Denver Zoo's Flickr Page has a few exhibit photos: Toyota Elephant Passage - a set on Flickr
Denver Zoo Asian Tropics
- Thread starter mstickmanp
- Start date
Thanks for posting! The 10-acre, $50 million exhibit complex is finally open to the public, and here is one of many articles online:
Pachyderms on parade at new Denver Zoo habitat, which opens to public - The Denver Post
I would assume the exhibit still has a lot more growing in to do. Our landscaped areas in Cleveland at African Elephant Crossing have grown tremendously since opening. I am sure this exhibit will look great when everything has grown in. Judging solely from pictures, it looks really good already, definitely features some of my favorite animals. It seems to be the most innovative pachyderm exhibit there is with all the various features throughout the yards. I would love to see it in person.
Any pointers as to which male and female Indian rhino are now at your local zoo?
It says on one of the links above that the males name is Bandhu and he is 3-years-old and from San diego Wild Animal Park. The female, Tensing, is 4 1/2- years-old from the Wilds (in the link it says an Ohio animal park affiliated with the Columbus Zoo.)
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Zoo Tries Timed Entry To Asian Tropics
Denver Zoo begins timed entry at new elephant exhibit to ease crowds - The Denver Post
Denver Zoo begins timed entry at new elephant exhibit to ease crowds - The Denver Post
Based on the photos in that Flickr attachment, this exhibit does not live up to the hype.
That is what I predicted since many exhibits do not ( elephant odyssey, great bear wilderness, etc.). It is vey hard for Zoos to create good looking pachyderm exhibits. I would have rather seen two large yards so the grass would grow since these exhibits individualy are not that big so grass can not grow very good. Also I would rather have seen a larger gibbon area. On the upper hand I like all the artifacts, the elephant house exhibits that have natural substrate on the ground and the clouded leopard exhibit. Also I think that this exhibit also suffers during the winter since basicaly all of these animals will probally not go outside in the winter.
mweb08
Well-Known Member
Eagerly awaiting these pics.
Don't worry beardsleyZooFan, Rinny slipped through the fencing of her exhibit into the shifting area, where the animals can shift from exhibit to exhibit. She did not get out into the visitor's path.
@mweb08 - Haha, they'll be up in due time. I set a date for it but its been very hectic around here, especially now that little eggs are hatching and little babies are starting to appear.
Thank you
The tapir exhibit doesn't seem that bad from this photo: [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverzoophotos/7316914574/in/set-72157629987166172/"]Malayan tapirs enjoying their new yard. | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]Although I do understand that this is only one photo. 
Wait, do the tapirs rotate with the rhinos and elephants as well? Or do they have their own exhibit separate from the others?
Wait, do the tapirs rotate with the rhinos and elephants as well? Or do they have their own exhibit separate from the others?
The rhino exhibit does not look that bad either
[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverzoophotos/7316922670/in/set-72157629987166172/"]Greater one-horned rhino | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverzoophotos/7316922670/in/set-72157629987166172/"]Greater one-horned rhino | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
So, they will rotate with the elephants and rhinos, but the elephants and rhinos will not rotate through the tapirs' exhibit?
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
For those who do not know what the certification refers to (and do not want to read the article), it means the project is environmentally sustainable according to the Green Building Council. Platinum is the highest level and is very difficult to achieve. I know because the education center at my zoo (Reid Park) was the first platinum building in any zoo and I went to one of the early planning meetings and you would not believe the number of steps you have to complete.
This entire movement (zoos building sustainable projects) is one of the most tangible ways in which zoos are making a difference in the world today. I wholly applaud Denver (and Cincinnati and Tucson and all the others) who are leading by example.
This entire movement (zoos building sustainable projects) is one of the most tangible ways in which zoos are making a difference in the world today. I wholly applaud Denver (and Cincinnati and Tucson and all the others) who are leading by example.
I just finished uploading over 70 photos of Toyota Elephant Passage, and here is an excerpt from my Denver Zoo review that was part of my 50 day, 50 zoo/aquarium road trip:
Toyota Elephant Passage – This 10-acre complex cost a staggering $50 million and represents one eighth of the entire acreage of the zoo. It opened on June 1st, 2012 and is the zoo’s first major exhibit complex since 2004’s Predator Ridge. The zoo has had timed ticket entries for the first 10 weeks since the unveiling of the grand new complex but all of that ends by mid-August as the crowds will begin to diminish and very soon it will be open for anyone at any time. To construct this gargantuan undertaking approximately 6 hoofstock paddocks were eliminated (meaning the loss of bison, caribou, musk oxen, yak and others) while two badly outdated metal cages were bulldozed (Pallas’ cat and cougar). The end result has meant the creation of a flawed but still excellent 10-acre zone that represents one of the best Asian sections at any American zoo.
