Huge Elephant Exhibits in U.S. Zoos

snowleopard

snowleopard

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Size does not always count, as quality will always trump quantity.:) However, I sifted through a large number of online newspaper articles, ZooChat threads and various other websites in order to come up with this master list of 24 American zoos that will have 25 elephant exhibits (Columbus Zoo will have two!) that are 3 acres or larger by the year 2015. The zoo industry has definitely changed over the past decade or so, and there has been a growing number of massive elephant enclosures constructed for vast sums of money.

I should point out that there are several top-quality elephant exhibits that are closer to 2 acres in size, and the new Elephant Odyssey at the San Diego Zoo will surely be a stellar example of an above average pachyderm habitat of mid-range size. The Columbus and Indianapolis zoos are two more establishments that also have impressive 2 acre exhibits.

The acres listed below are fairly accurate estimates, but at times the new elephant exhibits are enclosures within larger "African Savannahs" and thus an exact measurement is unknown. There is surely no other country in the world with such huge pachyderm exhibits as the U.S., and even though I am Canadian it is obvious that my own country's zoos pale in comparison to the mega-complexes in the United States.

THE BIG ONES:

1- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo = 8-10 acres minimum (perhaps by 2015)
2- Disney's Animal Kingdom = 7.5 acres
3- North Carolina Zoo = 7 acres
4- San Diego Wild Animal Park = 6 acres
5- Oakland Zoo = 6 acres
6- Oregon Zoo = 6 acres (perhaps by 2015)
7- Columbus Zoo = 6 acres (perhaps by 2015) - African Elephants
8- Oklahoma City Zoo = 5.5 acres
9- Birmingham Zoo = 4.5 acres
10-Kansas City Zoo = 4.5 acres
11-Houston Zoo = 3.8 acres
12-Dallas Zoo = 3.75 acres
13-Los Angeles Zoo = 3.6 acres
14-Sedgwick County Zoo = 3.5 acres
15-National Zoo = 3.5 acres
16-Cleveland Zoo = 3.5 acres
17-Rosamond Gifford Zoo = 3 acres
18-Brookfield Zoo = 3 acres
19-Nashville Zoo = 3 acres
20-Reid Park Zoo = 3 acres
21-Denver Zoo = 3 acres (including barn)
22-Columbus Zoo = 3 acres (including barn) - Asian Elephants
23-San Diego Zoo = 3 acres (including barn)
24-Lowry Park Zoo = 3 acres (including barn)
25-Rio Grande Zoo = 3 acres

Did I miss any others?
 
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Columbus Zoo

The latest plans of African Savannah make our African elephant enclosure look around five acres - although I heard it could be as large as ten.

Asian Elephant Complex - 3 acres (2 acres outdoor, 1 indoor)
African Elephant Complex - 5 - 10 acres (Completed by 2015)
 
This is an interesting list but I would guess there are a lot of "apples to oranges" comparisons contained within it. Are the areas listed the actual animal-accessible space, or does it include landscaped areas surrounding the exhibit, public pathways and viewing areas, service areas, holding pens etc?

For example you noted in another thread that the planned Denver exhibits would be a combined 2.6 acres (including rhinos and tapirs) out of a total project area of 10 acres; here you list it as 3 acres.
 
I edited the list with a couple of changes.
 
I think you should change the acres to 2, because San Diego's new exhibit looks amazing from the plans, and combined with the barn the elephants will have three acres. The main outdoor exhibit will be a massive 2.5
 
Love your list and I applaude these efforts in the US zoos!

But I can´t help but to remind you all about the zoo in Borås, Sweden (a small town with appr. 50 000 inhabitants). In Borås Zoo, ever since it was created in the middle of the 1960s, the elephant herd has daily been let out on a 23 000 sq. meter savanna together with many other species. 23 000 sq. meters is a little less than six acres. And this is one single enclosure. (The bull has his own two adjoined enclosures of about one acre, together.)

It is my understanding that many of the new elephant exhibits in The US consists of several enclosures and that few or perhaps none of these individual enclosures comes even close to the size of the one in Borås?
 
Are you kidding? 7 on the list are either the same size or larger!

Why do you always have to compare a zoo in sweden to those in the U.S.?
 
What's wrong with the comparison? It's worth noting that Boras was years ago managing elephants in a way US zoos are only now being convinced (or in some cases almost forced) to do. And actually, only one of the exhibits listed is in fact an existing single space of 6 acres or more (North Carolina). Disney's exhibit is three (or four?) separate areas, SDWAP is currently two exhibits of 3 acres apiece, Oregon Columbus and Omaha are still only plans/dreams.....
 
