It appears I made an error on my list. In an earlier version of my plan for this thread I was going to do ten exhibits per post, but cover more species in each. In this version, I combined Bobcat and Canadian Lynx into one post. When separating it, however, I ended up placing NEW Zoo down for Canadian Lynx, not for Bobcat. I agree that the NEW Zoo's Bobcat exhibit is just as good as the five I mentioned, and probably would've made this list had it not been for that error.My favorite Bobcat exhibit can be found at the NEW Zoo, a little-known AZA collection in Suamico, Wisconsin:
Photo by @snowleopard
The Bobcat has access to the entire canopy and can be regularly seen high up in the spruce trees, gazing down at visitors:
(I took this one)
Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Best Exhibits
- Thread starter 15399
- Start date
Out of curiously, if you were to swap NEW Zoo in for one of the ones on your list, which would it be?
Probably North Carolina, but it's a difficult choice since all six are excellent in their own right.
For today's post, we will be covering a species that's a personal favorite of mine: the Takin! The takin was once rare in US Zoos, with the first individuals being imported to San Diego Zoo in 1987, where the first birth of the species outside of China occurred in 1989. Since then, the number of zoos with takin have grown drastically, with @TinoPup recording 22 facilities with takin in her ungulates thread (find here: Where do the Deer & Antelope Play?: A Look at America's Ungulate Populations). Nowadays, many smaller and medium-sized zoos also keep the species, which makes an engaging and impressive exhibit animal.
Criteria for this post include:
Photo by: @Moebelle.
Photo by: @Buckeye092.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @Dhole dude.
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
Photo by: @Pleistohorse.
Photo by: @cubsmaster.
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Criteria for this post include:
- Rocky Terrain: Takin live on mountains in the wild, and as such it's important for zoos to replicate this terrain as much as possible. Exhibits with rocky terrain allowing for climbing opportunities were as such prioritized over zoos that did not provide rocky terrain.
- Herd Size: One common theme in this thread will be that oftentimes species are kept in bare-minimum social groupings. Like other social species covered in this thread, zoos that keep larger herds of takin were prioritized over zoos that only house a pair of takin. Social groupings aren't as important with takin as they are with, say mandrills or giraffes, as the takin social structure will often change seasonally, however it's still important for zoos to replicate their social structure as much as possible through keeping larger herds.
- Water Features: Takin in zoos have often been reported to swim when large ponds are included in their exhibit. While this criteria is not overly important, zoos that allow takin the choice to submerge in water were prioritized over zoos that do not.
- The largest takin herd outside of China is at Ohio's The Wilds, which is now the first facility to be featured twice on this thread. The 350-acre first pasture at The Wilds houses a large herd of takin (as of 2022 there were over fifty takins here!), along with a number of other Asian ungulate species. While this exhibit could be improved with the inclusion of more rock features for climbing, the large size of the exhibit and herd are commendable. The exhibit also features a large lake that takin can sometimes be seen swimming in:
- North Dakota's Red River Zoo breeds takin in a spacious rocky habitat, featuring a large pond at the front as well:
- Minnesota Zoo's Northern Trail features another spacious takin exhibit. This habitat features both a large grassy area and sections with rocky terrain:
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a spacious habitat for takin and goral as part of their Asian Highlands area. This habitat features a very impressive rock face that provides excellent climbing opportunities for its inhabitants:
- Truthfully, this last spot could've easily gone to a number of different zoos, all of which have good, respectable takin habitats. While it was a difficult choice, I ended up going with Saint Louis Zoo, which features a group of takin as part of its Red Rocks habitat. This habitat stands out due to featuring more than a single pair of takin, along with the inclusion of rocky terrain to climb on:
I do want to note that Saint Louis actually has two separate takin enclosures, both of which are pictured above. If I’m not mistaken the larger one also features Chinese goral. While not as large as The Wilds or Minnesota, Omaha’s takin/goral cliffside is one of my all time favorite individual habitats. Brilliant down to the last detail and exactly how mountain ungulates should be exhibited in traditional zoos.For today's post, we will be covering a species that's a personal favorite of mine: the Takin! The takin was once rare in US Zoos, with the first individuals being imported to San Diego Zoo in 1987, where the first birth of the species outside of China occurred in 1989. Since then, the number of zoos with takin have grown drastically, with @TinoPup recording 22 facilities with takin in her ungulates thread (find here: Where do the Deer & Antelope Play?: A Look at America's Ungulate Populations). Nowadays, many smaller and medium-sized zoos also keep the species, which makes an engaging and impressive exhibit animal.
