Saturday, October 8th, 2011.
ZooChat Review #98 – Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo’s website:
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium > New at the Zoo
Zoo Map:
http://www.pdza.org/files/library/b0aa8cda550da0b9_o.pdf
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is a fairly small zoo (29 acres) set in a beatific environment, as it overlooks Puget Sound on a steep slope down to the water within Point Defiance Park. It opened to the public in 1905 and yet what is extraordinary is how incredibly new everything is. Since 2003 the zoo has built Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, the 5-acre Asian Forest Sanctuary, Kids’ Zone (opened in stages), a seahorse exhibit complex, a maintenance center, an animal hospital, a café, a gift shop, a remodeled front entrance, a carousel, an education center, Budgie Buddies, Red Wolf Woods and Cats of the Canopy. By studying the map I would estimate that approximately 50% of the zoo is 8 years old or newer! There are 3 major developments from the 1980’s (Arctic Tundra, Rocky Shores and South Pacific Aquarium) and that is essentially the entire zoo other than the North Pacific Aquarium which dates back to 1963 in its current location. Apart from that building the entire past history of the zoo has been eliminated and for the most part the zoo is fairly new and fresh. Attendance has jumped over 200,000 during the past decade to a now record-breaking 700,000 annual visitors. That is just shy of Seattle Aquarium’s 750,000 average and less than Woodland Park’s 1.2 million annual visitors, but all three establishments are within 40 minutes of each other and so that is an impressive set of numbers for the trio.
THE BEST:
Asian Forest Sanctuary – This area has a set of 6 habitats (including the day room building) which animals rotate through. White-cheeked gibbons, siamangs, Malayan tapirs, Indian crested porcupines, small-clawed otters, lowland anoas and Sumatran tigers are the participants in this endeavor, and on my most recent visit the enclosures were looking as if they had been re-laid with grass as they were much lusher than on past visits. I personally LOVE the idea of having a rotating set of animals in a group of enclosures, and in North America only Point Defiance and Louisville utilize that method of displaying animals. The creatures are stimulated in varying ways by passing through different exhibits rather than the same one for much of their lives, and it is exciting and somewhat suspenseful for visitors to see where animals are located in a given exhibit on any random day.
The general public also loves this section of the zoo and the set of exhibits is fairly new and modern. Some of the enclosures are a little barren and I agree with many ZooChatters that more could have been done to create an actual "forest" atmosphere within the habitats. However, the animals are unbelievably active. The Sumatran tigers had cubs a year and a half ago and all of the pools are used frequently by those big cats; at one point there was a large group of at least 8 small-clawed otters and those creatures seemingly never stop moving; I've seen a Malayan tapir running across its yard with a gibbon swinging overhead; and the two species of apes are fantastic to watch as they use their sway poles and the netting of the enclosures. There are also two elderly female Asian elephants that will eventually be phased out in favour of Indian rhinos in a nearby paddock. As with the case in Louisville some of the enclosures are merely adequate at best, but the idea and execution should really be taken up and improved by other major zoos as the general concept is wonderful.
So in summary while some of the enclosures are a tad on the desolate side others are more than adequate, and the "charisma" of the animals makes up for many of the exhibitry deficiencies. The mixing of the animals is also cool to see as on my dozen or so visits I've witnessed otters with white-cheeked gibbons; otters with porcupines; otters with anoas; anoas with gibbons; otters, gibbons and tapirs all together, and various other combinations.
Cats of the Canopy - I already posted this information on a ZooChat photo: I visited the zoo yesterday (Oct. 8th) and I was tremendously impressed with the brand new clouded leopard exhibit. It is located in the Asian Forest Sanctuary section of the zoo, directly across from the Asian elephant barn, and the width and height available to the leopards is extraordinary. A keeper told me that it is easily the tallest and most spacious clouded leopard exhibit in any North American zoo, and this could well top the excellent habitats at National Zoo and Nashville Zoo in terms of overall quality.
