Best Exhibit Zones Dedicated to Geographical Area?

I'll join in with the ones I've visited.
  1. North America - Tie between Brookfield Zoo's Great Bear Wilderness (Love the overhead bison path and wolf exhibit) and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Rocky Mountain Wild (Literally fenced in natural mountainside for most species and a larger species list) (Sidenote does Elephant Odyssey count? :D if so that for me)
  2. South America - Amazon Rising at Shedd Aquarium
  3. Africa - African Grasslands at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (Just massive exhibits and a large species list)
  4. Asia - Asian Highlands at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (If only for the takin/goral exhibit)
  5. Europe - I have not been to a zoo with a dedicated European complex
  6. Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld Orlando (I did not go on the ride but the exhibit is amazing)
  7. Australia - LA Zoo's Australia area and Australia House (Massive night house for wombats and echidna. The outdoor areas are a bit dated but I love the foliage and the variety of species they have)
 
Of ones that I've been to and actually remember:

1. North America - ZooTampa's Florida

2. South America - Amazon Rising at Shedd Aquarium (only one that I can recall going to)

3. Africa - Either Africa Rocks at SDZ or the whole African sections at SDZSF, it's a hard one

4. Asia - Virginia Zoo's Trail of the Tiger

5. Europe - N/A

6. Arctic - Polar Bear Plunge at San Diego Zoo (It could qualify for NA, but)

7. Antarctic - Newport Aquarium's Penguin Palooza or Cincinnati Zoo's Antarctic Exhibit (only ones I've seen)

8. Australia - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Australia Complex (only one I can recall)
 
North America - Columbus Zoo, North America and Polar Frontier
runner up: Akron Zoo, Grizzly Ridge; Buffalo Zoo, Arctic Edge

South America - Buffalo Zoo, Rainforest Falls
runner up: Dallas World Zoo and Aquarium (in general, immersive bird, monkey, and aquatic life exhibits)

Africa - (savannah) Columbus Zoo, Heart of Africa; (rainforest) Bronx Zoo, Congo Gorilla Forest
runners up: Dallas Zoo, Giants of the Savannah

Asia - Columbus Zoo, Asia Quest
runner up: Bronx Zoo, Asia Monorail/Jungleworld

Antarctica - St. Louis Zoo Penguin & Puffin Coast
runner up: Detroit Zoo, Polk Penguin Conservation Center
 
This is really hard given the vast majority of the zoos I have visited have been in Europe, where zoos are less split into exhibits and more like lots of different parts melded together generally.

However, I will just say the zoo I have visited which I think has the best exhibits regarding the particular categories.

North America: Toronto without a doubt. Great exhibit for boreal forest animals and then Tundra trek below them is great as well.

South America: Vincennes probably. Very nice exhibits focusing on the rainforest and then Patagonia.
Others I considered: Chester was the other one I was seriously considering. Doue has some very nice South American exhibits, chiefly the large South American aviary and the Giant otters. However, neither of the two zoos mentioned actually have a 'South American exhibit' as such, just a jumble of exhibits. Colchester might also be in the running. I would say that Montpellier has the nicest indoor Amazon rainforest house. Beauval with the new Equatorial dome is in the running as well.

Africa: Very difficult, but joint between Beauval and Valencia. Both fantastic (one of them was built from scratch not long ago and is entirely focused on African taxa) but I would say I prefer Beauval just because it isn't the whole zoo. With the more recent hippo, lion and cheetah developments, I would say it is most definitely up there if not the best in terms of European collections for African taxa. Of course, Dvur Kralove and others are stiff competition in this category, but I haven't visited the latter.
Others I considered: I think Montpellier definitely made it into the shortlist on this one - it has an outstanding collection of African ungulates especially. Chester was also very nice. I enjoyed lots of others, like Vincennes, Thoiry (although most of the African area is a safari park), Leipzig (excellent tropical and grassland areas) and of course Zurich with Masoala and associated acts, but not the best in terms of breadth of collection across the continent.

