Best Exhibits for Popular Zoo Animals

[MonkeyBat]

I was recently able to obtain America's Best Zoos by Allen W. Nyhuis and John Wassner. There's a section it it where the authors give their opinions on the best zoos to see certain animals. They are as follows

Alligators

Beavers

Bison

Camels

Chimpanzees

Elephants

Giraffes

Gorillas

Grizzly/Brown Bears

Hippos

Kangaroos

Lions

Meerkats

Orangutans

Penguins

Polar Bears

Sea Lions

Tigers

Wolves

Zebras

Of the zoos you've seen, what are the best exhibits for the following animals? Here's mine

Alligators: Alligator Adventure, Brookgreen Gardens and Nashville Zoo - Alligator adventure has large swamps for the reptiles to explore, Brookgreen Gardens as well. Nashville's exhibit is really unique in terms of viewing.

Beavers - Minnesota Zoo and Knoxville Zoo - Minnesota's is a nice large exhibit. Knoxville's allows for many unique viewing opportunities plus it's in a (geographically incorrect) aviary.

Bison - North Carolina Zoo - Minnesota should probably be higher but I found their exhibit a bit bland. North Carolina's has a geyser which is quite unique.

Camels - Blank Park Zoo and Minnesota Zoo - Both have Bactrian camels housed in large exhibits complete with ponds. Blank Park's even mixes them with cranes.

Chimpanzees - Knoxville Zoo - Not sure if North Carolina should be higher, as I don't remember much about their exhibit. Knoxville's while bland in my opinion is very roomy.

Elephants - San Diego Safari Park and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Both very roomy. Omaha had a great indoor accommodation and sometimes mixes theirs with zebras and impalas. San Diego Safari has an incredible view

Giraffes - San Diego Safari Park and Honolulu Zoo - San Diego Safari, of course for their breathtaking landscape and space. Honolulu's is small, but well done, I like their use of using those really pretty trees.

Gorillas - San Diego Zoo and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - San Diego's is lush and tropical and filled with waterfalls, it's really well done. Omaha's wins for interactive experiences, as the gorillas can sit on glass bubbles and even cross above your head. Their indoor accommodation is well done as well.

Grizzly/Brown Bears - Minnesota Zoo - Their grizzly bear exhibit is breathtaking, with geysers inside of exhibit and underrated viewing. The bears were not active when I visited but I was still impressed.

Hippos - San Diego Zoo - I've always liked the design of theirs. The crystal clear waters and lush foliage, and not that much theming. Just you in the jungle with hippos.

Kangaroos - San Diego Safari Park and Nashville Zoo - Both really well done walkthroughs and the only I believe I've been in with kangaroos instead of wallabies. I was not able to so platypi at SDSP (I visited in 2018) but still they are both pretty well done.

Lions - Hard tie between San Diego Safari Park and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Both REALLY well done. SDSP has rolling hills and incredible views, while Omaha's kopje type enclosure is absolutely stunning and allows the lions to get high in the air.

Meerkats - Nashville Zoo and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Nashville's is pretty nice, it's roomy and has viewing bubbles. Omaha has two actually, and they are both great. They are even mixed with other animals like hyraxes, tortoises, and klipspringers.

Orangutans - National Zoo - The O-line is amazing, I've never seen orangutan cross it, but the idea they can get so high in the air just like the wild is amazing.

Penguins - San Diego Zoo - Very well done exhibit. Mixing them with sharks was a really unique idea. Great nesting areas to.

Polar Bears - San Diego Zoo - I've been to a few facilities with polar bears and this is the best. Great underwater viewing. North Carolina should probably be higher but I don't remember much about their exhibit either.

Sea Lions - Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Breathtaking exhibit, with many great features and the realism is incredible. Another ace exhibit by Henry Doorly

Tigers - San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, Minnesota Zoo, Nashville Zoo - It's just too hard to choose. San Diego's is very nicely done and has different levels. SDSP's is also really nice and roomy, although the animals are hard to spot it still is breathtaking. Minnesota's is huge, and offers a bird's eye view of the tigers. Nashville has a waterfall (which I love) and great viewing.

