Put Me In The Zoo: Sequoia Park Zoo Review
Date of visit: June 23, 2014
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
The Sequoia Park Zoo is a very small zoo (5 acres) in Eureka, California. It is perhaps the most remote zoo in California, being located on the northeastern edge of the state near the Oregon border, approximately 300 miles from the Bay Area and the closest zoos.
It also has the distinction of perhaps being the only zoo located in an old-growth redwood forest. Sequoia Park (confusingly named after the redwood’s cousin) is 70+ acres of redwood forest and is itself a beautiful destination.
The largest animals that the zoo currently has are yaks, llamas, and rheas. Perhaps in their 2050 master plan they will have pygmy mammoths if cloning technology works out. Until that unlikely time this zoo has no giraffes or elephants, nor will they have any.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
Bush dogs! This is the only zoo in western North America to have bush dogs. As of the writing of this review they had two male bush dogs in a nicely planted former black bear exhibit. It was a thrill to see this species, which has long been on my “must see” list for zoo exhibits.
The zoo also has Chacoan peccaries, banana slugs, northwestern salamander, and western pond turtles. These species are not widespread in the zoo world and likely would excite many zoo nerds.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
The children’s zoo is superb and is quite immersive (see details below).
There is a great indoor exhibit called “Secrets of the Forest” which interprets the redwood forest that the zoo is in. It has live reptiles and invertebrates as well as some models of unusual animals like aplodontia (mountain beaver). There is a “fallen log” with interactive interpretive exhibits about lichen and a live termite colony. There is a banana slug exhibit and a pond for western pond turtles. The whole exhibit is superbly well done and essentially is a small natural history museum within the zoo combined with a reptile-invertebrate house.
The zoo has a great red panda-Indian muntjac exhibit. It is large and has great climbing opportunities for the pandas. It is as good a red panda exhibit as I have seen in any zoo. It is not especially naturalistic, but it is excellent.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
There is a series of exhibits for South American animals that are all very nicely planted and spacious. There is a wetland exhibit for Chilean flamingos and Orinoco geese. There is a nice grassland exhibit for Chacoan peccaries and rheas, and another large yard for crested screamers and Patagonian cavies.
There is a large walk-through aviary that is beautifully planted. It has an eclectic collection of birds from around the world including California quail, Nicobar pigeons, scarlet ibis, Guira cuckoos, and golden pheasants.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The new watershed exhibit complex (see below) is being built where there were several older bird and small mammal exhibits apparently. The only really outdated exhibits are the spider monkey and white-handed gibbon exhibits, which are somewhat small and hard to see into. The zoo is very aware of this and has new gibbon and spider monkey exhibits planned for the future. My guess is that once the elderly residents pass on that these species will not be held at the zoo until new exhibits are built.
The bush dogs are in the former black bear grotto, which is very heavily planted and spacious for its current inhabitants.
The zoo had two male chimpanzees for many years in what apparently were small, rather ramshackle exhibits. Now that the chimps have died their exhibit area has been converted to a garden area telling the story of the chimps and the history of the zoo. It is quite a nice use of a bulldozed bad exhibit.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The Sequoia Park Zoo has a terrific children’s zoo called The Barnyard. The central attraction is a huge barn with animal enclosures and interactive play experiences. There is a contact yard with goats. Inside the barn are chicken coops, a very elaborate mouse house, a model goat that can be “milked”, a model horse that kids can “ride”, a bee hive, some enclosures that look down into the barn “cellar” where people can see opossum, daddy-long legs, and other animals that live around barns. Outside there are bunny hutches and a “spider web” rope climbing area with a giant spider looming over it. This children’s zoo is superb, fun, and cool.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
The zoo is currently building a major exhibit complex called “Watershed Heroes” featuring North American river otters (returning to the zoo after a prolonged absence), bald eagles, and salmon. From a knowledgeable zoo designer friend I am told that it will be spectacular and worthy of any zoo. Unfortunately it was still under construction when I visited and not scheduled to open until July or August 2014.
The zoo is very open about their plans for the future and have their master plan on their website. The next major exhibit complex at the zoo will be a California native predator exhibit bringing black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, spotted owls, ravens, coyotes, and Pacific fisher. This complex will be set in the redwood forest and likely will take great advantage of the natural beauty and interpretive opportunities of the zoo’s setting.
Future plans for the zoo beyond that include a Great Plains exhibit featuring the return of prairie dogs (a past zoo favorite apparently) and the addition of badger, black-footed ferrets, and burrowing owls to the zoo. There are also plans for an expanded Asia exhibit with a new (much needed) gibbon exhibit and future South American exhibits for maned wolves, anteaters, spider monkeys, etc. to complement their current cavy-crested screamer, Chilean flamingo, and rhea-peccary exhibits.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
If you happen to be on the north coast of California then you should definitely check this zoo out if your are a zoo nerd or a casual zoo fan. The first class exhibits, interpretation, redwood forest setting, and friendly vibe all make for a unique and enjoyable zoo-going experience, albeit rather brief.
