Antelope Houses in the US

[JVM]

Are there any Antelope Houses or indoor hoofstock enclosures open to the public in the US?

While keeping giraffes, rhinoceros, pygmy hippos, and tapirs indoors is not unusual, and I have seen okapi, klipspringer, and duiker indoors, it seems that indoor viewing for most ungulates is rare here. Saint Louis and (I am less certain) Lincoln Park formerly had indoor hoofstock enclosures open, and it seems this was more common long ago. I saw a few hoofstock barns in Europe, though some were closed and some were not. London has zebra viewing inside their Giraffe House, for example.

Sadly often in northern zoos, antelope and tropical ungulates are not on display in the winter as their indoor viewing is not available. I often time my visits to Milwaukee in summer so I have a chance to see the gazelle, kudu and waterbuck.

I admit that while outdoor enclosures are always preferable, I am very fascinated by indoor enclosures. Are there any indoor facilities for ungulates or hoofstock still open to the public?

 

[ConcernedThirdParty]

It's mainly a cost decision. Making indoor exhibits large enough for these animals, with guest compatible aesthetics is very expensive. As a hypothetical, a 4,000 square foot (about 0.1 acres) gymnasium (this would hold a single basketball court, some restrooms, and a couple small bleacher, but not much else costs $400,000 to $1,200,000 depending on materials and location. To make this space safe for keeping animal with specialized needs would probably double those costs (Adding secondary barriers, substrate, minimal decor and converting the restrooms and bleachers into care support).

At this point you would have a viable off exhibit habitat for a small ungulate like Duikers or Klipspringers. Making the interior good looking enough to meet modern public viewing standards and adding a guest viewing area would probably add another $500,000 to $1,000,000. Larger species like most antelope or deer would require significantly larger and more expensive habitats. Most northern zoo see attendance drop to near zero in the and so don't consider the extra costs of adding viewing areas worth it. While this attitude is certainly a self fulfilling prophecy, it is unfortunately the current status quo.

The larger species you mentioned are all keystone species vital to zoo's marketing campaigns so they get more money put into them. The zoos with indoor viewing for them tend to be larger, better funded facilities as well.

 

[snowleopard]

Is Saint Louis Zoo's Antelope House no longer open to the public? In general, of the hundreds of zoos I've toured in North America, close to zero have had areas where the public can enter and view antelopes. Saint Louis is a notable AZA zoo that at one time did allow people "behind the scenes" to see hoofstock. As for the many zoos I've been to in Europe, it's far more common to go into buildings with elephants, giraffes and with numerous antelope stalls. Even if the buildings have rakes and shovels lying around, it's more of a cultural idea to allow the public into the animal's world in Europe in comparison to North America.

I'm recently back from a big trip where I visited 59 Southeast Asian zoos and it's remarkable at how there really aren't large animal houses there due to the warm climate. Elephants, giraffes and antelope are kept in sheds or open-air shelters that have a roof and three walls but no enclosed space whatsoever. It's really quite remarkable.

 

[groundskeeper24]

Is Saint Louis Zoo's Antelope House no longer open to the public? In general, of the hundreds of zoos I've toured in North America, close to zero have had areas where the public can enter and view antelopes. Saint Louis is a notable AZA zoo that at one time did allow people "behind the scenes" to see hoofstock. As for the many zoos I've been to in Europe, it's far more common to go into buildings with elephants, giraffes and with numerous antelope stalls. Even if the buildings have rakes and shovels lying around, it's more of a cultural idea to allow the public into the animal's world in Europe in comparison to North America.

I'm recently back from a big trip where I visited 59 Southeast Asian zoos and it's remarkable at how there really aren't large animal houses there due to the warm climate. Elephants, giraffes and antelope are kept in sheds or open-air shelters that have a roof and three walls but no enclosed space whatsoever. It's really quite remarkable.

I'm unsure if St Louis' Antelope House is seasonally open to the public or permanently closed. Judging by what I saw when I visited in July, I'd say seasonally open in months when animals can not be exhibited outside. It was not open on our visit, but most residents were outdoors. It appeared to have paths for visitor entry should there be reason for them to go inside.

 

[Gondwana]

Aside from giraffe, rhino, tapir, hippo, and small antelope/deer/chevrotains, there are still a few indoor hoofstock exhibits left in addition to the aforementioned St. Louis Antelope House...
-Como has indoor viewing for Plains Zebra and Nyala
-Great Plains has indoor viewing for Grevy's Zebra and Bongo
-Potter Park has a window that allows a view into its Okapi barn
-Minnesota has Red River Hog in its Tropics building (and had Urial and Visayan Warty Pig until a couple years ago)
-Omaha has Collared Peccary in its Desert dome

 

[Astrotom3000]

You can't talk about indoor ungulate exhibits in the US without talking about the Adventure Aquarium's all-indoor exhibit for Common Hippopotamus, of which they have two females.

The Bronx Zoo keeps Greater Malay Chevrotains (Tragulus napu) indoors in both JungleWorld and World of Birds.

