Well thanks to
@pachyderm pro for pushing me to do this
So, after a loong flight to LAX (Los Angeles airport) and a traffic filled drive, I was in San Diego! However, by the time I arrived it was already 5:00 pm so I just lingered at my hotel and began to feel the anticipation of the forthcoming day. Day 2(full day 1) was the day I would be visiting the San Diego Zoo. So, I’ll be doing this review in two parts. Part one (the one I’m doing now) is focused on the right-hand side of the zoo, while part two will be focused on the left side of the zoo. Anyway, let’s jump right into this review!
Zoo #1 San Diego Zoo Part 1 Visit time: 11 hours
The only way I could start this review is by saying that San Diego is the best zoo I have ever been to. While I have been to some very good ones (Bronx, Taronga and Omaha) nothing compares to the sheer brilliance of the San Diego Zoo. The animal collection is staggeringly huge, and I must have seen at least 100 species that were completely new to me. San Diego has a collection for everyone. Like Birds? There were so many bird species I didn’t bother trying to remember them all. Like Reptiles? San Diego has a huge Reptile House and a sizeable outdoor portion. Like Primates? Well you’ll be satisfied for at least a day. I could go on, but I think you get the point. On top of their amazing collection, San Diego has mostly good to great housing for their animals. Basically, the entire left side is superb and with the addition of Africa Rocks, the right side is slowly getting better with exhibit quality. That’s not to say that the zoo doesn’t have its fair share of bad exhibits. Quite a few of those bad exhibits will be covered in this section of the zoo. Well I’ve dilly-dallied quite enough, so now the review starts!
As I drove to the zoo from my hotel 30 minutes away, I felt a level of excitement that I had never had for a zoo before. After I parked in the zoos spacious lot, I rushed into the zoo at around 9:05 am. When I got in, I could’ve admired the beautiful entrance or the amazing variety of plant species, but I didn’t come to California to see plants! I came for the animals. That said, San Diego really does have several types of amazing plants.
After arriving, I made the split-second decision to start with the Outback exhibit. This area is quite good but is overshadowed by some of the larger exhibit complexes. The aviaries and the Koala exhibits were very nice, but the aviaries suffered from terrible viewing (to the point where I could barely see the birds) and the Koala exhibit suffered from Koalas rarely moving (although I went back later in the day and one was active). The wombat enclosure is tiny and a bit of an eyesore but luckily the Tasmanian Devil exhibit more than makes up for it. It’s large with ample hiding spots and very nice viewing. Of course, it’s always nice to see the Devils even if I’ve seen them quite a few times in Australia.
After an enjoyable foray into the Outback, I emerged from the brush and progressed to the Urban Jungle. Before I start talking about the exhibits, I must say FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC AREA! The animals in this area are so different that it’s an annoyance at times. For example, Kangaroos across from Indian Rhinos! The exhibits themselves are all barren and small but aren’t too bad and seeing a baby Giraffe was a highlight. The only truly terrible exhibits were a few puny cages most notably containing Binturongs and a Tamandua(!).
Exiting the mess that is the Urban Jungle I made my way to the newest and most anticipated exhibit at the zoo. This is of course Africa Rocks, the 69-million-dollar exhibit that opened 2 weeks before my visit. All in all, I was really impressed with the exhibit and hope that the Zoo continues this path of stellar exhibitory. Since many zoochatters want to hear more about this exciting new exhibit, each separate area will get its own paragraph.
The first of said areas I visited is the Kopje, which is significantly older than the rest of the complex(1980’s?). Its age does not detract from the exhibit but instead makes this brilliant set of habitats even more amazing. There are top-quality side exhibits for Bateleur Eagles, Servals and Meerkats but they are mere appetizers compared to the fantastic central habitat. This habitat, containing Rock Hyrax, Dwarf Mongoose and Klipspringer is stunning and rocketed up to my favourite zoo exhibit of all time (and I’ve seen Bronx’s Gorilla Forest and Detroit’s Arctic Ring of Life). The exhibit is spacious, enriching and provides a magnificent view of the animals. My favourite animal to see was the Rock Hyrax as at least 4 of them lounged in rocks 20 feet above my head. The only complaint I had is that the species are quite common but I’m nit-picking at an extraordinary set of exhibits.
Feeling refreshed after my visit to the Kopje, I made my way to the newest addition of the Rocks of Africa, Ethiopian Highlands. This exhibit was around 2 weeks old on my visit and is another worthy area in this part of the zoo. The stars of this section are the Hamadryas Baboons and their exhibit is hilly, spacious and from what I could see had no hotwire. The viewing opportunities are fabulous, with unobstructed viewing and huge viewing windows for up-close viewing. What makes this exhibit great however, is the amazing interactions between the 20 or so Baboons of varying ages. The other exhibit in this area is a Gelada Baboon habitat which is like the Hamadryas exhibit but a tad smaller. A great series of habitats for a pair of species that are rare in zoos.
