San Diego Zoo How would you improve SDZ?

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Otter Lord

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
So there are many of us who agree that though the San Diego Zoo has an amazing collection its has faults with with its exhibiting of animals. There are many areas that are outdated and Regardless many of us think it is one of the best zoos out there, but I want to see if we can get a debate started on how we can improve it or what sort of new areas you would form with what kind of themes. Basically, what would you do to improve the San Diego Zoo to replace some of the old exhibits? Also would you make it more geographical by switching some the animals? Pretty much, you're in charge of the zoo's master plan and what would you do?

As for rules in this debate try to keep things realistic (ex: demolishing EO) but you can list ways to improve those exhibits. (ex: plant trees in the Lion exhibit)

So, reasonably, here are the older areas that you can alter the most (i use old names because they are more descriptive honestly):
Children's Zoo
Reptile Mesa(parts of it)
Elephant Mesa(it has no elephants so Urban Jungle is more applicable I guess)
Australian exhibits and Bactrian Camel
Bear Canyon (minus Sun Bear Forest)
Dog and Cat Canyon
Birds of Prey
Left over Mesa Exhibits
Any old off exhibit area (goat turn around)

Also keep in mind that there is a new Galapagos Tortoise area and possibly Urban Jungle become an African Savanna and new Australia area in some of the plans. So those areas aren't the most alterable as far as theme but you can recommend that they do certain things pertaining to that theme.

So I hope this starts some good debate on the potential future of the San Diego Zoo. I sort of have an entire mental plan of my own San Diego Zoo so I want to see what others have to say first before I start a page long post.
 
Otter Lord said:
So there are many of us who agree that though the San Diego Zoo has an amazing collection its has faults with with its exhibiting of animals. There are many areas that are outdated and Regardless many of us think it is one of the best zoos out there, but I want to see if we can get a debate started on how we can improve it or what sort of new areas you would form with what kind of themes. Basically, what would you do to improve the San Diego Zoo to replace some of the old exhibits? Also would you make it more geographical by switching some the animals? Pretty much, you're in charge of the zoo's master plan and what would you do?

As for rules in this debate try to keep things realistic (ex: demolishing EO) but you can list ways to improve those exhibits. (ex: plant trees in the Lion exhibit)

So, reasonably, here are the older areas that you can alter the most (i use old names because they are more descriptive honestly):
Children's Zoo
Reptile Mesa(parts of it)
Elephant Mesa(it has no elephants so Urban Jungle is more applicable I guess)
Australian exhibits and Bactrian Camel
Bear Canyon (minus Sun Bear Forest)
Dog and Cat Canyon
Birds of Prey
Left over Mesa Exhibits
Any old off exhibit area (goat turn around)

Also keep in mind that there is a new Galapagos Tortoise area and possibly Urban Jungle become an African Savanna and new Australia area in some of the plans. So those areas aren't the most alterable as far as theme but you can recommend that they do certain things pertaining to that theme.

So I hope this starts some good debate on the potential future of the San Diego Zoo. I sort of have an entire mental plan of my own San Diego Zoo so I want to see what others have to say first before I start a page long post.
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Well, this breaks your rules, but I'd go back to say--1992--and continue the direction the zoo was then headed in: Kopje/Tiger River/Sun Bear Forest/Gorilla Tropics/Owens Aviary. It started going bad after that, IMHO.

After EO, I'd say it will be years (if ever) until the zoo again takes a leadership position in exhibit development
 
I knew someone would bring up EO, nothing can ever be said about the zoo without someone complaining about EO. Now there is a lot of things that I would change and a lot of things that are changing right now, including the Galapagos Tortoise barn, there remodeling one side of the Reptile house, they are redoing the pins in the Urban Jungle and have yet to put anything in the old capybara/Tapir pin but have put a rather tall net fence in for the next animal. The cages in the back now have a clouded leopard or a Serval depending on what day it is since they continue to change cages. The flamingos appear to be gone although there sign is still there but the birds haven't been there for two weeks. The arctic foxes just went into polar bear plunge, they are changing the cages in bear canyon where they had four different species of monkeys. The tall exhibit next to the house by the Koala is empty and awaiting a new species. The rock Hyraxs continue to move around the zoo. I heard from one of the zoo employees that after the tortoises are done, they are going to remodel the kids zoo but I have nothing to verify that.

This summer they are updating the map at the wild animal park to match the new style as the zoo and this could result in animals shifting from both parks (in zoonooz a few months ago, one line).

