The article stretches over 4 pages on the link, but it contains some really interesting points. It discusses the quest for naturalism in zoos ever since the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle opened the first ever naturalistic gorilla exhibit in 1979; the fact that the Kansas City Zoo opened arguably one of the best and biggest exhibits in the world (95-acre "Africa") and yet saw its attendance struggle to remain high; and how some people think that zoos need more rides to attract crowds. I don't agree with all of the points, but it is more of a reflection on zoos rather than an opinion piece.
The identity crisis of the modern zoo - The Boston Globe
Also, it mentions what an amazingly successful exhibit "Russia's Grizzly Coast" has been for the Minnesota Zoo. That 2008 set of habitats for brown bears, sea otters wild boars and Amur leopards has helped the zoo break their all-time attendance record, and the naturalistic exhibits are perfect for the animals and also keeps them in sight for the human visitors. I visited the zoo shortly after the new habitats opened, and it is one of the best set of exhibits that I've ever seen. Totally naturalistic, which I adore, and yet all of the animals are easy to spot and they are enticed to get close to the large viewing windows.
The identity crisis of the modern zoo - The Boston Globe
Also, it mentions what an amazingly successful exhibit "Russia's Grizzly Coast" has been for the Minnesota Zoo. That 2008 set of habitats for brown bears, sea otters wild boars and Amur leopards has helped the zoo break their all-time attendance record, and the naturalistic exhibits are perfect for the animals and also keeps them in sight for the human visitors. I visited the zoo shortly after the new habitats opened, and it is one of the best set of exhibits that I've ever seen. Totally naturalistic, which I adore, and yet all of the animals are easy to spot and they are enticed to get close to the large viewing windows.