Oregon Zoo Future Plans Speculation

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okapikpr

Well-Known Member
Snowleopard posted an article describing the zoo's next plan for development. The question is how these plans will be created in the zoo. The big three plans are the primates, polar bear, and Asian elephants. The zoo has a large highway to the south and east of the zoo, there is a park road to the west, and parkland to the north. So if the zoo were to expand (if needed) it would obviously be to the north.

Primates
Obviously the zoo's primate collection is focused in one large bulding at the center of the zoo that is surrounded by other development. Thus no expansion horizontally for them. But all out-dated zoo exhibits dont have the need vertical space...so the primates will probably benifit from an increase of this. The zoo's plan for the primate house is renovate it into a tropical house with non-primate species to complement the primates.

Another note, the tree kangaroos are rather out of place in the far south of the zoo, a small walk between the african savannah and africa rain forest. Maybe the zoo could make a switch-a-roo with african primate species in the primate house and the tree roos making the zoo a little more zoogeographically complete.

Asian Elephants
The Elephant exhibit is located at the eastern edge of the zoo. It is blocked in by train tracks to its north, east, and south; and an open green space used for events to the west. Obviously if this area is to expand the train track will have to go...or be intregrated - one long underground tunnel or a series of ramps for elephant/train to traverse the area. If the train is to stay, how also could the zoo re-route its tracks - maybe increased in length and rerouted around the future elephant area. The train also needs a second station in this far corner of the zoo.

Polar Bear
The western central area of the zoo is named "Pacific Shores" and consists of Steller Cove, Asian Cats, Lorikeet Landing, Penguin Building, and Bear complex. It would make sense to keep the polar bears in this area of the zoo. I believe that there are two options for a new exhibit location:

1. Current Location across from the primate building. Not much space here, but infrastructure and holding areas are already present, and would just require to move or phase out the sun bears.
2. The old zoo entrance was located at the western edge of the Pacific Shores area and from the zoo map appears not utilized (except for a ride simulator). This would be a good area for the bears. There is more space and is more connected with the other pacific exhibits (the old bear space could be used for pacific tropical exhibits, being that it is across from the primate house). There are also buildings in place to possibly be renovated for viewing/holding areas and there is plenty of infrastructure in place for expanded water systems. If need the lorikeet aviary can be relocated. Also the bear and cat exhibits can be incorporated together for a siberia tundra theme.

Anyone else have ideas?
 
Are there any buildings that can be buried underground ?
examples could be classrooms , nocturnal houses etc .
Does the elephant museum HAVE to be taking up room on the surface ?

A multilevel administration/services block could eliminate any surplus buildings
but the zoo map doesnt show much of these .

It will be good if the train could do a better tour of the zoo , rather than a couple of reversing loops and then returning the same way .
 
Wow, those ideas might triple or quadrulpe the cost of the new plan. The San Diego Zoo was (or might still be) pursuing an underground parking garage to add about 25 additional acres for exhibits). But the whole plan costs over $150 million, i think. But in a space crunch, I can understand the need. I know the Shedd Aquarium has already begun doing this.
 
@okapikpr: you don't actually mention which zoo you are talking about in the opening thread...

Interesting discussion on the Oregon Zoo, which announced this week their $117 million set of proposals to be voted on in November. The asian elephant expansion will almost certainly be to the west, and I imagine that the elephant museum might actually remain on site. I believe that it was the first (and perhaps only?) building of its kind in North America.

The polar bear renovations aren't as promising as they sound, as it seems as if there will only be a minor expansion with the rest of the money put towards increasing enrichment items and adding pools. The "Asian Cats" section consists of a heavily foliaged but very tiny leopard exhibit, and a somewhat typical tiger pit. Both of these are entirely expendable in my opinion...if the zoo decides to increase the polar bear exhibit in that direction.