As for my plans, I will think about them and post them sometime this weekend. But I can say that I would take the American Black Bear that the zoo has off exhibit and show him in bear canyon so that every species of Bear would be on display in the zoo.
 
reduakari said:
Well, this breaks your rules, but I'd go back to say--1992--and continue the direction the zoo was then headed in: Kopje/Tiger River/Sun Bear Forest/Gorilla Tropics/Owens Aviary. It started going bad after that, IMHO.

After EO, I'd say it will be years (if ever) until the zoo again takes a leadership position in exhibit development
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That doesn't necessary break the rules. Going back in time is kinda impossible, so I left it open to be able to alter the newer exhibits.

@SDmaster. I wasn't aware that they had another Black Bear. Where did you receive this information? I think if they got rid of the lions they could do that. Bear Canyon is kind of difficult to renovate with new exhibits because its a canyon and the zoo buses have to be able to travel up and down it.

The netted cage near the Koalas is supposed to be a lorikeet feeding area like the one at SDWAP according to the plans at Alexor Designs.
 
Elephant Odyssey: Since you say we can't demolish it (which I would love to do), remove the lions and make both sides for jaguar. Add more plants inside. Cover up metal tops of utilitrees with artificial foliage (until the potted shrubs on top start growing over the sides). Build a couple raised viewing platforms to photograph elephants without obnoxious cable fence in the picture.

Off-exhibit hoofstock hillsides (behind Polar Bear Plunge): Reopen that road to members only.

Urban jungle: Move rhino to WAP and make whole mesa a hoofstock area for giraffes and antelope.

Cat Canyon: Build new larger hillside exhibits for cats. Replace gorals and similar hoofstock with small carnivores (caracal, etc) in renovated exhibits.

Giant Pandas: Make a larger viewing area (and panda area) where you can just stand and watch them, instead of having to continuously move through a narrow line. (There is an empty field adjacent to the exhibit for expansion).
 
Arizona Docent said:
Elephant Odyssey: Since you say we can't demolish it (which I would love to do), remove the lions and make both sides for jaguar. Add more plants inside. Cover up metal tops of utilitrees with artificial foliage (until the potted shrubs on top start growing over the sides). Build a couple raised viewing platforms to photograph elephants without obnoxious cable fence in the picture.

Off-exhibit hoofstock hillsides (behind Polar Bear Plunge): Reopen that road to members only.

Urban jungle: Move rhino to WAP and make whole mesa a hoofstock area for giraffes and antelope.

Cat Canyon: Build new larger hillside exhibits for cats. Replace gorals and similar hoofstock with small carnivores (caracal, etc) in renovated exhibits.

Giant Pandas: Make a larger viewing area (and panda area) where you can just stand and watch them, instead of having to continuously move through a narrow line. (There is an empty field adjacent to the exhibit for expansion).
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Oh, I pretty much agree with all of this.

Cat Canyon: For the cats I think larger hillside exhibits would be great with some glass viewing areas and elevated walkways to allow for different views of the enclosure and more space for the animals.

Then keep Warthog and Hyenas to make renovated kopje-like exhibits. Move rock wallabies to new Australia area. Then gorals grouped with a China area....

Pandas: Really the panda exhibits are really small, and animals like that and draw in so much visitors need a more luxurious exhibit. I say expand the exhibit, but move the red panda from across the road into one of the current ones. Then that entire hillside they have off-exhibit areas and the Takin and Red River Hog exhibits, which I would make into a temperate China area with Bactrian Camels, Takin, Goral, and maybe Sloth Bear. Then take that thematic area with new decor to the Canyon Cafe and the Tufted Deer exhibits by the escalator to include that in the Chinese area. Also, I'd remove the ugly chain link fences in the area and replace then with mesh or better looking wood or bamboo fences to make it look better.

EO: Really just add grass and trees to a few enclosures. Make both enclosures Jaguars to move the Lions to a renovated Cat Canyon. That way they could keep their black jaguar and breed the female with another male in the larger one. More shade for the tropical South American animals too.
 
