Best and worst local zoo exhibits

Drusillas Park
Best - Beaver Exhibit (Possibly mixed species?)
Worst - Lar Gibbon Exhibit or Lemur Walkthrough

Port Lympne Reserve
Best - African Experience
Worst - Ocelot Exhibit
 
National Zoo:

Best: Amazonia, American Trail (although I wish seals had underwater viewing), Clouded Leopards, Pandas

Worst: Ape House - I think it's gross and dingy, feels like a jail (keep in mind I know it's up to standard and the animals get the best care) - I wish they could fund a new, modern building, Small Mammals: I hate the sand cat and fennec fox exhibits.

Dream: I'd love to get some kind of zipline for the lions and tigers to provide hunting enrichment opportunities

As an aside, I feel like it's universal that small mammal exhibits are often terrible. I wish those could be universally updated
 
Krexotics said:
Houston zoo...best:chimps and gorilla house,whole reptile house,elephants,bears,-worst-okapi(not that bad),horn bill.
Moody gardens rain forest -Best:giant river otter,and walk in jungle pyramid...it was awesome!!! -worst:i wasn't a fan of the komodo dragon exhibit...but it was pretty normal compared to most zoos.
Little Rock Zoo-Best:African building(naked mole rats,cheetahs,fire skink,etc.)farm yard petting zoo ,lions,tigers,gorilla......worst:small cats,bears,small mammal area....these were a little outdated and seemed small and empty for most of the species...like the grizzly bears,sloth bears, and sun bears. they had a beautiful baby sloth bear that made the whole trip worth it!!!
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In regards to the Houston Zoo were supposed to get a new children's zoo as well. Which will hopefully include Mountain Lions and Black Bears. A plethora of projects after the Galapagos exhibit.

Fun fact: The Giant Otter exhibit at Moody Gardens used to have waterfowl in there.
 
Zoo Antwerp (least distant zoo from me):
Best: I wouldn't really know which is actually the very best, but I think I'll go for the Great Ape Valley (opened in 2017) and the Buffalo Aviary (opened in 2016), and the cave that connects these 2 parts. Maybe the Reptile Building is in a shared 1st place. The most beautiful building, however, is without a doubt the Egyptian Temple, which continues to radiate as much glory as ever.
Worst: Because Zoo Antwerpen has or is renovating just about everything and has also added a lot, it is difficult to give the worst. But I think I'll go for the Small Ape building. Although I don't think this is a bad ape house (many on ZooChat think otherwise) it is still the worst if I really have to choose. The enclosures are just okay in size, but the building will be renovated in a few years.
Planckendael (zoo where I've been the most):
Best: Planckendael is and will be renovating in the coming years, so the best and worst position will definitely change in the coming years, but right now I think the new bonobo enclosure (opened in 2019) is the best. However, the elephant enclosure, Barbary macaque enclosure and Chili Aviary are just about as good.
Worst: In my opinion there are more bad enclosures in Planckendael than in the mother park (Zoo) Antwerp, but the worst is the enclosure for Watusi cattle. In my opinion it is way too small and could have easily been renovated together with the bonobo enclosure into a nice and good enclosure, but at this moment it is just not enough anymore.
Pakawi Park:
Best: Although Pakawi Park is currently renovating very hard, at the moment in my opinion the Tropical Hall (opened in 2012) and the Bear Forest (opened in 2008) are the best in Pakawi Park, with at 2 probably the new tiger enclosure. Also the otter enclosure and the squirrel monkey islands are good enclosures with lots of vegetation.
Worst: The worst in Pakawi Park in my opinion are the leopard enclosures. Although the animals breed well in them they are just small, especially the leopard enclosure next to the former lynx enclosure, right across from the white lions, is way too small. I still find it very strange that they didn't add the much larger former lynx enclosure. All the enclosures are easily expandable, so I hope they are expanded in the near future. The black leopard enclosure right across from the savannah is the best and largest leopard enclosure of the zoo.
 
