I don't drive so it would pretty scary if I took to the road, especially for the other drivers! ;-)
Snowleopard's 2011 Road Trip
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
I don't drive so it would pretty scary if I took to the road, especially for the other drivers! ;-)
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
I totally agree with you on this one! I love sending postcards to my friends, and to my zoo-loving friends, I want to send out cards featuring the great zoo exhibits I've seen. This is a problem over in Europe, too, by the way.
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
Poor SnowLeopard! I can understand how he might think this taxidermy collection could be innocent. The highly-rated Montgomery Zoo (in Alabama) has a nice-sized museum like this attached to it. When I visited it, there's no way you could believe that Montgomery is promoting the sport killing of animals. Zoos in South Dakota (Great Plains) and Kansas (Rolling Hills) also have such natural history museums, featuring taxidermy dead animals. Like Montgomery, Great Plains and Rolling Hills are both AZA-accreditted, so there's no reason to think they promote sport hunting of rare or endangered animals.
Then again, JBNBSN99 has given us another viewpoint of the subject. So maybe there is no controversy to the subject. Don't feel bad, SnowLeopard!
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
Don't drive at all? OK, that's more understandable. I'm just very familiar of many Americans who are deathly afraid to rent a car and drive in another country. Even my wife was scared to death the first time I did it. So I was thinking that maybe you Europeans are the same way about driving in America.
KCZooFan
Well-Known Member
Do you have any idea how these establishments would get rare speciemens? Both the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Field Museum have huge taxidermy collections, including many extremely rare species. I wouldn't think these places would promote this either.
DAY 21: Monday, August 1st
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 17: Reid Park Zoo
Reid Park Zoo’s website:
Reid Park Zoo - Tucson, Arizona
Zoo Map:
Meet The Animals - Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ
Reid Park Zoo is a 17-acre zoo in Tucson that has over 500 animals that can be easily seen in about 2 hours. We actually spent a full 4 hours at the zoo due to the fact that we met up with ZooChatter “Arizona Docent” (aka Fred) and a keeper named Jed who were kind enough to take time out of their day to amuse the Snowleopard family.
The zoo is of average quality, with many exhibits being of a decent size and allowing the animals to showcase natural behaviors. There are 4 distinct areas, Africa, Asia, South America and Adaptation Zone. Other than the terrible elephant paddock (which is eventually being revamped) there is nothing horrendous, but at the same time there is nothing superlative either. It is a zoo that is on the cusp of a surge in attendance, as the 7-acre Expedition Tanzania opens in about 7-8 months.
THE BEST:
Fred & Jed – After arriving at the zoo when it opened at 8:00 a.m., in order to avoid the scorching Arizona heat, we spent an hour touring exhibits before meeting docent/volunteer Fred and zookeeper Jed for a behind-the-scenes tour. They were kind enough to take us backstage within the bowels of the fairly new Conservation Learning Center and we were allowed to meet a variety of animals. We spent time touching a hairy screaming armadillo, a savannah monitor, a tamandua and a chicken. All of those animals are normally used for educational purposes, with the tamandua and monitor lizard actually being led around zoo grounds on little halters. After almost half an hour of being introduced to those critters and learning about the zoo’s educational components, including a red-footed tortoise that scared my daughter (she would touch everything else but she has a thing against ferocious tortoises as it was not the first time that she has been frightened of them), we went to the Giraffe Encounter for the chance to spend time handing over carrots to hungry giraffes. Kylie got to feed and touch giraffes and she had a blast, and so meeting another ZooChatter on yet another road trip was a real treat. We’ve now spent time with 8 different ZooChatters over the past few years!
Fred then toured the second half of the zoo with us and we had lunch in the relatively new café by the entrance. Jed then popped by to join us for about 45 minutes and we sat and discussed various zoos, conservation projects and life in general. Expedition Tanzania, the large-scale elephant habitat that is due to open in spring 2012 and which will be the largest complex in zoo history, was discussed at length but I’m not sure how much of it I can repeat in this review. To be honest the zoo has not 100% confirmed exactly what activities will be in the area, but Jed let us in on many possible interactive aspects of what sounds like a fantastic new elephant exhibit. One thing for sure is that there is a strong possibility that there will be up to 5-6 elephants, the current female Asian elephant will be sent to the San Diego Zoo, and of the 7-acre project possibly up to 4 acres (including the massive barn) will be devoted as space for the elephant herd. Fred and Jed are both understandably very excited to see this development open to the public, and I am extremely appreciative of all the time they spent with me and my family.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa – There is a spacious mixed-species yard that will be expanded in spring 2012 once the new elephant complex is complete, and it features these species: white rhino, kori bustard, marabou stork and Speke’s gazelle. Adjacent to that exhibit is a large field with Grevy’s zebras, ostriches, helmeted guineafowl and African crowned cranes. There is a pair of leopard tortoise enclosures in front of the zebra/ostrich yard. A spacious giraffe yard, an average lion enclosure, a mandrill cage that is well furnished and an African spot-necked otter pool are all decent exhibits and overall the African section of the zoo is quite good. Once Expedition Tanzania opens and the white rhino yard is expanded then this entire area would do any zoo proud.
South America – Here can be found a pair of spectacled bears in a natural-looking exhibit with 3 different viewing techniques (glass, harp wire and metal bars); a very good dwarf caiman/pacu/yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle/plecostomus pool; green basilisk lizards are normally found in a side exhibit but they were off-exhibit on our visit; a jaguar exhibit with twin female black cats who are 15 years of age; a lush Baird’s tapir enclosure with a slender moat; a pair of yards with a capybara in each and other animals such as Galapagos tortoises, llamas, crested screamers and rheas (including a white one); an area for giant anteaters that can be divided into 3 separate enclosures; a military macaw island that is very drab; and all of those exhibits surround a walk-through aviary with a multitude of South American birds.
Adaptation Zone – This section culminates with the air-conditioned Conservation Learning Center, a building that is platinum LEED certified (the first of its kind in all of North America!) and there are terrariums for bearded dragons and green tree pythons as well as a viewing window into the lion-tailed macaque enclosure. There is a polar bear that has two exhibits joined together by an unseen passage in its night quarters. One side is a small grassy meadow while the other is a tiny rocky area with a deep pool that has underwater viewing. This exhibit barely scrapes into my average category, and near it are average enclosures for Aldabra tortoises and lion-tailed macaques. There is a pair of aviaries for greater sulphur-crested cockatoos and elegant crested tinamous, a flamingo pool, and a walk-through aviary with these species: Egyptian goose, bamboo partridge, bleeding heart dove, argus pheasant, blue-crowned pigeon, nicobar pigeon, shama thrush, wattled starling, grosbeak starling, emerald starling and cape thick-knee. Within this aviary are separate exhibits for greater hornbills and trumpeter hornbills.