Criteria for this post include:
Here are my choices for the top five zoo takin exhibits:
- Rocky Terrain: Takin live on mountains in the wild, and as such it's important for zoos to replicate this terrain as much as possible. Exhibits with rocky terrain allowing for climbing opportunities were as such prioritized over zoos that did not provide rocky terrain.
- Herd Size: One common theme in this thread will be that oftentimes species are kept in bare-minimum social groupings. Like other social species covered in this thread, zoos that keep larger herds of takin were prioritized over zoos that only house a pair of takin. Social groupings aren't as important with takin as they are with, say mandrills or giraffes, as the takin social structure will often change seasonally, however it's still important for zoos to replicate their social structure as much as possible through keeping larger herds.
- Water Features: Takin in zoos have often been reported to swim when large ponds are included in their exhibit. While this criteria is not overly important, zoos that allow takin the choice to submerge in water were prioritized over zoos that do not.
- The largest takin herd outside of China is at Ohio's The Wilds, which is now the first facility to be featured twice on this thread. The 350-acre first pasture at The Wilds houses a large herd of takin (as of 2022 there were over fifty takins here!), along with a number of other Asian ungulate species. While this exhibit could be improved with the inclusion of more rock features for climbing, the large size of the exhibit and herd are commendable. The exhibit also features a large lake that takin can sometimes be seen swimming in:
Photo by: @Moebelle.
Photo by: @Buckeye092.
- North Dakota's Red River Zoo breeds takin in a spacious rocky habitat, featuring a large pond at the front as well:
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
- Minnesota Zoo's Northern Trail features another spacious takin exhibit. This habitat features both a large grassy area and sections with rocky terrain:
Photo by: @Dhole dude.
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a spacious habitat for takin and goral as part of their Asian Highlands area. This habitat features a very impressive rock face that provides excellent climbing opportunities for its inhabitants:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse.
Photo by: @cubsmaster.
- Truthfully, this last spot could've easily gone to a number of different zoos, all of which have good, respectable takin habitats. While it was a difficult choice, I ended up going with Saint Louis Zoo, which features a group of takin as part of its Red Rocks habitat. This habitat stands out due to featuring more than a single pair of takin, along with the inclusion of rocky terrain to climb on:
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Sphenisciologist
Well-Known Member
St. Louis does indeed keep them with Chinese gorals.
Overall this has been a really good thread so far! I look forward to the further posts from this and seeing which species are to come next. In addition to this and @pachyderm pro threads, these have been very enjoyable to read! They’re very inspiring and keep up the good work!
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
Omaha's Takin exhibit is one of the most aesthetically pleasing exhibits that I've ever seen.For today's post, we will be covering a species that's a personal favorite of mine: the Takin! The takin was once rare in US Zoos, with the first individuals being imported to San Diego Zoo in 1987, where the first birth of the species outside of China occurred in 1989. Since then, the number of zoos with takin have grown drastically, with @TinoPup recording 22 facilities with takin in her ungulates thread (find here: Where do the Deer & Antelope Play?: A Look at America's Ungulate Populations). Nowadays, many smaller and medium-sized zoos also keep the species, which makes an engaging and impressive exhibit animal.
Criteria for this post include:
Here are my choices for the top five zoo takin exhibits:
- Rocky Terrain: Takin live on mountains in the wild, and as such it's important for zoos to replicate this terrain as much as possible. Exhibits with rocky terrain allowing for climbing opportunities were as such prioritized over zoos that did not provide rocky terrain.
