Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia Zoo Review and Species List - 04/28/2024

[Astrotom3000]

Good day fellow ZooChatters! I am back with another zoo review and species list!

For this visit, I have had the opportunity to visit America's oldest operating zoo; the Philadelphia Zoo. This is a small-medium sized zoo, around 42 acres, located in the eponymous city. The Zoo is a part of Fairmount Park, a system of parks located along the Schuylkill River. The zoo is rather densely packed and is sandwiched between railroad tracks on 3 sides as well as highway I-76.

The zoo was originally chartered in 1859, but the Civil War delayed its opening until 1874. Today, the zoo features over 200 species of animals, including many rare and endangered species, amongst a variety of exhibits. The zoo's long and storied history is reflected in its layout, design, and architecture, with plenty of bits and bobs here and there reminding you of just how old this zoo is, from the old-fashioned architecture of the former Pachyderm house, main entrance, and various facilities, to the emphasis of exhibiting animals based on taxonomy rather than geography. Yet, Philadelphia is also a zoo that drives innovation and modernization in animal exhibitry, breeding, conservation work, and husbandry. Probably where this is best exemplified is the Zoo360 trail system, a network of netted tubes that enable various animals from primates to big cats to travel over pathways and through trees to other parts of the zoo, enabling unique enrichment opportunities for both animals and visitors.

Needless to say, Philadelphia Zoo is a certified winner in my book. This facility seriously impressed me by what they had to offer from its collection to its exhibits to its old-fashioned charm, yet refreshing and innovative ways of showcasing its animals. Even though Philly is by no means a perfect zoo and definitely has some flaws, I feel like what this zoo does well not only help overcome said flaws, but also seriously elevate it into the upper echelons of my zoo rankings. I actually don't think I have had a first-time visit to a zoo leave such a positive impression on me since my first (and to date, only) visit to Omaha back in 2017.

In addition, this might also be one of the best visits I've ever had to a zoo in terms of weather and animal visibility in a long time. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and I saw almost every signed species. I think the number of signed species I DIDN'T see can be counted with one hand. In addition, many of the animals were active; watching 3 sloth bears bouncing around in their exhibit or watching Sifakas traverse the elevated trails at high speed was surely a sight to behold.

As usual, I will be providing my thoughts, as well as a species list, for each of the zoos exhibits over a series of posts. I have also created a list on iNaturalist which you can view here -> [VISIT] Philadelphia Zoo Species List - 2024/04/28.

Without further ado, let's jump in. The next post will cover the first batch of exhibits.

 

[Astrotom3000]

Part 1 - Entrance to Reptile and Amphibian House
​

For this review, I will retrace the path I took while visiting the zoo. The zoo is basically one big loop with a few offshoots here and there. I started at the main entrance and went counter-clockwise, starting with Primate Passage. Spiders Alive! and Bird Valley were the last 2 exhibits I visited.

This first part will cover the following exhibits

• Primate Passage
• Rare Animal Conservation Center
• Reptile and Amphibian House

Primate Passage
This is the very first exhibit you encounter upon traversing through the main entrance. This consists of a single large mesh-covered enclosure home to primates.

Overall, this is a good way to start. The exhibit is very tall, large, and has plenty of climbing opportunities, which seems to be the mantra for all of Philly's primate exhibits; go tall and go large. But one flaw I noticed that will creep up a bunch during this review is the mesh they use, which made getting good pictures challenging at certain points. Still, this is a very good primate exhibit.

• Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza)
• Red-tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) - Also exhibited at PECO Primate Reserve

Rare Animal Conservation Center
The first of Philly's various indoor exhibits, this large building focuses on rare and endangered species, true to its name. It's also one of several exhibits that link up to the Zoo360 trail system, allowing some of its residents to traverse the trails to other parts of the zoo on certain days.

This exhibit, in some ways, reminded me of Riverbank's Conservation Outpost. But needless to say, Philly's RACC is far superior. The exhibits felt far more spacious and home to more appropriately-sized residents. It also helped that some of the species had access to multiple enclosures, plus potential access to the Zoo360 trails. The lighting was also far better. The enclosures may not be entirely naturalistic, but I still think this area is pretty decent.

Note that you will see animals listed more than once, because they were signed at multiple non-adjacent enclosures.

• Naked Molerat (Heterocephalus glaber)

• Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
  
• Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)

• Brazilian Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis)
  
• Geoffroy's Marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi)

• Bolivian Gray Titi (Plecturocebus donacophilus)

• Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) - Signed as Giant Elephant Shrew
  
• Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)

• White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia)

• Rodrigues Flying-fox (Pteropus rodricensis)

• Francois' Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) - Had access to the Zoo360 trails.

• Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) - Signed as Giant Elephant Shrew
  
• Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
• Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

• Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) - Signed as Giant Elephant Shrew
  
• Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
• Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)

• Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz)

Reptile and Amphibian House
This is exactly what it says on the tin, but interestingly enough, this is where almost the entirety of the zoo's reptile and amphibian collection can be found (save for 2-3 species in the Faris Family Education Center). Even more interesting, and also very baffling, is the complete absence of venomous snakes. Yes, there are ZERO venomous snakes in the zoo's public-facing herpetology collection. This was not always the case, as a statue of the King Cobra at the end of the first hall can attest to.

This building had a handful of empty exhibits, mainly one immediately to the left as you enter the first hall (coming from the RACC), a mid-sized enclosure in the central rotunda, what appear to be 2 small side-side terrariums in the central rotunda, a large enclosure in the aquatic wing, and a large divided enclosure that wraps around the corner near the reticulated python/Anaconda habitats. This looked like it held crocodiles in the past.

I found this to be a pretty decent reptile house with a good collection in spite of venomous snakes being entirely absent. The enclosures are all well designed and furnished, many of them densely planted to, and there's a good representation of species of all sizes. Granted, it's also nothing special either. It doesn't come close to Atlanta's Slimy Scalely Spectacular, but I did find it to be superior to Virginia's World of Reptiles. I think, though, that Riverbanks ARC gets the slight edge for its variety.

