What Exhibits Do You Miss?

The Big Cat Terraces at London Zoo, before they were re-modelled as Land of the Lions. I don't massively hate LotL, but I do think it could have been done differently and better. The old Terraces on the other hand had decent-sized and well-planted enclosures for a number of different cat species, and I remember seeing Tigers, Lions, Serval, Cheetah, Clouded Leopard and Sand Cat there over the years; I used to enjoy visiting my favourite ever Asiatic Lion, the wonderfully vocal Lucifer, at the Lion enclosure on the Terraces, before he moved to Paignton. The visitor areas were spacious too, without feeling too crowded except at some of the windows. They also had that 'surrounded by animals' feeling that you don't get so much now, understandably as more space and theming is put between major exhibits.

I would also like to be able to re-visit the Clore Pavillion of 1999-2001, the first time I remember visiting, when more of the building was open to visitors, which I guess means I miss that too.

Mentions too for Wolf Wood at Whipsnade (a perfect setting for hardy grey wolves, the African Hunting Dogs don't seem to have had much luck in the same space since) and the Nocturnal House at Bristol (of course!). Also the Maned Wolf enclosure at London Zoo, roughly where the Squirrel Monkeys are now, don't think London will ever have such smelly animals on-site again!
 
I really miss Milwaukee County Zoo's Australia section. It wasn't much by some standards, at its peak it only held Tree Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, Emus, Koalas, and a coral reef tank to represent the Great Barrier Reef, but the (relatively miniscule and rectangular) indoor area was themed so decoratively it really took you to Australia.

The building is still there, but it's closed after demolishing most of that side of the park to make room for the elephants. I wonder if it still looks the same inside...
 
turkeyfox said:
The building is still there, but it's closed after demolishing most of that side of the park to make room for the elephants. I wonder if it still looks the same inside...
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Well it's a hoofstock barn now so the interior definitely looks quite different I imagine.
 
I miss the Koala House at the Los Angeles Zoo. While it still exists under the name of Australia House and exhibits wombats, I wish there were still koalas. I remember when the Koala House opened in the early 1980s, there was a huge line (practically like a ride at Disneyland) to go inside. As a kid, it was wonderful to go from the hot sun to the cool darkness of the exhibit to look for koalas. It was like entering a fairyland to see the eucalyptus trees illuminated softly by a violet blue light and to try to find the koalas sitting among the branches. I remember there were numerous koalas and some smaller animals running around on the ground, too.

Now there are only two koalas outside and unfortunately they are hardly ever in their exhibit when I go to see them. While I like the wombats (really cute and interesting creatures), it seems like there should be more in the exhibit than just two wombats. There is actually more relative space for the wombats than the zoo's giraffes! Anyway, there are still vestiges of the old Koala House around like the Koala Hilton sign on the side of the building and small koala sculpture in front. Perhaps one day this exhibit will house koalas again (both indoors and out would be my preference).
 
Franklin Park Zoo’s newer Children’s Zoo, Nature’s Neighborhoods, is probably higher in quality than it used to be, but I honestly preferred the animal collection of the older version. In addition to the red pandas, prairie dogs, and a few smaller animals the area still has, it housed a prehensile-tailed porcupine, swans, access to the now-inaccessible “Little Critters” building, which was once a reptile house, and most missed of all, Amur leopards.
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NNM. said:
Franklin Park Zoo’s newer Children’s Zoo, Nature’s Neighborhoods, is probably higher in quality than it used to be, but I honestly preferred the animal collection of the older version. In addition to the red pandas, prairie dogs, and a few smaller animals the area still has, it housed a prehensile-tailed porcupine, swans, access to the now-inaccessible “Little Critters” building, which was once a reptile house, and most missed of all, Amur leopards.
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Is that the whole enclosure for the leopard?
 
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