America's 100 Must See Exhibits

[SwampDonkey]

79. Rhino Savanna
The Living Desert, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 4 Acres (1.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Black Rhino, Waterbuck, Springbok, Banded Mongoose, Dwarf Mongoose, Naked Mole Rat, Cattle Egret, Pink-backed Pelican, Great White Pelican, Helmeted Guineafowl

White rhinos can frequently be found in mixed species habitats across the zoo world, commonly in large savanna enclosures. Black rhinos on the other hand have proven to be much more sensitive to sharing space with other species, which makes them an interesting choice for an elaborate mixed-species complex. Even in some of the largest field enclosures, adding black rhinos in with other animals has resulted in casualties, so some additional precautions were taken to ensure this exhibit would work well. The pachyderms still live in the same accommodation as a variety of antelope and bird species, but with the many hilly or elevated areas inaccessible to them which allow the other species to retreat if needed. The set-up is composed of a vast and scenic paddock which can be divided in two by an overhead crossing bridge. This keeps the rhinos separate from one another, but still allows the hoofstock to cross over as they please. Underneath that bridge is a series of tunnels for naked mole-rat, as well as two species of mongoose which is a pleasant surprise. This exhibit is indeed an experimental one, but so far the mix appears to be a success and it will be interesting to see if this will lead to other facilities following suit in the future.

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

Similar Exhibits: None.

I really want to get out there to see this one, it's definitely a fantastic savannah exhibit.

 

[Aardwolf]

I visited this exhibit last year and found it very impressive. It reminds me a lot of Tulsa's Rhino Reserve; while I know that white rhino mixes are much more common, it still struck me that there aren't many zoos which really make rhinos a centerpiece species and present them in truly excellent exhibits; rhinos often get a big muddy plot, giraffes get a big dusty plot. It always surprises me that we haven't developed better exhibit techniques for some commonly kept, charismatic animals (for what it's worth, I also consider Living Desert's giraffe exhibit to be stunning)

 

[pachyderm pro]

I visited this exhibit last year and found it very impressive. It reminds me a lot of Tulsa's Rhino Reserve; while I know that white rhino mixes are much more common, it still struck me that there aren't many zoos which really make rhinos a centerpiece species and present them in truly excellent exhibits; rhinos often get a big muddy plot, giraffes get a big dusty plot. It always surprises me that we haven't developed better exhibit techniques for some commonly kept, charismatic animals (for what it's worth, I also consider Living Desert's giraffe exhibit to be stunning)

This is an interesting point and something I haven't really thought about up until now. As has been disscussed, white rhinos are somewhat common in mixed species savanna habitats, black rhinos and Indian rhinos much less so. I think it's because those species are solitary and more temperamental so they can't be exhibited in large groups like elephant, giraffes or even white rhinos can. I would guess zoos are less inclined to build large individual rhino exhbits as a result. Nashville's white rhino savanna is probably the greatest individual rhino enclosure I can think of, although given it was formerly an elephant enclosure that isn't very surprising.

 

[Fallax]

Over here in Europe it is definitely the same case of white rhinos being much more common in mixed exhibits than the other two species. I can't recall any mixes with black off the top of my head but there is definitely a few mixes with Indian, Chester mixes theirs with Eld's deer and they were originally mixed with Blackbuck as well.

 

[amur leopard]

I can't recall any mixes with black off the top of my head

Most prominent one over here is probably Leipzig (cheetahs, patas monkeys, black rhino). I think Doue still mixed black rhinos with Dama gazelles and formerly Dorcas gazelles too.

