Honestly I'd say Cemrock/the in-house design team at North Carolina Zoo have done the best rockwork I've seen personally. WCS pays top dollar for legitimately game-changing rockwork and treework, which I *want to say* is in-house as well.
America's 100 Must See Exhibits
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
- Start date
Interesting inclusion. To be completely honest, Woodland Park Zoo is a facility I know very little about except for the fact it tends to be well-regarded on here, mainly due to how far away it is from me. However, this jaguar exhibit certainly looks incredible, and is another inclusion in the pile of "impressive exhibits from the western half of the country that I didn't even know existed".66. Jaguar Cove
Woodland Park Zoo, WA
Opened: 2003
Size: 4,000 Square Feet (370 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Jaguar
It isn't often jaguars are given exceptional enclosures, but a zoo like Woodland Park spares no expense at creating immersive environments for all of its residents. This exhibit is not enormous, but superbly landscaped and filled with lush vegetation providing many hiding spots for the cats. Both some luck and patience is required when spotting the inhabitants as a result, although there are several viewing portals spanning the length of the enclosure including views into the dense plantings, a covered den, and a large pool frequently stocked with live fish. The visitor viewing area is covered by a gigantic simulated kapok tree which is tastefully done along with the numerous log structures within the exhibit. Exhibits for spotted cats have improved dramatically in recent years, but two decades after this exhibit's opening, I'd be hard pressed to find a better place to view jaguars anywhere else in North America.
@snowleopard
@Arizona Docent
@snowleopard
@Westcoastperson
Similar Exhibits: There are other notable jaguar exhibits, but they will be mentioned later as part of larger complexes.
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
I wonder how this would compare to Chester’s jaguar exhibit, with them both being excellent enclosures and Chester’s only being 2 years older.66. Jaguar Cove
Woodland Park Zoo, WA
Opened: 2003
Size: 4,000 Square Feet (370 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Jaguar
It isn't often jaguars are given exceptional enclosures, but a zoo like Woodland Park spares no expense at creating immersive environments for all of its residents. This exhibit is not enormous, but superbly landscaped and filled with lush vegetation providing many hiding spots for the cats. Both some luck and patience is required when spotting the inhabitants as a result, although there are several viewing portals spanning the length of the enclosure including views into the dense plantings, a covered den, and a large pool frequently stocked with live fish. The visitor viewing area is covered by a gigantic simulated kapok tree which is tastefully done along with the numerous log structures within the exhibit. Exhibits for spotted cats have improved dramatically in recent years, but two decades after this exhibit's opening, I'd be hard pressed to find a better place to view jaguars anywhere else in North America.
@snowleopard
@Arizona Docent
@snowleopard
@Westcoastperson
Similar Exhibits: There are other notable jaguar exhibits, but they will be mentioned later as part of larger complexes.
Chester's got some good ideas with that overall exhibit, and has a "dramatic" presentation with the waterfall habitat and indoor rainforest habitat on par with Woodland Park's fallen ceiba tree and underwater viewing - that said, I do think Woodland Park's jaguar habitat is more seamless. It's like comparing the best home-cooked meat pie you've had to a Michelin star beef wellington cooked with sophistication and cutting-edge technology.
ifesbob
Well-Known Member
62. Migratory Songbird Aviary
Columbus Zoo, OH
Opened: 1997
Size: 8,000 Square Feet (740 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: 30 species of North American bird including American Robin, Mourning Dove, White-Faced Ibis, Wood Thrush, Sora and more.
Considering Columbus is known for its excessive theming and amusement park atmosphere, it’s a little surprising that one of the zoo's most impactful displays is one of its most subdued. Many guests view native birds as animals they can frequently see in their own backyard and rarely spend any valuable time observing them at zoos. In this aviary visitors are encouraged to linger and learn to appreciate migratory birds in a tranquil woodland environment. It’s primarily used as a rehabilitation facility for native birds of varying sizes and as a result the stocklist changes frequently depending on what's are being cared for, but is usually quite extensive and highlights some wonderful little species. Songbirds are the primary focus and can reliably be found in the densely forested portion of the aviary while the various waterfowl and wading birds can frequently be seen in and around the pond area. It's definitely not the largest aviary, but birders can still spend plenty of time searching for all of the tiny oddities hidden among the foliage. While the presentation may appear entirely simple, the landscaping is very well done and this is one of the most brilliant showcases of native birds you'll find in a zoo.
