It’s Up To You....

[sooty mangabey]

Zoo Opportunity #2

So, it’s the 4th of July, and as Brooklyn celebrates America’s liberation from the yoke of British imperialism by barbecuing enormous quantities of meat and firing off a very large number of fireworks, what could be better than a day spent in Prospect Park? And would you believe it: there just happens to be a zoo there!

This is a zoo I’ve been able to visit a couple of times in the past, so it almost feels like an old friend. I think I probably prefer it – slightly - to the Central Park zoo, but it shares many of its better-known partner’s shortcomings: it doesn’t feel like a zoo that is constantly reinventing itself, the casual visitor is given no indication whatsoever of the history or heritage of the place, and, perhaps worst of all, too many of the animals contained here live in rather-too-small, all-indoor exhibits. There is nothing quite as egregious as the worst examples at Central Park, but nonetheless I didn’t feel altogether comfortable with a number of really rather tiny, rather one-dimensional displays. That said, there is a lot here that is pretty nice: the Dingo cage is simple but nicely done; several straightforward outdoor enclosures for species such as Tree Porcupine and North American Otter are rather attractive as well. And the gardens are beautiful.

The houses are really very elegant. I would be fascinated to know more about their history: I guess that once upon a time these were full-blown animal houses, with collections of large mammals within. However, nothing to indicate any of this – a real missed opportunity. As it is, there is quite a lot in each of the various houses, and while I am all in favour of the maintenance of relatively large collections, I can’t help but feel that too much has been squeezed in here. It’s great to see Black-footed Cats, for example, but the space devoted to them is tiny. Highlights? I do like the Baboon exhibit. The previously mentioned animal trail is nicely done. And, lack of outdoor space not withstanding, there is a nice selection of small South American primates.

All in all, for an hour and a half away from the smell of grilling meat and the sound of Bob Marley at very loud volume, the zoo was very enjoyable. It is a much overused fact, though, that if Brooklyn were a free-standing city, it would be the fourth largest in the USA by population. That being so, it has to be said that the Brooklyn Zoo is just a little bit underwhelming.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

A nice aviary of local birds, or a Blue Sheep exhibit, would have livened things up!

They used to have that near the Snow Leopards, but knocked it down for some reason...

~Thylo

 

[sooty mangabey]

Zoo Opportunity #3

So, hailing from the south coast of England, beaches have always held a fascination. Some time in New York, and a trip to the seaside is called for. And, goodness me, there is the aquarium as well! Who would have believed it?

Coney Island is, by design, tacky. It succeeds in making Bognor Regis (The town in which I grew up) look kind of classy. And that is quite some accomplishment. I have to say I loved Coney Island: everything that a seaside resort should be.

However, I really didn’t love the aquarium. I have visited here before, nearly a quarter of a century ago, and truth be told I remember very little from that visit. Besides, much that was there then has gone, and been replaced by the big “Ocean Wonders: Sharks!” (sic).

Aside from that new development, there is very little here. The opening series of fish tanks are very nicely done, and, if they were the aquarium attached to a small town zoo in Germany, one would be quite impressed. The run of outdoor enclosure for various mammals (and pelicans) are fine but holy underwhelming – apart from the presence of two Sea Otters, which are, of course, quite marvellous. And there is a big and rather murky display for turtles. That’s it.

So, what of the new development? I’ve read that it’s cost anywhere between $100 million and $150 million. Whatever the true amount, it is an extraordinary amount of money. Obviously building an aquarium is an expensive business, but this looks, to me, like a posh sea life centre. There was nothing that made me gasp, nothing that was wholly new or exciting or original. Compared to the Shedd aquarium – well, it’s not in the same league. It’s all fine, of course, and there is nothing wrong with what is here (although greater space for visitors would have been a bonus, and would possibly have allowed that visitors to read the plentiful pedagogical material that is found here). It’s just in no way remarkable.

The most remarkable feature is, at the end, where a TV screen of two chefs introduces the idea of using sustainable fish in cooking. Good stuff. What the cooks say is subtitled on a separate screen – and the picture on that separate screen is a 20-second loop of a football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and QPR, from about 20 years ago. Seeing, repeatedly, Steve Claridge being hacked by some Rangers defender was, in some ways, the most exciting thing here.

 

[TinoPup]

Keep in mind most of what you saw on previous visits was completely destroyed by a hurricane several years ago, and they've had to rebuild all of that while finding the funds to do so and rushing to get it completed and back open again. Your review seems to be fairly standard for the new features, though - nice but not remarkable, with areas they definitely could have done better at.