In the large main habitat there was a full-grown male leopard, and it was exciting to see him prowl through the dense undergrowth at the floor of the exhibit (I uploaded several photos of the jungle section of the enclosure). The real treat is when a leopard races upward as visitors have to crane their necks to follow the path of the cat on the high branches.
Just slightly to the right of this photo is the basic den area, which held 4 clouded leopards on my visit. There were two keepers in with the cats, and a pair of cats there are 3 months of age and another pair are about 6 months of age. All 4 of the cats were in together with the keepers, and so combined with the adult male it was a treat to watch 5 different cats at practically the exact same time. The zoo has a grand total of 8 clouded leopards, and there is a smaller habitat to the side of the main exhibit that also appeared to hold another cat and once the youngsters get older I'm sure that the zoo will have its hands full rotating all of the cats through the various areas.
Rocky Shores – This exhibit complex opened in 1982 and still holds up well almost 30 years later, although the visitor pathway through it is abysmal for strollers and large families. To venture down into the underwater viewing area is fine for a single individual, but space is limited on busy days and all the hundreds of families with strollers have to wait in line for a tiny elevator to transport them into the underwater world. There are 4 exhibits and within them are 3 Pacific walruses, 5 harbor seals, 3-4 sea otters and around 25 tufted puffins.
The walruses are spectacular to witness up close, and when one considers that only a handful of establishments worldwide have them in captivity then it makes a visit all the more special. Their pool is adequate although the netting over the top is an unwelcome distraction. The harbor seals have a very large pool that originally held bottlenose dolphins and until recently beluga whales; the sea otter pool is average, and the puffins have a steep grassy cliff to nest in and can be found extremely close to visitors as there are no barriers other than a waist-high wall.
Kids’ Zone – This is one of the better children’s zoos in the United States, and much of it was built in the past few years. There is a section for climbing, digging, sliding, etc, for young kids, a contact yard and mini-farm area with many hungry goats, a playground, large exhibits for meerkats and lemurs (ring-tailed and black) as well as smaller exhibits for these species: corn snake (two enclosures), emerald tree boa, green tree python, Antilles pink-toe tree spider, Amazon milk frog, ornate horned frog, White’s tree frog, hourglass tree frog, poison dart frog, Western Bell’s hingeback tortoise, pancake tortoise, prehensile-tailed skink, oscillated stingray, Damaraland mole rat, African emperor scorpion, Lake Malawi cichlid, ferocious water bug, Madagascar hissing cockroach, Northern pygmy owl and parma wallaby.
All of the terrariums are set at a height that would be appropriate for a child, so I always have to bend my 6-foot frame down to check out the inhabitants of a particular exhibit. The scorpion exhibit is set inside a dark cave; there are tunnels to climb through and two fast-moving slides, pellets for the goats and colourful signs in all directions. Years ago I would have spent half an hour in the Kids’ Zone and perhaps never returned but now with two very young kids it is a necessity to spend a considerable amount of time there on each zoo visit.
South Pacific Aquarium – This aquarium opened in 1989, contains 300,000 gallons of saltwater, and is 25,000 sq. ft. in size. The entrance is through a researcher’s hut; then visitors stroll through the immersive South Seas Island beach area; gaze down upon a tropical fish tank; then descend a flight of steps to a Blue Hole tank with more tropical fish; and then another flight of steps takes visitors down to the 250,000 gallon outer reef tank and its 6 or so shark species.
The entire experience within the South Pacific Aquarium is terrific, except that it severely limits many visitors. The multiple flights of stairs means that those with strollers, wheelchairs or fragile seniors must either walk through the beach area and then turn and leave, or else walk all the way around the building and check out the shark tank on the bottom floor via the North Pacific Aquarium exit area. Either way is a hassle and those visitors miss up-close viewing of two out of the three tanks! Like the Rocky Shores area the zoo has acknowledged that there are serious issues with visitor flow in and out of this zone.