Philadelphia Zoo:
Best: McNeil Avian Center
Worst: Rare Animal Conservation Center

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore:
Best: Penguin Coast, Maryland Wilderness
Worst: Lemur Lane exhibits

National Aquarium:
Best: Australia: Wild Extremes
Worst: None

Staten Island Zoo:
Best: Tropical Forest, Hall of Reptiles
Worst: Outdoor mammal cages

Cape May County Park & Zoo:
Best: World of Birds, African Savanna
Worst: Outdoor parrot cages

ZooAmerica:
Best: Great Southwest, Black Bear Encounter
Worst: Northlands

Elmwood Park Zoo:
Best: Trail of the Jaguar, Eagle Canyon
Worst: Wetlands exhibits

Brandywine Zoo:
Best: Madagascar, Andean Condor exhibit
Worst: Tamarin and saki exhibit

Lehigh Valley Zoo:
Best: Mexican Wolves, Otter exhibit
Worst: Penguin exhibit
 
Saskatoon Zoo is my most local zoo but it’s also very small, the closest large zoo to me is the Calgary Zoo.

Saskatoon Zoo Best: the Nutrien Ark is a large habitat that’s probably the most refined and expensive. It has a fairly large exhibit with tall fencing, climbing structures, foliage and hidden spots for privacy and a nice viewing area that doesn’t impose but offers a view of the whole enclosure. The animals cycle out every 2-6 years so sometimes it fits the species better then others. It’s had lions, red pandas, black ruffed lemurs, cougars, and a month or two ago it became home to a snow leopard which it suits very well.

Saskatoon Zoo Worst: There aren’t many bad exhibits but I’d probably go with the enclosure for American Badgers. It essentially amounts to a large square of dirt with no other features and somewhat lacklustre space.

Calgary Best: I’d probably go with the penguin plunge. It really stands out from the rest of the park with cold temperature control, an interesting Antarctic themed aesthetic and a glass walkway for guests that splits the enclosure into two, but both sides are accessible through swimming beneath it. It’s home to Gentoo, King, Humboldt and Rockhopper penguins. There’s also a connected habitat that’s outdoor with a more dry coastal theme. It also has a large pool for swimming and a rocky shore for the penguins to enjoy, as well as a grassy hill behind it with what appear to be artificial burrows.

Calgary Worst: Markhor maybe, none of them stand out as too bad but I remember the Markhor enclosure seeming fairly small and essentially amounted to a dirt ground with a rock mound in the middle. It might’ve been improved since I was there last
 
Yi Qi said:
For my zoos:

Toronto Zoo

Best - Giraffes and wood bison
Worst - Orangutan exhibit and raccoon pen

High Park Zoo
Best - Llama pen
Worst - Bison pen (seems a little too small for them)
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What do you think of Trt Zoo's orangutan exhibit? My opinion is, it is not great, but definitively not the "worst" exhibit, some exhibits in Kid's Zoo are truly terrible, like the cage of Turkey Vulture, it is so tiny and barren, same as the cages of Harris' Hawk and Red-tailed hawk in Bird Barn.
 
Dr Bright N04 said:
Some state locals for me than I will post some out of state ones.

Central Florida zoo
Best: Hepatarium, Cheetah, Warthog
Worst: Cougar

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Best: Kilamagaro safaris
Worst: American crocodile

SeaWorld Orlando
Best: Penguins, Sealions
Worst: Dolphin nursery

Gatorland
Best: Gator breeding marsh, Emus
Worst: The young gator decks

Brevard zoo
Best: Main savanna, Rhinos, Giant Otters
Worst: Red ruffed lemurs

Jungle Adventures
Best: Wolfs
Worst: the rest of the place

Tampa zoo
Best: Shoebills, Manatees
Worst: Some of the primates, domestic goats

Busch gardens
Best: The savannah veldt, Lorikeets
Worst: Some of the bird cages

Palm Beach zoo
Best: Most of the south amarican exibits
Worst: Agouti and serval cages

Jacksonville zoo
Best: Giraffes
Worst: Manatees

Santa Fe zoo
Best: Gibbins
Worst: Dwarf crocodile

Wild Florida
Best: The safari
Worst: Wallaby
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Update: I just remembered that the actual worst for Jacksonville is the old siamang cage.
 