Continuing the winding path, I came to the next exhibit, the Acacia Woodlands While this exhibit is not as great as the first two, it’s still very good and an enjoyable experience. The first enclosure in this area is for Vervet Monkeys and it’s adequate but as basic as it gets. The adjacent Leopard exhibit is much better, with lots of space for hiding, natural elements and a tall tree for climbing. The only thing stopping it from being a great exhibit is its slightly small size, but it’s a million times better than the “pits” or “grottos that Leopards are usually found in. The final exhibit in this area is the aviary which I wasn’t to excited for, as I heard that it didn’t have many birds! Even though it’s light on birds, I loved it and thought it was the best part of the area. It’s hard to explain why but the viewing was great, and all the animals were out and about.
Coming up next was Madagascar, an area I was excited for. The reason for my excitement was that there were 5 species of lemurs (Ring-Tailed, Coquerel’s Sifaka, Blue-Eyed Black, Red-Ruffed and Red-Collared) in a rotation style exhibit. What that meant was that only 2 lemur species would be out in their large above-average habitats. Unfortunately, I ended up seeing the 2 species I didn’t want to see (Ring-Tailed and Red Collared) but the exhibits were still nice although I wish the mesh was less obtrusive. Also, in this area are 2 identical exhibits for Ratels and Fossa. Both exhibits had great vertical height but are ultimately average in quality. The real treat was seeing the rare Ratels and a group of Fossa pups(?) climbing up a tree.
Second last and certainly least was the West African Forest. There’s nothing wrong with this area, it’s just too small to be considered good. The solitary exhibit (for Dwarf Crocodiles and various turtles) is nice, but of average quality. Underwater viewing is used, but on my visit the glare was harsh, and the small crocodiles were hard to see. Near this exhibit is Rady Falls a large waterfall that looked particularly impressive at night. While the rock in the waterfall is poorly constructed, the ability to walk behind it is a nice touch.
The final exhibit on my odyssey (no elephants yet
) through Africa Rocks was Cape Fybnos, widely considered to be the crown jewel of the complex. While I wouldn’t give it that honour (Kopje takes that award) the African Penguin and Leopard Shark exhibit is amazing and the 2nd best penguin exhibit I’ve seen (Detroit’s Antarctic penguin house is better). I adore the mixed species concept and many visitors were amazed to see the small penguins swimming next to the large but docile sharks. The viewing ranges from good (above water viewing) to spectacular (cavernous building turned into enormous, crystal-clear underwater viewing area) and the habitat is perfect for the penguins and sharks. This is also great for the zoo as Penguins are some of the most popular zoo animals and every zoo store has tons of penguin merchandise.
So, I’ve decided to copy
@pachyderm pro and post a ranking of the 6 habitats.
1. Kopje
2. Ethiopian Highlands
3. Cape Fybnos
4. Acacia Woodlands
5. Madagascar
6. West African Forest
After spending an hour and a half in Africa Rocks, I finally left to see another area. This area was Panda Trek and it is just up ahead from Africa Rocks. I can’t say I was particularly excited for this area, as its most popular species can be seen anytime I want at my local zoo (although that’s changing soon). The first exhibits I came to, were 4 almost identical exhibits for 2 species of large Asian cats. These exhibits were for Amur Leopards and Snow Leopards and each species got 2 enclosures connected with an overhead walkway. I love overhead walkways as it gives visitors a new way of seeing the animal and on my 3 visits to this section, an animal was in the walkway every time. The exhibits themselves are slightly above average as there is plenty of space to get away from the public.
Slightly to the right is the main section of Panda Trek and it contains possibly the most famous zoo animal of all time. Near the front of the area there is an average Red Panda exhibit, a huge Mountain Viper enclosure and a small Takin yard but these exhibits are irrelevant compared to the famous Giant Pandas. I’m not a huge fan of the “blob bears” as some call them but I can acknowledge that they are extremely popular and among the cuter animals on the earth. I was shocked at how small the exhibit was, but it was lushly planted and adequate for the 2 bears on display (in separate but similar enclosures) Oh and kudos to the zoo for telling people to be quiet!
Continuing on my way, the next area I saw was the Asian Passage. This area is split up into two sections, the 1st being decent and the 2nd being atrocious. The much better section was Sun Bear Forest and the best part of this area was the path! It’s lush, winding and really makes you feel like you’re in an Asian rainforest. There is a beautiful exhibit for a gibbon species (forgot which one) a decent aviary and an ugly but functional Lion-Tailed Macaque ‘greenhouse” that rounds out the supporting cast of this area. The centerpiece exhibit for Sun Bears is essentially a grotto but is an acceptable size, has lots of water and loads of enrichment for the bears. There is nothing earth-shattering in this area, but I was pleased with the exhibits and feel of this section
What I was not pleased with was an assortment of “grottos” just ahead of the Sun Bear exhibit. These exhibits contained Snow Leopards, Otters and an assortment of bears. All the exhibits were terrible, and I hope that the animals either leave the zoo or get an immediate renovation (sadly neither will happen). What’s worse however, is 4 monkey cages in between a group of grottos. The best part about these things were the fact that 2 were closed for renovations and a 3rd held Aye-Aye which I don’t think at the zoo (if they are then I’m tearing my hair out in anger). That one populated cage, for Angolan Colobus Monkeys is so puny and awful that I hope they are moved to other zoos (or the other 9 Colobus exhibits at the zoo
). These exhibits are a huge eyesore to the wonderful San Diego Zoo and I would rather them block off the area then still show animals in such an outdated manner.