THE AVERAGE:
Red Wolf Woods - The old red wolf exhibit was basically a pair of heavily wooded enclosures surrounded by chain-link fencing, and the animals were very difficult to locate. The two new exhibits are splendid for visitors as there are covered viewing areas at both locations and wide-open vistas that allow for easy viewing of the wolves. Large glass windows are in some areas, while there is also a long open-topped area with zero barriers as the public looks slightly downwards upon the canids. However, I'm not so sure that the two new exhibits are as great for the wolves as both enclosures are incredibly open with fewer pieces of vegetation. The zoo has had an enormous amount of success in breeding the critically endangered red wolf, and thus Point Defiance has been famous for its work with this species.
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater - Some of the animals that can be seen either in the show or as keeper presentations: bald eagle, king vulture, tawny frogmouth, Eurasian eagle owl, screech owl, barn owl, red-legged sereima, armadillo, beaver, rat, Abyssinian ground hornbill, green iguana, Indian runner duck, North American porcupine, coati and lynx. The show itself is quite amazing, packed with animals, and well worth seeing when it plays in the summertime.
Arctic Tundra – This complex opened in 1981 and at the time the polar bear habitat won the AZA Best Exhibit of the year award and was hailed as a legendary example of immersion architecture for the next 20 years. However, the 4 male bears now seem a tad squished in what has obviously become an outdated enclosure. Two of the bears are 15 years of age while the other two are fast approaching 30 years of age, and the zoo would like to become a breeding center in the near future. The exhibit itself can frustratingly only be viewed through dirty, chipped glass, and while the bears are always active the addition of a metal fence in the background (because of new regulations since the San Francisco tiger tragedy) has tainted the exhibit forever.
The rest of Arctic Tundra is comprised of a small Arctic fox enclosure that used to be much better as now the vegetation has been all but removed; a pond for wood ducks; and two noteworthy paddocks for hoofstock. The zoo has at least 4 reindeer and 4 muskoxen in green, sloping hillside enclosures that have stood the test of time due to their sheer simplicity and size. From certain angles the shaggy beasts in this area can be seen from much farther away and I only wish that more zoo hoofstock paddocks were so effective.
North Pacific Aquarium – This is the only structure at the zoo that predates the 1980’s, and it shows in the fact that many of the doors have chipped corners, the exhibits are mainly dark and boring, and the overall ambience is one that reeks of the 1960’s. The central tank is 160,000 gallons and features sea life from the Pacific waters directly outside Point Defiance Park, and it is cool to gaze down from above at the large exhibit. Situated around the showcase habitat is a series of tanks for crabs, sea stars, lobsters and many species of fish. There is a tide pool outside but the real stars of this area are the seahorses. In 2003 the zoo opened a seahorse section that straddles the gallery between the North and South Pacific aquariums, and this is an excellent zone that has many brightly lit, well-designed exhibits.
THE WORST:
Birds of Prey - Between Red Wolf Woods and the Arctic Tundra trail there is a series of attached wooden aviaries that are outdated and should really be demolished. A single spectacled owl, a Eurasian eagle owl and a raven are the trio of hapless birds in this area.
Penguins – There is a small rocky habitat for Magellanic penguins that is a bit too cozy for the group that is present. Also, the water is far too shallow for diving birds and while the exhibit is not terrible there are plenty of far more impressive penguin habitats in American zoos.
Budgie Buddies – You walk in with seed on a stick. Birds poop on your head. You walk out feeling cheated and dirty. You never enter the aviary again.
Discovery Barn – This is a tiny area with a small tank for blind cavefish, a large enclosure for a Burmese python, and a small aviary for a gyrfalcon, and to be honest the entire structure is not even worth visiting.