First Hall (Clockwise from entrance)

• Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

• American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

• McCord's box turtle (Cuora mccordi)

• Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

• Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
• Southeastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum)
• Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)

• Solomon Island Tree Boa (Candoia bibroni)

• Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
  
• Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
• Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)*

• Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) (Not seen)

• Solomon Islands Skink (Corucia zebrata)

• Flat-tailed Tortoise (Pyxis planicauda)

• European Glass Lizard (Pseudopus apodus)

• Black-banded Trinket Snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus)

• Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)
  
• Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)

• Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus)

• Golfo Dulce Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus)
• Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus)
• Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

• Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)

• Madagascar Ground Boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis)

• Madagascar tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis)

• Black-breasted Hill Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri)
• Bourret's Box Turtle (Cuora bourreti) (Not seen)

• Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
• Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) (Not seen)

• Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing) (Not seen)
  
• Oriental Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis)
• Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale)

• One-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma pholeter)

• Kaiser's Newt (Neurergus kaiseri)

• Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) (Not seen)

Rotunda

• Black Tree Monitor (Varanus beccarii) (Corner)

• Mertens' Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi) (Corner)

• Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) (Corner)

• Southern Green Python (Morelia viridis) (Corner)

• Weber's Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus weberi) (Center)

Aquatic Wing

• Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)

• Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)**

Desert Wing

• Dwarf Shield-Tailed Agama (Xenagama taylori)

• Hosmer's Spiny-tailed Skink (Egernia hosmeri)
  
• Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)

• Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)

• Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)

• Southern Banded Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus wheeleri)

• Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)

• Kimberley Rock Monitor (Varanus glauerti)

• West Mexican Milksnake (Lampropeltis polyzona)***

Giants Wing

• Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum) (Not seen)
• Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

• Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

• Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)

• Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)

• Western Santa Cruz Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger porteri) (Also exhibited outside)

Outdoor Exhibit

• Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
• Western Santa Cruz Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger porteri)

Notes
*The ratsnake here was signed as Pantherophis obsoletus, but the signage had the Southeastern US as their range, which only makes sense for P. alleghaniensis. Given that other zoos have also signed for P. obsoletus (or even Elaphe obsoletus) where P. alleghaniensis would have been more appropriate, I went with the latter.
**The Snapping Turtle was signed as Florida Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina osceola). However, this is no longer considered a valid subspecies and, in fact, C. serpentina no longer has any recognized subspecies.
***This snake was signed as Pueblan Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli). Under the taxon scheme that I used, this is not a valid subspecies and has been folded into L. polyzona.

To be Continued.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Even more interesting, and also very baffling, is the complete absence of venomous snakes. Yes, there are ZERO venomous snakes in the zoo's public-facing herpetology collection. This was not always the case, as a statue of the King Cobra at the end of the first hall can attest to.

It's a very recent development actually; they phased out their venomous snakes last year - my understanding is that cost and a shortage of staff trained in handling hots were reasons why. They had multiple venomous snakes when I visited in 2018, including a large King Cobra (exhibited I believe where that statue you mentioned is).

Talked about here: Philadelphia Zoo News 2023 [Philadelphia Zoo]

I was lukewarm on some parts of Philly when I visited, but the Reptile & Amphibian House was a bright spot for me. Smaller than some of the giants I've been to, but a nice selection, well-furnished enclosures and with spacious and tidy-looking viewing areas.

As an aside, I'm enjoying these reviews a lot! I look forward to reading more on this one

 

[snowleopard]

I have visited Philadelphia Zoo only once, in the summer of 2010, and they had a lot of mammals at that time that are not common in American zoos: Douc Langur, Dusky Leaf Monkey, Blue-eyed Black Lemur, Mongoose Lemur, Aye-aye, Coquerel's Sifaka, Pygmy Slow Loris, Asiatic Black Bear, Polar Bear, Aardvark, Bornean Bearded Pig, African Striped Weasel, etc.

That being said, I was not a huge fan of Philly Zoo as I felt as if many of the exhibits were mediocre. I've been to hundreds of zoos and I still feel as if Philly has hardly a single animal enclosure that is remarkable by any stretch of the imagination. Looking at the zoo's map right now, I'm not sure that anything has changed. I liked Big Cat Falls and Bear Country (although both are now a bit tight on space), felt that the Primate House and Rare Animal Conservation Center were both terrible (pre-Zoo360 trail system expansion!), and much of the rest of the zoo was simply bland. Back in 2010, the zoo still had Common Hippos, Indian Rhinos, venomous snakes in the above average Reptile House and some interesting species in the Nocturnal Wing inside the Small Mammal House.

But I love reading zoo reviews on this site and I greatly appreciate the effort it takes to spend many hours coming up with overviews of zoos. Especially important, historic zoos like the one in Philadelphia. Thanks!

 

[Astrotom3000]

Part 2 - KidZooU to Big Cat Falls​

This next part will continue our trek around the main loop and cover the exhibits you encounter when walking from the Reptile and Amphibian House up to the Backyard Kitchen and Picnic Grove. This part will encompass the following exhibits.

• KidZooU
• PECO Primate Reserve
• Big Cat Falls

KidZooU
This section of the zoo is aimed at families and children and is something of a mini-zoo unto itself. This area is home to the zoo's barnyard exhibit as well as the Faris Family Education Center. This is another area that had experiencing dramatic transformation in the past, as the Education Center used to be a large stable for various pachyderms and hoofstock. In fact, the building still bears the Pachyderms moniker to this day. The building features various animal exhibits and activities for younger visitors. Over in the barn area, the goats get their own version of the Zoo360 trail system, complete with bridges and corridors.

This is a pretty well-done barnyard area, and one that manages to preserve its history. The goat trails that go around and over guest pathways definitely sets it apart from other farmyard exhibits. The building itself is also quite nice, even if it doesn't really have anything to appeal to older visitors.

That being said, in this area I encountered something I thought I wouldn't see at the zoo, and something that has become my nemesis to the point where I dread seeing it pop up...

...the unsigned Coral Reef Aquarium!

