Perhaps if any of these exhibits become occupied again with the appropriate species before the project is complete, you could include them as bonus posts?
Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Best Exhibits
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TheGytrash
Well-Known Member
It's an unpopular opinion, but the American Trail is my favorite part of the National Zoo. I like the landscaping and it's fun to see species that I know live in our country but that I never or seldom see in the wild. I live in the DC area and have only seen beavers in the wild 3 times in my life, only once up close, so it's nice to get a great view of them at the zoo!
Happy World Lion Day! On this World Lion Day, I will be dedicating this post to one of the most iconic zoo animals, the African Lion! African Lions are a common species in US Zoos, with over 300 lions in the AZA alone and hundreds more outside of it. While there are certainly some excellent lion habitats, there are also unfortunately many subpar habitats for the species as well.
The criteria for this post are:
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @snowleopard
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @ZooNerd1234
Photo by: @Pleistohorse
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
The criteria for this post are:
- Space: One common issue with lion exhibits is that they are simply too small for such a large cat. An AZA care guide from a decade ago recommends lion exhibits to be at least 10,000 square feet (source: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/lion_care_manual_20121.pdf), and unfortunately many zoos are yet to meet that standard even today. Ideally, however, exhibits will exceed this standard.
- Social Structure: Lions are one of the few social cat species, living in either mixed-sex prides or all-male coalitions in the wild. While social structure of lions can be difficult since non-related females can be difficult to house together, yet ideally zoos will house them in groups of at least four individuals.
- Habitat Complexity: Lions may be animals of the African savanna, but unlike many ungulates a simplistic exhibit isn't necessarily ideal. Rocks, trees, and other similar furnishings are important in a lion exhibit to ensure they live a proper, enriching life.
- Four elderly lions can be found at the Kansas City Zoo, where they live in a large, spacious exhibit. This is one of the nation's largest lion exhibits, and contains sprawling grass fields decorated by rocks, trees, and other naturalistic elements, which combine to make for an impressive lion exhibit:
- Another very large lion exhibit can be found in the Heart of Africa at Columbus Zoo. This exhibit is home to a pride of four lions. This is an aesthetically impressive exhibit, with the lion exhibit in the foreground and the main ungulate savanna seamlessly in the background. This predator-prey display makes for a great home for the lions, and the exhibit also contains some unique visitor elements with viewing through a "crashed airplane":
- A quickly growing pride can be found in the new Pepper Family Wildlife Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. This exhibit is a renovation of the zoo's old Lion House, and contains a very impressive, modern take on a lion exhibit. Large rockwork is a major feature of this exhibit, and allows for some great climbing opportunities for the lions:
- Eleven African Lions live in Denver Zoo's iconic Predator Ridge. This is another very large exhibit, completed with a lot of great rockwork for the lions to enjoy. The impressively large pride size (possibly two prides?) is also a big plus for this exhibit:
- A brand new exhibit for lions can be found at the Fort Worth Zoo, which recently opened a new carnivore-themed exhibit. While only home to three lions, this remains an impressive exhibit for the cats. This exhibit contains a large, grassy field complete with a central water feature and lots of rock work as well. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on the list, this exhibit quickly cemented its place amongst the best lion exhibits in the country:
cloudedleopard611
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised the Omaha Zoo wasn't included for lions. Its around the top of my bucket list for zoo exhibits I want to see.
I think there are a few worthy of being on this list: San Diego Safari Park, Omaha, and Fresno. Lion Camp is coming close to 20 years old but still a stellar lion exhibit. Omaha and Fresno are ones I really want to see in person, being large and size as well as having climbing opportunities for them too.Happy World Lion Day! On this World Lion Day, I will be dedicating this post to one of the most iconic zoo animals, the African Lion! African Lions are a common species in US Zoos, with over 300 lions in the AZA alone and hundreds more outside of it. While there are certainly some excellent lion habitats, there are also unfortunately many subpar habitats for the species as well.
