GraysonDP
Well-Known Member
While a fair amount of attention has been dedicated to discussing the best elephant exhibit, there hasn't been near as much about rhino exhibits. I feel zoos consider rhinos the low maintenance pachyderms because they don't have the water requirements of hippos or the social requirements of elephants. Also, unlike elephants and hippos, at least white and occasionally indian rhinos have been successfully exhibited with other hoofstock species. However, I've seen quite a few good rhino programs throughout the country. I'd love to start some dialogue on rhino programs and a debate over the best rhino exhibits. Of the ones I've seen here's my list:
1. Cincinnati Zoo- Complete with stellar exhibits for black, Indian, and Sumatran rhinos, this is definitely a premier zoo for these horned creatures. What stands out about these exhibits is how carefully they are designed to meet the rhino's needs and provide enrichment opportunities. All three have nice mud wallows and spacious yards. The Sumatran exhibit is nice because it actually does achieve some level of immersion, especially because of the details in the rocks. The black rhino exhibit has grass and good viewing opportunities. The Indian rhino one has a deep pool and the rhinos are often found swimming.
2. San Diego Wild Animal Park- The best zoo in the country for white rhinos. Over 90 have been born here and they share the 120 acre East Africa field exhibit with giraffes, cape buffalo, lechwe, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, waterbuck, sitatunga, and others. The savannah is spacious and fairly realistic. The zoo also has the distinction of having one of only a handful northern white rhinos in the world. The black rhino exhibit is more conventional but they still have had a successful breeding program. The Indian rhinos are kept in an amazing 40-60 acre Asian savannah but due to the dismiss of the Wgasa Monorail they remain inaccessible to visitors.
3. North Carolina Zoo- Here white rhinos are kept in a 37-acre exhibit with waterbuck, greater kudu, bongo, fringe-eared oryx, Thomson's gazelle and others. The space is amazing and the scope is hard to beat although the visitors are often not that close to the rhinos. It looks more like North Carolina than Africa but the vastness is exceptional.
4. Animal Kingdom- I'm impressed at how DAK makes habitats specific for the needs and behaviors of black and white rhinos. The black rhinos have a segregated space full of mud and surrounded by water. It also gives spaces for the shy creatures to hide and have time to themselves. White rhinos coexist with ostriches, oryx, eland, zebras, bonteboks and others in a savannah habitat that's immersive and natural.
5. Bronx Zoo- The Indian rhino enclosure in Wild Asia does a more successful job than most in recreating the forest environment these pachyderms live in complete with trees, a nice wallow and a good amount of space. The zoo also keeps several rhinos in its collection. The white rhinos live in a yard in the Zoo Center that's slightly above average in size and naturalism.
6. Jacksonville Zoo- This zoo has a great white rhino exhibit that's 2.5 acres, very grassy, sparsely dotted with palm trees and mixes them with greater kudus, sitatungas, and ostriches. The zoo captures the group dynamics of the rhinos well, they're fun to watch, and are viewed from a gazebo and boardwalk across duck weed covered water.
7. Fort Worth Zoo- Rhino Ridge in the Asian Falls section is a long and narrow enclosure with beautiful naturalism. The black rhinos live in a large grassy and shaded exhibit next to the giraffes.
8. Zoo Miami- This zoo has large, moated exhibits for black and Indian rhinos. The black rhinos have a nice pool.
9. Maryland Zoo- White rhinos live in an immersive African Watering Hole enclosure with zebras and various antelope.
10. Lowry Park Zoo- Has nice enclosures for both white and Indian rhinos.
I'd love to hear all of your opinions.
1. Cincinnati Zoo- Complete with stellar exhibits for black, Indian, and Sumatran rhinos, this is definitely a premier zoo for these horned creatures. What stands out about these exhibits is how carefully they are designed to meet the rhino's needs and provide enrichment opportunities. All three have nice mud wallows and spacious yards. The Sumatran exhibit is nice because it actually does achieve some level of immersion, especially because of the details in the rocks. The black rhino exhibit has grass and good viewing opportunities. The Indian rhino one has a deep pool and the rhinos are often found swimming.
2. San Diego Wild Animal Park- The best zoo in the country for white rhinos. Over 90 have been born here and they share the 120 acre East Africa field exhibit with giraffes, cape buffalo, lechwe, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, waterbuck, sitatunga, and others. The savannah is spacious and fairly realistic. The zoo also has the distinction of having one of only a handful northern white rhinos in the world. The black rhino exhibit is more conventional but they still have had a successful breeding program. The Indian rhinos are kept in an amazing 40-60 acre Asian savannah but due to the dismiss of the Wgasa Monorail they remain inaccessible to visitors.
3. North Carolina Zoo- Here white rhinos are kept in a 37-acre exhibit with waterbuck, greater kudu, bongo, fringe-eared oryx, Thomson's gazelle and others. The space is amazing and the scope is hard to beat although the visitors are often not that close to the rhinos. It looks more like North Carolina than Africa but the vastness is exceptional.
4. Animal Kingdom- I'm impressed at how DAK makes habitats specific for the needs and behaviors of black and white rhinos. The black rhinos have a segregated space full of mud and surrounded by water. It also gives spaces for the shy creatures to hide and have time to themselves. White rhinos coexist with ostriches, oryx, eland, zebras, bonteboks and others in a savannah habitat that's immersive and natural.
5. Bronx Zoo- The Indian rhino enclosure in Wild Asia does a more successful job than most in recreating the forest environment these pachyderms live in complete with trees, a nice wallow and a good amount of space. The zoo also keeps several rhinos in its collection. The white rhinos live in a yard in the Zoo Center that's slightly above average in size and naturalism.
6. Jacksonville Zoo- This zoo has a great white rhino exhibit that's 2.5 acres, very grassy, sparsely dotted with palm trees and mixes them with greater kudus, sitatungas, and ostriches. The zoo captures the group dynamics of the rhinos well, they're fun to watch, and are viewed from a gazebo and boardwalk across duck weed covered water.
7. Fort Worth Zoo- Rhino Ridge in the Asian Falls section is a long and narrow enclosure with beautiful naturalism. The black rhinos live in a large grassy and shaded exhibit next to the giraffes.
8. Zoo Miami- This zoo has large, moated exhibits for black and Indian rhinos. The black rhinos have a nice pool.
9. Maryland Zoo- White rhinos live in an immersive African Watering Hole enclosure with zebras and various antelope.
10. Lowry Park Zoo- Has nice enclosures for both white and Indian rhinos.
I'd love to hear all of your opinions.