- Herd Size: One common theme in this thread will be that oftentimes species are kept in bare-minimum social groupings. Like other social species covered in this thread, zoos that keep larger herds of takin were prioritized over zoos that only house a pair of takin. Social groupings aren't as important with takin as they are with, say mandrills or giraffes, as the takin social structure will often change seasonally, however it's still important for zoos to replicate their social structure as much as possible through keeping larger herds.
- Water Features: Takin in zoos have often been reported to swim when large ponds are included in their exhibit. While this criteria is not overly important, zoos that allow takin the choice to submerge in water were prioritized over zoos that do not.
- The largest takin herd outside of China is at Ohio's The Wilds, which is now the first facility to be featured twice on this thread. The 350-acre first pasture at The Wilds houses a large herd of takin (as of 2022 there were over fifty takins here!), along with a number of other Asian ungulate species. While this exhibit could be improved with the inclusion of more rock features for climbing, the large size of the exhibit and herd are commendable. The exhibit also features a large lake that takin can sometimes be seen swimming in:
Photo by: @Moebelle.
Photo by: @Buckeye092.
- North Dakota's Red River Zoo breeds takin in a spacious rocky habitat, featuring a large pond at the front as well:
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
- Minnesota Zoo's Northern Trail features another spacious takin exhibit. This habitat features both a large grassy area and sections with rocky terrain:
Photo by: @Dhole dude.
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a spacious habitat for takin and goral as part of their Asian Highlands area. This habitat features a very impressive rock face that provides excellent climbing opportunities for its inhabitants:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse.
Photo by: @cubsmaster.
- Truthfully, this last spot could've easily gone to a number of different zoos, all of which have good, respectable takin habitats. While it was a difficult choice, I ended up going with Saint Louis Zoo, which features a group of takin as part of its Red Rocks habitat. This habitat stands out due to featuring more than a single pair of takin, along with the inclusion of rocky terrain to climb on:
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Kudos on this thread @Neil chace and it's proven to be an enjoyable read so far. Even though you haven't visited a ton of zoos in your lifetime, nevertheless you have done a lot of research and your posts have been informative. For example, I was shocked to learn that The Wilds has more than 50 takin, or that Jacksonville Zoo currently has 8 mandrills. Those sort of facts add a lot to this fascinating thread. Keep it up!
Also, that takin/goral exhibit in the Asian Highlands zone in Omaha is mesmerizing from photos.
Also, that takin/goral exhibit in the Asian Highlands zone in Omaha is mesmerizing from photos.
For today's post, we will be covering a species that's a personal favorite of mine: the Takin! The takin was once rare in US Zoos, with the first individuals being imported to San Diego Zoo in 1987, where the first birth of the species outside of China occurred in 1989. Since then, the number of zoos with takin have grown drastically, with @TinoPup recording 22 facilities with takin in her ungulates thread (find here: Where do the Deer & Antelope Play?: A Look at America's Ungulate Populations). Nowadays, many smaller and medium-sized zoos also keep the species, which makes an engaging and impressive exhibit animal.
Criteria for this post include:
Here are my choices for the top five zoo takin exhibits:
- Rocky Terrain: Takin live on mountains in the wild, and as such it's important for zoos to replicate this terrain as much as possible. Exhibits with rocky terrain allowing for climbing opportunities were as such prioritized over zoos that did not provide rocky terrain.
- Herd Size: One common theme in this thread will be that oftentimes species are kept in bare-minimum social groupings. Like other social species covered in this thread, zoos that keep larger herds of takin were prioritized over zoos that only house a pair of takin. Social groupings aren't as important with takin as they are with, say mandrills or giraffes, as the takin social structure will often change seasonally, however it's still important for zoos to replicate their social structure as much as possible through keeping larger herds.
- Water Features: Takin in zoos have often been reported to swim when large ponds are included in their exhibit. While this criteria is not overly important, zoos that allow takin the choice to submerge in water were prioritized over zoos that do not.
- The largest takin herd outside of China is at Ohio's The Wilds, which is now the first facility to be featured twice on this thread. The 350-acre first pasture at The Wilds houses a large herd of takin (as of 2022 there were over fifty takins here!), along with a number of other Asian ungulate species. While this exhibit could be improved with the inclusion of more rock features for climbing, the large size of the exhibit and herd are commendable. The exhibit also features a large lake that takin can sometimes be seen swimming in:
Photo by: @Moebelle.
