Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

I posted about seeing Aldabra Tortoises at 74 zoos and by contrast I've seen Galapagos Tortoises at 41 zoos. Not only did I see the species at around half the zoos as Aldabra, but 38 of those establishments are in the USA and only 3 in Europe. It's not like Galapagos Tortoises are extreme rarities in Europe, but for me they definitely were as I only came across them at 3/120 zoos. Also, I went 0/60 in Asia for this species as I don't believe a single institution has Galapagos Tortoises in Southeast Asia.

1- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2003
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2006
3- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2008
4- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2008
5- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2008
6- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2008
7- Zoo Miami (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2008
8- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
9- Akron Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
10- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
11- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
12- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
13- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
14- Cameron Park Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
15- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
16- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2010
17- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2011
18- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2011
19- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2011
20- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2012
21- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2012
22- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2012
23- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2012
24- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2012
25- Reptile Gardens (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
26- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
27- Peoria Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
28- Miller Park Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
29- Scovill Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
30- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
31- Lincoln Children’s Zoo - Nebraska (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2014
32- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2015
33- Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2015
34- Austin Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2015
35- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2015
36- America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2017
37- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2018
38- Columbian Park Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2018
39- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2019
40- Reptielen Zoo Iguana (Netherlands) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2019
41- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Galapagos Tortoise – 2024

San Diego Zoo (USA) has long had an extensive collection of Galapagos Tortoises in a series of arid, nicely landscaped habitats in the reptile section of the park. I overheard a keeper chat at this zoo in 2023, and I was told that a lot of the tortoises were all between 100 to 150 years of age in San Diego.

full


@Julio C Castro

full


A number of the exhibits at Phoenix Zoo (USA) were nice and grassy when I was there in 2008 and 2011 but going back in 2023 there was a sharp contrast with the environment as basically all of the zoo was dry and dusty. The African Savanna was not nearly as pleasant as it became more of a dust bowl, but back in 2011 it was lush. Here is the Galapagos Tortoise exhibit at the zoo in 2011, still with some green spots.

full


I saw a couple of Galapagos Tortoises in a small outdoor yard at Akron Zoo (USA) in 2010 and here is my image of their indoor quarters.

full


Giant tortoises, such as the Galapagos Tortoises at Riverbanks Zoo (USA), will consistently seek out muddy, water-filled parts of their exhibit if provided with such natural substrate. One flaw at many zoos is that there's just a tiny amount of water for giant tortoises and it's not nearly enough for them to move around and wallow in.

full


Both Dallas Zoo (USA) and Cameron Park Zoo (USA) in Texas had very similar looking Galapagos Tortoise exhibits back in 2010, with wooden fenceposts spread around a dirt yard.

full


I saw Galapagos Tortoises in 4 Texas zoos in a single month in 2010, including a spacious exhibit at Gladys Porter Zoo (USA).

full


Reid Park Zoo (USA) had Galapagos Tortoises mixed with Rheas in 2011.

full


And Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) does the same thing, with Galapagos Tortoises and Rheas together in a couple of grassy yards with minimal fencing.

full


Without zooming in, it's difficult to tell from my photo what is a rock and what is a Galapagos Tortoise at Great Plains Zoo (USA).

full


Galapagos Tortoises were mixed with Emus (!!) at Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) when I was there in 2012. Only in Mississippi...

full


It was a bit of a shock, but at Reptile Gardens (USA) I went into a walk-through exhibit with both Aldabra and Galapagos Tortoises and people were petting the chelonians. Of course, decades ago visitors would ride on their backs. Giddy up!

full


Here's the small exhibit for Galapagos Tortoises at Peoria Zoo (USA) that probably only cost a few hundred dollars to build.

full


It appears that Galapagos Tortoises require basic, minimal fencing and accommodation, even at zoos that aren't accredited these days such as Henson Robinson Zoo (USA).

full


When I toured Alexandria Zoo (USA) in 2015, I saw Galapagos Tortoises with a flock of Chilean Flamingos!

full


In North America, even some obscure zoos that aren't recognizable to overseas nerds, such as Columbian Park Zoo (USA), have Galapagos Tortoises.

full


Attached to the Oceanium building is a Galapagos Tortoise exhibit at Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands). A rare European sighting for me.

full


@Mr Gharial

The Reptielen Zoo Iguana (Netherlands) had Galapagos Tortoises (and possibly some Aldabra Tortoises) when I was there in 2019.

full


@vogelcommando
 
Last edited:
I've certainly seen a LOT of snakes over my years of zoo tripping around the world. For example, I have a list from my visit to Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo in 2015 where I saw 131 snake species and subspecies (!!), almost all of them in tiny, very inadequate terrariums. Dallas Zoo had 54 snake species that same summer, Bangkok Snake Farm had 50 species when I toured the facility in 2024, I saw circa 45 rattlesnake species/subspecies at Rattlesnake Ranch AZ in 2023, and I've been in countless Reptile Houses in North America and Europe.

For the purposes of this thread, I will look at only TWO snake species as they are huge and there's no way I could miss them in an exhibit. I've seen Green Anacondas and Yellow Anacondas at 80 zoos (65 Green, 19 Yellow) including 4 reptile specialist zoos with both species (in bold).

1- Vancouver Aquarium (Canada) – Green Anaconda – 1986
2- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 1994
3- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Yellow Anaconda – 2003
4- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2005
5- Denver Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2006
6- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Green Anaconda – 2007
7- Shedd Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2008
8- Montreal Biodome (Canada) – Yellow Anaconda – 2008
9- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2008
10- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2008
11- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2008
12- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2008
13- Zoo Miami (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2008
14- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2010
15- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
16- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
17- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
18- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) - Green Anaconda – 2010
19- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
20- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
21- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
22- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
23- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
24- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
25- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
26- Houston Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
27- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
28- Dallas World Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
29- San Antonio Zoo (USSA) – Green Anaconda – 2010
30- Oregon Coast Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2011
31- California Academy of Sciences (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2011
32- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2011
33- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2011
34- John Ball Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
35- New England Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
36- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
37- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
38- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
39- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2012
40- The Reptile Zoo & Living Museum (USA) – Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda – 2013
41- Reptile Gardens (USA) - Green Anaconda – 2014
42- RAD (Reptile & Amphibian Discovery) Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda – 2014
43- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
44- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2014
45- Alligator Alley (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
46- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
47- Niabi Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
48- World Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
49- Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2014
50- Oklahoma Aquarium (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2015
51- Moody Gardens (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2015
52- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2015
53- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2017
54- Reptile Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda – 2017
55- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2018
56- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2018
57- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Yellow Anaconda – 2018
58- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Green Anaconda – 2019
59- Reptielen Zoo Iguana (Netherlands) – Green Anaconda – 2019
60- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Yellow Anaconda – 2019
61- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Green Anaconda – 2019
62- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Green Anaconda – 2019
63- TerraZoo (Germany) – Green Anaconda – 2019
64- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Green Anaconda – 2019
65- Randers Regnskov/Randers Tropical Zoo (Denmark) – Green Anaconda – 2022
66- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Green Anaconda – 2022
67- Terrariet Reptile Zoo (Denmark) - Green Anaconda – 2022
68- Malmo Reptile Center (Sweden) – Yellow Anaconda – 2022
69- Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway) – Green Anaconda – 2022
70- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Green Anaconda – 2022
71- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Green Anaconda – 2023
72- Bangkok Snake Farm (Thailand) – Green Anaconda – 2024
73- Pata Zoo (Thailand) – Yellow Anaconda – 2024
74- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Green Anaconda – 2024
75- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Yellow Anaconda – 2024
76- Taman Rama-rama (Melaka Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary) (Malaysia) – Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda – 2024
77- River Wonders (Singapore) – Green Anaconda – 2024
78- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Green Anaconda – 2024
79- Lembang Park & Zoo (Indonesia) – Yellow Anaconda – 2024
80- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) - Yellow Anaconda – 2024

I have many fond memories of my visits to Vancouver Aquarium (Canada) and seeing Green Anacondas in an exhibit with tons of fake tree roots. For several years, the snakes were mixed with Diving Lizards (Uranoscodon supercilious).

full


Contrast the deep, wide tank of water for anacondas at Vancouver Aquarium with this shallow pool for a Green Anaconda at the Bronx Zoo (USA). Yikes! A handful of the exhibits at that Reptile House are far too small and outdated for their inhabitants.

full


Saint Louis Zoo (USA) has a very interesting Green Anaconda exhibit inside its historic Herpetarium and the enclosure is two levels and can be seen from above and then later on from below. Here is the upper view and it's possible to see visitors in the lower section in this photograph.

full


@Grizzly Hound

When I toured Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010, there was a Green Anaconda, an Argentine Tegu and some Red-footed Tortoises all together in this exhibit.