When I was at the Wild Animal Park for one of the last showings of there old game show they said that the new show was going to start soon and listed the animals that was going to be part of it, including there American Black Bear, but then they decided to switch the Bear out for a honey badger. I then asked one of the guys who brings animals out on busy days if they have one and he said that they do have an American Black Bear off exhibit and then told me that I would be amazed to see all of the different animals that were off exhibit.
 
sandiegomaster said:
When I was at the Wild Animal Park for one of the last showings of there old game show they said that the new show was going to start soon and listed the animals that was going to be part of it, including there American Black Bear, but then they decided to switch the Bear out for a honey badger. I then asked one of the guys who brings animals out on busy days if they have one and he said that they do have an American Black Bear off exhibit and then told me that I would be amazed to see all of the different animals that were off exhibit.
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Hmm, interesting. If they were going to use it in a show, it's probably an animal ambassador right now or something.
 
What is in the old Clouded Leopard exhibit in Monkey Trails & Forest Tales? That was one of the best clouded leopard exhibits, but im pretty sure it now has something else. If I were SDZ I would move Clouded Leopards back in.

Overall I think this establishment has gone way downhill. I absolutely hate the new named areas and it makes SDZ seem like some theme park rather than the classic San Diego Zoo.

Other things I would do to improve are plant the elephant and cat enclosures in EO with lots of grass, and add natural trees to the elephant exhibit.

Bear Canyon should be demolished and turned into some sort of naturalistic exhibit featuring brown and black bears. Also, some sort of Himalayan Highlands exhibit should be created to give the Snow Leopards and Red Pandas naturalistic, more spacious habitats.
 
Spot nosed Guenons are in the old Clouded Leopard exhibit. Kinda a shame because they have them two enclosures down. Though the exhibit makes for a nice monkey exhibit.

Agreed with the names. It kinda makes the zoo seem like a lesser zoo. It's like part of my childhood has died.

As for bear canyon, what about the other animals that live there? Send them off? The zoo still has sloth and andean bears and it would be a shame to let those animals leave the collection or be unable to see all the bears in one spot. Bear Canyon troubles me because I don't see how they could renovate it because its just moats in a small canyon. I wonder how much room they have there.

I think I'd like a china area with Red Pandas, Giant Pandas, Goral, Takin, and Bactrian Camel instead of Himalayan area. Several other zoos have Himalayan areas with those two animals already and that Chinese animal lineup I think would be special. Also it opens up a few enclosures like the Takin exhibits to be used in a China area and the Camel exhibits for the Australia area.
 
Even though I've been many times, I'd have to go back again to gain more info in order to give a detailed report of how I'd improve the zoo.

Without that added info, I'd say get rid of the remaining ugly cages for animals like monkeys, red pandas, and various somewhat small animals like the binturongs for instance. An exhibit for the bintrongs can be added in some free space in either Tiger River or Sun Bear Forest.

I like some of the ideas I've seen on here.

With that said, open up the hoofstock area behind polar bear plunge.

Do what Otter Lord is talking about with Panda Canyon. I'd add the Chinese leopard, snow leopard, and sloth bear to that section as well.

Takes the lions out of EO and let the Jaguars have both sides and add more plants to that and the other EO exhibits.

Now to Urban Jungle: From where the rhinos are now, use all of that, other than the front, to where the giraffes are and where the rhinos used to be to create a savanna exhibit. Create a small loop by where the small cat cages are now for the bus to be able to turn around and return to the main road. In this exhibit should be giraffe, some white rhinos from the WAP, ostriches, and various other hoofstock. The anteater exhibit can remain the same. In the front of this area extending from the road in front of the rhino exhibit (along with some of that exhibits space) to the giraffe exhibit will be the new african lion exhibit. I would to do this in a way that leads to a nice predator prey immersion exhibit. So the savanna exhibit will be seen behind the lions. There should be glass and open viewing of the lions much like lion camp and tiger river. To the right of the road would be new exhibits for spotted hyena and african wild dogs. I'd also add serval and caracal exhibits in the middle and/or outside of the loop where the bus turns around.

Ok, will move on to other areas with my next post.
 
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So after that it's time to redo cat canyon.

This will become a N. American section until we get to the Africa Rocks section starting at Hunte Trail going to the Kopje exhibit.

On the cat side of the road will be spacious exhibits that go up towards the top of the hill for grey wolves, mountain lions, black bears, grizzly bears, bobcats, and lynx. On the other side of the road will be a couple long slender exhibits with bison, elk, mule dear, and moose with the first 3 likely being in the same exhibit. Also some small exhibits with prairie dogs and badgers. A bighorn sheep or mountain goat exhibit would be good as well.

So that would take up all of the space there.