Asia: I really loved Paris Menagerie because of the great rare ungulates and old architecture, but this really has to go to Chester because of Islands and RORA along with other exhibits like the elephant enclosure scattered around the zoo.
Others I considered: Again Beauval was certainly in the back of my mind. I liked Toronto's Indomalayan pavilion way back in 2016, but not enough for it to trump the European excellence in this field. Also considered Munich and Leipzig.

Europe: Alpenzoo. :D

Arctic: Well I guess again Toronto, almost by default. If I had decided to visit Hannover instead of Leipzig, it would have been a closer call to make. HWP and YWP were also great when I visited in 2012 and 13 respectively, but I can't remember much from them.

Antarctic: Hard one. Maybe Zurich. Vienna is in contention, but only because it is an Antarctic exhibit and there aren't many others.
 
TZDugong said:
I believe I may have responded to something like this on another thread, but I really don't understand this argument. The whole AROL complex (which includes eating areas, multiple exhibits and the visitor path) is only around 4 acres, meaning the Polar Bear exhibit is big but not even close to being too large. There are also many different viewing areas, both underwater and above-ground. To be honest it seems like you were just unlucky; I had no problem finding a bear and I know many others have seen them as well.

That exhibit looks great, but I'd imagine very few zoochatters have ever visited.
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I live within walking distance of the Detroit Zoo so I go over every month or so, or even more frequently. The times I do not see a bear is on hot summer afternoons when the bears, reasonably enough, are napping.

As I tell people...and I'm sure all my fellow Zoo Chatters already know this...it's a hot, clear summer day and everyone says, "Hey, let's go to the zoo!" It's not the best time to go; a lot of animals rest in the shade and it's croweded.

My favorite times are first thing in the morning in early spring or late fall, cool but not cold, and overcast. Most animals are out.
 
1. Hamburg Tierpark Hagenbeck North American Area
2. Stuttgart Wilhelma loose South American Animals
3. 1. Zoo Praha African Savannah 2. Hodenhagen Serengeti Park loose African Animals
4. Leipzig Zoo Asia
5. Bad Mergentheim Wildpark entire Park
6. Nuremburg Tiergarten Aqua Park
7. Munich Tierpark Hellabrunn Polarium
8. Zoo Praha Australia
 
Now I’m not exactly the most travelled zoochatter, but I figured it would be a fun exercise to work out my personal rankings:

1. North America: Monterey Bay Aquarium
Pretty much the whole aquarium is dedicated to native Monterey Bay wildlife and is an exceptional facility that I love.

2. South America: Shedd Aquarium
Frankly while I’m not the biggest fan of Shedd’s Amazon Rising, I do believe it is probably the best exhibit dedicated to South America that I’ve been to.

3. Asia: Shedd Aquarium/San Diego Zoo
I’ve added two institutions here because I wasn’t entirely sure if Wild Reef at Shedd still fulfilled the Philippines theme and would qualify for Asia. San Diego Zoo’s Tiger Trail is also a favorite of mine from the institution, though the experience was a bit tainted by my rushing to finish before the zoo closed.

4. Europe: Don’t think that I’ve been to one

5. Africa: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I enjoyed the Safari Park much more than I thought I would, especially the African portions. There was something about African Woods’s exhibits that really stuck with me.

6. Arctic/Antarctic: Henry Vilas Zoo
Pretty much by default, Henry Vilas Zoo’s Arctic Passage is a great exhibit that certainly beats out the other zoos I’ve been to. Though, San Diego Zoo’s was also quite good

7. Australia: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I did prefer Walkabout Australia to most other Australian exhibits. It certainly helped that there was a platypus present.
 
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The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
Now I’m not exactly the most travelled zoochatter, but I figured it would be a fun exercise to work out my personal rankings:

1. North America: Monterey Bay Aquarium
Pretty much the whole aquarium is dedicated to native Monterey Bay wildlife and is an exceptional facility that I love.