full


Nashville Zoo (USA) has mixed a Green Anaconda with a Red-tailed Boa for many years in its Unseen New World Reptile House.

full


@pachyderm pro

Houston, we have a problem. The Houston Zoo's (USA) Green Anaconda exhibit is an example of many enclosures where there simply isn't enough water for such large aquatic snakes.

full


Here are a Green Anaconda and a Red-footed Tortoise together at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA).

full


Unfortunately, America has a TON of naff little roadside zoos. At the Monroe Reptile Zoo (USA), I saw a Yellow Anaconda and a Rainbow Boa curled up together in a pitifully tiny bucket of water.

full


Here is the Green Anaconda exhibit at that same zoo:

full


At the RAD (Reptile & Amphibian Discovery) Zoo (USA) I saw a Green Anaconda in this scratched-up terrarium. Again, hardly any water and barely any space!

full


And then there is this Green Anaconda exhibit at Alligator Alley (USA):

full


A Green Anaconda/Red-bellied Piranha tank at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (USA) was a bit of a surprise to see.

full


@geomorph

San Francisco Zoo (USA) renovated an older building and gave it the unwieldy title of South American Tropical Rainforest & Aviary and there can be found a spacious Green Anaconda exhibit and some huge fake tree trunks.

full


Ahhh, Indian Creek Zoo (USA). You might win the award for worst snake exhibit in the form of this Yellow Anaconda terrarium. A metal bucket with an American flag sticker...

full


Off to Europe, where the quality is SO MUCH HIGHER and where Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands) has a large Yellow Anaconda exhibit.

full


@KevinB

I'm not sure if the Green Anaconda exhibit at GaiaZOO (Netherlands) is still in use, but it's a splendid enclosure if it is. I was hugely impressed with that entire zoo when I toured it in 2019.

full


@KevinB

It's mainly all mock-rock, but the Green Anaconda exhibit is spacious, and the cave setting is fantastic at Randers Regnskov/Randers Tropical Zoo (Denmark). This zoo has free-roaming cockroaches in this area, and the upper part of the anaconda enclosure is thin mesh and so it appears to be open-topped from a distance. It's a remarkable illusion.

full


Odense Zoo (Denmark) is another example of an excellent European zoo with an above-average Green Anaconda exhibit. This is the 4th one in a row where I've showcased an anaconda enclosure in Europe with underwater viewing.

full


This next one is a 5th example with underwater viewing, at Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway). Here is my image from the upper level of the very large exhibit.

full


One of the marvels of River Wonders (Singapore) is that there are loads of large tanks that are outdoors, which I'm not sure gets enough credit on this forum. We are all used to seeing herp terrariums and fish tanks indoors, but to be outside on a boardwalk and gaze at such creatures is remarkable.

full


Up next: I'm going to cover all the RATITES and then I imagine this thread will remain dormant for a couple of years.
 
Last edited:
Off to Europe, where the quality is SO MUCH HIGHER and where Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands) has a large Yellow Anaconda exhibit.

full


@KevinB

I'm not sure if the Green Anaconda exhibit at GaiaZOO (Netherlands) is still in use, but it's a splendid enclosure if it is. I was hugely impressed with that entire zoo when I toured it in 2019.

full


@KevinB

The terrarium at Rotterdam was part of the Amazonia house which has since sadly closed due to the bad design and resulting short lifespan of the roof.

The terrarium at GaiaZoo still exists but no longer houses anacondas, it now houses Jamaican boas, Guadeloupean anoles (dozens of those), with Endler's guppy, Freshwater angelfish and Bristlenose catfish in the pool.
 
How many times have I seen an Emu in a zoo? Here is a species that is so common that I imagine experienced zoo nerds scarcely even glance at them. They are quite hardy when it comes to different climates, can be tossed in with other animals in large pastures, and can even be in walk-throughs although I'm personally skittish with them as I've met a couple of aggressive Emus in the past. It's difficult to imagine any identifying features between Emus as to my eye they all look the exact same.

I've seen Emus at 160 zoos, and I might easily have missed a few as this animal is occasionally tucked away as a 'filler species' if needed at various zoos. Oh, something died in that enclosure. Just throw in an Emu! When I've been typing up posts for this thread, quite often I will have loads of images to choose from. However, this time around there are popular zoos that have been visited by tons of people on this site, and there's only one or two shots of an Emu from that zoo in the gallery. Perhaps no one really cares about this species? Are Emus perhaps too boring for zoo nerds? Or just too darn common? I've seen Emus everywhere, and you name the country, and they are likely there at dozens of zoos.

2010 = 15 zoos
2012 = 15 zoos
2015 = 21 zoos
2018 = 20 zoos
2019 = 21 zoos
2024 = 18 zoos

1- Stanley Park Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 1986
2- Marapana Wildlife World (Australia) – Emu – 1986
3- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 1987
4- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 1994
5- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 1998
6- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2006
7- Denver Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2006
8- Sydney Wildlife World (Australia) – Emu – 2007
9- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
10- Kuranda’s RainForeStation (Australia) – Emu – 2007
11- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
12- Cleland Wildlife Park (Australia) – Emu – 2007
13- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
14- Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) – Emu – 2007
15- Healesville Sanctuary (Australia) – Emu – 2007
16- Phillip Island Wildlife Park (Australia) – Emu – 2007
17- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
18- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
19- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2008
20- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
21- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Emu – 2008
22- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
23- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Emu – 2008
24- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2009
25- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Emu – 2010
26- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
27- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
28- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
29- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
30- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Emu – 2010
31- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
32- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
33- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
34- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
35- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
36- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
37- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
38- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
39- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
40- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
41- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
42- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Emu – 2011
43- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
44- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
45- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
46- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
47- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
48- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
49- Brevard Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
50- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
51- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Emu – 2012
52- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Emu – 2012
53- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
54- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
55- Sunset Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
56- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
57- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2012
58- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2012
59- Dakota Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
60- Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
61- Pine Grove Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
62- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Emu – 2014
63- Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
64- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – Emu – 2014
65- Racine Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
66- Peoria Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
67- Scovill Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
68- Clay Center Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
69- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
70- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
71- Willow Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
72- Tiger Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
73- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
74- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
75- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
76- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
77- Natchitoches Alligator Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
78- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
79- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
80- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
81- Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
82- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
83- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Emu – 2015
84- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
85- Capital of Texas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
86- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – Emu – 2015
87- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
88- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
89- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (USA) – Emu – 2015
90- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
91- Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) – Emu – 2015
92- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
93- Olympic Game Farm (USA) – Emu – 2016
94- Applegate Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2017
95- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2017
96- Kangaroo Creek Farm (Canada) – Emu – 2018
97- Border City Petting Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2018
98- Wilderness Walk Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
99- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
100- Roscommon Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
101- Wilderness Trails Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
102- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
103- Creature Conservancy Wildlife Park (USA) – Emu – 2018
104- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Emu – 2018
105- Washington Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
106- Columbian Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
107- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
108- Animal Gardens Petting Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
109- Jo-Don Farms (USA) – Emu – 2018
110- Bear Den Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
111- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
112- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Emu – 2018
113- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
114- Doc’s Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
115- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
116- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
117- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Emu – 2019
118- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
119- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
120- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
121- Mondo Verde (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
122- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Emu – 2019
123- Affen + Vogelpark Eckenhagen (Monkey + Bird Park) (Germany) – Emu – 2019
124- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
125- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
126- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
127- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Emu – 2019
128- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
129- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
130- Dierenpark de Oliemeulen (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
131- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
132- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Emu – 2019
133- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
134- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Emu – 2019
135- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Emu – 2019
136- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Emu – 2019
137- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Emu – 2022
138- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Emu – 2022
139- Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway) – Emu – 2022
140- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2023
141- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Emu – 2023
142- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
143- Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
144- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
145- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
146- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
147- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
148- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
149- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
150- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
151- Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
152- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
153- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
154- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
155- Taman Buaya Crocodile Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
156- Taman Rama-rama (Melaka Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary) (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
157- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Emu – 2024
158- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Emu – 2024
159- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Emu – 2024
160- Prospect Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2025

Emus have been combined with a variety of macropods at literally hundreds of zoos, and they seem to get along with every kind of animal. When people discuss Denver Zoo (USA) on this forum, there is usually mention of the 100+ exhibits inside the Tropical Discovery building, or the sprawling Primate Panorama complex, or the rotational Asian Elephant zone, but the zoo also has a lot of spacious paddocks. Here's one of them with Emus combined with Red Kangaroos.

full


At Wildlife Safari (USA) in southern Oregon, there is a drive-through 'Asian Area' with free-roaming species such as the ones in this photo (Fallow Deer, Emu, Rhea - with Cheetah pens in behind) and the Emus will put their heads into vehicles in search of food.

