This is all news. I am more excited about the plants than Tazzy devils if they have xanthorrea, jarrah, and banksia. I saw the photos but I didnt read Tasmanian devils or know if they were official yet. I thought they were still just wishful thinking.
San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo News 2012
- Thread starter kknudsen
- Start date
This is all news. I am more excited about the plants than Tazzy devils if they have xanthorrea, jarrah, and banksia. I saw the photos but I didnt read Tasmanian devils or know if they were official yet. I thought they were still just wishful thinking.
I have no intention of becoming a major defender of "Elephant Odyssey", but it really isn't the failure that some here make it out to be in my opinion. On balance I think that more of it works than fails. Yes, the elephant exhibit is unnaturalistic and aesthetically weird. Do the elephants care? If the elephants are unhappy because they get stupid metal trees rather than real vegetation then I care, but I frankly don't think that they care. They have a large habitat to wander around that is an adequate modern elephant exhibit, and far better than the old exhibit. If any critters have a right to complain it's the giraffes, because they got booted from their old bad exhibit and put in a an even worse new exhibit because of Elephant Odyssey.
As someone concerned about large mammal conservation, I think that showing people what we have lost and what we have left if we still want large mammals in the 21st century and beyond is an important concept. Did this concept work in this exhibit? Maybe. I personally think that all of the animal statues of Pleistocene megafauna are cool and do make the intended point to some people. There are also great to really good exhibits for native riparian amphibians and reptiles, rattlesnakes, California condors, secretary birds, and jaguars. The capybara/guanaco/tapir exhibit is the same blah dustbowl that San Diego keeps all of their hoofstock in. The horse barn is out of place, but I get the connection with Pleistocene horses. Much of the climate change interpretation IS a failure, because it is indecipherably weird and boring. The interpretation can easily be ripped out and redone. They did something similar with both the polar bear complex and the giant pandas (actually "Panda Trek" is like the third or fourth remodel of the panda area).
Okay, good points. Let me rephrase that! 
I really hope this isn't as disappointing as Elephant Odyssey seemed to be to some of us here on ZooChat. I like the idea; hopefully San Diego can execute this one even better.
I really hope this isn't as disappointing as Elephant Odyssey seemed to be to some of us here on ZooChat. I like the idea; hopefully San Diego can execute this one even better.
Okay, good points. Let me rephrase that!
I really hope this isn't as disappointing as Elephant Odyssey seemed to be to some of us here on ZooChat. I like the idea; hopefully San Diego can execute this one even better.
I think it won't. They seem to want to own up to the fact that they have the largest collection of koalas outside of Australia and they are going for the only zoo in the US to have Tasmanian Devils again. In the entire United States, SD has the best climate and botanical collection to pull of Australia (LA would be able to too); if it was like EO, it would be rather embarrassing. Aussie animals are easier to plant for than elephants too.
I'm extremely sorry to those who were expecting more SDZoo news, but I have to say it. Seeing as how there are members on here saying worse things and acting childish, then I'm 100% positive I won't get bashed just for voicing my true opinion. I never thought that anything was wrong with Elephant Odyssey. It's just that so many members hated it, and although I wanted to argue against them, I had no information to back myself up unlike the points that reduakari and mweb08 make. Because of that, I just went with what the majority of members I'd talked to said. However, there are some, like DavidBrown, who think the exhibit is very good. He and I pretty much thought the same of it. So, yes, I just wanted to say that I didn't really like to use the term "another EO" because in truth, Elephant Odyssey was never a bad exhibit in my mind. Yes, the jaguar and secretary bird exhibits are a bit small, the Care Center is mainly metal and a complete eyesore (the house behind the capybara exhibit as well), the elephants show stereotypical behavior from time to time, and the execution could've gone a bit better, but it is not a terrible exhibit. Just wanted to get that out. Thanks.
Thanks.