2. South America: Shedd Aquarium
Frankly while I’m not the biggest fan of Shedd’s Amazon Rising, I do believe it is probably the best exhibit dedicated to South America that I’ve been to.

3. Asia: Shedd Aquarium/San Diego Zoo
I’ve added two institutions here because I wasn’t entirely sure if Wild Reef at Shedd still fulfilled the Philippines theme and would qualify for Asia. San Diego Zoo’s Tiger Trail is also a favorite of mine from the institution, though the experience was a bit tainted by my rushing to finish before the zoo closed.

4. Europe: Don’t think that I’ve been to one

5. Africa: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I enjoyed the Safari Park much more than I thought I would, especially the African portions. There was something about African Woods’s exhibits that really stuck with me.

6. Arctic/Antarctic: Henry Vilas Zoo
Pretty much by default, Henry Vilas Zoo’s Arctic Passage is a great exhibit that certainly beats out the other zoos I’ve been to. Though, San Diego Zoo’s was also quite good

7. Australia: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I did prefer Walkabout Australia to most other Australian exhibits. It certainly helped that there was a platypus present.
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What do you have against Amazon Rising?

When I made my list, I hadn't even thought of Wild Reef as an Asian complex, but I suppose it is, as it is supposed to be a Philippine reef. That's what I'm going to say my favorite Asian zone of a zoo is, Wild Reef is superb.
 
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birdsandbats said:
What do you have against Amazon Rising.

When I made my list, I hadn't even thought of Wild Reef as an Asian complex, but I suppose it is, as it is supposed to be a Philippine reef. That's what I'm going to say my favorite Asian zone of a zoo is, Wild Reef is superb.
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Don’t get me wrong, I love Amazon Rising, but for some reason it just doesn’t hit me like Wild Reef or the Oceanarium does. Wild Reef and the top floor of the Oceanarium really transport me to the Philippines or to the Pacific Northwest. They make me forget that I’m in Chicago. To a certain extent, Amazon Rising does the same thing. The portion between I believe the Caiman exhibit and the Arapaima tank does a fantastic job of replicating that Amazonian feel on par with the Oceanarium and Wild Reef. The decor and sculptures also do a fantastic job of that as well. I just wish that it was a little more. Its like the old quality versus quantity debate. Amazon Rising has some great quality, but for my taste not enough quantity of that quality. It is fantastic but there just isn’t enough of it. It ends too quickly. Before you know it, you turn the corner and it’s already over. Amazon Rising is, in my opinion, a fantastic exhibit, but it doesn’t have enough to it to win against some of Shedd’s other magnificent exhibits. I do really hope though that Shedd applies the same Amazon Rising treatment to some of the other galleries.

Also, I completely agree that Wild Reef is spectacular!
 
The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
Don’t get me wrong, I love Amazon Rising, but for some reason it just doesn’t hit me like Wild Reef or the Oceanarium does. Wild Reef and the top floor of the Oceanarium really transport me to the Philippines or to the Pacific Northwest. They make me forget that I’m in Chicago. To a certain extent, Amazon Rising does the same thing. The portion between I believe the Caiman exhibit and the Arapaima tank does a fantastic job of replicating that Amazonian feel on par with the Oceanarium and Wild Reef. The decor and sculptures also do a fantastic job of that as well. I just wish that it was a little more. Its like the old quality versus quantity debate. Amazon Rising has some great quality, but for my taste not enough quantity of that quality. It is fantastic but there just isn’t enough of it. It ends too quickly. Before you know it, you turn the corner and it’s already over. Amazon Rising is, in my opinion, a fantastic exhibit, but it doesn’t have enough to it to win against some of Shedd’s other magnificent exhibits. I do really hope though that Shedd applies the same Amazon Rising treatment to some of the other galleries.

