Best Asian Exhibit in the U.S.

Best Asian Exhibit in the U.S.

  • Total voters
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blospz

blospz

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Based on the animal collection or the quality of the exhibits, what zoo do you think has the best Asian exhibit. Here are some top zoos with a list of their main Asian animals:

Bronx Zoo:
Asian Elephant
One Horned Rhino
Red Panda
Gaur
Asian deer & antelope
Amur Tiger
Babirusa

Columbus Zoo:
Asian Elephant
Amur Tiger
Flying Fox
Sun Bear
Pallas Cat
Markhor
Red Panda
Silver Leafed Lanqur
Cranes
Muntjac
Tufted Deer
Water Monitor
Reticulated Python

Denver Zoo:
Asian Elephant
One Horned Rhino
Malayan Tapir
Sarus Crane
Gibbon
Clouded Leopard
Fishing Cat
Asian Small Clawed Otter

Hogle Zoo:
Amur Tiger
Amur Leopard
Snow Leopard
Siberian Lynx
Pallas Cat

Lowry Park Zoo:
Babirusa
Clouded Leopard
Tufted Deer
Reeve’s Muntjac
One Horned Rhino
Aviary of Asian birds
White Tiger
Malayan Tiger
Sloth Bear
Malaysian Tapir
Komodo Dragon
Visayan Warty Pig

Memphis Zoo:
Asian Small-Clawed Otter
Azure Winged Magpie
Francois Langur
Giant Panda
Himalayan Monal Pheasant
Hog Deer
Hooded Cranes
Mandarin Duck
Pere David’s Deer
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Smew
Temminick’s Tragopan Pheasant
White-cheeked Gibbon
White-napped Crane

National Zoo:
Giant Panda
Red Panda
Asian Elephant
Giant Salamander
Asian Small Clawed Otter
Fishing Cat
Clouded Leopard
Sloth Bear

Virginia Zoo:
Sun Bear
Aviary of Asian birds
Siamang
Orangutan
Malayan Tiger
Demosielle Crane
Sarus Crane
Red Panda
Rhino. Hornbill
Binturong
Malaysian Tapir
Asiatic Black Bear
Asian Small Clawed Otter
Gibbon

Woodland Park Zoo:
Asian Elephant
Visayan Warty Pig
Malayan Tapir
Siamang
Orangutan
Komodo Dragon
Snow Leopard
In the future....
Malayan Tiger
Asian Small-Clawed Otter
Sloth Bear
Snow Leopard
 
Being to only four of these zoos, I voted for Virginia Zoo. I love their collection of animals, they keep adding more of them, and the quality of exhibits is excellent to average. National Zoo would come in second place, having Giant Pandas and having excellent quality of exhibits.
 
This is a great idea for a poll, and I've personally visited all 9 of the zoos in the last few years. National Zoo's Asia Trail is outstanding and it got my vote, although there is a lot of top-quality Asian habitats on the list.
 
I'll always be a fan of Wild Asia at Bronx Zoo. Of course it's 30 plus years old and I have not seen some of the newer exhibits mentioned. I visited the Virginia Zoo in 2006 and recall only Tigers and that Africa was the Zoo's prime geographic exhibit theme. Sounds awesome.
 
Pleistohorse said:
I'll always be a fan of Wild Asia at Bronx Zoo. Of course it's 30 plus years old and I have not seen some of the newer exhibits mentioned. I visited the Virginia Zoo in 2006 and recall only Tigers and that Africa was the Zoo's prime geographic exhibit theme. Sounds awesome.
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Their new Asian section is beautiful. If they keep heading in that direction, they can really make it a solid small zoo.
 
First off, I have yet to vote in this poll as I am still making up my mind. Secondly, while the majority of these zoos have one major Asian zone, the Bronx actually has 4 major Asian zones; Tiger Mountain, Himalayan Highlands, JungleWorld, and Wild Asia Monorail. All 4 of these areas are wonderful for most of their inhabitants (minus Leopards in JW), and there is even more Asian species distributed around the zoo with the World of Reptiles and with both bird houses. I think this is an excellent idea for a poll, but I feel blospz's list for the Bronx is somewhat incomplete, and I wish to add to it, if you don't mind;
Asian Elephant
Indian Rhino
Przewalski's Wild Horse
Himalayan Tahr
Red Panda
Gaur
Asian deer & antelope
Amur and Malayan Tiger
Babirusa
Snow Leopard
Reptiles such as False Gharial and King Cobra
Birds such as White-Naped Crane and Painted Stork
Leopard
Malayan Tapir
White-Cheeked Gibbon
 