full


A very high fence surrounded the Red Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby and Emu exhibit at Sacramento Zoo (USA) in 2011.

full


A significant number of Emu exhibits are rather boring, like this one at the old Wallaroo Station area at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA), back when it was called Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.

full


Here's a common sight on the African Savanna...Grant's Zebras and Emus! I took this photo at Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) in 2014.

full


At least combining Emus with Dromedaries makes more sense at Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA).

full


Emus will sometimes pace in small enclosures, with this example at the naff roadside zoo Tiger Safari (USA) being a good example to show the beaten-down lines around the edges where the Emus tread on a regular basis.

full


Probably a dozen or more species, from various continents, can be seen at the drive-through Gone Wild Safari (USA) facility. Emus run around between the different ungulates.

full


Emus are so common that even the Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) in Las Vegas has a small pen for the species.

full


Bear Den Zoo (USA) has a typical Emu yard with a well-worn dirt track around the edge, along with a carved pole outside.

full


When I toured the now closed Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA), I was surprised to see Emus and Ostriches together right near a busy road.

full


Off to Europe and a sprawling Australian Outback at ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) had Emus with a variety of species when I was there in 2019. Red Kangaroos, Swamp Wallabies, Red-necked Wallabies, Black Swans, etc.

full


@KevinB

At Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway), there is a rocky, spacious macropod walk-through with Emus in a separate fenced yard.

full


Off to Asia, and I saw a Northern Cassowary attacking an Emu in a very tiny, all-indoor enclosure at Monsters Aquarium (Thailand). There was also a Rhea cowering in a corner, with all 3 bird species together in one small space. The Ring-tailed Lemurs are looking down at the chaos from their own abysmal exhibit.

full


At Zoo Negara (Malaysia), arguably the best zoo in its nation, there is a memorable Emu exhibit that is huge. I vividly recall this enclosure to be top-notch and it's great to highlight an Emu yard that is aesthetically pleasing and also an area that offers the birds a variety of substrate and a mix of sun and shade.

full


If you want to see hundreds of bird species, then Bird Paradise (Singapore) is the place for you. This park has no less than EIGHT enormous walk-through aviaries, with the Australian Outback offering up circa 20 species. That's a far cry from the 80+ species in the 4-acre African aviary, but the nicely designed visitor pathways in Oz are tremendous, and Emus can be found here.

full


Up next: Ostriches gave Emus a good run for their money in terms of the number of zoos I've seen them in but fell short in the end.
 
Last edited:
How many times have I seen an Emu in a zoo? Here is a species that is so common that I imagine experienced zoo nerds scarcely even glance at them. They are quite hardy when it comes to different climates, can be tossed in with other animals in large pastures, and can even be in walk-throughs although I'm personally skittish with them as I've met a couple of aggressive Emus in the past. It's difficult to imagine any identifying features between Emus as to my eye they all look the exact same.

I've seen Emus at 161 zoos, and I might easily have missed a few as this animal is occasionally tucked away as a 'filler species' if needed at various zoos. Oh, something died in that enclosure. Just throw in an Emu! When I've been typing up posts for this thread, quite often I will have loads of images to choose from. However, this time around there are popular zoos that have been visited by tons of people on this site, and there's only one or two shots of an Emu from that zoo in the gallery. Perhaps no one really cares about this species? Are Emus perhaps too boring for zoo nerds? Or just too darn common? I've seen Emus everywhere, and you name the country, and they are likely there at dozens of zoos.

2010 = 15 zoos
2012 = 15 zoos
2015 = 21 zoos
2018 = 21 zoos
2019 = 21 zoos
2024 = 18 zoos

1- Stanley Park Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 1986
2- Marapana Wildlife World (Australia) – Emu – 1986
3- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 1987
4- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 1994
5- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 1998
6- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2006
7- Denver Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2006
8- Sydney Wildlife World (Australia) – Emu – 2007
9- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
10- Kuranda’s RainForeStation (Australia) – Emu – 2007
11- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
12- Cleland Wildlife Park (Australia) – Emu – 2007
13- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
14- Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) – Emu – 2007
15- Healesville Sanctuary (Australia) – Emu – 2007
16- Phillip Island Wildlife Park (Australia) – Emu – 2007
17- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Emu – 2007
18- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
19- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2008
20- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
21- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Emu – 2008
22- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2008
23- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Emu – 2008
24- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2009
25- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Emu – 2010
26- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
27- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
28- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
29- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
30- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Emu – 2010
31- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
32- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
33- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
34- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
35- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
36- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
37- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
38- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
39- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2010
40- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
41- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
42- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Emu – 2011
43- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2011
44- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
45- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
46- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
47- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
48- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
49- Brevard Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
50- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
51- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Emu – 2012
52- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Emu – 2012
53- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
54- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
55- Sunset Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
56- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2012
57- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2012
58- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2012
59- Dakota Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
60- Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
61- Pine Grove Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
62- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Emu – 2014
63- Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
64- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – Emu – 2014
65- Racine Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
66- Peoria Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
67- Scovill Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
68- Clay Center Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
69- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
70- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
71- Willow Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2014
72- Tiger Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
73- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
74- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
75- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
76- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
77- Natchitoches Alligator Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
78- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
79- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
80- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
81- Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
82- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
83- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Emu – 2015
84- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
85- Capital of Texas Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
86- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – Emu – 2015
87- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
88- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2015
89- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (USA) – Emu – 2015
90- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Emu – 2015
91- Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) – Emu – 2015
92- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Emu – 2015
93- Olympic Game Farm (USA) – Emu – 2016
94- Applegate Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2017
95- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2017
96- Kangaroo Creek Farm (Canada) – Emu – 2018
97- Border City Petting Zoo (Canada) – Emu – 2018
98- Wilderness Walk Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
99- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
100- Roscommon Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
101- Wilderness Trails Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
102- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
103- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
104- Creature Conservancy Wildlife Park (USA) – Emu – 2018
105- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Emu – 2018
106- Washington Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
107- Columbian Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
108- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
109- Animal Gardens Petting Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
110- Jo-Don Farms (USA) – Emu – 2018
111- Bear Den Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
112- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
113- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Emu – 2018
114- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
115- Doc’s Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
116- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2018
117- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
118- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Emu – 2019
119- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
120- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
121- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Emu – 2019
122- Mondo Verde (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
123- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Emu – 2019
124- Affen + Vogelpark Eckenhagen (Monkey + Bird Park) (Germany) – Emu – 2019
125- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
126- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
127- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
128- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Emu – 2019
129- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
130- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
131- Dierenpark de Oliemeulen (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
132- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Emu – 2019
133- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Emu – 2019
134- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Emu – 2019
135- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Emu – 2019
136- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Emu – 2019
137- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Emu – 2019
138- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Emu – 2022
139- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Emu – 2022
140- Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway) – Emu – 2022
141- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2023
142- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Emu – 2023
143- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
144- Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
145- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
146- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
147- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
148- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
149- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Emu – 2024
150- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
151- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
152- Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
153- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
154- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
155- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
156- Taman Buaya Crocodile Park (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
157- Taman Rama-rama (Melaka Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary) (Malaysia) – Emu – 2024
158- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Emu – 2024
159- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Emu – 2024
160- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Emu – 2024
161- Prospect Park Zoo (USA) – Emu – 2025

Emus have been combined with a variety of macropods at literally hundreds of zoos, and they seem to get along with every kind of animal. When people discuss Denver Zoo (USA) on this forum, there is usually mention of the 100+ exhibits inside the Tropical Discovery building, or the sprawling Primate Panorama complex, or the rotational Asian Elephant zone, but the zoo also has a lot of spacious paddocks. Here's one of them with Emus combined with Red Kangaroos.

full


At Wildlife Safari (USA) in southern Oregon, there is a drive-through 'Asian Area' with free-roaming species such as the ones in this photo (Fallow Deer, Emu, Rhea - with Cheetah pens in behind) and the Emus will put their heads into vehicles in search of food.

full


A very high fence surrounded the Red Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby and Emu exhibit at Sacramento Zoo (USA) in 2011.

full


A significant number of Emu exhibits are rather boring, like this one at the old Wallaroo Station area at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA), back when it was called Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.

full


Here's a common sight on the African Savanna...Grant's Zebras and Emus! I took this photo at Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) in 2014.

full


At least combining Emus with Dromedaries makes more sense at Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA).

full


Emus will sometimes pace in small enclosures, with this example at the naff roadside zoo Tiger Safari (USA) being a good example to show the beaten-down lines around the edges where the Emus tread on a regular basis.

full


Probably a dozen or more species, from various continents, can be seen at the drive-through Gone Wild Safari (USA) facility. Emus run around between the different ungulates.

full


Emus are so common that even the Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) in Las Vegas has a small pen for the species.