This aviary is very underrepresented in the ZooChat gallery. If anybody has some additional photos of the exhibit, I encourage you to post them here.
@blospz
@Buckeye092
@TinoPup
@TinoPup
Similar Exhibits: The state of Ohio has a few other notable local bird aviaries. Akron Zoo's native bird walkthrough is quite good, although viewing is rather limited. Another impressive native songbird aviary just two hours north at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. This is another aviary that focuses on rehabilitating rescued birds and while the collection and structure is much smaller than the Columbus aviary, there are multiple levels to view the birds from.
Akron Zoo
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
@geomorph
The focus on native species reminds me of the new Bird House at the Smithsonian National Zoo, even though that one is indoors and may just seem similar to me because I was there a couple days ago. It also just opened and isn't fully complete, but I really think it is a great exhibit and is on my personal favorite exhibits list.
I've actually wondered if the new bird house at Smithsonian will either be on the list or be mentioned at the end as a "too new to make the official list" entry. Had it opened a year or two ago I'd think it would be on the roster for sure, given the unique focus on native migratory species and great repurposing of a historic building.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
The viewing opportunities of this exhibit seem to be amazing. And the constant rain in Seattle allows this exhibit to always be lush and green.66. Jaguar Cove
Woodland Park Zoo, WA
Opened: 2003
Size: 4,000 Square Feet (370 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Jaguar
It isn't often jaguars are given exceptional enclosures, but a zoo like Woodland Park spares no expense at creating immersive environments for all of its residents. This exhibit is not enormous, but superbly landscaped and filled with lush vegetation providing many hiding spots for the cats. Both some luck and patience is required when spotting the inhabitants as a result, although there are several viewing portals spanning the length of the enclosure including views into the dense plantings, a covered den, and a large pool frequently stocked with live fish. The visitor viewing area is covered by a gigantic simulated kapok tree which is tastefully done along with the numerous log structures within the exhibit. Exhibits for spotted cats have improved dramatically in recent years, but two decades after this exhibit's opening, I'd be hard pressed to find a better place to view jaguars anywhere else in North America.
@snowleopard
@Arizona Docent
@snowleopard
@Westcoastperson
Similar Exhibits: There are other notable jaguar exhibits, but they will be mentioned later as part of larger complexes.
It might be more seamless for the visitor, but as a jaguar I would probably rather live in Chester where the exhibits are far larger than in Woodland Park Zoo.
With regards to mock rock quality, Pangaea Rocks, a Danish company produces some very good results, including multiple projects in Burgers' Zoo. Rasbach, being a German staple is very much delivering second rate quality when it comes to naturalness.
Pangea is a primarily a fabrication firm, Rasbach is a design firm—quite different things. In my experience the best results happen when a sensitive designer is combined with a talented fabricator/artistic team. But most important of all is a client zoo/aquarium that understands what quality is and cares enough to push the design team and fabricators to achieve believable, beautiful naturalism. It’s rare that the ideal combination happens, as evidenced by the masses of crappy “zoo rock” found around the world.
I have not seen Chester so my perspective is a bit skewed, but based on photos I'd say Chester is the stronger of the two. I think the sightlines and thematics of Jaguar Cove are better, but Chester has multiple large outdoor and (publicly visible) indoor enclosures which is more conducive to breeding. They are both excellent in their own right however and among the very best of their kind on their respective continents.
It will be mentioned in some capacity, although that may or may not involve it getting a spot on the list.
There's another highly anticipated exhibit opening in the coming weeks and it will remain to be seen if it receives a spot as well. Either way, even if an exhibit is very new it wouldn't stop me from including it. I will say that close to a tenth of this list is composed of exhibits from the last three years.