Asia – This is the smallest section of the zoo and only includes 5 exhibits. A Malayan tiger enclosure is the first thing that greets most visitors, and the exhibit is currently being divided into two for the imminent arrival of a female to join the male (cubs in the future?); an elderly sun bear is in a small enclosure; Visayan warty pigs; sarus cranes and a lar gibbon cage that is outdated and perhaps the oldest enclosure in the zoo.
THE WORST:
Elephant Exhibit – There is a new contender to Santa Barbara and Audubon for the smallest elephant exhibit in any American zoo. As in the case at Louisville Zoo there is a single African and single Asian elephant, which is very rare to see these days. According to keeper Jed the AZA-recommendation that all accredited zoos maintain a minimum of 3 elephants will be changed to a requirement in the next few years, and while Reid Park will be fine after 2012 there are still quite a few zoos with only 2 elephants. Some, like Point Defiance, Bronx and Santa Barbara, have already announced plans to phase out elephants, but others will have a major decision to make whether or not to increase their numbers or get rid of their treasured elephants.
OVERALL:
Reid Park Zoo is clearly a small, community-oriented zoo that is so popular with school groups that some educational tours go unfulfilled due to the overwhelming popularity of the program. While it only takes a couple of hours to see the zoo, and there isn’t anything truly noteworthy, nevertheless there are many decent exhibits and Expedition Tanzania will elevate the zoo to the next level. Considering its size it is impressive that the facility has 3 bear species, 3 big cat species, elephants, giraffes, zebras and a rhino, and with many recent visitor-friendly improvements (restaurant, gift shop, learning center) the zoo for the most part feels fresh and new even though it has been in existence for over 45 years.
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 17: Reid Park Zoo
Reid Park Zoo’s website:
Reid Park Zoo - Tucson, Arizona
Zoo Map:
Meet The Animals - Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ
Reid Park Zoo is a 17-acre zoo in Tucson that has over 500 animals that can be easily seen in about 2 hours. We actually spent a full 4 hours at the zoo due to the fact that we met up with ZooChatter “Arizona Docent” (aka Fred) and a keeper named Jed who were kind enough to take time out of their day to amuse the Snowleopard family.
The zoo is of average quality, with many exhibits being of a decent size and allowing the animals to showcase natural behaviors. There are 4 distinct areas, Africa, Asia, South America and Adaptation Zone. Other than the terrible elephant paddock (which is eventually being revamped) there is nothing horrendous, but at the same time there is nothing superlative either. It is a zoo that is on the cusp of a surge in attendance, as the 7-acre Expedition Tanzania opens in about 7-8 months.
THE BEST:
Fred & Jed – After arriving at the zoo when it opened at 8:00 a.m., in order to avoid the scorching Arizona heat, we spent an hour touring exhibits before meeting docent/volunteer Fred and zookeeper Jed for a behind-the-scenes tour. They were kind enough to take us backstage within the bowels of the fairly new Conservation Learning Center and we were allowed to meet a variety of animals. We spent time touching a hairy screaming armadillo, a savannah monitor, a tamandua and a chicken. All of those animals are normally used for educational purposes, with the tamandua and monitor lizard actually being led around zoo grounds on little halters. After almost half an hour of being introduced to those critters and learning about the zoo’s educational components, including a red-footed tortoise that scared my daughter (she would touch everything else but she has a thing against ferocious tortoises as it was not the first time that she has been frightened of them), we went to the Giraffe Encounter for the chance to spend time handing over carrots to hungry giraffes. Kylie got to feed and touch giraffes and she had a blast, and so meeting another ZooChatter on yet another road trip was a real treat. We’ve now spent time with 8 different ZooChatters over the past few years!
Fred then toured the second half of the zoo with us and we had lunch in the relatively new café by the entrance. Jed then popped by to join us for about 45 minutes and we sat and discussed various zoos, conservation projects and life in general. Expedition Tanzania, the large-scale elephant habitat that is due to open in spring 2012 and which will be the largest complex in zoo history, was discussed at length but I’m not sure how much of it I can repeat in this review. To be honest the zoo has not 100% confirmed exactly what activities will be in the area, but Jed let us in on many possible interactive aspects of what sounds like a fantastic new elephant exhibit. One thing for sure is that there is a strong possibility that there will be up to 5-6 elephants, the current female Asian elephant will be sent to the San Diego Zoo, and of the 7-acre project possibly up to 4 acres (including the massive barn) will be devoted as space for the elephant herd. Fred and Jed are both understandably very excited to see this development open to the public, and I am extremely appreciative of all the time they spent with me and my family.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa – There is a spacious mixed-species yard that will be expanded in spring 2012 once the new elephant complex is complete, and it features these species: white rhino, kori bustard, marabou stork and Speke’s gazelle. Adjacent to that exhibit is a large field with Grevy’s zebras, ostriches, helmeted guineafowl and African crowned cranes. There is a pair of leopard tortoise enclosures in front of the zebra/ostrich yard. A spacious giraffe yard, an average lion enclosure, a mandrill cage that is well furnished and an African spot-necked otter pool are all decent exhibits and overall the African section of the zoo is quite good. Once Expedition Tanzania opens and the white rhino yard is expanded then this entire area would do any zoo proud.
South America – Here can be found a pair of spectacled bears in a natural-looking exhibit with 3 different viewing techniques (glass, harp wire and metal bars); a very good dwarf caiman/pacu/yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle/plecostomus pool; green basilisk lizards are normally found in a side exhibit but they were off-exhibit on our visit; a jaguar exhibit with twin female black cats who are 15 years of age; a lush Baird’s tapir enclosure with a slender moat; a pair of yards with a capybara in each and other animals such as Galapagos tortoises, llamas, crested screamers and rheas (including a white one); an area for giant anteaters that can be divided into 3 separate enclosures; a military macaw island that is very drab; and all of those exhibits surround a walk-through aviary with a multitude of South American birds.
Adaptation Zone – This section culminates with the air-conditioned Conservation Learning Center, a building that is platinum LEED certified (the first of its kind in all of North America!) and there are terrariums for bearded dragons and green tree pythons as well as a viewing window into the lion-tailed macaque enclosure. There is a polar bear that has two exhibits joined together by an unseen passage in its night quarters. One side is a small grassy meadow while the other is a tiny rocky area with a deep pool that has underwater viewing. This exhibit barely scrapes into my average category, and near it are average enclosures for Aldabra tortoises and lion-tailed macaques. There is a pair of aviaries for greater sulphur-crested cockatoos and elegant crested tinamous, a flamingo pool, and a walk-through aviary with these species: Egyptian goose, bamboo partridge, bleeding heart dove, argus pheasant, blue-crowned pigeon, nicobar pigeon, shama thrush, wattled starling, grosbeak starling, emerald starling and cape thick-knee. Within this aviary are separate exhibits for greater hornbills and trumpeter hornbills.
