It's been a couple of days since I visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and I must say that I absolutely loved it! Visiting mediocre to good zoos lately, I was waiting to finally get to one of the nation's best zoos. My partner and I changed our plans and drove to Columbus the night before instead of our original plan of driving early in the morning. This was a wonderful idea because we both had energy to walk around this big zoo.
When I pulled up to the zoo, I knew I was going to fall in love with it. It's tucked away from the main road and it looks like an area that could expand for future exhibits. It looks like a modern zoo that prides itself in its accomplishments. I loved the entrance village with many shops and a fountain right in the middle. As a side note, their zoo magnets were priced very reasonable and I think Pittsburgh Zoo could learn a lesson from them. I got three magnets because of the great selection.
Although I was anxious to see the new Polar Frontier exhibit, I was advised that people would be headed in that direction or to Asia Quest to see the baby elephant. I got there at opening and I headed over to Shores. I have been a Manatee lover for quite some time and I really wanted to see these creatures in peace. We passed the manatee sculptures and with no kids around, I was able to get a picture with it (along with getting wet from the water on its back!) When you walk in, you automatically see the manatee tank. Before you reach it, there are the groves, a small winding pathway with tree branches surrounding you. I didn't expect the tank to be so long or so tall. I know Manatees live in shallow water and seeing pictures of the exhibit, I didn't know the tank went down even more from the visitor floor level. It was amazing to see these gentle giants and I have forgotten how big adult Manatees could be. Holly, one of the adult females, seemed to be interacting with the visiting baby Manatees the most. Stubby was more independent and there were a few moments where we just stared at each other as she slowly moved towards me. The pool also featured stingrays that came up close to eat the lettuce, fish, and I also spotted a sea turtle. The exhibit also had a motorboat for kids to play in, a small manatee maze, a manatee coin machine, and marine animal gift shop. I was glad I went to this exhibit first because when I returned later on in the morning, it was crowded with kids.
Next, I visited Discovery Reef, which had a scuba diver in the main tank cleaning up the area. Many tropical fish, sharks, and small sea creatures. This area also had a touch tank (though not open when I visited) and a submarine that had fish tanks inside it.
The entrance of Shores had Caribbean Flamingos and an a couple American Alligators. The Reptile House was very modern having separate areas for different regions. The center of the building was interactive with videos, descriptions on the wall, and a huge lizard at the center of the room. I remember in this section there were many different types of turtles. I thought the building had a nice collection of reptiles and amphibians. The last snake exhibit was creative with random objects that made it look like it was in its normal habitat of hiding out in a barn. I apologize that I can't remember the name of the snake.
The penguin exhibit was unimpressive with a circular pool around its land area and windows showing visitors their inside holding pens. Another area that I found small for all those birds. I was happy to see Aldabra Tortoises as I missed them in Cleveland since I came too early in the season.
I started off in Voyage Australia and Islands with the Bob and Evelyn's Roadhouse. The entrance is of an Australian diner, with random frogs and small creatures on the tables. Once you get past the entrance, you walk into the Nocturnal House. The featured animal in this area for me was the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo. At first the little creature just stood still in one position, but then I said something silently like, "Oh look up," and all of a sudden the Tree Kangaroo was active. This area also had a kKwi (far back in its exhibit, but I did manage to see it), Fishing Cat, Tiger Quoll, Prevost Squirrels, and Feathered Tail Gliders (really cool to see). The house ended with a bird aviary with many colorful birds and also an area for the Indian Crested Porcupine.
I continued to the Koala habitat and I was so excited to see active Koalas. I only saw one in Cleveland who was sleeping and had his back to me. Their keeper was in their exhibit cleaning up and they also had some food so they were moving about. I believe these were the two females as they were in the inside area and the outside area, usually for the male, seemed empty. There was also an Echidna who eventually got out of its crate and walked around the floor. I was almost nervous at one point when it creeped behind its keeper. I thought one step backwards and she's going to be in pain! Although I prefer the Cleveland Zoo's koala exhibit more, as the indoor area does not have glass in between the animals and visitors, I thought it was a nice exhibit. I walked around the Kangaroo yard, typical lazy kangaroos in the background, and I also covered up my ears as I walked through the noisy Lorikeet area.
