Wild Africa
As the newest exhibit complex at the zoo, it is no surprise that Wild Africa is the highlight of the Binder Park Zoo. It is located at a surprising distance from the main area of the zoo; presumably this was to take advantage of an existing meadow area within the wooded park.
After disembarking the tram, the visitor enters a central "village" area with food service, giftshop, washrooms, and orientation areas around a large central plaza. The area is very well done; the designers have allowed appropriate space between venues, and have added the right details to make the area feel like you might actually be in Africa. The key to this, I think, was not going overboard - it is not all mud huts and boma fencing, but a representation of modern day Africa. Refreshing!
From this plaza, there is the first of several sweeping views into the main enclosure (several acres in size) within the exhibit complex - the savannah. The exhibit is roughly sectioned into three; the first area is solely grassland, connected by a narrower neck to the main hillside of the exhibit. The third region (which is viewed last) is lightly wooded and contains a small pond. This is a large mixed species display which had (when I visited) Grant's zebra (4), giraffe (5), waterbuck (~5), bontebok (~4), impala (3), ostrich, crowned cranes, marabou storks, and cinereous vulture. The habitat is full of tall grass and is set on a series of gently rolling hills. Most of the exhibit slopes down towards the visitor path, giving a great view over much of the terrain. The fences are largely obscured as they abut dense woods/forest near the top of the hill at the back of the exhibit, as well as along the sides.
The plaza viewing area is elevated, and gives you the sense of looking out over the territory. Roan antelope are in a separate enclosure (seemingly connected) behind this main enclosure (separated by a pond), with the only viewing being at a distance from the entrance plaza.
Most of Wild Africa is set within "Zuri National Park", and most of the exhibits are explained within this context. From the plaza, you pass through the park entrance: a large hut with ranger notes and artifacts. A winding boardwalk leads down around a valley where there are no animal exhibits, but several artifacts for people to find, including an elephant skeleton in the brush below. (Views into the field exhibit - on the left of the pathway - are obscured by landscaping and wooden fencing)
The second view into the field enclosure is at a "ranger station". Two viewing blinds look into the exhibit at ground level; after the look from afar in the central plaza, I was very surprised how close the exhibit felt! The only barrier between the viewing blinds and the animal area was a line of deadfall, and the resulting view looking out and up is very well done, contrasting superbly with the first views. This area also has some "interactive" exhibits, including a ranger jeep that you can climb into, and a pile of simulated tusks, along with a story of poachers in the park and the fight to save the wildlife. I quite enjoyed the graphics for the exhibit - each viewing area is equipped with what appears to be an open field guide (with no pages to turn!) - on the open spread are pictures of the species present, with a legend at the bottom (very similar to actual field guides). It very much gives a sense of discovery ... biological information is given on "clipboards", with pages from a researcher's journal, also well done.
Following this station, the views into the exhibit become less controlled, with free visual access from along the pathway. Two viewing decks protrude with out into the exhibit; giraffe feeding opportunities are held at the first (food available for an extra fee). The height of the decks is such that the giraffes' heads are closer to the floor that the viewing railing, reducing or eliminating some of the danger involved with public interaction (feeding is done through a rope net-type barrier between the floor and upper railing). There is virtually no supervision of the public at this point. A second viewing deck further along is constructed in an identical fashion, but without a food booth. Nonetheless, the giraffes are able to come right up and interact with the public if they choose.
On the right, a small building has viewing windows into the African wild dog exhibit, a grassy hillside facing the field exhibit (better views are available along an open boardwalk viewing area which looks into the exhibit without barriers). There were three dogs present in the exhibit at my visit, and I was very surprised to see them active throughout the day. Even when resting, the dogs did not disappear along the forest-hidden fenceline at the top of the hill, but remained in the grass near the public. The fence beneath the public boardwalk is apparently open, so that the dogs are able to observe the hoofstock beyond. Unfortunately, the graphics in this area were tough to find, with the result that a number of visitors commented on the hyenas ...
The patch climbs a slight incline to a field station, supposedly being used by a local (African) university. Open views into the large enclosure give views of the treed part of the exhibit; "creeps" for the birds, comprised of large circles of deadfall, are in this section, and were being used by the marabous and vultures during my visit. Like the entry plaza, the field station was well done with the proper details. Washroom facilities are available, and a field shower (with water!) allows kids to get wet like they would in the field.
The red-capped mangabey exhibit (with 1.1) is viewed from windows in the "mess tent", complete with (secured) pots and pans. Notes from "the researchers" (to each other) warn that the monkeys have been stealing food from the tent, and this helps tie in some of the enrichment items within the exhibit itself. As these mangabeys are mostly terrestrial, the exhibit is not high. Like most of the exhibits, it is set on a hillside coming down to the viewing area; the mesh roof is fairly high at the front, but stays fairly horizontal, and is thus quite low at the back of the display. There is lots of vegetation, and a large fallen log which provides not only furniture but also foraging activities.
Continuing past the building with the washrooms, you pass through a series of double doors to enter the walk-through aviary. This was a major surprise, and the real jewel of the entire zoo for me! The pathway is set into a micro-valley, with real, dense vegetation rising on both sides. There are no large birds in the aviary, instead it is filled with weavers, finshes, whydahs, and small doves ... the activity level was incredible throughout the day, as males defended territories and sought mates. There were nests to find, birds to watch, and even with groups of school kids passing through, it still felt intimate. The combination of small birds and natural vegetation (rather than bare sticks) was VERY well done!
The aviary is the last exhibit for quite a while on the pathway, which winds through an old-growth forest. Rather than exhibits, this area focuses on interpretation and interaction, and features a "ranger course", with various stations asking questions (generally with two options/answers to choose from) ... the next station gives the most appropriate answer and explains why. Some of the questions are supported by artifacts (e.g., a warthog skull just off the path, a plastic snake curled up in a tree trunk), and there are several physical challenges as well (walk across a low balance bean, do five pull ups). Like their swamp walk, this part of the zoo was really focused towards getting people to interact with nature outside of the zoo context, a novel approach which was done very well.
The final series of exhibits are viewed from another boardwalk. The first is a large semi-forested exhibit currently housing black storks (formerly black duiker and saddle-billed storks) - I had been looking forward to seeing the duikers, and was very disappointed that they had been moved out! The exhibit is very large for two storks (I believe it originally held bongo), but is nicely vegetated with pockets of sun and shade, so I am sure the birds are content!
An offshoot of the trail leads to another primate exhibit, this one housing colobus (2) and black mangabeys (3). Wrapping about 300 degrees around the viewing deck, the exhibit is viewed through fine mesh (this also forms the barrier behind). The trees in the exhibit have been reduced to sticks by the monkeys, and a furniture change wouldn't hurt, but there was actual leaf litter on the ground, leading to active foraging by the mangabeys especially.
After the stork exhibit is the "Forest Aviary", set in an old (abandoned) logging camp. This exhibit didn't inspire me like the rest of the exhibits; it was quite large and held numerous species (including grey-cheeked hornbill, Von der Decken's hornbills, violaceous turaco, two species of roller, Kenya crested guineafowl, and barbets), but was very shady and had little living vegetation; it was natural, but not inviting. The boardwalk runs the length of the aviary, and viewing is through fine mesh all along.
You exit the "National Park" by walking through a mining shaft through a hill (over which passes the tram route), exiting into an African farm area, with basic corral-type exhibits for dwarf goats, zebu, ankole cattle, and a chicken-coop aviary for helmeted guineafowl and red jungle fowl. The path then leads back to the central village, where you can catch the tram back to the main zoo.
