Fresno Chaffee Zoo Put Me In The Zoo: Fresno Zoo Review

DavidBrown

DavidBrown

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15+ year member
Put Me In The Zoo: The Fresno Zoo Review
Zoo visit date: December 28, 2011

Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?

Yes, the Fresno Zoo has reticulated giraffes and Asian elephants.

Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?

The Fresno Zoo has a palm cockatoo. The reptile house has a varied collection with many snake, lizard, turtle, and invertebrate species, some of which I have not see elsewhere like Iranian newt, Chinese crocodile lizard, and endangered rainbow fish from one lake in New Guinea.

Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?

It has a large South American rain forest aviary that is fun to walk through. The red wolf exhibit is lushly planted and very nice.

Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?

The orangutan/siamang exhibit has great climbing opportunities and space for the apes. The Australian bird aviary has several parrot species and Victoria crowned pigeons.

Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?

The Asian elephant exhibit is very small, as is the grizzly bear exhibit. It seems likely that the old elephant exhibit will go away when a new elephant exhibit opens in 2014 and that the bear exhibit will likely close when the elderly bear passes.

Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?

It has a nice animal contact area with goats and llamas. The zoo is not large and is very easily navigated.

Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?

A new seal lion/harbor seal exhibit was under construction during my visit and is scheduled to open in 2012. From the construction I witnessed it will have a large underwater viewing window and will be spacious. A new Africa section of the zoo is scheduled to open in 2014 and reportedly will have a new African elephant complex (new to Fresno), a new giraffe/antelope complex to replace the current giraffe area, spot-necked otters (new to the Fresno Zoo), and lions and rhinos (absent from the zoo for several years).

Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?

The Fresno Zoo makes a great stop if one is traveling down Highway 99 through the Central Valley. It is a relatively small zoo (20ish acres) with a collection of favorites (giraffes, elephants, Sumatran tiger, orangutans) and some rarities (palm cockatoo, varied reptile collection). The zoo will likely not appeal greatly to someone looking for the great zoos of North America (or California even), but it is a very good zoo serving its local community, and has a bright future.
 
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Thanks for the review! Short, sweet and positive!
 
Was there two years ago...rather thought that huge Orang cage to be a little short of furnishings[still the same?].Highlights from the reptile house included Arboreal Alligator Lizard,Thai Leaf Frog[Megophrys aceras] and the very rare in captivity New Zealand North Island Green Gecko. There is a very interesting protocol going on with the Iranian Spotted Newt in that German breeders of this endangered amphibian are actually letting them go out to the hobby trade in order to prevent any drain on wild populations.Also at Fresno in 2009,Chacoan Peccary which are almost unknown in Europe.
 
Thanks for the review! From what I have read it seems like a nice small zoo but will be a lot better in a few years when the new exhibits are finished.
 
Thanks for the feedback everybody. I have some pictures of the new sea lion exhibit construction that I will put in the gallery as soon as I can recharge my camera batteries.

@Tim: thanks for the reptile details (species lists are not one of my strengths). The New Zealand North Island Green Gecko is no longer there (or at least on exhibit) unfortunately. The orang exhibit is strewn with lots of "vines" (old hose I think) for swinging and climbing.
 
Fresno Chaffee Zoo Re-Review
Zoo visit date: January 2017

I wrote the initial review of the Fresno Zoo in late 2011. In the five years since that first review the Fresno Zoo has transformed into an exciting zoological institution. Two major exhibit complexes have opened and more exhibits are in development for the near future.

The Fresno sea lion exhibit is a truly classic exhibit. It was recognized by the AZA as the best exhibit of 2012. It features California sea lions, harbor seals, and brown pelicans in an immersive simulation of the California coast. The trail around the perimeter of the exhibit is a series of landscape dunes with native coastal vegetation. It feels like you are walking through a real California beach. There are several viewing points for the sea lions and seals. The entry vista has amphitheater-type seating so you can watch the sea lions frolic. Keepers give daily presentations here. Sometimes a keeper will kayak out into the exhibit to give the talk. The trail leads to the grand finale of the exhibit which is a large underwater viewing area. This is the best sea lion exhibit that I have seen anywhere. I put a series of photos of it in the gallery to show the immersive elements.

In 2015 the zoo opened an African animal exhibit complex. At 14 acres it nearly doubled the size of the zoo. The exhibit complex features a multi-acre savanna that encompasses a giraffe exhibit with an overlook for feeding and observing the giraffes, a multi-species exhibit with white rhinos, several antelope species (greater kudu, impala, wildebeest, springbok), plains zebra, ostrich, and water bird species, and an African elephant exhibit. All of these exhibits are large and modern. The elephant exhibit has a large pool with a waterfall. The exhibit is built such that it looks like the exhibits are continuous, even though the elephants do not share space with the rhinos and antelope. There are also lion, cheetah, meerkat, and pancake tortoise exhibits in the complex. There is a large visitor center with a food court, gift shop, meeting room where you can watch the lions through a glass wall, restrooms, and a large veranda where you can observe the savanna. The veranda area is cool in the hot summers and has a large fire place for cold weather viewing. The complex compares favorably in quality with similar large scale savanna complexes in Kansas City Zoo and perhaps even Disney's Animal Kingdom (it is not as immersive, but you can watch the animals for as long as you want). The Africa complex is not finished. In the near future the zoo will construct an African river complex adjacent to the savanna. It will create exhibits for hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, otters, and monkeys from what the zoo has announced.