I started off through the Islands exhibit with taking the boat ride. Although I admit it would have been a lot nicer if the animals were actually visible, they all seemed to come out after I took the ride, it was still a neat, peaceful experience. I thought both the Orangutan and Siamang had nice sized exhibits with lots of climbing opportunities. A random note, but seeing the same exact Orangutan sculpture at multiple zoos, I was glad to see a different one from the one I'm used to seeing. The only primate who I thought got the short end of the stick was the White Handed Gibbons. While the other primates had lush outdoor exhibits, the Gibbons were outdoors, but still in a small building that had mesh openings for people to look at them. Although I will say they did have a lot of climbing opportunities. I thought the Asian Small Clawed Otter exhibit was beautiful and I wish the American River Otters could get an upgrade on their cramped exhibit. These little Otters were very cute, all hanging out by their door to their indoor area. But one decided to run up to the crowd, squealing, and then stand on the rock almost wanting attention. Most likely, it was only hungry. This exhibit also had Sting, Wings, and Things, a nice playground area for children.
African Forest was a very nice exhibit that displayed strong points of the zoo that create the environment for visitors. With music playing in each area to create the mood and many interactive and descriptive narratives all over the walls. Unfortunately I must admit I was so focused on seeing all the animals, I skipped many of the narratives. But luckily, my partner loved reading them and informed me of some facts for the day. I thought the African Gray Parrots had a nice cage area and definitely a step up from the small cage at the Cleveland Zoo. Laura Perrot Congo Base Camp was the area with the most wall narratives and it also had nice viewing areas for the animal enclosures circling it. The Leopard was hard to spot, pardon the pun, but people did manage to finally find it sleeping. I wasn't impressed with the bedrooms Mandrill and other animal I forgot, but their outdoor areas that I saw later on were much better. I really enjoyed the Gorilla outside exhibit. It may not be the most naturalistic one out there, but I thought they had so many opportunities for playing and climbing. And I saw the male and female find many uses for the different levels they were given. Most of the Gorillas were in the inside bedrooms, and one was for a lone male Gorilla which I think I heard people refer to as the bachelor pad. Misha, the baby Gorilla was in her enclosure with one of her surrogate human mothers, who was trying to make the baby interact with one of the female adult Gorillas who seemed to take a liking to her. I really loved seeing all those Gorillas, and one of them had the silliest facial expression when people walked by.
I enjoyed the outside area for the Bonobos, though most of them were on the other side in their bedroom, which left something to be desired. But still, many enrichment items, including a kiddie slide for them to play on. Now one of my most favorite parts of the zoo was the area by the Bonobos that was filled with mist and music. Despite passing some guys that made the comment, "Man this is so cool. We could have jumped those guys back there if we wanted to," I thought the area was so beautiful and magical. A wonderful opportunity to take photos and get lost in the mist. To finish up in this area you could see the two Red River Hogs and the Okapi. The Okapi has three yards and we finally spotted it in its last yard. We were afraid it wasn't on exhibit at all and it was one of those rare animals we have never seen before.
We took a break for lunch and watched the Animal Safari Show. Although the acting wasn't the best I've ever seen, it was engaging for children and the real stars of the show were the animals. It was fast paced, full of laughs and antics. One flaw might be at some points you knew a new animal was coming out, but with so many hidden entrances, you had no clue where to look next. Some animals featured were Cats, Dogs, Pigs, Mice, Ferret, Miniature Horse, Llama, Ruffed Lemur, Skunk, Blue Macaw Parrot, Female Peafowl, Binturong, among other.
The second part of the zoo was visited during the afternoon, where the weather got hotter and most of the animals that I saw were also sleeping or hiding. Asia Quest wasn't up to my expectations, but it still was a nice section. I started off seeing the Cleveland Zoo elephants in their paddock, which I found to be horrible for viewing opportunities. I noticed at this point the hot wire around the exhibits, which I tended to see a lot in the second part of the zoo which I didn't really care for at all. The Black Rhinos seemed to have a bigger enclosure than the African Elephants, but still nothing to write home about. The Asian Elephants had the best exhibit, but I'm really anxious to see a new and modern Elephant exhibit. Although their outside exhibit may have been good at the time it was made, I wouldn't call it wonderful today. Although they have a walking trail, it's just an awkward set up for me. They seemed to have a nice watering hole, I just wish I could have seen one of the elephants use it. The entrance to the Elephant/Rhino barn could be missed if the Vanishing Giants title didn't catch your eye. The barn was definitely huge and this is where I found the baby elephant and his mother. I wish I could have seen the baby playing outside, as it would have been nicer for a photo, but it's not like he was suffering from small conditions inside the barn. I can't imagine how this area used to be with throngs of people glued to the glass to see the new born Elephant.