full


Bear Den Zoo (USA) has a typical Emu yard with a well-worn dirt track around the edge, along with a carved pole outside.

full


When I toured the now closed Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA), I was surprised to see Emus and Ostriches together right near a busy road.

full


Off to Europe and a sprawling Australian Outback at ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) had Emus with a variety of species when I was there in 2019. Red Kangaroos, Swamp Wallabies, Red-necked Wallabies, Black Swans, etc.

full


@KevinB

At Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Norway), there is a rocky, spacious macropod walk-through with Emus in a separate fenced yard.

full


Off to Asia, and I saw a Northern Cassowary attacking an Emu in a very tiny, all-indoor enclosure at Monsters Aquarium (Thailand). There was also a Rhea cowering in a corner, with all 3 bird species together in one small space. The Ring-tailed Lemurs are looking down at the chaos from their own abysmal exhibit.

full


At Zoo Negara (Malaysia), arguably the best zoo in its nation, there is a memorable Emu exhibit that is huge. I vividly recall this enclosure to be top-notch and it's great to highlight an Emu yard that is aesthetically pleasing and also an area that offers the birds a variety of substrate and a mix of sun and shade.

full


If you want to see hundreds of bird species, then Bird Paradise (Singapore) is the place for you. This park has no less than EIGHT enormous walk-through aviaries, with the Australian Outback offering up circa 20 species. That's a far cry from the 80+ species in the 4-acre African aviary, but the nicely designed visitor pathways in Oz are tremendous, and Emus can be found here.

full


Up next: Ostriches gave Emus a good run for their money in terms of the number of zoos I've seen them in but fell short in the end.
Definitely would have thought emus were more common in zoos that you've been to, they're relatively common on farms nowadays.
 
Unless they only had them for a very brief period and I managed to miss them, I don’t think Toledo Zoo had emus as of 2018? Ostriches, cassowaries, and kiwis (the third no longer kept there) are the only ratites I remember Toledo having within my lifetime (and I visit at least once a year).
Could of been mixed up with detroit? The zoo had emus at that time I think.
 
Unless they only had them for a very brief period and I managed to miss them, I don’t think Toledo Zoo had emus as of 2018? Ostriches, cassowaries, and kiwis (the third no longer kept there) are the only ratites I remember Toledo having within my lifetime (and I visit at least once a year).

Hmmm, that's an interesting observation. I don't even see any photos of Emus at Toledo Zoo in the gallery, so I probably made an error with that zoo. That makes only 160 zoos with Emus. I edited my original post. ;)
 
I have seen Emus at 160 zoos and very close behind are Ostriches at 159 zoos. These large birds are so common in zoos everywhere that seeing them is not as big a thrill as it is for young children, who are occasionally mesmerized by the size of these giant birds that cannot fly. I have never been in a walk-through for Ostriches like I have a few times for Emus, as one kick would probably kill a human if the birds felt threatened. I'm still surprised that a zoo in Europe hasn't had a walk-through Ostrich exhibit yet! :p

2008 = 21 zoos
2010 = 24 zoos
2019 = 28 zoos

1- Polar Park/Alberta Game Farm (Canada) – Ostrich – 1975
2- Marapana Wildlife World (Australia) – Ostrich – 1986
3- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 1987
4- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 1997
5- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 1998
6- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
7- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
8- Denver Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
9- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2006
10- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
11- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
12- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
13- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
14- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
15- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
16- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
17- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
18- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
19- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
20- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
21- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
22- Memphis Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
23- Knoxville Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
24- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
25- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
26- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
27- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
28- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
29- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
30- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
31- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
32- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
33- Zoo Miami (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
34- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
35- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
36- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
37- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
38- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
39- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
40- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
41- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
42- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
43- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
44- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
45- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
46- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
47- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
48- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
49- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
50- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
51- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
52- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
53- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
54- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
55- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
56- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
57- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
58- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
59- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
60- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
61- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
62- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
63- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
64- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
65- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
66- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
67- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
68- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
69- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
70- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
71- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
72- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
73- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
74- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
75- Niabi Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
76- Grant’s Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
77- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
78- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
79- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
80- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
81- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
82- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
83- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
84- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
85- Houston Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
86- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
87- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
88- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
89- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
90- Out of Africa (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
91- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
92- Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
93- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
94- Discovery Wildlife Park (Canada) – Ostrich – 2016
95- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
96- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
97- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
98- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
99- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
100- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
101- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
102- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
103- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
104- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
105- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
106- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
107- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
108- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
109- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
110- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
111- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
112- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
113- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
114- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
115- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
116- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
117- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
118- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
119- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
120- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
121- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
122- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
123- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
124- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
125- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
126- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
127- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
128- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
129- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) - Ostrich – 2019
130- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
131- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
132- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
133- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
134- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
135- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
136- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
137- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
138- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
139- Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) - Ostrich – 2022
140- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
141- Lopburi Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
142- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
143- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
144- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
145- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
146- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
147- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
148- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) - Ostrich – 2024
149- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
150- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
151- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
152- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
153- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
154- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
155- Solo Safari (Indonesia) - Ostrich – 2024
156- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
157- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
158- Lembang Park & Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
159- Royal Safari Garden Resort (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024

Denver Zoo (USA) had Somali Wild Asses and Ostriches in the same exhibit back in 2012:

full


Seeing Ostriches roam vast African Savannas is a common experience at hundreds of zoos worldwide, including the gargantuan Monarto Safari Park (Australia). I visited 4 zoos in the Adelaide area in 2007.

full


@Swanson02

At the Kovler African Savanna at Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) in 2008, I saw Ostriches there and I'm not sure that the zoo has the species these days.

full


@geomorph

Toledo Zoo (USA) has an expansive African Savanna that spans several acres and includes Ostriches. When I first visited this zoo, in 2008, the species list was this: Giraffe, Grant's Zebra, Impala, Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Nile Lechwe, several vultures, Saddle-Billed Stork, White Stork, Helmeted Guineafowl, East African Crowned Crane and Ostrich. Impressive! I'm sure it's nothing as extensive now.

full


@USZOOfan42

As part of the African Grasslands 28-acre complex, at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) there is a sprawling yard with Ostriches mingling alongside Giraffes, Impala, White Storks and potentially other species over the years. I love the tall trees in this habitat.

full


I had a rare look inside the Antelope House at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) in 2014, seeing some Ostriches and ungulates there. In Europe, it's quite common to go 'behind the scenes' in hoofstock buildings, but it's a rarity in North American zoos. Saint Louis has maintained Ostriches with Giraffes, Gerenuk and Lesser Kudu.

full


Binder Park Zoo (USA) has a massive, 18-acre African Savanna that held Ostriches when I toured the zoo in 2010. The full species list: Greater Kudu, Bontebok, Waterbuck, Addra Gazelle, Impala, Grant's Zebra, Giraffe, Marabou Stork, African Crowned Crane and Ostrich.

full


Several large tree trunks and branches dot the landscape on the African Savanna at El Paso Zoo (USA), which held Giraffes, Grant's Zebras and Ostriches in 2010.

full


You can take a train ride through the African Savanna at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA). Species list: Scimitar-horned Oryx, Nyala, Waterbuck, Blue Crane and Ostrich.

full


Not all zoos have spacious savannas, as Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) had Ostriches alone behind a chain-link fence in 2014.

full


When I first visited Monterey Zoo (USA) in 2017, I was surprised to see African Elephants, Asian Water Buffalo (!!) and Ostriches all together. The elephants were eventually replaced by White Rhinos.

full


Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) has a very lush and green African Savanna with Ostriches, Grant's Zebras, Giraffes and Blesbok. It's surrounded by a long moat.

full


For historically important zoo architecture, Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) is tough to beat and there are Ostriches in the ancient Egyptian temple-themed house, but also Ostriches used to be in front of yet another classic building in Antwerp. Notice the rows of residential homes in the background.

full


@vogelcommando

When it comes to outstanding African Savannas, another superb example is ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) and there's always been a long list of species in this habitat.

full


@KevinB

While at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) in 2019, I saw Ostriches mixed with Northern Ground Hornbills and Marabou Storks with very low fencing.

full


Ostriches, Giraffes and other hooved creatures roam the African Savanna at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark).

full


Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) has a stunning African Savanna with hundreds of wild Crab-eating Macaques that invade the premises. Species list: Giraffe, Common Eland, Nyala, Blackbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Ostrich....and macaques!