I have seen many photos of the elephant enclosure at the Boras Zoo in Sweden, and it is definitely one of the best in the world. There are countless big-name zoos all across the globe that still have outdated elephant paddocks, but I'm sure that the wave of multi-acre exhibits that are popping up every year in the U.S. will be bound to affect a scattered few zoos in other countries. I have never been to the North Carolina Zoo, but I'd love to as that establishment does have the single largest elephant enclosure in North America.
 
Did not mean to upset you, BlackRhino or in any way try to diminish the current efforts made at US zoos. As I wrote, I applaude them!

I just wanted to celebrate the fact that this elephant enclosure, almost 50 years old, in a small Swedish city was a forerunner.

And as an interesting technical fact - just as reduakari points out - only one of the new exhibits in The US has a single space as big as the one in this little Swedish city zoo.

Since you, BlackRhino, is obviously familiar with my writing here at ZooChat, you will know that size of enclosures at zoos is a very important question to me. (I know that there are several other important factors, but let us not not go into that debate right here...).

So I take every chance that I get to raise this particular question. Please bear with me...
 
Its not just with the elephant enclosures. You made the comparison with the lion exhibit at the Dallas Zoo would never be found in Sweden.

Anyways back on topic, It also should be noted that SDWAP has had three acre elephant habitats since the 70s, and I am sure at the time that was considered unheard of. I would love to see a photo of this elephant paddock in Sweden and I am sure it is excellent.

I particularly am not a size fanatic as I have seen several enclosures that appear to be too small yet the quality is amazing and thus makes for a great exhibit. Amazon & Beyond's Jaguar habitat for instance (Not to get off topic) is not that large however the jaguars are only visible for probably less than half the time they are on exhibit because they have so many spots for the cats to hide and the enclosures are so densely vegetated. That to me is a better exhibit that an acre yard with no vegetation or hiding spots for a jaguar. This sort of goes back to the elephant exhibits because I don't think these World-class elephant exhibits must be at least three acres to qualify to be one of the best. San Diego's new exhibit is less than 3 yet the exhibit is being designed to keep the elephant active meaning fewer health problems (Although all the elephants are quite old) and that to me is a better exhibit than say a zoo with a 6 acre paddock. Sometimes zoo elephants will stand around by the door waiting no matter how big the paddock is, and by standing on their feet for such prolonged periods of time, they are not truly getting the health benefits of an enormous paddock.
 
Sedgwick County Zoo - 3.5 acres + off exhibit holding center (future)
Reid Park Zoo - 3 acres (future)
Rosamond Gifford Zoo - 3.5 acres
 
@okapikpr: thanks for the additions, and I updated the master list at the start of this thread. With 22 zoos in the U.S. with huge paddocks the future definitely looks bright for elephants, and that will mean that just over 25% of zoos with elephants will have them in spacious enclosures. The next step is to have more bull elephant exhibits, as currently there are not many zoos out of almost 80 that have the means to showcase bulls. If I'm not mistaken isn't the Birmingham Zoo going to have a bachelor herd of elephants in their future African exhibit?
 
@BlackRhino: San Diego and Columbus are on the list as with holding areas they hit the 3 acre minimum standard that I've personally set with this list. If we start including all the 2 acre exhibits, or even 1.5 acres with barns, etc, then it will take hours to figure it all out. I'm sticking to 3 acres minimum and going from there. I'd be shocked if any other country in the world has as many spacious elephant exhibits.
 
Its too bad three acres is the total minimum as Indianapolis' excellent paddock gets left out. Lowry Park's barely skims the three acre mark with a 2.2 acre main yard, .5 acre bull yard, and an enormous barn. I think the whole complex is almost three acres, so I would include that one to your list.
 
One of the things I liked about the Asian elephants at Rockton is the large areas they are given there, also a very large lake for their daily swim, they are also let loose in the many acres of woodland at the back of the exhibits to roam and browse at will.

It maybe one of the reasons they have had such success in their breeding program, they have/had kepted a number of breeding bulls out the back.
 
Of all the Arican elephant exhibits in the world my personal favourite would be San Diego's. From what I;ve seen from the cam the elephants look happy, plus being a quite a herd there is many calves still to come in the future,




MARK said:
One of the things I liked about the Asian elephants at Rockton is the large areas they are given there, also a very large lake for their daily swim, they are also let loose in the many acres of woodland at the back of the exhibits to roam and browse at will.

It maybe one of the reasons they have had such success in their breeding program, they have/had kepted a number of breeding bulls out the back.
Click to expand...

In the documentery in the womb, they followed an elephant at Rockton through her pregnancy. The exibhit looked great, and the elephants must be quite happy with a good water source and such a large herd.

There has been debate though that Rex has the herpes virus within him. When he was a possible donor at first for Chai's A.I
 
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