Most Underrated Zoos

[BerdNerd]

In my opinion, Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany, Georgia is way too underrated, and doesn’t really get the recognition it deserves, especially on this website. It was a member of AZA from 1997 to 2018, but was unfortunately stripped of its accreditation due to financial instability. Even so, I visited there many times when I previously lived in Georgia, and I can tell you right off the bat that they don’t skimp on the welfare of their animals. All of their animals have at least an adequate amount of space, but most of them have more than enough. It’s a pretty small zoo that you could finish in 30-45 minutes, but compared to other small zoos, they hold quite a few rarites including South-Central Black Rhinoceros, Red Wolf, Northern Bald Ibis, and Guatemalan Beaded Lizard. Also, parts of the path wind through natural swamps and forests, so you can appreciate the beauty of nature and maybe even see some native species such as deer, armadillos, bats, and various species of birds.

 

[ChIkEn NuGrEt]

In my opinion, Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany, Georgia is way too underrated, and doesn’t really get the recognition it deserves, especially on this website. It was a member of AZA from 1997 to 2018, but was unfortunately stripped of its accreditation due to financial instability. Even so, I visited there many times when I previously lived in Georgia, and I can tell you right off the bat that they don’t skimp on the welfare of their animals. All of their animals have at least an adequate amount of space, but most of them have more than enough. It’s a pretty small zoo that you could finish in 30-45 minutes, but compared to other small zoos, they hold quite a few rarites including South-Central Black Rhinoceros, Red Wolf, Northern Bald Ibis, and Guatemalan Beaded Lizard. Also, parts of the path wind through natural swamps and forests, so you can appreciate the beauty of nature and maybe even see some native species such as deer, armadillos, bats, and various species of birds.

I just looked this up and it looks simply amazing! I can’t believe that it would be considered underrated. If I went to Georgia for some reason I’d love to visit here.

 

[BerdNerd]

I just looked this up and it looks simply amazing! I can’t believe that it would be considered underrated. If I went to Georgia for some reason I’d love to visit here.

It is amazing indeed! But I think part of the reason it gets overlooked is because there are other bigger and better zoological parks in the state such as Zoo Atlanta and Georgia Aquarium.

 

[ChIkEn NuGrEt]

It is amazing indeed! But I think part of the reason it gets overlooked is because there are other bigger and better zoological parks in the state such as Zoo Atlanta and Georgia Aquarium.

Someday I wish to run/own a zoo like this, although I would probably want to get bigger eventually.

 

[Nix]

The MOST underrated zoos are Joburg Zoo and Pretoria Zoo (NZG):

Joburg Zoo:

Part of the WAZA yet so unheard of... They basically single-handedly brought the Pickergill's Reed frog from Extinction, the grounds are beautiful and lush with gorgeous lawns and forested pockets, Only Chacma Baboons in captivity. Successfully bred Cape Giraffes, African Elephants, African lions, Pygmy Hippos, L'Hoest's Monkeys, Black Spider Monkeys, Pumas etc.
Only Spectacled Bears in Africa aswell as a World class Amazon Section. A ape House that rivals American and European Zoos. overall this Zoo needs more attention!

Pretoria Zoo:

The national Zoo of ZA... well not the best, not the worst. grounds are stunning, really clean and tidy. The last couple of years it has gone quite backwards... but major renovation are on there way! Has a successful North bald Ibis breeding program, also bred Gorillas, Addax, Red Kangaroos and South African Fur Seals has insane amounts of Gibbons, Ring Tailed lemurs and Lechwes, all and all the Joburg Zoo is far better but NZG still deserves a visit!

 

[Chlidonias]

Only Chacma Baboons in captivity.

This cannot be right. Do you mean "in South Africa"?

Pretoria Zoo:

The national Zoo of ZA... well not the best, not the worst. grounds are stunning, really clean and tidy. The last couple of years it has gone quite backwards... but major renovation are on there way! Has a successful North bald Ibis breeding program, also bred Gorillas, Addax, Red Kangaroos and South African Fur Seals has insane amounts of Gibbons, Ring Tailed lemurs and Lechwes, all and all the Joburg Zoo is far better but NZG still deserves a visit!

Does the zoo have White-winged Flufftails now? (Future White-winged Flufftail Aviary - ZooChat). If so, have you seen them and do you have any photos?

 

[Nix]

This cannot be right. Do you mean "in South Africa"?


Does the zoo have White-winged Flufftails now? (Future White-winged Flufftail Aviary - ZooChat). If so, have you seen them and do you have any photos?