 

[sooty mangabey]

Keep in mind most of what you saw on previous visits was completely destroyed by a hurricane several years ago, and they've had to rebuild all of that while finding the funds to do so and rushing to get it completed and back open again. Your review seems to be fairly standard for the new features, though - nice but not remarkable, with areas they definitely could have done better at.

Was closing the aquarium ever seriously considered after Hurricane Sandy? With cash tight for the WCS, it’s not hard to speculate on what could have been done at the Bronx (or the small zoos) with the money that has been spent here, on the Brooklyn Sealife Centre...

 

[Giant Panda]

So, what of the new development? I’ve read that it’s cost anywhere between $100 million and $150 million. Whatever the true amount, it is an extraordinary amount of money. Obviously building an aquarium is an expensive business, but this looks, to me, like a posh sea life centre. There was nothing that made me gasp, nothing that was wholly new or exciting or original. Compared to the Shedd aquarium – well, it’s not in the same league. It’s all fine, of course, and there is nothing wrong with what is here (although greater space for visitors would have been a bonus, and would possibly have allowed that visitors to read the plentiful pedagogical material that is found here). It’s just in no way remarkable.

The most remarkable feature is, at the end, where a TV screen of two chefs introduces the idea of using sustainable fish in cooking. Good stuff. What the cooks say is subtitled on a separate screen – and the picture on that separate screen is a 20-second loop of a football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and QPR, from about 20 years ago. Seeing, repeatedly, Steve Claridge being hacked by some Rangers defender was, in some ways, the most exciting thing here.

I'm loving this thread, but for the first time I seriously disagree with your assessment. Ocean Wonders is among the finest exhibits I've ever seen. The thematic consistency, innovative interpretives, and tank design are all world-class. In terms of exhibit quality, I genuinely believe it rivals the Congo Gorilla Forest. A sea life centre has none of the care, flair or imagination on display here.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

The aquarium has never fully reopened following Hurricane Sandy. There were multiple additional indoor displays at the time of your first visit which are still closed-- the aquarium seems to be using the destruction as an excuse to completely renovate these buildings into new exhibits such as one targeted at marine invertebrates opening next year (I believe)-- and therefore the aquarium is still quite small. Renovations take time, unfortunately, especially when an entirely new building was already under construction and you have to share available funds with four other institutions. I must admit, though, this does make the aquarium a bit underwhelming. My first visit since I was a kid (and therefore the first I remember) was shortly after the aquarium reopened after the hurricane. Ocean Wonders was not open yet and I couldn't help but find myself a bit disappointed. I visited for a second time years later and was surprised to see that nothing new had opened since that first visit, though some existing exhibits had been improved slightly. It's also undeniable that the money the WCS has had to spend towards the aquarium's recovering has severely slowed the progress at the zoos. Bronx will not be moving forward with any new major exhibits until the aquarium is finished and that is frustrating.

That said, I don't think they would have been better off closing the aquarium. New York needs an aquarium, and the NYA does fantastic conservation work both along their shores and around the world. I think dismissing the aquarium as a sealife center is more than a bit unfair, considering roughly half of it was destroyed in a natural disaster and has yet to reopen. It's certainly not one of the top aquariums in the country (which it arguably could be considering it's location) but it's a good aquarium that will only get better as time goes on. They have a fine collection for their size, which includes quite a few rare and highly endangered Malagasy and Lake Victoria fishes. I also think Ocean Wonders: Sharks! is a fantastic exhibit. I have never seen an aquarium so seamlessly blend a conservation message into an exhibit, while also keeping visitors completely immersed in the exhibitry and animals. I'll agree that I was expecting the final tank in particular to be a bit larger, and or the exhibit as a whole to be so as well, but I certainly can't complain about what they managed to do here. The exhibits also brings sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, eels, sturgeon, seahorses, and many small tropical fishes into the collection. The building's roof doubles as a restaurant accessible from the boardwalk, which will bring in much needed income for the place.

~Thylo

 

[Zooplantman]

However, I really didn’t love the aquarium.

The New York Aquarium will never be one of the world's great aquariums. We can make excuses about whether it is improved or not but the small narrow strip of land, the zoning limitations on height, and the inconvenient access to Coney Island for most metro New Yorkers hold this facility back. It lacks the advantages of location that Shedd and Atlanta enjoy and it lacks the expansive space Monterey Bay enjoys. It has been WCS' unloved child for a generation and that has changed. Then the hurricane destroyed it and they had to almost start over. Building anything in NYC is far more expensive than in most cities and aquariums are far more expensive to build than most buildings. The New York Aquarium is making great progress but it is what it is.

 

[snowleopard]

Well, my friend @sooty mangabey, veteran of more than 450+ different zoos and aquariums, has been underwhelmed by Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and New York Aquarium...but there are brighter days on the horizon. He's got one of the world's all-time great zoos up next, even though that establishment has barely changed in more than a decade. No matter, the Bronx Zoo is a fantastic facility and I eagerly await a mini-review of the place. Bring on Geladas, Gorillas and Grizzly Bears!

