Thanks @merlin for all your photos! It really does appear as if Prague Zoo is a genuine candidate for the 'world's best zoo' title and I'm dying to go one day. Aside from the Polar Bears, who will have new accommodation in the future, what flaws does Prague have? Everything looks magnificent from images online.
@snowleopard The tayra enclosure is very small, especially the male would aprecciate a bigger space. He's pacing all the time.
The jaguarundi exhibit is on the smaller side too and quite ugly...
There are also some very small indoor exhibits for primates, which I'll be posting later.
And surprisingly, the new outdoor gorilla exhibit is not very suitable for the animals. They don't go there often and spend most of the time inside, because there's no shadow for them to hide.
Some of the exhibits in the Indonesian jungle pavilion are also rather small... Especially the pig-tailed macaque island. A big group of monkeys lives there and they have no outdoor access. And the big cats (Asiatic lion, Sumatran tiger, Malayan tiger) would deserve a better space as well. Although some people believe their exhibits are fine. I suppose it could be worse, but they are still 40+ years old exhibits.
I should not forget about the outdated cages in Pheasantry. I would not have an issue with them, but besides smaller species and pheasants, they also hold some big birds, for example rhinoceros hornbills. There are lots of pinioned birds in the too.
I believe Prague's biggest flaw is that they don't provide their animals enough enrichment though. Some of the exhibits could be alright, but they are plain and thus the animals end up acting stereotypical. This is the case with Prague's honey badgers for example.
Somehow, Prague reminds me of Bronx a little bit. And not just me, @Kharzo has mentioned this too. It's beloved by many, but some of the exhibits are very small and outdated, but those who love it tend to overlook it.
Thanks for the reply @merlin and it's interesting to read your analysis. I know that Prague is highly rated by many, but perhaps your comparison with Bronx is accurate as both zoos have some exhibits that are on the older, smaller side and perhaps barely meeting modern standards.
