In terms of amenities, Prospect Park Zoo is very similar to Queens Zoo. There's a tiny cafe selling pre-made sandwiches and snacks, with a small gift shop as part of the package. There's only one set of restrooms, attached to the Discovery Center which is only open for summer camps and tour groups. That's annoying, as there's a second viewing window into the Pallas's Cat exhibit from within that building, but my wife and I were denied when we asked a staff member if we could enter for less than a minute.
Other than the California Sea Lion exhibit (with only two animals!), and a farmyard zone (which I spent two minutes in), Prospect Park Zoo can be divided up into three distinct areas.
The Discovery Trail outdoor loop is a pleasant walk in the woods, but with no geographical focus such as Queens Zoo (animals from the Americas). At Prospect Park, there's Southern Pudu, maybe a hundred Red-eared Turtles, some waterfowl, a couple of Black Swans, a couple of Dingoes and Emus, then 4 other species (Red Panda, North American Porcupine, River Otter, Tufted Deer) and a walk-through aviary. It's enjoyable enough but seems like a hodgepodge collection of animals. Why not make it a loop focusing on a specific geographical region?
The Animal Lifestyles building has as its star attraction a mock-rock Hamadryas Baboon exhibit which has 3 large viewing windows and held our attention for quite some time as there's currently several youngsters and they are entertaining to watch. It's not a great enclosure, but it's adequate and the family group makes it popular. The rest of the building is a random collection of Green Iguanas, a small space for Sand Cats, a big Amazon fish tank, 3 species of small monkey, Wreathed Hornbills and some herps. It's all a bit random, with the baboons by far the best thing there.
The other building at the zoo is called Hall of Animals, a vague term and again there's no coherent theme to the display of animals. A couple of Kookaburras are in a glass tank, there's some turtle exhibits and mice, poison dart frogs and Dwarf Mongooses, Black-footed Cats in a tiny nocturnal space, a number of reptiles and amphibians, fruit bats and Lesser Galagos but why not make one of the zoo's buildings dedicated to South American fauna and perhaps the other a legitimate Reptile House? As things stand, it's all over the place.
Prospect Park Zoo was my 612th zoo all-time and of course it was a thrill to be visiting a new facility I'd never been to before. It was odd to come across exhibits for 3 small, rare feline species (Sand Cat, Black-footed Cat, Pallas's Cat - didn't see this last one) and the Hamadryas Baboons were very active, but the zoo is clearly the weakest of the 5 Wildlife Conservation Society establishments. Other than the baboons, there was only one or two specimens of each mammal species and the whole zoo can easily be seen in an hour as long as one has no kids with them and only takes a quick glance at the barnyard zone.
Other than the California Sea Lion exhibit (with only two animals!), and a farmyard zone (which I spent two minutes in), Prospect Park Zoo can be divided up into three distinct areas.
The Discovery Trail outdoor loop is a pleasant walk in the woods, but with no geographical focus such as Queens Zoo (animals from the Americas). At Prospect Park, there's Southern Pudu, maybe a hundred Red-eared Turtles, some waterfowl, a couple of Black Swans, a couple of Dingoes and Emus, then 4 other species (Red Panda, North American Porcupine, River Otter, Tufted Deer) and a walk-through aviary. It's enjoyable enough but seems like a hodgepodge collection of animals. Why not make it a loop focusing on a specific geographical region?
The Animal Lifestyles building has as its star attraction a mock-rock Hamadryas Baboon exhibit which has 3 large viewing windows and held our attention for quite some time as there's currently several youngsters and they are entertaining to watch. It's not a great enclosure, but it's adequate and the family group makes it popular. The rest of the building is a random collection of Green Iguanas, a small space for Sand Cats, a big Amazon fish tank, 3 species of small monkey, Wreathed Hornbills and some herps. It's all a bit random, with the baboons by far the best thing there.
The other building at the zoo is called Hall of Animals, a vague term and again there's no coherent theme to the display of animals. A couple of Kookaburras are in a glass tank, there's some turtle exhibits and mice, poison dart frogs and Dwarf Mongooses, Black-footed Cats in a tiny nocturnal space, a number of reptiles and amphibians, fruit bats and Lesser Galagos but why not make one of the zoo's buildings dedicated to South American fauna and perhaps the other a legitimate Reptile House? As things stand, it's all over the place.
Prospect Park Zoo was my 612th zoo all-time and of course it was a thrill to be visiting a new facility I'd never been to before. It was odd to come across exhibits for 3 small, rare feline species (Sand Cat, Black-footed Cat, Pallas's Cat - didn't see this last one) and the Hamadryas Baboons were very active, but the zoo is clearly the weakest of the 5 Wildlife Conservation Society establishments. Other than the baboons, there was only one or two specimens of each mammal species and the whole zoo can easily be seen in an hour as long as one has no kids with them and only takes a quick glance at the barnyard zone.
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