Would you really consider it brilliant? It seems to get mixed reviews here on ZooChat.
I suppose that "brilliant" might be a superlative that is not totally appropriate, but it is certainly an amazing addition to an already outstanding zoo. The combination of excellent animal exhibits (Primate Panorama, Tropical Discovery, Toyota Elephant Passage, Predator Ridge, large hoofstock paddocks) with a massive collection of species, makes Denver arguably one of America's 10 best zoos. I could name a number of ZooChatters (who have all visited at least 150 zoos) that would put Denver into their top 10, and most of those folks haven't even visited Toyota Elephant Passage yet!
A long excerpt from my 2012 review:
Toyota Elephant Passage – This 10-acre complex cost a staggering $50 million and represents one eighth of the entire acreage of the zoo. It opened on June 1st, 2012 and is the zoo’s first major exhibit complex since 2004’s Predator Ridge. The zoo has had timed ticket entries for the first 10 weeks since the unveiling of the grand new complex but all of that ends by mid-August as the crowds will begin to diminish and very soon it will be open for anyone at any time. To construct this gargantuan undertaking approximately 6 hoofstock paddocks were eliminated (meaning the loss of bison, caribou, musk oxen, yak and others) while two badly outdated metal cages were bulldozed (Pallas’ cat and cougar). The end result has meant the creation of a flawed but still excellent 10-acre zone that represents one of the best Asian sections at any American zoo.
Toyota Elephant Passage Website:
Denver Zoo: Toyota Elephant Passage
Toyota Elephant Passage (naming rights were established when the car company donated $5 million) might be the largest and most costly zoo complex constructed in the past 20 years. Zoo Miami spent about $50 million on Amazon and Beyond in 2008 and Bronx Zoo also spent a fortune on its Madagascar House but Denver certainly has made a statement with its newest mega-complex. There are 5 main yards that feature a rotating trio of animals (a similar policy to Predator Ridge): Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs. Signs are up everywhere informing visitors that they could see one of the three species in any one of the enclosures, although there is a 6th yard that is set aside only for Malayan tapirs that features a pool, dark netting and in no way could hold a rhino or elephant.
Of the 5 main yards (totaling around 2 acres of space) there are pools in 4 of them and they are enormous structures featuring hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The best thing about the habitats is that it makes it very easy to get close to the animals, and on three occasions I was no farther than 20 feet from a full-grown male elephant and that is a very cool experience. The yards are long and narrow (sort of like the 4.5 acre paddock at Kansas City Zoo) and while there are two aging females eventually Denver will have an all-bull herd similar to what has been set up at Birmingham Zoo. The viewing of the pachyderms is brilliant on every level, as besides the deep pools and close-up encounters there is a huge Amphitheater with two shows a day with an elephant, tapir or rhino. Plus there is a Crossing Bridge that goes over the entrance pathway and enables the animals to switch habitats. Without even venturing into Toyota Elephant Passage it is very easy to see 4 out of the 6 large yards, as well as the Sarus crane enclosure. A massive barn has 8 side stalls that are not able to be viewed, but the sandy common area with yet another pool can be seen. I wish that Denver had gone all-out and created a European-style elephant house with an enormous common area but the one they did build is still one of the largest in North America.
The Asian theme is enhanced with all sorts of cool signs that have a rustic feel to them, a marketplace atmosphere outside of the elephant barn, and there is an excellent netted clouded leopard habitat with several areas for them to climb, tall grass that has been allowed to grow, and large viewing windows for the public. A Sarus crane yard is very pretty and features a cascading pool; and a true highlight is the northern white-cheeked gibbon habitat as instead of one island there are actually three of them that come with long ropes that allow the apes to brachiate over the heads of visitors along the wooden boardwalk. While I was there the pair of gibbons was leaping from tree to tree and they did not appear to be scared to cross over their onlookers from island to island. What a great idea! The gibbon house is next to the islands but there isn’t viewing of the indoor area and I foresee that being an issue in the cold Colorado winters.
Toyota Elephant Passage is not perfect, as so far I have been raving about the 10-acre complex. The sightlines are terrible, as at 4 out of the 6 yards it is common to be glancing across the habitat and seeing visitors looking back in your direction from the other side. While walking through the Asian area it is easy enough to see visitors strolling along the pathway bypassing the entire zone, and thus zoos like North Carolina, Nashville and Dallas have done a great job of immersing humans in elephant habitats with nothing but naturalistic backdrops. Denver does not come close to that, but the spectacular viewing areas, the close proximity of the animals, the many deep pools and the novel ideas (crossing bridge, viewing of indoor barn, gibbons overhead) make up for what is lost in terms of a natural appearance.
While I have praise for the exhibits featuring elephants, rhinos, tapirs, Sarus cranes and clouded leopards (all of which I saw close-up on my visit) the weakest section is the central building. The flying fox enclosure is of average quality, and there are decent terrariums for these 6 species: Solomon Island eyelash frog, Javan hump-headed lizard, Asian gliding frog, green tree python, blood python and prehensile-tailed skink. The fishing cat and small-clawed otter exhibits are the two most disappointing as they are all indoors and while streams trickle through them they are too small for such potentially active animals. The end of the building has beautiful views of one of the main yards as glass viewing windows look out onto one of the larger pools. Overall Toyota Elephant Passage is an awesome addition to one of America’s 10 best zoos and while some people can criticize the price tag or nitpick about small details on the whole the vast majority of visitors will be duly impressed and thankful that their local zoo just got even better.