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BeardsleyZooFan said:
First off, I have yet to vote in this poll as I am still making up my mind. Secondly, while the majority of these zoos have one major Asian zone, the Bronx actually has 4 major Asian zones; Tiger Mountain, Himalayan Highlands, JungleWorld, and Wild Asia Monorail. All 4 of these areas are wonderful for most of their inhabitants (minus Leopards in JW), and there is even more Asian species distributed around the zoo with the World of Reptiles and with both bird houses. I think this is an excellent idea for a poll, but I feel blospz's list for the Bronx is somewhat incomplete, and I wish to add to it, if you don't mind;
Asian Elephant
Indian Rhino
Red Panda
Gaur
Asian deer & antelope
Amur and Malayan Tiger
Babirusa
Snow Leopard
Reptiles such as False Gharial and King Cobra
Birds such as White-Naped Crane and Painted Stork
Leopard
Malayan Tapir
White-Cheeked Gibbon
Click to expand...

Thanks for the added information. I have never been to the zoo and I could not get much information from their website. So I just looked at a zoo map and guessed what animals were in Wild Asia.
 
blospz said:
Thanks for the added information. I have never been to the zoo and I could not get much information from their website. So I just looked at a zoo map and guessed what animals were in Wild Asia.
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No problem. I've only been to 2 zoos on this list, so it's going to be difficult between the zoos I haven't visited, as I don't want to judge them unfairly.
 
I have visited all the exhibits on this list except for Denver Zoo's, since I visited before the exhibit opened. I like most of the exhibits mentioned and am partial to Lowry Park on this list because they have white tigers, but most of them are quite good exhibits. I especially like the hoofstock collection at Bronx along the Wild Asia Monorail. The only one on this list I dislike is National Zoo's Asia Trail. I have a long history with it and detailed knowledge of it and I HATE IT. I was opposed to the way it was conceived right from the beginning back in 2000 and it has done nearly irreparable damage to the zoo as a whole, even if one or two of the exhibits in it look nice.

I know the poll is a short list of recent Asian exhibits but I've been to over 120 zoos/aquariums around the world including pretty much every major one in the US, and I can think of at least a dozen or so more additional good Asian exhibits in the country.
 
WhiteTiger said:
IThe only one on this list I dislike is National Zoo's Asia Trail. I have a long history with it and detailed knowledge of it and I HATE IT. I was opposed to the way it was conceived right from the beginning back in 2000 and it has done nearly irreparable damage to the zoo as a whole, even if one or two of the exhibits in it look nice.
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What do you hate about the National Zoo's Asia trail and why do you think that it has done irreparable damage to the zoo? I think that their otter, giant panda, clouded leopard, and Asian elephant exhibits are some of the best of their kind in the zoo world and that the complex in general really distinguishes that zoo.

The Los Angeles Zoo has developed quite a nice complex of Asian animal exhibits with its new Elephants of Asia complex, the langur (ex-golden monkey) exhibit, snow leopard exhibit, takin yard, and orangutan exhibit. There are also Sumatran tigers, Indian rhino, Himalayan tahr, and siamangs in older exhibits.

The San Diego Zoo has its Tiger River exhibit as the main Asia-specific complex with tigers, Malayan tapirs, fishing cats, gharials (or have they moved back to the large exhibit by the reptile house), and several aviaries with Asian bird species. The exhibit is now 25 years old, but still holds up pretty well. The tapir exhibit is pretty small by modern standards.

The Fresno Zoo has a pretty impressive Asia complex for its size with Asian elephants, tigers, orangutans and siamangs, Malayan tapirs, and an Australia-Asia aviary, although the elephant exhibit is too small and Asian elephants will likely leave when the new Africa exhibit with an African elephant herd opens in the next couple years.
 
WhiteTiger said:
I have visited all the exhibits on this list except for Denver Zoo's, since I visited before the exhibit opened. I like most of the exhibits mentioned and am partial to Lowry Park on this list because they have white tigers, but most of them are quite good exhibits. I especially like the hoofstock collection at Bronx along the Wild Asia Monorail. The only one on this list I dislike is National Zoo's Asia Trail. I have a long history with it and detailed knowledge of it and I HATE IT. I was opposed to the way it was conceived right from the beginning back in 2000 and it has done nearly irreparable damage to the zoo as a whole, even if one or two of the exhibits in it look nice.
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Lowry Park is phasing out the White Tigers. In late 2011 or early 2012, they brought in 2 Malayan Tiger brothers from the Bronx Zoo. They also have one elderly White Tiger left, who rotates with the Malayans. Once he passes, the Malayans will have constant access to the exhibit.
Why do you hate Asia Trail so much? It has without a doubt the best Giant Panda exhibit in the United States, and has many excellent exhibits for other animals too.
 
