The penguin house reopened yesterday. I'll be going tomorrow and I'll let you know if there's anything special to report. As you can see, they've done upgrades as well as repairs.
About damn time, too, as it's been closed for over two years.
Best and worst local zoo exhibits
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
- Start date
About damn time, too, as it's been closed for over two years.
As stated, the zoo is in the northern suburbs, the area is very safe, and I have never heard of security problems in the zoo itself. If you're in the area, you can come happily.
Decided to do an Australasian Addition..
Melbourne Zoo:
Best- Gorilla Rainforest, amazingly large and naturalistic gorilla enclosure.
Worst- Nothing at Melbourne is really bad, but their Wild Seas complex is probably their worst, at least in my opinion.
Werribee Open Range Zoo:
Best- Kubu Hippo Trail, one of the best Hippo exhibits worldwide
Worst- Werribee dosen't have a complex thats bad too. Their Meerkat enclosure is probably their worst imo.
Taronga Zoo:
Best- Hard to decide..I'd say their new African Lion habitat.
Worst- The former bull elephant enclosure, which now holds Dromedary Camels is quite an eyesore.
Auckland Zoo:
Best- The new Orangutan and Saimang enclosures are just magnificent, and definitely the best.
Worst- ....Nothing their enclosures are all superb and up to date.
Melbourne Zoo:
Best- Gorilla Rainforest, amazingly large and naturalistic gorilla enclosure.
Worst- Nothing at Melbourne is really bad, but their Wild Seas complex is probably their worst, at least in my opinion.
Werribee Open Range Zoo:
Best- Kubu Hippo Trail, one of the best Hippo exhibits worldwide
Worst- Werribee dosen't have a complex thats bad too. Their Meerkat enclosure is probably their worst imo.
Taronga Zoo:
Best- Hard to decide..I'd say their new African Lion habitat.
Worst- The former bull elephant enclosure, which now holds Dromedary Camels is quite an eyesore.
Auckland Zoo:
Best- The new Orangutan and Saimang enclosures are just magnificent, and definitely the best.
Worst- ....Nothing their enclosures are all superb and up to date.
Edinburgh
Best: Probably the Bundungo trail. Despite a couple if design flaws and waste of potential inside, it is a good enclosure for the chimps
Worse: This would have 100% been the crowned lemur enclosure, but thankfully that has been removed. I think the worse is probably the monkey house, due to the dated architecture. Hopefully the zoo does something, anything, about that soon.
Best: Probably the Bundungo trail. Despite a couple if design flaws and waste of potential inside, it is a good enclosure for the chimps
Worse: This would have 100% been the crowned lemur enclosure, but thankfully that has been removed. I think the worse is probably the monkey house, due to the dated architecture. Hopefully the zoo does something, anything, about that soon.
Antimony96
Well-Known Member
Visited the Adventure Aquarium a couple months ago:
Best: Shark Realm / Ocean Realm, the big central tank. KidZone is also surprisingly fun.
Worst: Hippo Haven. Disappointingly small, though at least they got rid of the baffling disco theme for more standard African village fare.
Best: Shark Realm / Ocean Realm, the big central tank. KidZone is also surprisingly fun.
Worst: Hippo Haven. Disappointingly small, though at least they got rid of the baffling disco theme for more standard African village fare.
I don't live in Gainesville anymore, so this post wouldn't count but...
Santa Fe College Teaching zoo.
Best: The alligators or the gibbons.
Worst: Capuchin monkeys
Santa Fe College Teaching zoo.
Best: The alligators or the gibbons.
Worst: Capuchin monkeys
- North Carolina Zoo (Last visit Oct 2019)
- Best: Watani Grasslands Reserve
- Runner Ups: Rainforest Aviary, Prairie
- Worst: Grizzly Bear Exhibit
- Best: Watani Grasslands Reserve
- Greensboro Science Center
- Best: Wiseman Aquarium
- Worst: Discovery House
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
I agree, the though I will say that the Grizzly exhibit is much better since the renovation.
Swanson02
Well-Known Member
A continuation of this Australasian theme
Adelaide Zoo:
Best - Giant Panda Bamboo Forest (Built big to impress the Chinese).
https://www.adelaidezoo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/venues/2014/11/Bamboo-Forest-a.jpg
Tied for worst - Giraffe yard, basically just a small pen (scheduled to soon be expanded/renovated).
https://mapio.net/images-p/20453539.jpg
Tied for worst - Australian Sea Lions, they essentially dwell in a rocky pond (fortunately they are scheduled for relocation).
https://assets.change.org/photos/1/fe/jm/rkfEjMWMkUvZJMQ-800x450-noPad.jpg?1522918701
Monarto Safari Park:
Best - African Lion Enclosure, you can't get a more perfect recreation of lion habitat outside of Africa. Most city zoos would fit entirely within this enclosure.
