Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Best Exhibits

[NSU42]

When originally planning for this thread I included Detroit for chimpanzees... and then I visited the Detroit Zoo. The chimpanzee (and even more so the gorilla) exhibit was very much a disappointment. While yes, the outdoor area was large (unfortunately it was too cold on my day for the apes), there was a severe lack of shade, despite shade being an important component of any ape habitat. The indoor area was also overly dated- in particular the lack of natural substrate (or any sort of soft substrate, for that matter) was concerning, and all in all I found the ape section of Detroit to be the weakest section of the (otherwise incredible) zoo.

Definitely can't argue with any of that. The indoor exhibit is definitely lacking and the majority of the yard does not have much shade, but I seem to recall a group of trees/overgrown area that the chimpanzees had access to in their yard. Or is that not the case? (EDIT: Realized that perhaps the area I am referring to was not overgrown and the trees did not have leaves if you went during a cold part of the year.) To your point, this definitely does not cover enough the exhibit when it is so large. You will not find a defender of the gorilla habitat here. It is definitely disappointing compared to many out there.

 

[15399]

Today's post is dedicated to what might very well be my all-time favorite carnivoran, the sloth bear! One of three bear species managed by the AZA, this endangered bear species is native to India and has long been an uncommon sight in US zoos, albeit in recent years there has been a slight rise in holders.

With the exception of the fact sloth bears are far less likely to climb, the criteria for sloth bears are almost verbatim of the North American black bear:

• Size: Bears are a taxa typically housed in more old-fashioned style exhibits, oftentimes too small for the large size of these animals. While the five exhibits mentioned in this post may not be the largest five exhibits for the species, but they are all very spacious, and include plenty of areas for the sloth bears to explore.
• Exhibit Complexity: Bears are intelligent animals, and as a result a large exhibit isn't enough for them. Instead, the exhibit needs various furnishings, enrichment opportunities, and more to build a more complex environment for them. Many of the best exhibits for this species take advantage of the natural complexity of an area, containing native trees, natural rockwork, water features, and more.
• Natural Substrate and Digging: Bears are known to dig, and while this can be at the frustration of zoo maintenance staff when they destroy parts of their exhibit, it should still be a priority to give bears a safe opportunity to utilize this need to dig and manipulate their environment.

The exhibits I chose for sloth bears are:

• One of the best large, naturalistic exhibits for sloth bears can be found at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. While the rocky terrain of this exhibit does remind me more of a habitat for Asiatic black bears than sloth bears, it remains a large and complex habitat with many naturalistic elements, certainly ideal for a bear species:

Photo By: @SwampDonkey

Photo By: @red river hog

Photo By: @dcpandafan

Photo By: @BeardsleyZooFan

• In 2023, two new sloth bear exhibits opened, one of which was a very impressive mixed-species exhibit with small-clawed otters at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. This exhibit is a large, naturalistic yard featuring live trees, varied terrain, and plenty of space for both species. There is added complexity being a mixed-species exhibit as well, making this even more impressive:

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @snowleopard

• A large, rocky habitat for sloth bears can be found in the Asia Quest section of the Columbus Zoo. While this habitat once rotated with sun bears, sloth bears are now its sole inhabitants. This is another very complex habitat, featuring live plants, varied terrain, and multiple climbing opportunities if the bears desire. One unique feature of this exhibit is that it has both indoor and outdoor components:

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @Captain Callum

Photo By: @Milwaukee Man

Photo By: @Moebelle

• For being a small zoo, the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas has an impressive dedication to sloth bears. Not only are there multiple exhibits for sloth bears at this zoo, but two out of three are large and naturalistic. While the newer, third yard is nothing overly special, it remains a large, spacious home for the bears, while the others truly make this zoo shine as they are large, complex, and contain a number of live trees and plants:

Photo By: @MGolka

Photo By: @MGolka

Photo By: @MGolka

Photo By: @MGolka

• Another large, naturalistic sloth bear habitat can be found at Zoo Miami. This habitat features live trees, rocks, and a varied terrain, successfully trying to replicate the Indian savanna sloth bears call home. Earlier this month, two sloth bear cubs were born at Zoo Miami, meaning in a few months they will surely be a highlight for anyone visiting the zoo:

Photo By: @Leaf Productions

Photo By: @Leaf Productions

Photo By: @Pleistohorse

Photo By: @King of Komodo Dragons

 

[Gibbonsagainstgravity]

In my opinion, Philadelphia should have been instead of Miami, at least judging by the pictures. It’s very similar to Miami, but seems to me a bit larger and naturalistic.