 

[lintworm]

79. Rhino Savanna
The Living Desert, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 4 Acres (1.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Black Rhino, Waterbuck, Springbok, Banded Mongoose, Dwarf Mongoose, Naked Mole Rat, Cattle Egret, Pink-backed Pelican, Great White Pelican, Helmeted Guineafowl

White rhinos can frequently be found in mixed species habitats across the zoo world, commonly in large savanna enclosures. Black rhinos on the other hand have proven to be much more sensitive to sharing space with other species, which makes them an interesting choice for an elaborate mixed-species complex. Even in some of the largest field enclosures, adding black rhinos in with other animals has resulted in casualties, so some additional precautions were taken to ensure this exhibit would work well. The pachyderms still live in the same accommodation as a variety of antelope and bird species, but with the many hilly or elevated areas inaccessible to them which allow the other species to retreat if needed. The set-up is composed of a vast and scenic paddock which can be divided in two by an overhead crossing bridge. This keeps the rhinos separate from one another, but still allows the hoofstock to cross over as they please. Underneath that bridge is a series of tunnels for naked mole-rat, as well as two species of mongoose which is a pleasant surprise. This exhibit is indeed an experimental one, but so far the mix appears to be a success and it will be interesting to see if this will lead to other facilities following suit in the future.

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

@Coelacanth18

Similar Exhibits: None.

Disappointing that even in new exhibits major zoos still mix pinioned birds like pelicans and egrets (really....) with hoofstock. Apparently birds are still mostly ornamentals...

In Europe mixes with Indian rhino are quite common (Branfere, la Fleche, Beauval, Basel, Dierenrijk, Chester, Vienna, Wroclaw, Nuremberg, Planckendael, Plzen of the top of my head). They are mostly mixed with antelope, deer or visayan warty pig. But with otters in Basel.

There are 3 mixed species exhibits with black rhino as far as I am aware:

A brilliant one in Doue with guineafowl and Mhor gazelle:
Europe's 100 must see exhibits

Another good one in Leipzig with cheetah in one exhibit and antelope in the other:
Europe's 100 must see exhibits

And the main savanna in Ree Park in Denmark with a mix of African hoofstock:

picture by @snowleopard

 

[15399]

This is an interesting point and something I haven't really thought about up until now. As has been disscussed, white rhinos are somewhat common in mixed species savanna habitats, black rhinos and Indian rhinos much less so. I think it's because those species are solitary and more temperamental so they can't be exhibited in large groups like elephant, giraffes or even white rhinos can. I would guess zoos are less inclined to build large individual rhino exhbits as a result. Nashville's white rhino savanna is probably the greatest individual rhino enclosure I can think of, although given it was formerly an elephant enclosure that isn't very surprising.

Black and greater one-horned rhinos likely aren't common in mixed-species exhibits for very different reasons. It's been stated on here before how black rhino mixes tend to be difficult to execute, primarily due to the animal's temperaments, however, greater one-horned rhinos have been successfully mixed on a number of occasions, however due to the relative lack of Asian ungulates in US Zoos, compared to how common some of the African species are, it's easy to see why less zoos mix the greater one-horned species, even though it can be just as successful in mixed species exhibits as the white rhino. Given that Asian deer populations are doing very poor in US Zoos at the moment, and the AZA doesn't manage either nilgai or blackbuck, I doubt that this trend will change anytime soon, even if I would love to see zoos dedicate mixed-species exhibits to greater one-horned rhinos and other Asian ungulates.

 

[Westcoastperson]

I visited this exhibit last year and found it very impressive. It reminds me a lot of Tulsa's Rhino Reserve; while I know that white rhino mixes are much more common, it still struck me that there aren't many zoos which really make rhinos a centerpiece species and present them in truly excellent exhibits; rhinos often get a big muddy plot, giraffes get a big dusty plot. It always surprises me that we haven't developed better exhibit techniques for some commonly kept, charismatic animals (for what it's worth, I also consider Living Desert's giraffe exhibit to be stunning)

Honestly even though some of the hoof stock exhibits are a little bit boring the entire African area at the Living Desert could be on this list. A spectacular mixed Giraffe exhibit, the cheetah exhibit that’s actually comparable to the African Bush, the massive Oryx exhibit, and the great use of desert flora and fauna alone is just so well put together. Put aside the few and mostly out of commission small cat exhibits and it really is a spectacular exhibit.

 

[pachyderm pro]

80. Unseen New World
Nashville Zoo, TN
Opened: 1998
Size: 16,000 Square Feet (1,490 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Roughly 150 ectotherms, 12 bird species, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat and Linne's Two-toed Sloth.

