Lion Exhibits in the U.S.

Moebelle

Moebelle

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Here is a list of nearly every measurement of U.S. lion exhibits (Asian, or African). I should note that a lot of them are rounded up. If you're having trouble finding the zoo you want to find, type CTRL F, and type the zoo name. The tool I used to measure these exhibits is...

1. Oakland Zoo – 47,140 sq. ft. - 1.08 acres
2. San Diego Safari Park – 39,440 sq. ft. - 0.91 acres
3. Kansas City Zoo – 31,805 sq. ft. - 0.73 acres
4. Fort Wayne Children's Zoo – 20,430 sq. ft. - 0.47 acres
5. Denver Zoo Left – 17,040 sq. ft. - 0.39 acres
6. Disney's Animal Kingdom – 18,590 sq. ft. - 0.43 acres
7. Bronx Zoo – 16,260sq. ft. – 0.37
8. Pittsburgh Zoo – 14,630 sq. ft. - 0.34 acres
9. Oklahoma City Zoo – 13,975 sq. ft. - 0.32 acres
10. Denver Zoo Right – 13,960 sq. ft. - 0.32 acres
11. Miami Metro Zoo – 13,560 sq. ft. - 0.31 acres
12. Cincinnati Zoo (White) – 12,520 sq. ft. - 0.29 ares
13. Seneca Park Zoo – 12,000 sq. ft. – 0.27 acres
14. St. Louis Zoo – 11,541 sq. ft. - 0.26 acres
15. Cincinnati Zoo – 11,200 sq. ft. - 0.26 acres
16. Virginia Zoo – 11,145 sq. ft. - 0.26 acres
17. Zoo Atlanta – 10,885 sq. ft. - 0.25 acres
18. Pueblo Zoo – 10,725 sq. ft. - 0.25 acres
19. Honolulu Zoo – 10,570 sq. ft. - 0.24 acres
20. Como Park Zoo – 10,555 sq. ft. - 0.24 acres
21. Maryland Zoo – 10,507 sq. ft. - 0.24 acres
22. Phoenix Zoo – 10,482 sq. ft. - 0.24 acres
23. Buffalo Zoo – 10,190 sq. ft. – 0.23 acres
24. Dallas Zoo – 10,175 sq. ft. - 0.23 acres
25. Houston Zoo – 10,000 sq. ft. - 0.23 acres
26. Zoo Boise – 9,860 sq. ft. - 0.23 acres
27. North Carolina Zoo – 9,815 sq. ft. - 0.23 acres
28. Woodland Park Zoo – 9,615 sq. ft. – 0.22 acres
29. Oregon Zoo – 9,250 sq. ft. - 0.21 acres
30. NEW Zoo – 9,010 sq. ft. - 0.21 acres
31. Henry Doorly Zoo – 8,760 sq. ft. - 0.20 acres
32. Louisville Zoo – 8,705 sq. ft. - 0.20 acres
33. Caldwell Zoo – 8,690 sq. ft. – 0.19 acres
34. El Paso Zoo – 8,245 sq. ft. - 0.19 acres
35. John Ball Zoo – 8,130 sq. ft. - 0.18 acres
36. Indianapolis Zoo – 7,820 sq. ft. - 0.18 acres
37. Smithsonian National Zoo – 7,760 sq. ft. - 0.18 acres
38. Roosevelt Park Zoo – 7,635 sq. ft. 0.18 acres
39. Jacksonville Zoo – 7,505 sq. ft. - 0.17 acres
40. Sedgwick County Zoo – 7,465 sq. ft. - 017. acres
41. Memphis Zoo – 7,435 sq. ft. - 0.17 acres
42. San Francisco Zoo – 7,100 sq. ft. - 0.16 acres
43. Philadelphia Zoo – 6,980 sq. ft. - 0.16 acres
44. Lincoln Park Zoo – 6,965 sq. ft. - 0.16 acres
45. San Antonio Zoo – 6,881 sq. ft. - 0.16 acres
46. Detroit Zoo – 6,605 sq. ft. - 0.15 acres
47. Franklin Park Zoo – 6,580 sq. ft. - 0.15 acres
48. Toledo Zoo – 6,510 sq. ft. - 0.15 acres
49. Topeka Zoo – 6,360 sq. ft. - 0.15 acres
50. Columbus Zoo Left – 6,345 sq. ft. - 0.15 acres
51. Montgomery Zoo – 6,200 sq. ft. - 0.14 acres
52. Little Rock Zoo – 6135 sq. ft. - 0.14 acres
53. Brookfield Zoo – 6,045 sq. ft. - 0.14 acres
54. Dickerson Park Zoo – 5,832 sq. ft. - 0.13 acres
55. Reid Park Zoo – 5,610 sq. ft. - 0.13 acres
56. Riverside Zoo – 5,515 sq. ft. - 0.13 acres
57. Potter Park Zoo – 5,175 sq. ft. - 0.12 acres
58. Cleveland Metropark Zoo – 5,000 sq. ft. - 0.11 acres
59. Fort Worth Zoo Left – 4,990 sq. ft. - 0.11 acres
60. Cameron Park Zoo – 4,650 sq. ft. – 0.11 acres
61. Capron Park Zoo – 4,150 sq. ft. - 0.10 acres
62. Audubon Zoo – 4,400 sq. ft. - 0.10 acres
63. Santa Barbara Zoo – 4,385 sq. ft. - 0.10 acres
64. Birmingham Zoo – 3,980 sq. ft. - 0.09 acres
65. Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo – 3,954 sq. ft. – 0.09 acres
66. Akron Zoo – 3,680 sq. ft. - 0.08 acres
67. San Diego Zoo – 3,455 sq. ft. - 0.08 acres
68. Columbus Zoo Right – 3,125 sq. ft. - 0.07 acres
69. Milwaukee County Zoo – 3,055 sq. ft. - 0.07 acres
70. Los Angeles Zoo – 3,000 sq. ft. - 0.07 acres
71. Riverbanks Zoo – 2,840 sq. ft. - 0.07 acres
72. Gladys Porter Zoo – 2,741 sq. ft. - 0.06 acres
73. Sacramento Zoo – 2,730 sq. ft. - 0.06 acres
74. Erie Zoo – 2,415 sq. ft. - 0.06 acres
75. Fort Worth Zoo Right – 2,379 sq. ft. - 0.05 acres
76. Mesker Park Zoo – 2,366 sq. ft. - 0.05 acres
77. Cheyenne Mountain Park Zoo – 1,270 sq. ft. - 0.03 acres
78. Texas Zoo – 900 sq. ft. - 0.02 acres
 