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Well, my friend @sooty mangabey, veteran of more than 450+ different zoos and aquariums, has been underwhelmed by Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and New York Aquarium...but there are brighter days on the horizon. He's got one of the world's all-time great zoos up next, even though that establishment has barely changed in more than a decade. No matter, the Bronx Zoo is a fantastic facility and I eagerly await a mini-review of the place. Bring on Geladas, Gorillas and Grizzly Bears!

I still contest this statement No they haven't opened any major new exhibits within the last decade, but they've done a lot just within the last five years. Almost all of the displays in World of Reptiles have been completely renovated, for example.

~Thylo

 

[sooty mangabey]

Thank you for your comments here, especially @Giant Panda, @ThylacineAlive and @Zooplantman - and I’m very glad to read that others are more impressed than me. Possibly circumstances are to blame for my being less excited by Ocean Wonders. I’d deserted my family on the beach, telling them I’d be gone for an hour and a half tops - so the pressure was on! And while the crowds in general weren’t excessive, Ocean Wonders was heaving. Fully engaging with the pedagogical material was thus difficult - as was comfortably observing the piscine delights on display. A quieter day, and things might have felt very different (although, of course, by definition, most people will see the place on busy days). I’d certainly be interested to see the place again, without time pressure - and, crucially, without those crowds.

 

[sooty mangabey]

Zoo Opportunity #4

Each of the three zoo visits so far has been carefully orchestrated – and I’m still trying to work out how to persuade my family that a trip to Staten Island is what they really need. However, visiting New York obviously has to include a trip to the Bronx – and that is what happened today.

I would always list the Bronx as one of my absolute favourite zoos. In part, that is for personal reasons: since first visiting the city a quarter of a century ago, New York has always been up there with Berlin, Dar-Es-Salaam and, possibly, Edinburgh as my absolute favourite city. And the zoo was the destination for one of my first zoo trips overseas. Hearing about it from the late Malcolm Whitehead, then head of education at Twycross zoo, had made it the place I really wanted to see – and, on previous visits, I have loved it. And it is very much my sort of zoo as well: lots of history, a big collection, slap bang in the middle of a city.

Visiting in 2019, there is no doubt that the Bronx remains one of the very best zoos in the world. However – and I realise that it might sound like I am being overly critical of the WCS collections, following my less than enthusiastic comments about the aquarium – I came away from the Bronx today feeling a little bit concerned.

Why so? I think it is down to a slight but definite air of neglect that hangs over some areas of the place. Jungle World was always one of the most exciting zoo exhibits in the world. Now, it seems a little bit unloved. The signs are frayed and, in many cases, damaged. The glass is frequently filthy. Educational displays haven’t been maintained properly. There is a nice little thing outside, showing the growth in the world’s population since the building first opened. Except, it shows nothing of the sort, because it’s broken. Inside, peeling labels, uncared-for barriers, and a definite sense that the maintenance budget hasn’t been all that it should be.

The same is true elsewhere as well. I love the old African area. But it looked a bit scruffy today: too many fences looked a bit the worse for wear, the planting round and about wasn’t all that it could or should have been, and again signs looked in need of repair or replacement. The Gelada enclosure always struck me as one of the very best, anywhere. Losing the cable car (when did that happen?) means that one of the best views of it has gone, but, again, there was just a feeling of things not having been properly maintained. The viewing windows, again, were filthy. Too many of the pedagogical display looked in need of refreshment. And, speaking of refreshment, the adjacent café was closed – and this on a Saturday in July.

The Mouse House – one of the things to which I would point as evidence of the zoo’s greatness – really is the absolute nadir of this lack of maintenance: when was the last time it was painted? When was the last time those outdoor enclosures were given a bit of a boost? And how much work has been done to keep the inside areas at the level they should be at?

Visitor facilities are occasionally a bit shabby too. There is a toilet close to the Jungle World entrance, which was, genuinely, disgusting. With the single – and very interesting – exception of a public ‘restroom‘ in Chinatown, this was of the most unpleasant bathroom experience I have had in New York.

So, some negative thoughts.

But also, so much that is positive. The World of Birds is brilliant. I love the brutalist architecture, and I love too the plethora of fantastic displays within. The reptile house, which I had to rush a little bit today, is excellent as well, an indicator of how London zoo’s reptiles could look. Both of these two buildings buck the lack-of-maintenance trend discussed above – inside at least, where they look smart and impressive. Outside, again, a bit scruffy, a bit in need of attention.

