Denver Zoo

Fossa dude

Fossa dude

Well-Known Member
Hello, I was wondering if anyone has been to Denver Zoo? I go there all the time and love it but was wondering what other people think of it. Also has anyone been to Denver Zoo before the Predator Ridge opened. Do you think you can describe how it was?
 
I was there a few years back. However some areas I rushed through or didn't see because of lack of time. So I mainly hung around the bird house and waterfowl exhibits. I remember they had some unusual birds like Red-wattled Lapwing, not very common in zoos.
I'd like to go back to it and spend more time there.
 
Snowleopard, who has visited more zoos than you've had hot dinners, and for whose opinion I have the greatest respect, regards Denver Zoo as one of the dozen best on the continent, describing it as "one of the most complete zoos" in North America.

Read his thread, "Snowleopard's Top 12 Zoos in North America" for his full review.
 
Did he actually give a full review for Denver? I've read all the reviews from the epic road trip and Florida road trip threads and thought that was all of them.
 
@siamang27: I did not give a full review of the Denver Zoo because I did not visit it on either of those long zoo trips. I toured the zoo in May of 2006 and much of it is very impressive. The authors of "America's Best Zoos" also rate it highly, as it featured in many of their top 10 lists. It is probably the best zoo I've ever visited in terms of primates, as there are 30 species in attractive habitats. Also, "Predator Ridge", "Bird World" and "Tropical Discovery" are all above average.
 
The National Aquairum in Baltimore has a breeding pair of lapwings in Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes Exhibit
 
@FossaDude - I was there for half a day in January 2009. I am one of ZooChat's regulars, and Denver Zoo is the one and only topic I have found where everyone on this forum disagrees with me. They all seem to love it and I didn't like it at all. So maybe I am crazy or maybe I didn't give it a fair shake because I did not have time to see the side of the zoo with polar bears and wolves. But apart from Predator Ridge, this is a very substandard zoo. My cousin was with me, he is also a regular zoo visitor and photographer, and he was equally disappointed and said he would never go back. Perhaps it is because I am a cat fanatic and the Feline House is atrocious (that is the one thing ZooChatters do agree with me on). I mean, that whole area is reason enough for them to lose their AZA accreditation IMO.

The entry complex and Predator Ridge are fantastic - no denying that. But as far as I can tell that is the only thing Denver has going for it. Of course, I am sure the new Asia exhibit when it opens will improve this zoo 100% and will undoubtedly raise my opinion of it.
 
Arizona Docent said:
@FossaDude - I was there for half a day in January 2009. I am one of ZooChat's regulars, and Denver Zoo is the one and only topic I have found where everyone on this forum disagrees with me. They all seem to love it and I didn't like it at all. So maybe I am crazy or maybe I didn't give it a fair shake because I did not have time to see the side of the zoo with polar bears and wolves. But apart from Predator Ridge, this is a very substandard zoo. My cousin was with me, he is also a regular zoo visitor and photographer, and he was equally disappointed and said he would never go back. Perhaps it is because I am a cat fanatic and the Feline House is atrocious (that is the one thing ZooChatters do agree with me on). I mean, that whole area is reason enough for them to lose their AZA accreditation IMO.

The entry complex and Predator Ridge are fantastic - no denying that. But as far as I can tell that is the only thing Denver has going for it. Of course, I am sure the new Asia exhibit when it opens will improve this zoo 100% and will undoubtedly raise my opinion of it.
Click to expand...

Had you visited in the summer months, you may have been somewhat impressed by the Primate Panorama complex, which includes a very extensive collection and some reasonably spacious and attractive outdoor exhibits. It also sounds as if you may have missed the Tropical Discovery building, a nice indoor rainforest immersion exhibit with a good Komodo monitor wing.

But the center of the zoo--prior to the development of the big Asian exhibit--is nothing special. Barren hoofstock paddocks, a concrete bunker for pachyderms, an aging bird house and the historic but sterile and tiny Bear Mountain are all pretty disappointing. And yes the Feline House is a real relic.
 
@ Arizona Docent

I have to agree with you on some things. Denver Zoo's Cat Complex is very cramlped and outdated, Northern Shores is pretty sub standard, Hove stock padoc does not catch your eye( except for the animals) , Raptor Aviaries are so small. The birds can't fly, and of course the bear mountain is like any other old bear grottos in zoos. But there have been many successes in the most plan exhibits. Denver Zoo bred in 2009-2010 these animals: Okapi, Golden Lion Tamarin, Emporer Tamarin, White Faced Saki, Andean Condor( and are going to release 2 of there babies into the wild), Blue Duiker, Demosell Crane, Debrazza's Monkey, many bird world birds, Spotted Hyena, Cape Buffalo, Red Kangaroo, Snow Leopard, Amur Tiger, Maned Wolf, Grevy Zebra, Dall Sheep, Big Horn Sheep, Giraffe, Sea Lion, Lesser Kudu, so many animals animals from tropical discovery, and the baby Eye-eye. Denver Zoo also has a master plan which means every thing in the zoo that is not the master plan or historical will be replaced with a new and improved exhibit such as Predator Ridge, Primate Panorama, Tropical Discovery, and the new Asian Tropics. So I guess all zoos have up and downs. At least Denver Zoo is trying to help and make the exhibits a lot better. In my opinion its not about the exhibit it is about how they treat their animals and I know Denver Zoo is doing amazing at that.
 
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