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I believe that I've seen 66 of the 76 lion exhibits on this list and I'm a little skeptical about the statistics provided. That is by no means a reflection on ZooChatter "Moebelle", who has done a fantastic job of compiling these facts, but I wonder if many of the enclosures also include moated areas that lions do not have access to. An example would be El Paso, #7 on the list, as that fairly new exhibit was built in 2010 but it features a steep moat that the lions cannot enter. I was shocked at how high El Paso was on the list above and I am curious as to whether the moat would be included as part of the enclosure. If so then the actual section of land available to the big cats is greatly exaggerated.

El Paso Zoo lion exhibit:

http://www.zoochat.com/872/lion-exhibit-new-exhibit-2010-a-194813/
 
snowleopard said:
I believe that I've seen 66 of the 76 lion exhibits on this list and I'm a little skeptical about the statistics provided. That is by no means a reflection on ZooChatter "Moebelle", who has done a fantastic job of compiling these facts, but I wonder if many of the enclosures also include moated areas that lions do not in fact have access to. An example would be El Paso, #7 on the list, as that fairly new exhibit was built in 2010 but it features a steep moat that the lions do not have access to. I was shocked at how high El Paso was on the list above and I am curious as to whether the moat would be included as part of the enclosure. If so then the actual section of land available to the big cats is greatly exaggerated.

http://www.zoochat.com/872/lion-exhibit-new-exhibit-2010-a-194813/
Click to expand...