Photo by: @Buckeye092.
- North Dakota's Red River Zoo breeds takin in a spacious rocky habitat, featuring a large pond at the front as well:
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
- Minnesota Zoo's Northern Trail features another spacious takin exhibit. This habitat features both a large grassy area and sections with rocky terrain:
Photo by: @Dhole dude.
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a spacious habitat for takin and goral as part of their Asian Highlands area. This habitat features a very impressive rock face that provides excellent climbing opportunities for its inhabitants:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse.
Photo by: @cubsmaster.
- Truthfully, this last spot could've easily gone to a number of different zoos, all of which have good, respectable takin habitats. While it was a difficult choice, I ended up going with Saint Louis Zoo, which features a group of takin as part of its Red Rocks habitat. This habitat stands out due to featuring more than a single pair of takin, along with the inclusion of rocky terrain to climb on:
Photo by: @pachyderm pro.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Just a sidenote, the first takin birth outside of Asia took place in Tierpark Berlin in 1980. That was a Mishmi takin, so San Diego was still the first with Sichuan takin.
Takin also live in the mountain forests, so cliff and scree habitats don't do them justice. It is not in the US, but the coming enclosure in Nuremberg will feature both a mountain forest part and a rocky part. It will house a large group of takin together with Bharal, so will probably rival all other takin enclosures out there
Takin also live in the mountain forests, so cliff and scree habitats don't do them justice. It is not in the US, but the coming enclosure in Nuremberg will feature both a mountain forest part and a rocky part. It will house a large group of takin together with Bharal, so will probably rival all other takin enclosures out there
Conscious of the risk of partially derailing what is an excellent thread, but out of interest when is this slated to open?
Adding onto this, are there any renderings and/or a site plan of this enclosure?
Antimony96
Well-Known Member
Are takin in North America all of the Sichuan subspecies?
cloudedleopard611
Well-Known Member
I know San Diego has goldens.
The lower forest part (former guanaco enclosure) should likely open this year, apparently it is down to some small work. Work on the upper rocky part (current takin enclosure) hasn't started yet and will only commence once the takin move to the lower part, so I don't expect the full enclosure to be finished before 2025. As the zoo is doing most of the construction itself, the pace is agonizingly slow.... They have been busy with this enclosure for years, but the bharal have already arrived and opening should really happen this year according to the zoo. But German zoos and deadlines is not always a lucky combination....
I couldn't find a single picture of the exhibit in the old or current state, nor is the internet of much help.... The new enclosure will be 4500 square metres (1.1 acres) and be hilly.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Note on The Wilds: the takin have access to a few paddock areas. A lake forms one of the boundaries between paddocks and the takin can just swim across it. On the tour they tell an anecdote about how they didn’t know takin could swim when they first arrived and woke up one day thinking the takin had somehow disappeared. I’m not sure if you totaled all the areas they have access to for the 350 acres or not.
In addition to the golden mentioned by @cloudedleopard611, San Diego also has mishmi, which are also around in private hands.
Going back to giraffe, I would echo those suggesting Busch Gardens and The Living Desert exhibits as substitutes for The Wilds and, in my opinion, Fossil Rim, as well. While Fossil Rim be the most physically similar to their native habitat, from a husbandry standpoint, I believe there is much to be desired. Central Texas can still get quite cold, and their indoor holding and separation options are really sub-optimal for the weather that Texas can experience and they are limited in what medical and physical maintenance work they can do for the giraffe while awake, and as browsers, giraffe are really not suited to the hand-feeding pellet, which is really just empty calories for them. I’m not a fan of drive-through hand-feeding in general, but certainly not for browsers.
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cloudedleopard611
Well-Known Member
Are the mishmi visible to the public? I don't remember seeing them during my visit last year, though I suppose a lot could have changed between now and then.
They are not. They’re in the old hillside yards behind the Skyfari boarding area in Northern Frontier.