Barnyard

• Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)
  • Ossabaw Island Hog

• Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

• Domestic Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo var. domesticus)

• Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries aries)
  • Jacob Sheep

• Domestic Goat (Capra hircus hircus)
  • Angora Goat
    
  • Arapawa Goat
  • Golden Guernsey Goat
    
  • Oberhasli Goat
  • Nigerian Dwarf Goat
  • Saanen Goat

• Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
  • Capuchine Pigeon
  • Fantail Pigeon
    
  • Frillback Pigeon
  • Homing Pigeon
    
  • Magpie Pigeon
    
  • Modena Pigeon
  • Nun Pigeon

• Domestic Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)
  • Ancona Duck
  • Black and Blue Swedish Duck
    
  • Buff Duck
  • Cayuga Duck
    
  • Runner Duck
    
  • Welsh Harlequin Duck

Faris Family Education Center - Fair bit of warning, most of these had no latin name signed, so I had to match them up.

• Central American Boa (Boa imperator) (Signed as Hog Island Boa)

• Unspecified Bearded Dragon (Pogona spp.)

• Unspecified Hermit Crab (Paguroidea spp.)

• Domestic Ferret (Mustela furo)

• Bluering Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)
• Elegant Unicornfish (Naso elegans)
  
• Longfin Bannerfish (Heniochus macrolepidotus)
• Ocellaris Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
  
• Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
• Red-tailed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare)
• Redtooth Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
• Sohal Surgeonfish (Acanthurus sohal)

• Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) - Signed as Giant Elephant Shrew

• Domestic Rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica)

• Long-legged Desert Ant (Novomessor cockerelli)

• Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) (Unsigned)

• Domestic Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)

• Indian Domino Cockroach (Therea petiveriana)

• Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)

• Giant Cave Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus)

• New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect (Eurycantha calcarata)

• Death-feigning Beetle (Asbolus verrucosus)

• Honduran Curlyhair Tarantula (Tliltocatl albopilosus)

PECO Primate Reserve
This exhibit complex is all about primates, and consists of a large building with 3 outdoor exhibits and several indoor exhibits for various primates. This exhibit is connected to the Zoo360 trail system, which can be utilized by the lemurs, monkeys, and gibbons. The two great ape species also get their own version of the trail system. The Gorillas, Orangutans, and Gibbons have access to both indoor and outdoor habitats. Lastly, there is a walk-through Lemur exhibit.

This exhibit seems to have proved controversial on here and has elicited strong opinions before. I do agree that this exhibit definitely has its flaws, namely the lack of naturalism in the indoor exhibits. That being said...I actually don't think this exhibit is bad at all. In fact, I think it's pretty decent for the most part.

Yes, the indoor exhibits are pretty sterile-looking and could use substrate and more natural climbing structures, but I wouldn't call them bad when most of the residents were actively exploring their habitats and making full use of all the climbing structures they have. The exhibits may not be naturalistic, but they are spacious, have plenty of climbing, and they all span 2 floors, providing lots of vertical space, something that more primate exhibits could use. Even the gorillas get a pretty tall indoor space. The male White-handed Gibbons wrestling and playing with each other in their indoor habitat didn't care that the big climbing structures were all steel; they swung in and out of that thing like pros.

Plus, as mentioned earlier, these animals can alternatively access the Zoo360 trail system; the Sifakas spent the entire day traversing the trails, never being spotted in their indoor habitat. I feel this greatly alleviates the fact that most of these enclosures are indoor-only.

The Orangutan/Gibbon outdoor habitat is especially good because they had full access to the mature trees in their exhibit, something that is rare among great ape exhibits. I do agree that the Gorilla outdoor habitat could use more climbing structures.

Of course, it can't hold a candle to something like Atlanta's Great Ape and Primate exhibits. At the same time, it's pretty hard for me to call these the worst primate exhibits when Greenville, Riverbanks, and Florida Aquarium exist for comparison

Also dear lord, that Aye-aye exhibit is dark as all hell. Might be the darkest nocturnal animal exhibit I have ever experienced. I was still able to see them silhouetted against the dimly-lit walls.

• Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) (Lemur Island Walkthrough)
  
• Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) (Lemur Island Walkthrough)

• Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
• Pygmy Slow Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus) (Not seen, but confirmed on exhibit)

• Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata)

• Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

• Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

• Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)*
• White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)*

• Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza)

• Colombian Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris) (Not moved in, but visible elsewhere in the zoo)

Big Cat Falls
This is a fairly large exhibit complex that focuses entirely on big cats (well, Cougars aren't technically "big cats", but it's the spirit that counts). This exhibit consists of 5 large enclosures through which the cats can rotate (according to signage). There is also an overhead trail system the cats can use, and the cats have their own version of the Zoo360 trail system.

Overall, I think this is a pretty solid big cat complex. The 5 enclosures are all spacious and well-landscaped. The central exhibit (which held leopards on my visit) is probably the best one due to just how densely-planted it was. It was also pretty neat seeing the Snow Leopards patrol the overhead pathways. Not too much else to say, but I really dug this enclosure.

• Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

• Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

• Cougar (Puma concolor)

• Jaguar (Panthera onca) (Not seen)

• Lion (Panthera leo)

• Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Notes
*The Orangutans and Gibbons do not actually share the same space at the same time, but they do rotate between each other's exhibits.

To Be Continued...

 

[Astrotom3000]

It's a very recent development actually; they phased out their venomous snakes last year - my understanding is that cost and a shortage of staff trained in handling hots were reasons why. They had multiple venomous snakes when I visited in 2018, including a large King Cobra (exhibited I believe where that statue you mentioned is).

Talked about here: Philadelphia Zoo News 2023 [Philadelphia Zoo]

I was lukewarm on some parts of Philly when I visited, but the Reptile & Amphibian House was a bright spot for me. Smaller than some of the giants I've been to, but a nice selection, well-furnished enclosures and with spacious and tidy-looking viewing areas.

As an aside, I'm enjoying these reviews a lot! I look forward to reading more on this one

Thank you very much. Wow, that's really a bummer to hear what happened to their venomous snake collection. Indeed, their reptile house may not be the best or biggest, but they did a good job with the space they had. The only thing I can wish for is that they work to fill up those empty exhibits.

I have visited Philadelphia Zoo only once, in the summer of 2010, and they had a lot of mammals at that time that are not common in American zoos: Douc Langur, Dusky Leaf Monkey, Blue-eyed Black Lemur, Mongoose Lemur, Aye-aye, Coquerel's Sifaka, Pygmy Slow Loris, Asiatic Black Bear, Polar Bear, Aardvark, Bornean Bearded Pig, African Striped Weasel, etc.