The criteria for this post are:
The zoos I selected for lions are:
- Space: One common issue with lion exhibits is that they are simply too small for such a large cat. An AZA care guide from a decade ago recommends lion exhibits to be at least 10,000 square feet (source: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/lion_care_manual_20121.pdf), and unfortunately many zoos are yet to meet that standard even today. Ideally, however, exhibits will exceed this standard.
- Social Structure: Lions are one of the few social cat species, living in either mixed-sex prides or all-male coalitions in the wild. While social structure of lions can be difficult since non-related females can be difficult to house together, yet ideally zoos will house them in groups of at least four individuals.
- Habitat Complexity: Lions may be animals of the African savanna, but unlike many ungulates a simplistic exhibit isn't necessarily ideal. Rocks, trees, and other similar furnishings are important in a lion exhibit to ensure they live a proper, enriching life.
- Four elderly lions can be found at the Kansas City Zoo, where they live in a large, spacious exhibit. This is one of the nation's largest lion exhibits, and contains sprawling grass fields decorated by rocks, trees, and other naturalistic elements, which combine to make for an impressive lion exhibit:
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @snowleopard
- Another very large lion exhibit can be found in the Heart of Africa at Columbus Zoo. This exhibit is home to a pride of four lions. This is an aesthetically impressive exhibit, with the lion exhibit in the foreground and the main ungulate savanna seamlessly in the background. This predator-prey display makes for a great home for the lions, and the exhibit also contains some unique visitor elements with viewing through a "crashed airplane":
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @TinoPup
- A quickly growing pride can be found in the new Pepper Family Wildlife Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. This exhibit is a renovation of the zoo's old Lion House, and contains a very impressive, modern take on a lion exhibit. Large rockwork is a major feature of this exhibit, and allows for some great climbing opportunities for the lions:
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @ZooNerd1234
- Eleven African Lions live in Denver Zoo's iconic Predator Ridge. This is another very large exhibit, completed with a lot of great rockwork for the lions to enjoy. The impressively large pride size (possibly two prides?) is also a big plus for this exhibit:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
- A brand new exhibit for lions can be found at the Fort Worth Zoo, which recently opened a new carnivore-themed exhibit. While only home to three lions, this remains an impressive exhibit for the cats. This exhibit contains a large, grassy field complete with a central water feature and lots of rock work as well. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on the list, this exhibit quickly cemented its place amongst the best lion exhibits in the country:
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
The omission of both Omaha and SDZSP is bold to say the least. I've seen both and have no problem saying those are probably the #1 and #2 candidates for best lion enclosure in the country so to see them both snubbed is absolutely shocking and I am very curious to know why. I'm glad Lincoln Park received some recognition though; the most creatively designed cat enclosure I've ever seen and the utilization of the historic lion house is the cherry on top.Happy World Lion Day! On this World Lion Day, I will be dedicating this post to one of the most iconic zoo animals, the African Lion! African Lions are a common species in US Zoos, with over 300 lions in the AZA alone and hundreds more outside of it. While there are certainly some excellent lion habitats, there are also unfortunately many subpar habitats for the species as well.
The criteria for this post are:
The zoos I selected for lions are:
- Space: One common issue with lion exhibits is that they are simply too small for such a large cat. An AZA care guide from a decade ago recommends lion exhibits to be at least 10,000 square feet (source: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/lion_care_manual_20121.pdf), and unfortunately many zoos are yet to meet that standard even today. Ideally, however, exhibits will exceed this standard.
- Social Structure: Lions are one of the few social cat species, living in either mixed-sex prides or all-male coalitions in the wild. While social structure of lions can be difficult since non-related females can be difficult to house together, yet ideally zoos will house them in groups of at least four individuals.
- Habitat Complexity: Lions may be animals of the African savanna, but unlike many ungulates a simplistic exhibit isn't necessarily ideal. Rocks, trees, and other similar furnishings are important in a lion exhibit to ensure they live a proper, enriching life.