THE FUTURE:
The zoo has had bonds issued in 1977 ($7 million), 1986, 1999 ($35 million) and 2005 ($2 million) and yet another bond is expected to be issued within the next few years. Together with its sister facility Northwest Trek Wildlife Park approximately 40% of the zoo’s income arrives from local taxpayers, and practically every single major project ever constructed has been either via donations or taxpayer funded. In the zoo’s “Draft Comprehensive Strategic Plan 2011-2020” there is a Capital Facilities Master Plan section that recommends demolishing the North Pacific Aquarium (the only remaining historic structure on the grounds) and dramatically revamping the 1980’s-era Rocky Shores and Arctic Tundra areas. If all of that does occur within the next ten years then the entire zoo by then would be less than 20 years old even though technically it opened in 1905!
In the zoo's strategic plan the zoo has admitted that it is considering phasing out its elephants. The two elderly females are both approaching 50 years of age, and both have apparently been difficult to work with in the past. I've had a keeper tell me at an elephant talk that one of the females "attempts to kill a keeper at least once a week". Indian rhinos are the targeted replacement for the elephants at some point in the next decade and that would keep the Asian theme of this part of the zoo intact. The zoo simply does not have the resources to add more elephants as AZA is recommending that zoos have at least 3 females, and also there is not $40 million for a multi-acre expansion of the habitat.
Draft Comprehensive Strategic Plan 2011-2020:
http://www.pdza.org/files/library/a0c514f72f6da484_o.pdf
OVERALL:
I often praise the zoo as many of the exhibits are of decent quality and what other small zoo (29 acres right on the sea) has all of these rarely seen species: polar bear, clouded leopard, muskox, walrus, sea otter, red wolf, tufted puffin and 2 different aquariums. As many of you know I have ranked the zoos that I visit and I placed Point Defiance in the #36 position, so it is basically in the middle of the pack in terms of the major North American zoos. The fact that the zoo has been active in attracting new visitors due to the seemingly endless stream of new exhibits has been admirable, and because I visit twice a year I’m as curious as anyone as to what the future holds.
ZooChat Review #98 – Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo’s website:
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium > New at the Zoo
Zoo Map:
http://www.pdza.org/files/library/b0aa8cda550da0b9_o.pdf
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is a fairly small zoo (29 acres) set in a beatific environment, as it overlooks Puget Sound on a steep slope down to the water within Point Defiance Park. It opened to the public in 1905 and yet what is extraordinary is how incredibly new everything is. Since 2003 the zoo has built Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, the 5-acre Asian Forest Sanctuary, Kids’ Zone (opened in stages), a seahorse exhibit complex, a maintenance center, an animal hospital, a café, a gift shop, a remodeled front entrance, a carousel, an education center, Budgie Buddies, Red Wolf Woods and Cats of the Canopy. By studying the map I would estimate that approximately 50% of the zoo is 8 years old or newer! There are 3 major developments from the 1980’s (Arctic Tundra, Rocky Shores and South Pacific Aquarium) and that is essentially the entire zoo other than the North Pacific Aquarium which dates back to 1963 in its current location. Apart from that building the entire past history of the zoo has been eliminated and for the most part the zoo is fairly new and fresh. Attendance has jumped over 200,000 during the past decade to a now record-breaking 700,000 annual visitors. That is just shy of Seattle Aquarium’s 750,000 average and less than Woodland Park’s 1.2 million annual visitors, but all three establishments are within 40 minutes of each other and so that is an impressive set of numbers for the trio.
THE BEST:
Asian Forest Sanctuary – This area has a set of 6 habitats (including the day room building) which animals rotate through. White-cheeked gibbons, siamangs, Malayan tapirs, Indian crested porcupines, small-clawed otters, lowland anoas and Sumatran tigers are the participants in this endeavor, and on my most recent visit the enclosures were looking as if they had been re-laid with grass as they were much lusher than on past visits. I personally LOVE the idea of having a rotating set of animals in a group of enclosures, and in North America only Point Defiance and Louisville utilize that method of displaying animals. The creatures are stimulated in varying ways by passing through different exhibits rather than the same one for much of their lives, and it is exciting and somewhat suspenseful for visitors to see where animals are located in a given exhibit on any random day.