That being said, I was not a huge fan of Philly Zoo as I felt as if many of the exhibits were mediocre. I've been to hundreds of zoos and I still feel as if Philly has hardly a single animal enclosure that is remarkable by any stretch of the imagination. Looking at the zoo's map right now, I'm not sure that anything has changed. I liked Big Cat Falls and Bear Country (although both are now a bit tight on space), felt that the Primate House and Rare Animal Conservation Center were both terrible (pre-Zoo360 trail system expansion!), and much of the rest of the zoo was simply bland. Back in 2010, the zoo still had Common Hippos, Indian Rhinos, venomous snakes in the above average Reptile House and some interesting species in the Nocturnal Wing inside the Small Mammal House.

But I love reading zoo reviews on this site and I greatly appreciate the effort it takes to spend many hours coming up with overviews of zoos. Especially important, historic zoos like the one in Philadelphia. Thanks!

Thank you for the kind words. Sorry to hear that Philadelphia didn't do it for you; I have been to comparatively fewer zoos (Philly is just my 37th facility, lol), so it's entirely possible that I may not view Philly as highly as I am now once I get more zoos under my belt in the future. But for now, I still felt from my first visit that there was definitely stuff to like here and Philadelphia did give the impression that they are genuinely working to improve, which is not something I can say for some other comparable facilities I have visited in the past such as ZooTampa.

I can definitely see where you are coming from, because Philly is far from a flawless zoo even today and some parts are better than others (something that will definitely come up in later parts of my review). But from what I have glanced from older media, news threads, and even historical satellite imagery, this zoo has actually changed quite a bit. Most notably, the Zoo360 system was built after your visit, and I do admit that played a part in why I am ultimately positive about Philadelphia in spite of its shortcomings.

Also, I never mentioned this before, but I liked reading your trip reports from back in the day and they were a part of what inspired me to start writing reviews here. Thank you very much!

 

[Astrotom3000]

Part 3 - Wings of the World to McNeil Avian Center
​

This next part will mainly cover the habitats at the southern end of the zoo, starting with the Wings of the World exhibit, working our way past the bird of prey exhibits, and finally ending at the McNeil Avian Center. With a few exceptions, this part will be very bird-centric.

This part will cover the following exhibits.

• Wings of the World
• South End Exhibits
• Raptor Ridge
• McNeil Avian Center

Wings of the World
This is a small walkthrough aviary located near the Backyard Kitchen picnic area. Despite the name, all the birds here are native to Asia, so maybe it should have been called Wings of Asia instead?

This exhibit is fairly underwhelming and forgettable as far as walkthrough aviaries are concerned. The exhibit itself is sparsely planted and the lineup is fairly light. The fun of trying to find the birds amongst the landscape is non-existent here. In all honesty, this particular exhibit feels shoehorned in.

• Chinese Hwamei (Garrulax canorus) (Unsigned)
  
• Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)
• Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
  
• Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
• Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
  
• Temminck's Tragopan (Tragopan temminckii)

South End Exhibits and Raptor Ridge
This area really doesn't have a formal name, but it's all located along a single linear path that starts at the Backyard Kitchen area and ends at the Water is Life exhibit. With a few exceptions, this area is entirely big birds.

The exhibits here are a mixed bag. I actually quite liked the Spider Monkey, Hornbill, and Cheetah habitats. The monkey exhibit is fairly big for the species, almost as if it was designed for something else entirely. The Hornbill and Cheetah exhibits are spacious and lush, but I do feel the exhibit is wasted on the horbill (I heard it held Maned Wolves before?). The Raptor exhibits are all fairly underwhelming, with the vulture and caracara exhibit being too small. The Bald Eagle exhibit is the only one that feels decent. Also, they utilize wood-and-wire, which is a barrier type I am not a fan of.

• Colombian Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris)

• Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus)
  
• Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

• Southern Ground-Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)

• Southern and Eastern African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus)

• Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

• Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
• Domestic Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

McNeil Avian Center
This is the zoo's bird house, and a fairly old exhibit at that. This entirely indoor exhibit features several mixed-species aviaries as well as a rainforest walkthrough. Nearby is a VERY tall aviary for vultures and caracaras.

I'd say this exhibit reminded me of Riverbank's Bird House; there's not a whole lot of species in here, but what they do have are well-housed in some nice and lush exhibits. I particularly liked how the exhibits were divided out by geography. The rainforest walkthrough is a nice bonus, even if it's only average compared to other walkthroughs I have done such as the ones at Jacksonville or NC's former RainForest Aviary (may you rest in peace). Not sure how I would stack this with Riverbanks; Riverbanks lacks a walkthrough and doesn't have the rarities that Philly does, but it had more variety thanks to its penguin habitat and better exhibits for the individual aviaries.

The nearby vulture aviary is very tall and gives the birds lots of flight space. A caracara was perched near the top, and was so high up I could not get a good picture of it.

Large Outdoor Aviary

• Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus)
  
• Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)
  
• King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)

Avian Center - Tropical Aviary in Lobby

• Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus)
  
• Great Argus (Argusianus argus)
• Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata)
• Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise (Paradisaea raggiana)

African Savanna

• Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota)
• Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius)
  
• Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus)
• Taveta Golden-Weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps)
  
• Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum)

Island Birds

• Guam Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus)
• Guam Rail (Gallirallus owstoni)

• Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi)
• Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons)
• Mindanao Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba crinigera)

• Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
• Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)
  
• Indian White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
  
• Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)

RainForest Walkthrough

• Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
• Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis)
• Crested Coua (Coua cristata)
• Crested Partridge (Rollulus rouloul)
  
• Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)
• Inca Tern (Larosterna inca)
• Madagascar Teal (Anas bernieri)
• Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica)
• Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)
  
• Pink-headed Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus porphyreus)
• Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise (Paradisaea raggiana)
• Victoria Crowned-Pigeon (Goura victoria)
  
• White-winged Duck (Asarcornis scutulata)

Birds and Coffee

• Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
• Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
• Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) (Unsigned)
  
• Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)
• Sora (Porzana carolina)
• Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)

Notes
None.