Asia – This is the smallest section of the zoo and only includes 5 exhibits. A Malayan tiger enclosure is the first thing that greets most visitors, and the exhibit is currently being divided into two for the imminent arrival of a female to join the male (cubs in the future?); an elderly sun bear is in a small enclosure; Visayan warty pigs; sarus cranes and a lar gibbon cage that is outdated and perhaps the oldest enclosure in the zoo.
THE WORST:
Elephant Exhibit – There is a new contender to Santa Barbara and Audubon for the smallest elephant exhibit in any American zoo. As in the case at Louisville Zoo there is a single African and single Asian elephant, which is very rare to see these days. According to keeper Jed the AZA-recommendation that all accredited zoos maintain a minimum of 3 elephants will be changed to a requirement in the next few years, and while Reid Park will be fine after 2012 there are still quite a few zoos with only 2 elephants. Some, like Point Defiance, Bronx and Santa Barbara, have already announced plans to phase out elephants, but others will have a major decision to make whether or not to increase their numbers or get rid of their treasured elephants.
OVERALL:
Reid Park Zoo is clearly a small, community-oriented zoo that is so popular with school groups that some educational tours go unfulfilled due to the overwhelming popularity of the program. While it only takes a couple of hours to see the zoo, and there isn’t anything truly noteworthy, nevertheless there are many decent exhibits and Expedition Tanzania will elevate the zoo to the next level. Considering its size it is impressive that the facility has 3 bear species, 3 big cat species, elephants, giraffes, zebras and a rhino, and with many recent visitor-friendly improvements (restaurant, gift shop, learning center) the zoo for the most part feels fresh and new even though it has been in existence for over 45 years.
Many of the large mammal collections at the major natural history museums were collected by big game hunters when it was still acceptable and fashionable to go out and shoot everything that moved. Perhaps the most famous expedition was Teddy Roosevelt's trip to Africa in 1909-1910 where he and his party collected the African megafauna for the Smithsonian. More info here:
http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trafrica.html
The Los Angeles County Natural History Museum had an expedition to east Africa as late as the 1950s where they collected a whole giraffe and elephant herd among other things. The dioramas seem cool, but make one pause to see baby elephants and giraffes and realize that they were shot. That makes it much less cool. The okapi and some of the other animals are former zoo inhabitants.
I'm so jealous you got to pet a tamandua! While researching this zoo recently, I discovered they had one due to a facebook photo. They weren't listed on their website, so I figured they must be an educational animal. My sister recently went to the Buffalo Zoo and they displayed their tamandua during a keeper talk. All last summer I was hoping that be one of the animals they'd display, and they never did when I checked. But I'm glad they are introducing people to it now.
With the requirement of three elephants for a zoo, I wonder where that will lead my home zoos, Seneca Park and Buffalo Zoo. It sounds like Seneca Park Zoo is aware of this and are making alternations to their exhibit to hold more elephants. As for Buffalo Zoo, I'd hate to see another elephant have to take up space in that small yard and barn. I know the elephants are used to it since they use to have Buki, but part of me wishes AZA would relook at the zoo and find it unsuitable for elephants. Maybe the two elephants could retire to African Lion Safari in Canada.
With the requirement of three elephants for a zoo, I wonder where that will lead my home zoos, Seneca Park and Buffalo Zoo. It sounds like Seneca Park Zoo is aware of this and are making alternations to their exhibit to hold more elephants. As for Buffalo Zoo, I'd hate to see another elephant have to take up space in that small yard and barn. I know the elephants are used to it since they use to have Buki, but part of me wishes AZA would relook at the zoo and find it unsuitable for elephants. Maybe the two elephants could retire to African Lion Safari in Canada.
Great review of Reid Park Zoo and snowleopard you do know the Bronx Zoo currently has 3 elephants Happy, Patty, and Maxine so they meet the requirement.
@BlackRhino - Bronx stated a few years ago they are going to phase out elephants.
@Blospz - Yes, our tamanduas are education animals and not on full time exhibit. We have a fourth one arriving soon to create a second breeding pair (and one of our current ones - not the one Snowleopard touched - is pregnant). We are renovating a former off-exhibit hyacinth macaw cage for a second tamandua breeding area (hyacinths were just shipped off to Sedgwick County Zoo). According to my staff people, we are one of only two zoos in the U.S. that are successfully breeding tamanduas.
@Blospz - Yes, our tamanduas are education animals and not on full time exhibit. We have a fourth one arriving soon to create a second breeding pair (and one of our current ones - not the one Snowleopard touched - is pregnant). We are renovating a former off-exhibit hyacinth macaw cage for a second tamandua breeding area (hyacinths were just shipped off to Sedgwick County Zoo). According to my staff people, we are one of only two zoos in the U.S. that are successfully breeding tamanduas.
Once Expedition Tanzania opens, I think you will have good reason to visit.
if anything i find american roads A LOT better that the uk roads anyways;-)
(okay, i've never drove personally in America, but everytime i do visit my family rent-a-car
)
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
Thank you for volunteering to pay the ESTA fee for me and at least three other Non-American zoochat members travelling to the USA. That's most generous of you, and most certainly improves my perception of you, if not the USA in general! And your offer to give us another $280 is even nicer! Thanks!<Irony off>
Just because I paid a higher visa fee for Russia (which I did, earlier this year) doesn't imply that I don't mind spending another $14 for no apparent reason other than governmental greed. And just because I already have to spend a lot of money getting to and staying in the US doesn't mean I like being drained again and again, without getting anything for it. In fact, that rather leads to penny-pinching from my side; not really worth pursuing in regard to tourism, isn't it?
"The Europe comparison is not fair because those are much smaller countries that are really close to each other." Statements like this only further the negative stereotypical image Europe and other countries have of the "ignorant, self-absorbed yank"...
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No, I can't drive at all, never had a lesson.
Back on topic, maybe I should put this in the Reid Park Zoo thread, is it difficult to maintain the foliage and keep it so green and lush, given the local climate?
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
For once, I totally agree with you, Sun!
I don't know if you have been following American politics, but we have a serious spending problem over here. Due to the priorities of our current government, we are spending a lot more than we are taking in, so they have tried to find other ways to raise revenue. Sadly, it's apparent that one way of raising revenue has been to impose this new "tax" on our foreign visitors. I think it's totally ridiculous, as it both encourages potential visitors to travel elsewhere, it casts another bad image on the USA, and it encourages other governments to compensate by imposing this same tax on American international travelers (like me).
Again, if you've been following our politics, just this week certain parts of our government have made some serious efforts to cut back on our unfortunate overspending addiction. Over time, we may have a bit more sanity in our fiscal decision-making, and hopefully we'll cut back on silly taxes such as this traveler's fee. Until then, I will be contacting my senators and congressman, alarming them of the negative aspects (see above) of this tax.