- Four elderly lions can be found at the Kansas City Zoo, where they live in a large, spacious exhibit. This is one of the nation's largest lion exhibits, and contains sprawling grass fields decorated by rocks, trees, and other naturalistic elements, which combine to make for an impressive lion exhibit:
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @snowleopard
- Another very large lion exhibit can be found in the Heart of Africa at Columbus Zoo. This exhibit is home to a pride of four lions. This is an aesthetically impressive exhibit, with the lion exhibit in the foreground and the main ungulate savanna seamlessly in the background. This predator-prey display makes for a great home for the lions, and the exhibit also contains some unique visitor elements with viewing through a "crashed airplane":
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @TinoPup
- A quickly growing pride can be found in the new Pepper Family Wildlife Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. This exhibit is a renovation of the zoo's old Lion House, and contains a very impressive, modern take on a lion exhibit. Large rockwork is a major feature of this exhibit, and allows for some great climbing opportunities for the lions:
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @ZooNerd1234
- Eleven African Lions live in Denver Zoo's iconic Predator Ridge. This is another very large exhibit, completed with a lot of great rockwork for the lions to enjoy. The impressively large pride size (possibly two prides?) is also a big plus for this exhibit:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
- A brand new exhibit for lions can be found at the Fort Worth Zoo, which recently opened a new carnivore-themed exhibit. While only home to three lions, this remains an impressive exhibit for the cats. This exhibit contains a large, grassy field complete with a central water feature and lots of rock work as well. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on the list, this exhibit quickly cemented its place amongst the best lion exhibits in the country:
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Not to pile on too much, but yeah Omaha and SDZSP definitely belong in the top 5 imo. I'm glad to see Kansas City get mentioned though; it's a fairly simple, but very well done exhibit and a real highlight of the zoo.
)
With the caveat that I haven't seen this exhibit in person, I don't really see how this made it into the list, particularly over Omaha and SDZSP. I would also argue that it is the least aesthetically pleasing exhibit of the 5 mentioned, except for maybe Columbus (depending on your opinion of fake airplanes
- A brand new exhibit for lions can be found at the Fort Worth Zoo, which recently opened a new carnivore-themed exhibit. While only home to three lions, this remains an impressive exhibit for the cats. This exhibit contains a large, grassy field complete with a central water feature and lots of rock work as well. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on the list, this exhibit quickly cemented its place amongst the best lion exhibits in the country:
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
)The only reason for these not getting mentioned is that there are simply too many incredible lion exhibits in the United States for all to get a mention. Kansas City and Columbus both have incredible large exhibits, while Lincoln Park has a much newer, innovative habitat as well. Meanwhile, Denver Zoo's Predator Ridge is an iconic, impressive exhibit with one of the largest lion populations of a reputable zoo, and Fort Worth Zoo has an incredible, brand-new exhibit as well. During my research, I found a solid eight incredible lion exhibits that easily could've been interchangeable with one another. The three that didn't end up on the list were those at the Akron Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Omaha's Henry-Doorly Zoo. Out of these, Akron was solidly the eighth best lion exhibit I found, and I ended up deciding that, given the number of incredible lion exhibits, I'd rather feature some exhibits at zoos that don't get as frequent praise, despite having exhibits just as great as the top zoos.
I have a plan for some honorable mentions after doing all of the species posts. Some of these will be dedicated to exhibits for species that didn't make the cut, while one will be dedicated to some of the best exhibits to narrowly miss the list (especially for species like lions, tigers, elephants, etc. where there are way more than five impressive exhibits).
No denying that there are plenty of high quality lion enclosures, but I'm still not convinced. Using your own criteria, the enclosures at Omaha and SDZSP are both much larger with more varied terrain than either Denver or Fort Worth. Omaha is particular has an incredible kopje mountain creation that gives the inhabitants excellent verticality; I believe it holds the title of tallest lion habitat in the country. I can respect wanting to give more attention to the less talked about exhibits, but if we're supposed to be discussing the five best exhibits for lions in the US those two cannot be ignored.