Yes, I didn't mean to imply that an exhibit had to be X number of years old to be included; more so I was thinking that it didn't open until after you'd already made the list, so its addition would have meant replacing another entry. But I know you've made at least a couple substitutions, so I knew there was a possibility it got added in post.
Worth noting only half of Chester's jaguar complex has a jaguar (singular) currently with the other half home to a group of bush dogs.I have not seen Chester so my perspective is a bit skewed, but based on photos I'd say Chester is the stronger of the two. I think the sightlines and thematics of Jaguar Cove are better, but Chester has multiple large outdoor and (publicly visible) indoor enclosures which is more conducive to breeding. They are both excellent in their own right however and among the very best of their kind on their respective continents.
It will be mentioned in some capacity, although that may or may not involve it getting a spot on the list.
That would be interesting but one could also ask how much should cost a fake rock ? Taste, skills of the conception team are probably involved but in the end, I guess what makes the difference between random fake rock and amazing result such as in Zurich is the price the client is willing to pay. In this regards, how much more zoos should invest to get high-quality fake rock ? Does it have an impact on average visitor ?
Komodo Dragon
Well-Known Member
Hoping Africa Rocks at San Diego gets a slot or at least a mention.
67. Zambezi River Hippo Camp
Memphis Zoo, TN
Opened: 2016
Size: 4 Acres (1.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Nile Hippo, Okapi, Mandrill, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Lesser Flamingo, Nile Crocodile, assorted cichlids and roughly 15 other African bird species.
Thanks to the zoos impressive breeding record, Memphis branded itself as the hippo capital of the world. The only issue was that the former hippo enclosure was horribly inadequate and needed to be replaced as soon as possible. After years of delays, the zoo was finally able to construct an exhibit complex that is worthy of the title. While modern hippo exhibits have an unfortunate tendency to underdeliver on usable land, here is an enclosure manages to be one of the select few to provide both an adequate land area and a large pool with underwater viewing. Plans to have a separate yard exclusively for grazing were unfortunately scrapped, but credit is still due for going a step beyond what many other US zoos have done with hippos. A nearby pool for Nile crocodile is similarly excellent and is the other obvious highlight here. Between the hippo and crocodile pools is an immaculate pavilion, heavily themed as to be expected from Memphis, surrounded by an overhead viewing deck which provides further views of both exhibits from above. Besides these two exhibits, the rest of the enclosures in the complex are relatively basic in design by comparison - the mandrills in particular could use an upgrade - but otherwise are still perfectly suitable for their inhabitants.
@Milwaukee Man
@Milwaukee Man
@geomorph
@Coelacanth18
@RetiredToTheZoo
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: I'm not aware of a similar African wetlands exhibit, but this style of exhibitry for hippos has become increasingly common in recent years. It all began with Toledo Zoo's famous 1986 hippoquarium which was among the first to feature crystal clear underwater viewing for hippos. Numerous other zoos have copied this formula, although it's rarely to much acclaim. Fort Worth Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo have all opened hippo exhibits with this style, although they all pail in comparison to what Memphis has done.
Toledo Zoo
@ZooNerd1234
Fort Worth Zoo
@geomorph
Milwaukee County Zoo
@pachyderm pro
@pachyderm pro
Cincinnati Zoo
@Moebelle
@Kudu21
Memphis Zoo, TN
Opened: 2016
Size: 4 Acres (1.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Nile Hippo, Okapi, Mandrill, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Lesser Flamingo, Nile Crocodile, assorted cichlids and roughly 15 other African bird species.
Thanks to the zoos impressive breeding record, Memphis branded itself as the hippo capital of the world. The only issue was that the former hippo enclosure was horribly inadequate and needed to be replaced as soon as possible. After years of delays, the zoo was finally able to construct an exhibit complex that is worthy of the title. While modern hippo exhibits have an unfortunate tendency to underdeliver on usable land, here is an enclosure manages to be one of the select few to provide both an adequate land area and a large pool with underwater viewing. Plans to have a separate yard exclusively for grazing were unfortunately scrapped, but credit is still due for going a step beyond what many other US zoos have done with hippos. A nearby pool for Nile crocodile is similarly excellent and is the other obvious highlight here. Between the hippo and crocodile pools is an immaculate pavilion, heavily themed as to be expected from Memphis, surrounded by an overhead viewing deck which provides further views of both exhibits from above. Besides these two exhibits, the rest of the enclosures in the complex are relatively basic in design by comparison - the mandrills in particular could use an upgrade - but otherwise are still perfectly suitable for their inhabitants.
