@kiang: I was so excited about the chimpanzee birth before my visit to the North Carolina Zoo, but then disappointed the next day because the chimps were off exhibit. Also, I'm having a blast on this road trip but you are right in that many zoos are not as great as the ones that I saw two years ago. Maybe I shouldn't have loaded up with all the good ones on my first trip!
@Blackduiker: The main reason why both Philadelphia and Los Angeles have terrible outdoor yards for their gorillas is because those enclosures are too flat and bare. Gorillas love a canopy over their heads, and even in Woodland Park's lush, jungle-like exhibits they often spend time underneath the covered area and close to visitors. Many zoos gorillas are similar, such as Lincoln Park's apes that rarely go outside into their gorgeous environments. I've loved to see the heavily treed gorilla exhibits at zoos such as North Carolina, Kansas City and to some degree Louisville. Those zoos realize that gorillas don't need "soccer fields" to feel right at home.
DAY 23: Tuesday, August 3rd
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 19: North Carolina Zoo
North Carolina Zoo’s website:
NC Zoo - North Carolina Zoo : Zoo Homepage
Zoo Map:
http://www.nczoo.org/images/Maps/NCZooVisitorGuide.pdf
North Carolina Zoo is a MASSIVE zoo, and with 500 of its more than 1,500 acres developed it is a long day out to tour the enormous grounds. I read a sign stating that it is the “largest walk-through zoo in the world”, although I’m not sure if that is correct or not. There are only two main areas, and both “Africa” and “North America” took just over 3 hours each to tour to make it a 6-hour zoo visit. On top of that there are 5 miles (8 km) of walking trails, and combined with doubling back to see animals on a few occasions and other pathways off of the main trails I calculate that we logged close to 10 km of walking. Whew!
The zoo is so large that the animal exhibits are all enormous in comparison to smaller urban zoos. The “African Plains” enclosure is 40 acres in size and features 9 species, “Prairie” is an 11-acre field for Roosevelt elk and American bison, “Watani Grasslands Reserve” is a brilliant, 7-acre African elephant exhibit, there is a 1-acre Hamadryas baboon enclosure with around 20 of the monkeys, a 0.5 acre gorilla forest, and many other animal habitats that are hugely impressive. At times there were visitors making comments that the zoo was almost too large, as the zoo map states that “major exhibits are about eight minutes apart”. The zoo is not at all like an urban establishment, where at times the animals are within seconds of each other. Here for example we looked in at the grizzly bear exhibit, and then it was probably at least 20 minutes before we hit the black bear exhibit due to the many viewing sites along the massive “Prairie” enclosure. For the most part it is an open-air zoo, with only 3 domed buildings and 3 smaller buildings featuring underwater viewing opportunities.
North Carolina Zoo puts me in a dilemma when it comes to ranking zoos, and of course the question of whether one should even rank zoos in the first place is completely valid. There are many of us here at ZooChat who type out lists of the best zoos and aquariums that we have visited, but such establishments are all so different that it becomes harder to decide on the “best” the more attractions one sees. North Carolina has only African and North American animals, and it does not have the traditional layout of most zoos. The limited continents displayed, as well as the huge walking distances between exhibits, hinders some of the enjoyment of the experience, but at the same time I thoroughly loved this zoo and without a shadow of a doubt it is one of the 10 best I’ve ever seen.
The entire “Africa” zone is outstanding, and there is not a subpar or even average exhibit there whatsoever. Every animal habitat ranges from above average to brilliant. “North America” has perhaps an even more comprehensive collection of animals, but while the area is very impressive there are a number of average exhibits. In the entire zoo I think that about 5% of the enclosures I would classify as poor or substandard, and the level of exhibitry at this zoo is wonderful. I’ll review the two main sections separately so as not to confuse things, and since this is going to be a glowing review simply sit back, enjoy my lengthy written response, and consider booking a ticket to North Carolina!
AFRICA – This area is universally excellent, and there is not a single bad exhibit in the innumerable acres that make up this zone.
Watani Grasslands Reserve – A fairly recent addition (2008) the area devoted to African elephants is slightly over 7 acres, making it the 2nd largest elephant exhibit in all of North America. Only Disney’s Animal Kingdom has more space for its elephants, but those ones can be seen for a grand total of 30 seconds on the safari ride at that park. No wonder I’m not a fan of DAK! In North Carolina I spent what seemed like half an hour walking back and forth between the 4 main viewing points, and the 4 elephants on view interacted with loud, shrieking calls and spent a considerable amount of time digging up red chunks of mud.