In between the seeing the African Elephant/Black Rhino exhibits and the Asian Elephant exhibit, I actually went through the entrance of Asia Quest into the Enlightenment Interpretative Center. Before entering the building I passed the spacious, beautiful exhibit for the Cranes, Muntjac, and Tufted Deer. I also saw the Extinction Bell as it rang as I walked by it. The Interpretative Center was so engaging and interactive; a highlight for this section. The next time I returned to this zoo, I'll definitely have to take more time looking at everything. The area starts off with tiger statues, crumbled ones to represent the extinct tigers. There was a dragon with a crystal ball in its center with a video about the fate of the tigers. There was also a closed off market for illegal animal trade with information about the crime. Also featured was an extinction train ("one way stop to extinction") with a list of animals who are extinct or endangered. I liked the creative idea of the Sun Bear Palm Oil Plantation exhibit, but I really wished it had a first floor viewing area for people to actually see the bear. I saw just a little of its body down in that area as I walked by it. And the Sun Bear outside was hiding in a tree. While some may argue that both the bedroom and outside exhibit gives privacy to these bears, I would have loved the opportunity to finally see one. The building also houses the Water Monitor, Fluffy the large snake, Giant Fruit & Golden Mantled Bats, and Langurs. The Langurs had a similar exhibit to the Sun Bear and some of the monkey exhibits in Cleveland Zoo's Rainforest. They have a lower area that goes down beyond the floor level of visitors, which allows them to look down.
As I mentioned before, by this time most of the animals were sleeping so it wasn't as pleasant as in the morning when I saw a lot of active animals. But I'm definitely happy with the route I took to view the zoo. There was a nice exhibit for the Red Pandas with a shed for them to sleep in, a nice walk through Pheasant aviary, an empty Markhor exhibit that looked like it had way too many hot wiring in it, an indoor area for the Pallas Cat, and a very nice area for the Amur Tigers. A viewing window for when the tigers sleep on those rocks and an outside viewing area to get a look at the whole exhibit. One of the tigers were in their built rock den and the other in the lowest part of the exhibit. I wasn't too impressed with the African Lion exhibit, but it may have been because of the mesh wiring all around it that made it harder to see the animals. It was one of those out of placed exhibits that aren't really needed. Although Lions are a popular zoo animal.
I was probably the least impressed with the North American exhibit. To me, it seemed to be the most outdated exhibit in the zoo, despite the addition of Polar Frontier. Most of the animals were sleeping and hiding in logs and such and I didn't like the multiple use of mesh caging and once again, hot wiring. Habitat Hollow was a charming area for kids, but like most Children Zoos, an area I've love to play in being a big kid at heart, but there are too many children in order to do so. I liked the signs outside the house area with the essentials of living...shelter, water, food, and why am I forgetting the fourth one? When you first enter the house you see a coat rack with animals hiding in articles of clothing representing the layers of the planet that animals live in. There was also a fake snake on the light fixture along with a cloud painted ceiling. Charming portraits of animals on the wall, my favorite being the Opossum. In the next section, there were pond areas for children to play under the water surface and then dams and such for children to climb in. I sort of skimmed through the house after this point as it was too crowded. My Barn wasn't anything special for me, but a nice area for children to pet and brush goats and sheep. I loved both aviaries for the birds and I wish I spent more time trying to spot them all. It was a real treat to see moose this time around as I missed seeing them up close at the Toronto Zoo. The Reindeer were staying cool with fans blowing cooler air on them. The Black and Grizzly Bear had average exhibits, but lacking in size and quality of the modern Brown and Polar Bear exhibits. The Wolves had decent areas, but I still love the Mexican Wolf viewing area at the Cleveland Zoo. Although Columbus Zoo did have a small cabin to view the Wolverine. Unfortunately, it was hiding and sleeping in a log, as well as the Puma. The Bison and Pronghorn had a very big exhibit for them to roam in and a viewing area wrapped around it.