Depending on how big the moat was, I did not include it. For example I believe at the Gladys Porter Zoo, the water moat is nearly as big as the land. Same goes for the Virginia Zoo. I included the moat at the Woodland Park Zoo because a 45 degree angle viewing showed a slope that allows the lions to venture down from the main viewing island. I just remeasured the El Paso Zoo's exhibit without the moat and it is only 8,200 sq. ft. and 0.19 acres.
 
Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY was not on the list. I am wondering if this is because google maps did not show it since it's a new exhibit.
 
blospz said:
Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY was not on the list. I am wondering if this is because google maps did not show it since it's a new exhibit.
Click to expand...

I don't recall coming across that zoo. As you said Google does not show it so I tried to find a website that says the exhibit size. It says it is 12,000 sq. ft. I will add the measurement now.
 
You didn't include the Los Angeles Zoo in the list. The zoo currently does not have lions, but they do plan to bring them back soon. I used the area calculator and tried to measure the area, and it is around 3000 sq. ft.
 
mstickmanp said:
You didn't include the Los Angeles Zoo in the list. The zoo currently does not have lions, but they do plan to bring them back soon. I used the area calculator and tried to measure the area, and it is around 3000 sq. ft.
Click to expand...

Thank you mstickman, I did try to measure the exhibit, but couldn't locate it. I disregarded it anyway because I knew they didn't have lions at the moment
 
I loathe Franklin Park Zoos Lion Exhibit. No privacy, as it is viewed from three sides. Mini Lion King rock, and the "crashed" Land Rover (the latter two are heated). Oh, and that moat...
I wish the Generic Tigers would "kick rocks" and the male lion could use their yard. At least he could stalk Zebras, Wildebeest and Ostrich in their yard.
 
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TeamTapir223 said:
Pittsburgh at number 8 does not seem right! Where are Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo?
Click to expand...

Lincoln Park is at 45 and Brookfield at 54. It was hard to measure the Pitt exhibit because of all the trees so I just followed the fence.
 
Moebelle said:
20. Como Park Zoo – 10,555 sq. ft. - 0.24 acres
78. Texas Zoo – 10,555 sq. ft. - 0.02 acres
Click to expand...

I'm thinking the Texas acerage is incorrect, and it should be significantly moved up the rankings if the square footage is correct.
 
zooboy28 said:
I'm thinking the Texas acerage is incorrect, and it should be significantly moved up the rankings if the square footage is correct.
Click to expand...

Isn't the exhibit just a small cage? If so then I found a similar exhibit with the same roof. Why was the Como Park Zoo mentioned?
 
29. Franklin Park Zoo – 9,565 sq. ft. - 0.22 acres

That measurement is way off. I think you included the ridiculous moat.

5. Denver Zoo Left – 17,040 sq. ft. - 0.39 acres

This measurement is off. The Lions rotate with Hyena and Painted Dogs. There are 3 exhibits. 10,000 sf, 6,000 sf and a maternity space of 1,800 sf.
 
Gulo gulo said:
29. Franklin Park Zoo – 9,565 sq. ft. - 0.22 acres

That measurement is way off. I think you included the ridiculous moat.

5. Denver Zoo Left – 17,040 sq. ft. - 0.39 acres

This measurement is off. The Lions rotate with Hyena and Painted Dogs. There are 3 exhibits. 10,000 sf, 6,000 sf and a maternity space of 1,800 sf.
Click to expand...

Is the maternity space viewable? If not, I don't count those. I already measured the other exhibit.
 
Moebelle said:
It says it's just a demonstration yard. Also I'm going to have to go with Google Earth on the measurements since I just remeasured them both and they are not even close to 6 or 10 thousand square feet.
Click to expand...

Don't ask how I missed those Chicago Zoos :confused: Here is a question what about moats which are accessible to the animals such as in Cleveland ?Even though the Lions rarely utilize it.Are those type moats taken into consideration?

Team Tapir223
 
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