DAY 22: Tuesday, August 2nd
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 18: Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix Zoo’s website:
The Phoenix Zoo, Voted One of the Nation's Top 5 Zoos for Kids
Zoo Map:
http://www.phoenixzoo.org/images/phxzoo_map.pdf
Phoenix Zoo will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2012 and there has been a lot of progress in the past few years. For the first time ever this largely self-supported zoo accepted government funding in 2006, and in reality the zoo could use some more cash to spruce up several aging sections. With recent new additions such as Land of the Dragons (a pair of Komodo dragon outdoor exhibits) and Orang-Hutan (an orangutan complex) the zoo has begun a busy period of construction.
Next up is an Education and Event Center that will open later this year (situated where the now bulldozed Enchanted Forest play area used to be – only the tree house remains), a revamped gift shop as the current one is closed down, an Entry Oasis to fix a confusing and untidy entrance area, and a Sumatran tiger exhibit near Main Lake. The tiger complex is budgeted at $3 million and the zoo will be able to hold up to 6 of the cats in a new exhibit next to the elephant paddock. Interestingly enough in 2013 possibly 3 major zoos will open new Sumatran tiger exhibits within months of each other: Phoenix Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Phoenix Zoo has something that not a single other North American zoo has, and that is a wildly entertaining, walk-through squirrel monkey habitat. That wonderful experience, especially early in the morning when the 16 monkeys are frisky and not afraid to come within a foot or two of visitors, is probably worth the price of admission. There are a number of other excellent exhibits, as well as many average ones. We spent a full 5 hours at this 125-acre zoo and it was our second visit as the first time was on the long 2008 road trip.
THE BEST:
Tropics Trail: Monkey Village – This is North America’s only walk-through monkey area (Omaha now has a lemur zone) and there are 16 squirrel monkeys (2.14) jumping right next to visitors and creating commotions with their screeching cries. This habitat is only open for a few hours a day in the summer months and so my family made it one of our first stops at the zoo. An absolute treat to see such hilarious antics from the troop! There are always two zoo volunteers overseeing things as the monkeys aren't afraid to venture quite close to the folks clicking their cameras.
Africa Trail: Savanna – This is one of the best savannas of any zoo in North America, even though at times it appears a little crowded with the large variety of animals on display. Multiple up-close viewing opportunities abound, and the 11 animal species are not afraid to come close to the fence line. There is an extremely panoramic environment and the few visitors that actually were at the zoo on a scorching day mainly congregated in this area. Species list: Masai giraffe, reticulated giraffe, common eland, Watusi cattle, gerenuk, Thompson’s gazelle, ostrich, lappet-faced vulture, Ruppell’s griffon vulture, yellow-billed stork and East African crowned crane.
Arizona Trail – This part of the zoo begins with a section focusing on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and then most of the mammals are located along a pathway beyond the main entrance. There is a walk-through aviary with multiple species of birds on display that is the first thing that most visitors see but there are no signs or placards whatsoever detailing the names of the species. A lizard exhibit also has zero signage, and a small gila topminnow pool greets visitors just inside the main entrance. There is a nice black-tailed prairie dog exhibit, a turkey vulture/raven aviary with zero signage, a single room with around 20 terrariums that contain a variety of amphibians, and another shaded pathway that has 8 small reptile terrariums as well as 3 huge terrariums that contain a variety of rattlesnakes. Reptile species list: Madrean alligator lizard, ornate tree lizard, Sonoran mud turtle, chuckwalla, desert tortoise, green ratsnake, gila monster, Sonoran gopher snake, Arizona mountain kingsnake, coachwhip, Arizona black rattlesnake, Grand Canyon rattlesnake, western diamondback rattlesnake, Mojave rattlesnake, speckled rattlesnake, black-tailed rattlesnake and tiger rattlesnake.
After leaving this area there is a small golden eagle aviary, a burrowing owl/roadrunner exhibit, a white-nosed coati enclosure, and then spacious and naturalistic habitats for coyotes, collared peccaries, pronghorn antelopes, Mexican wolves, coatis and Andean condors. Only the small enclosures for bobcats and mountain lions are disappointing, as yet again both large and small cats get shafted at a zoo. The viewing for some of the exhibits is open-top and well-designed, but the cats are difficult to spot and the Mexican gray wolves have a great enclosure but the viewing is terrible as it is through chain-link fencing. Metal aviaries for great horned owls, thick-billed parrots and pinyon jays round out the area, along with a small pool with endangered desert pupfish.
Tropics Trail: Forest of Uco – This is a great immersion experience with a fake South American village on the outside of the pathway and thick foliage on the dirt track that takes visitors around the exhibits. The spectacled bears are the true highlight here, in an enclosure that winds around a viewing window and is larger than it seems. The only downside is that the viewing opportunities are hit-and-miss and one has to wait until the end of the path before getting an open-top view of the main habitat. There is a small freshwater tank filled with black pacu, sawtooth catfish, suckermouth catfish and oscellated river stingrays; a boa constrictor exhibit set inside a tree trunk, a scarlet macaw on a perch, hawk-headed parrots, golden lion tamarins, spider monkeys and white-faced saki monkeys. One thing that was missing was another enclosure on the far side of the bears, as there is a long walk through the jungle setting without any animals whatsoever other than a few low-set terrariums, and now the rear-side of the new orangutan exhibit looms overhead. A jaguar, howler monkey, maned wolf, giant anteater or ocelot exhibit would be perfect in that area, as instead those animals are all found elsewhere throughout the zoo. This zoo actually has a tremendous variety of South American species and for the most part exhibits them quite well.
Desert Lives – There is a pair of enormous habitats for desert bighorn sheep, and an extremely picturesque mountain backdrop and a lot of rocky crags for the sheep to climb on. Also, a nearby Arabian oryx enclosure and informational signs highlight the success that this zoo has had saving that particular species from extinction. Over 230 oryx have been born at the zoo, and to see both the oryx and bighorn sheep visitors must walk a long, dusty, dry, demanding trail that juts off from the main Africa Trail loop.
Tropics Trail: Land of the Dragons – This area is fairly new (2009), cost $1 million, and features a pair of nicely planted Komodo dragon exhibits that are both quite impressive. It was great to see these lizards, which are now very commonly found in American zoos, in outdoor enclosures. Also, there is a viewing area into a small indoor exhibit and one of the yards is open-topped and that allows visitors to get a clear look at the world’s largest species of lizard.