This was the first time I had seen the Madagascar house. I liked it, although, again, the lack of outdoor space for the species within is, for me, a major flaw. However, taken for what it is, an impressive development.

In many ways, my favourite house is one that absolutely epitomises the need for more attention to be paid to routine maintenance. Tatty, shabby, grubby – but the Aquatic Birds House is still a genuinely marvellous thing. I very much hope that it will receive the attention it merits, and that it will continue to present a collection of water-based birds.

Discussion often rages here about what is the greatest zoo in the US, or the world. On the evidence of my visit today – my first to the place for at least a decade – I would have to say that the Bronx is, for me, miles and miles behind both San Diego collections. And while it could not objectively be said to be less good than them, I think, at the moment, I would put Cincinnati and Lincoln Park ahead of it as well. For me, the most pertinent comparison is with Brookfield zoo – another place that simply looks as if it needs to be treated with a bit more love, and a bit more respect. The Bronx is nowhere near as far down that road as is Brookfield, but it needs to be careful that it does not start slipping down that particular slope.

 

[Shorts]

Each of the three zoo visits so far has been carefully orchestrated – and I’m still trying to work out how to persuade my family that a trip to Staten Island is what they really need.

Surely you've got to visit every borough to get a real flavor of the entire city? Plus a visit to New York wouldn't be complete without a trip on the famous Staten Island Ferry.

 

[Tim Brown]

The thing that will,of course place the Bronx ahead of every zoo you have compared it to unfavourably in the above report is its huge conservational contribution...i do appreciate that you are judging it at face value but at the end of the day,these days,zoos will be judged by what they do as well as how they appear.It does seem however ,that for the want of what would appear to be a few licks of paint(basically) the zoo is opening itself to a complaint from someone who means it well. Enjoy NY old boy...perhaps call in at the Pompey NY supporters club(oops,sorry,thats in Alabama isnt it?...private joke - apologies to everyone else).

 

[Tim Brown]

And Shorts is right ..one of the world`s great free rides(if it it is still free).

 

[sooty mangabey]

The thing that will,of course place the Bronx ahead of every zoo you have compared it to unfavourably in the above report is its huge conservational contribution...i do appreciate that you are judging it at face value but at the end of the day,these days,zoos will be judged by what they do as well as how they appear.It does seem however ,that for the want of what would appear to be a few licks of paint(basically) the zoo is opening itself to a complaint from someone who means it well. Enjoy NY old boy...perhaps call in at the Pompey NY supporters club(oops,sorry,thats in Alabama isnt it?...private joke - apologies to everyone else).

Yes, the zoo’s conservation work is stellar. And a lot is made of this. I’d ask three things, though:
1. How much do 80% of visitors really care about such things?
2. Is Bronx’s work significantly better than, say, Omaha’s? Is it true, as a friend said to me yesterday, that “no zoo contributes more to conservation”?
3. If we measure a zoo’s quality by its conservation work, London would be one of the best in Europe. Sadly, it isn’t!

 

[Tim Brown]

Some time ago Marvin Jones(the doyen of US zoo registrars) told me the the in situ work of the WCS was more than ALL other US zoos put together.Now,that was some time ago, but its difficult to believe that any one other zoo has caught up to that extent..

 

[reduakari]

Some time ago Marvin Jones(the doyen of US zoo registrars) told me the the in situ work of the WCS was more than ALL other US zoos put together.Now,that was some time ago, but its difficult to believe that any one other zoo has caught up to that extent..

AZA Total Conservation spend 2017: $220 million
WCS Total Conservation spend 2017: $116 million

But a case can definitely be made that the pendulum has swung too far to the conservation side of the spectrum at the expense of maintenance and new developments at the WCS zoos and aquarium.

 

[sooty mangabey]

AZA Total Conservation spend 2017: $220 million
WCS Total Conservation spend 2017: $116 million

But a case can definitely be made that the pendulum has swung too far to the conservation side of the spectrum at the expense of maintenance and new developments at the WCS zoos and aquarium.

Interesting - and extraordinary - figures. Thanks.

I appreciate that it’s possibly quite a weasely way of looking at things but it strikes me that it’s quite difficult to separate “pure” conservation spending from more general spending. If resources are being spent maintaining an SSP species, does this count as conservation spending? Does education work count as conservation spending – whether it has a conservational leaning, or whether it is just inculcating a sense of wonder in the minds of visitors? One could argue that keeping a pit full of meerkats is conservation work: a child who sees them, and is inspired by them, is going to grow into an adult whose behaviour is less damaging to the planet (or that’s the hope anyway!).

 

[Tim Brown]

I did say in situ...next time you watch conservational programmes on television make a note of how often the WCS crops up. That organisation makes even the British zoos look like conservational part-timers.