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos
 
Last edited:
I have seen Emus at 160 zoos and very close behind are Ostriches at 158 zoos. These large birds are so common in zoos everywhere that seeing them is not as big a thrill as it is for young children, who are occasionally mesmerized by the size of these giant birds that cannot fly. I have never been in a walk-through for Ostriches like I have a few times for Emus, as one kick would probably kill a human if the birds felt threatened. I'm still surprised that a zoo in Europe hasn't had a walk-through Ostrich exhibit yet! :p

2008 = 21 zoos
2010 = 24 zoos
2019 = 28 zoos

1- Polar Park/Alberta Game Farm (Canada) – Ostrich – 1975
2- Marapana Wildlife World (Australia) – Ostrich – 1986
3- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 1987
4- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 1997
5- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 1998
6- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
7- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
8- Denver Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
9- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2006
10- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
11- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
12- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
13- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
14- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
15- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
16- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
17- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
18- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
19- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
20- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
21- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
22- Memphis Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
23- Knoxville Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
24- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
25- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
26- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
27- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
28- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
29- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
30- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
31- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
32- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
33- Zoo Miami (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
34- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
35- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
36- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
37- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
38- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
39- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
40- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
41- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
42- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
43- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
44- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
45- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
46- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
47- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
48- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
49- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
50- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
51- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
52- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
53- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
54- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
55- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
56- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
57- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
58- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
59- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
60- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
61- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
62- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
63- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
64- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
65- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
66- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
67- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
68- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
69- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
70- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
71- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
72- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
73- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
74- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
75- Niabi Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
76- Grant’s Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
77- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
78- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
79- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
80- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
81- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
82- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
83- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
84- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
85- Houston Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
86- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
87- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
88- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
89- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
90- Out of Africa (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
91- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
92- Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
93- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
94- Discovery Wildlife Park (Canada) – Ostrich – 2016
95- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
96- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
97- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
98- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
99- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
100- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
101- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
102- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
103- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
104- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
105- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
106- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
107- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
108- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
109- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
110- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
111- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
112- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
113- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
114- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
115- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
116- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
117- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
118- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
119- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
120- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
121- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
122- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
123- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
124- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
125- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
126- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
127- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
128- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
129- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) - Ostrich – 2019
130- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
131- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
132- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
133- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
134- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
135- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
136- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
137- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
138- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
139- Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) - Ostrich – 2022
140- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
141- Lopburi Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
142- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
143- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
144- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
145- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
146- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
147- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
148- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
149- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
150- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
151- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
152- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
153- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
154- Solo Safari (Indonesia) - Ostrich – 2024
155- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
156- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
157- Lembang Park & Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
158- Royal Safari Garden Resort (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024

Denver Zoo (USA) had Somali Wild Asses and Ostriches in the same exhibit back in 2012:

full


Seeing Ostriches roam vast African Savannas is a common experience at hundreds of zoos worldwide, including the gargantuan Monarto Safari Park (Australia). I visited 4 zoos in the Adelaide area in 2007.

full


@Swanson02

At the Kovler African Savanna at Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) in 2008, I saw Ostriches there and I'm not sure that the zoo has the species these days.

full


@geomorph

Toledo Zoo (USA) has an expansive African Savanna that spans several acres and includes Ostriches. When I first visited this zoo, in 2008, the species list was this: Giraffe, Grant's Zebra, Impala, Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Nile Lechwe, several vultures, Saddle-Billed Stork, White Stork, Helmeted Guineafowl, East African Crowned Crane and Ostrich. Impressive! I'm sure it's nothing as extensive now.

full


@USZOOfan42

As part of the African Grasslands 28-acre complex, at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) there is a sprawling yard with Ostriches mingling alongside Giraffes, Impala, White Storks and potentially other species over the years. I love the tall trees in this habitat.

full


I had a rare look inside the Antelope House at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) in 2014, seeing some Ostriches and ungulates there. In Europe, it's quite common to go 'behind the scenes' in hoofstock buildings, but it's a rarity in North American zoos. Saint Louis has maintained Ostriches with Giraffes, Gerenuk and Lesser Kudu.

full


Binder Park Zoo (USA) has a massive, 18-acre African Savanna that held Ostriches when I toured the zoo in 2010. The full species list: Greater Kudu, Bontebok, Waterbuck, Addra Gazelle, Impala, Grant's Zebra, Giraffe, Marabou Stork, African Crowned Crane and Ostrich.

full


Several large tree trunks and branches dot the landscape on the African Savanna at El Paso Zoo (USA), which held Giraffes, Grant's Zebras and Ostriches in 2010.

full


You can take a train ride through the African Savanna at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA). Species list: Scimitar-horned Oryx, Nyala, Waterbuck, Blue Crane and Ostrich.

full


Not all zoos have spacious savannas, as Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) had Ostriches alone behind a chain-link fence in 2014.

full


When I first visited Monterey Zoo (USA) in 2017, I was surprised to see African Elephants, Asian Water Buffalo (!!) and Ostriches all together. The elephants were eventually replaced by White Rhinos.

full


Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) has a very lush and green African Savanna with Ostriches, Grant's Zebras, Giraffes and Blesbok. It's surrounded by a long moat.

full


For historically important zoo architecture, Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) is tough to beat and there are Ostriches in the ancient Egyptian temple-themed house, but also Ostriches used to be in front of yet another classic building in Antwerp. Notice the rows of residential homes in the background.

full


@vogelcommando

When it comes to outstanding African Savannas, another superb example is ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) and there's always been a long list of species in this habitat.

full


@KevinB

While at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) in 2019, I saw Ostriches mixed with Northern Ground Hornbills and Marabou Storks with very low fencing.

full


Ostriches, Giraffes and other hooved creatures roam the African Savanna at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark).

full


Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) has a stunning African Savanna with hundreds of wild Crab-eating Macaques that invade the premises. Species list: Giraffe, Common Eland, Nyala, Blackbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Ostrich....and macaques!

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 158 zoos
Zoo Taiping had a few ostriches when we visited. Maybe you missed them?
 
I have seen Emus at 160 zoos and very close behind are Ostriches at 159 zoos. These large birds are so common in zoos everywhere that seeing them is not as big a thrill as it is for young children, who are occasionally mesmerized by the size of these giant birds that cannot fly. I have never been in a walk-through for Ostriches like I have a few times for Emus, as one kick would probably kill a human if the birds felt threatened. I'm still surprised that a zoo in Europe hasn't had a walk-through Ostrich exhibit yet! :p

2008 = 21 zoos
2010 = 24 zoos
2019 = 28 zoos

1- Polar Park/Alberta Game Farm (Canada) – Ostrich – 1975
2- Marapana Wildlife World (Australia) – Ostrich – 1986
3- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 1987
4- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 1997
5- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 1998
6- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
7- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
8- Denver Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2006
9- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2006
10- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
11- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
12- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Ostrich – 2007
13- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
14- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
15- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
16- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
17- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
18- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
19- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
20- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
21- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
22- Memphis Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
23- Knoxville Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
24- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
25- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
26- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) - Ostrich – 2008
27- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
28- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
29- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Ostrich – 2008
30- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
31- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
32- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
33- Zoo Miami (USA) – Ostrich – 2008
34- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
35- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
36- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
37- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
38- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
39- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
40- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
41- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
42- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
43- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
44- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
45- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
46- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
47- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
48- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
49- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
50- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
51- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
52- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
53- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
54- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
55- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
56- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
57- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2010
58- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
59- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
60- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
61- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
62- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2011
63- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
64- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
65- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
66- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
67- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
68- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
69- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
70- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
71- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2012
72- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
73- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
74- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
75- Niabi Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
76- Grant’s Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
77- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2014
78- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
79- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
80- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
81- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
82- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
83- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
84- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
85- Houston Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
86- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
87- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
88- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
89- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
90- Out of Africa (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
91- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
92- Lion Habitat Ranch (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
93- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Ostrich – 2015
94- Discovery Wildlife Park (Canada) – Ostrich – 2016
95- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
96- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2017
97- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
98- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
99- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
100- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
101- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
102- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
103- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Ostrich – 2018
104- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
105- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
106- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
107- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
108- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
109- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
110- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
111- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
112- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
113- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Ostrich – 2019
114- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
115- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
116- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
117- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
118- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
119- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
120- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
121- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
122- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
123- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
124- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
125- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
126- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
127- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
128- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
129- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) - Ostrich – 2019
130- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Ostrich – 2019
131- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Ostrich – 2019
132- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
133- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
134- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
135- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
136- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
137- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
138- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Ostrich – 2022
139- Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) - Ostrich – 2022
140- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Ostrich – 2022
141- Lopburi Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
142- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
143- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
144- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
145- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
146- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Ostrich – 2024
147- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
148- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) - Ostrich – 2024
149- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
150- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
151- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Ostrich – 2024
152- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
153- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
154- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
155- Solo Safari (Indonesia) - Ostrich – 2024
156- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
157- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
158- Lembang Park & Zoo (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024
159- Royal Safari Garden Resort (Indonesia) – Ostrich – 2024

