No need to apologize, I understand being a big fan of a particular exhibit, and there is nothing wrong with having exhibit preferences that differ from my own. At the end of the day, it's impossible to make a list like this and not have it be at least somewhat subjective.Sorry, I just really like the exhibit
Moving on from meerkats, however, I feel that it's only appropriate to celebrate the Fourth of July by dedicating this post to an iconic mammal synonymous with the United States: the American Bison! The largest mammal in the United States, and oftentimes incorrectly named a "buffalo", these are an impressive ungulate that can be found at dozens of zoos across the United States. Many of the bison in US zoos include at least some cattle genetics, however this thread looks indiscriminately at both purebred and impure bison.
The criteria used in this post include:
- Space: While oftentimes this is a secondary criteria to things like habitat design, bison are large animals. As such, they need a lot of space. Zoos that dedicate over an acre (sometimes much over an acre) to their bison herd were prioritized for this thread.
- Herd Size: While there are plenty of zoos with small herds of bison, this is a herd species known for living in massive herds in the wild. Zoos with larger herds were hence prioritized for this thread over zoos with only one or two bison.
- Grass: Bison are grazers, and as such being able to replicate this in zoos is key. While how "green" an exhibit is isn't a major concern, planting native grasses in an exhibit is certainly beneficial to the welfare of bison.
- Mixed Species Exhibits: This is not a must-have criteria, however it's worth noting that many of the excellent bison exhibits out there mix the bison with other ungulates, such as pronghorn, white-tailed deer, or elk.
- It's rare to see exhibits of more than a few acres in traditional zoos. North Carolina Zoo is an exception though, keeping their bison and elk herds in an expansive, nine-acre habitat. This habitat is filled with grassy areas for the bison to graze, as well as allowing natural shade from the backdrop of trees. Unfortunately the North Carolina Zoo's most recent USDA inspection report only lists four bison, however they share the exhibit with a much larger herd of elk- numbering at fifteen individuals. This makes North Carolina Zoo the first zoo to receive three mentions in this thread, however by the end of this post it will be joined by one more:
- Another zoo with a state in its name to feature an impressive bison exhibit is the Minnesota Zoo. Eight bison reside in an expansive yard on the zoo's Northern Trail. This exhibit features a large water feature at the front of the exhibit, followed by an expansive grassy area for the bison to roam and graze, complete with large trees for shade:
- Technically outside of the actual zoo, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Zoo manages its bison and elk herds in the surrounding nature preserve. Fourteen bison reside in this area per the zoo's most recent USDA report, and the animals can be viewed while driving to or from the zoo. This exhibit features spacious grassy areas for the animals to graze, as well as plenty of trees in a very naturalistic setting. Unfortunately this exhibit is not very well represented on the zoochat gallery:
- A common feature on this list as far as native species are concerned, Washington's Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, affiliated with the Point Defiance Zoo, exhibits a number of native ungulate species as part of its large drive-through exhibit. One of these species is a herd of eleven American bison, who are able to graze in spacious grassy fields, or rest in the shade of the many trees as well. This exhibit is over 400 acres in size, and also features a large pond, accessible to the bison and the other hoof stock. Sometimes the best exhibits for a species are simply large expanses of native habitat, and this habitat is just that:
- An impressively large number of wood bison, totaling 34 individuals (possibly split into multiple herds?) as of their 2022 USDA inspection report, exists at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This exhibit has one of the prettiest backdrops of any exhibit in the US, if not world, due to the mountains located in the rear of the exhibit. While the exhibit amounts to little more than a large grassy area fenced off for the bison, but sometimes that is all that is needed to have a great exhibit:
I'll just add Lee Simmons, in Nebraska. Big herd, massive area, and they're the only species. It doesn't feel like you're at a zoo, it feels like they're wild.
Including safaris, imo, is an iffy thing, because you get into the area of is 30 acres at a poorly run place better for an ungulate than a half acre at an AZA zoo?
