Changes You Would Make to Your Zoo

The lion exhibit definitely is not superb. I would not immediately change it however- as there would be bigger priorities. Eventually, I would change it into a exhibit either for 1 or 2 tigers(a smaller sub-species) or- with some renovation- an exhibit for macaques. If you remove the larger arch, add some grass, and maybe add some more levels then it would also be a better lion exhibit. However, the lions do not exactly use the entire exhibit. Ramses especially just stays in one spot all day. I would not make it smaller and a slight expansion or re-vamp would be good- but not necessary
 
I was that the Grizzly And Wolf Discovery Center had more land so that way they could keep adding new animal exhibits. Now they are doing expansions their now but I wish they had more to do like a restraunt or build even more new animal exhibits.
 
I'd really like Henry Vilas Zoo to try to expand its current size, they've got so much open park next to them that could easily be purchased and expanded onto. The community cherishes the zoo so much that I do not see them having a problem with it. It would allow the zoo to add more new exhibits for new species or make new enclosures for existing animals.
 
Granby Zoo
  • As I hate the Lorikeet aviary, replace it with an aviary for lyrebirds.
  • Give much of if not the entire African Savannah enclosure to the elephants to accommodate more elephants for breeding. Meanwhile, expand the current barn for the same purpose.
  • Turn the African Pavilion as well as the Aldabra Tortoise exhibit into a much larger rotational exhibit for the western lowland gorillas and common chimpanzees (and the mandrills if possible).
  • Add green pheasants and japanese quail to the japanese macaque and serow exhibits for some zest.
  • Phase out the alpacas (which for some reason are in Asia). Use the space for either an aviary for northeastern asian birds, or use for hoofstock, such as for pere david's, musk deer, or sika deer (fuse with the serow if the latter).
  • Turn the rather mediocre (in my opinion) alligator exhibit into an aviary for haitian birds.
  • Turn the llama and capybara exhibits into one for deer, either marsh, pampas, pudu, or huemul.
  • Tear down the godawful amusement park and use it for a exhibit dedicated to native Quebec wildlife.
 
Singapore Zoo:
  • Tear down the play area next to the African penguins, there's already the oversized kids area at the back and restore it to it's former glory (the sea lion show was once held there). After the seats are rebuilt, it'll become the Splash Safari amphitheatre and permanent home for the California sea lions so people can see them outside of the show. The African penguins should also get a bigger area where it's easier to see them as the window to their current house makes it hard to see them.
  • Make the Asian elephant exhibit a bit larger by filling up some of the water with sand or dirt so they have more walking area.
  • Bring back the greater flamingos that used to live near Gibbon Island (their area is now inhabited by great white pelicans) as well as the emus who lived next to the wallabies and kangaroos.
  • I'll merge the giraffe and zebra/black wildebeest/ostrich enclosures together to make it a big African savannah enclosures and import some helmeted guineafowl and a few more antelope species.
  • Once the last white Bengal tiger dies, there'll be no more white tigers and some Malayan tigers from Night Safari shall be moved to the day zoo.
  • Either expand the tiny mandrill habitat or phase them out and either make the mandrill habitat an extension to the chimp habitat or use them for a smaller species of primate.
  • Phase out the pets show and the rainforest shows, the only shows being the sea lion and the elephant shows.
 
Toledo Zoo and Aquarium
  • Open new river exhibit with brown bears hippos, giant otters, beavers, gharial, and American alligators.
  • With the hippos moved to the opposite side of the zoo, expand elephant exhibit under the bridge to the former hippo area, giving them a pool with deeper water.
  • Overhaul the exhibits on the right side of the path in Tiger Terrace and in the back half of Tembo Trail into an Asian-themed area. Keep Indian rhino and yak/Bactrian camel habitats in the same place but move the viewing area to the opposite side. Expand Amur tiger and snow leopard habitats. Phase out cougars and Andean bear (the zoo’s specimen of the latter is geriatric anyways). Bring the red pandas over to this part of the zoo.
  • Open Age of Exploration-themed exhibit with animals from regions such as the Galapagos (e.g. giant tortoises, South America (e.g. capybaras, giant anteaters), and Oceania (e.g. tree kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, kiwi).
  • With the meerkat exhibit removed to accommodate the new Asian area and the Tasmanian devils moved to the Exploration-themed area, turn current devil habitat into a new area for the meerkats.
  • Turn the Valley into a new lion habitat.
Binder Park Zoo
  • Move American black bears and Canada lynx to new habitats near the Mexican grey wolves.
  • Expand snow leopard habitat.
  • Turn former black bear area into an Amur tiger exhibit.
  • Add Bactrian camels to the wild horse yard.
  • Move red pandas over to current lynx habitat.
  • Add okapis, mandrills, and pygmy hippopotamus to the wooded section of Wild Africa.
 