Polar Frontier was the highlight of this section. I must admit, I was expecting more, but that doesn't mean the exhibits aren't beautiful. For some reason, I was under impression there was two floors with underwater viewing areas for the Polar Bears. I thought the top floor had the upside down J shaped viewing area that is featured now to see the polar bears. But I thought there was another floor that went further down into their pool where there would be a walk through tunnel. I'm sure I just imagined this, but was this maybe an original plan and they had to scale back? The exhibit looked like it was designed near a mining tunnel, which you go down to see the underwater viewing area. Despite the animals sleeping in North American, the Polar Bears were given bones to feed on so they were in the water doing this. So I saw them on both levels, through the crowds of people. I really do love the live fish in the pool and even saw one of the bears lunge for a fish later on. The land area is quite beautiful and I'll be excited to also see pictures of it during the winter time. It's a little deceiving how far back the land area goes, but it looks quite spacious when you look at the map. There was also a wall with all the Bears of the World, a wonderful opportunity for photos. My partner and I took a photo with the Sun Bear, since we were unable to see a live one. There's also a nice small gift shop and a great area for children to climb under ice and glaciers and pop their heads up. They also have a tunnel with a bubble that goes into the Arctic Fox exhibit. The Arctic Fox have a small exhibit and I didn't like the mesh wiring all around it. But they were adorable and because they were in air conditioning at their other zoo, their coat never changed colors and they are still white. I got to see them during their enrichment time with the keeper as she brought them oranges and other greenery. The Brown Bear exhibit was nice, but I felt like it was also deceiving as I couldn't tell how far back the exhibit went. But I loved the window in front of their pool for them to swim in. However, they were in their den area next door, which also has a huge window for visitors to see them. Another beautiful looking bear exhibit. This area also had a playground for children and fun Polar Bear statues.
Overall, out of all the zoos I've visited so far, this is my favorite zoo. It's modern, big, but has a condensed feel to it so you're not walking long distances between exhibits, and has many animals that I love, along with some unique animals I have never seen before. Although it lacks an African Plains and South American exhibit, I know it's in the works for the future. And when that day happens, what a happy day that will be for me! And I can only imagine then how long it will take to see the whole zoo.
When I pulled up to the zoo, I knew I was going to fall in love with it. It's tucked away from the main road and it looks like an area that could expand for future exhibits. It looks like a modern zoo that prides itself in its accomplishments. I loved the entrance village with many shops and a fountain right in the middle. As a side note, their zoo magnets were priced very reasonable and I think Pittsburgh Zoo could learn a lesson from them. I got three magnets because of the great selection.
Although I was anxious to see the new Polar Frontier exhibit, I was advised that people would be headed in that direction or to Asia Quest to see the baby elephant. I got there at opening and I headed over to Shores. I have been a Manatee lover for quite some time and I really wanted to see these creatures in peace. We passed the manatee sculptures and with no kids around, I was able to get a picture with it (along with getting wet from the water on its back!) When you walk in, you automatically see the manatee tank. Before you reach it, there are the groves, a small winding pathway with tree branches surrounding you. I didn't expect the tank to be so long or so tall. I know Manatees live in shallow water and seeing pictures of the exhibit, I didn't know the tank went down even more from the visitor floor level. It was amazing to see these gentle giants and I have forgotten how big adult Manatees could be. Holly, one of the adult females, seemed to be interacting with the visiting baby Manatees the most. Stubby was more independent and there were a few moments where we just stared at each other as she slowly moved towards me. The pool also featured stingrays that came up close to eat the lettuce, fish, and I also spotted a sea turtle. The exhibit also had a motorboat for kids to play in, a small manatee maze, a manatee coin machine, and marine animal gift shop. I was glad I went to this exhibit first because when I returned later on in the morning, it was crowded with kids.
Next, I visited Discovery Reef, which had a scuba diver in the main tank cleaning up the area. Many tropical fish, sharks, and small sea creatures. This area also had a touch tank (though not open when I visited) and a submarine that had fish tanks inside it.