To Be Continued...

 

[Astrotom3000]

Part 4 - Water is Life to Bear Country
​

This next part has us coming up the east side of the zoo, leaving off from Raptor Ridge and head down the next set of exhibits. This next part will feature the following exhibits.

• Water is Life
• African Plains
• Penguin Point
• Bear Country

Aqua - Water is Life
This is an oddly-named exhibit that, allegedly, focuses on animals and water? Yeah, I have no idea what the overall theme of this exhibit is supposed to be, considering only one of its residents is actually strongly connected to aquatic environments.

So the good news is that, from a design and aesthetics standpoint, this exhibit is actually solid. I like the landscaping and how the path snakes its way through caves and canyons. The otter and red panda exhibits are also very nice; they have their own set of rotational exhibits with interconnected trails that allow them to go over and even under guest pathways.

The bad news is that they put an ugly playground slide in the otter exhibit. It came THIS close to being one of my favorite otter exhibits. It's still a good exhibit, and I am sure the otters get a kick out of the slide, it just clashes horribly with the otherwise naturalistic approach.

Thematically, the exhibit is a complete mess. From what I saw, this used to be a carnivore complex, which would explain a lot, since the bird and bat exhibits here feel like they were designed for completely different species. So it seems like the zoo lost some species and had to put something in to fill space, so they just threw their hands up in the air and said "whatever".

There is what appears to be an empty exhibit near the Red Panda habitat.

• Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

• Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
• Silver Teal (Spatula versicolor)
• Spotted Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna guttata)

• Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

• Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

African Plains
This part of the zoo focuses on animals. From Africa. The plains that are in Africa, you see (sorry, I got nothing fancy to say here other than it's just your typical African hoofstock exhibit).

This could just be a product of me being spoiled by North Carolina's massive Watani Grasslands and Forests' Edge exhibits, but I have yet to find an "African Plains" exhibit in a normal zoo that has been anything above average. This is definitely one of the weakest areas of the zoo. Not to dredge up Riverbanks AGAIN, but like Riverbanks, what you get is a set of forgettable enclosures all crammed along one path with Rhinos, Zebras, Giraffes...and not much else.

There is a big open enclosure that looks pretty spacious and could have had a good mix....but all we get is a domestic cattle breed and a common suid species that is completely inappropriate for the exhibit. The giraffe exhibit is bland and boring (you ain't no Forest's Edge), the Hippopotamus exhibit here somehow manages to look both less interesting and less naturalistic than the one across the river (you know which one), and the Zebra/Rhino exhibit almost comes close to being decent.

Yeah, all and all, this one just barely edges out Riverbank's also-forgettable Ndoki Forest, if only because Philly's rhino exhibit is less crappy.

• Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

• Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus)
  • Ankole-Watusi Cattle
• Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus)

• Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) (Yes, they actually AVOIDED signing them as Reticulated!)

• Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
• Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)

• Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)*

Penguin Point
So this exhibit was actually originally designed and built for Polar Bears, and this is fairly obvious when you see the exhibit in person. Not only is it adjacent to 2 other bear exhibits, but the landscaping, deep water pool, and viewing windows were all designed for a large animal in mind. The exhibit contains a large beach area, a deep pool, and plentiful viewing.

This is actually a fairly good penguin exhibit for its size, variety of terrain, and deep pool. It's actually one of the better penguin exhibits I have seen. The only issue is that they seem to only have a fairly small colony.

• Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
• Flying Steamer Duck (Tachyeres patachonicus)

Bear Country
This exhibit complex focuses on bears, duh. But only other similar exhibits, we got 2 species of exotic bears here and thankfully, ones that I have not seen yet this year so I could get more credits for that 2024 ZooChat challenge.

The Penguin Point exhibit is technically part of this complex, but is thematically its own thing.

The bear habitats here are pretty decent, but nothing special. They are pretty lush and grassy, and decently sized. They could use more flourishes to spice things up, such as additional rockwork or climbing structures for the bears to interact with.

• Sri Lankan Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus)

• Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Notes
*This animal isn't technically part of this exhibit, and they aren't even really captive. But the zoo maintains an apiary nearby, and has signage.

To Be Continued...

 

[Tigeanderson]

Part 4 - Water is Life to Bear Country
​

This next part has us coming up the east side of the zoo, leaving off from Raptor Ridge and head down the next set of exhibits. This next part will feature the following exhibits.

• Water is Life
• African Plains
• Penguin Point
• Bear Country

Aqua - Water is Life
This is an oddly-named exhibit that, allegedly, focuses on animals and water? Yeah, I have no idea what the overall theme of this exhibit is supposed to be, considering only one of its residents is actually strongly connected to aquatic environments.

So the good news is that, from a design and aesthetics standpoint, this exhibit is actually solid. I like the landscaping and how the path snakes its way through caves and canyons. The otter and red panda exhibits are also very nice; they have their own set of rotational exhibits with interconnected trails that allow them to go over and even under guest pathways.

The bad news is that they put an ugly playground slide in the otter exhibit. It came THIS close to being one of my favorite otter exhibits. It's still a good exhibit, and I am sure the otters get a kick out of the slide, it just clashes horribly with the otherwise naturalistic approach.

Thematically, the exhibit is a complete mess. From what I saw, this used to be a carnivore complex, which would explain a lot, since the bird and bat exhibits here feel like they were designed for completely different species. So it seems like the zoo lost some species and had to put something in to fill space, so they just threw their hands up in the air and said "whatever".

There is what appears to be an empty exhibit near the Red Panda habitat.

• Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

• Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
• Silver Teal (Spatula versicolor)
• Spotted Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna guttata)

• Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

• Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

African Plains
This part of the zoo focuses on animals. From Africa. The plains that are in Africa, you see (sorry, I got nothing fancy to say here other than it's just your typical African hoofstock exhibit).

This could just be a product of me being spoiled by North Carolina's massive Watani Grasslands and Forests' Edge exhibits, but I have yet to find an "African Plains" exhibit in a normal zoo that has been anything above average. This is definitely one of the weakest areas of the zoo. Not to dredge up Riverbanks AGAIN, but like Riverbanks, what you get is a set of forgettable enclosures all crammed along one path with Rhinos, Zebras, Giraffes...and not much else.

