Its the closest species to the American Horse which went extinct. They had a whole info panel about it. This horse was from the petting zoo in the children's zoo, I believe. They had a black one there and it wasn't there when I went strolling through the children's zoo. I guess Przerwalski's Wild Horses were too rare for them to include, they'd probably do much better breeding at the Wild Animal Park than this tiny exhibit.
Wow, this really transports me back to the Pleistocene.
What it REALLY looks like is Horn and Hoof Mesa back in the early 60s, before the zoo built all of the moated exhibits there that once housed the world's finest collection of antelope and other hoofstock.
Now featuring a domestic nag in an ugly steel cage (all for $45 million!)
Regardless of how good this exhibit eventually turns out to be, the domestic horse is a complete waste of time. I've only ever seen a horse in its own enclosure in one previous zoo: the awful Emperor Valley Zoo in Trinidad and Tobago.
When you get to the exhibit, they really convince you that it does transport you back to the Pleistocene...they even have a booth of two "educators" who try to argue it. I really dislike the whole "California 12,000 years ago" thing. I'd rather have them just make a new area with Elephants, their lowland antelopes, sika deer, and Indian Rhinos. Speaking of which, they have two Indian Rhinos now. Maybe this idea was more "unique" and they had too many Asian animal areas.
When you get to the exhibit, they really convince you that it does transport you back to the Pleistocene...they even have a booth of two "educators" who try to argue it. I really dislike the whole "California 12,000 years ago" thing. I'd rather have them just make a new area with Elephants, their lowland antelopes, sika deer, and Indian Rhinos. Speaking of which, they have two Indian Rhinos now. Maybe this idea was more "unique" and they had too many Asian animal areas.
I don't think of zoos as museums though, I go to to see excellent exhibitry and animals, I don't want a history lesson about prehistoric times. There's always the La Brea Tar Pits...
Looking at this photo I see some of the shiniest, thickest, ugliest metal fencing at any zoo in the world. Then there is the thick black fence inside the enclosure, wire around the trees, and a grey blob of a building in the background. Amongst all of that metal is a single domestic horse...this "exhibit" is a disgrace for any zoo, let alone a great one like San Diego. What happened here?
The fencing does seem OTT for a horse, but what's worse it is that the animal's on its own. Horses are herd animals, they should have a pair at least.
And, if they are trying to exibit the extinct "American Horse" as OtterLord said-couldn't they give a home to some mustangs? They're the breed I think of first when I think of American horses. They'd still need a bigger yard than that though.
What it REALLY looks like is Horn and Hoof Mesa back in the early 60s, before the zoo built all of the moated exhibits there that once housed the world's finest collection of antelope and other hoofstock.