https://www.monartosafari.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/animals/AfricanLion3Slider.jpg
https://www.simonhampel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/20090818-lion-pano.jpg
Worst - The whole park is a little monotonous, so not for those who need large exhibit variety.
http://thenomadicexplorers.com/site...rray-river-lakes-and-coorong-415/DSC02312.jpg
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Dr Bright N04
Well-Known Member
Rainforest Adventures zoo in Pigeon Forge
Best: New bird/porcupine exhibit
Worst: Primates
Best: New bird/porcupine exhibit
Worst: Primates
Detroit Zoo
Best: Arctic Ring of Life
Worst: The grizzly bear grotto
John Ball Zoo
Best: The lions or the chimps
Worst: The awkward meshed snow leopard / cougar enclosures
Binder Park Zoo
Best: Wild Africa
Worst: with the exception of the snow leopard exhibit, the rest of the zoo was underwhelming to me.
Best: Arctic Ring of Life
Worst: The grizzly bear grotto
John Ball Zoo
Best: The lions or the chimps
Worst: The awkward meshed snow leopard / cougar enclosures
Binder Park Zoo
Best: Wild Africa
Worst: with the exception of the snow leopard exhibit, the rest of the zoo was underwhelming to me.
Dr Bright N04
Well-Known Member
Sealife Orlando
Best: Pacific ocean, Axolotls
Worst: There's this one tank that has a kind of arch that goes over the guest's heads. Its not bad at all, but the arch does not go to another tank and just meets at the wall.
Best: Pacific ocean, Axolotls
Worst: There's this one tank that has a kind of arch that goes over the guest's heads. Its not bad at all, but the arch does not go to another tank and just meets at the wall.
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
Henry Vilas Zoo
- Best: Arctic Passage, easy. I love how the Polar Bears have access to the Grizzly Bear habitat during the winter.
- Worst: The penguin exhibit is pretty lifeless. At least with the hoofstock yards, the animals are visible most of the time. I have never seen the penguins anywhere other than huddled in the corner.
- Best: I'd say the aviary, but I've never actually been inside (thanks a lot, bird flu...), so I'm gonna be controversial and say the new outdoor hippo exhibit. Unlike other modern hippo habitats, it doesn't overkill it with the underwater viewing and actually lets you see the hippos on land (do you get it, Cincinnati?!). Yeah, it's not Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's hippo exhibit, but this is Milwaukee, I'm working with slim pickings here.
- Worst: Milwaukee County Zoo: Putting the "Rot" in "Bear Grottos" since nineteen-fifty-something. Dishonorable mention to Primates of the World for its weirdly sterile atmosphere (almost like a laboratory, not a good look) and for providing me with the most depressing picture of a Mandrill ever taken.
- Best: Forest of Uco is pretty cool, I guess. I'll have to revisit that area when I go back to AZ so I can see it with a younger bear.
- Worst: May be a hot take, but the cougar habitat. The viewing is obstructed by the massive diagonal rock and the fact that the cougars are usually high up, which means I have to duck in order to see them. Thank goodness it won't be around for much longer.
- Best: Um.... uh.... shoot. Dragon World...? It's a decent-enough reptile house with a semi-rare Saltwater Crocodile?
- Worst: The black bear exhibit in Adventure Land. Blegh, BARF. I can sort-of forgive some of the crappier habitats in the main zoo because they were probably built in the 90's, but Adventure Land opened in 2016 and the bear exhibit is just a sandy, rocky island with a dry moat and a climbing structure. WHYYYYYYY?!
- Best: Ocean Voyager is an extremely unique experience, and the final stop at the shark tank is beautiful...
- Worst: ...but it can only be ridden once per visit (as far as I know), which means your time to get photos is limited. There's no way to see the sea lions on land without paying for behind the scenes stuff. But perhaps the worst sin of them all is the mandatory 5 seconds of Baby Shark that cannot be skipped. Honestly, I could write an essay on all the cringey narrations that Ocean Voyager has had over the years.
Cairns Aquarium
Best - Either the Billabongs exhibit or the Deep Reef Amphitheatre. I cannot decide which I think is better.
Worst - The small, circular tank in the Swamps area. The way it is designed is awful for viewing, and all species in the tank are repeats from other tanks. I usually pay little attention to this tank.
Reef HQ
Best - Main reef exhibit. This is a no-brainer. It's simply stunning and it replicates the reef so well, you nearly forget that it is an aquarium!
Worst - Moray eel tank. The tank is very dark, and glare from the main reef exhibit makes it incredibly hard to see inside. In addition, it seems poorly designed for morays - it is quite small and more vertical than horizontal, leaving little room for the eels. I have heard this tank has since been demolished in Reef HQ's renovations, so I hope the morays have a better exhibit when the aquarium reopens.
Best - Either the Billabongs exhibit or the Deep Reef Amphitheatre. I cannot decide which I think is better.
Worst - The small, circular tank in the Swamps area. The way it is designed is awful for viewing, and all species in the tank are repeats from other tanks. I usually pay little attention to this tank.
