Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
These are great @Dianamonkey , thanks for sharing !
Artis seems to be particularly good with their sculptures , I really like the bat eared fox and sealion sculpture.
Most beautiful sculptures at zoos ?
- Thread starter Onychorhynchus coronatus
- Start date
These are great @Dianamonkey , thanks for sharing !
Artis seems to be particularly good with their sculptures , I really like the bat eared fox and sealion sculpture.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
This is a great sculpture @Tim May , thanks for sharing !
Looks like the artist studied the photographs of musk oxen forming defensive walls against predators.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
And mine
I shall have to upload my various photographs of the statues dotted around the Tierpark - I am fairly sure there are a few which are otherwise unrepresented.
Please do Dave , that would be great to see them here in this thread as I know that Tierpark has some very ornate and elegant looking sculptures and many of them very historic too.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I'm quite a fan on the megafauna statues in Elephant Odyssey at the San Diego Zoo. They're certainly not the greatest statues but I like when zoos educate guests on prehistoric fauna, provided they give accurate information.
@geomorph - Columbian mammoth
@geomorph - Jefferson's ground sloth
@gemorph - Daggett's eagle
@geomorph - Saber-toothed cat
@geomorph - Short-faced bear
Me - Merriam's teratorn
Thanks for sharing @Hipporex !
I've never really personally been a fan of statues of prehistoric megafauna or dinosaurs in zoos but these do look pretty good in terms of educational value for the visitors.
I did see these shot in the gallery the other day of a bronze sculpture of a Columbian mammoth at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo which I think is very striking and incredibly well done:
Photo credits to @Milwaukee Man
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I’d say this is one of my favorites, a tiger statue directly after entering Tiger Trail at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Although the tiger itself isn’t a direct replica of other well known tiger sculptures, it does have the stylings of a Chinese sculptures design similar to the tigers or guardian dogs. It certainly has the color palate of Southeast Asian design with a rustic approach as if it had been exposed to the elements for hundreds of years, therefore dulling out the red and yellow pigments. As to why I personally like it, it immerses you into the design of the entire exhibit. It’s surrounded by large shoots of bamboo, illuminated by sunlight. It is definitely one of the more immersive exhibits I’ve visited so far and amongst my top 3.
Thanks for sharing @Julio C Castro !
That tiger sculpture sort of reminds me of a Mexican Alebrije , don't you think ?
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
That is a very anxious looking baby elephant portrayed in that sculpture @Dianamonkey.
What do you personally like about this sculpture ?
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Some more great ape sculptures from zoos around the world:
Chimp sculptures at Chattanooga zoo, USA:
Chimp sculpture at Sedgwick county zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Riverbanks zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Sedgwick county zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Ouwehands zoo , the Netherlands:
Orangutang sculpture at Cleveland Metro parks zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Chester zoo, UK:
Photo credits to @snowleopard , @geomorph , @vogelcommando, @fkalltheway and @MagpieGoose.
Chimp sculptures at Chattanooga zoo, USA:
Chimp sculpture at Sedgwick county zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Riverbanks zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Sedgwick county zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Ouwehands zoo , the Netherlands:
Orangutang sculpture at Cleveland Metro parks zoo, USA:
Orangutang sculpture at Chester zoo, UK:
Photo credits to @snowleopard , @geomorph , @vogelcommando, @fkalltheway and @MagpieGoose.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing @Dianamonkey !
I do think the sculptures and art at Menagerie Jardin des Plantes is among the most elegant and beautiful of any at zoos.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Beautiful sculpture of a freshwater turtle at Colchester zoo, UK :
Does anyone know what the story behind this is ?
Photo credit to @eggshelluk.
Does anyone know what the story behind this is ?
Photo credit to @eggshelluk.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
This lion in San Diego looks like something out of some crazy theme park in China!
A hippo from Wrocław and a giraffe from Amsterdam:
Thanks for sharing @Jurek7 !
These are quite eccentric statues, do you know what the story behind them is ?
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Not exactly "beautiful" or realistic but this interesting and rather gothic / Goya-esque statue of a bat was once at the now closed Valencia zoo apparently :
Photo credit to @Susanhumphries.
