The Bright’s Zoo is a member of the Zoological Association of America and the American Association of Zookeepers.
Since I’m not an expert on the standards for animal exhibits, all I can give is my opinions and impressions of the zoo’s exhibits.
The zoo looked to be well maintained and clean. I found that the exhibits were also clean. Most, if not all, seemed to be of adequate to above average in size. Some of the cages looked to be of an older design but seemed to be well maintained. The yards for the hoof stock were very large, especially considering this is a privately owned zoo. Several of the fenced yards had good sized ponds for the waterfowl and for drinking water for the hoof stock.
Most of the indoor exhibits were adequately designed. Of course, they don’t compare to many of the larger zoos in the country, but for the size of the zoo, they were not too bad.
I saw that many of the exhibits had enrichment items in them, which testifies that they are interested in the quality of life of the animals. Could there be improvements? Of course, there is not a zoo I know about that couldn’t improve.
They had signage at most of the exhibits with only a very few exceptions. They also had some conservation information where appropriate, however, more couldn’t hurt.
But overall, I enjoyed my visit and will probably return in the fall.
Entrance Plaza
Open Air Exhibit
Hyacinth Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Blue And Gold Macaw
Row Of Large Silo Style Cages
Green-Winged Macaw (In 2 Cages)
Harlequin Macaw
Budgie Landing – Screened Free Flight Exhibit
Budgerigar
Small Flight Cage
Umbrella Cockatoo
Small Silo Cage
African Grey Parrot
First Pathway Near Entrance
Row Of Screened Exhibits
Common Squirrel Monkey
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Red-Ruffed Lemur (Off Exhibit)
Black & White Colobus Monkey
Screened Flight Cage with Small Pond
Scarlet Ibis
Yellow Billed Stork
African Sacred Ibis
Barhead Goose
Common Shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
Fenced Open Yard with Small Pond
Emu
Capybara
Australian Black Swan
East African Crowned Crane
Open Medium Sized Yard
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
African Spurred Tortoise
Two Medium Sized Open Yards
Red River Hog
Row Of Enclosed Fenced Exhbits
Black-Back Jackel
Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill
King Vulture
Laughing Kookaburra
Cape Vulture
Vulturine Guineafowl
Laughing Kookaburra
African Crested Porcupine (Signed But Not Seen)
Large Open Fenced Yard With Medium Sized Pond
Capybara
Sarus Crane
Mallard Ducks (Wild Visitors)
Row Of Fenced Exhibits
Each Species Has Their Own Enclosure
Common Squirrel Monkey
Channel Billed Toucan
Red-Billed Toucan
Tufted Capuchin Monkey
White-Fronted Capuchin Monkey
Black-Handed Spider Monkey
Goat Feeding Area
Domestic Goats
Oliver’s Sand Pit
Large Sand Box for Children
Medium Sized Fenced Yard
Alpaca
Llama
Second Pathway Near Entrance
Medium Sized Pond And Yard With Fountain
Baird’s Tapir (Signed but Not Seen)
Capybara
Medium Fenced Flight Cage
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Large Fenced Yard With Many Trees
Red Kangaroo
Back Pathway To The South America Building
Very Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit With A Pond
Common Ostrich
Gemsbok
Coscorba Swan (Signed but not seen)
Waterbuck
Sebastopol Goose
Egyptian Goose (No Sign)
Mallard Ducks (Wild Visitors)
Canada Goose (Wild visitors)
Medium Sized Fenced Open Yard Exhibit
Boer Goat (I did not see a sign)
Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit
Bactrian Camel
Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit With A Pond
Australian Black Swan
East African Crowned Crane
Scottish Highland Cattle
Giraffe Yard And Feeding Station
Reticulated Giraffe
Exhibits Near The Giraffes And The South America Building
Binturong
De Brazza’s Monkey
Lar Gibbon (In 2 Exhibits)
Black And White Ruffed Lemur
Small open Yard With Small Pond
Australian Black Swan
South American Building
Glass Fronted Exhibits
Southern Tamandua
White-Faced Saki Monkey
South American Coati
Cane Toad
Patagonian Mara
Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine
Six-Banded Armadillo
Kinkajou
Red-Footed Tortoise
Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman
Red-Handed Tamarin
Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth (Two Exhibits)
