Why is San Diego Zoo America's best zoo? Let me count the ways...
Birds - This is the best zoo in America for birds. Scripps Aviary is a thick, dense, jungle-like aviary that has multiple boardwalks cruising through it. Owens Aviary is just as overwhelming, Parker Aviary is smaller but worthwhile, and the 23 Australasian Aviaries are lushly planted and showcase a diverse collection of birds that is unmatched anywhere in the nation. There are enormous bird of prey aviaries, flamingo pools with various other waterfowl, and then seemingly an aviary around every nook and cranny of the zoo. With 300 species this zoo is a bird-mecca for all visitors.
Reptiles & Amphibians - This is the best zoo in America for reptiles and amphibians, and I’m not sure if any other zoo besides Fort Worth even comes close. The 1930s-era Reptile House, with 50 spacious terrariums, is the solitary animal building in the park, but it has wide open hallways so it is not really enclosed and contains a fantastic set of cold-blooded animals. The outdoor enclosures are awesome, with a huge gharial pool that contains numerous turtle species, plus nearby are iguanas and other lizards in massive habitats and many enormous Galapagos tortoises in huge yards. Including the Reptile Walk and various vivariums spread across the zoo, this facility is a must-see for reptiles and amphibians.
Botanical Garden - The zoo is a lushly planted paradise, with stunning palm trees around each and every corner. San Diego is surely the best looking zoo in North America, and Fern Canyon Trail epitomizes just how impressive the botanical collection is. If all of the animals were to magically disappear in the blink of an eye, there could easily be an admission fee just to tour the stunning tropical gardens.
Marquee Species - How many zoos on the planet have giant pandas? How many zoos have giant pandas AND koalas? How many zoos have giant pandas, koalas, Tasmanian devils, bonobos, polar bears, sun bears, etc, etc. At San Diego they actually breed giant pandas and sun bears, and there aren't a couple of mangy koalas in a glass tank but 20 of them in outdoor exhibits. Brilliant!
Underwater Viewing - San Diego is the best zoo in the USA for the spectacular underwater viewing opportunities that are tremendous for visitors. From polar bears to common hippos, slender-snouted crocodiles to African dwarf crocodiles, penguins and sharks swimming together, otters, pygmy hippos and even an Arctic aviary...what zoo can top that list for underwater viewing?
Primates - San Diego, yet again, is the best zoo in America in another category. There are approximately 25 primate species and for the most part the exhibits are top-notch and superb for both the inhabitants and visitors. Massive viewing windows look into modern habitats for orangutans, bonobos and gorillas, plus there is a bewildering list of monkeys in the almost impenetrable Lost Forest section of the zoo. Africa Rocks has recently added several more species to the zoo and San Diego is a primate paradise.
Ungulates - The zoo has seen its hoofstock collection dwindle in comparison to what it used to have, but how many American zoos have 30 ungulate species? It's difficult to design a poor ungulate exhibit as many zoos have basic paddocks and San Diego does have some 1960s-era enclosures still in existence but they are by no means poor. Overall, the breadth of the collection is amongst the best of any major zoo in the nation.
Australian Animals - Most American zoos have a handful of wallabies, a kookaburra stuck in a small metal cage and not much else when it comes to Aussie animals other than a few straggly emus. San Diego has its koalas, Tassie devils, macropods and an astonishing array of birds that are rarely exhibited in other American zoos. San Diego is easily one of the best zoos in the country for Australian animals.
Carnivores - How many major zoos in the USA have approximately 25 species that would fit into this category? From large bears to big cats to smaller critters, San Diego has an extensive collection of carnivores.
Invertebrates - There are perhaps 15-20 exhibits in the small Insect House in the current Children's Zoo area and while that might not seem like much it is enough to probably put San Diego into the Top 10 major zoos in the nation for invertebrates.
Restaurants - I've eaten at just about every location at San Diego Zoo, from the elite Albert's Restaurant up in the treetops to the various food eateries that are near the entrance. Elephant Odyssey and Panda Trek even have their own restaurants/cafes and San Diego is surely a candidate for the best zoo in America for food facilities.
Gift Shops - I like gift shops and the two big ones near the main entrance are enormous at San Diego Zoo. I've got 4 young kids and to be able to have a choice selection of souvenirs is fantastic. I'm sounding like a broken record at this point, but the zoo is clearly once again one of the best in the nation in yet another category.
Entrance - A behemoth of a parking lot gives way to a beautiful entrance with a large plaza and a $1.7 million, world-class statue of 'Rex' the lion making it well-known that all visitors are entering hallowed ground. It is an EVENT to visit the San Diego Zoo and the entrance is stunning.
Skyfari Ride – This is a gondola-style ride that transports visitors from one end of the zoo to the other. It is a fascinating overview that provides a birds-eye view of many off-exhibit areas, and if you are lucky you can spot herds of hoofstock that are not on show. The paddocks that are behind the scenes are almost all larger than what the public see from the visitor pathways, and it is exciting to travel over the enormous aviaries and gaze down on the gorillas in their rocky habitat. It is possibly the best ride to be found at any American zoo.
Climate - A balmy, gorgeous, downright stunning climate of 300+ sunny days per year means that San Diego is practically bereft of animal houses and pavilions. Who needs them when the weather is incredible almost every day of the year?
History - A crucial category and one that many European zoos rest their laurels on. San Diego is proud of its illustrious history and even as far back as the 1920s it had one of the most extensive captive animal collections on the planet. San Diego has regularly produced a monthly magazine for decades and there are articles referencing past events and there is an acknowledgment of where the zoo has been and in what direction it is going.
Books - I own hundreds of zoo books and San Diego is one of the rare handful of zoos in America that publishes a semi-regular guidebook every few years. There are also glossy, magazine-style books on new exhibits (Panda Trek, Elephant Odyssey, etc.) and the centennial double-volume is the greatest zoo history publication I've seen in my lifetime. San Diego is the best zoo in America for literature. Even its free zoo maps are fantastic, with colourful animal images and detailed pathways and loops clearly indicated. Not all of the exhibits can be placed on a map as the zoo has thousands of animals, but those easily obtained maps are a work of art all by themselves.
Community Spirit - This is a vital category as the zoo has enormously wealthy benefactors and local philanthropists that have aided in the evolution of the zoo into a truly beloved worldwide attraction. Do you need $70 million for Africa Rocks? Sure! Oh, another $70 million for the new Children's Zoo? Done! After that there will be another $70 million for some other project as the zoo continually reinvents its greatness.
Conservation - Quoting a 'ZOONOOZ' magazine article, between 2012-2015 "San Diego Zoo Global has committed more than $500 million for animal care, exhibits, education programs and conservation initiatives. Significant programs include its ongoing work to recover the California condor, head-starting and reintroduction programs for Caribbean iguanas, contribution to knowledge about giant pandas and support for fieldwork on six continents." Over 8,000 organizations were surveyed by the organization 'Charity Navigator' and San Diego Zoo Global received a 4-star rating for its conservation initiatives and that is something that is achieved by only 10-12% of all institutions.
Other than perhaps Omaha and Saint Louis, both of which have rapidly improved in the past 20 years, I'm not sure that any other American zoo comes remotely close to achieving the greatness of San Diego. The zoo is an icon and it is the best in the nation in numerous categories. Even if its detractors argue that perhaps San Diego is not #1 for birds (for example) then even those critics would agree that the facility is amongst the best in that specific category. I have up until now not even mentioned its sister establishment (San Diego Zoo Safari Park) which I would rank as one of the Top 10 zoos in America. Wow!