Detroit Zoo
  • Move Japanese macaques to new habitat in Asian Forest.
  • Add snow leopard exhibit near the tigers.
  • Move lemurs in Asian Forest back to African Grasslands.
  • Re-design lemur exhibit to house clouded leopards.
  • Move main parking lot across the street to build more animal exhibits.
  • Expand American Grasslands into the aforementioned space by adding habitats for maned wolves, cougars, and Baird’s tapirs.
  • Add capybaras to pampas yard.
  • Integrate pronghorn with bison.
  • Add caribou, snowy owls, snow geese, and rock ptarmigans to Arctic Ring of Life.
 
evilmonkey239 said:
Detroit Zoo
  • Move Japanese macaques to new habitat in Asian Forest.
  • Add snow leopard exhibit near the tigers.
  • Move lemurs in Asian Forest back to African Grasslands.
  • Re-design lemur exhibit to house clouded leopards.
  • Move main parking lot across the street to build more animal exhibits.
  • Expand American Grasslands into the aforementioned space by adding habitats for maned wolves, cougars, and Baird’s tapirs.
  • Add capybaras to pampas yard.
  • Integrate pronghorn with bison.
  • Add caribou, snowy owls, snow geese, and rock ptarmigans to Arctic Ring of Life.
Click to expand...
Indianapolis Zoo:

Oceans:

1. In the first room of the building there are some empty walls with lots of pictures but, I feel like there should be some more tanks for a Sea Turtle and an Octopus.

2. They should move some of the Rays to the touch tank.

3. They should put Puffins in with the Penguins.

4. They should expand the Walrus exhibit.

Forests:

1. They should make the Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit into an island.

2. They should renovate the Gibbon exhibit because, there isn't any grass.

3. They should take down the glass Macaw exhibit and turn it into a walk through aviary.

4. The Bear exhibit is fine but, it could use some grass and trees with leaves.

5. The Eagle exhibit should loose some trees and should get a water fall.

Deserts:

1. They should add outdoor access for the Meerkats.

2. The Desert Dome should add Burrowing Owls.

3. The Snake area should also have Desert Amphibians.

International Orangutan Center:

1. All they should do is make the indoor exhibit into a rain forest home for the Orangutans.

I don't think Flights of Fancy needs any changes.

Plains:

1. The savanna exhibit with the Zebras, Kudu, Wildebeest, and Birds should have a watering hole.

2. Where the Baboons are there should be a Kopje area with Bat-eared Foxes, Mongooses, and Klipspringers.
 
For Wellington Zoo:

1) Install thirteen aviaries that will each hold 2.2 of one of the thirteen native species of shag/cormorant (Black, Little Black, Pied, Little Pied, Spotted, Pitt Island, King, Foveaux, Otago, Chatham Island, Auckland Island, Campbell Island, and even Bounty Island).

2) Install a small walk-through aviary containing 1.1 North Island Kokakos and 2.2 Auckland Island Rails.

3) Install another small walk-through aviary containing 3.3 Malherbe's Parakeets, 1.1 Chatham Island Pigeons, and 2.2 Auckland Island Teals.
 
Grizzly Hound said:
Indianapolis Zoo:

Oceans:

1. In the first room of the building there are some empty walls with lots of pictures but, I feel like there should be some more tanks for a Sea Turtle and an Octopus.

2. They should move some of the Rays to the touch tank.

3. They should put Puffins in with the Penguins.

4. They should expand the Walrus exhibit.

Forests:

1. They should make the Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit into an island.

2. They should renovate the Gibbon exhibit because, there isn't any grass.

3. They should take down the glass Macaw exhibit and turn it into a walk through aviary.

4. The Bear exhibit is fine but, it could use some grass and trees with leaves.

5. The Eagle exhibit should loose some trees and should get a water fall.

Deserts:

1. They should add outdoor access for the Meerkats.

2. The Desert Dome should add Burrowing Owls.

3. The Snake area should also have Desert Amphibians.

International Orangutan Center:

1. All they should do is make the indoor exhibit into a rain forest home for the Orangutans.

I don't think Flights of Fancy needs any changes.

