I think it's very unfortunate that some bad luck and the unwarranted success of the nearby Ft. Worth Zoo has overshadowed the Dallas Zoo. Wilds of Africa has some flaws, but the gorilla, chimp, mandrill, okapi, kopje and African aviary are all top notch exhibits. In "Zoo North," the Children's Zoo and Tiger exhibits are terrific. Once the new African Savannah is built, perhaps this zoo will get its deserved attention and respect, hopefully without having to succumb to the banal commercialism of Ft. Worth Zoo ("Cheetos Cheetah Exhibit" indeed!)
The Dallas Zoo's gorilla exhibit strongly reminds me of a similar enclosure at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and both are lush, spacious, naturalistic great ape habitats. I think that Dallas might be a top 5 contender in North America for its gorilla exhibit, and it could compete with DAK, Bronx, San Diego, Seattle and Atlanta as being amongst the best.