The old chimpanzees are in a diabolical cage, and they are definitely pencilled in as the first beneficiaries of any new exhibits, which is 2010 according to the zoo's own website. Going vertical might be the only option, but combining the smaller monkey enclosures to create one huge exhibit could well be the best approach. Chimps are a dime a dozen in laboratories and wildlife parks, and the Oregon Zoo could possibly bring in a number of younger animals to replace or join their aging 4 or 5 apes.
 
Snowleopard this thread is located in the Oregon zoo sub-forum, sorry I didnt feel the need to further categorize the thread. It will be very exciting to see what they do with their future plans.
 
@okapikpr: A-ha! I have always just gone to the "Quick Links" and "Today's Posts" section to see all of the new messages and threads. I see now that if I go to "Home" and scroll down then there are sub-headings...I suppose it all depends on how one goes about viewing the messages. I like the thread though, and always contribute to discussions on the Oregon Zoo as I'm so close to it geographically. (Still a 5 hour drive away though)
 
I know that one of the options for expanding elephants involves incorporating the space where Elk Meadow is currently located. If you are familiar with the zoo layout you can go to Mapquest ( or Google Earth probably ) and using the aerial view find the elephant yards in the southeast area of the zoo , and look northwest a little to where the large almost rectangular open area for Elk Meadow is currently located.
 
Good point about Elk Meadow. Since there have been two wolves that have died in the past year, there is only the single old wolf in the newly renovated exhibit. Behind that enclosure is a large elk meadow, but I think that there are only 3 old elks in it and they aren't easy to view as they tend to congregate near their barn. In my opinion the viewing deck is gorgeous, but the two exhibits are a waste of space and could easily be utilized for the elephants. Just change the name to "Pachyderm Outpost" or something like that!
 
How large is the Elk Meadow? It would be a shame to loose Roosevelt's Elk and Grey Wolf, both prominent species in the Northwest, from the zoo's collection. Is there other space near the Oregon exhibits where these species could be moved to?
 
Oregon Zoo Elk Meadow Exhibit

Elk Meadow is 1.9 acres, but it could possibly be shifted north if so desired. The zoo must be waiting for the lone wolf to die of old age (which should be soon) but the meadow could be connected to the asian elephant exhibit if there is a decision to greatly enhance the space for the herd of 6 elephants. It's all hypothetical guesswork at the moment, and after November the Oregon Zoo will hopefully have about $120 million to play around with. Then they'll have to come up with some answers...

The "Great Northwest" is definitely the zoo's premier set of exhibits, and all of it is still fairly new. It would be wonderful if a few younger elk were established in a new meadow in this general area, as a good chunk of the zoo's land is taken up by North American animals in this section.
 
There aren't that many details forthcoming from the zoo's new master plan on the link, but the notion of having 6 acres for elephants on-site and possibly 200 acres for elephants off-site will vastly improve the space and living conditions of the current herd.

In other news the zoo has a new male Amur leopard (for non-breeding purposes) and an orphaned black bear cub (the zoo's 4th black bear).
 
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The zoo's solitary bull elk was euthanized last week, and the zoo released a statement that Elk Meadow (complete with a poor wolf enclosure) would be considered for a future exhibit space. I'm curious as to what the zoo plans to spend its $120 million in bond money on, and also where they plan on building the 6-acre Asian elephant exhibit. I know that there has been mention of a renovated space for the polar bears as the current exhibit is 25 years old and a concrete bowl, but that species of bear is difficult to come by these days and the two current polar bears are around 25 years in age. Still, Oregon must be one of the few major American zoos with such a solid financial footing, and to top it off every year there are over 1.6 million visitors.
 
It is interesting to see how the predictions in this thread from 2008 have been realized as of 2023.

The primate house turned out to be an ape house with just chimps, orangs, and gibbons - greatly reduced diversity from the original primate house that it replaced.

The elephant exhibit did indeed end up swallowing up the former elk and wolf exhibits, as well as the elephant museum building footprints.

The old polar bear complex was completely bulldozed, as was the adjacent sun bear grotto, and replaced with a completely new exhibit.
 
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