Audubon Zoo louisiana trip
- Thread starter branta68
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- audubon zoo louisiana
louisiana purchase zoo, monroe; zoolouisiana, acadia, south of Lafayette; chimpanzee sanctuary, south of Shreveport.
TeamTapir223
Well-Known Member
To the best of our knowledge the Audubon Zoo still has Drills
Team Tapir223
Team Tapir223
Recited from memory: Alexandria Zoo: tayra, brocket deer and Spur-winged Goose. Indian muntjac deer kept together with lowland anoa.
Audubon Zoo: tomistoma, nice rattlesnake collection, Texas blind salamander, milky stork, leucistic american alligator(s). Great swamp exhibit.
Audubon Aquarium: sea otters, Rockhopper penguins; nice shark collection and sea turtles, leucistic american alligator
It's been a while, so no guarantee of timeliness.
Audubon Zoo: tomistoma, nice rattlesnake collection, Texas blind salamander, milky stork, leucistic american alligator(s). Great swamp exhibit.
Audubon Aquarium: sea otters, Rockhopper penguins; nice shark collection and sea turtles, leucistic american alligator
It's been a while, so no guarantee of timeliness.
WhiteTiger
Active Member
I just spent 4 years in Louisiana and saw all the main facilities, so here are some highlight species I can remember from each of the parks. Audubon facilities are of course the main ones, but if you like exotics and are willing to head out of New Orleans then the other parks have some rarities that are worth visiting too.
In the New Orleans area:
The Audubon Zoo has 3 Drills, though one is off exhibit due to health issues (all 3 Drills are ancient in age). My favorites are their White Bengal Tiger (which they proudly use as their logo), White Peafowl, and two huge White Alligators. Another nice aspect is they also still practice open/free contact with their Asian Elephants, letting the public interact with them and pet them, as well as occasionally walking them through the zoo grounds after hours. Occasionally the zoo will display some of their Sandhill or Whooping Cranes as well. Many of its most unique animals are their Reptile House, including False Gavials/Tomistomas, Blue/Cayman Island Iguanas, Texas Blind Salamanders, Chinese Alligators, Frilled Lizards, and a variety of others.
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas has Sea Otters and, depending on what’s been rescued, has Green, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (though last time I visited the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle had just been released). The aquarium has several White Alligators too, a real Audubon trait.
The Audubon Insectarium has a variety of insects but exact species escape me at the moment. I remember the mounted display hall (the museum section) was beautifully done and the insect kitchen was pretty neat. It was a very interactive facility.
Also in the New Orleans area, Audubon also has a special breeding center called ACRES. It's usually not open to the public, but they sometimes have special tours you could possibly look in to. The full name is Audubon Center for Research for Endangered Species, or Audubon Species Survival Center. It’s home to Audubon’s large collection of Whooping and Sandhill Cranes; Milky, Wood, and Abdims Storks; Bongo; Eland; and lots of cats. The cats include Black Footed Cats, Caracals, African Wildcats, and domestic cats (including my favorite Mr. Green Genes, who was part of a genetic study and now can glow in the dark). The park is also home to Audubon’s Frozen Zoo, which I believe is the second largest worldwide after San Diego Zoo’s. Also on the grounds is the storage/holding facility for the Audubon Aquarium. Depending on what’s rescued, you can find everything from sea birds to sea turtles to even Common and Bottlenose Dolphins being rehabilitated in there. The facility is located on the West Bank, south of the Quarter. Beginning very soon it will be greatly expanded in conjunction with the San Diego Zoo.
In the New Orleans area:
The Audubon Zoo has 3 Drills, though one is off exhibit due to health issues (all 3 Drills are ancient in age). My favorites are their White Bengal Tiger (which they proudly use as their logo), White Peafowl, and two huge White Alligators. Another nice aspect is they also still practice open/free contact with their Asian Elephants, letting the public interact with them and pet them, as well as occasionally walking them through the zoo grounds after hours. Occasionally the zoo will display some of their Sandhill or Whooping Cranes as well. Many of its most unique animals are their Reptile House, including False Gavials/Tomistomas, Blue/Cayman Island Iguanas, Texas Blind Salamanders, Chinese Alligators, Frilled Lizards, and a variety of others.
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas has Sea Otters and, depending on what’s been rescued, has Green, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (though last time I visited the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle had just been released). The aquarium has several White Alligators too, a real Audubon trait.
The Audubon Insectarium has a variety of insects but exact species escape me at the moment. I remember the mounted display hall (the museum section) was beautifully done and the insect kitchen was pretty neat. It was a very interactive facility.
