snowleopard: Is this the whole of the Memphis Zoo elephant exhibit, and if so, do you know if they have plans to expand it?
The Memphis Zoo is not mentioned on Zoochat much it seems, other than when giant pandas are mentioned. From your photos it looks like they have a good collection and some modern exhibits (polar bears, China, etc.). What did you think of this zoo relative to other zoos of similar size and collection?
snowleopard: Is this the whole of the Memphis Zoo elephant exhibit, and if so, do you know if they have plans to expand it?
The Memphis Zoo is not mentioned on Zoochat much it seems, other than when giant pandas are mentioned. From your photos it looks like they have a good collection and some modern exhibits (polar bears, China, etc.). What did you think of this zoo relative to other zoos of similar size and collection?
Memphis Zoo is loved by zoo author Allen Nyhuis, as he enjoys the "culturally immersive" exhibit complexes like CHINA, Northwest Passage and Teton Trek, and British author Tim Brown recently reviewed it and he gave it a very high grade. I'm not as big a fan, but the animal collection is fairly comprehensive: 4 bear species (including giant pandas); loads of cats in Cat Country; plenty of apes and monkeys in the multi-acre Primate Canyon; a number of hoofstock species and pachyderms (elephants, rhinos, hippos); and even a small aquarium and a nocturnal house. There aren't many American zoos that have such an extensive range of animals.
The zoo is kind of like Denver in that it doesn't gradually add an exhibit once a year but instead has massive, expensive projects that are entire complexes. CHINA, Northwest Passage, Cat Country, Teton Trek and 2013's Zambezi River Hippo Camp are all big-money, architectural marvels that are almost Disney-like and thus beloved by many visitors and Memphis Zoo is consistently highly rated on websites like Trip-Advisor. I personally think that some of the exhibits have spectacular elements geared more so at visitors rather than the animals, and many of the habitats are simply adequate and really should be better when one considers the massive expense that the zoo has spent on themed areas. The elephant, hippo, rhino and giraffe exhibits are all terrible, other than the large pool for the African elephants.
I would generally agree with snowleopard's comments. I am curious as to when the hippo exhibit will actually be completed, as I don't believe they have broken ground on it yet so I am not sure how it could open next year. This exhibit was personally uninspiring, and seeing three elephants hardly move, waiting around in such drab surroundings is a disappointment considering the number of massive exhibits there are with much more active, presumably happier elephants. Overall though, I personally loved the Memphis Zoo and seeing giant pandas for the second time ever was definitely a treat.