Numerous reptile houses have appeared on this thread thus far and this may just be the most specialized one yet, although it is far more than just a standard reptile house. The exhibit has a clear focus: reptiles, amphibians and fish indigenous to North, South and Central America. The house sticks to this focus very well, almost never straying away from New World species. It's all done quite professionally with an interior that is sleek and smooth with minimal theming. Vivaria of varying sizes are all of high quality with some interesting inhabitants to boot, including species the zoo has been a leader in breeding like the Haitian giant galliwasp. While specific in its intent, focusing on the New World is general enough to allow for a diverse array of environments to be shown off. A series of Caribbean reef tanks and a desert habitat are well done, but rainforest terrariums are the most frequent. The most elaborate display here is the series of interconnected neotropical tanks that visually appear as a large cohesive aquarium. The land portion is very well furnished and can be freely traversed by basilisks and caiman lizards while dozens of fish species swim below. A cave for Seba’s short-tailed bat is the only mammal display in the main hall, but it doesn't detract from the house's purpose in any way. Connected to the building is a small, but attractive walkthrough aviary hosting about a dozen South American (and a few African) bird species as well as two-toed sloth and some turtles. It's a bit of an added bonus on top of an already excellent reptile house/aquarium. This is one of those houses that's a real jack-of-all-trades and one could spend a considerable amount of time admiring it all.

@Zooplantman

@TinoPup

@Moebelle

@Coelecanth18

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

Similar Exhibits: None.

 

[pachyderm pro]

And just like that we are officially 4/5ths of the way through this list. A little hard to believe we've already made it this far; it has certainly been a journey. With only 20 exhibits remaining, obviously there are some juggernauts still missing which will make their appearance in due time. There are also a few more surprises in store which should make for some interesting dialogue. Five more zoos have still yet to leave their mark on this list and I'm not sure anyone could accurately guess all of them correctly.

Before we begin our descent towards the homestretch of this thread, I want to give a quick update. After tomorrow's bonus post (which will also be the last) I'll be taking another short intermission. You may have noticed over the last week or so I haven't been participating in the thread as much outside of posting the exhibit profiles. Life has gotten a little busy lately and I've had to shift my focus elsewhere for the time being. I'd like to fully participate in this thread as much as possible, so in order to do that I'll be taking the next week off. Once we're back, it'll be a non-stop charge towards the finish line with some of the greatest exhibits yet to come.

Until then, stay tuned for the final bonus post which will be the most all encompassing one yet.

 

[ZooBinh]

80. Unseen New World
Nashville Zoo, TN
Opened: 1998
Size: 16,000 Square Feet (1,490 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Roughly 150 ectotherms, 12 bird species, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat and Linne's Two-toed Sloth.

Numerous reptile houses have appeared on this thread thus far and this may just be the most specialized one yet, although it is far more than just a standard reptile house. The exhibit has a clear focus: reptiles, amphibians and fish indigenous to North, South and Central America. The house sticks to this focus very well, almost never straying away from New World species. It's all done quite professionally with an interior that is sleek and smooth with minimal theming. Vivaria of varying sizes are all of high quality with some interesting inhabitants to boot, including species the zoo has been a leader in breeding like the Haitian giant galliwasp. While specific in its intent, focusing on the New World is general enough to allow for a diverse array of environments to be shown off. A series of Caribbean reef tanks and a desert habitat are well done, but rainforest terrariums are the most frequent. The most elaborate display here is the series of interconnected neotropical tanks that visually appear as a large cohesive aquarium. The land portion is very well furnished and can be freely traversed by basilisks and caiman lizards while dozens of fish species swim below. A cave for Seba’s short-tailed bat is the only mammal display in the main hall, but it doesn't detract from the house's purpose in any way. Connected to the building is a small, but attractive walkthrough aviary hosting about a dozen South American (and a few African) bird species as well as two-toed sloth and some turtles. It's a bit of an added bonus on top of an already excellent reptile house/aquarium. This is one of those houses that's a real jack-of-all-trades and one could spend a considerable amount of time admiring it all.

@Zooplantman

@TinoPup

@Moebelle

@Coelecanth18

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

Similar Exhibits: None.