Photo credit to @Susanhumphries.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
More sculptures from zoos across the world:
Amur tiger sculpture at Antwerp zoo, Belgium:
Hippo sculptures at Marwell zoo, UK:
Macaque wooden sculptures at Tiergarten Schonbrunn, Austria:
Lion hunting gazelle sculpture at the Houston zoo, USA:
Axolotl alebrije sculpture at Chapultepec zoo, Mexico:
Sealion and pup sculpture at Mystic aquarium, USA:
Gorilla sculptures at Maryland zoo, USA:
Cheetah sculptures at ZSL London zoo:
Hippo sculpture at Longleat safari park, UK:
Cheetah sculpture at Cougar Mountain zoo, USA:
Grizzly bear sculpture at San Francisco zoo, USA:
Cheetah sculptures at Artis Royal zoo, the Netherlands:
Ostrich sculptures at Maryland zoo, USA:
Mountain gorilla bust sculpture at the LA zoo, USA:
Bearded dragon sculpture at Healesville sanctuary, Australia:
Rocky mountain goat sculpture at Cheyenne Mountain zoo, USA:
Prezewalski's horse sculptures at Prague zoo:
Ring tailed lemur sculptures at the Dallas zoo, USA:
Dik-dik sculpture at Saint Louis zoo, USA:
Photo credits to @bongowwf , @blospz , @Chlidonias , @eggshelluk , @geomorph , @DavidBrown ,@Maisie , @mhale , @snowleopard , @vogelcommando , @carlos55 ,
Amur tiger sculpture at Antwerp zoo, Belgium:
Hippo sculptures at Marwell zoo, UK:
Macaque wooden sculptures at Tiergarten Schonbrunn, Austria:
Lion hunting gazelle sculpture at the Houston zoo, USA:
Axolotl alebrije sculpture at Chapultepec zoo, Mexico:
Sealion and pup sculpture at Mystic aquarium, USA:
Gorilla sculptures at Maryland zoo, USA:
Cheetah sculptures at ZSL London zoo:
Hippo sculpture at Longleat safari park, UK:
Cheetah sculpture at Cougar Mountain zoo, USA:
Grizzly bear sculpture at San Francisco zoo, USA:
Cheetah sculptures at Artis Royal zoo, the Netherlands:
Ostrich sculptures at Maryland zoo, USA:
Mountain gorilla bust sculpture at the LA zoo, USA:
Bearded dragon sculpture at Healesville sanctuary, Australia:
Rocky mountain goat sculpture at Cheyenne Mountain zoo, USA:
Prezewalski's horse sculptures at Prague zoo:
Ring tailed lemur sculptures at the Dallas zoo, USA:
Dik-dik sculpture at Saint Louis zoo, USA:
Photo credits to @bongowwf , @blospz , @Chlidonias , @eggshelluk , @geomorph , @DavidBrown ,@Maisie , @mhale , @snowleopard , @vogelcommando , @carlos55 ,
Last edited:
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Racoon sculpture at the Minnesota zoo, USA:
Armadillo sculpture at the Philadelphia zoo, USA:
Arapaima sculpture at Mesker park zoo, USA:
Kangaroo sculpture at Cougar Mountain zoo, USA:
Otter sculpture at Dierenpark Amersfoot, the Netherlands:
Otters chasing salmon sculpture at North Carolina zoo:
Giant anteater sculpture at National zoo, USA:
Photo credits to @snowleopard, @blospz , @vogelcommando and @Giant Eland .
Armadillo sculpture at the Philadelphia zoo, USA:
Arapaima sculpture at Mesker park zoo, USA:
Kangaroo sculpture at Cougar Mountain zoo, USA:
Otter sculpture at Dierenpark Amersfoot, the Netherlands:
Otters chasing salmon sculpture at North Carolina zoo:
Giant anteater sculpture at National zoo, USA:
Photo credits to @snowleopard, @blospz , @vogelcommando and @Giant Eland .
Last edited:
You know what? It kind of does remind me of that too especially the assortment of colors and it being an animal too, I forgot that name for the art style but yes it does have a similar profile to Albrije art!
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
It definitely looks a bit psychedelic / alebrije like to me.
Can you think of any other sculptures at zoos that you have seen and liked ?
They do have other statues around but are more bronze styled metal statues. I do think they are very aesthetically pleasing but don’t carry the same weight or message as this statue. This statue to me engrosses the visitor into their environment and shows off aspects of Southwest Asian culture throughout. It stands out on top of the rest and is an immersive experience in my opinion. But the other statues are allocated near their Nairobi Village area and it show cases smaller mammals, reptiles, etc.