The entrance of Shores had Caribbean Flamingos and an a couple American Alligators. The Reptile House was very modern having separate areas for different regions. The center of the building was interactive with videos, descriptions on the wall, and a huge lizard at the center of the room. I remember in this section there were many different types of turtles. I thought the building had a nice collection of reptiles and amphibians. The last snake exhibit was creative with random objects that made it look like it was in its normal habitat of hiding out in a barn. I apologize that I can't remember the name of the snake.
The penguin exhibit was unimpressive with a circular pool around its land area and windows showing visitors their inside holding pens. Another area that I found small for all those birds. I was happy to see Aldabra Tortoises as I missed them in Cleveland since I came too early in the season.
I started off in Voyage Australia and Islands with the Bob and Evelyn's Roadhouse. The entrance is of an Australian diner, with random frogs and small creatures on the tables. Once you get past the entrance, you walk into the Nocturnal House. The featured animal in this area for me was the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo. At first the little creature just stood still in one position, but then I said something silently like, "Oh look up," and all of a sudden the Tree Kangaroo was active. This area also had a kKwi (far back in its exhibit, but I did manage to see it), Fishing Cat, Tiger Quoll, Prevost Squirrels, and Feathered Tail Gliders (really cool to see). The house ended with a bird aviary with many colorful birds and also an area for the Indian Crested Porcupine.
I continued to the Koala habitat and I was so excited to see active Koalas. I only saw one in Cleveland who was sleeping and had his back to me. Their keeper was in their exhibit cleaning up and they also had some food so they were moving about. I believe these were the two females as they were in the inside area and the outside area, usually for the male, seemed empty. There was also an Echidna who eventually got out of its crate and walked around the floor. I was almost nervous at one point when it creeped behind its keeper. I thought one step backwards and she's going to be in pain! Although I prefer the Cleveland Zoo's koala exhibit more, as the indoor area does not have glass in between the animals and visitors, I thought it was a nice exhibit. I walked around the Kangaroo yard, typical lazy kangaroos in the background, and I also covered up my ears as I walked through the noisy Lorikeet area.
I started off through the Islands exhibit with taking the boat ride. Although I admit it would have been a lot nicer if the animals were actually visible, they all seemed to come out after I took the ride, it was still a neat, peaceful experience. I thought both the Orangutan and Siamang had nice sized exhibits with lots of climbing opportunities. A random note, but seeing the same exact Orangutan sculpture at multiple zoos, I was glad to see a different one from the one I'm used to seeing. The only primate who I thought got the short end of the stick was the White Handed Gibbons. While the other primates had lush outdoor exhibits, the Gibbons were outdoors, but still in a small building that had mesh openings for people to look at them. Although I will say they did have a lot of climbing opportunities. I thought the Asian Small Clawed Otter exhibit was beautiful and I wish the American River Otters could get an upgrade on their cramped exhibit. These little Otters were very cute, all hanging out by their door to their indoor area. But one decided to run up to the crowd, squealing, and then stand on the rock almost wanting attention. Most likely, it was only hungry. This exhibit also had Sting, Wings, and Things, a nice playground area for children.
African Forest was a very nice exhibit that displayed strong points of the zoo that create the environment for visitors. With music playing in each area to create the mood and many interactive and descriptive narratives all over the walls. Unfortunately I must admit I was so focused on seeing all the animals, I skipped many of the narratives. But luckily, my partner loved reading them and informed me of some facts for the day. I thought the African Gray Parrots had a nice cage area and definitely a step up from the small cage at the Cleveland Zoo. Laura Perrot Congo Base Camp was the area with the most wall narratives and it also had nice viewing areas for the animal enclosures circling it. The Leopard was hard to spot, pardon the pun, but people did manage to finally find it sleeping. I wasn't impressed with the bedrooms Mandrill and other animal I forgot, but their outdoor areas that I saw later on were much better. I really enjoyed the Gorilla outside exhibit. It may not be the most naturalistic one out there, but I thought they had so many opportunities for playing and climbing. And I saw the male and female find many uses for the different levels they were given. Most of the Gorillas were in the inside bedrooms, and one was for a lone male Gorilla which I think I heard people refer to as the bachelor pad. Misha, the baby Gorilla was in her enclosure with one of her surrogate human mothers, who was trying to make the baby interact with one of the female adult Gorillas who seemed to take a liking to her. I really loved seeing all those Gorillas, and one of them had the silliest facial expression when people walked by.