The most startling aspect of the exhibit is its lushness, as I suppose having so few elephants on such a vast amount of space has allowed the grass to prosper and remain fresh. In all honesty the huge mammals could perhaps use a couple more mud wallows, as besides the large pool almost the entire area was bright green grass. Now that I spent such a long time gazing at this naturalistic wonderland I am even angrier at having seen the dusty, sandy, barren yards for elephants found at zoos like Cheyenne Mountain, Buffalo and Milwaukee. Those 3 zoos combined did not have a single blade of grass for their elephants and should be ashamed of their desolate wastelands of enclosures, and at North Carolina there are 7 gorgeous acres to roam. I’m not sure if it is the greatest elephant habitat that I’ve ever seen (San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park is maybe in 2nd place for me but I’ve yet to see Dallas or Nashville) but it is still pretty damn impressive. The long-term goal is to complete a huge barn for all the antelope and elephants (construction has begun already) and for the zoo to eventually hold up to 10 African elephants.
African Plains – This 40-acre exhibit is home to at least 7 southern white rhinos (it can contain up to 10 rhinos in the future), ostrich, and these 7 antelope species: greater kudu, Thomson’s gazelle, defassa waterbuck, blesbok, sitatunga, gemsbok and Nile lechwe. There are plenty of viewing opportunities and the amount of space offered to the 9 species is mind-blowing (larger than many entire zoos!) but my main beef with the enormous paddock is that the hoofstock were often too far away to identify let alone see properly. There is a huge lake that is in part of the enclosure, many trees to provide shade, and loads of lush grassland, but the animals were spread out thinly and there needs to be a boardwalk that goes deeper into the territory.
Forest Glade – A massive colony of about 20 Hamadryas baboons, the largest in North America, provides great entertainment in a massive, rocky exhibit that is about an acre in size. They can also be seen indoors in the African Pavilion, and their habitat is outstanding. A nearby gorilla enclosure does not have a lot of climbing opportunities, and it lacks apes (1.2) but the grass is incredibly lush and taller than the gorillas in some areas. The huge apes were very active on my visit, and this entire area is outstanding.
Forest Edge – This is yet another massive enclosure (around 3-4 acres in size) that has giraffes, zebras and ostriches. There are 4 viewing points around the area, including a high deck that is only accessed by paying $2. However, this allows visitors to also feed the giraffes. Some folks on ZooChat praise their local African Savannas, but North Carolina is another great example of an American zoo with multi-acre, brilliant African habitats that blow others out of the water.
Kitera Forest – The apparently huge (almost an acre?) chimpanzee exhibit was unfortunately closed due to the birth of a baby just 24 hours prior to my visit. I saw the outskirts of the enclosure and it appears to be top-notch, and I’ve heard many good things about it in the past. I did read a sign at the zoo that states that the chimp exhibit is one of the largest in North America, and it features the 4th largest troop of chimps in the United States.
Lemur Island – This heavily advertised enclosure used to hold patas monkeys, but they have departed the zoo in favour of ring-tailed and red ruffed lemurs (just added this summer). The island is quite large and nicely planted, and of course children love the leapin’ lemurs from the “Madagascar” films.
African Pavilion – There are zero animals in this area (other than the indoor holding zone for the huge Hamadryas baboon troop) and it is sort of eerie walking around a humid, dense rainforest environment where there are empty exhibits that are overgrown with plants. There used to be a variety of species here (especially primates) but they have all departed for other zoos and according to a docent none of them were kept. Currently it is named “Tropical Plant Pavilion” but the zoo has signs that say they are debating about what to do with the aging structure. The docent told me that the entire African area is pure world-class (which I happen to agree with) and that the zoo felt the weakest exhibits were in the African Pavilion. So out went the animals and now there is arguably not a single poor aspect to the hundred or so acres that make up the African section of the zoo.
Forest Aviary – A small area for Chilean flamingos is outdoors, but inside is a hot, humid, dense jungle with yellow-footed tortoises and over 30 species of free-flying birds. The sheer humidity was intense on my visit (it was already scorching outside) but in this domed building there was no relief from the heat. An interesting and worthy complex that is undoubtedly popular with bird lovers. There is also a small display of poison dart frogs by the entrance.
Lions – Spacious, deep grotto-like area that is not really a grotto at all as there is nothing but lush grass and a deep pool for the pair to rest in.
Red River Hogs – Solid exhibit that is heavily planted and filled with lots of digging areas for the hogs.
NORTH AMERICA - A very comprehensive overview of the North American continent, with animals from the Arctic, Coast, Grasslands, Prairies, Woodlands, Swamp, Marsh and Desert. Not quite as overwhelmingly superb as the African section of the zoo, but incredibly larger in walking trails and the variety of animals displayed.
Sonora Desert – This was perhaps my favourite section of North America, as this large domed building features innovative exhibits and is brilliantly planted both indoors and along the visitor pathway outside. The first exhibit is for these species: Anna’s hummingbird, verdin and lesser goldfinch, with a gopher snake in a separate burrow set into the rockwork. A greater roadrunner/gila woodpecker/Gambel’s quail enclosure is nicely designed, and a desert tortoise/desert iguana/blue spiny lizard/crevice lizard open-topped area was also above average. Free-flying birds such as black-chinned hummingbirds, Gambel’s quails, Inca doves, house finches, white-winged doves and horned larks were all over the place, and a so-so ocelot enclosure was built alongside part of the wall. An Isla San Esteban chuckwalla/desert box turtle exhibit is excellent, and there are loads more terrariums that are quite cleverly built into the rockwork alongside the visitor pathways. A nocturnal area features skunks, coatis, vampire bats and ringtails, amongst smaller desert dwellers.
