Erie Zoo

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okapikpr

Well-Known Member
The Erie Zoo is a small 15 acre zoo located in the Northeast corner of Pennsylvania. The zoo basically started with its large Main Animal Building and later expanded in the 1960s to include Bear/Cat Grottos, a Monkey Island, Children's Zoo, and hoofstock yards. The zoo remained relatively unchanged until the 1990s when the zoo renovated its Main Zoo Building and their last elephant was relocated to the Cleveland Zoo. Since then, the zoo has steadily redeveloped the entire zoo property:

1999 - Kiboka Outpost (African exhibits)
2002 - Wild Asia
2004 - new Children's Zoo
2008 - Tiger Grotto renovation

Future Plans include continued renovation of Bear/Cat Grottos, Giraffe renovation, and a Northward expansion to include a South American exhibit.

I have personally visited this zoo several times, the last in 2002. The zoo takes pride in being a small zoo and provides a good collection to compliment its size. The zoo is currently divided amongst its major exhibits.

Main Building
This is the zoo's original structure. It once housed a variety of large animals and was renovated into an African theme with Lowland Gorillas, Amur Leopard, Jaguar (I know that Amurs and Jags are not African), Lemurs, Sand Cats, and other various birds and small mammals.

Main Zoo Grounds
Includes the Grottos (Polar Bear, Lions, Amur Tiger, Spectacled Bear), Spider Monkey Island, Horse Barn (houses Fruit Bats along with domestics), Reticulated Giraffe, N American River Otter, Pallas Cat, and Tamarin. This area is currently undergoing renovation one exhibit at a time.

Kiboka Outpost
The zoo's African Savanna exhibit opened in 1999. Houses White Rhinoceros, Warthog, Cheetah/Wild Dogs, Zebras, and various small animals. A new outdoor Sand Cat exhibit will be built in this area. This was my favorite part of the zoo at the time of my last visit.

Wild Asia
This area is positioned between a large faux temple and the Main Building and includes: Orangutans, Siamang, Red Panda, Muntjac, and some Asian reptiles.

Children's Adventure
While I have not seen this exhibit, I do have information about it. This is probably one of the better children's zoos in the country and there is a lot to explore: Loorikeet Aviary, Walk thru Wallaby, a Mountain to explore, domestics farm, various play areas, Carousel, "Adventure Center", and underwater viewing of penguins and alligators.

Safariland
This area can only be viewed in the summer and on the zoo's train. This area is rather seperate from the zoo and includes the remainder of the zoo's hoofstock collection: American Bison, Mouflon Sheep, Sika Deer, and Pere David's Deer.

Welcome to the Erie Zoo!

2006 Zoo Map:
http://www.eriezoo.org/assets/pdfs/ZOO_MAP.pdf
 
This has to be the most efficient use of zoo space of any zoo!

By comparison, the Bronx Zoo has 265 sq. acres, and a lot of areas where visitors walk, and walk, and walk, and don't see any wildlife except the "wild" wildlife that occasionally scampers around.

Relatively speaking, the Erie Zoo not only has a higher number of animals, but a higher number of species represented.
 
Zoo Visitor said:
This has to be the most efficient use of zoo space of any zoo!

By comparison, the Bronx Zoo has 265 sq. acres, and a lot of areas where visitors walk, and walk, and walk, and don't see any wildlife except the "wild" wildlife that occasionally scampers around.

Relatively speaking, the Erie Zoo not only has a higher number of animals, but a higher number of species represented.
Click to expand...

Where are these large areas of walking space where you don't happen to see anything? The only portion of the zoo that even mildly fits that criteria is the area between the entrance to Africa and (where World of Darkness was) and that's a three minute walk. It's also important to note that Bronx is the largest inner-city zoo in the country in terms of acreage.


I've been to Erie once in my college days. It's about 15 acres and I never really thought of it to hold a good amount of species but I guess it kind of does. Only place I've ever seen warthogs though!
 
I've heard that Syringa, our female red panda that was born at Zoo Boise last year has now arrived at the Erie Zoo.
 
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