There is a big open enclosure that looks pretty spacious and could have had a good mix....but all we get is a domestic cattle breed and a common suid species that is completely inappropriate for the exhibit. The giraffe exhibit is bland and boring (you ain't no Forest's Edge), the Hippopotamus exhibit here somehow manages to look both less interesting and less naturalistic than the one across the river (you know which one), and the Zebra/Rhino exhibit almost comes close to being decent.

Yeah, all and all, this one just barely edges out Riverbank's also-forgettable Ndoki Forest, if only because Philly's rhino exhibit is less crappy.

• Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

• Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus)
  • Ankole-Watusi Cattle
• Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus)

• Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) (Yes, they actually AVOIDED signing them as Reticulated!)

• Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
• Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)

• Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)*

Penguin Point
So this exhibit was actually originally designed and built for Polar Bears, and this is fairly obvious when you see the exhibit in person. Not only is it adjacent to 2 other bear exhibits, but the landscaping, deep water pool, and viewing windows were all designed for a large animal in mind. The exhibit contains a large beach area, a deep pool, and plentiful viewing.

This is actually a fairly good penguin exhibit for its size, variety of terrain, and deep pool. It's actually one of the better penguin exhibits I have seen. The only issue is that they seem to only have a fairly small colony.

• Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
• Flying Steamer Duck (Tachyeres patachonicus)

Bear Country
This exhibit complex focuses on bears, duh. But only other similar exhibits, we got 2 species of exotic bears here and thankfully, ones that I have not seen yet this year so I could get more credits for that 2024 ZooChat challenge.

The Penguin Point exhibit is technically part of this complex, but is thematically its own thing.

The bear habitats here are pretty decent, but nothing special. They are pretty lush and grassy, and decently sized. They could use more flourishes to spice things up, such as additional rockwork or climbing structures for the bears to interact with.

• Sri Lankan Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus)

• Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Notes
*This animal isn't technically part of this exhibit, and they aren't even really captive. But the zoo maintains an apiary nearby, and has signage.

To Be Continued...

Wait what happened to the foosa because if I remember correctly they are kept right by the otters and red pandas and I was wondering but are the hammerkop in the exhibit that used to have pelicans because last time I went to the Philadelphia zoo they were in the aviary in the savanna section of the aviary.

 

[zoo_enthusiast]

Birds and Coffee​

• Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
• Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
• Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) (Unsigned)
  
• Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)
• Sora (Porzana carolina)
• Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)

Are you sure about Blyth's tragopan in Philadelphia? According to ZIMS they only have 1.1 Cabot's tragopan and 1.0 Temminck's. The only Blyth's tragopan in the United States that I know of is 1.0 in San Diego.

 

[Astrotom3000]

Wait what happened to the foosa because if I remember correctly they are kept right by the otters and red pandas and I was wondering but are the hammerkop in the exhibit that used to have pelicans because last time I went to the Philadelphia zoo they were in the aviary in the savanna section of the aviary.

No sign of the Fossa anywhere. Apparently, they may have been moved to the Conservation Center afterwards, but they seem to be gone from the collection entirely unless they are BTS.

Also, the Hamerkop are in the grotto-esque exhibit immediately following the Giant Otter habitat (between that and the Vampire Bat exhibit). They are no longer exhibited in the McNeil Avian Center's Savanna exhibit.

Are you sure about Blyth's tragopan in Philadelphia? According to ZIMS they only have 1.1 Cabot's tragopan and 1.0 Temminck's. The only Blyth's tragopan in the United States that I know of is 1.0 in San Diego.

Oh shoot, you might be right. I had to do some image searching and it looks like I may have confused the 2 species. This is my first time seeing this species. Having taken a 2nd look, the animal I saw now seems to more closely resemble a Cadot's.

Will need to update the media, and I will note the error in my next post. Thank you for spotting that.

 

[15399]

For this visit, I have had the opportunity to visit America's oldest operating zoo; the Philadelphia Zoo.

Philadelphia Zoo is certainly an old, and historically significant, zoo, but if you want America's oldest operating zoo, you'd have to drive about 100 miles further north .

I was lukewarm on some parts of Philly when I visited, but the Reptile & Amphibian House was a bright spot for me. Smaller than some of the giants I've been to, but a nice selection, well-furnished enclosures and with spacious and tidy-looking viewing areas.

I visited Philadelphia Zoo once, in 2022, and this was similarly my favorite part of the zoo. I was especially a fan of the zoo's rattlesnake collection, which included a few species I've never seen anywhere else (panamint and banded rock rattlesnake), so I was certainly disappointed by the news of the venomous snake phase-out.

• Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) (Lemur Island Walkthrough)
  
• Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) (Lemur Island Walkthrough)

Interesting, I don't remember there being a lemur walk-through when I visited, this must be new within the past two years.

Overall, I think this is a pretty solid big cat complex. The 5 enclosures are all spacious and well-landscaped.

This is a part of the post that I'd strongly disagree with. The exhibits are okay for the smaller cats (e.g., snow and Amur leopards), but I was shocked at how small the lion exhibit was! Is it the worst cat exhibit I've ever seen? No, but certainly not one I'd rate near the top either.

The Orangutan/Gibbon outdoor habitat is especially good because they had full access to the mature trees in their exhibit, something that is rare among great ape exhibits.

I'd actually strongly disagree with this rather strongly. Just because there are a few trees, it still remains very short on climbing opportunities. Ideally, orangutans (and especially gibbons) should have the ability to locomote from one end of the exhibit to the other without touching the ground- something that the Philadelphia apes are not able to do. I will admit I have high standards for zoo orangutan exhibits- and I've disliked all five of the orangutan exhibits I've seen in recent years, but certainly not an exhibit I was impressed by.

The Penguin Point exhibit is technically part of this complex, but is thematically its own thing.

I'm pretty certain the penguin exhibit is a renovation of an old polar bear exhibit, hence why it's part of a bear complex.

McNeil Avian Center
This is the zoo's bird house, and a fairly old exhibit at that. This entirely indoor exhibit features several mixed-species aviaries as well as a rainforest walkthrough. Nearby is a VERY tall aviary for vultures and caracaras.