Toyota Elephant Passage Website:
Denver Zoo: Toyota Elephant Passage
Toyota Elephant Passage (naming rights were established when the car company donated $5 million) might be the largest and most costly zoo complex constructed in the past 20 years. Zoo Miami spent about $50 million on Amazon and Beyond in 2008 and Bronx Zoo also spent a fortune on its Madagascar House but Denver certainly has made a statement with its newest mega-complex. There are 5 main yards that feature a rotating trio of animals (a similar policy to Predator Ridge): Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs. Signs are up everywhere informing visitors that they could see one of the three species in any one of the enclosures, although there is a 6th yard that is set aside only for Malayan tapirs that features a pool, dark netting and in no way could hold a rhino or elephant.
Of the 5 main yards (totaling around 2 acres of space) there are pools in 4 of them and they are enormous structures featuring hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The best thing about the habitats is that it makes it very easy to get close to the animals, and on three occasions I was no farther than 20 feet from a full-grown male elephant and that is a very cool experience. The yards are long and narrow (sort of like the 4.5 acre paddock at Kansas City Zoo) and while there are two aging females eventually Denver will have an all-bull herd similar to what has been set up at Birmingham Zoo. The viewing of the pachyderms is brilliant on every level, as besides the deep pools and close-up encounters there is a huge Amphitheater with two shows a day with an elephant, tapir or rhino. Plus there is a Crossing Bridge that goes over the entrance pathway and enables the animals to switch habitats. Without even venturing into Toyota Elephant Passage it is very easy to see 4 out of the 6 large yards, as well as the Sarus crane enclosure. A massive barn has 8 side stalls that are not able to be viewed, but the sandy common area with yet another pool can be seen. I wish that Denver had gone all-out and created a European-style elephant house with an enormous common area but the one they did build is still one of the largest in North America.
The Asian theme is enhanced with all sorts of cool signs that have a rustic feel to them, a marketplace atmosphere outside of the elephant barn, and there is an excellent netted clouded leopard habitat with several areas for them to climb, tall grass that has been allowed to grow, and large viewing windows for the public. A Sarus crane yard is very pretty and features a cascading pool; and a true highlight is the northern white-cheeked gibbon habitat as instead of one island there are actually three of them that come with long ropes that allow the apes to brachiate over the heads of visitors along the wooden boardwalk. While I was there the pair of gibbons was leaping from tree to tree and they did not appear to be scared to cross over their onlookers from island to island. What a great idea! The gibbon house is next to the islands but there isn’t viewing of the indoor area and I foresee that being an issue in the cold Colorado winters.
Toyota Elephant Passage is not perfect, as so far I have been raving about the 10-acre complex. The sightlines are terrible, as at 4 out of the 6 yards it is common to be glancing across the habitat and seeing visitors looking back in your direction from the other side. While walking through the Asian area it is easy enough to see visitors strolling along the pathway bypassing the entire zone, and thus zoos like North Carolina, Nashville and Dallas have done a great job of immersing humans in elephant habitats with nothing but naturalistic backdrops. Denver does not come close to that, but the spectacular viewing areas, the close proximity of the animals, the many deep pools and the novel ideas (crossing bridge, viewing of indoor barn, gibbons overhead) make up for what is lost in terms of a natural appearance.
While I have praise for the exhibits featuring elephants, rhinos, tapirs, Sarus cranes and clouded leopards (all of which I saw close-up on my visit) the weakest section is the central building. The flying fox enclosure is of average quality, and there are decent terrariums for these 6 species: Solomon Island eyelash frog, Javan hump-headed lizard, Asian gliding frog, green tree python, blood python and prehensile-tailed skink. The fishing cat and small-clawed otter exhibits are the two most disappointing as they are all indoors and while streams trickle through them they are too small for such potentially active animals. The end of the building has beautiful views of one of the main yards as glass viewing windows look out onto one of the larger pools. Overall Toyota Elephant Passage is an awesome addition to one of America’s 10 best zoos and while some people can criticize the price tag or nitpick about small details on the whole the vast majority of visitors will be duly impressed and thankful that their local zoo just got even better.
Toyota Elephant Passage – This 10-acre complex cost a staggering $50 million and represents one eighth of the entire acreage of the zoo. It opened on June 1st, 2012 and is the zoo’s first major exhibit complex since 2004’s Predator Ridge. The zoo has had timed ticket entries for the first 10 weeks since the unveiling of the grand new complex but all of that ends by mid-August as the crowds will begin to diminish and very soon it will be open for anyone at any time. To construct this gargantuan undertaking approximately 6 hoofstock paddocks were eliminated (meaning the loss of bison, caribou, musk oxen, yak and others) while two badly outdated metal cages were bulldozed (Pallas’ cat and cougar). The end result has meant the creation of a flawed but still excellent 10-acre zone that represents one of the best Asian sections at any American zoo.
