The Cat Canyon is the only set of negative habitats at this zoo. It would be really cool if San Diego demolished Cat Canyon and turned it into something like Himalayan Highlands at Bronx or Jaguar Cove in Seattle. Then it would be the perfect zoo.
I know the Jaguars are moving into Elephant Odysey so for the Snow Leopards they could make some kind of cool Asian Highland exhibit. A lot of the animals in Cat Canyon are from the Asian Highlands. Not only the Snow Leopards, but so are the Amur Leopards and the goats.
I hate to burst bubbles, but from all of the plans I've seen the upcoming large cat "habitats" in Elephant Odyssey are no larger (and maybe smaller) than these old Cat Canyon cages. Given some of the really crude recent exhibits at San Diego (Ituri Forest, Polar Bear Plunge), I do not have high hopes for this new complex, although I concede Monkey Trails does show some greater sophistication. The earlier Kopje and Tiger River exhibits were much better than the more recent, in-house designed projects, until the more acceptable primate facilities. Hopefully Elephant Odyssey will continue this trend.
I doubt it. Polar Bear Plunge and Ituri Forest were both excellent exhibits and I expect Elephant Odyssey to be as well. I doubt they would just build another tiny cat cage in a 2009 state-of-the-art exhibit. Personally I like Ituri Forest better than Monkey Trails. It seems like you have something against the San Diego Zoo. If the San Diego Zoo sucks than whats better?? really
In other threads I've detailed my criticism of San Diego Zoo, which boils down to the fact that with their money, topography, climate, expertise and collection they should build MUCH better exhibits. In the US, far better (tasteful, accurate, exciting, species-appropriate) exhibits can be found at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Omaha Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Audubon Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, Disney's Animal Kingdom, to name a few.
As for the size of the Lion and Jaguar exhibits planned for Elephant Odyssey, take a look at the site plans that have been posted here--the new cat exhibits are depicted as rectangles (which means they are cages, not open habitats), and are shown as only slightly wider than the tour bus roadway that passes directly next to them. Again, I hope to be surprised, but the track record is not promising.
@reduakari: it is over a year later since you made your comments on this photo thread, but from photos and eyewitness accounts it appears that you were absolutely correct in regards to the lion and jaguar enclosures within Elephant Odyssey. Disappointing.
@reduakari: it is over a year later since you made your comments on this photo thread, but from photos and eyewitness accounts it appears that you were absolutely correct in regards to the lion and jaguar enclosures within Elephant Odyssey. Disappointing.
Not absolutely correct regarding the jaguar exhibit. The new one is clearly larger and has some nice new features for the cat. I also wouldn't call netting a cage. The lion exhibit is a big disappointment though.