Also, I completely agree that Wild Reef is spectacular!
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But other than Wild Reef, Amazon Rising is the largest section of the aquarium species-wise.
 
birdsandbats said:
But other than Wild Reef, Amazon Rising is the largest section of the aquarium species-wise.
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Apologies, I don’t think I explained myself well. When I said that I wasn’t the most massive fan of Amazon Rising, I simply meant that I don’t prefer it over Wild Reef or the Oceanarium (though after looking at some pictures of Amazon Rising I might put it on par with the Oceanarium). Admittedly looking back on it, I did choose some quite poor wording to convey my thoughts, and I apologize for that.

What I meant by my quantity versus quality debate was not really about the number of species. It had more to do with the experience of the exhibit. For me that middle section, ends very quickly. It’s a compact and beautiful space that brilliantly merges the almost utilitarian viewing windows with the exhibits. It’s like if someone just dropped a chunk of the Amazon into the Shedd. It’s also astounding that the exhibit was built within the original 1927 structure of Shedd Aquarium. It is a beautiful exhibit in its own right. However, this all plays out in such a small compact space. That middle section of Amazon Rising is phenomenal, but the gallery exhibits at the beginning and end don’t exactly live up to middle section. Amazon Rising’s spectacle comes from that middle portion which is just too little for me. It’s really just for this reason that I prefer Wild Reef to Amazon Rising. I must reiterate still that I am a fan of Amazon Rising, just not as big a fan as I am of Wild Reef.

Out of curiosity, @birdsandbats what do you love about Amazon Rising? It’s entirely possible that I’m missing some element to Amazon Rising’s brilliance.
 
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Arctic and Antarctic: Hellabrunn Zoo Polarium
Asia.: Bronx Zoo Asian monorail, Rotterdam Zoo Asia, Ostrava Zoo Chitwan
Africa: Leipzig Zoo Kiwara savanna and kopje, Prague Zoo Afrika zbizka
South America: Szeged Zoo's South America, Leipzig Zoo Pantanal
Europe: Innsbruck Alpenzoo
North America: Burgers' desert
Australia: Budapest Zoo's Australian part
Tropical hall: Leipzig Zoo Gondwanaland and Pongoland
,
 
The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
Apologies, I don’t think I explained myself well. When I said that I wasn’t the most massive fan of Amazon Rising, I simply meant that I don’t prefer it over Wild Reef or the Oceanarium (though after looking at some pictures of Amazon Rising I might put it on par with the Oceanarium). Admittedly looking back on it, I did choose some quite poor wording to convey my thoughts, and I apologize for that.

What I meant by my quantity versus quality debate was not really about the number of species. It had more to do with the experience of the exhibit. For me that middle section, ends very quickly. It’s a compact and beautiful space that brilliantly merges the almost utilitarian viewing windows with the exhibits. It’s like if someone just dropped a chunk of the Amazon into the Shedd. It’s also astounding that the exhibit was built within the original 1927 structure of Shedd Aquarium. It is a beautiful exhibit in its own right. However, this all plays out in such a small compact space. That middle section of Amazon Rising is phenomenal, but the gallery exhibits at the beginning and end don’t exactly live up to middle section. Amazon Rising’s spectacle comes from that middle portion which is just too little for me. It’s really just for this reason that I prefer Wild Reef to Amazon Rising. I must reiterate still that I am a fan of Amazon Rising, just not as big a fan as I am of Wild Reef.

Out of curiosity, @birdsandbats what do you love about Amazon Rising? It’s entirely possible that I’m missing some element to Amazon Rising’s brilliance.
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The middle section is clearly the best, but I love that they can make an exhibit based a single river and have an exhibit complex with hundreds of species. The exhibits are very well done theming wise, and showcase a lot of interesting species. The only way I could think of improving that exhibit would be to add some arboreal animals to the trees above the tanks (sloths, some passerines, ect.) and bring back the Bullet Ants.
 
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