 

[JVM]

I'm hoping to visit Saint Louis during winter at some time, in which case I would definitely check if the Antelope House is open, and to see how the historic Primate House looks when fully stocked indoors.

@ConcernedThirdParty I appreciate the detailed breakdown. I suspected those were the reasons, combined with the public's general distaste for any kind of indoor mammal exhibit regardless of quality, but I appreciate the many added details! It was mostly being near three zoos with formerly open to the public indoor spaces now including hoofstock making me wonder if there were reasons besides construction cost involved, and if the current status quo was something had had evolved over time.

Aside from giraffe, rhino, tapir, hippo, and small antelope/deer/chevrotains, there are still a few indoor hoofstock exhibits left in addition to the aforementioned St. Louis Antelope House...
-Como has indoor viewing for Plains Zebra and Nyala
-Great Plains has indoor viewing for Grevy's Zebra and Bongo
-Potter Park has a window that allows a view into its Okapi barn
-Minnesota has Red River Hog in its Tropics building (and had Urial and Visayan Warty Pig until a couple years ago)
-Omaha has Collared Peccary in its Desert dome

Thanks. Como, Great Plains, and when Minnesota held Urial are definitely closest to what I was curious about. It's always sounded to me like Como was particularly bullish on indoor viewing options, as I believe I've seen indoor bear and seal habitats in the past, too? I did find photos in the gallery of Como's zebra indoors.

 

[Gondwana]

Thanks. Como, Great Plains, and when Minnesota held Urial are definitely closest to what I was curious about. It's always sounded to me like Como was particularly bullish on indoor viewing options, as I believe I've seen indoor bear and seal habitats in the past, too? I did find photos in the gallery of Como's zebra indoors.

Yes, Como is heavy on indoor/outdoor exhibits. If they weren't it would be a really poor winter experience, especially before Tropical Encounters opened in the early 2000s. Other northern zoos focus more on cold-climate species or close entirely. Places like Milwaukee or Omaha are big enough that there's still plenty to see in winter even if a good chunk of the hoofstock is in off-exhibit holding.

Getting slightly off topic, it's worth noting that the Minnesota Zoo's indoor caprid exhibit was consistent with large mammal exhibits being a standard part of all the US zoos' big pavilions constructed in the 1970s-1990s. Tapir and to a lesser extent pygmy hippo are the last of these that are still widespread, as you noted, but at one time they all had a set, with everything from Leopard (still at Bronx, formerly Minnesota, Franklin Park, Omaha, to name a few) to Bongo (Franklin Park) to Sloth Bears and Dolphins (Minnesota again). Many have been repurposed by now of course.

 

[birdsandbats]

Sustainable Safari keeps Thomson's Gazelle (and formerly Lowland Nyala) entirely indoors.

 

[JVM]

Yes, Como is heavy on indoor/outdoor exhibits. If they weren't it would be a really poor winter experience, especially before Tropical Encounters opened in the early 2000s. Other northern zoos focus more on cold-climate species or close entirely. Places like Milwaukee or Omaha are big enough that there's still plenty to see in winter even if a good chunk of the hoofstock is in off-exhibit holding.

I brought up the seal and bear exhibits partly because they seem to be cold-hardy species for whom indoor viewing access wouldn't be as necessary; a lot of zoos focus on cold-climate species don't give the cold-climate species indoor access.

Milwaukee is a great example. We went around fall/winter a few times when I was young so I didn't often view their antelope collection.

Getting slightly off topic, it's worth noting that the Minnesota Zoo's indoor caprid exhibit was consistent with large mammal exhibits being a standard part of all the US zoos' big pavilions constructed in the 1970s-1990s. Tapir and to a lesser extent pygmy hippo are the last of these that are still widespread, as you noted, but at one time they all had a set, with everything from Leopard (still at Bronx, formerly Minnesota, Franklin Park, Omaha, to name a few) to Bongo (Franklin Park) to Sloth Bears and Dolphins (Minnesota again). Many have been repurposed by now of course.

I've seen pygmy hippos, tapir and leopards kept inside year-round but hadn't realized how widespread the last one was, and bongo and sloth bear are totally new to me. How long did those two situations last?

I find indoor exhibits very fascinating but never want to sound like I am approving of keeping animals indoors year-round; I appreciate any zoo where an animal has indoor and outdoor options though.

Sustainable Safari keeps Thomson's Gazelle (and formerly Lowland Nyala) entirely indoors.

I almost wish I had simply stopped and ask where you heard this but you would probably have directed me to the same gallery photo I found. What a sight! When we argue about the differences between exhibits in AZA facilities, I often forget just how extreme some places can actually be - wow! Even knowing it was a shopping mall zoo did not prepare me for that tiny thing.

 

[birdsandbats]

I almost wish I had simply stopped and ask where you heard this but you would probably have directed me to the same gallery photo I found. What a sight! When we argue about the differences between exhibits in AZA facilities, I often forget just how extreme some places can actually be - wow! Even knowing it was a shopping mall zoo did not prepare me for that tiny thing.

If you had asked me where I heard it, I probably just would have uploaded my own photo from my visit a few weeks ago.