Snowleopard's 2010 Road Trip

Interesting review, snowleopard. Good to hear you got a chance to visit with 'okapikpr'.

The situation with the misplaced animals at Montgomerey does highlight the pitfalls with geographic organization. The needs of managing a living collection often supercede the needs of the geographic organization of the zoo.
 
@siamang27: the spider monkey enclosure is quite large as it is a typical, very old monkey island. The titi and squirrel monkey enclosures were tiny wire cages that were okay for the small species enclosed within them.

@Ituri: "okapikpr" and I email each other every once in a while, and we also send each other zoo packages in the mail with maps and guides so it was great to meet up with him for a second time. I know that you two also keep in contact, and he is definitely missed here on ZooChat.
 
Snowleopard, I'm curious as to your references to "okapikpr" during your Montgomery Zoo review, as if he were no longer a part of ZooChat. Though while still reading his former posts and profile as a ZooChat supporter, did I miss some news concerning him in the recent past? He always seemed to be a very active and outspoken member.
 
team tapir said:
I visited The Nashville Zoo in 2006 and pretty much agree with Snowleopard that its a very nice zoo but small.I got the vibe then that major expansion was on the way but it doesn't seem like much has been done in 4 and a half years.Anyone know if work has begun on the Tropical Rainforest.
Click to expand...

It has not
 
So, I just realized, SL, I am going to miss you in Houston by a day or two. I am in Dallas for college but was heading to Houston Wednesday and staying until Sunday to see the folks. I was definitely planning on hitting the Houston Zoo sometime during my stay, but see you are going there on Wednesday (my driving day after I get off work). I am REALLY looking forward to your take on our Texas Zoos.
 
@Blackduiker: my good friend "okapikpr" has a few reasons why he stopped posting on ZooChat, but I won't go into details here. He was a major presence on this site at one time, but I know that he still gets updates on zoo related news from many other sources. Besides "okapikpr" there are loads of other zoo workers that access ZooChat, but many have confidentiality agreements and therefore do not reveal anything too juicy!

DAY 29: Monday, August 9th

My wife Debbie wanted a break from any kind of animal attractions, and we used to go to the movie theater 2-3 times per month, so she desperately wished to check out a film. However, now that we have baby Kylie in our lives that has all changed, and so to allow Debbie to see a film we drove a little out of our way to a city that had a huge cinema close to the local zoo. My wife got to sit in an air-conditioned room and munch on popcorn, while I sweated it out around BREC’s (Recreation & Parks Commission of Baton Rouge) Baton Rouge Zoo in the state of Louisiana. Tomorrow we will be in the neighbouring city of New Orleans to tour Audubon Zoo.

Zoo/Aquarium Review # 26: Baton Rouge Zoo

Baton Rouge Zoo’s website:

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo - The number 1 family year-round attraction in Baton Rouge!

Zoo Map:

http://www.brzoo.org/dynaweb/brzooorg/docs/parchment_map.pdf

Baton Rouge Zoo has quite an impressive list of species for such a small establishment, and while the hoofstock yards are large many of the primate and bird exhibits are downright horrendous. One of the features of the zoo is the number of high-profile South American animals that are there, as the zoo has just about every single marquee animal from that continent: jaguar, maned wolf, spectacled bear, rhea, capybara, llama, crested screamer, Coscoroba swan, black-handed spider monkey, golden lion tamarin, Baird’s tapir, etc. Also, as is the case with many smaller establishments, there are a number of animals rarely found in North American zoos.

Primates: (12 species) colobus monkey, DeBrazza guenon, blue monkey (one of only about 3 zoos in North America with this species), lion-tailed macaque, mandrill, diana monkey, golden lion tamarin, siamang, black-handed spider monkey, spot-nosed guenon, black-and-white ruffed lemur and Sulawesi crested macaque.

Cats: (7 species) Sumatran tiger, Malayan tiger, jaguar, cheetah, bobcat, serval and caracal.

Pachyderms: (3 species) Asian elephant, black rhino, pygmy hippo.

Hoofstock: reticulated giraffe, plains zebra, roan antelope, Nile lechwe, warthog, Nubian ibex, llama, Baird’s tapir, American bison, white-tailed deer, elk, Thomson’s gazelle, greater kudu, yellow-backed duiker, Kirk’s dik-dik, Indian muntjac, bongo, impala and sable antelope.

THE BEST:

Realm of the Tiger – This exhibit complex only just opened (April of 2010) and it is part of a $5 million renovation/overhaul of the central section of the zoo. There is an Asian-themed entrance, a courtyard and a gorgeous little pond, and then 4 main exhibits. A Sumatran tiger enclosure is far too small and lacking shade, a Malayan tiger exhibit is about 3 times larger and much better but still short on trees (I’m not sure whether the zoo rotates the tigers or not, but it seems possible), and there is a mesh siamang habitat and a pleasant walk-through aviary with Asian birds. The highlight of my visit was being a few feet away from 2 out of the 3 tigers as they lay panting in their pools.