Glad to see this exhibit made the list, I was wondering the other day whether it would or not.

What you say about one spending a considerable amount of time in this building is true- a very large chunk of my visit to Nashville was spent in this building!

 

[Persephone]

It was 20+ years old when I visited, but Unseen New World was still the busiest exhibit in the zoos. Some of that is the naturally terrible crowd control of reptile houses, but a lot was just the quality of the exhibit. The aviary wasn’t even open at the time and people still came in droves. Certainly one of the better reptile houses I’ve seen.

 

[Pleistocene891]

80. Unseen New World
Nashville Zoo, TN
Opened: 1998
Size: 16,000 Square Feet (1,490 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Roughly 150 ectotherms, 12 bird species, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat and Linne's Two-toed Sloth.

Numerous reptile houses have appeared on this thread thus far and this may just be the most specialized one yet, although it is far more than just a standard reptile house. The exhibit has a clear focus: reptiles, amphibians and fish indigenous to North, South and Central America. The house sticks to this focus very well, almost never straying away from New World species. It's all done quite professionally with an interior that is sleek and smooth with minimal theming. Vivaria of varying sizes are all of high quality with some interesting inhabitants to boot, including species the zoo has been a leader in breeding like the Haitian giant galliwasp. While specific in its intent, focusing on the New World is general enough to allow for a diverse array of environments to be shown off. A series of Caribbean reef tanks and a desert habitat are well done, but rainforest terrariums are the most frequent. The most elaborate display here is the series of interconnected neotropical tanks that visually appear as a large cohesive aquarium. The land portion is very well furnished and can be freely traversed by basilisks and caiman lizards while dozens of fish species swim below. A cave for Seba’s short-tailed bat is the only mammal display in the main hall, but it doesn't detract from the house's purpose in any way. Connected to the building is a small, but attractive walkthrough aviary hosting about a dozen South American (and a few African) bird species as well as two-toed sloth and some turtles. It's a bit of an added bonus on top of an already excellent reptile house/aquarium. This is one of those houses that's a real jack-of-all-trades and one could spend a considerable amount of time admiring it all.

@Zooplantman

@TinoPup

@Moebelle

@Coelecanth18

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

@TinoPup

Similar Exhibits: None.

One of the most unique zoo exhibits in the country.

 

[TinoPup]

And just like that we are officially 4/5ths of the way through this list. A little hard to believe we've already made it this far; it has certainly been a journey. With only 20 exhibits remaining, obviously there are some juggernauts still missing which will make their appearance in due time. There are also a few more surprises in store which should make for some interesting dialogue. Five more zoos have still yet to leave their mark on this list and I'm not sure anyone could accurately guess all of them correctly.

Before we begin our descent towards the homestretch of this thread, I want to give a quick update. After tomorrow's bonus post (which will also be the last) I'll be taking another short intermission. You may have noticed over the last week or so I haven't been participating in the thread as much outside of posting the exhibit profiles. Life has gotten a little busy lately and I've had to shift my focus elsewhere for the time being. I'd like to fully participate in this thread as much as possible, so in order to do that I'll be taking the next week off. Once we're back, it'll be a non-stop charge towards the finish line with some of the greatest exhibits yet to come.

Until then, stay tuned for the final bonus post which will be the most all encompassing one yet.

Maybe I just had a horrible experience, but I fully disagree with this one being included. Crowd movement/control is awful, and it gets immensely hot. The bathroom, with it's two whole stalls, is somehow even hotter. This building is the only time I've ever felt so overwhelmed that I had to step out (or try to, anyway), and I was with friends who were helping keep me calmer. The big salt water tank inside the entrance not only has electronic signs for the species, they rotate at difference speeds and some appear in multiple spots, making it near impossible to take photos/get a list. Some signs are outright wrong, and the larger exhibits only sign a 3-4 species each, all squeezed on to one electric sign per exhibit. The aviary has a small upper viewing, but it is just stairs and a landing (there's doors at the top that go into an employee-only area). While we were up there the sloth moved over by the stairs and we got stuck because of the crowd gathering to get close photos.

Great species list, horrible execution overall and my least favorite part of the entire zoo.

