Philadelphia Zoo How would you change Philadelphia Zoo?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ZPA
  • Start date Start date
ZPA

ZPA

Well-Known Member
I was reading the thread "How would you change the San Diego Zoo" and it inspired me to do one for my home zoo.

I would say completely renovate the small mammal house and bring in more species like tamandua or foxes. Maybe demolish bird valley, move those species to a special section in bird lake, and house pinnipeds in the exsisting area? I would also like to someway incorporate elephants and polar bears into the zoo, but it's hard due to the fact that they can't expand outward

I would like to hear your opinions on how you would alter America's first zoo.
 
I posted something similar in the "Changes You Would Make to Your Zoo" thread a while back, and I figured I would revisit those plans and propose something that, while somewhat realistic, also maintains an optimistic (and somewhat collection-heavy) sense of where I ideally would like the Philadelphia Zoo to go.

African Plains:
  • Utilizing the site of the old children's zoo, Wings of Asia, the Septa PZ Express Train, and any surrounding areas would be a complex for African elephants that provides a complex space in a wooded area. Other animals featured in a similar ecosystem to the Miombo would be wildebeest, sable antelopes, impala, red-billed hornbills, genets, painted dogs and cheetahs. The spaces will be rotational (the genets, hornbills and other animals native to the Miombo ecosystem would be housed in an underground facility that also acts as the elephants' night/winter quarters a la Dierenpark Emmen.
  • On the site of the current African Plains yards, a new boardwalk would be constructed closest to the eastern edge of the McNeil Avian Center (the massive greenhouse), and all yards (save for the hippos and rhinos) would be combined into a "mega savanna". The wildebeest, sable antelope and impala mentioned earlier would have access to this mega savanna, giraffes would benefit significantly from the expanded space, and more antelope such as lesser kudu and Thompson's gazelles would have access. The existing holding underground for the gazelles/antelope would be expanded if necessary. Giraffes would be maintained, and receive a heated range/hardstanding for winter.
  • Hippos would receive a new filtration system, an expanded yard/access to the mega savanna at night to graze, and underwater viewing complete with a tunnel akin to Detroit's Arctic Ring of Life. Birds such as ground hornbills, secretary birds and potentially ostrich would be implemented.
  • White rhinos would be phased out in favor of black rhinos, who would take over the existing rhino/zebra exhibits (and the path going through separating the gazelle yard from rhino/zebras, giraffes and hippos) with two yards.
  • In Princess the condor's former cage, lappet-faced vultures and griffon vultures would take residence, and glass viewing/multiple perches would be added.
Bear Country
  • In general, the rockwork would be spruced up and the enclosures made to reflect the animals' respective ecosystems, like the sloth bears' deciduous dry forest (the most successful of the three), the Andean bear's cloud forests, and the polar bear's coastal/arctic beaches. A trail system would be implemented as well, surrounding the complex and being akin to a "halo".
  • In the case of polar bears (should the Zoo stay true to its intent of bringing them back), the pool would be galvanized so as to utilize saltwater rather than freshwater (given its properties for a polar bear's vision), and a "beach" with pebbles and artificial whale bones would be added. The waterfall would be removed in favor of a wave machine, and native plants to Pennsylvania that are also similar to the polar bears' environments in the taiga would be added. A snow machine would be added as well along with misters so as to keep the bears cool and stimulated.
  • Andean bears would be mixed with white-nosed coatis and/or potentially howler monkeys (and the exhibit barriers would allow for this so as the bears would be able to take advantage of their space while guests would still have unobstructed viewing with a moat.
  • The sloth bears' yard would be maintained albeit with slightly more realistic rockwork and a glass viewing area complete with a simulated termite mound.
Big Cat Falls
  • Updating the signage/making the "scavenger hunt" of animal sculptures much more apparent.
  • Adding harp wire in some areas to provide further unobstructed viewing of the big cats.
  • Lions would have a trail that extends all the way to African Plains, even going alongside the proposed boardwalk so to one's right they can view a lion up close and personal and to one's left they can view hoofstock.