Plains:

1. The savanna exhibit with the Zebras, Kudu, Wildebeest, and Birds should have a watering hole.

2. Where the Baboons are there should be a Kopje area with Bat-eared Foxes, Mongooses, and Klipspringers.
Click to expand...

Oceans:

1. Octopuses might make more sense later on near the exhibit with living coral, or near the sea lions in a "Pacific Ring of Fire" exhibit along with other species.

2. This makes sense, as there are already rays mixed in with smooth dogfish. I'm not sure if gender dynamics would come into play as the male dogfish are in the touch tank and the females are mixed in with the rays.

3. In a separate exhibit, maybe. Penguins and puffins come from different regions, and since Indy *was* pressed for space, then the penguins need the extension via the glass tunnel under the guests.

4. Where would the expansion take place that is most feasible for guest traffic?

Forests:

1. The reason the lemur exhibit is netted over is so that they have more vertical space/more space in general. Honestly I'd say mix them with collared lemurs, fodys and other Madagascan birds, and maybe some radiated tortoises from Deserts.

2. Yes, I think they should also give the gibbons some more height, maybe adding an underwater porthole to bring back Asian small-clawed otters.

3. Maybe the macaws can get their exhibit heavily renovated to look like a true jungle?

4. Yes, yes, YES to giving the bears more grass.

5. The eagle needs as much privacy as possible, hence the trees.

Deserts:

1. I'm not sure how outdoor access for the meerkats would play out but it would indeed be more conducive to their welfare.

2. Burrowing owls would make sense as well to add. Maybe they could go back to the Old World/New World exhibit style they initially had instead of a continental mishmash?

3. Makes sense to add amphibians as well.

International Orangutan Center:

1. Maybe instead of turning the center itself into a rainforest, why not an extension of their O-Line into the slated expansion area (the original parking lot) where there'd be a themed Great Apes habitat in the same vein as St. Louis?

Flights of Fancy/MISTery Park

1. All I'd recommend is turning the flamingo exhibit into an aviary and adding cattle grates to the entrance and exit of MISTery Park, adding agoutis and possibly squirrel monkeys.

Plains:

1. The savanna has a watering hole.

2. A kopje area makes sense, but at the cost of baboons? I'd recommend instead to move the kopje area near the cheetahs, possibly taking over or including the current warthog exhibit.

3. (A personal addon rather than a response) An Australian exhibit could be brought back, in the form of a walkthrough with Eastern grey kangaroos, parma wallabies, emus, wombats, shelducks, etc.
 
Here’s another one:
Bronx Zoo
  • Add pronghorn and elk to the bison range.
  • Move Amur leopard to new habitat near Tiger Mountain.
  • Replace Amur leopard in current habitat with clouded leopards.
  • Move white rhinos over to African Plains, possibly integrating them with already present hoofstock.
  • Fill in moat in dhole exhibit (former polar bear habitat) and add glass viewing windows.
  • Add South American section (possibly could take over current treetop adventure area as exhibit density in that part of the zoo is pretty low) with jaguars, tapirs, capybaras, giant otters, caimans, and many tropical birds.
  • Add Australian area if space allows with kangaroo walk-through, koalas, Tasmanian devils, cassowaries, and a walk-through lorikeet aviary.
 
The closest to a home zoo for me would be Oakland in the SF Bay Area of California.

1. New and/or updated enclosures for: chimpanzee, tiger, African Veldt species (giraffe, common eland, Egyptian geese). The latter habitat used to have some interesting species over the years, like addra gazelle and greater kudu. Either way, that dusty, moated exhibit has long past worn its welcome in my opinion.

2. Spruce up the "Rainforests" area of the zoo. This area of the zoo has some very nice exhibits. The sun bear habitat is huge and has lots of climbing opportunities and foraging opportunities for its three bears. The gibbon and siamang islands are nothing out of the ordinary, but still very nice. The squirrel monkey, South American aviary, and coati exhibits have lots of climbing opportunities and nice, lush vegetation. There is a new exhibit of decent height for some sort of bird or arboreal animal being built. That said, the concrete around the new exhibit and cotton-top tamarins looks very off. Making this area look more like a rainforest of some sort would be nice. My next two points are at least partially, although not entirely, connected to the rainforest section.