Also in the New Orleans area, Audubon also has a special breeding center called ACRES. It's usually not open to the public, but they sometimes have special tours you could possibly look in to. The full name is Audubon Center for Research for Endangered Species, or Audubon Species Survival Center. It’s home to Audubon’s large collection of Whooping and Sandhill Cranes; Milky, Wood, and Abdims Storks; Bongo; Eland; and lots of cats. The cats include Black Footed Cats, Caracals, African Wildcats, and domestic cats (including my favorite Mr. Green Genes, who was part of a genetic study and now can glow in the dark). The park is also home to Audubon’s Frozen Zoo, which I believe is the second largest worldwide after San Diego Zoo’s. Also on the grounds is the storage/holding facility for the Audubon Aquarium. Depending on what’s rescued, you can find everything from sea birds to sea turtles to even Common and Bottlenose Dolphins being rehabilitated in there. The facility is located on the West Bank, south of the Quarter. Beginning very soon it will be greatly expanded in conjunction with the San Diego Zoo.
WhiteTiger
Active Member
Outside New Orleans:
BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo is about an hour to an hour and a half away from New Orleans. It has seen better days, but the staff is lovely and the zoo is trying to rebound. Species highlights include both Sumatran and Malayan Tigers, a large flight cage with several varieties of large Raptors, Pygmy Hippos, Blue Duiker, Cassowaries, a Black Jaguar, Sable and Roan Antelope, Greater Kudu, Reeve’s Muntjac, Nubian Ibex, Kirk’s and Gunther’s Dik Dik, Nile and Red Lechwe, and a small Louisiana species aquarium. They used to have Blue Monkeys but I didn’t see them on my last visit.
Also in Baton Rouge is Mike the Tiger’s habitat on LSU’s campus. He’s a dear and very playful, especially if you have keys or chuffle at him.
The Alexandria Zoo has a good bit of rarities for a zoo its size. I remember it has American Crocodile, Brazilian Tapir, Broad-Snouted Caiman, Brockett Deer, Bush Dog, Chiloe Wigeon, Chinese Alligator, Coscoroba Swan, Reeve’s Muntjac, Lowland Anoa, Ocellated Turkey, Red-Flanked Duiker, Red Wolf, White Bengal Tiger, and Tayra.
Zooisiana/Zoo of Acadiana has Black Jaguar, Bornean Crested Fireback Pheasant, Reeve’s Muntjac, Pygmy Hippo, Rhesus Macaque, Sandhill Crane, a two headed Slider Turtle, White and Golden Tabby Bengal Tigers, and White-Naped Mangabey.
The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe is about 5 hours away from New Orleans, so if you’re going to be in the southern part of the state only it’s pretty far out of the way. This zoo has also seen better days but has an impressive boat and train ride and very nice staff. The zoo just imported a baby Nile Hippo to accompany their old female Penelope (who’s been a dear sweetie of mine for almost 20 years). Other highlights at the zoo include a large group of very active Bald Eagles in a flight cage, 4-6 varieties of Gibbons, a Black Jaguar, Wallaroos, Slow Loris, and an impressive collection of hoofstock – more than 2 dozen species. For most of the hoofstock species you must ride the boat ride through the bayou if you want to see them.
There’s also a drive through safari park in Delhi, up near Monroe, called Wild Country Safari Park.
BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo is about an hour to an hour and a half away from New Orleans. It has seen better days, but the staff is lovely and the zoo is trying to rebound. Species highlights include both Sumatran and Malayan Tigers, a large flight cage with several varieties of large Raptors, Pygmy Hippos, Blue Duiker, Cassowaries, a Black Jaguar, Sable and Roan Antelope, Greater Kudu, Reeve’s Muntjac, Nubian Ibex, Kirk’s and Gunther’s Dik Dik, Nile and Red Lechwe, and a small Louisiana species aquarium. They used to have Blue Monkeys but I didn’t see them on my last visit.
Also in Baton Rouge is Mike the Tiger’s habitat on LSU’s campus. He’s a dear and very playful, especially if you have keys or chuffle at him.
The Alexandria Zoo has a good bit of rarities for a zoo its size. I remember it has American Crocodile, Brazilian Tapir, Broad-Snouted Caiman, Brockett Deer, Bush Dog, Chiloe Wigeon, Chinese Alligator, Coscoroba Swan, Reeve’s Muntjac, Lowland Anoa, Ocellated Turkey, Red-Flanked Duiker, Red Wolf, White Bengal Tiger, and Tayra.
Zooisiana/Zoo of Acadiana has Black Jaguar, Bornean Crested Fireback Pheasant, Reeve’s Muntjac, Pygmy Hippo, Rhesus Macaque, Sandhill Crane, a two headed Slider Turtle, White and Golden Tabby Bengal Tigers, and White-Naped Mangabey.
The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe is about 5 hours away from New Orleans, so if you’re going to be in the southern part of the state only it’s pretty far out of the way. This zoo has also seen better days but has an impressive boat and train ride and very nice staff. The zoo just imported a baby Nile Hippo to accompany their old female Penelope (who’s been a dear sweetie of mine for almost 20 years). Other highlights at the zoo include a large group of very active Bald Eagles in a flight cage, 4-6 varieties of Gibbons, a Black Jaguar, Wallaroos, Slow Loris, and an impressive collection of hoofstock – more than 2 dozen species. For most of the hoofstock species you must ride the boat ride through the bayou if you want to see them.
There’s also a drive through safari park in Delhi, up near Monroe, called Wild Country Safari Park.