The #1 African Lion exhibit in America? Omaha
The massive pile of rocks in this photo has a lion at the peak:
The #2 African Lion exhibit in America? San Diego Zoo Safari Park
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
The #3 African Lion exhibit in America? Fresno
Having seen innumerable African Lion exhibits that are quite flat, I really appreciate the rocky outcrops at Omaha and Fresno. Even Virginia Zoo has a great rocky area for the lions to get a vantage point of the zoo:
The massive pile of rocks in this photo has a lion at the peak:
The #2 African Lion exhibit in America? San Diego Zoo Safari Park
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
The #3 African Lion exhibit in America? Fresno
Having seen innumerable African Lion exhibits that are quite flat, I really appreciate the rocky outcrops at Omaha and Fresno. Even Virginia Zoo has a great rocky area for the lions to get a vantage point of the zoo:
That's an interesting perspective, as there's also some flatter sections throughout the spacious habitat:
And even an abandoned land rover. Ha!
In many photos, the lions are up on the rocks and enjoying the vista that stretches out before them at the top of the zoo. Omaha's lion exhibit is world-class and in my opinion easily the best of its kind in North America. For many years, it was assumed that San Diego Zoo Safari Park was #1, but I wager most zoo nerds would vote for Omaha now. I've praised this thread on numerous occasions, but to not have either Omaha or SDZSP (or even Fresno) in the top 5 is just plain silly.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
Lion camp from San Diego Safari Park, Omaha, and Sedgwick Country should definitely be on the list.Happy World Lion Day! On this World Lion Day, I will be dedicating this post to one of the most iconic zoo animals, the African Lion! African Lions are a common species in US Zoos, with over 300 lions in the AZA alone and hundreds more outside of it. While there are certainly some excellent lion habitats, there are also unfortunately many subpar habitats for the species as well.
The criteria for this post are:
The zoos I selected for lions are:
- Space: One common issue with lion exhibits is that they are simply too small for such a large cat. An AZA care guide from a decade ago recommends lion exhibits to be at least 10,000 square feet (source: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/lion_care_manual_20121.pdf), and unfortunately many zoos are yet to meet that standard even today. Ideally, however, exhibits will exceed this standard.
- Social Structure: Lions are one of the few social cat species, living in either mixed-sex prides or all-male coalitions in the wild. While social structure of lions can be difficult since non-related females can be difficult to house together, yet ideally zoos will house them in groups of at least four individuals.
- Habitat Complexity: Lions may be animals of the African savanna, but unlike many ungulates a simplistic exhibit isn't necessarily ideal. Rocks, trees, and other similar furnishings are important in a lion exhibit to ensure they live a proper, enriching life.