Although I'm not a fan of this zoo as a whole, the Hogle Zoo's Asian Highlands exhibit is a nice one. It exhibits Palla's cats, Amur tigers, Amur leopards, snow leopards, and Eurasian lynx in a nicely landscaped and spacious exhibit.
 
This is a real tough one Bonnie and I have been going back and forth for two days now.We have visited all but Denver and Hogle and feel any of them could be deserving of the top spot.That being said we'll vote for one of our local spots and give C-Bus the nod.

Team Tapir223
 
I voted for Bronx. I love National's too but Bronx wins it for me. By the way, their Asian exhibit has much more than that! Those you listed are just some of the ones on the monorail (they also have Himalayan Tahr and Przewalski's Wild Horse). There's also Jungle World, the camels (Dromedary and Bactrian), and the Northern Bald Ibis.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I voted for Bronx. I love National's too but Bronx wins it for me. By the way, their Asian exhibit has much more than that! Those you listed are just some of the ones on the monorail (they also have Himalayan Tahr and Przewalski's Wild Horse). There's also Jungle World, the camels (Dromedary and Bactrian), and the Northern Bald Ibis.

~Thylo:cool:
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I agree Thylo. When taken as a whole it is hard to beat the Bronx Zoo in Asian Wildlife. I remember about 10 years ago that had one of the Sumatran Rhinos as well. I believe it went to Cincinnati. Let's not forget Brown and Polar Bears (NA Subspecies maybe) and the Pere David's Deer.
The Bronx was my Zoo growing up and it still casts it's shadow on every zoo I visit.
 
Pleistohorse said:
I agree Thylo. When taken as a whole it is hard to beat the Bronx Zoo in Asian Wildlife. I remember about 10 years ago that had one of the Sumatran Rhinos as well. I believe it went to Cincinnati. Let's not forget Brown and Polar Bears (NA Subspecies maybe) and the Pere David's Deer.
The Bronx was my Zoo growing up and it still casts it's shadow on every zoo I visit.
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The Bronx Zoo's Sumatran Rhinoceros, Rapunzel, died in 2005 at the Bronx Zoo.
 
I did not know that. How long was she there? Do you know anything about her history. I just assumed she was swept up in the Sumatran Rhino consolidation as it were.
 
Yeah Bronx and San Diego (zoo and wild animal/safari park) have multiple Asian exhibits. Columbus also has two if you count Asia Domain and the Islands part of the Australia and Islands exhibit. I could think of quite a few other zoos with Asian exhibits, like Disney Animal Kingdom, Fort Worth, Miami, Pittsburgh, Erie, Atlanta, Kansas City, Louisville, Baton Rouge, and Audubon Zoos. I guess one could argue half of Cincinnati Zoo’s Jungle Trails too. Not all of these are exceptional or big but some of them are. I’m sure there are others too, I’ve been to so many I forget sometimes lol. Personally I think San Diego (zoo and park) has the best, as well as Bronx. The most surprisingly nice one to me though was Miami, which also has a lot of neat species in its Asia section.

My relations with the National Zoo are quite long, and I know it extremely well. The Asia Trail and Elephant Trail have some nice exhibits in them yes, but they have been horrible problems with the zoo since they were first thought up years ago. A lot of the public doesn't know about it. It was born out of bad management and lawsuits from a rash of high profile animal deaths, as well as bullying from the Chinese government. I can write a lot more detail about it, but it's a long story.

I had the privilege to see Rapunzel once at Bronx. She was a beautiful animal and I love whoever named her that, haha. Very sweet.
 
Pleistohorse said:
I did not know that. How long was she there? Do you know anything about her history. I just assumed she was swept up in the Sumatran Rhino consolidation as it were.
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I'm pretty sure she came from Cincinnati actually. I know she was there pretty much because she was too old to breed. She was exhibited in the large exhibit outside the Zoo Center with a smaller indoor part. Despite me seeing it in the inside part, I never saw the Indian Rhino that replaced her outside. Now the exhibit is home to two Southern White Rhinos.

This is one of my all-time favorite photos from the Bronx Zoo!:

~Thylo:cool:
 

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