Persephone
Well-Known Member
The Wilds moved Bactrians from the first paddock to a smaller one later in the tour. Apparently a male camel got aggressive with the Indian rhino bull and. Well. It ended about how you would expect.
Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Best Exhibits
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The best camel exhibit I've seen is at the Blank Park Zoo in Iowa, which is actually located outside the entrance of the zoo. It's multiple acres, grassy and wooded with a pond. Unfortunately I didn't notice it was a camel exhibit until I was driving past it to leave, so I don't have any photos and there aren't any in the gallery that show a lot of it. You can loop around and see all of it on Google Street View, though - here's a good view of it with camels from May:
Google Maps
Google Maps
Good enough that this mix exists in a few European zoos.
That exhibit at Minnesota no longer holds camels - it's been a Prezwalski's Horse exhibit for a few years now.For the first (and likely the only) time in this thread, a post will be dedicated to the best exhibits of a domesticated species (well, technically two species). The species in question are the Camels! These large, impressive ungulates are both domesticated species, although at least the Bactrian camels can have strong educational tie-ins to the critically endangered wild Bactrian Camel, which does not have an ex-situ population and is native to Mongolia. While many facilities do offer camel rides (understandably given the camel's history of domestication for this purpose), camel rides are not being considered in this post, which is dedicated specifically to their exhibits. Furthermore, species was not considered when designing this post, even though all of the exhibits happen to feature the Bactrian camel, which is anecdotally more common in zoos.
The criteria used in this post are:
My choices for top camel exhibits are:
- Size: Camels are large animals. While many zoos have them in relatively small paddocks, ideally they should be granted a large, spacious paddock- similar to what a zoo would give to other large ungulates.
- Social Group: Camels are herd animals, and ideally zoos would replicate this social structure by keeping more than a single camel. While some zoos listed do only have one pair of camels, some of the better ones have much larger herds- which is even better!
- Control Over Surroundings: While many habitat furnishings may not be "naturalistic" for a species that would be found in desert areas, camels still deserve choice and control over their surroundings. This means an ideal exhibit will allow the camels access to more shaded areas, areas with natural substrates, and other means of choosing their direct environment.
- A herd of five Bactrian camels has access to a very large exhibit on Minnesota Zoo's Northern Trail. Large grassy areas are complimented by a large pond, which provides a nice aesthetic even if not reminiscent of the Mongolian steppe:
Photo By: @Dhole dude
Photo By: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Baldur
- A good ungulate paddock doesn't need to be a particularly complex exhibit, and the exhibit at Kansas' Lee Richardson Zoo is a good example of this. Home to a pair of Bactrian camels, this is a spacious yard with nice grassy areas, as well as some sandier sections and a few trees for shade:
Photo by: @snowleopard
Photo by: @Wurm
- Five Bactrian camels share a large habitat at the Detroit Zoo, that until recently was mixed with a White-lipped Deer x Bactrian Deer hybrid. While the front boundary of the exhibit isn't the most appealing look and the exhibit is longer and narrower than some of the others on the list, it still allows the camels a spacious home with a nice amount of shade from the trees in the exhibit:
Photo by: @pachyderm pro
Photo by: @Bisonblake
Photo by: @Bisonblake
Photo by: @Miss Gulch
- Unfortunately, few photos exist on Zoo Chat of zoos in more difficult-to-reach locations (understandably so). One such place is Minot, North Dakota- home to the Roosevelt Park Zoo. Every photo in the gallery is from a single Zoochatter's visit in 2014, and only one shows their bactrian camel exhibit, home to three individuals. However, this appears to be a rather large, albeit simple, paddock, with a water feature in the front and some large trees to provide shade:
Photo by: @snowleopard
- While surprisingly only home to two Bactrian camels, The Wilds, now the first zoo to be featured four times in the list, includes Bactrian camels in its impressive 350 acre first pasture. Camel mixed-species exhibits are on the rarer side, but The Wilds makes it work due to how large the space is. Also in the same habitat is Indian Rhinos, Pere David's Deer, Persian Onager, Przewalski's Horse, Javan Banteng, Grevy's Zebra, and a species that gave this exhibit a mention on this list already, the Sichuan Takin:
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
I like this one, too. They're also mixed with Sarus Crane, which is pretty interesting.
The Camels and Horses rotate both exhibits, and have for many years now.
I thought the camels permanently moved out after the Australian exhibit closed? Or was that just temporary?
No, they sectioned off half the exhibit for the camels/wild horses when Llama Trek opened.
Interesting. This exhibit didn't really cross my radar when researching for the post, mainly because there weren't any good photos. It does seem though like it's a really good exhibit that should've made the post. I don't want to retract any entries unless there's a problem with an exhibit chosen (i.e. the one retraction I made was because the Palm Beach Zoo exhibit didn't actually have any capybaras in it), but had I known about this exhibit before it almost certainly would've made the list.