 

[15399]

Today's post will be dedicated to the unusual forest cousin of the giraffe, the okapi! These elusive ungulates went unknown to "western" science until the 1900s, making them one of the most recently discovered megafauna.

While okapi may be taxonomically unique, and a fascinating species in their own right, their exhibit needs don't differ too much from other forest-dwelling ungulates, such as the already-included bongo:

• Space: Okapi are large animals, and as such require large exhibits to qualify for this thread.
• Shade: As a forest-dwelling ungulate, it is important to consider this when designing okapi exhibits. The ideal okapi exhibit includes trees and other shaded areas instead of being a traditional, open ungulate paddock.

The five exhibits I chose to feature for okapis are:

• The Columbus Zoo features an excellent okapi exhibit as part of their Congo Expedition. This is a spacious paddock for the resident okapi, and includes plenty of trees and other forms of shade to replicate their forest home. While unfortunately this exhibit is no longer mixed with black duiker, it remains a very respectable home for okapi:

Photo By: @Austin the Sengi

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Zooplantman

• While more open than ideal, an impressively large mixed-species exhibit for okapi can be found at Zoo Miami. While I don't know 100% what other species are currently with the okapi, photos in the ZooChat gallery indicate that in recent years they've been mixed with crowned cranes, spurred tortoises, and black duiker. While much of this exhibit remains an open grassy field, there are a number of shady areas near the edges of the exhibit for the okapi to enjoy too:

Photo By: @Pleistohorse

Photo By: @red river hog

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Photo By: @MountainBongo

• While okapi are a species traditionally associated with large zoos, Iowa's Blank Park Zoo does an excellent job showing how smaller facilities can be successful with this species as well. While a fairly simplistic yard displays the species, the outskirts do contain a number of tall trees allowing shade for the okapi resident. Yellow-backed duiker and demoiselle cranes share this large exhibit. Zoos don't need extraordinarily intricate habitats to be successful, and Blank Park Zoo shows that smaller zoos can be very successful at exhibiting some larger mammals as well:

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @Brayden Delashmutt

• While the Congo Gorilla Forest at Bronx Zoo is perhaps best associated with its impressive primate habitats, it is also home to an impressive habitat for okapi. This exhibit is very spacious, and perhaps the exhibit in a US zoo that comes closest to replicate the forest home of the okapi (it would be second if Dallas hadn't closed their monorail). This habitat contains multiple large trees and a number of other plants to make an all-around great home for these large forest creatures:

Photo By: @Ding Lingwei

Photo By: @Dhole dude

Photo By: @Neil chace

Photo By: @TinoPup

• Well-known for their impressive, large, and naturalistic habitats for African megafauna, it's no surprise that Disney's Animal Kingdom has an impressive habitat for the okapi. To be more precise, they have two impressive okapi habitats, one each on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and the Kilimanjaro Safaris. While not the country's largest okapi exhibits, these habitats remain a respectable size, and contain a number of trees and other naturalistic elements to make an all-around great home for the okapi residents:

Photo By: @AndyJ08

Photo By: @Nod

Photo By: @GraysonDP

Photo By: @devilfish

 

[TinoPup]

Today's post will be dedicated to the unusual forest cousin of the giraffe, the okapi! These elusive ungulates went unknown to "western" science until the 1900s, making them one of the most recently discovered megafauna.

While okapi may be taxonomically unique, and a fascinating species in their own right, their exhibit needs don't differ too much from other forest-dwelling ungulates, such as the already-included bongo:

• Space: Okapi are large animals, and as such require large exhibits to qualify for this thread.
• Shade: As a forest-dwelling ungulate, it is important to consider this when designing okapi exhibits. The ideal okapi exhibit includes trees and other shaded areas instead of being a traditional, open ungulate paddock.