Wolves - Minnesota Zoo and Bays Mountain Park - Both offer lots of room and woods to roam in, Bays Mountain's is bland but roomy.

Zebras - San Diego Safari Park - Of course due to the space and terrain

 

[Julio C Castro]

From my very limited experience, here are the select few species and regarding their exhibits;

Lions - Lion Camp at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. When I and many of the general public think of lions out in Africa, this exhibit is that very same image. It oversees one of the field exhibits, keeping an eye on the hoof stock and is an added enrichment for the pride. Having multiple vantage points for visitors and very photogenic. Added bonus is seeing the lions on the Kopje roaring early in the mornings to wake the whole park up.

Kangaroos - Walkabout Australia at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Mixed in with wallabies, geese, and ducks through the walkthrough roo yard. The most lush and vibrant grass within the exhibit, the kangaroos will hop across the walkway and sometimes are curious enough to stop by investigate the visitors.

Penguins - Africa Rocks at the San Diego Zoo. Has a massive flock of African penguins. Will take a dive with leopard sharks, torpedo through the water and hop into the beach. A crowd favorite and one of the strongest additions to the zoo in recent years.

Tigers - Tiger Trail at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Home to Sumatran Tigers, composed of 3 different pens which all the tigers are rotated through. Hidden speakers along the exhibit immerse the visitors more into the environment of Southeast Asia. Amongst my favorite exhibits of all time.

 

[Great Argus]

Interesting question from the perspective of zoos I've been to.

Alligators: Being a West coaster, a lot of the alligator exhibits I've seen are pretty basic. Usually they only have a gator or two. I might actually have to give this one to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, since I haven't seen Sacramento's new one yet. The exhibit has a lot of greenery and a decent pool, and the gators are easily viewable.

Beavers: Oregon Zoo's exhibit, though I don't remember enough details to describe it at the moment.

Bison: Wildlife Safari, with a large herd roaming on a big open hillside. Only downside is they're only viewable on the drive-thru, although that's true for most of the park.

Camels: Can't think of any particularly good exhibits offhand, for either species.

Chimpanzees: I dislike these, and typically skip them.

Elephants: I concur with Julio on the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Oregon's is pretty good too.

Giraffes: San Diego Zoo Safari Park again, easily.

Gorillas: Unfortunately I've missed Woodland Park's and San Diego's, and best one probably goes to the Safari Park.

Grizzly/Brown Bears: Woodland Park, the naturalistic appearance is phenomenal.

Hippos: Bit tied here. I like San Diego's underwater viewing, and their breeding record shows the success of the exhibit. The large exhibit at Wildlife Safari is impressive but rather barren, and the heavy duty fencing rather ruins the view.

Kangaroos: I don't know that I've seen a particularly good kangaroo exhibit. If I had to pick a favorite I'd probably have to say San Francisco for the grassy exhibit and unobstructed viewing.

Lions: Lion Camp at SDZ Safari Park.

Meerkats: Oakland, with trees and tall termite mounds. Whether the exhibit is still there I'm not certain, but I hope so.

Orangutans: The magnificent exhibit at Woodland Park, lush and full of live trees.

Penguins: Woodland Park's impressive exhibit for Humboldt Penguin, and the large exhibit for African Penguin at SDZ. The mix with sharks at SDZ is particularly unique.

Polar Bears: Not sure whether SDZ or Oregon gets first here, both decent.

Sea Lions: Another one with mediocre exhibits, my visits to Fresno Chaffee having been before their impressive looking sea lion/seal exhibit.

Tigers: SDZ Safari Park once again, with the multi-exhibit complex.

Wolves: Woodland Park's wooded exhibit is quite nice.

Zebras: SDZ Safari Park, again. Wildlife Safari in second since they only had a couple when I visited.

 

[Julio C Castro]

Interesting question from the perspective of zoos I've been to.

Alligators: Being a West coaster, a lot of the alligator exhibits I've seen are pretty basic. Usually they only have a gator or two. I might actually have to give this one to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, since I haven't seen Sacramento's new one yet. The exhibit has a lot of greenery and a decent pool, and the gators are easily viewable.

Beavers: Oregon Zoo's exhibit, though I don't remember enough details to describe it at the moment.