While I was overall unimpressed by the Philadelphia Zoo, this is actually a reason I'd like to return someday. When I visited in 2022, all the bird exhibits were closed due to HPAI, so I couldn't go into this building or see the penguins and bird valley. I'd imagine my views of Philadelphia Zoo would've been better if birds were around, seeing as these bird sections make up about half the zoo. My visit wasn't helped by the fact none of the primates were using Zoo360 on my visit, either (only a sleeping leopard was).

 

[Tigeanderson]

No sign of the Fossa anywhere. Apparently, they may have been moved to the Conservation Center afterwards, but they seem to be gone from the collection entirely unless they are BTS.

Also, the Hamerkop are in the grotto-esque exhibit immediately following the Giant Otter habitat (between that and the Vampire Bat exhibit). They are no longer exhibited in the McNeil Avian Center's Savanna exhibit.



Oh shoot, you might be right. I had to do some image searching and it looks like I may have confused the 2 species. This is my first time seeing this species. Having taken a 2nd look, the animal I saw now seems to more closely resemble a Cadot's.

Will need to update the media, and I will note the error in my next post. Thank you for spotting that.

Oh okay

 

[Astrotom3000]

Part 5 - ...And the Rest
​

Before we dive into the last set of exhibits, I want to point out that I misidentified an unsigned bird in the McNeil Avian Center; what I labeld as Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) should actually be Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti). Credit to @zoo_enthusiast for pointing this out.

This last part will focus on the last few exhibits in the zoo's northeast quadrant, as we round the main loop and find ourselves back near the main entrance. This last part will cover these exhibits.

• Spiders Alive!
• Outback Outpost
• Bird Valley

Outback Outpost
This exhibit is just a single enclosure home to 2 familiar species of Australian wildlife. Not much else to comment on as that's all to it.

The enclosure itself is alright, but this area is just forgettable (hell, I didn't even upload a photo of this exhibit prior to me typing this out). This exhibit is pretty out of the way and feels pushed to the side. I have never visited an Australian-themed exhibit on the East Coast that has been anything more than forgettable (but that will, hopefully, change next week *wink wink*).

• Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
• Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)

Spiders Alive!
This exhibit is situated inside the zoo's former Small Mammal building and is all about spiders. The exhibit contains a variety of exhibits as well as interpretive displays educating visitors about spiders, along with other arachnids.

This building formerly held a variety of small mammals, most notably Meerkats. The Meerkats had an indoor exhibit, which actually still be seen behind the first few spider terrariums, as well as an outdoor maze of enclosures and chutes that the animals could explore. Unfortunately, the previous residents had passed away in a tragic accident, and the zoo is working to obtain new animals. For now, invertebrates rule the house.

So the exhibit itself is actually quite nice. There is a wealth of information here as well as a neat display of preserved specimens. The species lineup may not be the most memorable, but there are some interesting species here. But what I admired more about this exhibit was the zoo making use of a building that had ceased to serve its original purpose. It's nice to see the zoo repurpose this building into something interesting for visitors instead of just leaving the building to collect dust. It's a shame that the building isn't without its star animals, but it is what it is.

• Golden Silk Spider (Trichonephila clavipes)

• Common Whipspider (Damon variegatus)

• Giant Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus)

• Desert Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)

• Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)

• Mexican Redknee Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi)

• Unspecified Fishing Spider (Dolomedes spp.)

• Wolf Spider (Hogna antelucana)

• Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria)

• Indian Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria regalis)

• Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)

• Metallica Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)

• Brazilian Red-and-white Tarantula (Vitalius chromatus)

• Southern House Spider (Kukulcania hibernalis)

• Unspecified Jumping Spider (Phidippus spp.)

• Unspecified Grass Spider (Agelenopsis spp.)

Bird Valley
This last exhibit is home to various birds, focusing entirely on semi-aquatic birds.

This is probably hands down the worst area of the zoo. The main bird exhibits are all fairly uninteresting, ugly, and boring. It doesn't help that they used domestic species to pad out the species lineup. I really like that Philadelphia tries to preserve its history wherever possible, but they really could have done anything to make these exhibits look nicer. They're all just glorified grottoes with awkward viewing.

Like the rest of the exhibits in this general area, it feels just kind of...there.

The one exception is the Flamingo exhibit, which is actually one of the better flamingo exhibits I have seen. The birds have plentiful water and land area, and they even seem to have access to a 2nd exhibit.

• American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)

• Domestic Greylag Goose (Anser anser domesticus)
  • Sebastopol Goose

• Andean Goose (Oressochen melanopterus)

• Andean Goose (Oressochen melanopterus)

• Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) (Unsigned)
• Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides)
  
• White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

• Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

• Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Notes
Duplicate entries in the Bird Valley list mean that the species occupies more than one exhibit. Also, some of the enclosures were connected.

To Be Concluded...

 

[Astrotom3000]

Philadelphia Zoo is certainly an old, and historically significant, zoo, but if you want America's oldest operating zoo, you'd have to drive about 100 miles further north .

Oh yeah, the Central Park Zoo. Now, I know that zoo technically opened first, but didn't it open as a menagerie and not as a true zoo until the 1930s? I was going to mention that in my opening post, but I didn't want to stick my toes in that debate.

Interesting, I don't remember there being a lemur walk-through when I visited, this must be new within the past two years.

It looks like the Lemur Walkthrough opened just last year.

I'd actually strongly disagree with this rather strongly. Just because there are a few trees, it still remains very short on climbing opportunities. Ideally, orangutans (and especially gibbons) should have the ability to locomote from one end of the exhibit to the other without touching the ground- something that the Philadelphia apes are not able to do. I will admit I have high standards for zoo orangutan exhibits- and I've disliked all five of the orangutan exhibits I've seen in recent years, but certainly not an exhibit I was impressed by.

That's a good point; the outdoor habitat could definitely use more climbing structures to achieve that goal. It was just refreshing seeing that they get access to trees when most zoos just hot wire them and call it a day. I still don't think it's a bad exhibit per say, but it can definitely be improved upon.

I'm pretty certain the penguin exhibit is a renovation of an old polar bear exhibit, hence why it's part of a bear complex.