About the Flufftails, No the zoo's funding was drastically cut in 2018 when the birds where set to arrive, thus are the exhibits now unused

I think they are the only Chacmas in Captivity, There are none in any WAZA, AZA, EAZA Zoos, Private facilities are a whole different story but as far as i'm aware no Chacmas

 

[Chlidonias]

About the Flufftails, No the zoo's funding was drastically cut in 2018 when the birds where set to arrive, thus are the exhibits now unused

That's a shame.

I think they are the only Chacmas in Captivity, There are none in any WAZA, AZA, EAZA Zoos, Private facilities are a whole different story but as far as i'm aware no Chacmas

That was surprising to me! I just imagined they were still in captivity because lots of zoos used to have colonies of them. I knew the ones in Australasia were gone now, but I thought they would still be in Europe - however I just checked Zootierliste and there are no current holders.

There are some rescue facilities in South Africa with them (from some quick Googling) but I guess you are correct in that Joburg Zoo is the only zoo with them now.

 

[StoppableSan]

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned Sedgwick County! Here we have a zoo with almost all of the ABC animals one can ask for (African elephant, giraffe, black rhino, hippo, zebra, lion, gorilla, chimpanzee, tiger, orangutan, penguin, crocodile, etc.), zoogeographic/bioclimatic design (Tropics building, Pampas/Outback aviary, North American Prairie, African Veldt, etc.), GORGEOUS exhibitry (Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley, Slawson Tiger Trek, Cessna Penguin Cove) and an easy, intuitive layout! The zoo also has a bright future with a new leopard habitat (typical snow/amur leopard rotation), a big new entrance, and down the line maybe even a new savanna/hotel! I really, REALLY want to visit this zoo someday, as I cannot get enough of seeing it on ZooChat or YouTube.

 

[OkapiFan]

I think the most underrated zoo is the Greensboro Science Center. I know what you might be thinking, how can a science center even be classified as a zoo!! But the Greensboro Science Center is not only an AZA accredited zoo but also a AZA accredited aquarium (As well as an AAM accredited museum). In the Aquarium you can find Fishing Cats, Asian Small-clawed Otters, African Penguins, Sandbar, Blacktip, Bamboo, and Epaulette Sharks, Cownose, Spotted Eagle, and Southern Stingrays, Green Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Pufferfish, Moon and Upside-down Jellies, Lionfish, Deep Sea Isopods, Seahorses, Mantis Shrimp, Tons of Reef communities, Golden Lion Tamarins, Ti-ti Monkeys, a Caiman Lizard, a Green Anaconda, and lots of Amazonian fish. In the museum part, you can find most the animals you would expect to see at a science center (Your herps and inverts, including a 100 year Alligator Snapping Turtle). In the Zoo you will find Meerkats, Aldabra Tortoises, a Nile Crocodile, a Komodo Dragon, a discovery house (Housing the other animals you would expect to find. Like your Ferrets, Guinea Pigs etc.), Red Pandas, Javan Gibbons (One of only 3 places in the US were you can find this species), Ring-tailed and Red Ruffed Lemurs, a Fossa, Sumatran Tigers, Maned Wolves, a Giant Anteater, a Kookaburra, Black Howler Monkeys, Burmese Star Tortoises, and a little farm area. There are Chickens and Peacocks (Yes they are all male. And one of them is pure white!!) that are free roaming about the zoo. The expansion to the zoo will open June 4th. This will contain Cassowaries, Pygmy Hippos (Their exhibit being one of the largest of it's kind), an Okapi, Southern Ground Hornbills (Who will go on exhibit with the Okapi, Caribbean Flamingos, a Serval, a Sand Cat, and a Black-footed Cat that was just born at a zoo in Texas will be added when he is old enough to be separated from his mom. This expansion will also give new homes for the Fishing Cats (Doubling their space) and the Red Pandas (Tripling their space). The center is also planning on expanding the Meerkat, Javan Gibbon, and Sumatran Tiger habitats. They also participate in breeding programs for these species. Currently the center has had 21 African Penguin chicks, 3 Fishing kittens, a bunch of Maned Wolf and Asian Small-clawed Otter pups, 2 Javen Gibbon babies, 2 Screaming Hairy Armadillo pups, and in the future hopes to add baby Pygmy Hippos, Red Pandas, Kookaburras, Sumatran Tigers, Caribbean Flamingos, and Okapis to that list!

 

[Alex Bensky]

I personally think Detroit is overrated. Its great but its collection is somewhat small for its size and shrinking.

I am sorry to say that yes, Detroit's director has substantially reduced the collection. He is retiring so maybe the next director will reverse this.

