[tigris115]

Thank u all, I feel more relaxed about making the trip over to the Bronx now, and hopefully we can do the majority in just one day. Can u view animals from the monorail at their own enclosures or only from the monorail, thanks? What species are in mouse house please?

No, monorail animals are viewable from the monorail only

Mouse House contains several rodent species as well as the zoo's elephant shrews

 

[Astrotom3000]

Mouse House also has Common Treeshrews, Feather-tailed Gliders, and Southern Lesser Galagos. There are also several species of new world monkeys in exhibits along the exterior.