Zürich will deservedly not be winning this, but I thought I would provide an overview of their (very limited) offerings in the hope of convincing others that they do deserve two points despite the small collection at the moment, having done some more research on Vienna and feeling fairly comfortable about my conclusion.
Spectacled Bears:
@Kalaw
@antonmuster
This is quite possibly the finest enclosure for tropical bear species in the world, certainly in an urban zoo. I often hear it compared to the one at Chester, but having seen both in person I firmly believe that this is the superior of the two. It is huge, with five different viewing points (yet no cross-viewing), mature tree cover, undulating terrain, multiple large climbing apparatus, and no obvious barriers in sight, with a beautiful moat in front and a rock wall behind. I have heard that it is actually three enclosures (which is of course of massive benefit in terms of separation options), but I only discovered this recently as there was no evidence of any dividing fencing on my visit, such is the excellence of the landscaping and the strategic placement of viewing areas.
Eurasian Otter:
@Kalaw
@Philipine eagle
The otter enclosure, along with the small adjacent native species aquarium, is one of Zürich's hidden gems in my eyes. Like most of the older buildings at Zürich, it is a rather unpleasant brutalist structure, and yet one that has been rendered very attractive by having been completely overgrown, with mature trees shading it and all manners of bushes growing off the roof. Wild herons nest on the roof, and the dullness of the grey concrete brings out the greenery that surrounds it. The building's roof can also be circumnavigated, allowing for multi-level viewing, and the pool is massive by area, and mostly of a sufficient depth, with very clear underwater viewing to top it off.
Spotted Hyena:
@twilighter
@antonmuster
One of the zoo's newer additions, from the 2020 Lewa Savanne. Its long design that winds around the visitor pathway means that no photos really provide an appropriate overview of it, sadly. That said, I believe it is a very good enclosure, of a rather impressive size, with a variety of substrates and plenty of dens, shrubs and raised bushes for privacy. The first photo actually depicts a predator-and-prey setup with the savannah behind (although only the giraffes are tall enough to be seen behind the enclosure), while the second shows the rest of the enclosure, the longer and more narrow portion that follows the guests' path. Again, I have seen some suggestions that it is actually two enclosures, and if so then it is another example of such dividing fences being very well-hidden, as I didn't notice on my visit (although looking back on my review, I did note that a considerable portion of the enclosure is well-obscured by one of Lewa's many towering boulders, so it is possible that the fence was there).
Meerkat:
@Gil
One of the larger and better-designed meerkat enclosures that I have seen. How often do you see this species provided with such bushes? And there is plenty of substrate to dig in and a large onshow indoor area too. Said indoor area is part of the themed 'village' in Lewa, which for me is one of the better examples I have seen of cultural theming being used in a subtle manner that doesn't detract from the sincerity of the display, but does add to the immersion. Thatched roofs and colourful clay buildings, but nothing more.
Harbour Seal:
@Kalaw
@FunkyGibbon
A rather deep pool and a sufficient land area with multiple rocks, some reaching into the pool - a good feature of this enclosure that many seem to be lacking is the presence of some shaded land areas and some more exposed land areas, so the seals can chose whether or not they want sunlight. The enclosure isn't amazing, and other than the infamous Ape House (which it is immediately adjacent to, incidentally) is probably Zürich's worst enclosure, but that says more about Zürich than this enclosure is it is actually rather good. The only real issue it has is from a visitor's perspective - the really poor underwater viewing, which consists of just two or three wooden portholes besides the entrance to the Ape House, which were bad enough in the small morning crowds, but when I returned to this enclosure in the late afternoon, it was too busy to see through them.
Red Panda:
@Kalaw
@Kalaw
According to the zoo's map and ZTL, the Red Panda enclosure was not, as I had previously thought, included in the 'Panterra' development, and therefore is still present at the zoo and should count. Although unfortunately the snow leopard enclosure being reconstructed does mean that the multi-level viewing of the enclosure is likely no longer on offer, the enclosure itself should be just as good as it was before. Two enclosures, each with multiple, interconnected live trees and several smaller ones that mean the animals never need to come to the ground, although if they do, the dense undergrowth ensures privacy is still on offer. The height of the trees alone merits praise, but the whole enclosure is very well-constructed.
Just to reiterate, I do not believe Zürich is deserving of winning this, but I do believe they deserve two points, as their exhibit quality is just so high even without several key species and the elite snow leopard enclosure. Looking at photos of Vienna, my feeling is that its best offerings (I am particularly impressed by both bear enclosures and the wolf enclosure in the woodland) are far off Zürich's best (Spectacled Bears), and its worst (lions, leopards and sea lions all strike me as, if not poor, then certainly somewhat subpar) are far below the worst of Zürich (only the seal enclosure is close to 'bad,' and even then I would argue that is is rather decent).
For me, Vienna still deserves the win for many reasons: the displaying of woodland species such as lynx and wolves in a genuine woodland that seems to span the upper half of the zoo; the incorporation of historic big cat cages into the visitor viewing areas for modern ones; their strong breeding record with species such as cheetahs over the years; and of course the fact that their collection is over double the size of Zürich's. But even still, I believe the Swiss collection is far ahead enough with regards to exhibit quality that it merits two points.