The five exhibits I chose to feature for okapis are:

• The Columbus Zoo features an excellent okapi exhibit as part of their Congo Expedition. This is a spacious paddock for the resident okapi, and includes plenty of trees and other forms of shade to replicate their forest home. While unfortunately this exhibit is no longer mixed with black duiker, it remains a very respectable home for okapi:

Photo By: @Austin the Sengi

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Zooplantman

• While more open than ideal, an impressively large mixed-species exhibit for okapi can be found at Zoo Miami. While I don't know 100% what other species are currently with the okapi, photos in the ZooChat gallery indicate that in recent years they've been mixed with crowned cranes, spurred tortoises, and black duiker. While much of this exhibit remains an open grassy field, there are a number of shady areas near the edges of the exhibit for the okapi to enjoy too:

Photo By: @Pleistohorse

Photo By: @red river hog

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Photo By: @MountainBongo

• While okapi are a species traditionally associated with large zoos, Iowa's Blank Park Zoo does an excellent job showing how smaller facilities can be successful with this species as well. While a fairly simplistic yard displays the species, the outskirts do contain a number of tall trees allowing shade for the okapi resident. Yellow-backed duiker and demoiselle cranes share this large exhibit. Zoos don't need extraordinarily intricate habitats to be successful, and Blank Park Zoo shows that smaller zoos can be very successful at exhibiting some larger mammals as well:

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @DesertTortoise

Photo By: @Brayden Delashmutt

• While the Congo Gorilla Forest at Bronx Zoo is perhaps best associated with its impressive primate habitats, it is also home to an impressive habitat for okapi. This exhibit is very spacious, and perhaps the exhibit in a US zoo that comes closest to replicate the forest home of the okapi (it would be second if Dallas hadn't closed their monorail). This habitat contains multiple large trees and a number of other plants to make an all-around great home for these large forest creatures:

Photo By: @Ding Lingwei

Photo By: @Dhole dude

Photo By: @Neil chace

Photo By: @TinoPup

• Well-known for their impressive, large, and naturalistic habitats for African megafauna, it's no surprise that Disney's Animal Kingdom has an impressive habitat for the okapi. To be more precise, they have two impressive okapi habitats, one each on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and the Kilimanjaro Safaris. While not the country's largest okapi exhibits, these habitats remain a respectable size, and contain a number of trees and other naturalistic elements to make an all-around great home for the okapi residents:

Photo By: @AndyJ08

Photo By: @Nod

Photo By: @GraysonDP

Photo By: @devilfish

I like Cincinnati's, too. It's the only place I've seen okapis reaching up to eat leaves, and one has been doing it both times I've visited.

Columbus has multiple okapi paddocks. Tbh they're really boring and don't fit in with the rest of the zoo, but they're not bad for the species.

 

[wild boar]

While okapi are a species traditionally associated with large zoos, Iowa's Blank Park Zoo does an excellent job showing how smaller facilities can be successful with this species as well. While a fairly simplistic yard displays the species, the outskirts do contain a number of tall trees allowing shade for the okapi resident. Yellow-backed duiker and demoiselle cranes share this large exhibit. Zoos don't need extraordinarily intricate habitats to be successful, and Blank Park Zoo shows that smaller zoos can be very successful at exhibiting some larger mammals as well:

Not that it is really important but I'm pretty sure the cranes are Grus paradisea. That makes the enclosure better by some aspects in my opinion.

 

[15399]

Not that it is really important but I'm pretty sure the cranes are Grus paradisea. That makes the enclosure better by some aspects in my opinion.

The two species are visually similar, but that species would make more sense than demoiselle. It doesn't have any baring on this thread which species of crane is in it, although I understand if you're looking at things from a zoogeographic perspective blue cranes are the better choice, but thanks for the correction anyways.

 

[15399]

I like Cincinnati's, too. It's the only place I've seen okapis reaching up to eat leaves, and one has been doing it both times I've visited.

Columbus has multiple okapi paddocks. Tbh they're really boring and don't fit in with the rest of the zoo, but they're not bad for the species.

I had Cincinnati on an earlier version of this post, and completely forget why I ended up omitting it. I agree it's another great exhibit.

 

[ZooNerd]

I like Cincinnati's, too. It's the only place I've seen okapis reaching up to eat leaves, and one has been doing it both times I've visited.

Columbus has multiple okapi paddocks. Tbh they're really boring and don't fit in with the rest of the zoo, but they're not bad for the species.