Looping all the way around Africa Rocks, I was on my way to one of the most controversial exhibits in Zoochat history, Elephant Odyssey. In short, I don’t think that it’s as bad as some people say it is, but at the same time I don’t think it’s worth the 43 million dollars it cost to build. The only way to cover this exhibit is through a pros and cons list, as there are many good elements of the area but at the same time many poor elements
Pros: The California Condor exhibit is fantastic and it’s amazing to see such a rare animal; the signage is interesting and informative; the Jaguar exhibit was undergoing maintenance but appeared to be above average; a Madagascar plant garden was interesting; a Sloth/Duiker habitat had little barriers and was average; the zoo chose a fascinating idea and stuck to it; the native Reptile/Amphibian exhibits were brilliant and some of the best displays of small local wildlife I’ve ever seen; a small kids theater and adjoining bug exhibits were interesting if you’re into those things (I’m not a bug guy or a small kid but if I were I’d probably be impressed) and finally, the Elephant exhibit is large and has a big pool.
Cons: The exhibit for domestic Donkeys is a waste of space and should be in the kids zoo; the Camel/Pronghorn exhibit is small and far too barren to be considered good; the Secretary bird exhibit, while not terrible is too small for its inhabitants; the Elephant Care Center is an ugly mound of steel and is a sharp contrast from San Diego usually discrete buildings; you can see buses in the background of many habitats; the Capybara/Tapir/Guanaco exhibit has a large pool, but is ugly and devoid of plant life (most of this area lacks San Diego’s usual bountiful amount of plants); the Elephant exhibit, while large and with a deep pool, is barren and has ugly utilitrees in the habitat and finally, the Lion exhibit is puny compared to what the “king of the jungle” usually gets (although there is a very funny “Lion spray” sign)
Overall, I’d rate this exhibit as average but as it cost so much money and is from such an amazing zoo, I would consider it a minor disappointment. Elephant Odyssey occupies (alliteration) a substantial portion of the zoo map and while the space is there for most of the animals, I think it lacks the finesse that is required for an excellent exhibit. I’d like to take a minute to elaborate on the Condor exhibit as it is my favourite single bird exhibit ever. The ground space is larger than most hoofstock enclosures and there are many huge boulders for the Condors to take off and land from. Seeing a Condor in flight took my breath away and learning about how close these birds came to extinction made me appreciate zoos a bit more for saving them.
The final exhibit in this part of the review was Northern Frontier, but before I came to that I saw many enclosures dotted around this area. The first couple were for carnivores and they were a slightly above average Cougar exhibit and a Maned Wolf exhibit that was under construction (it appeared to be average though). After passing through an average Giant Anteater/ Mara exhibit (almost underneath the skyfari) I was presented with a swathe of hoofstock yards. These were all slightly below average to average in quality and contained among others Chaocan Peccaries, Gerenuk and Grevy’s Zebra. The highlight of this area was the almost off-show small aviaries, which are simple in design but effective and contain nice species (usually a small bird with a large pheasant).
Now I was off to the Northern Frontier, notable for having Polar Bears in a not so icy area of the world. Even though the climate is not ideal for Polar Bears, the exhibit is still good with a large area, natural substrate and a large pool for swimming. The underwater viewing is good and the whole thing is set in a northern forest area. Also, in this area is a decent Arctic Fox enclosure, a sub-par Raccoon exhibit (not very exciting as I see one once a week in the wild) and a weird Reindeer yard. Thinking this area was done, I stumbled upon the Marsh Aviary and ended up loving. The exhibit (a walk-through one) isn’t very large, but it is naturalistic, and I must have spent 30 minutes watching the birds dive in the small underwater viewing area. This area is quite good and its interesting to see that a more southern zoo has a much better Polar Bear exhibit than many Northern ones (although my local one is better than San Diego)
So that is the end of part 1 and I leave off about to take the skyfari to the other half of the zoo. What I find interesting is the fact that if you cut the zoo in half and moved the east side to a different city it would make a good medium sized zoo! It would take around 4-5 hours to tour and would definitely have enough ABC’s (Polar Bears, Elephants, Giraffes, Rhinos, Pandas, Koalas etc.) to satisfy the masses and enough rare animals to satisfy the zoo enthusiasts (Tasmanian Devils, California Condor, Hamadryas Baboons, Sun Bears, etc.) to make a pretty darn good zoo! Anyway, the second part the brilliant rainforest area and many other sections of the left-hand side of the zoo.
To Be Continued……….
.