Denver Zoo (USA) had Somali Wild Asses and Ostriches in the same exhibit back in 2012:

full


Seeing Ostriches roam vast African Savannas is a common experience at hundreds of zoos worldwide, including the gargantuan Monarto Safari Park (Australia). I visited 4 zoos in the Adelaide area in 2007.

full


@Swanson02

At the Kovler African Savanna at Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) in 2008, I saw Ostriches there and I'm not sure that the zoo has the species these days.

full


@geomorph

Toledo Zoo (USA) has an expansive African Savanna that spans several acres and includes Ostriches. When I first visited this zoo, in 2008, the species list was this: Giraffe, Grant's Zebra, Impala, Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Nile Lechwe, several vultures, Saddle-Billed Stork, White Stork, Helmeted Guineafowl, East African Crowned Crane and Ostrich. Impressive! I'm sure it's nothing as extensive now.

full


@USZOOfan42

As part of the African Grasslands 28-acre complex, at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) there is a sprawling yard with Ostriches mingling alongside Giraffes, Impala, White Storks and potentially other species over the years. I love the tall trees in this habitat.

full


I had a rare look inside the Antelope House at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) in 2014, seeing some Ostriches and ungulates there. In Europe, it's quite common to go 'behind the scenes' in hoofstock buildings, but it's a rarity in North American zoos. Saint Louis has maintained Ostriches with Giraffes, Gerenuk and Lesser Kudu.

full


Binder Park Zoo (USA) has a massive, 18-acre African Savanna that held Ostriches when I toured the zoo in 2010. The full species list: Greater Kudu, Bontebok, Waterbuck, Addra Gazelle, Impala, Grant's Zebra, Giraffe, Marabou Stork, African Crowned Crane and Ostrich.

full


Several large tree trunks and branches dot the landscape on the African Savanna at El Paso Zoo (USA), which held Giraffes, Grant's Zebras and Ostriches in 2010.

full


You can take a train ride through the African Savanna at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA). Species list: Scimitar-horned Oryx, Nyala, Waterbuck, Blue Crane and Ostrich.

full


Not all zoos have spacious savannas, as Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) had Ostriches alone behind a chain-link fence in 2014.

full


When I first visited Monterey Zoo (USA) in 2017, I was surprised to see African Elephants, Asian Water Buffalo (!!) and Ostriches all together. The elephants were eventually replaced by White Rhinos.

full


Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) has a very lush and green African Savanna with Ostriches, Grant's Zebras, Giraffes and Blesbok. It's surrounded by a long moat.

full


For historically important zoo architecture, Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) is tough to beat and there are Ostriches in the ancient Egyptian temple-themed house, but also Ostriches used to be in front of yet another classic building in Antwerp. Notice the rows of residential homes in the background.

full


@vogelcommando

When it comes to outstanding African Savannas, another superb example is ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) and there's always been a long list of species in this habitat.

full


@KevinB

While at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) in 2019, I saw Ostriches mixed with Northern Ground Hornbills and Marabou Storks with very low fencing.

full


Ostriches, Giraffes and other hooved creatures roam the African Savanna at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark).

full


Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) has a stunning African Savanna with hundreds of wild Crab-eating Macaques that invade the premises. Species list: Giraffe, Common Eland, Nyala, Blackbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Ostrich....and macaques!

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos
Walkthroughs with emus are getting rarer in Australia. They can be very pushy and there is less tolerance from the public for that sort of thing now.
 
Last edited:
There are two species of Rhea, the Greater Rhea and the Lesser Rhea, and I've seen Rheas at 88 zoos. What I find remarkable is that when it came to Emus and Ostriches, I saw those birds pretty much everywhere I've ever been in the world, with a huge number of zoos across the globe caring for those animals in captivity. The Rhea is different, as in visits to around 20 Australian zoos I've only ever (to my knowledge) seen the species once. Only two Canadian zoos. Only two Asian zoos out of 60. They had been seen by me in very small numbers compared to Emus and Ostriches until I went to Europe, where I saw Rheas a whopping 32 times in a single month in 2019 and then 8 more times in Scandinavia in little over a week in 2022.

Almost 50% of all my Rhea sightings have been in Europe, where there are Rheas everywhere. Half the German zoos I've seen have had Rheas, 6 zoos just in Denmark, and for whatever reason Rheas are like the bird equivalent of Meerkats in Europe. Does anyone know a reason for the huge number of Rheas on that continent?

2019 = 32 zoos

1- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Rhea – 1987
2- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Rhea – 1998
3- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Rhea – 2003
4- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2006
5- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Rhea – 2006
6- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2008
7- Zoo Miami (USA) – Rhea – 2008
8- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2010
9- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Rhea – 2010
10- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
11- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
12- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
13- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
14- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
15- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
16- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
17- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
18- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Rhea – 2011
19- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
20- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
21- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
22- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
23- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
24- Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
25- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
26- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Rhea – 2014
27- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – Rhea – 2014
28- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
29- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
30- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
31- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
32- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
33- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
34- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Rhea – 2015
35- Houston Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
36- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Rhea – 2015
37- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
38- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
39- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
40- Sequoia Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
41- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
42- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Rhea – 2018
43- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
44- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
45- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
46- Dierentuin Animal Farm (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
47- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
48- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
49- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
50- Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
51- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Rhea – 2019
52- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Rhea – 2019
53- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
54- Mondo Verde (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
55- Aachener Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
56- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
57- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
58- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
59- Tierpark Fauna (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
60- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
61- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
62- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
63- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
64- Dierenrijk (Animal Kingdom) (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
65- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
66- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
67- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
68- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
69- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
70- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
71- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
72- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
73- Tierpark Petermoor (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
74- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
75- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
76- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
77- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
78- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
79- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
80- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
81- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
82- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
83- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Rhea – 2022
84- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
85- Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center (USA) – Rhea – 2023
86- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2023
87- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Rhea – 2024
88- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Rhea – 2024

Detroit Zoo (USA) had a massive paddock for South American Tapirs, Guanacos and Rheas when I first visited the zoo in 2008.

full


Rheas and Guanacos shared the same space at Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010.

full


BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) used to have an enormous lake in its South American Pampas enclosure, with the following 6 species in the exhibit: Baird's Tapir, Llama, Capybara, Rhea, Crested Screamer and Coscoroba Swan.

full


Tierra de las Pampas is the fancy name for the Guanaco/Rhea exhibit at Santa Ana Zoo (USA). Visitors can choose to walk or take a train ride past the habitat.

full


Sometimes, Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) takes a lot of criticism for its small, outdated exhibits, but there are times when they go in the opposite direction. Their Capybara/Rhea enclosure is gargantuan.

full


@SwampDonkey

I wonder if Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) even has Rheas these days, as my photo of the exhibit (taken in 2014) is the only image in that zoo's gallery recognizing that the species was there at one point in time.

full


Before Houston Zoo (USA) built its much-celebrated Pantanal complex, I saw Baird's Tapirs, Capybaras and Rheas there all together.

full


I love this image I took in 2018 as it makes me chuckle. It's another one-of-a-kind ZooChat shot! There is an Emu, an Ostrich, a couple of white Rheas and a rhino statue all together in one exhibit at Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA). Hilarious. :p

full


Off to Europe, where apparently Rheas grow on trees. If you want some new birds for your zoo, you just partake in the annual Rhea harvest and pluck the birds off the branches. Even a very tiny, obscure Dutch zoo like Dierentuin Animal Farm (Netherlands), of which I'm the ONLY person to upload photos of onto this site even though I live in Canada, has Rheas.

full


Another relatively unknown Dutch zoo, Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Netherlands), has Rheas combined with Maras.

full


I enjoy looking at the lush greenery in this South American Pampas exhibit at Wuppertal Zoo (Germany). It's a huge slice of land and contains Guanacos, Maras and Rheas.

full


@Swedish Zoo Fan

The obscure Tierpark Strohen (Germany) has Rheas with a bunch of Llamas. I find that Rheas are rarely kept by themselves, as they are often mixed with other South American fauna.

full


The Danes love their Rheas and Givskud Zoo (Denmark) has kept them in the South American Drive-Through Safari section for years. Mixed with Guanacos and Capybaras now, and in the past with South American Tapirs as well.

full


@Toddy

The South American Pampas at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) is nicely done, with Rheas combined with the usual Maras and Capybaras.

full


A dirt-packed yard with Alpacas and Rheas can be found at Odense Zoo (Denmark):

full


The stunning, rocky South American Pampas at Kolmarden Zoo (Sweden) has Rheas with South American Tapirs, Vicunas, Maras and Capybaras.

full


I only saw Rheas at 2/60 zoos in Southeast Asia, as they are practically unheard of in that part of the world, and here's the exhibit for them at Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand). There was a second exhibit with baby Rheas in an aviary.