Date of visit: June 23, 2014
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
The Sequoia Park Zoo is a very small zoo (5 acres) in Eureka, California. It is perhaps the most remote zoo in California, being located on the northeastern edge of the state near the Oregon border, approximately 300 miles from the Bay Area and the closest zoos.
It also has the distinction of perhaps being the only zoo located in an old-growth redwood forest. Sequoia Park (confusingly named after the redwood’s cousin) is 70+ acres of redwood forest and is itself a beautiful destination.
The largest animals that the zoo currently has are yaks, llamas, and rheas. Perhaps in their 2050 master plan they will have pygmy mammoths if cloning technology works out. Until that unlikely time this zoo has no giraffes or elephants, nor will they have any.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
Bush dogs! This is the only zoo in western North America to have bush dogs. As of the writing of this review they had two male bush dogs in a nicely planted former black bear exhibit. It was a thrill to see this species, which has long been on my “must see” list for zoo exhibits.
The zoo also has Chacoan peccaries, banana slugs, northwestern salamander, and western pond turtles. These species are not widespread in the zoo world and likely would excite many zoo nerds.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
The children’s zoo is superb and is quite immersive (see details below).
There is a great indoor exhibit called “Secrets of the Forest” which interprets the redwood forest that the zoo is in. It has live reptiles and invertebrates as well as some models of unusual animals like aplodontia (mountain beaver). There is a “fallen log” with interactive interpretive exhibits about lichen and a live termite colony. There is a banana slug exhibit and a pond for western pond turtles. The whole exhibit is superbly well done and essentially is a small natural history museum within the zoo combined with a reptile-invertebrate house.
The zoo has a great red panda-Indian muntjac exhibit. It is large and has great climbing opportunities for the pandas. It is as good a red panda exhibit as I have seen in any zoo. It is not especially naturalistic, but it is excellent.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
There is a series of exhibits for South American animals that are all very nicely planted and spacious. There is a wetland exhibit for Chilean flamingos and Orinoco geese. There is a nice grassland exhibit for Chacoan peccaries and rheas, and another large yard for crested screamers and Patagonian cavies.
There is a large walk-through aviary that is beautifully planted. It has an eclectic collection of birds from around the world including California quail, Nicobar pigeons, scarlet ibis, Guira cuckoos, and golden pheasants.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The new watershed exhibit complex (see below) is being built where there were several older bird and small mammal exhibits apparently. The only really outdated exhibits are the spider monkey and white-handed gibbon exhibits, which are somewhat small and hard to see into. The zoo is very aware of this and has new gibbon and spider monkey exhibits planned for the future. My guess is that once the elderly residents pass on that these species will not be held at the zoo until new exhibits are built.
The bush dogs are in the former black bear grotto, which is very heavily planted and spacious for its current inhabitants.
The zoo had two male chimpanzees for many years in what apparently were small, rather ramshackle exhibits. Now that the chimps have died their exhibit area has been converted to a garden area telling the story of the chimps and the history of the zoo. It is quite a nice use of a bulldozed bad exhibit.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The Sequoia Park Zoo has a terrific children’s zoo called The Barnyard. The central attraction is a huge barn with animal enclosures and interactive play experiences. There is a contact yard with goats. Inside the barn are chicken coops, a very elaborate mouse house, a model goat that can be “milked”, a model horse that kids can “ride”, a bee hive, some enclosures that look down into the barn “cellar” where people can see opossum, daddy-long legs, and other animals that live around barns. Outside there are bunny hutches and a “spider web” rope climbing area with a giant spider looming over it. This children’s zoo is superb, fun, and cool.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
The zoo is currently building a major exhibit complex called “Watershed Heroes” featuring North American river otters (returning to the zoo after a prolonged absence), bald eagles, and salmon. From a knowledgeable zoo designer friend I am told that it will be spectacular and worthy of any zoo. Unfortunately it was still under construction when I visited and not scheduled to open until July or August 2014.
The zoo is very open about their plans for the future and have their master plan on their website. The next major exhibit complex at the zoo will be a California native predator exhibit bringing black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, spotted owls, ravens, coyotes, and Pacific fisher. This complex will be set in the redwood forest and likely will take great advantage of the natural beauty and interpretive opportunities of the zoo’s setting.
Future plans for the zoo beyond that include a Great Plains exhibit featuring the return of prairie dogs (a past zoo favorite apparently) and the addition of badger, black-footed ferrets, and burrowing owls to the zoo. There are also plans for an expanded Asia exhibit with a new (much needed) gibbon exhibit and future South American exhibits for maned wolves, anteaters, spider monkeys, etc. to complement their current cavy-crested screamer, Chilean flamingo, and rhea-peccary exhibits.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
If you happen to be on the north coast of California then you should definitely check this zoo out if your are a zoo nerd or a casual zoo fan. The first class exhibits, interpretation, redwood forest setting, and friendly vibe all make for a unique and enjoyable zoo-going experience, albeit rather brief.
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