I had the privilege of visiting the ABQ biopark this past weekend. Overall it was a great experience. Most of the outdoor bird habitats were closed due to the avian flu, this was a pity as I really wanted to see the Socorro dove.
This is a nice medium/small zoo. Some of the habitats are getting up there in age, and show it. However the new Asian and Australian sections will move some of these animals to new habitats. For example the tigers, while not a bad habitat, it was certainly showing its age. The new or remodeled areas are all done really well. Penguin Chill, Reptile House, and Raptor Roost are all very nicely done, the architecture is nice and the habitats are top level.
Penguin chill suffers from the issue of the glass being clouded due to atmospheric issues, but the under water viewing was great. Real "snow" (shaved ice) is provided to the inhabitants, which is a nice touch. The penguins have several areas they can swim to and get out of the water on different rock areas.
Reptile House is nicely done, there are lots of reasonably sized tanks for a variety of reptiles. The komodo had a bit small enclosure, but it is an OK size for the animal as of now. Nice crocs were signed with the American alligators, but none were to be seen. All of the tanks had digital displays for the animal info, which was a neat feature I have not seen before.
"On a limb" Amphibian house was small, but it was also done really well. The Panamanian golden frogs were the highlight for sure:
Raptor roost seems to be new (although I have no idea) and was designed really well. None of the birds were out when we were there, but the design is nice and the aviaries are done really well:
Africa was pretty standard, it would be nice if the lions were there rather than over in the carnivore area, but that is just my opinion. The aviaries for marabou stork, lappet faced vultures, and cape vultures were really cool, I did not get a picture, unfortunately. The chimp habitat was well done and appeared pretty large, although the glass was so scratched it made pictures impossible and viewing difficult. The hippo can go under the bridge to the side by the warthogs, which is a nice touch.
We spent about 1.5 hours here, had the birds been out and the Australian and Asian areas been open it could easily be 3 or more hours, but that is what it is.
This is a nice medium/small zoo. Some of the habitats are getting up there in age, and show it. However the new Asian and Australian sections will move some of these animals to new habitats. For example the tigers, while not a bad habitat, it was certainly showing its age. The new or remodeled areas are all done really well. Penguin Chill, Reptile House, and Raptor Roost are all very nicely done, the architecture is nice and the habitats are top level.
Penguin chill suffers from the issue of the glass being clouded due to atmospheric issues, but the under water viewing was great. Real "snow" (shaved ice) is provided to the inhabitants, which is a nice touch. The penguins have several areas they can swim to and get out of the water on different rock areas.
Reptile House is nicely done, there are lots of reasonably sized tanks for a variety of reptiles. The komodo had a bit small enclosure, but it is an OK size for the animal as of now. Nice crocs were signed with the American alligators, but none were to be seen. All of the tanks had digital displays for the animal info, which was a neat feature I have not seen before.
"On a limb" Amphibian house was small, but it was also done really well. The Panamanian golden frogs were the highlight for sure:
Raptor roost seems to be new (although I have no idea) and was designed really well. None of the birds were out when we were there, but the design is nice and the aviaries are done really well:
Africa was pretty standard, it would be nice if the lions were there rather than over in the carnivore area, but that is just my opinion. The aviaries for marabou stork, lappet faced vultures, and cape vultures were really cool, I did not get a picture, unfortunately. The chimp habitat was well done and appeared pretty large, although the glass was so scratched it made pictures impossible and viewing difficult. The hippo can go under the bridge to the side by the warthogs, which is a nice touch.
We spent about 1.5 hours here, had the birds been out and the Australian and Asian areas been open it could easily be 3 or more hours, but that is what it is.