Reef HQ
Best - Main reef exhibit. This is a no-brainer. It's simply stunning and it replicates the reef so well, you nearly forget that it is an aquarium!
Worst - Moray eel tank. The tank is very dark, and glare from the main reef exhibit makes it incredibly hard to see inside. In addition, it seems poorly designed for morays - it is quite small and more vertical than horizontal, leaving little room for the eels. I have heard this tank has since been demolished in Reef HQ's renovations, so I hope the morays have a better exhibit when the aquarium reopens.
AndyJ08
Well-Known Member
ZooWorld
Best- Alligator exhibit. Large, naturalistic and well-executed theming. It has cypress trees, a simulated “swamp shack”, and several species of turtles that share the water with the alligators.
Worst- Capuchin exhibit. This is one of those archaic “corn-crib cages” with a concrete floor, iron bars, and tin roof. The two monkeys forced to live in the ancient monstrosity were bored and stressed on of all of my visits. Plus, to add to the grimy charm, there are several plastic Fischer-Price toys in the cage!
Best- Alligator exhibit. Large, naturalistic and well-executed theming. It has cypress trees, a simulated “swamp shack”, and several species of turtles that share the water with the alligators.
Worst- Capuchin exhibit. This is one of those archaic “corn-crib cages” with a concrete floor, iron bars, and tin roof. The two monkeys forced to live in the ancient monstrosity were bored and stressed on of all of my visits. Plus, to add to the grimy charm, there are several plastic Fischer-Price toys in the cage!
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Hmm. I have three zoos I’ve been to way more than others.
Riverbanks
Best: Komodo Dragon or Sea Lion
I like the indoor viewing of the Komodo dragon. Their yard is also quite nice. But the sea lion area is more elaborately themed and has lots of viewing areas.
Worst: Lion exhibit. It feels like the moat is bigger than the actual exhibit. There’s only fake rock. No grass. Don’t even get particularly close views.
Indianapolis Zoo
Best: Orangutan Center. Fight me. Lots of cool perches and enrichment for the orangs and they actually seem to use it. The satellite exhibits are small and the males in them never seem particularly lively, which does knock it down a bit. Wish they could just let the orangs have free access to the entire complex, but I get why they can’t.
Worst: Dolphin. The concrete tank hasn’t aged well and the dome, while cool, takes away a lot of space. Dishonorable mention to the grizzly bear enclosure for being a whole bunch of concrete, but at least I often see the grizzlies interacting with the environment in intriguing ways.
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Best: Tiger or Veldt Yard. I like the viewing building and the exhibit itself is aesthetically pleasing. The Veldt yard is important to the history of the industry and still decently large, but it really feels like it needs more species to liven it up.
Worst: It’s not an exhibit but I’m putting the ski lift here. It takes up a whole lot of space that could have gone towards larger tiger or hyena yards and it doesn’t even give a good view of anything. They got rid of a solid African painted dog exhibit for this?
If I have to give an actual exhibit I’m going with the kangaroo yard, not because it’s bad but because it’s kind of disappointing as the anchor attraction for a whole section of the zoo.
Riverbanks
Best: Komodo Dragon or Sea Lion
I like the indoor viewing of the Komodo dragon. Their yard is also quite nice. But the sea lion area is more elaborately themed and has lots of viewing areas.
Worst: Lion exhibit. It feels like the moat is bigger than the actual exhibit. There’s only fake rock. No grass. Don’t even get particularly close views.
Indianapolis Zoo
Best: Orangutan Center. Fight me. Lots of cool perches and enrichment for the orangs and they actually seem to use it. The satellite exhibits are small and the males in them never seem particularly lively, which does knock it down a bit. Wish they could just let the orangs have free access to the entire complex, but I get why they can’t.
Worst: Dolphin. The concrete tank hasn’t aged well and the dome, while cool, takes away a lot of space. Dishonorable mention to the grizzly bear enclosure for being a whole bunch of concrete, but at least I often see the grizzlies interacting with the environment in intriguing ways.
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Best: Tiger or Veldt Yard. I like the viewing building and the exhibit itself is aesthetically pleasing. The Veldt yard is important to the history of the industry and still decently large, but it really feels like it needs more species to liven it up.
Worst: It’s not an exhibit but I’m putting the ski lift here. It takes up a whole lot of space that could have gone towards larger tiger or hyena yards and it doesn’t even give a good view of anything. They got rid of a solid African painted dog exhibit for this?
If I have to give an actual exhibit I’m going with the kangaroo yard, not because it’s bad but because it’s kind of disappointing as the anchor attraction for a whole section of the zoo.
AndyJ08
Well-Known Member
My visits are mainly centered in the eastern US (the southeast in particular), so I most likely won’t visit Fort Wayne or Indianapolis anytime soon, but Riverbanks is definitely on my list for zoos that I should visit in the near future. Most zoos in my area are hit-or-miss, so ZooWorld is the only zoo that came to mind when reading this thread.