I really like this exhibit, it is a different and interesting first impression for visitors to the zoo and is very well done.
Are Rocky Mountain Goats particularly common in North American collections? I don't remember seeing them anywhere else in the US (missed them at Woodland Park). Is this the best enclosure for this species in North America?
I really like this exhibit, it is a different and interesting first impression for visitors to the zoo and is very well done.
Are Rocky Mountain Goats particularly common in North American collections? I don't remember seeing them anywhere else in the US (missed them at Woodland Park). Is this the best enclosure for this species in North America?
There are sadly very few Rocky Mountain Goat exhibits in the US, most (if not all) of them are in the Rockies or Northwest.
As far as the best, the Oregon Zoo is certainly the best I've seen from a guest experience standpoint, but I do enjoy Woodland Park Zoo's exhibit quite a lot. Other exhibits of them can be found at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, and Northwest Trek in Washington State. Outside of the AZA they can be seen at Zoo Idaho (formerly Pocatello Zoo), the Alaska Zoo, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, and the following drive-through wildlife parks: Yellowstone Bear World (Idaho), Bearizona (Arizona), and Bear Country U.S.A. (South Dakota).
There may be more, but these are the ones I'm aware of.
I've only seen them (outside the wild) in the Zoos in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage and Northwest Trek. In the past I've seen them at Stuttgart (roughly 2003) and San Antonio (1985). They are long gone from San Antonio.
I would rank this exhibit at the top of the exhibits I've seen for this species. Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle had a nice exhibit, but the Mountain Goats were not in view when I stopped by their enclosure.
As far as the best, the Oregon Zoo is certainly the best I've seen from a guest experience standpoint, but I do enjoy Woodland Park Zoo's exhibit quite a lot. Other exhibits of them can be found at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, and Northwest Trek in Washington State. Outside of the AZA they can be seen at Zoo Idaho (formerly Pocatello Zoo), the Alaska Zoo, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, and the following drive-through wildlife parks: Yellowstone Bear World (Idaho), Bearizona (Arizona), and Bear Country U.S.A. (South Dakota).
I've visited 9 out of the 11 zoos listed with Rocky Mountain Goats (only missing the two in far-away Alaska and the Yukon Territory) and my vote for the best overall exhibit would be Oregon Zoo. It is a cool idea that it is possible to view the goats before actually entering the zoo as at that point a ticket is not required. The habitat is beautifully located and a great introduction to a high quality facility. I've been to Woodland Park Zoo on numerous occasions (3-4 times per year) and to be honest rarely even seen the goats as they are usually obscured by the mountainous rockwork in the enclosure. Over the past few years Woodland Park has mainly had the single goat due to a couple of deaths and I've always maintained that the exhibit would be FAR more effective with a small herd of either Rock Mountain Goats, Dall Sheep or Bighorn Sheep.
I did like the mixed exhibit for Mountain Goats at Woodland, but the exhibit didn't look particularly natural, and a herd would have been good.
I have also seen RMG in Helsinki Zoo (Korkeasaari) in a good exhibit, which was snow-covered at the time, and at Berlin Tierpark, which was rather more forested with a couple of rock piles. Both were much larger than Oregon and Woodland Park, and I think Helsinki is the best I have seen (although I don't think they keep the species now), followed by Oregon.
I did like the mixed exhibit for Mountain Goats at Woodland, but the exhibit didn't look particularly natural, and a herd would have been good.
I have also seen RMG in Helsinki Zoo (Korkeasaari) in a good exhibit, which was snow-covered at the time, and at Berlin Tierpark, which was rather more forested with a couple of rock piles. Both were much larger than Oregon and Woodland Park, and I think Helsinki is the best I have seen (although I don't think they keep the species now), followed by Oregon.