Bison: Wildlife Safari, with a large herd roaming on a big open hillside. Only downside is they're only viewable on the drive-thru, although that's true for most of the park.

Camels: Can't think of any particularly good exhibits offhand, for either species.

Chimpanzees: I dislike these, and typically skip them.

Elephants: I concur with Julio on the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Oregon's is pretty good too.

Giraffes: San Diego Zoo Safari Park again, easily.

Gorillas: Unfortunately I've missed Woodland Park's and San Diego's, and best one probably goes to the Safari Park.

Grizzly/Brown Bears: Woodland Park, the naturalistic appearance is phenomenal.

Hippos: Bit tied here. I like San Diego's underwater viewing, and their breeding record shows the success of the exhibit. The large exhibit at Wildlife Safari is impressive but rather barren, and the heavy duty fencing rather ruins the view.

Kangaroos: I don't know that I've seen a particularly good kangaroo exhibit. If I had to pick a favorite I'd probably have to say San Francisco for the grassy exhibit and unobstructed viewing.

Lions: Lion Camp at SDZ Safari Park.

Meerkats: Oakland, with trees and tall termite mounds. Whether the exhibit is still there I'm not certain, but I hope so.

Orangutans: The magnificent exhibit at Woodland Park, lush and full of live trees.

Penguins: Woodland Park's impressive exhibit for Humboldt Penguin, and the large exhibit for African Penguin at SDZ. The mix with sharks at SDZ is particularly unique.

Polar Bears: Not sure whether SDZ or Oregon gets first here, both decent.

Sea Lions: Another one with mediocre exhibits, my visits to Fresno Chaffee having been before their impressive looking sea lion/seal exhibit.

Tigers: SDZ Safari Park once again, with the multi-exhibit complex.

Wolves: Woodland Park's wooded exhibit is quite nice.

Zebras: SDZ Safari Park, again. Wildlife Safari in second since they only had a couple when I visited.

You reminded me of SDZSP for Elephant Valley, I forgot to add it to this thread too I can’t wait for the renovation of Elephant Valley, their breeding record is amazing and will put the Safari park ahead of the herd amongst other titans, pun intended! Haha

 

[birdsandbats]

Alligators - DeYoung Family Zoo, the exhibit captures their natural habitat well.

Beavers - I've never seen I beaver exhibit that I liked, if I had to pick one I think it would be Lincoln Park. Visitors never see beavers no matter what their exhibit is like, so Lincoln Park making it a mixed-species exhibit makes it the best you actually get to see animals.

Bison - All bison enclosures feel the same, Minnesota I guess because their herd is pure.

Camels - Camel exhibits are always very basic, Minnesota's is nice for its size and pond. The Wilds is a good pick too, that whole place is amazing.

Chimpanzees - Saint Louis. I'm not a chimp fan.

Elephants - Saint Louis and Columbus are both excellent.

Giraffes - Saint Louis or The Wilds. Saint Louis has a cool mixed enclosure and The Wilds is The Wilds.

Gorillas - Columbus, nice to see gorillas with so many climbing opportunities.

Grizzly/Brown Bears - Wildwood Zoo's amazing enclosure for Kodiak Bears. Honorable mention to Minnesota.

Hippos - DeYoung, it's awesome to feed the hippo, I just wish it had underwater viewing (why do hippo exhibits with underwater viewing never have enough land area?).

Kangaroos - I really like walkabouts. I think the best I've seen is at Racine.

Lions - None really stick out to me.

Meerkats - Indianapolis, underground viewing is super cool.

Orangutans - Indianapolis is the only place I've active orangs, it's a shame the exhibit is so ugly. But it's still the best one I've seen.

Penguins - Saint Louis' walk-through exhibit is amazing, Detroit is a close second.

Polar Bears - Henry Vilas has a small but mighty Polar Bear enclosure. I think I would pick either it or Como Park as the best I've seen. Saint Louis is below those two but still good.

Sea Lions - Saint Louis, it's hard to beat the underwater tunnel.

Tigers - Minnesota's exhibit captures their natural habitat very well.

Wolves - NEW Zoo. Large enough the wolves have enough space but not so large that the visitors never see the wolves. This balance can be difficult to achieve, but NEW does it well. Points for having Red Wolves, as well.