 

[Pleistocene891]

Five more zoos have still yet to leave their mark on this list and I'm not sure anyone could accurately guess all of them correctly.

I think Jacksonville, Oklahoma, Hogle, and Louisville are locks for the list. I think the 5th spot could go to Sedwick County, Tampa, or the Mystic Aquarium. I'll go with the Mystic Aquarium.

 

[ZooBinh]

The big salt water tank inside the entrance not only has electronic signs for the species, they rotate at difference speeds and some appear in multiple spots, making it near impossible to take photos/get a list

While I can’t attest for the other things included in your post, as the zoo was rather empty and it was rather chilly the day of my visit, I can 100% agree with this. The signage in that building is absolutely horrible . Especially the fish tank signage.

 

[Persephone]

I think Jacksonville, Oklahoma, Hogle, and Louisville are locks for the list. I think the 5th spot could go to Sedwick County, Tampa, or the Mystic Aquarium. I'll go with the Mystic Aquarium.

Have the SeaWorlds appeared yet? I’d be surprised if none of them got on for anything. This list seems to reward exhibits for rare species and they do have quite a few.

 

[15399]

I think Jacksonville, Oklahoma, Hogle, and Louisville are locks for the list. I think the 5th spot could go to Sedwick County, Tampa, or the Mystic Aquarium. I'll go with the Mystic Aquarium.

Jacksonville, Louisville, and OKC Zoos are certainly the first three I thought of as well. I'm not sure how much Hogle Zoo is a lock though. I could certainly see Hogle Zoo included, but I could just as easily see the other slots going to Mystic Aquarium, Cleveland Zoo, and Philadelphia Zoo. We could also still see a smaller, but deserving, zoo included, for instance one exhibit I initially had on my list of guesses was Chihuahan Desert at the El Paso Zoo, and another was Stone Zoo's Caribbean Coast.

We are certainly at the point though where it's interesting to look at what exhibits/zoos have yet to make the list. Out of the 100 I initially guessed would be included, 39 have not been mentioned in any capacity (full mention or similar exhibit). While some of these 39 were admittedly personal favorites that were always stretches for inclusion, they also include some exhibits I'd be very surprised to see omitted. At this point, however, I would not be surprised if there's a shocking omission since there are a number of incredible exhibits which haven't been mentioned yet. While we both may see something like Bronx's JungleWorld, Louisville's Islands, or Jacksonville's Range of the Jaguar as shoe-ins for this list, it remains to be seen if these will genuinely make the cut.

 

[Pleistocene891]

While we both may see something like Bronx's JungleWorld, Louisville's Islands, or Jacksonville's Range of the Jaguar as shoe-ins for this list, it remains to be seen if these will genuinely make the cut.

Looking at the notes at the "similar exhibits" for Omaha's Lied Jungle and Woodland Park's jaguar exhibit, Jungle World and Range of the Jaguar and essentially confirmed to be on the list.

 

[pachyderm pro]

I think Jacksonville, Oklahoma, Hogle, and Louisville are locks for the list. I think the 5th spot could go to Sedwick County, Tampa, or the Mystic Aquarium. I'll go with the Mystic Aquarium.

Well then, you'll be surprised to hear that only one of these zoos will be making an appearance. Most of these places are very good all-rounders that lack anything particularly unique, although there are certainly a few candidates for this list among them.

While we both may see something like Bronx's JungleWorld, Louisville's Islands, or Jacksonville's Range of the Jaguar as shoe-ins for this list, it remains to be seen if these will genuinely make the cut.

Indeed. I'd suggest to never be too sure...

Have the SeaWorlds appeared yet? I’d be surprised if none of them got on for anything. This list seems to reward exhibits for rare species and they do have quite a few.

I almost put SeaWorld San Diego's Penguin Encounter on the list, but because there are already so many individual penguin exhibits featured, it'll have to settle for a mention as a similar exhibit to Detroit's penguin house. Otherwise, I don't find any of the SeaWorld parks particularly notable for great exhibitry. The amount of rarities on display doesn't change that and won't make an otherwise standard exhibit more likely to appear, beyond one exception which will be mentioned later.