The general public also loves this section of the zoo and the set of exhibits is fairly new and modern. Some of the enclosures are a little barren and I agree with many ZooChatters that more could have been done to create an actual "forest" atmosphere within the habitats. However, the animals are unbelievably active. The Sumatran tigers had cubs a year and a half ago and all of the pools are used frequently by those big cats; at one point there was a large group of at least 8 small-clawed otters and those creatures seemingly never stop moving; I've seen a Malayan tapir running across its yard with a gibbon swinging overhead; and the two species of apes are fantastic to watch as they use their sway poles and the netting of the enclosures. There are also two elderly female Asian elephants that will eventually be phased out in favour of Indian rhinos in a nearby paddock. As with the case in Louisville some of the enclosures are merely adequate at best, but the idea and execution should really be taken up and improved by other major zoos as the general concept is wonderful.
So in summary while some of the enclosures are a tad on the desolate side others are more than adequate, and the "charisma" of the animals makes up for many of the exhibitry deficiencies. The mixing of the animals is also cool to see as on my dozen or so visits I've witnessed otters with white-cheeked gibbons; otters with porcupines; otters with anoas; anoas with gibbons; otters, gibbons and tapirs all together, and various other combinations.
Cats of the Canopy - I already posted this information on a ZooChat photo: I visited the zoo yesterday (Oct. 8th) and I was tremendously impressed with the brand new clouded leopard exhibit. It is located in the Asian Forest Sanctuary section of the zoo, directly across from the Asian elephant barn, and the width and height available to the leopards is extraordinary. A keeper told me that it is easily the tallest and most spacious clouded leopard exhibit in any North American zoo, and this could well top the excellent habitats at National Zoo and Nashville Zoo in terms of overall quality.
In the large main habitat there was a full-grown male leopard, and it was exciting to see him prowl through the dense undergrowth at the floor of the exhibit (I uploaded several photos of the jungle section of the enclosure). The real treat is when a leopard races upward as visitors have to crane their necks to follow the path of the cat on the high branches.
Just slightly to the right of this photo is the basic den area, which held 4 clouded leopards on my visit. There were two keepers in with the cats, and a pair of cats there are 3 months of age and another pair are about 6 months of age. All 4 of the cats were in together with the keepers, and so combined with the adult male it was a treat to watch 5 different cats at practically the exact same time. The zoo has a grand total of 8 clouded leopards, and there is a smaller habitat to the side of the main exhibit that also appeared to hold another cat and once the youngsters get older I'm sure that the zoo will have its hands full rotating all of the cats through the various areas.
Rocky Shores – This exhibit complex opened in 1982 and still holds up well almost 30 years later, although the visitor pathway through it is abysmal for strollers and large families. To venture down into the underwater viewing area is fine for a single individual, but space is limited on busy days and all the hundreds of families with strollers have to wait in line for a tiny elevator to transport them into the underwater world. There are 4 exhibits and within them are 3 Pacific walruses, 5 harbor seals, 3-4 sea otters and around 25 tufted puffins.
The walruses are spectacular to witness up close, and when one considers that only a handful of establishments worldwide have them in captivity then it makes a visit all the more special. Their pool is adequate although the netting over the top is an unwelcome distraction. The harbor seals have a very large pool that originally held bottlenose dolphins and until recently beluga whales; the sea otter pool is average, and the puffins have a steep grassy cliff to nest in and can be found extremely close to visitors as there are no barriers other than a waist-high wall.