Zebras - Again, none stick out. Zebra exhibits are always just a medium-sized paddock.

I think this was really fun to think about, I would love to see someone make another of animals to do this with.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I was recently able to obtain America's Best Zoos by Allen W. Nyhuis and John Wassner. There's a section it it where the authors give their opinions on the best zoos to see certain animals. They are as follows

Alligators

Beavers

Bison

Camels

Chimpanzees

Elephants

Giraffes

Gorillas

Grizzly/Brown Bears

Hippos

Kangaroos

Lions

Meerkats

Orangutans

Penguins

Polar Bears

Sea Lions

Tigers

Wolves

Zebras

Of the zoos you've seen, what are the best exhibits for the following animals? Here's mine

Alligators: Alligator Adventure, Brookgreen Gardens and Nashville Zoo - Alligator adventure has large swamps for the reptiles to explore, Brookgreen Gardens as well. Nashville's exhibit is really unique in terms of viewing.

Beavers - Minnesota Zoo and Knoxville Zoo - Minnesota's is a nice large exhibit. Knoxville's allows for many unique viewing opportunities plus it's in a (geographically incorrect) aviary.

Bison - North Carolina Zoo - Minnesota should probably be higher but I found their exhibit a bit bland. North Carolina's has a geyser which is quite unique.

Camels - Blank Park Zoo and Minnesota Zoo - Both have Bactrian camels housed in large exhibits complete with ponds. Blank Park's even mixes them with cranes.

Chimpanzees - Knoxville Zoo - Not sure if North Carolina should be higher, as I don't remember much about their exhibit. Knoxville's while bland in my opinion is very roomy.

Elephants - San Diego Safari Park and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Both very roomy. Omaha had a great indoor accommodation and sometimes mixes theirs with zebras and impalas. San Diego Safari has an incredible view

Giraffes - San Diego Safari Park and Honolulu Zoo - San Diego Safari, of course for their breathtaking landscape and space. Honolulu's is small, but well done, I like their use of using those really pretty trees.

Gorillas - San Diego Zoo and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - San Diego's is lush and tropical and filled with waterfalls, it's really well done. Omaha's wins for interactive experiences, as the gorillas can sit on glass bubbles and even cross above your head. Their indoor accommodation is well done as well.

Grizzly/Brown Bears - Minnesota Zoo - Their grizzly bear exhibit is breathtaking, with geysers inside of exhibit and underrated viewing. The bears were not active when I visited but I was still impressed.

Hippos - San Diego Zoo - I've always liked the design of theirs. The crystal clear waters and lush foliage, and not that much theming. Just you in the jungle with hippos.

Kangaroos - San Diego Safari Park and Nashville Zoo - Both really well done walkthroughs and the only I believe I've been in with kangaroos instead of wallabies. I was not able to so platypi at SDSP (I visited in 2018) but still they are both pretty well done.

Lions - Hard tie between San Diego Safari Park and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Both REALLY well done. SDSP has rolling hills and incredible views, while Omaha's kopje type enclosure is absolutely stunning and allows the lions to get high in the air.

Meerkats - Nashville Zoo and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Nashville's is pretty nice, it's roomy and has viewing bubbles. Omaha has two actually, and they are both great. They are even mixed with other animals like hyraxes, tortoises, and klipspringers.

Orangutans - National Zoo - The O-line is amazing, I've never seen orangutan cross it, but the idea they can get so high in the air just like the wild is amazing.

Penguins - San Diego Zoo - Very well done exhibit. Mixing them with sharks was a really unique idea. Great nesting areas to.

Polar Bears - San Diego Zoo - I've been to a few facilities with polar bears and this is the best. Great underwater viewing. North Carolina should probably be higher but I don't remember much about their exhibit either.

Sea Lions - Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Breathtaking exhibit, with many great features and the realism is incredible. Another ace exhibit by Henry Doorly

Tigers - San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, Minnesota Zoo, Nashville Zoo - It's just too hard to choose. San Diego's is very nicely done and has different levels. SDSP's is also really nice and roomy, although the animals are hard to spot it still is breathtaking. Minnesota's is huge, and offers a bird's eye view of the tigers. Nashville has a waterfall (which I love) and great viewing.

