I copied the first part of this message from one of my photo comments, and then added another couple of paragraphs:
The photos are making this zoo appear to be better than it actually is, as to be honest it lost its accreditation a few years ago for substandard housing for its hippos. Now that the zoo has regained its status as a proper collection things have improved, but much of the wire fencing is basic and it is possible to put your hand into just about every single hoofstock enclosure as they are only surrounded by wooden posts and wire. It reminds me of many photos of overseas zoos, as instead of mock-rock and walls or anything resembling immersion exhibitry there are very basic wood and wire containments for animal exhibits. There is not necessarily anything wrong with that, but walking around the Greater Vancouver Zoo the vast majority of the enclosures look similar, and with the huge number of hoofstock species visitors were saying "antelope, deer, antelope, deer" as they walked past paddock after paddock.
The best thing about the zoo is the SPACE that the animals are given, as the 1.2 acre hippo exhibit, 2 acre wild boar exhibit, 10 acre black bear/wolf exhibit, 1.5 acre grizzly bear exhibit, 15 acre bison/elk/deer exhibit are all exceptional. Most of the hoofstock paddocks are at least an acre in size, and so the enclosures are quite muddy, basic and barren but full of room to roam.
My main criticism of the zoo is that it is not visitor friendly enough in comparison to many other major zoological parks. The countless paddocks of hoofstock are simply not interesting to many visitors, and the sheer size of the enclosures means that sometimes there are no animals to be seen unless one is patient and willing to wait for a sign of movement. The "big name" carnivores such as the lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs and pumas are all seen behind thick wire fencing that makes it difficult for viewing, and a handful of animals can only be seen by taking the 15-minute bus tour. Also, every single enclosure in the entire zoo is made up of basic wooden fencing with wire surrounding the animals. Safety is a concern as even with the big cats I could (if I chose to be foolish) step over a 3 foot wooden fence and then poke my fingers into the cages. With all of the hoofstock paddocks it is possible to put an entire arm into the exhibit, even though many of the animals would probably ignore the limb. Ha!
I uploaded over 200 photos from this zoo today, and many of them show massive paddocks that house the extensive hoofstock collection. Those animals do well in the tough Canadian winters.
A sampling of the species found at the zoo:
Hoofstock: 32 species
Addax, Bactrian Camel, Dromedary Camel, Guanaco, Kulan, Yak, Markhor, Aoudad, Black Burro, Black Fallow Deer, Sika Deer, Pere Davids Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Reindeer, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Nilgai, Blackbuck, Alpine Ibex, White Elk, Roosevelt Elk, Moose, Bison, Zebra, Eland, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe, Hippo, Ankole Cattle, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Miniature Horse.
Canids: 4 species
Arctic Fox, Arctic Wolf, Vancouver Island Wolf, Coyote.
Felines: 7 species
Cheetah, Lion, Amur Tiger, Jaguar, Caracal, Eurasian Lynx, Puma.
The photos are making this zoo appear to be better than it actually is, as to be honest it lost its accreditation a few years ago for substandard housing for its hippos. Now that the zoo has regained its status as a proper collection things have improved, but much of the wire fencing is basic and it is possible to put your hand into just about every single hoofstock enclosure as they are only surrounded by wooden posts and wire. It reminds me of many photos of overseas zoos, as instead of mock-rock and walls or anything resembling immersion exhibitry there are very basic wood and wire containments for animal exhibits. There is not necessarily anything wrong with that, but walking around the Greater Vancouver Zoo the vast majority of the enclosures look similar, and with the huge number of hoofstock species visitors were saying "antelope, deer, antelope, deer" as they walked past paddock after paddock.
The best thing about the zoo is the SPACE that the animals are given, as the 1.2 acre hippo exhibit, 2 acre wild boar exhibit, 10 acre black bear/wolf exhibit, 1.5 acre grizzly bear exhibit, 15 acre bison/elk/deer exhibit are all exceptional. Most of the hoofstock paddocks are at least an acre in size, and so the enclosures are quite muddy, basic and barren but full of room to roam.
My main criticism of the zoo is that it is not visitor friendly enough in comparison to many other major zoological parks. The countless paddocks of hoofstock are simply not interesting to many visitors, and the sheer size of the enclosures means that sometimes there are no animals to be seen unless one is patient and willing to wait for a sign of movement. The "big name" carnivores such as the lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs and pumas are all seen behind thick wire fencing that makes it difficult for viewing, and a handful of animals can only be seen by taking the 15-minute bus tour. Also, every single enclosure in the entire zoo is made up of basic wooden fencing with wire surrounding the animals. Safety is a concern as even with the big cats I could (if I chose to be foolish) step over a 3 foot wooden fence and then poke my fingers into the cages. With all of the hoofstock paddocks it is possible to put an entire arm into the exhibit, even though many of the animals would probably ignore the limb. Ha!
I uploaded over 200 photos from this zoo today, and many of them show massive paddocks that house the extensive hoofstock collection. Those animals do well in the tough Canadian winters.
A sampling of the species found at the zoo:
Hoofstock: 32 species
Addax, Bactrian Camel, Dromedary Camel, Guanaco, Kulan, Yak, Markhor, Aoudad, Black Burro, Black Fallow Deer, Sika Deer, Pere Davids Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Reindeer, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Nilgai, Blackbuck, Alpine Ibex, White Elk, Roosevelt Elk, Moose, Bison, Zebra, Eland, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe, Hippo, Ankole Cattle, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Miniature Horse.
Canids: 4 species
Arctic Fox, Arctic Wolf, Vancouver Island Wolf, Coyote.
Felines: 7 species
Cheetah, Lion, Amur Tiger, Jaguar, Caracal, Eurasian Lynx, Puma.