I enjoyed the outside area for the Bonobos, though most of them were on the other side in their bedroom, which left something to be desired. But still, many enrichment items, including a kiddie slide for them to play on. Now one of my most favorite parts of the zoo was the area by the Bonobos that was filled with mist and music. Despite passing some guys that made the comment, "Man this is so cool. We could have jumped those guys back there if we wanted to," I thought the area was so beautiful and magical. A wonderful opportunity to take photos and get lost in the mist. To finish up in this area you could see the two Red River Hogs and the Okapi. The Okapi has three yards and we finally spotted it in its last yard. We were afraid it wasn't on exhibit at all and it was one of those rare animals we have never seen before.
We took a break for lunch and watched the Animal Safari Show. Although the acting wasn't the best I've ever seen, it was engaging for children and the real stars of the show were the animals. It was fast paced, full of laughs and antics. One flaw might be at some points you knew a new animal was coming out, but with so many hidden entrances, you had no clue where to look next. Some animals featured were Cats, Dogs, Pigs, Mice, Ferret, Miniature Horse, Llama, Ruffed Lemur, Skunk, Blue Macaw Parrot, Female Peafowl, Binturong, among other.
The second part of the zoo was visited during the afternoon, where the weather got hotter and most of the animals that I saw were also sleeping or hiding. Asia Quest wasn't up to my expectations, but it still was a nice section. I started off seeing the Cleveland Zoo elephants in their paddock, which I found to be horrible for viewing opportunities. I noticed at this point the hot wire around the exhibits, which I tended to see a lot in the second part of the zoo which I didn't really care for at all. The Black Rhinos seemed to have a bigger enclosure than the African Elephants, but still nothing to write home about. The Asian Elephants had the best exhibit, but I'm really anxious to see a new and modern Elephant exhibit. Although their outside exhibit may have been good at the time it was made, I wouldn't call it wonderful today. Although they have a walking trail, it's just an awkward set up for me. They seemed to have a nice watering hole, I just wish I could have seen one of the elephants use it. The entrance to the Elephant/Rhino barn could be missed if the Vanishing Giants title didn't catch your eye. The barn was definitely huge and this is where I found the baby elephant and his mother. I wish I could have seen the baby playing outside, as it would have been nicer for a photo, but it's not like he was suffering from small conditions inside the barn. I can't imagine how this area used to be with throngs of people glued to the glass to see the new born Elephant.
In between the seeing the African Elephant/Black Rhino exhibits and the Asian Elephant exhibit, I actually went through the entrance of Asia Quest into the Enlightenment Interpretative Center. Before entering the building I passed the spacious, beautiful exhibit for the Cranes, Muntjac, and Tufted Deer. I also saw the Extinction Bell as it rang as I walked by it. The Interpretative Center was so engaging and interactive; a highlight for this section. The next time I returned to this zoo, I'll definitely have to take more time looking at everything. The area starts off with tiger statues, crumbled ones to represent the extinct tigers. There was a dragon with a crystal ball in its center with a video about the fate of the tigers. There was also a closed off market for illegal animal trade with information about the crime. Also featured was an extinction train ("one way stop to extinction") with a list of animals who are extinct or endangered. I liked the creative idea of the Sun Bear Palm Oil Plantation exhibit, but I really wished it had a first floor viewing area for people to actually see the bear. I saw just a little of its body down in that area as I walked by it. And the Sun Bear outside was hiding in a tree. While some may argue that both the bedroom and outside exhibit gives privacy to these bears, I would have loved the opportunity to finally see one. The building also houses the Water Monitor, Fluffy the large snake, Giant Fruit & Golden Mantled Bats, and Langurs. The Langurs had a similar exhibit to the Sun Bear and some of the monkey exhibits in Cleveland Zoo's Rainforest. They have a lower area that goes down beyond the floor level of visitors, which allows them to look down.