3. Bring in more non-African birds. The zoo has quite a nice collection of African birds inside two aviaries in the African area, and the South American aviary is better for macaws and curassows than Hamadryas baboons, but I wish the Neotropics, Southeast Asia, and Sahul got more representation in the zoo's bird collection. The zoo over the years used to have a few species of fruit dove, chestnut-mandibled toucan, laughing kookaburra, corellas, rosellas, Japanese pheasant, and princess parrots amongst some others here and there. A little more bird variety from around the world would be nice.

4. Bring in a few new or returning hoofstock species. The zoo no longer has any antelope but eland. It used to have addra gazelle, roan antelope, and, in the more distant past, a greater kudu. The space next to the sun bears has had sika deer and muntjacs in the past. The hillside used to have tule elk viewable from the sky ride; now it has no deer species. I'm not saying Oakland should be the San Diego Safari Park of northern California, nor has it ever been, but a little more ungulate diversity would be nice, even if it was just smaller species like gazelles, duikers, or pudu. Personally, I would have a threatened Asian deer species, like Eld's deer or barasingha, in the old sika deer habitat. That would make Oakland have something the other Northern and Central California zoos don't have to my knowledge. Ungulates would also make better use of that topography than most other animals.

5. Expand the diversity of animals in the new California Trails. I know this is a huge, expensive new expansion, and I do think it's overall fantastic. However, every species on display is either a bird of prey (condor, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk), a large carnivoran (grizzly and black bears, wolves, jaguars, and cougars), or a single mega-herbivore (bison). As great as it is, California's real biodiversity is more in smaller animals, like birds, reptiles, and amphibians who live in California's varied landscapes. Something like a songbird or waterfowl aviary (the latter was originally in the plans as a part of a beaver habitat), a Western pond turtle or frog pond with underwater viewing, a trout or salmon stream, a small animal building with native small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, or peninsular pronghorn mixed with the bison would elevate the conservation and biodiversity message and impact of the exhibit as well as provide a more adventurous native animal experience.

Five main points is fine for now. I would focus on those five things before starting a brand new zone within the zoo entirely.
 
Buffalo Zoo
Phase out (other smaller, less charismatic species will be phased out but are not explicitly mentioned in the following list): Giraffe, zebra, gemsbok, roan antelope, addax, gorilla, lion, maned wolf
New species include, but are not limited to: gharial, gaur, collared lemur, radiated tortoise, lesser tenrec, tomato frog, puffins, sea otters

First of all, replace Bone Zone with Carousel.
Keep the sea lion, otter, farm, reindeer, and Rainforest Falls areas as they are.

Arctic Edge extension
The current empty elephant exhibit will act as an extension to Arctic Edge. The yard will house a small herd of American bison. The current elephant barn will have indoor visitor space leading to a viewing deck for the bison as well as an exhibit for Atlantic puffins and king eiders.

Iranian Wildlife
The current rhino exhibits will be a Iranian-themed exhibit. It will house Indian rhinos (which, to be fair, may be extirpated from Iran, but I'd prefer not to end Buffalo Zoo's historic success with this species), Persian onagers, and yaks. This species composition will ensure that something can be seen any visit even after one of Buffalo's famous blizzards. In the current addax and hyena exhibits will be a large exhibit for a breeding pair of tigers. An enclosed trail system will allow the tigers to rotate between their new enclosure and into the current lion enclosures by passing through the current maned wolf exhibit area (i.e. one of the doors into holding. The building will be renovated as needed to connect to the current lion exhibit within the limitations of the historic building).

Vanishing Animals - a challenging exhibit given it's historic status
This exhibit will mostly house animals listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered or higher. Of the original Vanishing Animals species, only snow leopards and red pandas will remain.The northern section where the gemsboks and zebras currently live will be enclosed ala Leipzig Zoo's Gondwanaland in order to keep the tropical animals comfortable. In the current gemsbok and zebra areas will live a male Indian rhino or Persian onagers (depending on who's rotating. If the weather is cold, the rhino will live in here. If the rhinos are being bred, the onagers may live in here) and the cinereous vultures (plenty of faux trees). The other exhibits will house gharials, a mix of elongated tortoises and Baer's pochards, and snow leopards. The rhino and onagers is given access to the aforementioned Iran exhibit by a path hidden between the zoo boundary fence and the holding area of the new tiger exhibit. A path with barriers like that at Cleveland Zoo's elephant exhibit will allow the heribvores to go between exhibits at the keepers' will.
Now for the southern section where the macaques, bison, and lemurs are. The current bison exhibit will house a small North American area with whooping cranes, New England cottontail rabbits, Blanding's turtles, eastern box turtles, and wood turtles. The netting around the three original enclosures will be replaced with greenhouse glass to keep warm-weather animals comfortable. One enclosure will house giant otters, in the second will be a mix of Chacoan peccaries and vinaceous-breasted Amazons, and the third will house red pandas.