Wolves - Minnesota Zoo and Bays Mountain Park - Both offer lots of room and woods to roam in, Bays Mountain's is bland but roomy.

Zebras - San Diego Safari Park - Of course due to the space and terrain

I'm going to try and stick to zoos I've visited only for this, but also since this is in the general zoo forum I will apply all zoos I have visited including European.

Alligators- I have to admit I don't typically pay much attention to alligator exhibits so it's hard to say. I'd imagine either St. Augustine or Riverbanks have the best I've seen for American Alligators, being able to use the natural environment to their advantage.

Beavers- I'd say probably Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum with its huge pool filled with native fishes and including both underwater viewing and views into the beavers' dam.

Bison- For American Bison I'd say the Bronx Zoo's, it's just so large and open with a big breeding herd. For European Bison I'd say probably Highland Wildlife Park.

Camels- I don't think typical camels often get great exhibits dedicated to them so my options are limited however I'd say Tierpark Berlin for Domestic Bactrian, and Highland Wildlife Park for Vicuna.

Chimpanzees- It's pretty hard to beat Leipzig's chimp complex, but Ostrava also deserves a mention.

Elephants- For African it's a pretty solid tie between DAK, Sedgwick, Omaha, and SDZSP. Poznan Nowe also deserves a mention. For Asian the options are more limited sadly, but I remember being impressed by both Houston and Oklahoma City's large exhibits.

Giraffes- SDZSP certainly gets up there with their massive savanna. Zoos like Bronx, Tierpark Berlin, and DAK get honorable mentions, too.

Gorillas- Bronx, DAK, Riverbanks, and Leipzig have some of my favorite gorilla exhibits. Sedgwick County's is nice as well. Howletts gets a shout-out for their unique and historically successful exhibit.

Grizzly/Brown Bears- Not having been to Minnesota, I'd say Sedgwick County probably takes the cake for best Grizzly Bear enclosure I've seen. As far as other Brown Bears go, Poznan Nowe, Plzen, and Wildwood all have excellent Eurasian Brown Bear habitats, and despite the overall drop in quality the rest of the zoo sees, Space Farms surprisingly has a pretty excellent Syrian Brown Bear enclosure.

Hippos- For Common Hippopotamus, DAK probably takes the cake for US exhibits, though San Diego and San Antonio get mentions as well. In Europe Whipsnade offers a basic set-up but a large amount of land space which is different, and Berlin has a pretty commendable exhibit as well.

Kangaroo- I'm not sure if I've ever seen any particularly stand-out kangaroo exhibits.

Lions- Omaha stands pretty high on the list for Lions. Chester's old exhibit and new both seem very good as well.

Meerkats- There are too many Meerkats for me to remember but Omaha, San Diego, and Nashville all had very nice ones that I remember.

Orangutans- Chester easily.

Penguins- Penguins are so variable in their exhibit types but San Diego Zoo, Bronx, SeaWorld San Diego, Faunia, and Wroclaw all have good ones.

Polar Bears- Not sure I've really liked any of the US Polar Bear habitats I've seen (and most house Grizzly Bears now anyway) so I'm going to go to Highland Wildlife Park and Hannover for that one.

Sea Lions- Riverbanks for sure. If Omaha's new exhibit had been open by my visit they'd undoubtedly make it on the list, too.

Tigers- Chester, Bronx, Rosamond Gifford, SDZSP, and Poznan Nowe all have pretty fantastic tiger habitats.

Wolves- Stone Zoo quite possible has the best I've seen. Highland Wildlife Park and Jihlava also are quite good. Trevor Zoo has a pretty nice Red Wolf enclosure, too.

Zebras- SDZSP probably has the best in the nation for zebras, though like bison pretty much anywhere with large herds and open grassy fields wins. Omaha and Dallas' mix with elephants are worth mentioning, too.

~Thylo

 

[Echobeast]

I'll join in on the fun. These are of places I have visited.

Alligators - Busch Gardens Tampa has the best I can think of.

Beavers - Cleveland. Clear underwater viewing, viewing of the inside of the lodge and a "mixed species" exhibit with Mexican Wolves. Amazing exhibit.