Today's post is dedicated to a large South American mammal that's another personal favorite of mine: the Giant Anteater! The giant anteater is the largest of the anteaters, and a species with a number of fascinating adaptations. While I won't get into it all here, they are known for their long tongues, which can move in and out of their mouth over a 100 times per minute, as well as their impressive claws and remarkable sense of smell. The giant anteaters are the ultimate specialist- essentially entirely designed to excel in eating their main food source which is, as the name suggests, ants.
The criteria for this post include:
Photo by: @TheImmigrant1
Photo by: @TheImmigrant1
Photo by: @geomorph
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @ThylacineAlive
Photo by: @Coelacanth18
Photo by: @Arizona Docent
Photo by: @blospz
Photo by: @blospz
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @GraysonDP
Photo by: @Maguari
Photo by: @Neil chace
Photo by: @snowleopard
Photo by: @snowleopard
The criteria for this post include:
- Natural Substrate: Anteaters have large claws for a reason, and that is that the species excels at digging out ant hills or termite mounds. While I don't expect zoos to bury the anteater's food, they should still make a point of providing a soft, natural substrate so that anteaters have the option to dig and manipulate their exhibit's terrain as they see fit.
- Water Feature: Giant anteaters are surprisingly good swimmers. Providing a large enough water feature for the anteaters to swim, or at least fully submerge themselves, is essential for a good exhibit.
- Space: Anteaters often seem to be given relatively small exhibits inside rainforest buildings. While indoor exhibits aren't inherently bad for anteaters, many of them tend to be short on space. While the largest five exhibits may not be the best five, size was one of the criteria used in determining the best anteater exhibits.
- The excellent mixed-species Pantanal exhibit at Houston Zoo has already been featured on this list for capybara, but anteaters are another one of the species included in this excellent exhibit. This spacious habitat, which provides the great enrichment of a mixed-species setting, has a sizeable water feature that can be accessed by a number of the residents. Anteaters aren't exclusively Rainforest creatures, and this exhibit does a good job of including tall grasses and other areas to replicate the less tropical parts of their home:
- While I may be slightly biased when it comes to this zoo, my home zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, has an excellent exhibit for giant anteaters. This is an indoor-outdoor exhibit, with the picturesque backdrop of the old Tropical America building, originally built for elephants, which is now no longer accessible to the public. The outdoor anteater exhibit consists of a grassy yard and a large pond for the anteaters, with some nice plants in the back to allow the anteaters hiding opportunities. Only a short glass wall separates visitors from the anteaters, allowing a fairly unobstructed view of these fascinating animals. While the indoor area is a more functional design, it does feature a sand floor which is a nice touch. A number of giant anteaters have also been born at the zoo since this exhibit opened in 2007:
- A "science center" may not be where you expect to find an excellent anteater exhibit, however the Greensboro Science Center is home to a spacious mixed-species yard for giant anteaters and maned wolves. This exhibit is nice and shady, with a large grassy field for the anteaters and wolves to use. Unfortunately, this exhibit seems to lack a water feature, but is otherwise excellent:
- When it comes to exhibiting tropical species, zoos in some Southern states have an advantage in the realism department due to what plants are accessible to them. While it may not show particularly well in the anteater exhibit, the Range of the Jaguar complex at the Jacksonville Zoo is one great example of this. Jacksonville Zoo actually mixes its anteaters with squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys, creating yet another unique mixed-species exhibit for the anteaters. In addition to being a nice size overall, the exhibit also has a large water feature. This exhibit is a great example of a zoo making good use of its space with arboreal and terrestrial species mixed in one habitat:
- In addition to a great exhibit at my home zoo, my home-away-from-home zoo also has an excellent exhibit for the species. The Buffalo Zoo's Rainforest Falls is easily the zoo's best exhibit complex, and features quite possibly the country's best indoor giant anteater exhibit. This exhibit takes up almost the entire left side of the building and contains both natural substrate and a nice water feature, making for a great home for anteaters. In addition to the anteaters, the building's multiple free-flight bird species also have access to this exhibit, including yellow-crowned night herons:
Today's post is dedicated to a large South American mammal that's another personal favorite of mine: the Giant Anteater! The giant anteater is the largest of the anteaters, and a species with a number of fascinating adaptations. While I won't get into it all here, they are known for their long tongues, which can move in and out of their mouth over a 100 times per minute, as well as their impressive claws and remarkable sense of smell. The giant anteaters are the ultimate specialist- essentially entirely designed to excel in eating their main food source which is, as the name suggests, ants.
The criteria for this post include:
The five exhibits selected for giant anteaters are:
- Natural Substrate: Anteaters have large claws for a reason, and that is that the species excels at digging out ant hills or termite mounds. While I don't expect zoos to bury the anteater's food, they should still make a point of providing a soft, natural substrate so that anteaters have the option to dig and manipulate their exhibit's terrain as they see fit.
- Water Feature: Giant anteaters are surprisingly good swimmers. Providing a large enough water feature for the anteaters to swim, or at least fully submerge themselves, is essential for a good exhibit.
- Space: Anteaters often seem to be given relatively small exhibits inside rainforest buildings. While indoor exhibits aren't inherently bad for anteaters, many of them tend to be short on space. While the largest five exhibits may not be the best five, size was one of the criteria used in determining the best anteater exhibits.
