Louisville Zoo Louisville Zoo Glacier Run Review

team tapir

team tapir

Well-Known Member
We just got back from the Louisville Zoo and gotta say we were very impressed with Glacier Run.The exhibit starts off with a small seal lion ampitheater connected to a decent sized pool with both above and underwater viewing.The sea lion exhibit leads into a large den like area for the Polar bears that slopes down from the main yard and is covered in pine needles.Next to it is the polar bear under water viewing which is very large and cavernous.Back on ground Level is the Main exhibit yard which is a nice size and leads to a mock mine shaft which the bears can cross over top of the exhibit plaza and into whats supposed to be an abandoned mining facility,which is loaded with treats and other enrichment items.The front of the glass on the indoor mine features a pick up truck sticking through the glass kids can sit in the cab while the bears are enticed with food into the bed.The plaza area is all done up to look like the town of Churchchil Manitoba similar to Pittsburgh's Polar Bear exhibit.The zoo currently only has one polar bear and three grizzlies but keepers say they are pretty confident in acquiring more polar bears.A keeper also told us that they have talked about stocking the pool with trout like Columbus.Oh I forgot to mention that on the opposite side of the main yard is another sloping den with natural substrate.Overall we give Glacier Run a B + based alot on some of its unique features we also took some pictures look for those in a couple of days.

Team Tapir
 
Thanks for the review. You liked Glacier Run much better than African Elephant Crossing at your local Cleveland Zoo, and I was impressed by the seal/sea lion pool when I visited Louisville last summer. According to the zoo's website just the bear habitat and the "town area" cost $20,600,000! Now that the grizzlies and polar bear are in place next summer brings the rest of the northern species (Steller's sea eagles, etc).
 
snowleopard said:
According to the zoo's website just the bear habitat and the "town area" cost $20,600,000! .
Click to expand...

Ah but keep in mind that the exhibit was cut into a hillside, the existing polar bear and pinniped exhibits had to be removed, the holding is underground (but naturally lit), there is a large classroom space overlooking the bear exhibit, and of course the underwater viewing necessitates an entire water purification complex. It's not the "town" that cost the money.

Besides, I think that figure includes the pinniped area/amphitheater as well. (You'll notice that it isn't included in their phased list)
 
All solid points Zooplantman. Do you know which species are 100% confirmed for the summer of 2012, as the list appears to have altered slightly over the years. Glacier Run certainly seems to have taken a long time to come to fruition, but the nice thing about the phase-in process for a new complex is that the zoo can advertise a new exhibit for several years in a row.
 
There has been a revolving door of animals listed for inclusion into Glacier Run. I'll be highly disappointed if the otters do not find their way back in the mix. I liked the bear area and I hope they do integrate live fish into the exhibits as I've seen that at other zoos and been impressed with the increased involvement the bears will have in their environment. The young grizzlies are the stars of the show right now, active as they are, though at opening the keepers explained that they have not taken to the larger bear exhibit yet. I'm also a bit disappointed that with as many pinnipeds as they seem to have, the majority are off exhibit most of the time and there are no indoor viewing options at all for that group.
 
We were told they have had a hard time getting certain sea lions to get along and as far as the grizzlies go they were nuisance bears and therefore can be a bit skittish especially the mother who has been shot at by humans on several occasions.

Team Tapir
 
Yes they have a decent sized grassy area as well as two hills at each side of the exhibit which lead into pits of natural substrate.One you can view on the lower level opposite of their large under water viewing window and the other you have to look down into from the top at the back of the exhibit.Now we know that some of this design sounds strange and is kind of hard to explain but trust us its cool and it works for the bears.

Team Tapir
 
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