Bison - Brookfield

Camels - Not many outstanding camel exhibits that I can think of. Denver's is always nostalgic for me as they used to house Dromedary and Bactrian next to each other and that's how I learned the difference.

Chimpanzees - LA and Saint Louis both have nice exhibits. LA was fun as I got to see the troop in both the more natural lower exhibit and the day room type exhibit up the hill.

Elephants - For African, Omaha, Cleveland, and Cheyenne Mountain all have great exhibits. For Asian, Saint Louis, Denver, LA are probably my favorites. Honorable mention for San Diego as they house both species together.

Giraffes - Omaha and Blank Park have nice large, mixed species exhibits for Giraffe.

Gorillas - Saint Louis, LA, and San Diego

Grizzly/Brown Bears - Cheyenne Mountain, Saint Louis

Hippos - San Diego, Busch Gardens Tampa, Cheyenne Mountain

Kangaroos - I don't think I've really seen an outstanding Kangaroo exhibit

Lions - Omaha and Denver

Meerkats - Again a species where all exhibits look similar to me and none really stand out

Orangutans - Denver

Penguins - San Diego, Sea World Orlando, Sea World San Diego

Polar Bears - Saint Louis

Sea Lions - Saint Louis. I have a feeling Omaha will be my favorite when I get there again.

Tigers - Cleveland, San Diego

Wolves - Brookfield, Cleveland, Cheyenne Mountain

Zebras - These tend to get the short end of exhibit quality. Omaha's probably the best I've seen but that is mostly an elephant exhibit with zebras as extra.

 

[pipaluk]

I'm going to try and stick to zoos I've visited only for this, but also since this is in the general zoo forum I will apply all zoos I have visited including European.

Alligators- I have to admit I don't typically pay much attention to alligator exhibits so it's hard to say. I'd imagine either St. Augustine or Riverbanks have the best I've seen for American Alligators, being able to use the natural environment to their advantage.

Beavers- I'd say probably Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum with its huge pool filled with native fishes and including both underwater viewing and views into the beavers' dam.

Bison- For American Bison I'd say the Bronx Zoo's, it's just so large and open with a big breeding herd. For European Bison I'd say probably Highland Wildlife Park.

Camels- I don't think typical camels often get great exhibits dedicated to them so my options are limited however I'd say Tierpark Berlin for Domestic Bactrian, and Highland Wildlife Park for Vicuna.

Chimpanzees- It's pretty hard to beat Leipzig's chimp complex, but Ostrava also deserves a mention.

Elephants- For African it's a pretty solid tie between DAK, Sedgwick, Omaha, and SDZSP. Poznan Nowe also deserves a mention. For Asian the options are more limited sadly, but I remember being impressed by both Houston and Oklahoma City's large exhibits.

Giraffes- SDZSP certainly gets up there with their massive savanna. Zoos like Bronx, Tierpark Berlin, and DAK get honorable mentions, too.

Gorillas- Bronx, DAK, Riverbanks, and Leipzig have some of my favorite gorilla exhibits. Sedgwick County's is nice as well. Howletts gets a shout-out for their unique and historically successful exhibit.

Grizzly/Brown Bears- Not having been to Minnesota, I'd say Sedgwick County probably takes the cake for best Grizzly Bear enclosure I've seen. As far as other Brown Bears go, Poznan Nowe, Plzen, and Wildwood all have excellent Eurasian Brown Bear habitats, and despite the overall drop in quality the rest of the zoo sees, Space Farms surprisingly has a pretty excellent Syrian Brown Bear enclosure.

Hippos- For Common Hippopotamus, DAK probably takes the cake for US exhibits, though San Diego and San Antonio get mentions as well. In Europe Whipsnade offers a basic set-up but a large amount of land space which is different, and Berlin has a pretty commendable exhibit as well.

Kangaroo- I'm not sure if I've ever seen any particularly stand-out kangaroo exhibits.

Lions- Omaha stands pretty high on the list for Lions. Chester's old exhibit and new both seem very good as well.

Meerkats- There are too many Meerkats for me to remember but Omaha, San Diego, and Nashville all had very nice ones that I remember.

Orangutans- Chester easily.

