This zoo has a diverse group of mammals on show (red ruffed lemur, Sumatran tiger, snow leopard, sun bear, California sea lion, New Guinea singing dog, etc) but none of the exhibits look exactly top-notch. How is the zoo overall? Anyone care to post a mini-review? That question could be asked of not only Miller Park Zoo, but also Niabi Zoo, Peoria Zoo, Henson Robinson Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Scovill Zoo and Phillips Park Zoo. The state of Illinois has those 7 small zoos to go along with a couple of minor other ones and the 3 big guns: Brookfield, Lincoln Park and Shedd.
This zoo has a diverse group of mammals on show (red ruffed lemur, Sumatran tiger, snow leopard, sun bear, California sea lion, New Guinea singing dog, etc) but none of the exhibits look exactly top-notch. How is the zoo overall? Anyone care to post a mini-review? That question could be asked of not only Miller Park Zoo, but also Niabi Zoo, Peoria Zoo, Henson Robinson Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Scovill Zoo and Phillips Park Zoo. The state of Illinois has those 7 small zoos to go along with a couple of minor other ones and the 3 big guns: Brookfield, Lincoln Park and Shedd.
I hope to go to the Miller Park Zoo Wednesday and if I go I will write a review and take photos.
Cosley Zoo is a very very small zoo which I can see in under 30 minutes and has just farm animals and local wildlife. The farm area is average and like many you will find in North American zoos with sheep, goat, horse, cow, llama, and donkey living there with average to small identical exhibits for it's species. The coyote and racoon exhibits are viewed from a gazebo that is surrounded by water. For me these exhibits are too small and do not have enough areas for the animals to hide in them. A third exhibit for deer and peafowl has viewing from the gazebo as well as from a path by the barn,this exhibits is large with some trees and plants in it. The new bobcat exhibit is very tall (probally over 20ft.) but the ground space is kind of small. The exhibt has alot of mock-rock climbing opportunities with a small stream as well as some plants that will hopefully grown much larger to give the cat more privacy. The next exhibits are all for birds and they start out with some small exhibits for local birds that have lots of plants in them and look fairly new. Past these exhibits is the birds of prey area which I assume are for injured local birds of prey. The has about six exhibits all joined to form a shape of a barn for various species of hawks, owls and eagles. The owls have the smaller of the exhibits and have a decent amount of perching opportunities. The eagle and hawk exhibits are a bit larger with a small stream in each of the exhibits. Overall it is a good zoo for local people but it is noting special and not likely better than good farm exhibits in big zoos.