Kids’ Zone – This is one of the better children’s zoos in the United States, and much of it was built in the past few years. There is a section for climbing, digging, sliding, etc, for young kids, a contact yard and mini-farm area with many hungry goats, a playground, large exhibits for meerkats and lemurs (ring-tailed and black) as well as smaller exhibits for these species: corn snake (two enclosures), emerald tree boa, green tree python, Antilles pink-toe tree spider, Amazon milk frog, ornate horned frog, White’s tree frog, hourglass tree frog, poison dart frog, Western Bell’s hingeback tortoise, pancake tortoise, prehensile-tailed skink, oscillated stingray, Damaraland mole rat, African emperor scorpion, Lake Malawi cichlid, ferocious water bug, Madagascar hissing cockroach, Northern pygmy owl and parma wallaby.
All of the terrariums are set at a height that would be appropriate for a child, so I always have to bend my 6-foot frame down to check out the inhabitants of a particular exhibit. The scorpion exhibit is set inside a dark cave; there are tunnels to climb through and two fast-moving slides, pellets for the goats and colourful signs in all directions. Years ago I would have spent half an hour in the Kids’ Zone and perhaps never returned but now with two very young kids it is a necessity to spend a considerable amount of time there on each zoo visit.
South Pacific Aquarium – This aquarium opened in 1989, contains 300,000 gallons of saltwater, and is 25,000 sq. ft. in size. The entrance is through a researcher’s hut; then visitors stroll through the immersive South Seas Island beach area; gaze down upon a tropical fish tank; then descend a flight of steps to a Blue Hole tank with more tropical fish; and then another flight of steps takes visitors down to the 250,000 gallon outer reef tank and its 6 or so shark species.
The entire experience within the South Pacific Aquarium is terrific, except that it severely limits many visitors. The multiple flights of stairs means that those with strollers, wheelchairs or fragile seniors must either walk through the beach area and then turn and leave, or else walk all the way around the building and check out the shark tank on the bottom floor via the North Pacific Aquarium exit area. Either way is a hassle and those visitors miss up-close viewing of two out of the three tanks! Like the Rocky Shores area the zoo has acknowledged that there are serious issues with visitor flow in and out of this zone.
THE AVERAGE:
Red Wolf Woods - The old red wolf exhibit was basically a pair of heavily wooded enclosures surrounded by chain-link fencing, and the animals were very difficult to locate. The two new exhibits are splendid for visitors as there are covered viewing areas at both locations and wide-open vistas that allow for easy viewing of the wolves. Large glass windows are in some areas, while there is also a long open-topped area with zero barriers as the public looks slightly downwards upon the canids. However, I'm not so sure that the two new exhibits are as great for the wolves as both enclosures are incredibly open with fewer pieces of vegetation. The zoo has had an enormous amount of success in breeding the critically endangered red wolf, and thus Point Defiance has been famous for its work with this species.
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater - Some of the animals that can be seen either in the show or as keeper presentations: bald eagle, king vulture, tawny frogmouth, Eurasian eagle owl, screech owl, barn owl, red-legged sereima, armadillo, beaver, rat, Abyssinian ground hornbill, green iguana, Indian runner duck, North American porcupine, coati and lynx. The show itself is quite amazing, packed with animals, and well worth seeing when it plays in the summertime.
Arctic Tundra – This complex opened in 1981 and at the time the polar bear habitat won the AZA Best Exhibit of the year award and was hailed as a legendary example of immersion architecture for the next 20 years. However, the 4 male bears now seem a tad squished in what has obviously become an outdated enclosure. Two of the bears are 15 years of age while the other two are fast approaching 30 years of age, and the zoo would like to become a breeding center in the near future. The exhibit itself can frustratingly only be viewed through dirty, chipped glass, and while the bears are always active the addition of a metal fence in the background (because of new regulations since the San Francisco tiger tragedy) has tainted the exhibit forever.