South Africa
On the site of the current giraffe exhibit will be a small Africa exhibit. The current giraffe yard will house the spotted hyenas. The giraffe barn will house one of the current rock hyrax/bird exhibits and the other will be replaced with seating. The current indoor giraffe space will house meerkats and a pair of aardvarks. There will also be an exhibit for naked mole rats. The outdoor empty pond area will house separate exhibits for a serval and a breeding pair of slender-snouted crocodiles (under greenhouse glass for heating purposes).

Madagascar
On the site of the current gorilla, meerkat, and Biodiversity of life exhibits will be a Malagasy wildlife exhibit. In the main exhibit will be a mix of ring-tailed and collared lemurs as well as radiated tortoises. In the meerkat exhibit will be a foosa. In the Biodiversity of Life exhibits will be exhibits for smaller Malagasy such as tenrecs, cockroaches, and tomato frogs.

Waters of Japan - keeping true to the Buffalo Zoo's water theme
The current bighorn sheep and Animal Pavillion exhibits and carousel area will become a Japanese complex with exhibits for Japanese macaques and a mix of sea otters and tufted puffins. The puffins will have high rocks where the otters cannot reach.
 
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
Banks of the Yellowstone
Make the Arctic Grayling tank just as big as the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout exhibit. (However according to there most recent live-stream on Facebook they moved all of there Arctic Grayling into the Cutthroat Trout exhibit and now are making modifications to the one they were in before so will see. Also. I would combine there reptile and amphibian exhibits into two separate exhibits and not 4. Also where they are now if move them to the other side of the Otter exhibit where they have their temporary on exhibit den space. And have the exhibits more eye to eye with guest viewing as where u have to view them now I don’t think anyone’s gonna notice them.
River Valley Wolf Habitat
There’s no River going through that exhibit so I’d suggest making one there and imply as it suggests. Other than that though I LOVE that exhibit.
UPDATE A MAJORITY OF THERE EXHIBIT SIGNAGE!!
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center DESPERATELY needs to update a majority of exhibits signage. Since there a small zoo they have info about each animal at the center but the GWDC has gotten a lot of animals as of last year and they haven’t hardly updated any exhibit signage since they’ve arrived. They need to Make new signs for there two new wolf packs the Hoodoo Pack and the Fossil Butte Pack and list info about each pack member. For the raptors they need to update there Great Horned Owl exhibit signage and list info about the two great horned owls info about who those two Great Horned Owls are and how they came to the center. Update Jorden there Bald Eagles pic as she’s no longer an immature Bald Eagle. For the Grizzly bears they need to add new signs for there 2 grizzly bears they rescued back in September of 2019 for Condi and Seeley. And also update Grant and Roosevelt’s sign as Roosevelt past away and they need to change the sign and dedicate it just for Grant

I think I’ve touched base on what I think needs to be changed. Thanks for reading this if you’ve made it this far
 
iluvwhales said:
Buffalo Zoo
Phase out (other smaller, less charismatic species will be phased out but are not explicitly mentioned in the following list): Giraffe, zebra, gemsbok, roan antelope, addax, gorilla, lion, maned wolf
New species include, but are not limited to: gharial, gaur, collared lemur, radiated tortoise, lesser tenrec, tomato frog, puffins, sea otters

First of all, replace Bone Zone with Carousel.
Keep the sea lion, otter, farm, reindeer, and Rainforest Falls areas as they are.

Arctic Edge extension
The current empty elephant exhibit will act as an extension to Arctic Edge. The yard will house a small herd of American bison. The current elephant barn will have indoor visitor space leading to a viewing deck for the bison as well as an exhibit for Atlantic puffins and king eiders.

