When I glance at photos of the Reptile House, Primate House, Bird House or 1904 Flight Cage (built for the World's Fair) at the Saint Louis Zoo I am struck at how European the zoo is in appearance. There are grand old buildings with a staggering variety of animals, alongside modern, naturalistic exhibits covering most of the rest of the zoo. Saint Louis has an amazing reptile/amphibian collection, one of the largest bird collections in any American zoo, a fantastic hoofstock section called Red Rocks, an older but still worthwhile big cat area, very impressive great ape exhibits, one of the world's great penguin/puffin complexes, an outstanding Insectarium, and of course River's Edge, which might be the largest and most popular area of the zoo with animals from four different continents.
With Sea Lion Sound opening this summer, Polar Bear Point to follow in a couple of years, and at least two bear species to be added to River's Edge the zoo will again be transformed and what will be left to upgrade? I'm not a huge fan of the Primate House but it is far from dreadful, and that would perhaps be something that the zoo will eventually examine. At the moment I've visited over 100 different zoos and aquariums just in the United States and looking strictly at my lifetime list of zoos I'd estimate that there are only a handful that I think are as impressive as Saint Louis.
With Sea Lion Sound opening this summer, Polar Bear Point to follow in a couple of years, and at least two bear species to be added to River's Edge the zoo will again be transformed and what will be left to upgrade? I'm not a huge fan of the Primate House but it is far from dreadful, and that would perhaps be something that the zoo will eventually examine. At the moment I've visited over 100 different zoos and aquariums just in the United States and looking strictly at my lifetime list of zoos I'd estimate that there are only a handful that I think are as impressive as Saint Louis.
I missed the news about bear species being added to River's Edge. Is there an exhibit plan floating out there somewhere? Are they adding Asian bear species to complement the elephants?
I missed the news about bear species being added to River's Edge. Is there an exhibit plan floating out there somewhere? Are they adding Asian bear species to complement the elephants?
Regarding the new sea lion exhibit, I know that times are tight and zoos need all the sponsorships they can get but this seems like it might be the worst exhibit name ever: Enterprise Rent-A-Car Family Sea Lion Landing
I wonder if they'll be teaching their sea lions how to drive Enterprise rental cars as part of their sea lion show? That would be something to see.