 

[Alex Bensky]

I don't know if they're underrated or just not well known, but Haifa and Santa Barbara have small but very pleasant zoos, both with great views.

 

[MonkeyBat]

Not a zoo, but the National Mississippi Aquarium is a pretty nice facility. It doesn't just focus on animals but also history, geology, and science. It has interesting exhibits like a sturgeon touch tank and a free flight atrium. It has a nice collection of animals too, such as a stingray touch tanks, bald eagles, sea turtles, otters, alligators, and an outstanding collection of freshwater fish and ectotherms that I'm sure have to be rarities in captivity. Although it's certainly just a couple hour attraction, it is of outstanding quality. It is in a smaller sized city not usually visited by people, but not even many Iowans know about our wonderful aquarium.

 

[Animallover360]

I’d say the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island is underrated. The zoo has some pretty good enclosures, and a lot to see. They have many popular animals including elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, red pandas, Komodo Dragons, and animals not commonly found in zoos like the babirusa and the takin.

 

[MonkeyBat]

I’d say the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island is underrated. The zoo has some pretty good enclosures, and a lot to see. They have many popular animals including elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, red pandas, Komodo Dragons, and animals not commonly found in zoos like the babirusa and the takin.

I do have to say, for such a small state in a region with so many zoos, Roger Williams, from a collection standpoint, seems pretty good.

 

[birdsandbats]

It’s not really underrated as few people talk about it, but Wildwood Zoo is one of the best small zoos in North America.

I also think that Toledo is underrated, it is never mentioned among America’s best zoos, a spot I truly believe it deserves. Sure, its outdoor areas leave much to be desired, but indoors the collection is truly massive and the exhibitry excellent. I think it would be regarded higher if more people see the Promedica Museum of Natural History, the best section of the zoo that opened in 2019.

 

[Westcoastperson]

The Living Desert Zoo

I don’t think there’s much of anything in Living Desert I don’t like. The eagle aviary and fenec fox exhibits are a bit dark and unnatural but besides that it’s a great zoo. It also uses its dry and arid climate to hold a large amount of desert animals that would live in the region. Also the giraffe exhibit is in Bignate’s profile picture is amazing and creates a great panorama.

 

[tk17]

Mine would be gaiazoo, but this is only based on the limited amount I've been to.
Its a beautiful zoo with many large, natural enclosures snd a decent, collection of animals.
Besides, Its also one of the few zoos in the netherlands themed by continent.

 

[birdsandbats]

Not a zoo, but the National Mississippi Aquarium is a pretty nice facility. It doesn't just focus on animals but also history, geology, and science. It has interesting exhibits like a sturgeon touch tank and a free flight atrium. It has a nice collection of animals too, such as a stingray touch tanks, bald eagles, sea turtles, otters, alligators, and an outstanding collection of freshwater fish and ectotherms that I'm sure have to be rarities in captivity. Although it's certainly just a couple hour attraction, it is of outstanding quality. It is in a smaller sized city not usually visited by people, but not even many Iowans know about our wonderful aquarium.

How is that not a zoo?

Great Lakes Aquarium In duluth.

I visited this aquarium recently and expected a bit more from it. I think the zoo should shift its focus from trying to showcase a global collection to just focusing on the Great Lakes. It should focus specifically on how the Great Lakes have changes over time due to invasive species and pollution. They could then showcase some exotic species by comparing the Lawrentian Great Lakes and the African Rift Valley Lakes and exhibiting some cichlids and Nile Perch.

 

[Gondwana]

I visited this aquarium recently and expected a bit more from it. I think the zoo should shift its focus from trying to showcase a global collection to just focusing on the Great Lakes. It should focus specifically on how the Great Lakes have changes over time due to invasive species and pollution. They could then showcase some exotic species by comparing the Lawrentian Great Lakes and the African Rift Valley Lakes and exhibiting some cichlids and Nile Perch.

This is basically what the Great Lakes Aquarium was like 20 years ago. At the time the shipwrecks gallery was a temporary Lake Victoria exhibit with cichlids, Nile Perch, lungfish, crocodile, etc., the two larger Isle Royale tanks were divided into then/now, with "then" featuring only native species and "now" including the introduced salmonids, and there was an invasive species area with lampreys, rusty crayfish, etc. I think average patrons found the local focus boring and repetitive with most larger tanks anchored by some sort of trout or salmon, so attendance dropped and they eventually had to diversify to survive. It's similar to what took place at Adventure Aquarium, which started out as the "New Jersey State Aquarium" with only native species.