Thanks to you both for the advice. I'll be sure to look into all of those options before making a decision.
So many, many sea lions! There are other pinnipeds people!
Bronx Zoo Bronx Zoo News 2019
- Thread starter ThylacineAlive
- Start date
Thanks to you both for the advice. I'll be sure to look into all of those options before making a decision.
So many, many sea lions! There are other pinnipeds people!
We did the animal ambassador tour in April, and we were told they were getting Chinese dhole, not sure when though.
Central Park has harbor seals
You have to look at it from the point of view of a regular zoo. The NYC zoos, more than anywhere else, are visited largely by locals, people who rarely leave the city. For them, seeing any pinniped is wonderful, and sea lions are particularly active and animated compared to other species. They're easy to train, easy to keep, and zoos can do daily shows with them. They *could* do different sea lion species at each facility, but sticking to the same one allows them to move animals as needed, occasionally have pups, keep males and females apart, etc.
Yes, but for the most part it's either sea lions or harbor seals available. That said I do agree with you.
Central Park has harbor seals
You have to look at it from the point of view of a regular zoo. The NYC zoos, more than anywhere else, are visited largely by locals, people who rarely leave the city. For them, seeing any pinniped is wonderful, and sea lions are particularly active and animated compared to other species. They're easy to train, easy to keep, and zoos can do daily shows with them. They *could* do different sea lion species at each facility, but sticking to the same one allows them to move animals as needed, occasionally have pups, keep males and females apart, etc.
True, though so are most species of sea lion, not just california.
I think the WCS has purposefully made California Sea Lions are staple of their collections. Note how Bronx, Central Park, and Prospect Park have very similar exhibitions for them in similar locations within the zoo (Bronx's pool is located by the original main gate) As mentioned, though, Central Park does also have Harbor Seal, as does the aquarium. The aquarium had Walrus until relatively recently as well, though they're gone now unfortunately. I think the aquarium at least should have a more unique species as well.
~Thylo
~Thylo
I mean you theoretically could but i would not advise it. WCS zoos are open just 7 hours, so including travel time between them (this is NYC after all and the drive between Queens and Prospect Park can easily be an hr plus nightmare) you would be pressed for time. Each institution is not large but if you want to tour them without feeling rushed then I would suggest you only do 2 in a day. Say each takes 2 hours a piece and u factor in travel time, u already don’t have enough hours to see them. I would personally suggest pairing the aquarium and prospect park zoo in a single day.
Central Park has harbor seals
You have to look at it from the point of view of a regular zoo. The NYC zoos, more than anywhere else, are visited largely by locals, people who rarely leave the city. For them, seeing any pinniped is wonderful, and sea lions are particularly active and animated compared to other species. They're easy to train, easy to keep, and zoos can do daily shows with them. They *could* do different sea lion species at each facility, but sticking to the same one allows them to move animals as needed, occasionally have pups, keep males and females apart, etc.
Oh I understand all of this. I also have them out my backdoor; seeing a California Sea Lion isn't hard. An hour in either direction brings me to elephant and harbor seals too.
I am glad that the pools are pretty decent. I've seen some bad exhibits of late.
The zoo has had three Silvered Leaf Monkey births so far this year.
~Thylo
~Thylo
Great for you, but the majority of us don't have them out our back door, especially people living in NYC.
And thus we have zoos, every species we see in zoos lives in somebody's "backyard". And everybody's backyard is different, and what doesn't live in our backyard is always the most interesting. Like how many of us on the west coast really don't care about another sea lion, but back east it's another story! (Or everybody jealous of Australia's platypuses and other such uniquities...
)
I actually did Central Park, Prospect Park and the Aquarium all in one day and saw pretty much everything - Queens had a day to itself as it's bigger and more spread out.
How much of the aquarium was open at the time? Also, how long did it take you to visit Queens? That's the zoo I spend the least amount of time at, but it's also the most difficult to reach of the 5.
~Thylo
Barely any of it, I seem to remember. I have nothing to compare it with as I've only been once but spent around half an hour at the Aquarium.
In my recollection (it was 5 years ago I visited NYC) I spent the whole day at Queens but looking back at my photos, it looked like I took them all in two hours. I must have been factoring in travel time back and forth, I guess.
The zoo has had a Black Crake chick born. Before now, the only zoo breeding this species in the US was Sedgwick.
~Thylo
~Thylo
Turns out Bronx also had chicks in at least 2017 as well. Even better news!
~Thylo
I last went to the Queens Zoo a couple of summers ago and spent no more than two hours there. Other than the aviary, which has a wonderful collection and in which you can spend considerable time, there are only about 15 other exhibits, most with just one species, so there's just not that much to see. I did not spend any time in the domestic animal section.
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
That rather depends on how you are getting around. You may spend more time in transportation than in walking the facilities.
Car, trains give me motion sickness
I'd likely get dropped at entrances while my dad went and found parking, so I could get a head start.