@GraysonDP I feel that it is becoming outdated and only average, particularly as I believe that it has now been partitioned into two separate exhibits. I'll see it again in person in July.
@snowleopard It's interesting how some exhibits age quite well (gorilla habitat/African Plains at Woodland Park, Forest Edge at North Carolina, the hoofstock yards at Detroit, Africa Kopje/Gorilla Tropics at San Diego, African Plains/Himalayan Highlands/Jungle World/Wild Asia/Baboon Reserve at Bronx, the field exhibits at the Wild Animal Park, Africa/Asia loops at Miami) and still are excellent today while some that were once held as state of the art (this one, Arctic Tundra at Point Defiance and the recently closed Elephant Forest at Woodland Park) are now considered outdated. Why do you think some exhibits age better than others?
@GraysonDP I think that there are a number of factors as to why some exhibits age better than others. For a start, the perception of zoo enthusiasts is an interesting factor. I think in the case of Woodland Park's Elephant Forest and Point Defiance's polar bear exhibit there has been a real shift in thinking since those 1980's-era complexes were built. Polar bears and elephants are key mammals in terms of how zoo habitats have drastically improved over the years. When it comes to ungulates, the 1941 African Plains at Bronx Zoo or the late 1970's Forest Edge at North Carolina Zoo were terrific when first constructed and in truth are probably almost as impressive in the year 2017 as when originally conceived. I don't think that public opinion on zebra/antelope exhibits has altered as dramatically as perspectives on bear and elephant enclosures.
@snowleopard I concur. In the case of Arctic Tundra and Elephant Forest I feel both were considered groundbreaking at the time since they used immersive techniques not used in habitats for their species before (underwater viewing/the naturalistic backdrop, the river beds/lush vegetation.) However, the marvel at these features masked some welfare issues, whether it be the lack of natural substrate for the former or the lack of space for the latter. For instance, I actually think the elephant exhibits at Miami are better than Elephant Forest was since they are larger and grassier, although at the time EF was regarded as best in the country. Similarly, I consider Philadelphia's polar bear exhibit to be better than Point Defiance's although it is more basic in terms of look. I'll use a personal example of the spectator effect I'm trying to explain. When I visited the Pittsburgh Zoo in 2007 I was impressed by the polar bear exhibit since it was the first time I had ever seen a tunnel through the habitat and this made me think it was one of the best bear habitats I'd ever seen. However, after seeing many other polar bear habitats, I realize the Pittsburgh one is average at best and flawed in many ways. It's interesting though to see how some animals have never been topped for decades in terms of exhibitry. Everyone seems to agree Bronx, Kansas City and Woodland Park have the best habitats for gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans although they were built in 1999, 1995 and 1996 respectively!
Probably the most extreme change of state-of-the-art I can think of is believe it or not Brookfield's Tropic World was seen as incredible when it first opened since it was so revolutionary to have a large rainforest building. However, now many zoochatters (me being one of the most outspoken) lament on how fake it is and how it is unacceptable the orangs and gorillas have no outdoor access. That being said, JungleWorld at Bronx opened only a few years later and is still excellent today.
@GraysonDP You bring up many excellent points and Tropic World is clearly an example of a "boom and bust" exhibit. It was once lauded (although the price tag always tainted expectations) and now it is reviled by many. Your comment on the best exhibits for gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans is also a valid one as all 3 of the zoo habitats that you name were indeed built in the 1990's. It is disappointing that a couple of decades later no zoo has truly topped those exhibits in terms of overall quality.