The one thing I say that brings down the Cincinnatis zoos exhibit is it’s a bit on the smaller side but it’s definitely a great exhibit with the lush vegetation (and the okapis seem to like it because they seem to have babies almost every year)

 

[15399]

We'll be monkeying around with today's post, which is for baboons! Technically this post is covering a paraphyletic group, as due to its similar exhibitry needs and similar biology I lumped the gelada in with the members of Papio. The criteria for this post closely resemble other primates that have been featured, and specifically the mandrill:

• Space: Due to their wild social structures, baboons do best when given space to spread out and avoid interspecific conflict. Allowing baboons plenty of space, arguably more so than other similar-sized primates, is paramount to a successful exhibit.
• Enclosure Complexity: Baboons, being primates, are intelligent creatures, making it of utmost important to design an enriching and complex home for them, including with visual barriers to avoid interspecific complex.
• Social Structure: While the intricacies of baboon social structure vary depending on the species, all species of baboons live in complex, hierarchical societies, oftentimes numbering in dozens (if not hundreds) of members. While interspecific conflict is common in baboons, and this does make it difficult to exhibit them in naturalistic social groupings, generally speaking larger groups of baboons are preferable over smaller groups.
• Habitat Choice: In many cases, the best thing for animal welfare is to give the animals choice and control over their environment. In the case of baboons, this criteria means giving a choice of both ample opportunities to climb and also ample space on the ground. While many exhibits succeed at one of these two things, this post primarily looked for exhibits that provide both climbing opportunities and space on the ground. Baboons may be primarily terrestrial (or at least some species are), but they will climb when given the opportunity.
• Mixed Species Exhibits: While not an inherent requirement, some species of baboon have been successful in mixed-species exhibits, which can be a great way to increase enclosure complexity.

The exhibits I selected for baboons are:

• Only two US zoos exhibit geladas, and it's hard to beat Bronx Zoo when it comes to exhibits for them. The Gelada Reserve mixes a large troop of geladas (eighteen as of their most recent USDA inspection) with Nubian ibex and rock hyrax, creating a dynamic mixed-species exhibit in an exhibit designed to replicate the Ethiopian highlands. This habitat is over an acre in size, providing quite the impressive home for all three species. Varying elevations and interspersed rocks provide this habitat with additional complexity too:

Photo By: @Dhole dude

Photo By: @Dhole dude

Photo By: @Neil chace

Photo By: @ThylacineAlive

• While originally designed for giant pandas, I for one would find the troop of thirteen Hamadryas baboons in this exhibit much more engaging if I ever visited Oakland Zoo. This habitat contains a number of artificial climbing structures, and is an overall large size with plenty of grassy areas for the baboons to explore. While a fairly simply design, this isn't always a bad thing, as it more than accounts for the needs of the baboons and is a very functional exhibit:

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @jaguar691

Photo By: @TheEthiopianWolf03

Photo By: @snowleopard

• Over twenty Hamadryas baboons share an impressive, newly renovated exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo. This exhibit contains a number of trees and rocks for the baboons to climb on, providing a great, varied terrain that is perfect for providing choice and control. This might very well be the most well-designed, naturalistic exhibit in the US for the Hamadryas baboon, and has one of, if not the largest, troop in the country:

Photo By: @ZooNerd

Photo By: @Breckenridge

Photo By: @ZooNerd

• The second gelada holder in the United States, Africa Rocks at the San Diego Zoo contains two baboon habitats- one with six geladas and the other with over twenty Hamadryas baboons. These habitats, one of which is mixed with Nubian ibex, are large and spacious, containing a number of trees and other climbing opportunities for the residents to enjoy, altogether a very naturalistic display:

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @IndianRhino

• While Hamadryas are the most common baboon species in the AZA, some other species are around in smaller numbers. The Kansas City Zoo is one of two guinea baboon holders, and houses four of them in a large, naturalistic habitat in Africa. Plenty of trees and other plants, along with some large rocks, provide some great climbing opportunities in this large habitat, which features large, glass windows as a great viewing opportunity for guests. Hopefully, once the final four guinea baboons pass away, this will become another excellent Hamadryas baboon habitat and help contribute to the SSP:

Photo By: @GraysonDP

Photo By: @KCZooFan

Photo By: @KCZooFan

• As an honorable mention, I'd like to acknowledge that, despite the fact the five exhibits mentioned in this post are at large zoos, a large troop of baboons can be a great option for a zoo that can't dedicate the space or resources required for great apes, but wants an impressive, dynamic primate as a star species. For example, the Prospect Park Zoo features Hamadryas baboons as some of its largest residents:

Photo By: @ThylacineAlive

Photo By: @dmanwarren

And with that, only five more species to be covered in this thread, before getting into some honorable mentions and bonus posts!