- The excellent mixed-species Pantanal exhibit at Houston Zoo has already been featured on this list for capybara, but anteaters are another one of the species included in this excellent exhibit. This spacious habitat, which provides the great enrichment of a mixed-species setting, has a sizeable water feature that can be accessed by a number of the residents. Anteaters aren't exclusively Rainforest creatures, and this exhibit does a good job of including tall grasses and other areas to replicate the less tropical parts of their home:
Photo by: @TheImmigrant1
Photo by: @TheImmigrant1
Photo by: @geomorph
- While I may be slightly biased when it comes to this zoo, my home zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, has an excellent exhibit for giant anteaters. This is an indoor-outdoor exhibit, with the picturesque backdrop of the old Tropical America building, originally built for elephants, which is now no longer accessible to the public. The outdoor anteater exhibit consists of a grassy yard and a large pond for the anteaters, with some nice plants in the back to allow the anteaters hiding opportunities. Only a short glass wall separates visitors from the anteaters, allowing a fairly unobstructed view of these fascinating animals. While the indoor area is a more functional design, it does feature a sand floor which is a nice touch. A number of giant anteaters have also been born at the zoo since this exhibit opened in 2007:
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @ThylacineAlive
- A "science center" may not be where you expect to find an excellent anteater exhibit, however the Greensboro Science Center is home to a spacious mixed-species yard for giant anteaters and maned wolves. This exhibit is nice and shady, with a large grassy field for the anteaters and wolves to use. Unfortunately, this exhibit seems to lack a water feature, but is otherwise excellent:
Photo by: @Coelacanth18
Photo by: @Arizona Docent
Photo by: @blospz
Photo by: @blospz
- When it comes to exhibiting tropical species, zoos in some Southern states have an advantage in the realism department due to what plants are accessible to them. While it may not show particularly well in the anteater exhibit, the Range of the Jaguar complex at the Jacksonville Zoo is one great example of this. Jacksonville Zoo actually mixes its anteaters with squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys, creating yet another unique mixed-species exhibit for the anteaters. In addition to being a nice size overall, the exhibit also has a large water feature. This exhibit is a great example of a zoo making good use of its space with arboreal and terrestrial species mixed in one habitat:
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @GraysonDP
Photo by: @Maguari
- In addition to a great exhibit at my home zoo, my home-away-from-home zoo also has an excellent exhibit for the species. The Buffalo Zoo's Rainforest Falls is easily the zoo's best exhibit complex, and features quite possibly the country's best indoor giant anteater exhibit. This exhibit takes up almost the entire left side of the building and contains both natural substrate and a nice water feature, making for a great home for anteaters. In addition to the anteaters, the building's multiple free-flight bird species also have access to this exhibit, including yellow-crowned night herons:
Photo by: @Neil chace
Photo by: @snowleopard
Photo by: @snowleopard
Love the Houston one! This is a rare case of me liking an exhibit outside the AZA, too. Metro Richmond's is a bit hard to get a good view of, but it's a large, completely natural, and has access to the very large pond.
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That does seem like an impressive anteater exhibit. Not sure why it didn't come up when I was researching for this post.
I might not have put up good photos of it. I have two albums I still need to do, including the one those two photos are from.
Surprised by the omission of the giant anteater exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo in California, which is my personal favorite. It meets a lot of the criteria - size, natural substrate, a soaking pool - while also having nice plantings and flex space for a breeding pair. It's a rare memorable gem for the small zoo:
@Coelacanth18
@geomorph
@Coelacanth18
@geomorph
The size and substrate do seem nice. The soaking pool was unfortunately not visible in any of the photos I saw in research. Apparently anteaters is one species that my research fell short, given that this exhibit and @TinoPup's suggestion of Metro Richmond didn't top the list of exhibits. I'm still not sure if I want to make any retractions, but I'm strongly considering it.Surprised by the omission of the giant anteater exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo in California, which is my personal favorite. It meets a lot of the criteria - size, natural substrate, a soaking pool - while also having nice plantings and flex space for a breeding pair. It's a rare memorable gem for the small zoo:
@Coelacanth18
@geomorph
AnActualFan
Well-Known Member
I'm a bit surprised Disney's Animal Kingdom didn't make an appearance considering their excellent Giant Anteater habitat.
I'm not. It seems pretty small, the viewing isn't great, and there's no pool.I'm a bit surprised Disney's Animal Kingdom didn't make an appearance considering their excellent Giant Anteater habitat.
The biggest issue I have with DAK's habitat is the lack of a soft substrate. Size wise it's okay (though not great), but the lack of pool is also disappointing.
AnActualFan
Well-Known Member
That's fair yeah, I think they could add some water in the moat area around the viewing and it could probably be a lot better for the animals and the guests.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
There is a pool just in front of the end of the boardwalk, but it's a bit hard to see because of the foliage. Also this exhibit is no longer home to Anteaters as Eury, the centers only anteater, passed away a couple months ago. Hopefully the center will get a new anteater at some point in the future.