As I mentioned before, by this time most of the animals were sleeping so it wasn't as pleasant as in the morning when I saw a lot of active animals. But I'm definitely happy with the route I took to view the zoo. There was a nice exhibit for the Red Pandas with a shed for them to sleep in, a nice walk through Pheasant aviary, an empty Markhor exhibit that looked like it had way too many hot wiring in it, an indoor area for the Pallas Cat, and a very nice area for the Amur Tigers. A viewing window for when the tigers sleep on those rocks and an outside viewing area to get a look at the whole exhibit. One of the tigers were in their built rock den and the other in the lowest part of the exhibit. I wasn't too impressed with the African Lion exhibit, but it may have been because of the mesh wiring all around it that made it harder to see the animals. It was one of those out of placed exhibits that aren't really needed. Although Lions are a popular zoo animal.
I was probably the least impressed with the North American exhibit. To me, it seemed to be the most outdated exhibit in the zoo, despite the addition of Polar Frontier. Most of the animals were sleeping and hiding in logs and such and I didn't like the multiple use of mesh caging and once again, hot wiring. Habitat Hollow was a charming area for kids, but like most Children Zoos, an area I've love to play in being a big kid at heart, but there are too many children in order to do so. I liked the signs outside the house area with the essentials of living...shelter, water, food, and why am I forgetting the fourth one? When you first enter the house you see a coat rack with animals hiding in articles of clothing representing the layers of the planet that animals live in. There was also a fake snake on the light fixture along with a cloud painted ceiling. Charming portraits of animals on the wall, my favorite being the Opossum. In the next section, there were pond areas for children to play under the water surface and then dams and such for children to climb in. I sort of skimmed through the house after this point as it was too crowded. My Barn wasn't anything special for me, but a nice area for children to pet and brush goats and sheep. I loved both aviaries for the birds and I wish I spent more time trying to spot them all. It was a real treat to see moose this time around as I missed seeing them up close at the Toronto Zoo. The Reindeer were staying cool with fans blowing cooler air on them. The Black and Grizzly Bear had average exhibits, but lacking in size and quality of the modern Brown and Polar Bear exhibits. The Wolves had decent areas, but I still love the Mexican Wolf viewing area at the Cleveland Zoo. Although Columbus Zoo did have a small cabin to view the Wolverine. Unfortunately, it was hiding and sleeping in a log, as well as the Puma. The Bison and Pronghorn had a very big exhibit for them to roam in and a viewing area wrapped around it.
Polar Frontier was the highlight of this section. I must admit, I was expecting more, but that doesn't mean the exhibits aren't beautiful. For some reason, I was under impression there was two floors with underwater viewing areas for the Polar Bears. I thought the top floor had the upside down J shaped viewing area that is featured now to see the polar bears. But I thought there was another floor that went further down into their pool where there would be a walk through tunnel. I'm sure I just imagined this, but was this maybe an original plan and they had to scale back? The exhibit looked like it was designed near a mining tunnel, which you go down to see the underwater viewing area. Despite the animals sleeping in North American, the Polar Bears were given bones to feed on so they were in the water doing this. So I saw them on both levels, through the crowds of people. I really do love the live fish in the pool and even saw one of the bears lunge for a fish later on. The land area is quite beautiful and I'll be excited to also see pictures of it during the winter time. It's a little deceiving how far back the land area goes, but it looks quite spacious when you look at the map. There was also a wall with all the Bears of the World, a wonderful opportunity for photos. My partner and I took a photo with the Sun Bear, since we were unable to see a live one. There's also a nice small gift shop and a great area for children to climb under ice and glaciers and pop their heads up. They also have a tunnel with a bubble that goes into the Arctic Fox exhibit. The Arctic Fox have a small exhibit and I didn't like the mesh wiring all around it. But they were adorable and because they were in air conditioning at their other zoo, their coat never changed colors and they are still white. I got to see them during their enrichment time with the keeper as she brought them oranges and other greenery. The Brown Bear exhibit was nice, but I felt like it was also deceiving as I couldn't tell how far back the exhibit went. But I loved the window in front of their pool for them to swim in. However, they were in their den area next door, which also has a huge window for visitors to see them. Another beautiful looking bear exhibit. This area also had a playground for children and fun Polar Bear statues.
Overall, out of all the zoos I've visited so far, this is my favorite zoo. It's modern, big, but has a condensed feel to it so you're not walking long distances between exhibits, and has many animals that I love, along with some unique animals I have never seen before. Although it lacks an African Plains and South American exhibit, I know it's in the works for the future. And when that day happens, what a happy day that will be for me! And I can only imagine then how long it will take to see the whole zoo.
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