Streamside – River otters in an excellent, narrow habitat with underwater viewing, a decent bobcat exhibit, and then 2 buildings containing all sorts of reptiles, amphibians and fish. This whole area is attractively designed, and there are at least 8 species of snake within several huge mixed-species terrariums.
“Prairie” – A massive, 11-acre field roamed by bison and elk. There are 4 viewing areas to this monstrously-sized enclosure, and in 2009 the zoo added “The Geyser”. This is an enjoyable spot next to a viewing area of the bison/elk where 4 small geysers and 1 large geyser erupt into the air with bursts of water every 5 minutes during the summer. A well-designed addition that is a little gimmicky but led to a discussion about Yellowstone National Park between several onlookers.
Rocky Coast – A polar bear exhibit that was better than I was expecting, as the zoo plans to renovate/overhaul/expand that area. I suppose that this zoo has high standards! The underwater viewing here is terrific, but there was only one sleeping bruin on display during our visit. Nearby is a small bald eagle aviary (it used to house peregrine falcons), an average pinniped pool (the standard harbor seal/California sea lion mix), a spacious Arctic fox enclosure (a hundred times better than the crappy cage for this species at Maryland Zoo) and a fantastic indoor “Alaskan Seabirds” exhibit with ice-cold temperatures for horned puffins, thick-billed murres and parakeet auklets. The active birds have a large cliff in which to dive down into the undoubtedly frigid water.
Cypress Swamp – There is an average-sized and lush cougar enclosure featuring a couple of cats, and a massive alligator exhibit that allows visitors to get scarily close to the creatures in their swampy home. There is a second alligator exhibit farther down the loop (also with alligator snapping turtles in that pond) as well as several smaller terrariums for various turtles, snakes and frogs.
Woodlands – Black bears have a heavily forested area that is actually rather large for such a small bear species. One of the highlights of the zoo visit was watching a bear amble over to the rocky section near the viewing platform, and then proceed to walk down to the water and attempt to catch all of the wild frogs that were hopping madly out of the reach of its claws. After exhausting itself the bear actually took a swim back and forth before getting out, shaking itself off, and heading back into the forest.
In this same area are average but still decent grizzly bear and red wolf enclosures, although the grizzlies were off exhibit due to maintenance on their boulder-strewn habitat.
Honey Bee Garden – This new addition (2009) is very intriguing and the only animal species is a large hive full of bees. But for kids it is terrific, with all sorts of informative, eye-catching literature on bees, a giant hive that offers up a photo opportunity for families, and even an enormous bee surrounded by a wooden boardwalk that takes visitors through all sorts of informative placards on the species.
Marsh – There are no captive animals in this area, but by wandering down to a newly constructed boardwalk a visitor can easily see large frogs in the bog and apparently there is quite the variety of bird life in the huge lake that is within the zoo’s grounds.
OVERALL:
North Carolina Zoo is almost like a combination of the best of San Diego Zoo and the best of San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. There are no trains or monorails to see the animals, which I adore as I don’t ever enjoy taking any kind of rides at zoos. I’d much rather stroll at my leisure around the zoo, and if I want to take 10 seconds or 10 minutes viewing a particular exhibit then I can do so at my pleasure. North Carolina offers its animals vast areas to roam, and there is also potential for even greater expansions in the future. With 500 acres developed and at least another 1,000 surrounding the grounds this zoo has the potential to be a true zoological masterpiece.
I think that this is one zoo that will definitely appeal to some zoo fans more than others. In terms of space allocated to the animals then this is perhaps the #1 walk-through zoo on the planet, but obviously with only two continents displayed there is a lack of diversity within the gargantuan grounds. The long walks between animal habitats, and the number of lush exhibits means that not all of the creatures can be visible on every single visit. Personally I loved this zoo and I will surely be pondering its qualities all summer long. It is the 3rd truly great American zoo that I have seen this summer (after Sedgwick County and Saint Louis) but it lacks the traditional buildings and structures of most of the zoos of the world. Maybe that is a good thing, as there is loads of space for both visitors and captive animals.
There are plans afoot to expand the polar bear exhibit, but the real intriguing idea is the feasibility study (costing something like $90,000) that will be done on whether or not to add an Asian zone to the zoo. If another huge area is added to the zoo, and assuming that it is like Africa and North America and takes about 3 hours to tour, then this zoo could well become a 2-day attraction and be a legitimate challenger to also become the best zoo in North America. I can’t imagine how much walking there would be with a 3rd continent added!