Yakulla Caverns – This area was under construction on my visit in 2008 but it is a brilliant addition to the zoo. There are no animals here as it is a nicely-designed children’s waterpark that contains a mazelike cave structure with slides, fountains and cascading waterfalls. Moms (and sometimes dads!) let the water flow over them so that they don’t fry to death beneath the Arizona sun since the zoo has almost nowhere indoors to cool off from the heat. Today my wife watched as my daughter spent ages playing in this area, and my son had cold water poured on his head in the shade. I went off to see a large portion of the zoo alone as it was simply too hot for a young baby at a zoo that is almost entirely outdoors.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa Trail – Other than the multi-acre main Savanna there are a number of enclosures along a long loop that runs through the top part of the zoo. A pair of terrific yards for cheetahs and African wild dogs are lush and vibrant with greenery; there is a basic African spot-necked otter pool; a flamingo lagoon; a pair of lemur islands that are okay but nothing special; a pair of rocky grottoes for mandrills and Hamadryas baboons are average; a white rhino/Speke’s gazelle yard is below average; an impressive meerkat exhibit has a lot of space for the digging mammals; a warthog exhibit is average; Grevy’s zebra and marabou storks have an enclosure that is surprisingly green and spacious; a fennec fox exhibit is haphazardly placed off the main trail; and a natural-looking paddock for gerenuk/Kirk’s dik-dik/kori bustard/sulcata tortoise is excellent.
Most of the Africa Trail exhibits are of average quality, but they all dim in the glow of the multi-acre main Savanna and its almost dozen species. There is a lion/tiger pair of enclosures where visitors look through fencing and down upon the animals in their steep, hilly exhibits. The zoo plans to add a new tiger habitat in 2013, and I wonder if the lions will take over a revamped enclosure all for themselves.
Tropics Trail – There are basic small paddocks for Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises, and rhinoceros iguanas that are all standard at many southern zoos. The rest of the Tropics Trail area, outside of the Forest of Uco loop, varies widely in quality. Large enclosures for Chacoan peccaries, crested screamers and giant anteater/maned wolf are all impressive and natural-looking, while substandard metal boxes for black howler monkeys and a jaguar are disappointing. One highlight is a fairly new mixed-species wetlands exhibit that is seen via a boardwalk that ventures to a gazebo set in the middle of a lagoon. The 5 species here are: Mexican red brocket deer, Chilean flamingo, coscoroba swan, sandhill crane and American white pelican. Tropical Flights is a series of ugly metal aviaries for tropical birds, and there is also a lookout onto the buff-cheeked gibbon island. Black wire aviaries that are functional yet aesthetically awful dot the landscape in this region of the zoo and feature these species: scarlet ibis/roseate spoonbill, blue-grey tanager, black-throated magpie jay, plush-crested jay, blue-crowned motmot and golden conure.
Elephant Paddock – There are 3 Asian females that are all a minimum of 40 years of age (years born: 1970, 1971 and 1965) that live in an average-sized paddock that contains a wide pool. Unfortunately one of the elephants doesn't get along with the other two and thus there is a rotation going on while they each take turns kicking dust around in a tiny yard while waiting to be let into the much bigger main habitat. If the zoo closes at 2 p.m. in the summer and all 3 elephants are taken off and put into the 2 tiny yards next to the main enclosure, then that means all summer long the 3 elephants spend 17 hours each per day (and really more like 20 hours per day with the rotation system) in extremely dull, tiny paddocks. Hopefully the zoo allows some access to the main habitat when visitors aren't around, or else the elephants have barely any space at all.
The elephant enclosure is another example of function overtaking aesthetic appeal in Phoenix. There are lots of sand piles, old tires and enrichment items for the elephants, but most of the viewing is done by looking down into what is basically a huge concrete bowl, and after seeing so many truly great elephant exhibits during the past few years then this one barely scrapes into my “average” category. Of note is that the three aging pachyderms all have behavior problems and it will be interesting to see if Phoenix maintains elephants in the future once their current group dies off.
Children’s Trail – This area of the zoo is split into two sections, the excellent Harmony Farm area and the somewhat outdated menagerie of cages in the main children’s area. The farm section has a Fisher-Price Little People toddler playground designed specifically for little ones, a huge red barn, and then all sorts of domestic animals to see, touch and feed. There is even an air-conditioned school house and a large windmill to add an authentic touch to the experience and I was impressed with this area.
The second part is not really for kids at all but is mainly a series of metal cages that are almost all badly outdated. The bald eagle aviary is spacious, wallaby walkabout is boring, the small Visayan warty pig yard is decent, and then many small metal boxes contain these species: caracal, ocelot, green oropendola/red-legged seriema, Pemba flying fox/green wood hoopoe, black-capped lory and spectacled owl. A lush siamang island seems out of place next to the poor set of exhibits that are for the most part nothing but metal cages.
Stingray Bay – This is a 12,000 gallon touch tank featuring stingrays that can be petted for an additional fee. The zoo used to also house small sharks here but I question whether that is still the case as none of the signs indicated that there was anything but rays in the pool.
THE WORST:
Tropics Trail: Orang-Hutan: People of the Forest – The previous orangutan enclosure was built in 1975 and had aged badly over the years and the new area cost $5 million and just opened in April of this year so it is practically brand-new. There is a nicely-designed visitor entrance area surrounded by tall walls with lots of informational signs, and a neat visitor “tree house” style overlook allows for viewing into one of the large mesh ape exhibits. There are two main yards for the group of 4 Bornean orangutans, and one of the exhibits is functional yet boring aesthetically. It consists of an innumerable number of wooden beams with ropes attached to them to allow for brachiating apes to traverse the landscape. This yard is fine for the apes but is not innovative or trend-setting and in fact is as basic as it gets in terms of orangutan exhibitry.
What lands this exhibit in my “worst” category is the second yard and indoor areas. The yard has a small climbing structure and then a long row of wooden beams a few feet off of the ground with nothing else to climb on. Not knowing any different there is no way that I would ever have guessed that the habitat was built for orangutans, and the section of the yard closest to the huge viewing windows has a small stream that the apes will avoid, the back area is hotwired to death, and so the apes basically have a low beam to practice their tightrope walking on. Brutal.
The two indoor areas are head-scratching because there is nothing in them. On my long visit to this new area all 4 orangs spent time indoors and out of the hot sun but in either room there is not a single branch or device to climb on and only some bark-mulch/sawdust like carpet and one cardboard box. The orangs were walking around with not a beam or rope in sight, which is as bizarre as it gets for a species that spends 85% of its life in trees. Overall this exhibit is hailed as part of the zoo’s “a world-class zoo for a world class city capital campaign” but the orangutan pair of enclosures are disappointing and perplexing. Realistically the viewing windows are terrific for visitors and one of the yards is fine but overall I’m going to be highly critical here and most of the orang habitat is subpar.