Iranian Wildlife
The current rhino exhibits will be a Iranian-themed exhibit. It will house Indian rhinos (which, to be fair, may be extirpated from Iran, but I'd prefer not to end Buffalo Zoo's historic success with this species), Persian onagers, and yaks. This species composition will ensure that something can be seen any visit even after one of Buffalo's famous blizzards. In the current addax and hyena exhibits will be a large exhibit for a breeding pair of tigers. An enclosed trail system will allow the tigers to rotate between their new enclosure and into the current lion enclosures by passing through the current maned wolf exhibit area (i.e. one of the doors into holding. The building will be renovated as needed to connect to the current lion exhibit within the limitations of the historic building).

Vanishing Animals - a challenging exhibit given it's historic status
This exhibit will mostly house animals listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered or higher. Of the original Vanishing Animals species, only snow leopards and red pandas will remain.The northern section where the gemsboks and zebras currently live will be enclosed ala Leipzig Zoo's Gondwanaland in order to keep the tropical animals comfortable. In the current gemsbok and zebra areas will live a male Indian rhino or Persian onagers (depending on who's rotating. If the weather is cold, the rhino will live in here. If the rhinos are being bred, the onagers may live in here) and the cinereous vultures (plenty of faux trees). The other exhibits will house gharials, a mix of elongated tortoises and Baer's pochards, and snow leopards. The rhino and onagers is given access to the aforementioned Iran exhibit by a path hidden between the zoo boundary fence and the holding area of the new tiger exhibit. A path with barriers like that at Cleveland Zoo's elephant exhibit will allow the heribvores to go between exhibits at the keepers' will.
Now for the southern section where the macaques, bison, and lemurs are. The current bison exhibit will house a small North American area with whooping cranes, New England cottontail rabbits, Blanding's turtles, eastern box turtles, and wood turtles. The netting around the three original enclosures will be replaced with greenhouse glass to keep warm-weather animals comfortable. One enclosure will house giant otters, in the second will be a mix of Chacoan peccaries and vinaceous-breasted Amazons, and the third will house red pandas.

South Africa
On the site of the current giraffe exhibit will be a small Africa exhibit. The current giraffe yard will house the spotted hyenas. The giraffe barn will house one of the current rock hyrax/bird exhibits and the other will be replaced with seating. The current indoor giraffe space will house meerkats and a pair of aardvarks. There will also be an exhibit for naked mole rats. The outdoor empty pond area will house separate exhibits for a serval and a breeding pair of slender-snouted crocodiles (under greenhouse glass for heating purposes).

Madagascar
On the site of the current gorilla, meerkat, and Biodiversity of life exhibits will be a Malagasy wildlife exhibit. In the main exhibit will be a mix of ring-tailed and collared lemurs as well as radiated tortoises. In the meerkat exhibit will be a foosa. In the Biodiversity of Life exhibits will be exhibits for smaller Malagasy such as tenrecs, cockroaches, and tomato frogs.

Waters of Japan - keeping true to the Buffalo Zoo's water theme
The current bighorn sheep and Animal Pavillion exhibits and carousel area will become a Japanese complex with exhibits for Japanese macaques and a mix of sea otters and tufted puffins. The puffins will have high rocks where the otters cannot reach.
Click to expand...

edit: no gaur as the "new species" list says. Oversight on my part. I had several ideas for what to do with the rhino exhibit, and it included exhibits for Indian or Nepalese wildlife with rhinos, gaurs, and deer.
 
Henry Vilas Zoo
Do something with the old Barbado Sheep exhibit. It's been empty for ages. I'd also take the "picnic area" next to Harmon the White Rhino and put an exhibit there. I've been going to Henry Vilas my entire life and have never seen people using it. If they want to eat they go to the new restaurant or use the tables in the new plaza area. They don't wanna sit on the old, crummy wooden tables.
 
Echobeast said:
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Renovate Primate World into Fragile Forests. Add another orangutan exhibit so both species can be out at the same time with overhead walkways similar to O-line at the Smithsonian and Indianapolis Zoos. Mix siamangs with orangutans. Renovate siamang outdoor exhibit for Japanese macaques so there is a primate that can be exhibited outdoors all year. Gorilla outdoor exhibit can be kept the same but renovate the indoor spaces to have more vertical space and natural substrate like Cincinnati's new indoor space. Add a nocturnal aye-aye exhibit to replace naked mole rats. Expand on the palm oil shopping exhibit to promote the zoo's palm oil shopping guide app.