 

[15399]

We will be starting out our final five posts with a look at the largest cat species found in the Americas: the jaguar! Jaguars have become the least common of the big cats in zoos, perhaps surprisingly so since they are the only big cat to be found in the Americas. Despite being an uncommon sight, there remains some impressive exhibits that warrant highlighting. Jaguars are a species with a wide native range, and as habitat generalists there are some wide varieties in the naturalistic exhibits that can be found.

The criteria I have selected for jaguars were modified from those used on Amur leopards:

• Climbing Opportunities: Compared to tigers and lions, jaguars are much more arboreal cats. As such, they require exhibits with plenty of opportunities to climb, whether that be through live trees, rockwork, or artificial climbing structures doesn't necessarily matter- but having a plethora of different climbing opportunities is important.
• Space: Unfortunately, jaguars are another taxa that has historically been exhibited in much smaller exhibits than they deserve. These are fast, agile creatures that can really make great use out of larger exhibits- and ideally are given enough space to truly display their entire repertoire of natural behaviors.
• Water Feature: Jaguars are unusual amongst cats in that they like to swim, and a good jaguar exhibit must incorporate a sizeable water feature for the cats to enjoy.

The exhibits I have selected for jaguars are:

• An impressive tropical rainforest exhibit for jaguars can be found at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. This large, spacious habitat contains a number of trees and other naturalistic plants to create an all-around impressive, naturalistic home for the jaguar. This large habitat contains a large pool, plenty of opportunities to climb and hide, and encourages the jaguars to display natural behaviors:

Photo By: @Komodo Dragon

Photo By: @Westcoastperson

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

• The football team aren't the only jaguars in Jacksonville, as the Jacksonville Zoo boasts the impressive Range of the Jaguar exhibit. This habitat is large and naturalistic, taking advantage of the Floridian ability to create outdoor tropical rainforest exhibits that wouldn't be possible elsewhere in the country. Impressive rock work and a large pool round out this impressive habitat. While the Mayan temple theming can be understandably frustrating to some on Zoo Chat, this exhibit utilizes it well to highlight both the natural and manmade wonders of the neotropical rainforests. Of note, earlier this year Jacksonville Zoo had the birth of a jaguar cub, which was sorely needed and gives a major boost to the SSP:

Photo By: @SusScrofa

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Sarus Crane

• Trail of the Jaguar at the Elmwood Park Zoo not only boasts an impressive jaguar exhibit, but is amongst the best small zoo exhibit complexes in the entire country. The jaguars have access to a large, spacious outdoor exhibit featuring impressive rock work, multiple climbing opportunities, and a large pool. A training wall along the public path is a nice touch that I'd imagine allows for some interesting jaguar-keeper interactions. The jaguars also have the ability to rotate through an indoor exhibit with ocelots and cougars, which reside in two additional outdoor exhibits. At times, this has been a rotational exhibit with the three impressive outdoor displays, however I don't know if this is currently the case:

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

• Few zoos have invested in jaguars in recent years, however one impressive newer exhibit can be found in the Pantanal section of the Houston Zoo. This habitat utilizes a Zoo360-style crossing, allowing the jaguars to walk right above the visitor path. Plenty of plants and great climbing opportunities, along with a large pool, make this an impressive, naturalistic exhibit that is great for jaguars and visitors alike:

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @TheImmigrant1

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @geomorph

• Jaguars are not strictly found in rainforests, and one impressive, naturalistic habitat that highlights this fact can be found at The Living Desert. This habitat features the desert sections of the jaguar's range, but like the more tropical exhibits features a large water feature and plenty of climbing opportunities. Unlike the tropical exhibits, these climbing features are primarily rockwork or artificial climbing structures, although a handful of live trees (and some smaller plants) are included in this impressive, unique exhibit:

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

 

[StoppableSan]

We will be starting out our final five posts with a look at the largest cat species found in the Americas: the jaguar! Jaguars have become the least common of the big cats in zoos, perhaps surprisingly so since they are the only big cat to be found in the Americas. Despite being an uncommon sight, there remains some impressive exhibits that warrant highlighting. Jaguars are a species with a wide native range, and as habitat generalists there are some wide varieties in the naturalistic exhibits that can be found.