Toyota Elephant Passage Website:
Denver Zoo: Toyota Elephant Passage
Toyota Elephant Passage (naming rights were established when the car company donated $5 million) might be the largest and most costly zoo complex constructed in the past 20 years. Zoo Miami spent about $50 million on Amazon and Beyond in 2008 and Bronx Zoo also spent a fortune on its Madagascar House but Denver certainly has made a statement with its newest mega-complex. There are 5 main yards that feature a rotating trio of animals (a similar policy to Predator Ridge): Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs. Signs are up everywhere informing visitors that they could see one of the three species in any one of the enclosures, although there is a 6th yard that is set aside only for Malayan tapirs that features a pool, dark netting and in no way could hold a rhino or elephant.
Of the 5 main yards (totaling around 2 acres of space) there are pools in 4 of them and they are enormous structures featuring hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The best thing about the habitats is that it makes it very easy to get close to the animals, and on three occasions I was no farther than 20 feet from a full-grown male elephant and that is a very cool experience. The yards are long and narrow (sort of like the 4.5 acre paddock at Kansas City Zoo) and while there are two aging females eventually Denver will have an all-bull herd similar to what has been set up at Birmingham Zoo. The viewing of the pachyderms is brilliant on every level, as besides the deep pools and close-up encounters there is a huge Amphitheater with two shows a day with an elephant, tapir or rhino. Plus there is a Crossing Bridge that goes over the entrance pathway and enables the animals to switch habitats. Without even venturing into Toyota Elephant Passage it is very easy to see 4 out of the 6 large yards, as well as the Sarus crane enclosure. A massive barn has 8 side stalls that are not able to be viewed, but the sandy common area with yet another pool can be seen. I wish that Denver had gone all-out and created a European-style elephant house with an enormous common area but the one they did build is still one of the largest in North America.
The Asian theme is enhanced with all sorts of cool signs that have a rustic feel to them, a marketplace atmosphere outside of the elephant barn, and there is an excellent netted clouded leopard habitat with several areas for them to climb, tall grass that has been allowed to grow, and large viewing windows for the public. A Sarus crane yard is very pretty and features a cascading pool; and a true highlight is the northern white-cheeked gibbon habitat as instead of one island there are actually three of them that come with long ropes that allow the apes to brachiate over the heads of visitors along the wooden boardwalk. While I was there the pair of gibbons was leaping from tree to tree and they did not appear to be scared to cross over their onlookers from island to island. What a great idea! The gibbon house is next to the islands but there isn’t viewing of the indoor area and I foresee that being an issue in the cold Colorado winters.
Toyota Elephant Passage is not perfect, as so far I have been raving about the 10-acre complex. The sightlines are terrible, as at 4 out of the 6 yards it is common to be glancing across the habitat and seeing visitors looking back in your direction from the other side. While walking through the Asian area it is easy enough to see visitors strolling along the pathway bypassing the entire zone, and thus zoos like North Carolina, Nashville and Dallas have done a great job of immersing humans in elephant habitats with nothing but naturalistic backdrops. Denver does not come close to that, but the spectacular viewing areas, the close proximity of the animals, the many deep pools and the novel ideas (crossing bridge, viewing of indoor barn, gibbons overhead) make up for what is lost in terms of a natural appearance.
While I have praise for the exhibits featuring elephants, rhinos, tapirs, Sarus cranes and clouded leopards (all of which I saw close-up on my visit) the weakest section is the central building. The flying fox enclosure is of average quality, and there are decent terrariums for these 6 species: Solomon Island eyelash frog, Javan hump-headed lizard, Asian gliding frog, green tree python, blood python and prehensile-tailed skink. The fishing cat and small-clawed otter exhibits are the two most disappointing as they are all indoors and while streams trickle through them they are too small for such potentially active animals. The end of the building has beautiful views of one of the main yards as glass viewing windows look out onto one of the larger pools. Overall Toyota Elephant Passage is an awesome addition to one of America’s 10 best zoos and while some people can criticize the price tag or nitpick about small details on the whole the vast majority of visitors will be duly impressed and thankful that their local zoo just got even better.
Which was more expensive? This or Congo Gorilla Forest at the Bronx, because Congo isn't 20 years old yet. And while on the topic of amazing zoo exhibits, what do you think your favorite exhibit complexes are? Toyota Elephant Passage seems to be one.
EDIT: I didn't notice your note on your road trip thread that talked about your list of exhibits.