The Otter Pond – There were 4 active river otters on my visit, and the enormous windows allow for underwater viewing of the aquatic mammals. There is a long boardwalk through dense woodland, as well as a rundown shack entrance that all adds to the immersive experience. This area ends with a trip to “L’aquarium de Louisiane”, a small aquarium that has a comprehensive collection of local animals. There are about 30 terrariums with various snakes, frogs, turtles and invertebrates, and another 30 tanks with a variety of fish.

THE AVERAGE:

Most of the hoofstock yards are okay in size but they are all flat, barren and of average quality. The mixed-species aspect is the best thing about them, as there is a yard with bison/elk/white-tailed deer/wild turkey in the North American area, a massive enclosure for Coscoroba swan/rhea/crested screamer/capybara/llama/Baird’s tapir in the South American area, and then a bongo/warthog/greater kudu enclosure in the African zone. Another African paddock has zebra/ostrich/Nile lechwe, but again it is rather ordinary in appearance.

Birds of the World – This is a long series of lushly planted but fairly small aviaries that are viewed through chainlink fencing. Golden lion tamarins also appear here, and across the pathway is a spacious yard for Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises.

Birds of Prey – Massive aviaries for secretary birds, Andean condors, king vultures and lappet-faced vultures. These are bigger than most bird of prey aviaries at other zoos.

THE WORST:

Metal Cages – Almost all of the primates are in “corn crib” cages that have cement floors, metal wire all the way around, and then a conical, metal roof to provide shelter from the elements. These cages were popular in the 1920’s and are far too small and outdated for any type of animal.

Australia – There are cassowary and wallaroo enclosures that have chainlink fencing, meaning that viewing opportunities and photographs are next to impossible. What is the point in having interesting Aussie critters when it is tough to even properly see them behind thick chainlink metal?

Parrot Paradise – At least 10-12 corn crib cages with metal bars, metal roofs and cement floors. There are loads of cockatoos and macaws in this area of the zoo, plus some nearby colobus monkeys, and this area more closely resembles a Siberian concentration camp rather than a paradise.

Small Cat Cages – There are a number of small cement boxes that have mock-rock structures on the inside in a vain attempt to improve the appearance of the enclosure. These types of boxes might have been popular when Visigoths ruled much of Europe, but in the 21 century they are an absolute embarrassment.

OVERALL:

Baton Rouge Zoo has a decent animal collection, with many popular species and more than 100 acres of land. However, the random assortment of metal cages scattered all across the zoo creates a never-ending eyesore that demeans the entire organization. I’m not sure why the zoo feels it is necessary to toss a mandrill and a Diana monkey together into a tiny, metal hamster cage, or why there is a Sulawesi created macaque in a similar metal box with a lion-tailed macaque. I’m sure that there are space requirements, but to have such a magnificent and rare animal as a blue monkey alone and in a metal cage is almost unbearable to see.

The good news is that “Realm of the Tiger” is a shiny, glossy new addition that would not look out of place in many major American zoos. In fact the design of the area and walk-through Asian aviary remind me strongly of the similarly-themed Asian pheasant aviary at the Columbus Zoo. If Baton Rouge could build on their new exhibit complex, as well as the fact that their entrance and opening area are very impressive, then perhaps some of the older, antiquated cages could be dismantled and sent to the scrapheap.

My last comment is to say that for the second time on this trip (Saint Louis Zoo was the first occasion) I was caught in a massive thunderstorm while still on the zoo’s grounds. The staff didn’t even seem to be shocked, as they had the candles whipped out in no time at all and they just kept repeating the phrase: “Welcome to Louisiana”. The zoo lost power, and this time the ferocity of the rain soaked my daughter Kylie and I to the bone as we raced through the zoo to take shelter at the entrance. She loved it, and she was going “da da, da da, da day” all the way through the zoo because bath-time is her favourite part of the day and I suppose that she thought that she was getting an early scrubbing!
 
Blackduiker

SL, as all of us married guys know, even when the Mrs. has been very patient with our travel agenda, the time will come when they want to call a few of the shots. Wise move letting her have a day off to do her own thing, and watching the baby for the day was a big thumbs up and will reap huge dividends on your part. You are experienced in the art of future zoo going harmony with your better half. Now she will be refreshed with new found vigor on your remaining leg of the road trip, happily exploring each new zoo destination with her partner, as if the journey were just starting out. :D
 
DAY 30: Tuesday, August 10th

Zoo/Aquarium Review # 27: Audubon Zoo

Audubon Zoo’s website:

Audubon Zoo | Audubon Nature Institute

Zoo Map:

http://www.auduboninstitute.org/sites/default/files/ZooMap2010.pdf

Audubon Zoo is found in New Orleans, within the state of Louisiana, and it represents the second zoo I’ve now visited within that state in the last 24 hours. While Baton Rouge had many outdated metal cages Audubon is a uniformly excellent zoo with a great animal collection and a high level of exhibitry. Adding to the pleasure are the numerous fountains, statues, massive oak trees, wide pathways, grassy meadows and other beautiful additions of “southern charm” to this zoo.