Today's post is dedicated to the largest of the canid species, the Grey Wolf! While many of the individuals kept in US zoos are generic, there is also a sizeable population of Mexican Grey Wolves managed through the AZA and USFWS, which has also served as a reintroduction program. Grey wolves are by and large the most commonly seen large canid in US Zoos, and are often found in everything from large AZA zoos, to roadside attractions, to facilities specializing in native wildlife. There are even a handful of US zoos almost exclusively dedicated to grey wolves! For this post, the main criteria being used are:
Photo by: @Ituri.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @Coelacanth18.
Photo by; @TheEthiopianWolf03.
Photo by: @Newzooboy.
Photo by: @TinoPup.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @snowleopard.
Photo by: @Dhole dude.
- Size: Wolves are fairly large animals that in the wild will live across large territories. This can best be replicated in captivity through giving extremely large enclosures, even more so than what should be given to other, similarly sized species. In fact, I'm pretty certain every exhibit on this list is at least an acre large!
- Social Structure: Wolves are pack species. While many zoos have traditionally (and even to this day) kept wolves in pairs, many of the better exhibits for wolves are those that display larger packs of wolves.
- Plants: Wolves typically live in dense, forested areas. Due to this, exhibits that are more densely planted were prioritized for this thread.
- Hiding Opportunities: While size and plants partially accounts for this, it warrants additional mention that wolves are shy, timid creatures. The best exhibits for them account for this by giving the wolves plenty of spaces to hide. One way this is achieved is by ensuring exhibits are properly deep (allowing areas far from the visitor path) rather than building long, yet narrow, exhibits.
- Like with many native wildlife species, some of the best exhibits in the country are at facilities that specialize in native species. One of the best examples of this is at Washington's Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, whose wolf exhibit is essentially just a spacious area of forest dedicated to the wolves. When a zoo's location is similar or identical to the animal's wild habitat, oftentimes it doesn't require much to build a stand-out exhibit, and what essentially amounts to a fenced off section of forest can be the best option for a species such as wolves. Features for visitors include viewing tunnels and other options for unobstructed views of the exhibit. The only problem with this exhibit is that unfortunately the Northwest Trek only has three wolves in its collection, and per their website the two females rotate time on exhibit:
- A very large exhibit for grey wolves is located on Oakland Zoo's California Trail. This exhibit may not be as densely forested as the rest on this list, but still dedicates a large area to its wolves and is still nicely planted, providing a strong aesthetic to an already strong exhibit. Oakland Zoo keeps a pack of six grey wolves, which is commendable in its own right, a breeding pair and their four adult pups.
- Another zoo with a pack of six wolves, in this case six Mexican grey wolf brothers, is Massachusetts' Stone Zoo, the only exhibit on this list I've personally seen. This exhibit is particularly commendable because it shows how a small or medium zoo can dedicate substantial space and resources to a high profile species: in this case by having a two-acre area dedicated to the pack of wolves, located in what is essentially undisturbed forest. For a zoo that is only approximately 20 acres, it's impressive when two of them are dedicated to a single species! While not the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on this list, it is very naturalistic in its own right, and certainly warrants a mention in this post:
- For another facility to focus on native species, Wisconsin's Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary dedicates an acre to its pack of grey wolves, which as of 2022 consisted of five individuals. Impressive viewing windows overlook an exhibit that is similarly very forested and large:
- While not as well known as their sister facility in Omaha, Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park, which also specializes in native species, has its fair share of impressive exhibits as well. Their grey wolf pack consists of five individuals, and similarly to some of the other exhibits mentioned in this post this amounts to essentially a large fenced off section of forest:
There are plenty of terrific wolf exhibits in American zoos and you did a great job in highlighting five of them. However, I think that a notable omission would be Brookfield Zoo's Regenstein Wolf Woods. It's arguably the single best exhibit at that zoo. With its innovative one-way windows and two acres of space, @pachyderm pro was so impressed that he included it in his thread America's 100 Must See Exhibits. Here are some photos:
@geomorph
@pachyderm pro
@Moebelle
@geomorph
@pachyderm pro
@Moebelle