The criteria I have selected for jaguars were modified from those used on Amur leopards:

• Climbing Opportunities: Compared to tigers and lions, jaguars are much more arboreal cats. As such, they require exhibits with plenty of opportunities to climb, whether that be through live trees, rockwork, or artificial climbing structures doesn't necessarily matter- but having a plethora of different climbing opportunities is important.
• Space: Unfortunately, jaguars are another taxa that has historically been exhibited in much smaller exhibits than they deserve. These are fast, agile creatures that can really make great use out of larger exhibits- and ideally are given enough space to truly display their entire repertoire of natural behaviors.
• Water Feature: Jaguars are unusual amongst cats in that they like to swim, and a good jaguar exhibit must incorporate a sizeable water feature for the cats to enjoy.

The exhibits I have selected for jaguars are:

• An impressive tropical rainforest exhibit for jaguars can be found at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. This large, spacious habitat contains a number of trees and other naturalistic plants to create an all-around impressive, naturalistic home for the jaguar. This large habitat contains a large pool, plenty of opportunities to climb and hide, and encourages the jaguars to display natural behaviors:

Photo By: @Komodo Dragon

Photo By: @Westcoastperson

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

• The football team aren't the only jaguars in Jacksonville, as the Jacksonville Zoo boasts the impressive Range of the Jaguar exhibit. This habitat is large and naturalistic, taking advantage of the Floridian ability to create outdoor tropical rainforest exhibits that wouldn't be possible elsewhere in the country. Impressive rock work and a large pool round out this impressive habitat. While the Mayan temple theming can be understandably frustrating to some on Zoo Chat, this exhibit utilizes it well to highlight both the natural and manmade wonders of the neotropical rainforests. Of note, earlier this year Jacksonville Zoo had the birth of a jaguar cub, which was sorely needed and gives a major boost to the SSP:

Photo By: @SusScrofa

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Sarus Crane

• Trail of the Jaguar at the Elmwood Park Zoo not only boasts an impressive jaguar exhibit, but is amongst the best small zoo exhibit complexes in the entire country. The jaguars have access to a large, spacious outdoor exhibit featuring impressive rock work, multiple climbing opportunities, and a large pool. A training wall along the public path is a nice touch that I'd imagine allows for some interesting jaguar-keeper interactions. The jaguars also have the ability to rotate through an indoor exhibit with ocelots and cougars, which reside in two additional outdoor exhibits. At times, this has been a rotational exhibit with the three impressive outdoor displays, however I don't know if this is currently the case:

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

• Few zoos have invested in jaguars in recent years, however one impressive newer exhibit can be found in the Pantanal section of the Houston Zoo. This habitat utilizes a Zoo360-style crossing, allowing the jaguars to walk right above the visitor path. Plenty of plants and great climbing opportunities, along with a large pool, make this an impressive, naturalistic exhibit that is great for jaguars and visitors alike:

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @TheImmigrant1

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @geomorph

• Jaguars are not strictly found in rainforests, and one impressive, naturalistic habitat that highlights this fact can be found at The Living Desert. This habitat features the desert sections of the jaguar's range, but like the more tropical exhibits features a large water feature and plenty of climbing opportunities. Unlike the tropical exhibits, these climbing features are primarily rockwork or artificial climbing structures, although a handful of live trees (and some smaller plants) are included in this impressive, unique exhibit:

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Just as a note on Elmwood Park: the zoo no longer has cougars as they were getting stressed due to construction on their new front entrance. As a result, they have their ocelot/bobcat in the first exhibit, their bald eagles and golden eagles in the second exhibit (slight holdover from the avian flu days) and the jaguars in the indoor dayroom/final exhibit.

 

[Julio C Castro]

We will be starting out our final five posts with a look at the largest cat species found in the Americas: the jaguar! Jaguars have become the least common of the big cats in zoos, perhaps surprisingly so since they are the only big cat to be found in the Americas. Despite being an uncommon sight, there remains some impressive exhibits that warrant highlighting. Jaguars are a species with a wide native range, and as habitat generalists there are some wide varieties in the naturalistic exhibits that can be found.

The criteria I have selected for jaguars were modified from those used on Amur leopards:

• Climbing Opportunities: Compared to tigers and lions, jaguars are much more arboreal cats. As such, they require exhibits with plenty of opportunities to climb, whether that be through live trees, rockwork, or artificial climbing structures doesn't necessarily matter- but having a plethora of different climbing opportunities is important.
• Space: Unfortunately, jaguars are another taxa that has historically been exhibited in much smaller exhibits than they deserve. These are fast, agile creatures that can really make great use out of larger exhibits- and ideally are given enough space to truly display their entire repertoire of natural behaviors.
• Water Feature: Jaguars are unusual amongst cats in that they like to swim, and a good jaguar exhibit must incorporate a sizeable water feature for the cats to enjoy.