- Four elderly lions can be found at the Kansas City Zoo, where they live in a large, spacious exhibit. This is one of the nation's largest lion exhibits, and contains sprawling grass fields decorated by rocks, trees, and other naturalistic elements, which combine to make for an impressive lion exhibit:
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @KCZooFan
Photo by: @snowleopard
- Another very large lion exhibit can be found in the Heart of Africa at Columbus Zoo. This exhibit is home to a pride of four lions. This is an aesthetically impressive exhibit, with the lion exhibit in the foreground and the main ungulate savanna seamlessly in the background. This predator-prey display makes for a great home for the lions, and the exhibit also contains some unique visitor elements with viewing through a "crashed airplane":
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @TinoPup
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @TinoPup
- A quickly growing pride can be found in the new Pepper Family Wildlife Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. This exhibit is a renovation of the zoo's old Lion House, and contains a very impressive, modern take on a lion exhibit. Large rockwork is a major feature of this exhibit, and allows for some great climbing opportunities for the lions:
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @Moebelle
Photo by: @ZooNerd1234
- Eleven African Lions live in Denver Zoo's iconic Predator Ridge. This is another very large exhibit, completed with a lot of great rockwork for the lions to enjoy. The impressively large pride size (possibly two prides?) is also a big plus for this exhibit:
Photo by: @Pleistohorse
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
Photo by: @MGolka
- A brand new exhibit for lions can be found at the Fort Worth Zoo, which recently opened a new carnivore-themed exhibit. While only home to three lions, this remains an impressive exhibit for the cats. This exhibit contains a large, grassy field complete with a central water feature and lots of rock work as well. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing exhibit on the list, this exhibit quickly cemented its place amongst the best lion exhibits in the country:
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
Photo by: @Ggrarl
I'm thankful to see a list on which I've been to not one but two of the best exhibits. I don't think the photographs flatter Lincoln Park or Denver as much as they could though. Lincoln Park's exhibit has always looked kind of subpar to me in photographs - but actually visiting the Pepper Family Wildlife Center is always a fun experience and I love the approach they took. Denver's exhibit was great, very massive. I've learned to really love lions more through these habitats.
I think the disadvantage and advantage of this thread is exhibits for charismatic megafauna are more often discussed and better known overall (not to mention will attract more donors and more cash) so there will always be stronger opinions and honorable mentions for those, while spotlights for animals like tamarins, capybara and anteater, which a lot of us will less often have strong opinions on, won't attract as much debate.
I think the disadvantage and advantage of this thread is exhibits for charismatic megafauna are more often discussed and better known overall (not to mention will attract more donors and more cash) so there will always be stronger opinions and honorable mentions for those, while spotlights for animals like tamarins, capybara and anteater, which a lot of us will less often have strong opinions on, won't attract as much debate.
Fresno wasn't included on the list due to social structure. This exhibit only has two lions, compared to others with a larger pride. So while I agree it's a great exhibit, that's why it didn't end up qualifying.
As for Omaha and SDZSP, know that both Lion exhibits will be featured at the end of the thread amongst other exhibits that easily could've been on the list. For some species, there are simply more than five excellent exhibits that deserve a spot on the list, so some of these excellent exhibits will end up in a bonus post.
Bactrian Deer
Well-Known Member
I’m surprised Fort Wayne didn’t make the list
Plenty of great lion exhibits, which is unsurprising since they're a star attraction for most zoos and there's been a lot of room for improvement on old enclosures.
My favorite exhibit that hasn't been mentioned by anyone yet is at the Oakland Zoo, which is not only a very large enclosure but is also well-shaded with slopes and elevation tiers:
(1st photo from me, 2nd photo @snowleopard, 3rd photo @geomorph
That one looks really nice! That kopje looks very well-designed.
Your mileage may vary on this one
I don't think it looks bad, but "most aesthetically pleasing" would not have crossed my mind. Other than the water feature in the middle, it looks pretty generic to me - which is not to say it isn't a good exhibit, and it's definitely an improvement on their old enclosure:
pc @snowleopard
My favorite exhibit that hasn't been mentioned by anyone yet is at the Oakland Zoo, which is not only a very large enclosure but is also well-shaded with slopes and elevation tiers:
(1st photo from me, 2nd photo @snowleopard, 3rd photo @geomorph
That one looks really nice! That kopje looks very well-designed.
Your mileage may vary on this one
I don't think it looks bad, but "most aesthetically pleasing" would not have crossed my mind. Other than the water feature in the middle, it looks pretty generic to me - which is not to say it isn't a good exhibit, and it's definitely an improvement on their old enclosure:pc @snowleopard
In the process of designing this thread, I genuinely debated whether to place five or ten exhibits per species. In the ten-exhibit version, more would be lumped together (e.g. a single post for all three native cat species, combining andean and sloth bears, a single post for rhinos, etc.), however a few top species it was very easy to list ten zoos for. These included lions, and a few species already on the list- such as Asian elephants, giraffes, and tigers. Others, such as orangutans, were a lot more difficult to pick ten exhibits for which led to the five exhibit version. This made it a difficult choice as to what exhibits could be chosen for something like lions, which is why some incredible exhibits ended up getting omitted. I'd argue that Kansas City has the best lion exhibit in the country, and after that there's another ten or so that could all be interchangeable choices.