The Lack of An Air-Conditioned Restaurant – How does this zoo, set in one of the hottest regions in America, not have a huge air-conditioned restaurant? I guarantee that the zoo could rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just by erecting one by the main entrance. Reid Park Zoo in nearby Tucson in the past few years built a Conservation Center and a Café that are both beautifully cool with air-conditioning and there is one structure at each end of the zoo. Phoenix has nothing whatsoever, and visitors walk for hours with no relief around this large zoo. All the misters and drinking fountains in the world cannot replace an air-conditioned oasis such as a restaurant that would bring in a staggering amount of cash. Everything is open-air, all of the eating areas at the 5 cafes/snack shacks are outdoors, and the temperature all summer long is close to 110 Fahrenheit. Why would the zoo not build an indoor structure to relieve the sweating, struggling visitors?
Metal Cages – The plethora of black metal boxes that are scattered throughout the zoo grounds make for an ugly group of eyesores that I’d rather see torn down than house exotic species. I said the same thing about San Diego’s wire cages and Phoenix has the potential to be such a beautiful zoo that to see animas in outdated cages is frustrating. By the Komodo dragons are a pair of corn crib aviaries with king vultures and scarlet macaws, and peering through the black metal made me wonder why such constructions would be located in the Tropics Trail section of the zoo as there is nothing tropical about them. The many bird and primate cages should all be lumped into one location, maybe the cage-friendly Children’s Trail, and a new area can be named “Pet Store Boxes”.
OVERALL:
Phoenix Zoo doesn't receive any tax-payer funding and I’ve been told in the past that it is a constant battle to raise money to improve the zoo. Many of the exhibits dotted around the grounds have plaques that detail the year that they were built, and since the dates were ages ago it seems that the zoo is due for a freshening up. In 2006 there was a proposal that the zoo needed at least $70 million in improvements, but that was quickly downgraded to the current $20 million. It's too bad that money is such an issue because the zoo grounds are beautiful and the landscaping crew has utilized the surrounding desert perfectly. To add to the ambience are the many lizards that are to be found scampering across every conceivable pathway.
The zoo has a unique squirrel monkey walk-through exhibit, a panoramic African Savanna, a solid set of Arizona Trail habitats, and an extensive collection of South American animals. It's not a zoo that is highly regarded throughout North America, but it is definitely worth a visit just to see the fascinating collection and beautiful cacti that appear to devour the landscape. I think that Phoenix is in the second tier of American zoos (in the #23-30 range on my personal list) and it will always remain that way unless there is a significant amount of money raised to overhaul the sections that are outdated. All visitors just have to be considerate of the climate in summer, as today the temperature nudged quite close to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the zoo is almost entirely outdoors.
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 18: Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix Zoo’s website:
The Phoenix Zoo, Voted One of the Nation's Top 5 Zoos for Kids
Zoo Map:
http://www.phoenixzoo.org/images/phxzoo_map.pdf
Phoenix Zoo will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2012 and there has been a lot of progress in the past few years. For the first time ever this largely self-supported zoo accepted government funding in 2006, and in reality the zoo could use some more cash to spruce up several aging sections. With recent new additions such as Land of the Dragons (a pair of Komodo dragon outdoor exhibits) and Orang-Hutan (an orangutan complex) the zoo has begun a busy period of construction.
Next up is an Education and Event Center that will open later this year (situated where the now bulldozed Enchanted Forest play area used to be – only the tree house remains), a revamped gift shop as the current one is closed down, an Entry Oasis to fix a confusing and untidy entrance area, and a Sumatran tiger exhibit near Main Lake. The tiger complex is budgeted at $3 million and the zoo will be able to hold up to 6 of the cats in a new exhibit next to the elephant paddock. Interestingly enough in 2013 possibly 3 major zoos will open new Sumatran tiger exhibits within months of each other: Phoenix Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Phoenix Zoo has something that not a single other North American zoo has, and that is a wildly entertaining, walk-through squirrel monkey habitat. That wonderful experience, especially early in the morning when the 16 monkeys are frisky and not afraid to come within a foot or two of visitors, is probably worth the price of admission. There are a number of other excellent exhibits, as well as many average ones. We spent a full 5 hours at this 125-acre zoo and it was our second visit as the first time was on the long 2008 road trip.
THE BEST:
Tropics Trail: Monkey Village – This is North America’s only walk-through monkey area (Omaha now has a lemur zone) and there are 16 squirrel monkeys (2.14) jumping right next to visitors and creating commotions with their screeching cries. This habitat is only open for a few hours a day in the summer months and so my family made it one of our first stops at the zoo. An absolute treat to see such hilarious antics from the troop! There are always two zoo volunteers overseeing things as the monkeys aren't afraid to venture quite close to the folks clicking their cameras.
Africa Trail: Savanna – This is one of the best savannas of any zoo in North America, even though at times it appears a little crowded with the large variety of animals on display. Multiple up-close viewing opportunities abound, and the 11 animal species are not afraid to come close to the fence line. There is an extremely panoramic environment and the few visitors that actually were at the zoo on a scorching day mainly congregated in this area. Species list: Masai giraffe, reticulated giraffe, common eland, Watusi cattle, gerenuk, Thompson’s gazelle, ostrich, lappet-faced vulture, Ruppell’s griffon vulture, yellow-billed stork and East African crowned crane.
Arizona Trail – This part of the zoo begins with a section focusing on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and then most of the mammals are located along a pathway beyond the main entrance. There is a walk-through aviary with multiple species of birds on display that is the first thing that most visitors see but there are no signs or placards whatsoever detailing the names of the species. A lizard exhibit also has zero signage, and a small gila topminnow pool greets visitors just inside the main entrance. There is a nice black-tailed prairie dog exhibit, a turkey vulture/raven aviary with zero signage, a single room with around 20 terrariums that contain a variety of amphibians, and another shaded pathway that has 8 small reptile terrariums as well as 3 huge terrariums that contain a variety of rattlesnakes. Reptile species list: Madrean alligator lizard, ornate tree lizard, Sonoran mud turtle, chuckwalla, desert tortoise, green ratsnake, gila monster, Sonoran gopher snake, Arizona mountain kingsnake, coachwhip, Arizona black rattlesnake, Grand Canyon rattlesnake, western diamondback rattlesnake, Mojave rattlesnake, speckled rattlesnake, black-tailed rattlesnake and tiger rattlesnake.
After leaving this area there is a small golden eagle aviary, a burrowing owl/roadrunner exhibit, a white-nosed coati enclosure, and then spacious and naturalistic habitats for coyotes, collared peccaries, pronghorn antelopes, Mexican wolves, coatis and Andean condors. Only the small enclosures for bobcats and mountain lions are disappointing, as yet again both large and small cats get shafted at a zoo. The viewing for some of the exhibits is open-top and well-designed, but the cats are difficult to spot and the Mexican gray wolves have a great enclosure but the viewing is terrible as it is through chain-link fencing. Metal aviaries for great horned owls, thick-billed parrots and pinyon jays round out the area, along with a small pool with endangered desert pupfish.
