Best zoos for photography

Arizona Docent

Arizona Docent

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Name your top five photo-friendly zoos.

This is not necessarily the same as your five favorite zoos or five best zoos. It is the five that are especially conducive to good photos. This means natural backgrounds and open barriers or easy to shoot-through barriers (such as harp wire that you can get right up against).

If you have more than five, please do a list of five first, then a space and explanation of additional alternates below. This is worldwide. OK to include some you have not been to if you can tell from internet etc that they are good.
 
1) Northwest Trek (USA)
2) San Diego Safari Park (USA)
3) Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (USA)
4) Singapore Zoo (SINGAPORE)
5) Zoo Miami (USA)

(I should note I have not been to number four)
 
So I guess such zoos are going to be largely those displaying animals from areas with similar climates and habitats to their own, so that natural landscapes and vegetation can be used. So this will mostly be native animal parks, and those in tropical climes.

My list:
1. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
2. Auckland Zoo
3. Valencia Bioparc
4. Jurong Bird Park & Singapore Zoo
5. Zurich Zoo

There are obvious exceptions in all these zoos, as some species are housed behind glary/dirty glass, or have obvious barriers. Zurich Zoo is included because of the Masaola Hall and the Snow Leopard enclosure.
 
Yes I thought about including Zoo Zurich. Assuming nothing happens in the next month and a half (such as an unforeseen illness), I will be visiting Zoo Zurich in person for the first time. It will be interesting to see if it replaces one of my top five for photos.
 
I find it very hard to choose my favourites. I have been thrilled and frustrated at almost every zoo I have visited - and I won't ever go back to the ones with no thrills ;)
I can never predict how well things will go when I arrive at a zoo for the first time, so I can't comment on zoos I haven't visited.
I particularly enjoy the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Edinburgh Zoo, the Highland Wildlife Park, Port Lympne (although there have been many changes since my last visit) and Whipsnade.
I have tried to work out of what they have in common: they all have interesting species, of course, plus plenty of space and many barless enclosures which is important. Moreover they are all fairly open without too many trees and a southern aspect, which means that the light is good. Indeed they all beautiful settings. although I don't suppose that affects my photographs directly.
Although I haven't visited them for many years, the same applies to Zoo Zurich and Tierpark Hellabrunn in Munich,

Alan
 
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My favorites are:
1. Singapore Zoo – Singapore
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Bronx Zoo – New York City, USA
4. Smithsonian National Zoological Park – Washington, DC, USA
 
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