How do sister zoos play off each other?

[tigris115]

I'm curious as to how various "sister zoos" play off each other.

Generally, I find the best ones are those that give you reasons to visit each one. Like with SDZ and SDZSP, you have one with lots of primate and bird species and one with hella hoofstock. They feel quite different even if they share quite a few of the basic species.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

This thread discussed the topic a little bit: A Tale of Two Cities: Overlap Species in Nearby Zoos

 

[tigris115]

Ok so I define sister zoo as both nearby zoos and zoos run by the same group.

As well, species are only one part of it. I'd also like to know how different zoos create a unique general experience to distinguish themselves

 

[15399]

I'm curious as to how various "sister zoos" play off each other.

Generally, I find the best ones are those that give you reasons to visit each one. Like with SDZ and SDZSP, you have one with lots of primate and bird species and one with hella hoofstock. They feel quite different even if they share quite a few of the basic species.

One interesting example of "sister zoos" is the two Zoo New England facilities. Despite Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo being run by the same organization, and sharing a director, there is very little overlap between the two collections. I can only think of a handful of species kept at both (Barrow's Goldeneye, Linne's Two-toed Sloth, Cottontop Tamarin, and Scarlet Ibis), and most of their collections and overall exhibitry/feel are very distinct from each other. It helps that the two zoos are geographically distinct- Stone Zoo has almost all of the Asian and North American species, while Franklin Park Zoo has almost all the African and Australian species. There are some exceptions to this, however, as Stone Zoo has colobus monkeys, laughing kookaburra, and rock hyrax, while Franklin Park Zoo has both hooded and white-naped cranes, red pandas, reeve's muntjac, black-tailed prairie dogs, and a number of waterfowl species from Asia/North America.

 

[Kalaw]

In Paris, both Parc Zoologique de Paris (Zoo Vincennes) and the Menagerie Jardins des Plantes are under common ownership (the same ownership as several of the city's natural history museums). Vincennes focuses on European, African and South American animals, while Menagerie JdP focuses on Asian, North American and Oceanian animals; as such, there is just about no overlap in the species list.

Their atmospheres and aims are also very different. Menagerie JdP is the second oldest zoo in the world, and as such is teeming with history and old buildings - maintaining them, and allowing its visitors to essentially travel back in time and immerse themselves in history. Vincennes is also quite old, but was closed and reopened fairly recently - as such, barring the iconic Great Rock structure, most exhibits and buildings are extremely new, with mock rock and a large greenhouse marking a very clear difference between the two in aesthetic. Visiting one feels relatively incomplete, but visiting both is very interesting to see how exhibit design has evolved, and it presents you with a fairly comprehensive collection of species.

 

[tigris115]

I've been to the Paris zoos. They were both a great experience

 

[Jambi]

Blackpool Zoo refers to the Lakes Aquarium as its "Sister" attraction and often promotes them on their own social media. While both places are very, very different with little in common, they're both owned by Spanish company Parques Reunidos, which owns a few other collections (mostly aquariums) across Europe.

 

[Penshet]

In Paris, both Parc Zoologique de Paris (Zoo Vincennes) and the Menagerie Jardins des Plantes are under common ownership (the same ownership as several of the city's natural history museums). Vincennes focuses on European, African and South American animals, while Menagerie JdP focuses on Asian, North American and Oceanian animals; as such, there is just about no overlap in the species list.

Their atmospheres and aims are also very different. Menagerie JdP is the second oldest zoo in the world, and as such is teeming with history and old buildings - maintaining them, and allowing its visitors to essentially travel back in time and immerse themselves in history. Vincennes is also quite old, but was closed and reopened fairly recently - as such, barring the iconic Great Rock structure, most exhibits and buildings are extremely new, with mock rock and a large greenhouse marking a very clear difference between the two in aesthetic. Visiting one feels relatively incomplete, but visiting both is very interesting to see how exhibit design has evolved, and it presents you with a fairly comprehensive collection of species.

The third zoo, Haute-Touche is also completely different! It focuses on hoofstock and is probably the best hoofstock collection on the continent. They're all housed in simple enclosures (large meadows or forests with a simple fence) but in my opinion that's part of the charm.