The rest of Arctic Tundra is comprised of a small Arctic fox enclosure that used to be much better as now the vegetation has been all but removed; a pond for wood ducks; and two noteworthy paddocks for hoofstock. The zoo has at least 4 reindeer and 4 muskoxen in green, sloping hillside enclosures that have stood the test of time due to their sheer simplicity and size. From certain angles the shaggy beasts in this area can be seen from much farther away and I only wish that more zoo hoofstock paddocks were so effective.
North Pacific Aquarium – This is the only structure at the zoo that predates the 1980’s, and it shows in the fact that many of the doors have chipped corners, the exhibits are mainly dark and boring, and the overall ambience is one that reeks of the 1960’s. The central tank is 160,000 gallons and features sea life from the Pacific waters directly outside Point Defiance Park, and it is cool to gaze down from above at the large exhibit. Situated around the showcase habitat is a series of tanks for crabs, sea stars, lobsters and many species of fish. There is a tide pool outside but the real stars of this area are the seahorses. In 2003 the zoo opened a seahorse section that straddles the gallery between the North and South Pacific aquariums, and this is an excellent zone that has many brightly lit, well-designed exhibits.
THE WORST:
Birds of Prey - Between Red Wolf Woods and the Arctic Tundra trail there is a series of attached wooden aviaries that are outdated and should really be demolished. A single spectacled owl, a Eurasian eagle owl and a raven are the trio of hapless birds in this area.
Penguins – There is a small rocky habitat for Magellanic penguins that is a bit too cozy for the group that is present. Also, the water is far too shallow for diving birds and while the exhibit is not terrible there are plenty of far more impressive penguin habitats in American zoos.
Budgie Buddies – You walk in with seed on a stick. Birds poop on your head. You walk out feeling cheated and dirty. You never enter the aviary again.
Discovery Barn – This is a tiny area with a small tank for blind cavefish, a large enclosure for a Burmese python, and a small aviary for a gyrfalcon, and to be honest the entire structure is not even worth visiting.
THE FUTURE:
The zoo has had bonds issued in 1977 ($7 million), 1986, 1999 ($35 million) and 2005 ($2 million) and yet another bond is expected to be issued within the next few years. Together with its sister facility Northwest Trek Wildlife Park approximately 40% of the zoo’s income arrives from local taxpayers, and practically every single major project ever constructed has been either via donations or taxpayer funded. In the zoo’s “Draft Comprehensive Strategic Plan 2011-2020” there is a Capital Facilities Master Plan section that recommends demolishing the North Pacific Aquarium (the only remaining historic structure on the grounds) and dramatically revamping the 1980’s-era Rocky Shores and Arctic Tundra areas. If all of that does occur within the next ten years then the entire zoo by then would be less than 20 years old even though technically it opened in 1905!
In the zoo's strategic plan the zoo has admitted that it is considering phasing out its elephants. The two elderly females are both approaching 50 years of age, and both have apparently been difficult to work with in the past. I've had a keeper tell me at an elephant talk that one of the females "attempts to kill a keeper at least once a week". Indian rhinos are the targeted replacement for the elephants at some point in the next decade and that would keep the Asian theme of this part of the zoo intact. The zoo simply does not have the resources to add more elephants as AZA is recommending that zoos have at least 3 females, and also there is not $40 million for a multi-acre expansion of the habitat.
Draft Comprehensive Strategic Plan 2011-2020:
http://www.pdza.org/files/library/a0c514f72f6da484_o.pdf
OVERALL:
I often praise the zoo as many of the exhibits are of decent quality and what other small zoo (29 acres right on the sea) has all of these rarely seen species: polar bear, clouded leopard, muskox, walrus, sea otter, red wolf, tufted puffin and 2 different aquariums. As many of you know I have ranked the zoos that I visit and I placed Point Defiance in the #36 position, so it is basically in the middle of the pack in terms of the major North American zoos. The fact that the zoo has been active in attracting new visitors due to the seemingly endless stream of new exhibits has been admirable, and because I visit twice a year I’m as curious as anyone as to what the future holds.