Golden Headed Lion Tamarin
Owl Monkey
Common Squirrel Monkey
Cotton-Top Tamarin
Tayra
Small Round Fronted Aquarium
Axolotl
Small Octagonal Aquarium
Seahorses (No Sign)
Salt Water Aquarium
(No Signs)
Anemones
Regal Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Pajama Cardinalfish
Yellowtail Tang
Snails
Longfin Bannerfish
Maroon Clownfish
Blue Ring Angelfish
Penguin Cove Building
Glass Fronted Exhibits
Asian Small-Clawed Otter
Fennec Fox
Burmese Python (Albino)
Red-Tailed Boa
Emerald Green Tree Boa
African Black-Footed Penguin
Rhinoceros Iguana
Russian Tortoise (Not Signed)
Several Empty Exhibits
Row Of Average Sized Fenced Yards
Chilian Flamingo
Giant Anteater
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Group Of Medium Sized Flight Cages
Marabou Stork
Safari Train Ride
Nyala
Blue Wildebeest
Sable Antelope
American Bison
Emu
Fallow Deer
Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Common Eland
Ankole-Watusi Cattle
Greater Kudu
Pathway Near Penguin Cove Building
Large Fenced Yard
Grant’s Zebra
Miniature Donkey
Large Fenced Yard With A Pond
Sitatunga
Mute Swan
Capybara
Ruddy Shelduck
Mallard Duck (Wild Visitors)
Large Fenced Yard With A Pond
Common Ostrich
Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Toulouse Goose
Fallow Deer
Paradise Shelduck
Mallard Duck (Wild Visitors)
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Black-Handed Spider Monkey
Two Medium Enclosed Exhibits
Southern Ground Hornbill
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Red-Faced Spider Monkey
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
White-Nosed Coati
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
White-Faced Saki Monkey
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Eurasian Lynx
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Serval
Small Enclosed Exhibit
Tayra
Small Enclosed Exhibit
Binturong
Small Open Fenced Yard
Giant Anteater (Signed but not seen)
Large Open Fenced Yard
Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Two Large Connected Fenced Yards
Reticulated Giraffe
Animals Listed On Their Website But Did Not See A Sign Nor The Animal
Black-necked Aracari (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Keel-Billed Toucan (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Southern White-faced Owl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Spectacled Owl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Grey-winged Trumpeter (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Helmeted Guineafowl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Crested Screamer (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Bearded Dragon (Told Is On Exhibit, But I Missed)
Lowland Paca (Told Is On Exhibit, But I Missed)
Three-Banded Armadillo (Off Exhibit)
Degu (Moved To Another Facility)
Dama Gazelle (Moved To Another Facility)
Addax (Moved To Another Facility)
Impala (Moved To Another Facility)
Bongo (Moved To Another Facility)
Species Count
Mammals….: 61
Birds……….: 46
Fish…………: 8
Reptiles…….: 10
Invertebrates: 2
Amphibians.: 2
Total……..…: 129
Since I’m not an expert on the standards for animal exhibits, all I can give is my opinions and impressions of the zoo’s exhibits.
The zoo looked to be well maintained and clean. I found that the exhibits were also clean. Most, if not all, seemed to be of adequate to above average in size. Some of the cages looked to be of an older design but seemed to be well maintained. The yards for the hoof stock were very large, especially considering this is a privately owned zoo. Several of the fenced yards had good sized ponds for the waterfowl and for drinking water for the hoof stock.
Most of the indoor exhibits were adequately designed. Of course, they don’t compare to many of the larger zoos in the country, but for the size of the zoo, they were not too bad.
I saw that many of the exhibits had enrichment items in them, which testifies that they are interested in the quality of life of the animals. Could there be improvements? Of course, there is not a zoo I know about that couldn’t improve.
They had signage at most of the exhibits with only a very few exceptions. They also had some conservation information where appropriate, however, more couldn’t hurt.
But overall, I enjoyed my visit and will probably return in the fall.
