San Diego Zoo New Galapagos tortoise exhibit to be built

mweb08

mweb08

Well-Known Member
Just got the new Zoonooz which states:

The new exhibit will be more environmentally enriching and stimulating for the tortoise herd. It will feature mud wallows, varied and more complex topography that is similar to the landscape in the Galapogos Islands, and many more plants, such as the tree cactus that is reminiscent of their native home. Also, the tortoise bard and its heating system need to be replaced. Both are now well beyond their expected "lifetime." We will also incorporate a supervised tortoise contact area so kids and adults can reach in and pet the tortoises and maybe even feed them.
 
This is exciting news. The reptile department at the San Diego has always done great jobs with their exhibit remodels on Reptile Mesa. The rock iguana habitats and the gharial exhibit are great examples. San Diego has an impressive herd of galapagos tortoises and its great that they are providing them with more of a showcase habitat.
 
Yeah, it sounds promising for a species that rarely gets preferential treatment at zoos, plus the Galapagos is an exciting and historical habitat, so that's a plus.
 
Elephant Odyssey is up and running and already there is an announcement on a redesigned enclosure! Great news for zoo fans, as Reptile Mesa is a wonderful part of the San Diego Zoo, and I wonder how much it will cost to feed a tortoise? Surely there will be a $5 fee (approx.) similar to giraffe feeding at other zoos.
 
The one thing that truly concerns me is the price tag. Does it sound reasonable to anyone else to spend $1 million on a galapagos tortoise exhibit refurb? That's one of my biggest complaints about EO, for $45 million that really should be the BEST zoo exhibit on the planet!
 
Ituri said:
The one thing that truly concerns me is the price tag. Does it sound reasonable to anyone else to spend $1 million on a galapagos tortoise exhibit refurb? That's one of my biggest complaints about EO, for $45 million that really should be the BEST zoo exhibit on the planet!
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$1 million doesn't go as far as it used to--especially if they are constructing a new holding building. I'm hopeful too that this turns out well. I've never seen a zoo do a reasonable simulation of a Galapagos landscape--tortoises are usually just kept on a mowed lawn or sandy pit--San Diego COULD do it. Unlike most of the rest of the Zoo's disappointing new exhibits, the Reptile Plaza improvements (gharial, South African lizard community, rock iguanas) are quite nicely done.
 
We can argue about funding and budgets, however, I do find ... finally another US zoo to make a real effort to replicate the habitat of giant tortoises. Their intention - likewise the 3 rock iguana species they maintain - is clearly on full, natural and continuous breeding of the various Galapagos tortoise sp. That in itself is something to applaud

No matter whether the price tag is JUST 1,0 mio US$, it is a start! And seriously, ladies and gentlemen, I for one would not get that much cash in my lifetime, so - as a regular reptilarian - I am jumping up and down my veranda and corridor (LOL) :D
 
Ituri said:
The one thing that truly concerns me is the price tag. Does it sound reasonable to anyone else to spend $1 million on a galapagos tortoise exhibit refurb? That's one of my biggest complaints about EO, for $45 million that really should be the BEST zoo exhibit on the planet!
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I'm assuming that 45 million included getting rid of all the other exhibits and roads that were once there, so that's a pretty big difference compared to an exhibit that is built on undeveloped land. Plus the elephant care center probably cost a lot, and that doesn't make it look better, in fact just the opposite according to many on here. And again, as much as people seem to just want to focus on the elephant exhibit, the other exhibits besides the horse are quite good, some like the condor exhibit are great.

It also sounds like this may be a bit more than a refurb, or at least it's a major one, not just making a few small changes.
 
I don't mean to turn this into a "trash EO" thread, that was not my point.

Back to the tortoises. I am thrilled that they will be getting a new exhibit complex, and am especially thrilled that their intent on breeding.
 
Ituri said:
The one thing that truly concerns me is the price tag. Does it sound reasonable to anyone else to spend $1 million on a galapagos tortoise exhibit refurb? That's one of my biggest complaints about EO, for $45 million that really should be the BEST zoo exhibit on the planet![/QUOT

Miami's Amazon and Beyond cost $50 million, and no one is saying it's the best exhibit on the planet--or even the best at the Metrozoo.

From what I've seen of EO, they should have spent several million more to make it look halfway respectable.
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Sorry to bring EO into this discussion at all. Let's try and keep this thread about the galapagos tortoise exhibit and not let it turn into another "the new stuff in San Diego is inferior" thread.
 
mweb08 said:
Sigh, so the other animals exhibits don't look halfway respectable?
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The animals look fine. The exhibits, however....

Based on the photos in the Gallery and video on SDZS website:
Domestic Horse paddock?: One of the worst things I've ever seen in a zoo. A complete waste and an unbelievably ugly enclosure.

Capybara/Guanaco: bare earth, completely visible cement block holding building and ugly steel fences, next to a concrete pool vaguely "themed" to look like a riverbank (but doesn't).

Rattlesnake: Huge glass box with no effort to control reflections, and of little use for the snakes except the area on the ground.

Jaguar: Big mesh tent with very little in the way of tall climbing structures, sparse plantings that look like an afterthought, and a concrete block holding building sitting completely unmasked in all its glory.

Secretary Bird: [/B] tall aviary for a ground-dwelling bird, very minimal plantings.

Condor: Very basic but okay aviary--from the photos this appears to be the best thing in the complex.

Can't judge lion, sloth, insect, pronghorn or frog exhibits--not enough photos.

"Pleistocene" animal sculptures?: Very tacky and, yes, "themeparkish." Where's Fred Flintstone?

And of course the barren, sci-fi landscape inhabited by the elephants.

A much better home for the elephants--otherwise a complete disappointment on all counts.

Sorry Ituri--I agree this discussion should not hijack the Galapagos Tortoise thread, but I had to respond....
 
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Well we'll just have to agree to disagree, the other exhibits besides the horse are all quite good and I've enjoyed it both times I've visited. It's certainly not perfect by any means, and there's things I would change, I just think some of this bashing is absurdly over the top.
 
Please fellow forumsters,

Like my esteemed friend Ituri wrote, let us keep on topic here! Comments relating to EO or other exhibits at SDZ or SD-WAP can be posted on the thread pertaining to the quality of SDZ exhibits or Elephant Odyssey.

Back to the Galapagos tortoises: anyone have any more detailed sketches or building plans for the exhibit to peruse / preview?

Thank you very much!

K.B.
 
reduakari said:
$1 million doesn't go as far as it used to--especially if they are constructing a new holding building. I'm hopeful too that this turns out well. I've never seen a zoo do a reasonable simulation of a Galapagos landscape--tortoises are usually just kept on a mowed lawn or sandy pit--San Diego COULD do it. Unlike most of the rest of the Zoo's disappointing new exhibits, the Reptile Plaza improvements (gharial, South African lizard community, rock iguanas) are quite nicely done.
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Check out the photo in the Western Plains Zoo gallery...It looks pretty similiar. All of the galapagos islands are pretty different so unless you had all of a specific subspecies it'd be hard to redreate a certain habitat.
 
EO didn't have to do much with landscape immersion at all, nor do I think they intended for it to. I think with this exhibit they can really make it look similar to the Galapagos and there aren't many exhibits like that.In fact, a whole Galapagos area would be unique, zoos need to acquire some marine iguanas...
 
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