The rest of Africa Rocks should be renovated other than the Kopje section at some point as well.

Otherwise, I'd get the clouded leopard back out either in Monkey Trails or in a new exhibit in Sun Bear Forest. I think I'd look to extend Sun Bear Forest into Bear Canyon so I could add more monkey/ape species from that region along with the biturongs and clouded leopards.

The rest of bear canyon along with the older part of africa rocks can be used for whatever other species haven't been addressed here that I'd want to keep and would be flexible space for changing around certain species or bringing in certain new species.
 
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This is a fun thread, but keep in mind that in order to do major renovations to either bear canyon or cat canyon, the SDZ needs to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since both canyons are so steep, they would need to do switchbacks in order to be in compliance (that's why the 2 levels of Monkey Trails don't flow through and are connected by stairs and the elevator) They can do minor remodeling to the grottos in bear canyon and cages in cat canyon, but major reconstruction requires compliance.
 
Chinese Leopard would be a nice addition to a temperate China area actually. I can't believe I forgot about that. And next to the Silver leaf Langur exhibits they do have an empty enclosure. It would be nice to see a Clouded Leopard in that area of the zoo, but I don't know if the Langur's would react because the exhibits are only divided by glass and it might have too much vertical height for a clouded leopard.

The canyon's would be difficult to renovate of course for newer exhibits. I think a new renovated cat canyon would be good in order to keep the awesome collection of cats that they have. ADA compliance would be possible if they made larger mesh enclosures with some fake rock and then elevated walkways that link glass viewing areas of the exhibits throughout the canyon.

Though if you were to get rid of cat canyon, I think I know of a way to do it. So Chinese area from Takin Enclosures down to the Red River Hog Enclosures to the Panda area. Then where the African hoofstock and Zebra are, send those to the new African Savanna in elephant mesa, and make that area go with the Polar Rim to include Boreal Forest and Tundra animals from North America and Siberia. So renovate this are for a larger Siberian Reindeer enclosure and move Siberian Musk Deer to the reindeer enclosure b/c it is smaller. Then to move around the cats in the zoo:

Puma: Boreal Forest area by Polar Rim
Jaguar: EO
Lion: African Savanna
Snow Leopard: China Area
North Chinese Leopard: China Area
Siberian Lyxn: Boreal Forest Area

Then maybe for Cat canyon, a South America area with Coati, Squirrel Monkeys, Anteaters, Pacaranas, which are all currently randomly placed around the zoo. And these animals are small so wouldn't need really large enclosures anyway, but I recommend getting rid of the old cage enclosures (or at least keep one for historical meaning but not to hold any animals) The Saki monkeys there would also work for that area. Oh and I think the fossa would love that clouded leopard enclosure in Monkey Trails because it has lots of climbing opportunities as well.
 
Yeah, I forgot that the anteaters are from S. America, so I'd move them to bear canyon and use that extra space to make the other exhibits I mentioned for the savanna a little larger.

As far as the cats, I think I pretty much covered where all of the displaced cats from cat canyon would go. I agree with you that elevated walkways would be great for the cat canyon. Something like Monkey Trails, but more of a N. American Forest themed walkway for my plans.

It would be nice to bring the zebra and other hoofstock in that section over to the new savanna, but I think those animals already have good exhibits, space would be a little tight if they were brought over, and I don't think I'd be able to have the lions, hyenas, wild dogs, servals, and caracals in that section like I'd want.

So while I'd make the zoo make more sense in terms of geography, I woudn't bother trying to make it totally make sense because it's too jumbled and the two newest big exhibits aren't geography based.
 
I think it's probably easier making things geographical in the sense of theme and making better exhibits. Sometimes if you don't really have geographical theme you get something like EO where all the exhibits are just exhibits, not savanna or rainforest or anything. The Woodland Park zoo keeps a system where they go from bioclimatic area to another close bioclimatic area so that people don't go walking through Deserts then Tundra then Tropical Rainforest. So I think for a South America area, it would be more realistic that it goes from tropical to semi arid scrub as you go from Asian Passage to African Rocks.

As for Elephant mesa, the animals that I'd have are Masai Giraffe, Soemmering's Gazelle, White Rhinoceros, African Lions, the hoofstock from Polar Rim which include: Lesser Kudu, Grevy's Zebra, Gerenuk, Cuvier's Gazelle, Dik-Dik, and Red Flanked Duiker. Elephant Mesa doesn't have as much room as it should because the road takes up most of the space. In my opinion it would be better to not have the buses go through elephant mesa at all. Only way I see it happening is if there is a little cul de sac for the buses to turn around and catch a glimpse of the giraffes.