Entrance Plaza
Open Air Exhibit
Hyacinth Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Blue And Gold Macaw
Row Of Large Silo Style Cages
Green-Winged Macaw (In 2 Cages)
Harlequin Macaw
Budgie Landing – Screened Free Flight Exhibit
Budgerigar
Small Flight Cage
Umbrella Cockatoo
Small Silo Cage
African Grey Parrot
First Pathway Near Entrance
Row Of Screened Exhibits
Common Squirrel Monkey
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Red-Ruffed Lemur (Off Exhibit)
Black & White Colobus Monkey
Screened Flight Cage with Small Pond
Scarlet Ibis
Yellow Billed Stork
African Sacred Ibis
Barhead Goose
Common Shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
Fenced Open Yard with Small Pond
Emu
Capybara
Australian Black Swan
East African Crowned Crane
Open Medium Sized Yard
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
African Spurred Tortoise
Two Medium Sized Open Yards
Red River Hog
Row Of Enclosed Fenced Exhbits
Black-Back Jackel
Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill
King Vulture
Laughing Kookaburra
Cape Vulture
Vulturine Guineafowl
Laughing Kookaburra
African Crested Porcupine (Signed But Not Seen)
Large Open Fenced Yard With Medium Sized Pond
Capybara
Sarus Crane
Mallard Ducks (Wild Visitors)
Row Of Fenced Exhibits
Each Species Has Their Own Enclosure
Common Squirrel Monkey
Channel Billed Toucan
Red-Billed Toucan
Tufted Capuchin Monkey
White-Fronted Capuchin Monkey
Black-Handed Spider Monkey
Goat Feeding Area
Domestic Goats
Oliver’s Sand Pit
Large Sand Box for Children
Medium Sized Fenced Yard
Alpaca
Llama
Second Pathway Near Entrance
Medium Sized Pond And Yard With Fountain
Baird’s Tapir (Signed but Not Seen)
Capybara
Medium Fenced Flight Cage
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Large Fenced Yard With Many Trees
Red Kangaroo
Back Pathway To The South America Building
Very Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit With A Pond
Common Ostrich
Gemsbok
Coscorba Swan (Signed but not seen)
Waterbuck
Sebastopol Goose
Egyptian Goose (No Sign)
Mallard Ducks (Wild Visitors)
Canada Goose (Wild visitors)
Medium Sized Fenced Open Yard Exhibit
Boer Goat (I did not see a sign)
Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit
Bactrian Camel
Large Fenced Open Yard Exhibit With A Pond
Australian Black Swan
East African Crowned Crane
Scottish Highland Cattle
Giraffe Yard And Feeding Station
Reticulated Giraffe
Exhibits Near The Giraffes And The South America Building
Binturong
De Brazza’s Monkey
Lar Gibbon (In 2 Exhibits)
Black And White Ruffed Lemur
Small open Yard With Small Pond
Australian Black Swan
South American Building
Glass Fronted Exhibits
Southern Tamandua
White-Faced Saki Monkey
South American Coati
Cane Toad
Patagonian Mara
Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine
Six-Banded Armadillo
Kinkajou
Red-Footed Tortoise
Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman
Red-Handed Tamarin
Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth (Two Exhibits)
Golden Headed Lion Tamarin
Owl Monkey
Common Squirrel Monkey
Cotton-Top Tamarin
Tayra
Small Round Fronted Aquarium
Axolotl
Small Octagonal Aquarium
Seahorses (No Sign)
Salt Water Aquarium
(No Signs)
Anemones
Regal Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Pajama Cardinalfish
Yellowtail Tang
Snails
Longfin Bannerfish
Maroon Clownfish
Blue Ring Angelfish
Penguin Cove Building
Glass Fronted Exhibits
Asian Small-Clawed Otter
Fennec Fox
Burmese Python (Albino)
Red-Tailed Boa
Emerald Green Tree Boa
African Black-Footed Penguin
Rhinoceros Iguana
Russian Tortoise (Not Signed)
Several Empty Exhibits
Row Of Average Sized Fenced Yards
Chilian Flamingo
Giant Anteater
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Group Of Medium Sized Flight Cages
Marabou Stork
Safari Train Ride
Nyala
Blue Wildebeest
Sable Antelope
American Bison
Emu
Fallow Deer
Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Common Eland
Ankole-Watusi Cattle
Greater Kudu
Pathway Near Penguin Cove Building
Large Fenced Yard
Grant’s Zebra
Miniature Donkey
Large Fenced Yard With A Pond
Sitatunga
Mute Swan
Capybara
Ruddy Shelduck
Mallard Duck (Wild Visitors)
Large Fenced Yard With A Pond
Common Ostrich
Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Toulouse Goose
Fallow Deer
Paradise Shelduck
Mallard Duck (Wild Visitors)
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Black-Handed Spider Monkey
Two Medium Enclosed Exhibits
Southern Ground Hornbill
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Red-Faced Spider Monkey
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
White-Nosed Coati
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
White-Faced Saki Monkey
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Eurasian Lynx
Medium Enclosed Exhibit
Serval
Small Enclosed Exhibit
Tayra
Small Enclosed Exhibit
Binturong
Small Open Fenced Yard
Giant Anteater (Signed but not seen)
Large Open Fenced Yard
Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Two Large Connected Fenced Yards
Reticulated Giraffe
Animals Listed On Their Website But Did Not See A Sign Nor The Animal
Black-necked Aracari (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Keel-Billed Toucan (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Southern White-faced Owl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Spectacled Owl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Grey-winged Trumpeter (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Helmeted Guineafowl (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Crested Screamer (Off Exhibit-Seasonal)
Bearded Dragon (Told Is On Exhibit, But I Missed)
Lowland Paca (Told Is On Exhibit, But I Missed)
Three-Banded Armadillo (Off Exhibit)
Degu (Moved To Another Facility)
Dama Gazelle (Moved To Another Facility)
Addax (Moved To Another Facility)
Impala (Moved To Another Facility)
Bongo (Moved To Another Facility)
Species Count
Mammals….: 61
Birds……….: 46
Fish…………: 8
Reptiles…….: 10
Invertebrates: 2
Amphibians.: 2
Total……..…: 129