Tear down Monkey Pavilion and renovate Bear Grottoes. The Bear Grottoes should be combined into one large yard. Expand this yard into the bear gardens to the south (currently a smoking area) and connect the walking paths from bears to My Big Backyard. Add a natural water feature, grass and add a viewing platform for guests. Bring back Andean bears for this exhibit. Add an Andean condor aviary on the north side of the habitat with viewing from the platform. Mountain tapir exhibit can be kept the same but bring lowland or Baird's tapirs in when the mountain tapirs are gone. Across from tapirs, there is plenty of space to add an exhibit for a South American carnivore. I would love jaguars but multiple smaller exhibits can be built for ocelots or another small cat species. Coatis or kinkajous could also go here. On the hillsides going up to Monkey Pavilion, add a couple netted outdoor exhibits for spider and howler monkeys with overhead shifts connecting the exhibits. Expand on the outdoor sloth exhibit. Replace Monkey Pavilion with a state of the art tropical house with exhibits for Panamanian frogs, fish, caiman, calltrichids, capybara, birds, and indoor exhibits for spider and howler monkeys.

Add netted outdoor aviaries in the Australia Walkabout for kookabura, eclectus parrot, tawny frogmouth, etc. Add wallaroos to the walkthrough exhibit. Replace American alligators with freshwater crocodiles. Add Fly River turtles to the shell duck pond. Renovate outdoor exhibit on south side of Scutes Family Gallery and indoor atrium for Komodo dragons. Replace art gallery theme with more natural exhibits but keep the idea of the animals being art like MOLA but on a much smaller scale.

Build outdoor aviaries for ground hornbills in Encounter Africa or African Rift Valley. Add naked mole rats to indoor elephant viewing or indoor giraffe viewing. Replace one of the three meerkat exhibits with banded mongoose.

Add outdoor exhibits for wolverines in Rocky Mountain Wild.

Add outdoor exhibits in My Big Backyard for raccoons, ringtails, ravens, and owls.


Denver Zoo

Keeping with the master plan because I love it but adding a few things.

Make the new polar bear exhibit rotational with grizzlies as I don't have faith that there will be enough individuals to support all the polar bear exhibits in the country.

Add a giant tortoise yard outside of Tropical Discovery.

Completely redo The Edge. Reduce the amount of metal and build something more naturalistic with elevation changes and water features (akin to Cleveland's new exhibit). Rotational exhibits for snow and Amur leopards should be added nearby.

Add a walkthough Australia exhibit between the Coastal area and The Edge. Wallabies in a walkthough exhibit and emus, and kangaroos in a separate yard. Tasmanian devils should get an exhibit here as well. This isn't a huge space so this is probably all that could be added.

Bring back bison and add pronghorn to the proposed Into the Wild area.


Pueblo Zoo

*this is largely based on if Pueblo had more money to build exhibits. They barely raised enough to build a new Debrazza's monkey exhibit and quarantine facility so this is based on changes I would make with a much larger budget.*

Renovate area around the new painted dogs and Debrazza's monkeys exhibits. Add a new yard for ostritch and zebra in this area. Combine this yard with the current Australia yard and add giraffes.

Replace the animals in Islands of Life with animals that actually live on islands. Iguanas, Komodo dragons, birds, and more lemur species should go here. Move animals such as hyrax, meerkats, squirrel monkeys elsewhere in the zoo that make more sense thematically.

Build a new Australia exhibit with wallabies, emus and kangaroos outside the Islands of Life building.

Renovate the South America and Asia hoofstock yards into an Asian complex with red pandas, Pallas' cats, takin, and snow leopards.

Renovate the center of the zoo (currently Pioneer Ranch) into a restaurant and event space.

Build a new Pioneer Ranch (or call it something new. Same farm/children's zoo concept) over the old bear grottoes.

Demolish and rebuild World of Color into a modern reptile house.

Move bald eagles to a new aviary by the waterfowl pond and build a grey wolf exhibit nearby.

Demolish the corn cribs, the African Plains yard, and birthday party space and build a large Forests complex. An immersive exhibit that begins near the main entrance with an aviary for an owl species. The path continues with an exhibits for Canada lynx, and other North American species. The path then leads to a new yard for maned wolves and giant anteaters. There is a netted exhibit for squirrel monkeys. Then the big exhibit for okapi and a building for bonobos with a netted outdoor exhibit. The complex exits near the African penguins exhibit which is now outdoors and attached to a renovated Ecocenter.