The exhibits I have selected for jaguars are:

• An impressive tropical rainforest exhibit for jaguars can be found at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. This large, spacious habitat contains a number of trees and other naturalistic plants to create an all-around impressive, naturalistic home for the jaguar. This large habitat contains a large pool, plenty of opportunities to climb and hide, and encourages the jaguars to display natural behaviors:

Photo By: @Komodo Dragon

Photo By: @Westcoastperson

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

• The football team aren't the only jaguars in Jacksonville, as the Jacksonville Zoo boasts the impressive Range of the Jaguar exhibit. This habitat is large and naturalistic, taking advantage of the Floridian ability to create outdoor tropical rainforest exhibits that wouldn't be possible elsewhere in the country. Impressive rock work and a large pool round out this impressive habitat. While the Mayan temple theming can be understandably frustrating to some on Zoo Chat, this exhibit utilizes it well to highlight both the natural and manmade wonders of the neotropical rainforests. Of note, earlier this year Jacksonville Zoo had the birth of a jaguar cub, which was sorely needed and gives a major boost to the SSP:

Photo By: @SusScrofa

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Moebelle

Photo By: @Sarus Crane

• Trail of the Jaguar at the Elmwood Park Zoo not only boasts an impressive jaguar exhibit, but is amongst the best small zoo exhibit complexes in the entire country. The jaguars have access to a large, spacious outdoor exhibit featuring impressive rock work, multiple climbing opportunities, and a large pool. A training wall along the public path is a nice touch that I'd imagine allows for some interesting jaguar-keeper interactions. The jaguars also have the ability to rotate through an indoor exhibit with ocelots and cougars, which reside in two additional outdoor exhibits. At times, this has been a rotational exhibit with the three impressive outdoor displays, however I don't know if this is currently the case:

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

Photo By: @TinoPup

• Few zoos have invested in jaguars in recent years, however one impressive newer exhibit can be found in the Pantanal section of the Houston Zoo. This habitat utilizes a Zoo360-style crossing, allowing the jaguars to walk right above the visitor path. Plenty of plants and great climbing opportunities, along with a large pool, make this an impressive, naturalistic exhibit that is great for jaguars and visitors alike:

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @TheImmigrant1

Photo By: @Zooplantman

Photo By: @geomorph

• Jaguars are not strictly found in rainforests, and one impressive, naturalistic habitat that highlights this fact can be found at The Living Desert. This habitat features the desert sections of the jaguar's range, but like the more tropical exhibits features a large water feature and plenty of climbing opportunities. Unlike the tropical exhibits, these climbing features are primarily rockwork or artificial climbing structures, although a handful of live trees (and some smaller plants) are included in this impressive, unique exhibit:

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @snowleopard

Photo By: @Coelacanth18

Photo By: @Arizona Docent

I’d like to throw into the mix a couple others for honorable mentions, both different but personal favorites: the Jaguar exhibits from California Trail at Oakland Zoo and Rainforest of the Americas at the LA Zoo. I remember how pitifully small the previous Jaguar exhibit was at the LA Zoo, it was one of the dreaded roundhouse. Now after close to 10 years, it’s blossomed very well and the jaguars seem to enjoy it! Here’s my shot of the LA Zoo one when I first tried out my pancake lens for it. Will take more on my next trip.

 

[Coelacanth18]

the Jaguar exhibits from California Trail at Oakland Zoo

I will second this one as well. I'm not sure that it has a water feature (and perhaps that's why it wasn't included) but it is a very large enclosure for a jaguar with several live oak trees and some fallen logs and platforms for climbing and sleeping. I really like the ones at Living Desert and LA as well.

Photos of the Oakland exhibit:

1st photo pc @snowleopard, 2nd photo myself

Jaguars being an "uncommon sight" also appears to be a regional thing, as most major zoos in the Southwest have them. There are ~40 AZA zoos with Jaguar, around 30 of which are in the Southeast or Southwest and only a dozen or so are in northern states. I'd imagine this is a parallel situation to Amur and Snow Leopards being more common in the northern states.

