Wings of Asia is easily one of the biggest and best aviaries in North America. With over 300 birds of at least 70 species, and many winding paths and walkways, it is an aviary that can be compared to the massive structures at the San Diego Zoo.
I agree. Just a few birds in a huge aviary, wonderful to see that the birds have huge terretories.At the Berlin Zoo, they would keep ten times the birds and species in this aviary...
And that is why the Berlin Zoological Gardens is a World Class Zoo, World Famous, an Iconic landmark and so many other things, and our local zoo (Miamimetro Zoo) is just at its best average.
The current total number of birds for this aviary is 219, of 61 species (a few species are behind public exhibit) so it is more like 56/58 species depending on the day.
I find it very negative, if a zoow ould keep ten times more birs in this aviary than Miami is doing, giving teh animals mor space can't be wrong, wouLd'nt you agre ? Berlin Zoo is COLLECTING animals like a stamp collector, so the animals don't have that space the animal have at the Miami Metrozoo and thats why Berlin zoo can't be a World Class Zoo. I think, you have not understand my last postings correctly. Miami Zoo isn't just average, its a really good zoo, so be happy to have such a good zoo in your city. Its much better than berlin, but I agree with you, Berlin Zoo is very interesting from the history's side and could be great zoo, if the zoo had the right director and not an animal collector.
It is purely, different ways of looking at zoos, and what makes a zoo great is very different in our eyes, i find myself in the middle of collecting the biggest amount of animal species possible in a zoo, and providing the best exhibits possible, Berlin Zoo goes both ways, sure they can improve certain areas, but it is very difficult in this zoo due to space, Miami Metrozoo has all the space they could ever need, yet the can't seem to find the right way to put it together, i see how somebody that is not use to this type of zoo could put it that high, so do the tourist that come here because of the beach and sub-tropical weather, but i find that overrated as well.
Not many people that know Miami Metrozoo from the inside are very happy with it, i can tell you that much, mainly the County Board of Comissioners and corruct politicians are the ones that keep this zoo back from becoming the atraction that it should be, but i would not expect a tourist to understand that, there is too much going on behind the scenes.
@Zebraduiker: I'm so happy that we are in complete agreement in regards to the Miami Metrozoo after you and I had differing opinons about the Bronx. You have often mentioned how you prefer certain zoos over others, and so where would you rank Miami in comparison to other North American zoos? The animal collection is superb, and I think that at least 80% of Miami's exhibits are totally acceptable and above average.
I have visited Miami Metrozoo so many times as my brother lives in Miami. When I first visited I rated it very highly, but now after I have become familiar with it, I find it average at best. There are no wow exhibits besides Wings of Asia, but I am not a bird person at all, and could easily skip the excellent aviary. Amazon & Beyond was a great idea, but for 50 million it could have been way better. The jaguar exhibit is too small for the size of Miami Metrozoo. At the Woodland Park Zoo, which is bounded on all sides by neighborhoods the jaguars live in an exhibit 10 times better. Amazon & Beyond is one of the top 5 most expensive exhibits built, yet it's not that good. No exhibit at Miami Metrozoo is great, most are average. Their elephant exhibit is good, but its not very innovative like Nashville's or other upcoming elephant exhibits. This zoo lacks innovation, and I really don't think it can crack a top 15 list.
BlackRhino: I'm so happy that we are in complete agreement in regards to the Miami Metrozoo after you and I had different opinons about the same zoo in other ocassions, but i have to tell you that you are 10000% correct, and i was confident that it would take some time, and possibly a few more visits but you would understand were i have being coming from.
Other members like snowleopard and Zebraduiker have the views of a zoo enthusiast visiting a completely different zoo for the first time, so i can understand them to a degree, but if either of these two were to know half of what has happened with this zoo behind close doors, they would be in horror, to say the least, Amazon and Beyond did have a pretty costly price tag, but most of the money went to overpaid construction companies and so on, i will leave some details out since i really do not know who reads this, but i have several very good friends very familiar with the situation, companies were turn down, to get others to do a far lesser job for twice the price, and money has being pocketed by this corruct politicians, the problem with Miami's Metrozoo is that the figures that really run the show are the County board and sadly some of these people do not care one bit about Zoos/Animals/etc all they care about is money.
People like Ron Magill have being close to quiting for nonsence like this, this is a extremely passionate subject for me, because i know too much of what has being going on in this place for some time, until this zoo is run properly it would not be even top 10 in any list.
They have two things going for them, very large animal collection with plenty of room for expansion, and enough land to make anything possibly, yet they seem to take every possible shortcut available.
Don't let the sun, palm trees, and clean gardens fool you tourists, there is something really wrong with this place and a shame that it happens in a great country like the US, but that is Miami for you.
Miami Zoo is much betetr than you think. Whats amkes an exhibit "greta" ? If is nice to see to the visitors or if iit is good to the animals ? Theer are tons of things you don't know abozt the Metrozoo. I've spend tghre edays in the whole zoo and sopke to so many people.
The zoo has a lot of really good exhibits, altough the hoofstock exhibits are look very similar ( what is only boring to some zoo fans, but the animals don't care about it ), they are good for them with shade, naturla ground, hiding places, good vegeation, mudholes,pools and sand pools, so all they really need. In some cases, the zoo has raelyl ncie combinations. Soem areas, as like as Amazon and Beyond, are not thjat good tehy could be, so i agree with the jaguar exhibit for example, but Amazon and Beyond isn't that abd what you both think.It could be ebtter, no quuestion.
Miamis elephant kepeing is one of the ebst I know. The elephnats are outside 24 hours a day on NATRURAl ground with grass, they have great pols and Mudholes ( very rare in europe ! ), teh yhave shade( missaing in a lot of newer exibits in europe ! ) and tons of attraktive enrichment, which is really hard to spot from outside the exhibit, I was inside ( without elephants, of course) and I could see them, really good. And Miami has a really good elephant keepers team.