  • (Not exhibit related), some commemoration of the spot where Rocky proposed to Adrian in front of the tiger exhibit.
Bird Valley
  • A new filtration system would be added to the stream running down the row of enclosures, and the former penguin exhibit would be connected to the nearby Reptile and Amphibian House, and utilized for either the resident West African crocodile or a new species to the zoo (Indian gharial?!?!) Basically some would become outdoor crocodilian enclosures for rarer species (Cuban crocodiles, West African crocs, etc, potential holding/expansion of the Reptile and Amphibian House to include a greenhouse where the crocs can stay during winter) and others would be home to rarer species of waterfowl/ground dwelling birds.
  • Signage would be implemented highlighting birds and reptiles along with their evolutionary link with dinosaurs.
KidZooU
  • Maintained, although the shade structure/"tower" that the elephants once went through would become a barn owl exhibit, the emphasis of how animals like rats, ants, pigeons, squirrels, etc. are misunderstood would be increased, and rarer species of livestock would be added as well.
McNeil Avian Center
  • Maintained, although the free-flight Tropical Rainforest exhibit would stick to one geographical region, namely the Congo given the turacos' position in the building.
Outback Outpost
  • Maintained/holding would be expanded, Western grey kangaroos and Australian brush turkeys would be added, and unnecessary/inconsistent fencing would be removed. Maybe instead of a "desert" theme, maybe some conifers and/or or some tall grasses could be planted.
PECO Primate Reserve
  • Natural substrate would be added to all indoor enclosures, the gorillas' enclosure would be renovated significantly to provide more complex space/immersion (they did so actually with the Gorilla Treehouse but even then...), and the colobus monkeys in the southern end of the zoo would be mixed in with the gorillas.
  • Computers/tablets built into the walls would be installed so people can compare their cognitive skills to those of great apes/smaller primates.
  • Aye-ayes would be maintained, more prosimians that are nocturnal such as lorises and pottos would be added (colugo maybe?)
Penguin Point
  • Relocated to an underused corner of the zoo (who needs event space anyways? :p), constructed as an aviary, steamer ducks and Inca terns would be maintained.
Rare Animal Conservation Center
  • Rethemed as an Annamite Mountains complex, species list can be tweaked given AZA stipulations but this is a good starter point: (Wildlife Wonders — Wonders of the Annamites)
  • Of course Douc langurs would be brought back, in an exhibit that is akin to Zoo Chleby's methods but is much more natural.
  • Binturongs, clouded leopards, porcupines and Francois langurs (in place of Hatinh langurs) would be brought in along with a plethora of tropical birds, reptiles and amphibians.
  • The general direction of this building would be JungleWorld meets Madagascar, with intimate galleries and hyper-realistic trompe l'oeil dioramas.
Reptile and Amphibian House
  • Modernized, skylights would be implemented wherever necessary, the tortoises along with any crocodilians in the building would receive a new greenhouse, and all species would receive natural substrate and plants.
Small Mammal House
  • Converted into a bat house, with the old kangaroo enclosure converted into a walkthrough aviary for Rodriguez flying foxes, Jamaican fruit bats and (at night), Seba's short-tailed bats. The older nocturnal collection highlighted im @snowleopard's 2010 review would be brought back as well in bigger and more realistic/naturalistic habitats. Naked mole rats would receive a new habitat, and the meerkats/meerkat trail would be moved to near KidZooU, where turkeys curremtly reside.
Water is Life
  • The otter exhibit would be heavily planted with canes, reeds, hardy palms and other plants to better reflect a wetland environment, and signage would be added regarding the Pantanal ecosystem. Willy the fossa's exhibit would receive a facelift in the way of native Malagasy plants/rainforest fare, more carnivores would be added (species suggestions would be greatly appreciated), and as for the red pandas, their enclosures would be filled to the brim with bamboo. The former coati exhibit would become a desert enclosure for an animal like an ocelot or a caracal.
General Zoo
  • All in all, very well kept. Aside from maintaining a clear main route/backbone of the zoo, I think we're in good hands so far.
If anyone's willing to discuss these suggestions I'd be more than happy to do so. If you made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to do so.
 