This new Ecocenter has a walkthrough aviary with lorikeet feeding, a touch pool with sharks and other sea creatures, and an interpretive educational area with a stage for presentations.
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Those are all great ideas for all three of them, but I figured I'd let you know that the Denver Zoo also used to have pronghorn, so technically, that would be, "Bring back bison and pronghorn and add them to the proposed Into the Wild area.
 
Milwaukee County Zoo


I’d like it for the Zoo to try and focus on becoming more of a year round zoo and focusing on Animals endemic to the colder regions of the world while getting rid of what I think are the 3 weakest exhibits in the zoo(Orang, Bear Grottos, Small Mammals Building). I also tried to be as realistic as possible and in doing so I limited myself to not change anything that was built/renovated over the last 20 or so years, otherwise I would make it a focus to improve the Giraffe enclosure and move the Tigers to an exhibit focused on Northern Asia. Also I formatted the list to be what would need to be done in chronological order and some ideas at the end are at a lower priority.


Shutting Down the Small Mammal Building

Most of the animals would be moved to other locations in the Zoo or would be moved to other Zoos. The Lemurs, Tamarins, Sloth, Bats, Armadillo and Tree Porcupine would be moved to the Primates of the World section. The Dwarf Mongoose and Fennec Fox would be moved to a new location in Adventure Africa.


Primates of the World Renovation into Jungles of the World

The Mandrill, Lion Tamarin, and Spider Monkey portion of the building would stay relatively the same with a few minor touch ups. From the Orangutan to the end of the building would be gutted almost completely allowing for more realistic exhibit space. A new section of the building would be a nocturnal corridor allowing the nocturnal animals from the small mammal building to take up residence there. The Lemurs and Tamarins would also get new enclosures here as well. The Siamangs and Orangutans would be moved out of the building.


Red Ape Rain Forest

Built adjacent to Primates of the World, much like Apes of Africa was, Red Ape Rain Forest of the is the new home for the Orangutans and Siamangs, as well as adding Komodo Dragons to the zoo.


Wisconsin Woods

Built using the Small Mammal building, the Dinosaur exhibit, and some of the backstage area. This new exhibit focuses on the species that can be, or at one point could be, found in the North Woods of Wisconsin. The American Badger would be placed in an exhibit right outside the Small Mammal building. The Small Mammal building would be transformed to look like a cabin and inside would be indoor viewing for some of the outdoor animals, like the Badger, but it would also house many native Reptiles, Amphibians and Small Mammals. Some species from around the Zoo that would call this new location home would be the Elk, the Whooping Crane, the North American Porcupine, and the Moose (Who currently lives backstage). The new, and returning animals to the Zoo would include the American Black Bear, Bald Eagle and the Grey Wolf.


Alaska’s Cold Coast

The old Bear Grottoes are torn down and that shore of Lake Evinrude becomes a winding trail into the Alaskan Wilderness. An enclosure would be designed to accommodate a Polar Bear, but with the lack of new bears in US zoos, the only Bears that would be showcased here till the near future would be Grizzlies and the Alaskan Brown Bear. The Caribou remain in their current yard. New species would only include the Arctic Fox. The Nourish 405 restaurant would retheme itself to the area.


Adventure Africa - Tunnel Town

After tearing down the former Dall Sheep mountain, this small indoor and outdoor complex features some of Africa's smaller tunneling animals. This is where the Dwarf Mongoose and Fennec Fox. Some of the other animals that could be showcased here would include Aardvarks, Meerkats, and the Naked Mole Rat.


Sea Lion Cove and Show

Once Snow Lilly passes away, the Seal and Polar Bear exhibits will be torn down, and transformed into one that focuses on just pinnipeds. This will also be the new location of the Sea Lion show, much like at the St. Louis where the Show and enclosure are connected.


(The Last two aren’t huge needs that need to be addressed by the Zoo, but I just love the idea of them.)


The Penguinarium

Built over the old Oceans of Fun site and the Whooping Crane exhibit, the Penguinarium is an open aired exhibition of Antarctic penguins much like in St. Louis and Detroit. The old Penguin exhibit in the aviary could be converted into a space for Atlantic Puffins or completely gutted and be winter viewing for the Flamingos. The entrance of the building would be a new Humboldt Penguin exhibit.


Macaque Springs

Milwaukee’s new welcome animal would be the Japanese Macaque. Once the Penguins would move to the Penguinarium the Macaque would have a new home that would include working Hot Springs. The old monkey Island would be torn down and either made to another habitat or a nice fountain
 
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