@nczoofan Definitely agreed, they did a bit more with the topography to hide the holding facilities with the right side exhibit but both are rather dissapointing, especially when compared to the elephant exhibit. Here is a picture of the original concept for comparison:
The new Polar Bear complex looks very functional, with little attempt at any kind of immersive environment. Of course it is a million times better than the cement floors of the old enclosure, but I'm a tad underwhelmed based on these photos. Much like Elephant Lands, here is an example of a new exhibit that is, to use the parlance of our times, "meh".
However, maybe I'm being too harsh because Oregon has built a Polar Bear exhibit that certainly looks far superior to similar enclosures in Toledo or Pittsburgh, and likely much larger than what can be found at San Diego, Como, Saint Louis and other American zoos. It's just a real pity that for $20 million, Oregon couldn't have made some kind of attempt to hide the prominent buildings. Assiniboine Park Zoo (Winnipeg) is still the supreme Polar Bear captive environment in North America. Let's all wait and see what Calgary Zoo comes up with in 2023.
