Favorite animals to see in zoo's

BushViper

BushViper

Member
The idea of this thread is quite simple, what is the animal that you just love to see when you go to the zoo?
The Toronto zoo being my home zoo, my favorite animals to see are always the Sumatran orangutans and the ring tailed lemurs. i also love to see the often overlooked animals, being reptiles and amphibians.
 
Elephants are the standout for me, mainly because I've been obsessed with them since day dot. I've so far only seen them at two zoos, Whipsnade and Berlin, and the combination of size and the fact they are always doing something makes them the biggest draw.

On top of them specific ungulates such as bongo and okapi are always nice to see, as are common hippos. Reptile houses and aquariums are also a favourite of mine, because there's never two the same and usually at least one rarity. Crocodiles are a big win too, especially if you catch them doing something interesting.
 
Very specifically:

- Bison
- Lions
- Snow Leopards
- Condors
- Tortoises (any species will do)
- Emus
- Red Wolves
- Rhinoceroses (any species will do)
- Wild Equids (any species will do…although Horses and Asses are preferred over Zebras or Domesticated Equids)
- Elephants (any species will do)
- Bears (any species will do except Sun Bears…no idea why)
- Multiple species of cervids and bovids
- And for an even baker’s dozen: Tigers (although I’ll except Leopards, Jaguars, or Cougars in a pinch).

Non-specifically:
Everything! Except Pygmy Goats and Chimpanzees…(and Sun Bears…no idea why).
 
Pleistohorse said:
Very specifically:

- Bison
- Lions
- Snow Leopards
- Condors
- Tortoises (any species will do)
- Emus
- Red Wolves
- Rhinoceroses (any species will do)
- Wild Equids (any species will do…although Horses and Asses are preferred over Zebras or Domesticated Equids)
- Elephants (any species will do)
- Bears (any species will do except Sun Bears…no idea why)
- Multiple species of cervids and bovids
- And for an even baker’s dozen: Tigers (although I’ll except Leopards, Jaguars, or Cougars in a pinch).

Non-specifically:
Everything! Except Pygmy Goats and Chimpanzees…(and Sun Bears…no idea why).
Click to expand...
What's wrong with pygmy goats? ;)
 
  • giant anteater
  • otters (any species)
  • red river hog
  • rhino
  • black mamba
  • superb starling
  • taveta golden weaver
  • endangered species local to me (Houston, Texas, USA) like the Houston Toad and Barton Springs Salamander

“Birds” is so broad, but bird habitats definitely tend to be one of my favorites, especially a good walk through aviary.
 
Any species that I haven't seen before is usually the highlight of a zoo visit, for me.

Beyond that, animals that I never tire of seeing include elephants, hippos, bears and crocodiles. I have seen all of those animals on countless occasions in the past, but they always captivate and inspire me.

To be even more specific, my favourite individual animals to see are the three Scarlet-chested Sunbirds in the Blackburn Pavilion at London Zoo. Their striking colours, the speed with which they fly, evading the foliage and pillars in the walkthrough, and their courage in approaching much larger birds all make for an animal that you can spend hours watching and still be left in awe by.
 
cerperal said:
Elephants are the standout for me, mainly because I've been obsessed with them since day dot. I've so far only seen them at two zoos, Whipsnade and Berlin, and the combination of size and the fact they are always doing something makes them the biggest draw.

On top of them specific ungulates such as bongo and okapi are always nice to see, as are common hippos. Reptile houses and aquariums are also a favourite of mine, because there's never two the same and usually at least one rarity. Crocodiles are a big win too, especially if you catch them doing something interesting.
Click to expand...
i love seeing elephants too, once i was lucky enough to see elephants swimming at african lion safari.
 
If we're talking in terms of visits to my local zoo, I'd say my highlights are the meerkats, lemurs, lions, and elephants. They're always so active and beautiful, and being a photographer, they make great photos.
If we're talking in general, I would have to go with large mammals (rhinos, giraffes, elephants etc), and any Australian-native species. I've always loved Australian wildlife, so being able to see them up close is always a bonus. Sadly there doesn't appear to be too many held in the UK though.
 
Big cats of any kind
Canids, especially wolves, painted dogs, and although I've only seen them at one zoo, dholes.
Ungulates, mainly antelope
Reptiles, especially snakes
Gorillas
Bears
Wading birds
Lemurs
 
  • Penguins are absolutely at the #1 spot for me. Bonus if they’re Antarctic/sub-Antarctic and contain a rarer species, like macaroni or chinstrap, but I always enjoy the warmer banded species, too.
  • Alcids are also very pleasant animals to witness: Particularly if it’s a mixed species habitat. I admire how much diversity you can do in terms of species with an alcid habitat, from puffins to auks to guillemots.
  • I get such a charm from habitats focusing on native animals from the region that the zoo is in, especially when it’s done extremely well.
  • Small wild ungulates are a huge charm for me as well: I love seeing exhibits with small gazelle species, like soemmerring’s, addras or even kudus (despite them not being super small). It’s also really appealing if there are cranes or other birds in there as well.
  • Elephant exhibits are usually some that I can’t pass up as well, especially if it’s Asian elephants - my favorite of the species.
 
  • Wild cats in general, especially big cats. Of those, though not necessarily my absolute favorites, leopards and jaguars are probably the ones I get the most excited about as I’ve generally seen them less than the others.
  • Bears, especially the more obscure ones like sloth bears, Andean bears, sun bears, etc.
  • Lemurs, especially species less common in captivity like coquerel’s sifakas, blue-eyed black lemurs, and aye-ayes.
  • Elephants, I’m gonna say Asian slightly more than African because I’ve generally seen those less in my life.
  • Hippos, both common and pygmy.
 
Lately, I've been big into primates, and I always enjoy seeing a variety of primate species at any zoo. Beyond Primates, there are a number of animals I never get bored of seeing, including:
- Turacos
- African Starlings
- Babirusas (and to a lesser extent other suids)
- Tree Kangaroos
- Bears (especially sloth and polar bears)
- Most Ungulates (especially a lot of the Asian species)
 
I like going into the Aviaries at my local zoo, I don't have a specific Bird to see there they all impress me. Besides the aviaries, I have been into the tortoises. They are always very active and fun to watch hobble around.
 
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