I will fully admit lions aren't a species that particularly interest me, so a lot of the best exhibits weren't necessarily as well-known to me prior to this thread. It doesn't help there are simply so many lion holders it'd be difficult to individually go through every holder (I did this with species that had less holders), and relied more so on searches encompassing the entire US forum.
In regards to Omaha, I perhaps didn't consider it as closely as I should have. The pictures I saw made it look smaller than it actually is, and while the kopje is impressive, in photos it didn't necessarily appear as something the lions could and would actively use (I'm happy to be proven wrong on this one!)
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Just to add a little bit perspective on here and to the "photos don't do it justice" idea, measuring the size of a couple of these from aerials (all approximate):
Fence to fence boundaries:
Kansas City = 30,000 sf
Omaha = 30,000 sf
SDZSP = 36,000 sf
Columbus = 26,000 sf
Fresno = 30,000 sf
Denver = 17,000 sf (Main yard)
And then if you look at what one would consider more "useable" terrain that excludes the moats and steeper slopes of the in-fence exhibit (all approximate):
Kansas City = 15,000 sf
Omaha = 15,000 sf
SDZSP = 30,500 sf
Columbus = 20,000 sf
Fresno = 23,000 sf
Denver = 12,500 sf (Main yard)
I admire you trying to pare your list down to only 5 choices for lions, and it does look like a good majority of lion exhibits in the last 5-10 years have strived for that 30k mark except for Lincoln Park (had to work with tight quarters) and not sure about Fort Worth as updated aerials aren't available yet. Granted, KC's was built in the 90s, so it was ahead of its time with its size. I think over the years though, KC's lion exhibit has started to get overshadowed by almost all of the other pretty great exhibits in that Africa half of the zoo (except the hippo exhibit).
Another lion exhibit that I find highly unique is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's lion exhibit, as it might challenge Omaha for the most verticality. It essentially is on a cliff face between the two Africa portions of the zoo and I saw the lions hanging out on the top rocks overlooking the Great Rift Valley exhibits below. I don't think I would place it top 5, but it was certainly unique.
Fence to fence boundaries:
Kansas City = 30,000 sf
Omaha = 30,000 sf
SDZSP = 36,000 sf
Columbus = 26,000 sf
Fresno = 30,000 sf
Denver = 17,000 sf (Main yard)
And then if you look at what one would consider more "useable" terrain that excludes the moats and steeper slopes of the in-fence exhibit (all approximate):
Kansas City = 15,000 sf
Omaha = 15,000 sf
SDZSP = 30,500 sf
Columbus = 20,000 sf
Fresno = 23,000 sf
Denver = 12,500 sf (Main yard)
I admire you trying to pare your list down to only 5 choices for lions, and it does look like a good majority of lion exhibits in the last 5-10 years have strived for that 30k mark except for Lincoln Park (had to work with tight quarters) and not sure about Fort Worth as updated aerials aren't available yet. Granted, KC's was built in the 90s, so it was ahead of its time with its size. I think over the years though, KC's lion exhibit has started to get overshadowed by almost all of the other pretty great exhibits in that Africa half of the zoo (except the hippo exhibit).
Another lion exhibit that I find highly unique is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's lion exhibit, as it might challenge Omaha for the most verticality. It essentially is on a cliff face between the two Africa portions of the zoo and I saw the lions hanging out on the top rocks overlooking the Great Rift Valley exhibits below. I don't think I would place it top 5, but it was certainly unique.