The old core of the zoo is primed for major redevelopment now that the sea lion and Africa exhibits are done. Most of this part of the zoo is of mediocre quality with exhibits built 30, 40, or 50 years ago. The zoo has announced that their old Asia exhibit will be redeveloped as modern sloth bear and tiger exhibits (and I would assume probably other species that the zoo has like Malayan tapirs and gibbons). The zoo has two elderly Asian elephants in a small exhibit built in the 1980s. Presumably this exhibit will be demolished or renovated into something new when they leave. The zoo's 1980 era reptile house has been extensively refurbished.

The Fresno Zoo is in an exciting transformation into a destination zoo for zoo nerds and an attraction that would probably interest most people who like animals and visiting zoos.
 
DavidBrown said:
Fresno Chaffee Zoo Re-Review
Zoo visit date: January 2017

I wrote the initial review of the Fresno Zoo in late 2011. In the five years since that first review the Fresno Zoo has transformed into an exciting zoological institution. Two major exhibit complexes have opened and more exhibits are in development for the near future.

The Fresno sea lion exhibit is a truly classic exhibit. It was recognized by the AZA as the best exhibit of 2012. It features California sea lions, harbor seals, and brown pelicans in an immersive simulation of the California coast. The trail around the perimeter of the exhibit is a series of landscape dunes with native coastal vegetation. It feels like you are walking through a real California beach. There are several viewing points for the sea lions and seals. The entry vista has amphitheater-type seating so you can watch the sea lions frolic. Keepers give daily presentations here. Sometimes a keeper will kayak out into the exhibit to give the talk. The trail leads to the grand finale of the exhibit which is a large underwater viewing area. This is the best sea lion exhibit that I have seen anywhere. I put a series of photos of it in the gallery to show the immersive elements.

In 2015 the zoo opened an African animal exhibit complex. At 14 acres it nearly doubled the size of the zoo. The exhibit complex features a multi-acre savanna that encompasses a giraffe exhibit with an overlook for feeding and observing the giraffes, a multi-species exhibit with white rhinos, several antelope species (greater kudu, impala, wildebeest, springbok), plains zebra, ostrich, and water bird species, and an African elephant exhibit. All of these exhibits are large and modern. The elephant exhibit has a large pool with a waterfall. The exhibit is built such that it looks like the exhibits are continuous, even though the elephants do not share space with the rhinos and antelope. There are also lion, cheetah, meerkat, and pancake tortoise exhibits in the complex. There is a large visitor center with a food court, gift shop, meeting room where you can watch the lions through a glass wall, restrooms, and a large veranda where you can observe the savanna. The veranda area is cool in the hot summers and has a large fire place for cold weather viewing. The complex compares favorably in quality with similar large scale savanna complexes in Kansas City Zoo and perhaps even Disney's Animal Kingdom (it is not as immersive, but you can watch the animals for as long as you want). The Africa complex is not finished. In the near future the zoo will construct an African river complex adjacent to the savanna. It will create exhibits for hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, otters, and monkeys from what the zoo has announced.

The old core of the zoo is primed for major redevelopment now that the sea lion and Africa exhibits are done. Most of this part of the zoo is of mediocre quality with exhibits built 30, 40, or 50 years ago. The zoo has announced that their old Asia exhibit will be redeveloped as modern sloth bear and tiger exhibits (and I would assume probably other species that the zoo has like Malayan tapirs and gibbons). The zoo has two elderly Asian elephants in a small exhibit built in the 1980s. Presumably this exhibit will be demolished or renovated into something new when they leave. The zoo's 1980 era reptile house has been extensively refurbished.

The Fresno Zoo is in an exciting transformation into a destination zoo for zoo nerds and an attraction that would probably interest most people who like animals and visiting zoos.
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Thank you for the review! Fresno Chaffee is high on my list of zoos to visit because of these two new exhibits.
 
Nice update to your previous review...thanks! I'll be at Fresno Chaffee Zoo this July and the only reason that I'm going back is because of Sea Lion Cove and African Adventure. The zoo has been transformed from a rather mediocre facility to a top-class establishment and in the process has doubled its attendance. The city of Fresno has 500,000 people and yet the zoo had almost 1 million visitors in 2016...incredible!
 
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