Anyways, I compiled a list of all the moves I would do, kinda long and time consuming but I like this topic.

Movements:
Cat Canyon
Puma: Boreal Forest area by Polar Rim
Jaguar: EO
Snow Leopard:China Area
North Chinese Leopard: China Area
Siberian Lynx: Cat Canyon -> Boreal Forest area by Polar Rim

Old Cage Enclosures
Fossa: Monkey Trails (Clouded Leopard Exhibit)
Bat Eared Fox: WAP or other Zoo
Coati: South American Area
Saki Monkey: South American Area
Arabian Wild Cat: Does the Zoo still have these? If so Children's Zoo

African Rocks
Crested Porcupine: Back to it's old enclosure next to Escalator which currently holds the male Anteater.
Chinese Goral: China area
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby: Australia Area
New Guinea Singing Dogs: Renovated African Wild Dog Exhibit
Remain: Warthog, Striped and Spotted Hyena. Extra space goes to South America.

Asian Passage:
Wild Dogs: New WAP exhibit
Giant Anteater: South America Area
Giant River Hog: Ituri Forest or WAP Central African Rainforest Field Exhibit

EO:
Lion: African Savanna

Polar Rim
Siberian Musk Deer: Reindeer Enclosure
Reindeer: Boreal Forest Area
African Hoofstock: Savannah Area
Calamian Deer: Off-exhibit Hoofstock area (which I would renovate and open)
Chacoan Peccary: South America Area
Soemmerring's Gazelle: Somewhere else, we honestly have too much of this Gazelle

Children's Zoo
North American River Otter: Boreal Forest (I'm biased, there needs to be a new otter enclsoure)
Ocelot: South American Area

Bear Canyon:
Grizzly Bear: Boreal Forest Area
Manchurian Brown Bear: Boreal Forest Area (will probably be off exhibit most of the time because of his age)
Andean Bear: S. America Area
Sloth Bear: Remain
Cape Clawless Otter: Children's Zoo

Urban Jungle:
Indian Rhino: WAP
Meerkat: They don't need 3 meerkat exhibits in one zoo really.
Lowland Anoa: Off-exhibit Hoofstock area or Bear Canyon

Acquisitions:
Tomistoma/False Gharial in Tiger River
Clouded Leopard for new exhibit in Bear Canyon

So the new areas I would add: China, South America, Boreal Forest, and turn part of Bear Canyon as an extended Sun Bear Forest with Clouded Leopard, Sloth Bear, and Lowland Anoa. Other renovated areas would be African Savanna, Australia Area, and Off-exhibit Hoofstock yards. Realistically, this more of a long range plan for the zoo than making slight improvements.

Question: What could go into the glass exhibit next the Silver Leaf Langurs? I've thought of clouded leopard (might stress the langurs), binturong, francois langurs, and maybe an aviary. It is currently empty and its a nice $3 million dollar enclosure that was originally meant for Douc Langurs.

[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cooljerk/232400632/sizes/o/"]Flickr Photo Download: Douc Langurs - San Diego Zoo[/ame]
 
mweb08 said:
An exhibit for the bintrongs can be added in some free space in either Tiger River or Sun Bear Forest.
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When Sun Bear Forest first opened, the binturongs were in with the lion-tailed macaques. I thought that arrangement was great, but it must not have worked since they removed the binturongs.
 
Otter Lord said:
Tomistoma/False Gharial in Tiger River
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When Tiger River first opened, Tomistoma were in the current turtle pond exhibit. It was later changed to Indian gharial, and I think that a big reason for no longer exhibiting a gharial species in there is because it is a bit on the small side.
 
Arizona Docent said:
When Sun Bear Forest first opened, the binturongs were in with the lion-tailed macaques. I thought that arrangement was great, but it must not have worked since they removed the binturongs.
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I think there was problems between the two species. I've known of primates messing with otters before but not binturongs. It seems the only animals that are able to reside with pesky primates are ungulates that are larger than them.

@Ituri: I think the exhibit could house tomistoma. It is not that tiny as there is lots of room in the back of that exhibit. I felt that the new Gharial exhibit wasn't a matter of space but providing the gharial a better facility suited for them so that the zoo could breed them.
 
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