About Bird Valley, I know that the zoo plans on renovating that area in the future. The plan is to make new primate exhibits there. I don't know how or what they will look like, it is just a proposed plan I heard about a year or two ago.

By the way, I am very impressed by the items listed out on how to improve the zoo. I wish the Philadelphia Zoo was bigger but it is surrounded by train tracks, neighborhoods, highways, and a river.
 
Even Though it would be unlikely i would like to maybe see bird lake filled in an converted into something else
 
  1. Put a wider variety of animals in the Rare Animal Conservation Center.
  2. Expand African area to add many more animals
  3. Add a hoofstock exhibit in the empty space near the entrance
 
TinoPup said:
That would never happen. That lake has been there since opening, it's a really important part of the zoo.

The city would never approve elephants coming back, either. They don't have the room or the money.
Click to expand...
In general, it's less about how much space you have, and more how you use the space. If done in a creative manner (trails, wooded paddocks like Indianapolis' Tembo Camp or Cleveland's Mopani Range and underground holding like Emmen) elephants can be done. Especially with a public/private partnership with fundraising. People want to see elephants back at Philly, especially given their long absence from the zoo.
 
Last edited:
Wyman said:
In general, it's less about how much space you have, and more how you use the space. If done in a creative manner (trails, wooded paddocks like Indianapolis' Tembo Camp or Cleveland's Mopani Range and underground holding like Emmen) elephants can be done. Especially with a public/private partnership with fundraising. People want to see elephants back at Philly, especially given their long absence from the zoo.
Click to expand...
I would like to see them back, however I think it would be very expensive and they might not find it worth it to invest that much to bring them back. I do think they should use the beer garden area to have more animals, but elephants would not be as economical. A better choice might be an extension of the African Plains, possibly bringing back Okapis and Aardvarks, which are missed.
 
Unfortunately, your right. Keeping elephants doesn't need the price tag associated with it. That said through exhibit design, promotion, dealing with unions (applicable), wanting/needing more animals, and certain guidelines that may need to be achieved it can be very extremely expensive.
 
PSO said:
Unfortunately, your right. Keeping elephants doesn't need the price tag associated with it. That said through exhibit design, promotion, dealing with unions (applicable), wanting/needing more animals, and certain guidelines that may need to be achieved it can be very extremely expensive.
Click to expand...
Philly could hold geriatric animals/circus rescues, and also house them with antelope/wildebeest (maybe even cheetahs similar to the Kiwara Kopje mix, basically that but with elephants instead of rhinos). If done creatively (trails, areas for the elephants to exercise and be stimulated, decent immersion), and with stuff like public-private partnership and an amazing marketing campaign, elephants can make a triumphant return with little to no concern.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Andean Bears will likely eat your coatis ala South Lakes ;)

~Thylo
Click to expand...
Zürich, Racine, Chester and Antwerpen beg to differ. :)
(In all seriousness the ideas I have come up with are more spitballs than anything logistically feasible, how would you alter them? Genuinely curious, I'd love to hear feedback as that can help provide new perspective.)
 
Since everyone is wondering about what to do with the Small Mammal House, I just had an idea to move the Naked Mole-Rats, Rodrigues Flying Foxes, Black-and-rufous Elephant Shrews, and White-headed Marmosets out from the Rare Animal Conservation Center. The mole-rats and flying foxes can fill in the nocturnal wing. With the freed up space in the Rare Animal Conservation Center, they can add Ocelots, the Mantled Guerezas from the south end, and maybe some Scarlet Ibises and a Laughing Kookaburra. The habitats definitely need to be more naturalistic, too. I also think it would be better as a general rainforest building, because there are a lot of common animals in it.
 