Penguins- Penguins are so variable in their exhibit types but San Diego Zoo, Bronx, SeaWorld San Diego, Faunia, and Wroclaw all have good ones.

Polar Bears- Not sure I've really liked any of the US Polar Bear habitats I've seen (and most house Grizzly Bears now anyway) so I'm going to go to Highland Wildlife Park and Hannover for that one.

Sea Lions- Riverbanks for sure. If Omaha's new exhibit had been open by my visit they'd undoubtedly make it on the list, too.

Tigers- Chester, Bronx, Rosamond Gifford, SDZSP, and Poznan Nowe all have pretty fantastic tiger habitats.

Wolves- Stone Zoo quite possible has the best I've seen. Highland Wildlife Park and Jihlava also are quite good. Trevor Zoo has a pretty nice Red Wolf enclosure, too.

Zebras- SDZSP probably has the best in the nation for zebras, though like bison pretty much anywhere with large herds and open grassy fields wins. Omaha and Dallas' mix with elephants are worth mentioning, too.

~Thylo

I can't comment on much of this, but I am shocked that you mention Chester for Tigers! Personally I think it is one of the poorest exhibits in Islands and there are probably at least half a dozen better tiger exhibits in the UK alone!

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I can't comment on much of this, but I am shocked that you mention Chester for Tigers! Personally I think it is one of the poorest exhibits in Islands and there are probably at least half a dozen better tiger exhibits in the UK alone!

Really? I find the following to be quite a nice set of enclosure for the zoo's tigers. The first may not be the most naturalistic but it's certainly not poor. I'm curious as to which tiger exhibits in the UK you think surpass Chester? (not doubting that there are better ones, I'm just curious if there are better ones I've not seen)

~Thylo

 

[pipaluk]

I've never seen a tiger in the enclosure without the pool in 4 or 5 visits, the other one is just the pool and a few rocks with poor viewing in my opinion. Personally I don't like deep enclosures with a narrow frontage.
I would rate Knowsley, Whipsnade, Colchester, Yorkshire, possibly even London better. HWP is also supposedly the best and Edinburgh's new exhibit looks good. I actually think Tycross will be better than Chester in a few years when it isn't so bare!

 

[TZDugong]

This is an interesting thread idea - obviously just including zoos I've personally visited.

Alligators: No exhibit really sticks out to me - Busch Gardens is pretty good though.

Beavers: Columbus and Toronto are both nice.

Bison: I like Toronto's the best - very large exhibit and they have pure Wood Bison which is pretty cool. Bronx and Brookfield are also good.

Camels: Detroit, although admittedly I don't usually spend much time at Camel exhibits.

Chimpanzees: Either Dallas or LA

Elephants: Dallas is pretty easily my favourite - really large with great viewing (and the potential for a mixed species exhibit!). SDZSP and DAK are honorable mentions.

Giraffes: SDZSP of course, that main savanna exhibit is awesome. I also liked Bronx's exhibit a lot.

Gorillas: Bronx is amazing, I think Dallas's exhibit is pretty underrated - it's great. DAK and San Diego are both worth mentioning.

Grizzly/Brown Bears: I haven't seen any great Brown Bear exhibits yet - Bronx and Detroit's are pretty solid.

Hippos: This is an interesting one as a lot of Hippo exhibit are quite similar, San Diego's is probably my favourite though

Kangaroos: Detroit or Granby

Lions: SDZSP easily, it's a great Lion exhibit.

Meerkats: Can't really pick a best one.

Orangutans: Perth has a pretty interesting exhibit. San Diego's is pretty good even though the Orangs are always on the ground. Smithsonian is worth mentioning because the O-line is cool.

Penguins: Indoor - Polk Penguin Center at Detroit. Outdoor - San Diego Zoo. Both of these exhibits are awesome.

Polar Bears: Detroit is great, especially the underwater tunnel. Toronto and Columbus also have very good exhibits.

Sea Lions: Smithsonian National Zoo

Tigers: SDZSP is just barely my favourite, what a great exhibit. Dallas and Bronx also have excellent enclosures.

Wolves: Probably Detroit, can be hard to see the animals but it's massive and densely planted. Brookfield is also good.

Zebras: SDZSP.