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos (2 species)
Rhea - 88 zoos (2 species)
 
There are two species of Rhea, the Greater Rhea and the Lesser Rhea, and I've seen Rheas at 88 zoos. What I find remarkable is that when it came to Emus and Ostriches, I saw those birds pretty much everywhere I've ever been in the world, with a huge number of zoos across the globe caring for those animals in captivity. The Rhea is different, as in visits to around 20 Australian zoos I've only ever (to my knowledge) seen the species once. Only two Canadian zoos. Only two Asian zoos out of 60. They had been seen by me in very small numbers compared to Emus and Ostriches until I went to Europe, where I saw Rheas a whopping 32 times in a single month in 2019 and then 8 more times in Scandinavia in little over a week in 2022.

Almost 50% of all my Rhea sightings have been in Europe, where there are Rheas everywhere. Half the German zoos I've seen have had Rheas, 6 zoos just in Denmark, and for whatever reason Rheas are like the bird equivalent of Meerkats in Europe. Does anyone know a reason for the huge number of Rheas on that continent?

2019 = 32 zoos

1- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Rhea – 1987
2- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Rhea – 1998
3- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Rhea – 2003
4- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2006
5- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Rhea – 2006
6- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2008
7- Zoo Miami (USA) – Rhea – 2008
8- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2010
9- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Rhea – 2010
10- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
11- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
12- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
13- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
14- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
15- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2010
16- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
17- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
18- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Rhea – 2011
19- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2011
20- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
21- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
22- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
23- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2012
24- Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
25- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
26- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Rhea – 2014
27- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – Rhea – 2014
28- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
29- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2014
30- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
31- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
32- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
33- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Rhea – 2015
34- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Rhea – 2015
35- Houston Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
36- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Rhea – 2015
37- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
38- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
39- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
40- Sequoia Park Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2015
41- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
42- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Rhea – 2018
43- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
44- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2018
45- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
46- Dierentuin Animal Farm (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
47- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
48- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
49- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
50- Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
51- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Rhea – 2019
52- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Rhea – 2019
53- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
54- Mondo Verde (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
55- Aachener Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
56- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
57- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
58- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
59- Tierpark Fauna (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
60- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
61- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
62- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
63- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
64- Dierenrijk (Animal Kingdom) (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
65- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
66- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
67- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
68- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
69- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
70- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
71- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
72- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
73- Tierpark Petermoor (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
74- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
75- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Rhea – 2019
76- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Rhea – 2019
77- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
78- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
79- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
80- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
81- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
82- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
83- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Rhea – 2022
84- Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Rhea – 2022
85- Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center (USA) – Rhea – 2023
86- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Rhea – 2023
87- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Rhea – 2024
88- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Rhea – 2024

Detroit Zoo (USA) had a massive paddock for South American Tapirs, Guanacos and Rheas when I first visited the zoo in 2008.

full


Rheas and Guanacos shared the same space at Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010.

full


BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) used to have an enormous lake in its South American Pampas enclosure, with the following 6 species in the exhibit: Baird's Tapir, Llama, Capybara, Rhea, Crested Screamer and Coscoroba Swan.

full


Tierra de las Pampas is the fancy name for the Guanaco/Rhea exhibit at Santa Ana Zoo (USA). Visitors can choose to walk or take a train ride past the habitat.

full


Sometimes, Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) takes a lot of criticism for its small, outdated exhibits, but there are times when they go in the opposite direction. Their Capybara/Rhea enclosure is gargantuan.

full


@SwampDonkey

I wonder if Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) even has Rheas these days, as my photo of the exhibit (taken in 2014) is the only image in that zoo's gallery recognizing that the species was there at one point in time.

full


Before Houston Zoo (USA) built its much-celebrated Pantanal complex, I saw Baird's Tapirs, Capybaras and Rheas there all together.

full


I love this image I took in 2018 as it makes me chuckle. It's another one-of-a-kind ZooChat shot! There is an Emu, an Ostrich, a couple of white Rheas and a rhino statue all together in one exhibit at Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA). Hilarious. :p

full


Off to Europe, where apparently Rheas grow on trees. If you want some new birds for your zoo, you just partake in the annual Rhea harvest and pluck the birds off the branches. Even a very tiny, obscure Dutch zoo like Dierentuin Animal Farm (Netherlands), of which I'm the ONLY person to upload photos of onto this site even though I live in Canada, has Rheas.

full


Another relatively unknown Dutch zoo, Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Netherlands), has Rheas combined with Maras.

full


I enjoy looking at the lush greenery in this South American Pampas exhibit at Wuppertal Zoo (Germany). It's a huge slice of land and contains Guanacos, Maras and Rheas.

full


@Swedish Zoo Fan

The obscure Tierpark Strohen (Germany) has Rheas with a bunch of Llamas. I find that Rheas are rarely kept by themselves, as they are often mixed with other South American fauna.

full


The Danes love their Rheas and Givskud Zoo (Denmark) has kept them in the South American Drive-Through Safari section for years. Mixed with Guanacos and Capybaras now, and in the past with South American Tapirs as well.

full


@Toddy

The South American Pampas at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) is nicely done, with Rheas combined with the usual Maras and Capybaras.

full


A dirt-packed yard with Alpacas and Rheas can be found at Odense Zoo (Denmark):

full


The stunning, rocky South American Pampas at Kolmarden Zoo (Sweden) has Rheas with South American Tapirs, Vicunas, Maras and Capybaras.

full


I only saw Rheas at 2/60 zoos in Southeast Asia, as they are practically unheard of in that part of the world, and here's the exhibit for them at Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand). There was a second exhibit with baby Rheas in an aviary.

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos (2 species)
Rhea - 88 zoos (2 species)
As you suspected, Henry Vilas hasn't had rheas for years.
 
What I find remarkable is that when it came to Emus and Ostriches, I saw those birds pretty much everywhere I've ever been in the world, with a huge number of zoos across the globe caring for those animals in captivity. The Rhea is different, as in visits to around 20 Australian zoos I've only ever (to my knowledge) seen the species once
The Australian situation is easy to explain. Back in the early 1980's the major Australian zoos decided to concentrate on Africa and Asia, and dump the Americas, so most American species went on the phase out list. Rheas used to be quite common, what you saw were the very last of them.

Another factor more generally may be that both ostriches and emus are or have been farmed, making them easier to obtain.
 
Cassowaries have never been as common for me as Emus, Ostriches or Rheas, and in fact it was always a thrill to see a cassowary at a zoo and of course there would be a sign saying something along the lines of "world's most dangerous bird". Going to Southeast Asia in 2024 allowed me to see tons of cassowaries and the sheer volume of captive birds in that part of the world is staggering. Approximately 50% of my entire lifetime of cassowary sightings occurred in 3 weeks in August 2024, with many zoos having multiple exhibits with cassowaries.

Almost always, cassowaries are kept alone, as they are solitary birds. This is in stark contrast to Emus, Ostriches and Rheas, where at times it's possible to visit zoos with many birds all sharing the same enclosure. One really cool fact is that in 2007 I saw a wild Southern Cassowary while on an excursion in Queensland and the sighting was in the Daintree Rainforest. I remember the guide being beyond thrilled and yet some of the tourists yawned and he was frustrated that they weren't more impressed. :p

I've seen Southern Cassowaries at 55 zoos, Northern Cassowaries at 11 zoos and I saw a Dwarf Cassowary at 1 zoo.

I've seen Southern Cassowaries at 55 zoos:

2024 = 22 zoos with the species

1- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 1987
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2006
3- Sydney Wildlife World (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
4- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
5- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
6- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
7- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
8- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
9- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
10- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
11- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
12- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
13- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
14- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
15- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
16- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
17- Houston Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
18- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
19- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
20- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2011
21- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
22- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
23- Brevard Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
24- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2015
25- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
26- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
27- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
28- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
29- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
30- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
31- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
32- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
33- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2023
34- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
35- Lopburi Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
36- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
37- Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
38- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
39- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
40- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
41- Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
42- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
43- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
44- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
45- Singapore Zoo (Singapore) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
46- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
47- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
48- Bali Bird Park (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
49- Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
50- Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
51- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
52- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
53- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
54- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
55- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024

AND...

I've seen Northern Cassowaries at 11 zoos:

1- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Northern Cassowary – 2019
2- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Northern Cassowary – 2019
3- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
4- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
5- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
6- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
7- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
8- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
9- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
10- Faunaland Ancol (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
11- Taman Mini Indonesia Indah: Bird Park (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024

AND...