Tropics Trail: Forest of Uco – This is a great immersion experience with a fake South American village on the outside of the pathway and thick foliage on the dirt track that takes visitors around the exhibits. The spectacled bears are the true highlight here, in an enclosure that winds around a viewing window and is larger than it seems. The only downside is that the viewing opportunities are hit-and-miss and one has to wait until the end of the path before getting an open-top view of the main habitat. There is a small freshwater tank filled with black pacu, sawtooth catfish, suckermouth catfish and oscellated river stingrays; a boa constrictor exhibit set inside a tree trunk, a scarlet macaw on a perch, hawk-headed parrots, golden lion tamarins, spider monkeys and white-faced saki monkeys. One thing that was missing was another enclosure on the far side of the bears, as there is a long walk through the jungle setting without any animals whatsoever other than a few low-set terrariums, and now the rear-side of the new orangutan exhibit looms overhead. A jaguar, howler monkey, maned wolf, giant anteater or ocelot exhibit would be perfect in that area, as instead those animals are all found elsewhere throughout the zoo. This zoo actually has a tremendous variety of South American species and for the most part exhibits them quite well.
Desert Lives – There is a pair of enormous habitats for desert bighorn sheep, and an extremely picturesque mountain backdrop and a lot of rocky crags for the sheep to climb on. Also, a nearby Arabian oryx enclosure and informational signs highlight the success that this zoo has had saving that particular species from extinction. Over 230 oryx have been born at the zoo, and to see both the oryx and bighorn sheep visitors must walk a long, dusty, dry, demanding trail that juts off from the main Africa Trail loop.
Tropics Trail: Land of the Dragons – This area is fairly new (2009), cost $1 million, and features a pair of nicely planted Komodo dragon exhibits that are both quite impressive. It was great to see these lizards, which are now very commonly found in American zoos, in outdoor enclosures. Also, there is a viewing area into a small indoor exhibit and one of the yards is open-topped and that allows visitors to get a clear look at the world’s largest species of lizard.
Yakulla Caverns – This area was under construction on my visit in 2008 but it is a brilliant addition to the zoo. There are no animals here as it is a nicely-designed children’s waterpark that contains a mazelike cave structure with slides, fountains and cascading waterfalls. Moms (and sometimes dads!) let the water flow over them so that they don’t fry to death beneath the Arizona sun since the zoo has almost nowhere indoors to cool off from the heat. Today my wife watched as my daughter spent ages playing in this area, and my son had cold water poured on his head in the shade. I went off to see a large portion of the zoo alone as it was simply too hot for a young baby at a zoo that is almost entirely outdoors.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa Trail – Other than the multi-acre main Savanna there are a number of enclosures along a long loop that runs through the top part of the zoo. A pair of terrific yards for cheetahs and African wild dogs are lush and vibrant with greenery; there is a basic African spot-necked otter pool; a flamingo lagoon; a pair of lemur islands that are okay but nothing special; a pair of rocky grottoes for mandrills and Hamadryas baboons are average; a white rhino/Speke’s gazelle yard is below average; an impressive meerkat exhibit has a lot of space for the digging mammals; a warthog exhibit is average; Grevy’s zebra and marabou storks have an enclosure that is surprisingly green and spacious; a fennec fox exhibit is haphazardly placed off the main trail; and a natural-looking paddock for gerenuk/Kirk’s dik-dik/kori bustard/sulcata tortoise is excellent.
Most of the Africa Trail exhibits are of average quality, but they all dim in the glow of the multi-acre main Savanna and its almost dozen species. There is a lion/tiger pair of enclosures where visitors look through fencing and down upon the animals in their steep, hilly exhibits. The zoo plans to add a new tiger habitat in 2013, and I wonder if the lions will take over a revamped enclosure all for themselves.
Tropics Trail – There are basic small paddocks for Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises, and rhinoceros iguanas that are all standard at many southern zoos. The rest of the Tropics Trail area, outside of the Forest of Uco loop, varies widely in quality. Large enclosures for Chacoan peccaries, crested screamers and giant anteater/maned wolf are all impressive and natural-looking, while substandard metal boxes for black howler monkeys and a jaguar are disappointing. One highlight is a fairly new mixed-species wetlands exhibit that is seen via a boardwalk that ventures to a gazebo set in the middle of a lagoon. The 5 species here are: Mexican red brocket deer, Chilean flamingo, coscoroba swan, sandhill crane and American white pelican. Tropical Flights is a series of ugly metal aviaries for tropical birds, and there is also a lookout onto the buff-cheeked gibbon island. Black wire aviaries that are functional yet aesthetically awful dot the landscape in this region of the zoo and feature these species: scarlet ibis/roseate spoonbill, blue-grey tanager, black-throated magpie jay, plush-crested jay, blue-crowned motmot and golden conure.
Elephant Paddock – There are 3 Asian females that are all a minimum of 40 years of age (years born: 1970, 1971 and 1965) that live in an average-sized paddock that contains a wide pool. Unfortunately one of the elephants doesn't get along with the other two and thus there is a rotation going on while they each take turns kicking dust around in a tiny yard while waiting to be let into the much bigger main habitat. If the zoo closes at 2 p.m. in the summer and all 3 elephants are taken off and put into the 2 tiny yards next to the main enclosure, then that means all summer long the 3 elephants spend 17 hours each per day (and really more like 20 hours per day with the rotation system) in extremely dull, tiny paddocks. Hopefully the zoo allows some access to the main habitat when visitors aren't around, or else the elephants have barely any space at all.
The elephant enclosure is another example of function overtaking aesthetic appeal in Phoenix. There are lots of sand piles, old tires and enrichment items for the elephants, but most of the viewing is done by looking down into what is basically a huge concrete bowl, and after seeing so many truly great elephant exhibits during the past few years then this one barely scrapes into my “average” category. Of note is that the three aging pachyderms all have behavior problems and it will be interesting to see if Phoenix maintains elephants in the future once their current group dies off.
Children’s Trail – This area of the zoo is split into two sections, the excellent Harmony Farm area and the somewhat outdated menagerie of cages in the main children’s area. The farm section has a Fisher-Price Little People toddler playground designed specifically for little ones, a huge red barn, and then all sorts of domestic animals to see, touch and feed. There is even an air-conditioned school house and a large windmill to add an authentic touch to the experience and I was impressed with this area.
The second part is not really for kids at all but is mainly a series of metal cages that are almost all badly outdated. The bald eagle aviary is spacious, wallaby walkabout is boring, the small Visayan warty pig yard is decent, and then many small metal boxes contain these species: caracal, ocelot, green oropendola/red-legged seriema, Pemba flying fox/green wood hoopoe, black-capped lory and spectacled owl. A lush siamang island seems out of place next to the poor set of exhibits that are for the most part nothing but metal cages.