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
Best: African Grasslands, Lied Jungle, Owen Sea Lion Shores
Worst: Spider Monkey Island
 
Reid Park Zoo

Best: Expedition Tanzania, South America, and Lee Brown Conservation Learning Center all at a tie.
Worst: American alligator enclosure bordering the event garden.

@Arizona Docent what are your thoughts on this?
 
Hello.
Bioparque do Rio:
Best exhibits: Imersão Tropical's walkthrough aviary and Savana Africana's big herbivore paddock.
Worst exhibits: Reis da Selva's lion and spectacled bear enclosures.
Zoo VR:
Best exhibits: walkthrough aviary
Worst exhibits: most likely one of their primate enclosures
 
Safari Wilderness
Best: Most of the tour pastures
Worst: Some of the ring tailed lemur cages, domestic animals

Giraffe Ranch
Best: The pond pasture
Worst: Otters, fishing cats
 
I just visited Detroit Zoo over the holidays:

Best: everything (lol) - penguins were closed and the Arctic Ring of Life was partially closed due to repairs - still got great looks of Laerke and Jebbie though

Worst: I only saw a few animals perform stereotypic behaviors and one happened to be the sea otter. Perhaps I was just there at the "wrong" time and it typically is otherwise doing normal behaviors but in that moment it wasn't

this is also not indicative of Detroit Zoo at all but I wish indoor primate exhibits did more to look like anything other than a prison. It was freezing out when I went so naturally they were inside and I just thought it looked like a cell block. That's a personal pet peeve of mine

(but as an aside Detroit Zoo was hands down one of my favorite zoos I've been to so far)
 
zoogoer92 said:
I just visited Detroit Zoo over the holidays:

Best: everything (lol) - penguins were closed and the Arctic Ring of Life was partially closed due to repairs - still got great looks of Laerke and Jebbie though

Worst: I only saw a few animals perform stereotypic behaviors and one happened to be the sea otter. Perhaps I was just there at the "wrong" time and it typically is otherwise doing normal behaviors but in that moment it wasn't

this is also not indicative of Detroit Zoo at all but I wish indoor primate exhibits did more to look like anything other than a prison. It was freezing out when I went so naturally they were inside and I just thought it looked like a cell block. That's a personal pet peeve of mine

(but as an aside Detroit Zoo was hands down one of my favorite zoos I've been to so far)
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I actually got into an argument with my brother because I told him I would go to the Detroit zoo despite the city's reputation. Low and behold, he got me a Detroit zoo shirt for Christmas he found at a Goodwill.
 
What is the best & worst exhibit in your local zoo?

For me, the best exhibit at my local zoo (WPZ) is the Living Northwest. It's a very natural-looking part of the zoo, and it has easily America's best grizzly bear exhibit.

My least favorite exhibit at WPZ is probably the Wildlife Surival zone. I mean, the flamingo exhibit looks alright, it's just the red panda, maned wolf, and crane yards that don't look very good. It's kind of excusable though, considering the exhibits are at the very edge of the zoo.
 
LionTamarin said:
My least favorite exhibit at WPZ is probably the Wildlife Surival zone. I mean, the flamingo exhibit looks alright, it's just the red panda, maned wolf, and crane yards that don't look very good. It's kind of excusable though, considering the exhibits are at the very edge of the zoo
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I didn't think they were that bad, just fairly simplistic compared to a lot of immersive exhibits.
 
In my opinion, the best exhibit at my local zoo (Indianapolis Zoo) is the Oceans complex. The overall design of the complex amazes me. It has a large touch pool that gives plenty space for guests to pet loads of dogfish sharks and stingrays. The Penguin exhibit is also very impressive, because not only can the birds swim on the sides of you but they can also swim below you. In addition their is also walruses which can’t be found in a whole lot of places in the U.S. And it’s cherry on top for me is the country’s only underwater Dolphin dome.


My least favorite exhibit is the Forests complex. Although the Tiger, Red Panda, and Eagle exhibits are alright the Bear, Macaw, and Gibbon exhibits are nothing to brag about. The macaw exhibit just seems empty and bare, especially the outdoor cage portion. The gibbon exhibit doesn’t impress me at all, and the bear exhibit is just full of concrete and only one tree, it definitely shows it’s age.
 
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