Fignewton said:
Since everyone is wondering about what to do with the Small Mammal House, I just had an idea to move the Naked Mole-Rats, Rodrigues Flying Foxes, Black-and-rufous Elephant Shrews, and White-headed Marmosets out from the Rare Animal Conservation Center. The mole-rats and flying foxes can fill in the nocturnal wing. With the freed up space in the Rare Animal Conservation Center, they can add Ocelots, the Mantled Guerezas from the south end, and maybe some Scarlet Ibises and a Laughing Kookaburra. The habitats definitely need to be more naturalistic, too. I also think it would be better as a general rainforest building, because there are a lot of common animals in it.
Click to expand...
A general rainforest building could work, though it could be taken a step further with the Annamite Mountain idea I had a while back. Not that many zoos feature the Annamite Mountains, with the only other zoo touching the subject (as far as I know) being Zoo Boise. This could give the opportunity to the zoo to bring Douc langurs back (their perogative) or pull a Houston's Pantanal* and have signage about the langurs. Meanwhile clouded leopards could be brought back, Francois langurs could be maintained (as substitutes for Hatinh langurs), Indian crested porcupines could be brought in, basically a plethora of species from that region. Wildlife Wonders — Wonders of the Annamites

As for the general look of the building, think the renovated Alfred Brehm House at Tierpark Berlin meets Bronx' Madagascar/Congo, with ivy growing on the walls of the building and the southernmost end of the building simulating a canopy with a view into an outdoor enclosure for clouded leopards/binturongs (rotational).

*Houston's Pantanal has signage and interactives about giant armadillos, a species not common in zoos, and AFAIK has no plans to exhibit them anytime soon.
**I just now realized that you were talking about the Small Mammal House and not the Rare Animal Conservation Center. Oops...?
 
Last edited:
Wyman said:
A general rainforest building could work, though it could be taken a step further with the Annamite Mountain idea I had a while back. Not that many zoos feature the Annamite Mountains, with the only other zoo touching the subject (as far as I know) being Zoo Boise. This could give the opportunity to the zoo to bring Douc langurs back (their perogative) or pull a Houston's Pantanal* and have signage about the langurs. Meanwhile clouded leopards could be brought back, Francois langurs could be maintained (as substitutes for Hatinh langurs), Indian crested porcupines could be brought in, basically a plethora of species from that region. Wildlife Wonders — Wonders of the Annamites

As for the general look of the building, think the renovated Alfred Brehm House at Tierpark Berlin meets Bronx' Madagascar/Congo, with ivy growing on the walls of the building and the southernmost end of the building simulating a canopy with a view into an outdoor enclosure for clouded leopards/binturongs (rotational).

*Houston's Pantanal has signage and interactives about giant armadillos, a species not common in zoos, and AFAIK has no plans to exhibit them anytime soon.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a really interesting idea. I would really love to see Red-shanked Doucs back at the Philadelphia Zoo. The most important thing if they were to actually change the Rare Animal Conservation Center would definitely be to improve the habitats though. Those need to change. It would be so much better if the substrate was some type of soil and the walls had artificial rockwork instead those tile floors and blurry green painted walls.
 
Wyman said:
Zürich, Racine, Chester and Antwerpen beg to differ. :)
(In all seriousness the ideas I have come up with are more spitballs than anything logistically feasible, how would you alter them? Genuinely curious, I'd love to hear feedback as that can help provide new perspective.)
Click to expand...
Whether or not a mix will work depends at least as much on the specifics of the enclosure (size, lay out, safe spots for vulnerable species, how the staff manages it, etc.) and personality of the individuals as it does on precedents
 
Zooplantman said:
The outlined area is about 2 acres
The Beer Garden is in fact just south of the Picnic Grove
Click to expand...
What if the entirety of the site that the old Children's Zoo/Beer Garden, Children's Train, Wings of Asia are on was used for elephants? Provided that the barn is the size of Cleveland's (underground as well to provide natural insulation...?) and several old growth trees are maintained to create a "Miombo" or "Mopani" range? Maybe one or two moats or ha-has for unobstructed viewing, the rest of the yards are surrounded with a subtle steel pole (or I-beam) and cable fence akin to Oregon's Elephant Lands or Indy's Tembo Camp, and opportunities for impala or other hoofstock to cohabitate with the elephants (with creeps/passages to a main savanna should said elephants get too testy), and perhaps an opportunity to feed the elephants much like what Woodland Park used to do? And maybe a trail that runs along the "curved spine" of the zoo so the elephants have an opportunity to move around the zoo? All spitballs, still, though I'm genuinely curious as to how to hypothetically make an idea like this work in such a way that balances the needs of the animals, the keepers and the guests.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top