Stingray Bay – This is a 12,000 gallon touch tank featuring stingrays that can be petted for an additional fee. The zoo used to also house small sharks here but I question whether that is still the case as none of the signs indicated that there was anything but rays in the pool.
THE WORST:
Tropics Trail: Orang-Hutan: People of the Forest – The previous orangutan enclosure was built in 1975 and had aged badly over the years and the new area cost $5 million and just opened in April of this year so it is practically brand-new. There is a nicely-designed visitor entrance area surrounded by tall walls with lots of informational signs, and a neat visitor “tree house” style overlook allows for viewing into one of the large mesh ape exhibits. There are two main yards for the group of 4 Bornean orangutans, and one of the exhibits is functional yet boring aesthetically. It consists of an innumerable number of wooden beams with ropes attached to them to allow for brachiating apes to traverse the landscape. This yard is fine for the apes but is not innovative or trend-setting and in fact is as basic as it gets in terms of orangutan exhibitry.
What lands this exhibit in my “worst” category is the second yard and indoor areas. The yard has a small climbing structure and then a long row of wooden beams a few feet off of the ground with nothing else to climb on. Not knowing any different there is no way that I would ever have guessed that the habitat was built for orangutans, and the section of the yard closest to the huge viewing windows has a small stream that the apes will avoid, the back area is hotwired to death, and so the apes basically have a low beam to practice their tightrope walking on. Brutal.
The two indoor areas are head-scratching because there is nothing in them. On my long visit to this new area all 4 orangs spent time indoors and out of the hot sun but in either room there is not a single branch or device to climb on and only some bark-mulch/sawdust like carpet and one cardboard box. The orangs were walking around with not a beam or rope in sight, which is as bizarre as it gets for a species that spends 85% of its life in trees. Overall this exhibit is hailed as part of the zoo’s “a world-class zoo for a world class city capital campaign” but the orangutan pair of enclosures are disappointing and perplexing. Realistically the viewing windows are terrific for visitors and one of the yards is fine but overall I’m going to be highly critical here and most of the orang habitat is subpar.
The Lack of An Air-Conditioned Restaurant – How does this zoo, set in one of the hottest regions in America, not have a huge air-conditioned restaurant? I guarantee that the zoo could rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just by erecting one by the main entrance. Reid Park Zoo in nearby Tucson in the past few years built a Conservation Center and a Café that are both beautifully cool with air-conditioning and there is one structure at each end of the zoo. Phoenix has nothing whatsoever, and visitors walk for hours with no relief around this large zoo. All the misters and drinking fountains in the world cannot replace an air-conditioned oasis such as a restaurant that would bring in a staggering amount of cash. Everything is open-air, all of the eating areas at the 5 cafes/snack shacks are outdoors, and the temperature all summer long is close to 110 Fahrenheit. Why would the zoo not build an indoor structure to relieve the sweating, struggling visitors?
Metal Cages – The plethora of black metal boxes that are scattered throughout the zoo grounds make for an ugly group of eyesores that I’d rather see torn down than house exotic species. I said the same thing about San Diego’s wire cages and Phoenix has the potential to be such a beautiful zoo that to see animas in outdated cages is frustrating. By the Komodo dragons are a pair of corn crib aviaries with king vultures and scarlet macaws, and peering through the black metal made me wonder why such constructions would be located in the Tropics Trail section of the zoo as there is nothing tropical about them. The many bird and primate cages should all be lumped into one location, maybe the cage-friendly Children’s Trail, and a new area can be named “Pet Store Boxes”.
OVERALL:
Phoenix Zoo doesn't receive any tax-payer funding and I’ve been told in the past that it is a constant battle to raise money to improve the zoo. Many of the exhibits dotted around the grounds have plaques that detail the year that they were built, and since the dates were ages ago it seems that the zoo is due for a freshening up. In 2006 there was a proposal that the zoo needed at least $70 million in improvements, but that was quickly downgraded to the current $20 million. It's too bad that money is such an issue because the zoo grounds are beautiful and the landscaping crew has utilized the surrounding desert perfectly. To add to the ambience are the many lizards that are to be found scampering across every conceivable pathway.
The zoo has a unique squirrel monkey walk-through exhibit, a panoramic African Savanna, a solid set of Arizona Trail habitats, and an extensive collection of South American animals. It's not a zoo that is highly regarded throughout North America, but it is definitely worth a visit just to see the fascinating collection and beautiful cacti that appear to devour the landscape. I think that Phoenix is in the second tier of American zoos (in the #23-30 range on my personal list) and it will always remain that way unless there is a significant amount of money raised to overhaul the sections that are outdated. All visitors just have to be considerate of the climate in summer, as today the temperature nudged quite close to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the zoo is almost entirely outdoors.
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the acknowledgement, @ANyhuis, and your consideration regarding ESTA.
To not stray away OT anymore, let me just say that I've been following the recent US news as time allows, and I'm crossing my fingers for you guys to get out of the current trough as quickly as possible.
To not stray away OT anymore, let me just say that I've been following the recent US news as time allows, and I'm crossing my fingers for you guys to get out of the current trough as quickly as possible.
Based on your description I am sort of surprised at how high you rank the Phoenix Zoo as the way you reviewed it made it seem like it would be ranked among the #35-45 range. Having not visited the squirrel monkey habitat seems fantastic, as does the Forests of Uco and the idea of building excellent exhibits for species that aren't usually star attractions is appealing. There are so many beautiful African Savannas around that its hard to believe this one would rank so high but I suppose I would have to see it in person.
I would be shocked if the zoo kept the elephants off exhibit through nighttime as most seem to let elephants roam around. Here in Cleveland our elephants are given indoor access plus a large, very deep and sandy night range (off-exhibit) to play around in that is heated in cooler weather and is thus a brilliant concept for Northern climate zoos who wish to exhibit elephants. I like this idea as it gives the well planted exhibit ranges a break from the elephants while still allowing them outdoor access.
I would be shocked if the zoo kept the elephants off exhibit through nighttime as most seem to let elephants roam around. Here in Cleveland our elephants are given indoor access plus a large, very deep and sandy night range (off-exhibit) to play around in that is heated in cooler weather and is thus a brilliant concept for Northern climate zoos who wish to exhibit elephants. I like this idea as it gives the well planted exhibit ranges a break from the elephants while still allowing them outdoor access.
@ArizonaDocent: That's wonderful about the breeding of the tamanduas! Thanks for the information. I believe the Buffalo Zoo also had a female tamandua when the Rainforest exhibit opened in 2008, but something must have happened to her because the zoo only has the male now.