Well said. It's nice to see that the world has gotten completely bonkers and that some people aren't afraid to say what they want to say.I'm extremely sorry to those who were expecting more SDZoo news, but I have to say it. Seeing as how there are members on here saying worse things and acting childish, then I'm 100% positive I won't get bashed just for voicing my true opinion. I never thought that anything was wrong with Elephant Odyssey. It's just that so many members hated it, and although I wanted to argue against them, I had no information to back myself up unlike the points that reduakari and mweb08 make. Because of that, I just went with what the majority of members I'd talked to said. However, there are some, like DavidBrown, who think the exhibit is very good. He and I pretty much thought the same of it. So, yes, I just wanted to say that I didn't really like to use the term "another EO" because in truth, Elephant Odyssey was never a bad exhibit in my mind. Yes, the jaguar and secretary bird exhibits are a bit small, the Care Center is mainly metal and a complete eyesore (the house behind the capybara exhibit as well), the elephants show stereotypical behavior from time to time, and the execution could've gone a bit better, but it is not a terrible exhibit. Just wanted to get that out.
Is Elephant Odyssey truly atrocious? Are the exhibits so small that the animals can't turn around? And doesn't every captive animal exhibit stereotypical behavior sometime? They are in a zoo, not the wild. No matter how natural you make a zoo's enclosure, it's just not the same. I think what really matters is that the animals have enough room, have enrichment, have companions if they're social animals, and they're well taken care of. Yes, Elephant Odyssey isn't SDZ's strongest point, but compared to the tiny cages in Urban Jungle, I think EO isn't that bad.
Thank you, BeardsleyZooFan. I think that Elephant Odyssey has a fantastic condor exhibit and rattlesnake exhibit, lots of enrichment for the two jaguars including a large pool for them to swim in, and brought a different theme for exhibiting animals.
Thank you, BeardsleyZooFan. I think that Elephant Odyssey has a fantastic condor exhibit and rattlesnake exhibit, lots of enrichment for the two jaguars including a large pool for them to swim in, and brought a different theme for exhibiting animals.
I don't know that much on the exhibit itself, but I do have to agree on the theme for the animals. The theme of exhibiting the modern day descendents of prehistoric creatures of San Diego is completely original, and I don't think anyone San Diego could have thought of that. Elephant Odyssey once again isn't too bad, it's just not SD's greatest strength.
mweb08
Well-Known Member
I've actually been one of the biggest defenders of EO on here. I don't think it's great by any means, but I also think it's far from awful, which is what some think or at least the impression they give.
The lion exhibit is the biggest issue to me by far. Otherwise, I think it's mostly good to very good. Still disappointing overall, though.
The lion exhibit is the biggest issue to me by far. Otherwise, I think it's mostly good to very good. Still disappointing overall, though.
You do realize that San Diego has the largest animal collection of any zoo in the western hemisphere? It would be nearly impossible to list all of the animals they have on display (even ignoring the dozens they have off display). If you have one area of particular interest, however, someone might give you a list of animals in that category.
If anyone would be willing enough to give me a updated list of what animals the zoo has on display, that would highly generous of you
I would highly recommend spending some time going through the zoo's website. They have a pretty comprehensive description of their exhibits and species and that will help you figure out what the highlights that you want to see are. It's a huge zoo and very difficult to see in one day, in part because it is built in a series of hills and valleys. Consulting the website and maps ahead of your visit might save you some frustration on the ground (and hopefully ramp up your excitement).
mweb08
Well-Known Member
I actually have no problem at all seeing the whole zoo in one day, including repeating certain sections. If one is older or has kids, I can see why it would be an issue, but otherwise, given the zoo's hours, I don't think it is that much of a challenge to see the entire zoo unless you are one that spends a ton of time watching the animals.
Blackduiker
Well-Known Member
Blackduiker
In some 10-12 visits to the San Diego Zoo in my lifetime, I don't believe I've ever gone without seeing the entire zoo. Even during my first visit back in 1964 at the age of 9.
In some 10-12 visits to the San Diego Zoo in my lifetime, I don't believe I've ever gone without seeing the entire zoo. Even during my first visit back in 1964 at the age of 9.
that made me chuckle a little. I know what you meant but the first thing that popped into my head was "if you're not watching the animals what are you there for?"mweb08 said:
team tapir
Well-Known Member
During my visit to SD I had know problem seeing the whole mainly because of its visitor friendly hours.While visiting the Bronx however this was not the case and we had to make it a two day visit.
Marty of Team Tapir
Marty of Team Tapir