With all the fuss concerning Elephant Odyssey over the last few years, both pro and con, after not having visited this superb zoo in some 7 or 8 years, here's my take on it. I happen to be one of those here at ZooChat that actually liked what I saw, for the most part. I say for the most part because I would agree with several others before me; that yes, the Lion enclosure leaves much to be desired, and like DavidBrown, I readily agree with him about the Giraffe space being way too small. But I found the elephant habitat large and extensive. And no, the metal shade structures didn't really annoy me in the least. The California Condor Aviary was well done for the most part; though some visitors felt they were too exposed to the sun. I personally thought they looked rather content basking in the San Diego rays. There is plenty of glass fronted viewing; perfect for great photo ops, and the Los Angeles Zoo could take a few lessons from both San Diego facilities and Santa Barbara, on how to publicly display this highly endangered species, as well as maintaining a vital behind-the-scenes breeding colony. I also had very little criticism of the jaguar habitat; though not as well designed as, say, those in Seattle, Jacksonville, or Palm Beach; still a vast improvement over the much older cages still in use on Big Cat Trail.
If one considers the whole premise of Elephant Odyssey; a look back at California's Ice Age wildlife. And also considers that the camel did originate in the Americas, later migrating across the land bridge to the "Old World"; then seeing a mixed exhibit of pronghorn and camels fits the theme quite well. And if in doubt, one should visit the famous La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum when visiting Los Angeles; the world's richest fossil bed for Ice Age remains. My vote for Elephant Odyssey overall would be thumbs up! I believe riding atop the upper deck of the tour bus, viewing just how extensive the elephant yards stretch is what sold me. And the fact that I'm not a strict purist in regards to immersive zoo habitats, more concerned with space, the use of natural substrates, and public viewing consideration of the enclosure.