That's precisely the case. It's just that the zoo now treats it as a separate exhibit even though it's still structurally part of Bear Country.

While I was overall unimpressed by the Philadelphia Zoo, this is actually a reason I'd like to return someday. When I visited in 2022, all the bird exhibits were closed due to HPAI, so I couldn't go into this building or see the penguins and bird valley. I'd imagine my views of Philadelphia Zoo would've been better if birds were around, seeing as these bird sections make up about half the zoo. My visit wasn't helped by the fact none of the primates were using Zoo360 on my visit, either (only a sleeping leopard was).

Unfortunately, Bird Valley isn't worth it. Avian Center may be worth it just for the rarities.

 

[Astrotom3000]

Conclusion and Closing Remarks
​

Man this review took a while to type up...

So this concludes my review and overview of the Philadelphia Zoo. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to this old and storied zoo and there were definitely aspects of it that I really liked, as well as aspects I was less than amicable about. Philadelphia Zoo is definitely a flawed facility, but also one that I feel also does some things very well, and one that I might even think is somewhat underrated.

Something that came up as I typed up this review is that Philly seems to be a bit polarizing in the community, and I appear to have a more positive outlook on this zoo than other members. I can definitely see where many criticisms regarding this facility come from, mainly due to some seemingly-bizarre choices they have made over the years, such as the decision to completely phase out their venomous snake collection or their habit of designing their indoor exhibits with a pure focus on functionality without much regard to aesthetics.

And yes, a part of me wishes they didn't go with such a sterile industrial look for their primate and rare animal complexes, but at the same time, it's hard for me to be disappointed when the animals were as active and eager to demonstrate natural behaviors as they were on my visit. They were taking full advantage of what the zoo designed for them. Given that and the fact that Philly has been successful at breeding endangered species...they must be doing something right?

Nevertheless, there are definitely plenty of areas that Philadelphia could improve on, particularly with their primate exhibits and the exhibits on the eastern part of the zoo. Little things here and there could go a long way towards making Philly a much better zoo. Philly may have lots of things holding it back, but it also has lots of things that it does right.

I wanted to also shout out to the Zoo360 trail system. I really enjoyed watching animals use it and the potential enrichment opportunities it can provide to both guests and animals. The system is very extensive, and animals can show up where you least expect them. This encourages you to be on your toes and remain vigilant throughout your visit, no matter where you are in the zoo. It's a definite win and something I wish more zoos would look into.

Philadelphia's focus on retaining it historical roots and architecture is also something to admire. I really haven't been to a zoo that was so old that they still have these historical structures around (my home zoo was built in just the 1970s, cut me some slack!). So I definitely enjoyed the experience of seeing a bit of zoo history.

Overall, I do consider Philadelphia to be a good zoo even with its flaws. I think my initial assessment of Philly being in the upper echelons might have been premature, and I will of course reflect on this visit as I experience more zoos. This was my 37th overall zoological facility, and I will definitely be adding more under my belt this year. I plan to do a re-ranking of all zoos I have visited by years end, so stay tuned for that.

With that out of the way, let's look at the species totals.

Total Species - 203

• Birds - 62
• Mammals - 49
• Reptiles - 46
• Arachnids - 17
• Amphibians - 13
• Fish - 8
• Insects - 7
• Crustaceans - 1

Birds are the dominant taxon here, and Philadelphia boasts a solid lineup from small passerines to large vultures, even if the exhibits are hit-and-miss. Mammals come in at 2nd place, and this was one of the more mammal-heavy zoos I have visited in a while. Reptiles are nearly neck-to-neck with Mammals, and all but 2 species are found in one building. The lack of venomous snakes is certainly unique, but Philly still manages to hold a decent collection. Arachnids and Amphibians make a small splash thanks to dedicated exhibits, and the Faris Center rounds out the collection with a handful of insects, fish in an unsigned coral reef aquarium (I can't seem to escape bad aquarium signage this year), and a crustacean.

That will do it for my review and species list for the Philadelphia Zoo. I hope you all enjoyed this write up and maybe even find this species list to be useful. I am in PA until July and plan to hit up some other zoos in the general area, especially for next week, where I might be going....national. In two ways...

Thank you, and until next time, peace.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Thanks for the comprehensive summary and thoughts @Astrotom3000. Both when I visited in 2018 - and still today, after having visited many other zoos for the first time - my main takeaway from Philly is that it's a decent zoo overall, with very good and comprehensive indoor exhibits being weighed down by more sparse, forgettable and disorganized outdoor exhibits. My favorite parts of the zoo were all of its major buildings, and it looks like the repurposing of the Small Mammal House was a successful pivot as well (when I visited it still held mammals, but was close to emptied out by then). The outdoor exhibits were comparatively hit-or-miss; most of them felt incomplete or weirdly organized, with Water is Life in particular being the most confusingly-themed exhibit complex I've seen in a zoo. I'm not someone who needs big, expensive, well-organized exhibit complexes to be satisfied at a zoo - but Philly is one that I've always felt would benefit from a bit more filling in and reorganizing outside, and probably some renovations too.

Also dear lord, that Aye-aye exhibit is dark as all hell. Might be the darkest nocturnal animal exhibit I have ever experienced.

Having seen three Aye-Aye exhibits now (excluding San Diego's, which was essentially an empty cage from a visitors' perspective), this seems to be a trend with them - all three I've seen have been very low-light even for a nocturnal exhibit. I wonder if it might be for husbandry reasons. That being said, Philly is the only zoo so far where I've been successful at seeing them; it takes several minutes to properly adjust your eyes, but with patience it's actually a pretty good exhibit for viewing IMO.

(I can't seem to escape bad aquarium signage this year)

As long as you continue visiting aquariums, you won't escape it

The lack of venomous snakes is certainly unique

It isn't, actually there are several major or mid-sized zoos that lack venomous snakes too. Primarily outside the South, though, which I know has been your primary stomping grounds - so it's probably more unusual for you. Southern zoos rarely skimp when it comes to danger noodles!

 

[CarLover]

I believe the bearded dragon in KidZooU is a Central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) and the hermit crabs are Caribbean hermit crabs (Coenobita clypeatus).