@Milwaukee Man
@Milwaukee Man
@geomorph
@Coelacanth18
@RetiredToTheZoo
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: I'm not aware of a similar African wetlands exhibit, but this style of exhibitry for hippos has become increasingly common in recent years. It all began with Toledo Zoo's famous 1986 hippoquarium which was among the first to feature crystal clear underwater viewing for hippos. Numerous other zoos have copied this formula, although it's rarely to much acclaim. Fort Worth Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo have all opened hippo exhibits with this style, although they all pail in comparison to what Memphis has done.
Toledo Zoo
@ZooNerd1234
Fort Worth Zoo
@geomorph
Milwaukee County Zoo
@pachyderm pro
@pachyderm pro
Cincinnati Zoo
@Moebelle
@Kudu21
I 100% agree with this deserving inclusion, and it's easily amongst the best Hippo exhibits in the country, albeit that's a category no one can beat Disney's Animal Kingdom in. Including Cincinnati as a similar exhibit, however, might be the biggest hot take in this thread so far, unless it's there as a dishonorable mention.67. Zambezi River Hippo Camp
Memphis Zoo, TN
Opened: 2016
Size: 4 Acres (1.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Nile Hippo, Okapi, Mandrill, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Lesser Flamingo, Nile Crocodile, assorted cichlids and roughly 15 other African bird species.
Thanks to the zoos impressive breeding record, Memphis branded itself as the hippo capital of the world. The only issue was that the former hippo enclosure was horribly inadequate and needed to be replaced as soon as possible. After years of delays, the zoo was finally able to construct an exhibit complex that is worthy of the title. While modern hippo exhibits have an unfortunate tendency to underdeliver on usable land, here is an enclosure manages to be one of the select few to provide both an adequate land area and a large pool with underwater viewing. Plans to have a separate yard exclusively for grazing were unfortunately scrapped, but credit is still due for going a step beyond what many other US zoos have done with hippos. A nearby pool for Nile crocodile is similarly excellent and is the other obvious highlight here. Between the hippo and crocodile pools is an immaculate pavilion, heavily themed as to be expected from Memphis, surrounded by an overhead viewing deck which provides further views of both exhibits from above. Besides these two exhibits, the rest of the enclosures in the complex are relatively basic in design by comparison - the mandrills in particular could use an upgrade - but otherwise are still perfectly suitable for their inhabitants.
@Milwaukee Man
@Milwaukee Man
@geomorph
@Coelacanth18
@RetiredToTheZoo
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: I'm not aware of a similar African wetlands exhibit, but this style of exhibitry for hippos has become increasingly common in recent years. It all began with Toledo Zoo's famous 1986 hippoquarium which was among the first to feature crystal clear underwater viewing for hippos. Numerous other zoos have copied this formula, although it's rarely to much acclaim. Fort Worth Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo have all opened hippo exhibits with this style, although they all pail in comparison to what Memphis has done.
Toledo Zoo
@ZooNerd1234
Fort Worth Zoo
@geomorph
Milwaukee County Zoo
@pachyderm pro
@pachyderm pro
Cincinnati Zoo
@Moebelle
@Kudu21
I'm not insinuating it's a must-see exhibit per say, it was just a brief overview of other hippoquarium style exhibits in the US. Truthfully Memphis is the only one of these exhibits that is particularly successful, although perhaps I was a bit harsh on Forth Worth and Toledo's is at least significant from a historical standpoint. Consider it a neutral mention.
The nyala are still listed on the zoos website, but a recent species done by @Coelacanth18 does not mention them. Yellow-backed duiker were present at one point, although they also appear to be gone.
They also replaced the walk-through aviary with a butterfly experience, which you must pay to get into. The aviary shut down during the lockdown and never reopened. It was replaced by the butterflies last summer.