I've seen a Dwarf Cassowary at 1 zoo:

1- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Dwarf Cassowary – 2019

Sydney Wildlife World, now called Wild Life Sydney (Australia), is a tourist hotspot as it's an overview of Aussie fauna and the facility is located next to the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. It might not be an outstanding exhibit, but it is a memorable one as there is a narrow corridor and then a Southern Cassowary behind glass is waiting around the corner.

full


@WhistlingKite24

The Great Flight Aviary at Melbourne Zoo (Australia) is a legendary structure and within that walk-through aviary can be found a side exhibit for a Southern Cassowary.

full


@WhistlingKite24

Blank Park Zoo (USA) is one of only 20 American zoos where I've seen a Southern Cassowary and I've never seen a Northern Cassowary in a North American collection.

full


@DesertTortoise

Off to Europe, and you can see a Southern Cassowary (and a duck!) in this exhibit at Pairi Daiza (Belgium):

full


@KevinB

I was with a zoo nerd buddy at Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) in 2019 when we came across my first ever Northern Cassowary. Sometimes called the Golden-necked Cassowary, the one at this Dutch zoo was in an enclosure where it would have been a piece of cake to reach through and pet the bird. Ahhh, the minimal barriers in European zoos.

full


@vogelcommando

While at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) in 2019, I saw my one and only Dwarf Cassowary and here is what the bird's enclosure looked like.

full


But it is in Southeast Asia where Southern Cassowaries are seen absolutely everywhere. Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) has two exhibits for the species, and you can see two birds together in my photo.

full


At the nasty Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand), this small cage was divided in half and each Southern Cassowary had only a tiny patch of ground.

full


Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) has two or three Southern Cassowary exhibits all in a row.

full


A zookeeper was fixing a broken fence at Taiping Zoo (Malaysia), while a Southern Cassowary stood beside him the entire time. Risky!!

full


Seeing both Northern and Southern Cassowaries at Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) wasn't a surprise. This was the zoo where @twilighter and I heard wild gibbons!

full


Within the Mysterious Papua Aviary can be found several exhibits for both Northern and Southern Cassowaries at Bird Paradise (Singapore).

full


Southern Cassowaries can be found in Bird Forest at Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia). There are some enormous tree roots in many of the Southeast Asian zoos.

full


At Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia), the zoo's Southern Cassowaries are maintained beneath a large, greenhouse-type roof that is open to the elements along the sides.

full


At Eco Green Park (Indonesia), there can be found both Northern and Southern Cassowaries, in at least 3-4 exhibits in total.

full


Some of the enclosures are very tiny, such as this one for a Northern Cassowary at Faunaland Ancol (Indonesia). This whole zoo is packed with inadequate exhibits.

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos (2 species)
Rhea - 88 zoos (2 species)
Southern Cassowary - 55 zoos
Northern Cassowary - 11 zoos
Dwarf Cassowary - 1 zoo
 
Last edited:
Cassowaries have never been as common for me as Emus, Ostriches or Rheas, and in fact it was always a thrill to see a cassowary at a zoo and of course there would be a sign saying something along the lines of "world's most dangerous bird". Going to Southeast Asia in 2024 allowed me to see tons of cassowaries and the sheer volume of captive birds in that part of the world is staggering. Approximately 50% of my entire lifetime of cassowary sightings occurred in 3 weeks in August 2024, with many zoos having multiple exhibits with cassowaries.

Almost always, cassowaries are kept alone, as they are solitary birds. This is in stark contrast to Emus, Ostriches and Rheas, where at times it's possible to visit zoos with many birds all sharing the same enclosure. One really cool fact is that in 2007 I saw a wild Southern Cassowary while on an excursion in Queensland and the sighting was in the Daintree Rainforest. I remember the guide being beyond thrilled and yet some of the tourists yawned and he was frustrated that they weren't more impressed. :p

I've seen Southern Cassowaries at 55 zoos, Northern Cassowaries at 10 zoos and I saw a Dwarf Cassowary at 1 zoo.

I've seen Southern Cassowaries at 55 zoos:

2024 = 22 zoos with the species

1- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 1987
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2006
3- Sydney Wildlife World (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
4- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
5- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
6- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Southern Cassowary – 2007
7- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
8- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
9- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
10- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
11- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
12- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2008
13- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
14- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
15- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
16- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
17- Houston Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
18- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
19- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2010
20- Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2011
21- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
22- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
23- Brevard Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2012
24- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2015
25- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
26- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
27- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
28- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
29- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
30- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
31- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
32- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Southern Cassowary – 2019
33- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Southern Cassowary – 2023
34- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
35- Lopburi Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
36- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
37- Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
38- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
39- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
40- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
41- Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
42- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
43- KL Bird Park (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
44- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
45- Singapore Zoo (Singapore) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
46- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
47- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
48- Bali Bird Park (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
49- Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
50- Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
51- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
52- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
53- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
54- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024
55- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Southern Cassowary – 2024

AND...

I've seen Northern Cassowaries at 10 zoos:

1- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Northern Cassowary – 2019
2- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Northern Cassowary – 2019
3- Khao Kheow Open Zoo (Thailand) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
4- Monsters Aquarium (Thailand) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
5- Bird Paradise (Singapore) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
6- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
7- Eco Green Park (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
8- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
9- Faunaland Ancol (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024
10- Taman Mini Indonesia Indah: Bird Park (Indonesia) – Northern Cassowary – 2024

AND...

I've seen a Dwarf Cassowary at 1 zoo:

1- Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) – Dwarf Cassowary – 2019

Sydney Wildlife World, now called Wild Life Sydney (Australia), is a tourist hotspot as it's an overview of Aussie fauna and the facility is located next to the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. It might not be an outstanding exhibit, but it is a memorable one as there is a narrow corridor and then a Southern Cassowary behind glass is waiting around the corner.

full


@WhistlingKite24

The Great Flight Aviary at Melbourne Zoo (Australia) is a legendary structure and within that walk-through aviary can be found a side exhibit for a Southern Cassowary.

full


@WhistlingKite24

Blank Park Zoo (USA) is one of only 20 American zoos where I've seen a Southern Cassowary and I've never seen a Northern Cassowary in a North American collection.

full


@DesertTortoise

Off to Europe, and you can see a Southern Cassowary (and a duck!) in this exhibit at Pairi Daiza (Belgium):

full


@KevinB

I was with a zoo nerd buddy at Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) in 2019 when we came across my first ever Northern Cassowary. Sometimes called the Golden-necked Cassowary, the one at this Dutch zoo was in an enclosure where it would have been a piece of cake to reach through and pet the bird. Ahhh, the minimal barriers in European zoos.

full


@vogelcommando

While at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) in 2019, I saw my one and only Dwarf Cassowary and here is what the bird's enclosure looked like.

full


But it is in Southeast Asia where Southern Cassowaries are seen absolutely everywhere. Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) has two exhibits for the species, and you can see two birds together in my photo.

full


At the nasty Pattaya Crocodile Farm (Thailand), this small cage was divided in half and each Southern Cassowary had only a tiny patch of ground.

full


Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) has two or three Southern Cassowary exhibits all in a row.

full


A zookeeper was fixing a broken fence at Taiping Zoo (Malaysia), while a Southern Cassowary stood beside him the entire time. Risky!!

full


Seeing 3 Southern Cassowary exhibits in a row at Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) wasn't a surprise. This was the zoo where @twilighter and I heard wild gibbons!

full


Within the Mysterious Papua Aviary can be found several exhibits for both Northern and Southern Cassowaries at Bird Paradise (Singapore).

full


Southern Cassowaries can be found in Bird Forest at Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia). There are some enormous tree roots in many of the Southeast Asian zoos.

full


At Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia), the zoo's Southern Cassowaries are maintained beneath a large, greenhouse-type roof that is open to the elements along the sides.

full


At Eco Green Park (Indonesia), there can be found both Northern and Southern Cassowaries, in at least 3-4 exhibits in total.

full


Some of the enclosures are very tiny, such as this one for a Northern Cassowary at Faunaland Ancol (Indonesia). This whole zoo is packed with inadequate exhibits.

full


Ratites:

Emu - 160 zoos
Ostrich - 159 zoos (2 species)
Rhea - 88 zoos (2 species)
Southern Cassowary - 55 zoos
Northern Cassowary - 10 zoos
Dwarf Cassowary - 1 zoo
Zoo Melaka had a Northern Cassowary when you visited in August 2024.
It's a single animal in a row of Southern Cassowaries, and not signed, so usually visitors will think it's another Southern Cassowary and miss the rare species (I missed it on my first visit too).
 
I can’t believe on what I’m seeing with Pattaya Crocodile Farm’s setup for cassowaries?! Did the folks there really thought a rope barrier was that enough to keep those two birds apart??!! :eek:

If anything, (if affordable) having a mesh fence divider would’ve gone a long way!
 
Back
Top