Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Tour, Review and Opinions of the Cincinnati Zoo
- Thread starter Moebelle
- Start date
How are the giraffe and elephant exhibits? I think they are both quite new?
I had to submit it because it will expire if you don't in a certain amount of time, I'm working on it right now
- You think that Cincinnati deserves to be called America's 3rd best zoo? I think that you missed a 0 in that sentence...#30 would be more appropriate.
- Monkey Island was not the first barless primate exhibit (see Bear Mountain in Denver).
- The Aspinall parks have had around 130 gorilla births, far more than either Cincinnati or London.
- Even avid cat fans here on ZooChat declared the old Cat House to be awful, and I would actually use several adjectives that are worse. I have never met anyone that thought that the exhibits were any good, although the collection at one time was amazing.
- Wildlife Canyon has had so many animal rotating through its bare paddocks that it seems there is a new line-up in place every five years!
- How many zoos have you seen? Seven? (Does it matter? Yes!! ZooChatter Baldur once wrote on ZooChat that he thinks that anyone having seen 50 zoos or more should be well regarded and respected, and while that was his opinion I think that he does have a strong point as once you see more zoos then you'll notice the great assets and the poor flaws of the 7 you've already visited)
Anyway, thank you for posting all of this information and specifically for typing out all of the species currently held in the various animal buildings. You can continue your crusade to convince everyone that Cincinnati Zoo is the most spectacular zoological garden on the planet, but remember that evaluating zoos is a subjective process and while some might agree there are many others with contrary opinions.
- Monkey Island was not the first barless primate exhibit (see Bear Mountain in Denver).
- The Aspinall parks have had around 130 gorilla births, far more than either Cincinnati or London.
- Even avid cat fans here on ZooChat declared the old Cat House to be awful, and I would actually use several adjectives that are worse. I have never met anyone that thought that the exhibits were any good, although the collection at one time was amazing.
- Wildlife Canyon has had so many animal rotating through its bare paddocks that it seems there is a new line-up in place every five years!
- How many zoos have you seen? Seven? (Does it matter? Yes!! ZooChatter Baldur once wrote on ZooChat that he thinks that anyone having seen 50 zoos or more should be well regarded and respected, and while that was his opinion I think that he does have a strong point as once you see more zoos then you'll notice the great assets and the poor flaws of the 7 you've already visited)
Anyway, thank you for posting all of this information and specifically for typing out all of the species currently held in the various animal buildings. You can continue your crusade to convince everyone that Cincinnati Zoo is the most spectacular zoological garden on the planet, but remember that evaluating zoos is a subjective process and while some might agree there are many others with contrary opinions.
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
How about Detroit's Baboon Island which opened a year or more earlier?
I also found a document that states that the Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee opened a monkey island in 1920.
Toddy
Well-Known Member
How exactly are Cincinnati Zoo leading in conservation? It does look like they are supporting great apes (gorillas and bonobos) but they don't seem to run any more projects than say London Zoo, San Diego Zoo or many others. I'm not saying that they are not doing anything but "leads the world in"? Doesn't seem like it. However, their "Go Green" project seems pretty good even though you don't believe in it.
Well that's just not true as at least Prague Zoo (Czech Republic) and Kerzer's Papiliorama (Switzerland) are also breeding tayras. And having 1.1.1 binturongs doesn't make a place "the capital" of them as many zoos have more than that.
People criticize this gorilla exhibit because it is essentially a grotto. Personally, I don't think that it looks too bad in the photos but advances in our knowledge on gorilla husbandry has increased rapidly over the last decade and the exhibit in Cincinnati Zoo simply doesn't live up to standards any more. One thing that the exhibit obviously lacks is some sort of overhead cover, preferably a canopy (although camouflage nets or similar can achieve the same effect) as gorillas are forest dwelling animals that need cover to feel secure. Also, I am not anti-moat per say but many apes over the years have fallen victim to water moats and the one in Cincinnati has a nasty drop down. And how should being the largest species of ape stop them from falling down? The bigger you are the harder you fall.
Then why was Emi unsuccessful 5 times when they used it on her, and on Nikki the Indian rhino? No this is the leopards first time
You forgot Lucy
You know people I tried to make a good reputation for the zoo, but you are making me fail at it, how about a nice job like snowleopard did the least person I would expect it from, and for the record I spent a total of 7 months on finding all this. And about my false info, tell Thayne Maynard yourself, you might pass him like I did several times. You also say that I criticize people's opinions, sooo let me have mine
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Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
@Toddy, I would agree except having observed gorillas in this exhibit for years, I feel that they are quite at ease, use the entire space, relate well with each other. Perhaps the 360degree protection and the high walls accomplish the same thing. Were the same exhibit design twice as spacious perhaps it would be a different matter.
Toddy
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry, but the lemur capital in North America would without a doubt be Duke Lemur Center with it's staggering total of 15 different species. Both Bronx Zoo and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo have more the Cincinnati (those are just off the top of my head).
Once again, aye-ayes have been exhibited many times before.
Just because people doesn't love EVERYTHING about a zoo doesn't mean that anybody are on a bashing mission here. Personally, Cincinnati Zoo ranks very high on my "must see" list for North America and I hope to go there before the sumatran rhinos leave. Also, I think that Cincinnati Zoo has a fairly good reputation already?
Nobody is criticizing your opinions here, merely disagreeing with them. You have every right to your opinions and just because other people disagree with them doesn't necessarily make them wrong unless other people can back theirs up with facts,.
What I am criticizing is you tossing clearly wrong facts around and being unable to accept other peoples' points of view. That is what this kind of forum is all about! Discussions based on facts and sharing each others views and ideas. Not just sending out anything and expect everybody to just agree.
I am not changing my mind about the aye-ayes, and I'm not coming up with these facts.
Toddy
Well-Known Member
Interesting comments @Zooplantman. I guess I got lost in the idea of overhead cover (as I tend to do with gorilla exhibits, just like I do with climbing frames in orang-utan exhibits) and forgot that the walls might provide the same kind of security. I will trust your judgement here as you obviously have spent more time at this exhibit than I have!
Look at this- Ongo | Zoo's babies are a year-round thing
As far as the aye-ayes go, I would suggest you actually pay attention to whoever gives you your information, as I do not doubt what you were actually told was the following:
The Cincinnati Zoo was the first zoo in the USA to exhibit aye-aye, but their last surviving aye-aye died in 1993. In fact, I believe it is only within the past 12 months they have obtained this species again. Big difference between getting aye-ayes in 1993 and losing them in 1993.
Toddy
Well-Known Member
Doesn't matter if you change your mind or not, you are equally wrong. Aye-ayes were exhibited in Berlin Zoo as early as 1902 and in London Zoo as early as 1862.
And the article you just posted states that
and
So you are still wrong...
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Well thank-you... I have also seen how gorillas that lack cover act and where they congregate in an exhibit. This one simply works differently on that matter
Toddy
Well-Known Member
I have also noticed that the gorillas in Givskud Zoo, Denmark, actually tend to use the open areas of their enclosure even though they have some very open areas. Maybe the tall grass and surrounding trees have an effect on the gorillas in this shot. Mind you, they also have some more covered areas,