 

[15399]

I will second this one as well. I'm not sure that it has a water feature (and perhaps that's why it wasn't included) but it is a very large enclosure for a jaguar with several live oak trees and some fallen logs and platforms for climbing and sleeping. I really like the ones at Living Desert and LA as well.

I could've easily chosen this exhibit instead, however when exhibits are borderline I tend to opt for ones that are more unique from other included exhibits, and for Oakland I had already included its similar mountain lion exhibit. The lack of a water feature also of course didn't help.

 

[15399]

Jaguars being an "uncommon sight" also appears to be a regional thing, as most major zoos in the Southwest have them. There are ~40 AZA zoos with Jaguar, around 30 of which are in the Southeast or Southwest and only a dozen or so are in northern states. I'd imagine this is a parallel situation to Amur and Snow Leopards being more common in the northern states.

Interestingly, while I did know holders were regionally skewed, I didn't realize there were so many holders in the Southern US! With around 40 holders, that means there are still less jaguar holders than snow leopard holders (the cat species I tend to see most often), but more holders than both Amur leopard and clouded leopard, both of which have 30 (or slightly under) holders amongst AZA zoos. Granted, at least (generic) leopards are much more common outside the AZA and the number of clouded leopard holders have been growing. As for the future, unless the trajectory of the SSPs change, jaguars will likely see a decline in holders over the next decade, unlike the other big cats.

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

As for the future, unless the trajectory of the SSPs change, jaguars will likely see a decline in holders over the next decade, unlike the other big cats.

Why is that?

Are jaguars harder to breed and care for in captivity than say, lions or tigers are?

I know they're notorious climbers, so require an exhibit with a top on it (Unless the facility in question is dedicated to providing a super tall fence with an angled edge at the top), but otherwise, I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't be more popular than they are.

 

[TinoPup]

Just as a note on Elmwood Park: the zoo no longer has cougars as they were getting stressed due to construction on their new front entrance. As a result, they have their ocelot/bobcat in the first exhibit, their bald eagles and golden eagles in the second exhibit (slight holdover from the avian flu days) and the jaguars in the indoor dayroom/final exhibit.

As a further elaboration, the eagles are only there while their new exhibit is being built, as well; the zoo is currently in a major transition mode, working on doubling its size and redoing basically everything that wasn't built in the last decade.

For some reason I didn't get a tag alert from @Neil chace and as soon as I saw the species, I was ready to bring up Elmwood Park.The exhibit is one of my absolute favorites, and very little else comes close for a smaller zoo (that I've seen, anyway). It didn't quiet live up to its potential - jaguarundi was supposed to be the third cat instead of puma, and they're still mentioned prominently in the theming signage - but there's so many touches that make it an interesting space. In addition the three outdoor yards and one indoor exhibit for the cats/whatever is in there currently (I've also seen red and arctic foxes), there's another indoor exhibit that holds desert tortoise, common chuckwalla, Montezuma quail, and burrowing owl. There's also several small hole-in-the-wall exhibits that contain white-throated woodrat (the only other holders being El Paso, ASDM, and WWZ, all in the species' range) and another that initially held Colorado River toad. The signage for the woodrats also talks about the Allegheny woodrat, a species local to the zoo. Things like a glass section of floor where water that starts as a waterfall runs between the main jaguar and ocelot exhibits help illustrate the theming of the Rio Grande Valley and the way the species are connected, like Mexico and the USA are. The jaguar exhibit itself is very lush and is large enough that the big male can hide in several areas, even when you know he's in there. A carnivore has been active on every single one of my visits and I tend to spend a lot of time in there.

 

[TheGytrash]

Why is that?

Are jaguars harder to breed and care for in captivity than say, lions or tigers are?

I know they're notorious climbers, so require an exhibit with a top on it (Unless the facility in question is dedicated to providing a super tall fence with an angled edge at the top), but otherwise, I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't be more popular than they are.

Yes, jaguars don't breed as easily in captivity. Jaguars also have a rather... powerful and unpredictable personality. I've heard they're rough on exhibits and can damage them easily with their strength. Like you said, they're good at climbing and have extremely strong jaws, and they're bigger than leopards, so they'd need a bigger, sturdier, probably more expensive exhibit than leopards, yet they're not as big a draw for guests as lions and tigers, so I think leopards just seem like a more cost-effective offering for many zoos that already have at least one other big cat.

 

[Komodo Dragon]

Anybody know what America's largest jaguar exhibit is? I assume it's one that's been mentioned already.