THE BEST:

Louisiana Swamp – A long boardwalk takes visitors through a comprehensive exhibit complex packed with all sorts of terrific habitats. Animals displayed here include two white alligators, countless other alligators of all shapes and sizes, raccoons, cougars, bobcats, black bears, river otters, nutrias, red and gray foxes (together) and a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish. As this entire zone ages it might actually become even better, as there is a sense of deliberate decay to the house boat, speed boat and other structures found in the erosive swampland of Louisiana. The pathway goes through a gift shop, there is a restaurant with local cuisine, and the entire area is extensive in its presentation. My only complaints would be that the otter and nutria enclosures are rather basic and plain, while the cougar and bobcat (there are 4 of the small cats) exhibits are cages that are dark and too tiny for their occupants.

South America – There are two sections presented here, and both “Jaguar Jungle” and “South American Pampas” are located on the same wide-ranging loop. I’m usually not a huge fan of ancient ruins themed exhibits, but the Mayan area found here is perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. There are all sorts of statues; loose boulders, carvings and crumbling facades within dense bamboo jungle, and many of the trees have been permanently bent in half from Hurricane Katrina’s arrival in 2005. I found that the partially-destroyed jungle added to the atmosphere of locating a lost civilization.

There is a giant anteater/St. Vincent’s agouti/Hoffman’s two-toed sloth exhibit, a jaguar enclosure, a toco toucan/curassow mesh exhibit, and a large area for black-handed spider monkeys to run around ancient ruins. Many zoos have ruins as the entire exhibit for an animal, so that in essence what is at the disposal of the creature is cement and metal. Here the ruins form the backdrop to the exhibits, but there is natural substrate and thick vegetation in every single enclosure.

The pampas area is one massive, perhaps a 3-4-acre exhibit, that features Baird’s tapirs, capybaras, rheas, king vultures, guanacos and at least 10 more species of birds. A large boardwalk curves through the centre of the huge enclosure, and a lake and thick vegetation along the banks of the water add to the backdrop. At the end of this terrific area is a giant anteater/maned wolf enclosure that is lush and also immense in size.

Reptile/Amphibian Building – From the outside this nondescript building is disappointing, as it does little to hint at the spectacular collection contained within its four walls. There are outdoor exhibits for adult komodo dragons, juvenile dragons, false gharials, panther chameleons and Grand Cayman blue iguanas, and indoors there are seemingly endless hallways of top-notch terrariums. One cool feature is “Rattlesnake Canyon” with at least 10 different species of rattlesnakes plus gila monsters and beaded lizards, and a couple of large Chinese alligator tanks are also impressive. This is a strong candidate for one of the 10 best reptile/amphibian complexes in North America.

THE AVERAGE:

World of Primates – This area has a terrific collection in average exhibits. It actually reminds me quite a bit of the Memphis Zoo’s primate area, as in both cases the enclosures are nothing fantastic but are also more than adequate. There are 13 species here: Sumatran orangutan, gorilla, talapoin monkey (very rare!), drill (they have 3 that just recently joined the zoo), black-and-white ruffed lemur, siamang, black howler monkey, common marmoset, colobus monkey, Diana monkey, spot-nosed guenon, white-faced saki monkey and golden lion tamarin.

Asian Domain – This area features these species: Amur leopard (3 including a youngster that is only a few months old), Asiatic lion, Asian elephant, milky stork, white Bengal tiger, babirusa, Burmese mountain tortoise, Great Indian hornbill, Indian-crested porcupine, small-clawed otter, red-crowned crane and sun bear. This is a hit-and-miss area for exhibits, as the long boardwalk allows visitors to look down into average-sized grottoes at the white tigers and Asian lions. The sun bear and babirusa enclosures are lushly planted, and the cranes have a ton of space, but at the same time the absolute worst part of the zoo is found here (more on that later).

African Savanna – A massive yard features white rhinos, zebras and wildebeest together, while an overlook has a beautiful small lake that contains white pelicans, pink pelicans and other waterfowl. The rest of the African area is smaller in scope than what is found at most other zoos, with exhibits for African wild dogs, eland/Thomson’s gazelles, and giraffes/African crowned cranes/kori bustards. “Monkey Island” is an area that features a treehouse, some ponds and a trickling waterfall that was jam-packed with kids in their bathing suits.

Discovery Walk – This small area appears to be a quaint English garden, and it includes “The Embraceable Zoo”, which is essentially a children’s area that includes the ubiquitous petting zone.

Sea Lion Complex – There are two mid-sized pools for sea lions, including a historic enclosure that is currently closed as the zoo plans on adding a shade structure to the pool. The amphitheater is popular for the obligatory show, and the pinnipeds were extremely active on my visit.

THE WORST:

Asian Domain Elephant Yard – In visits to over 100 zoos in my lifetime I have now discovered the absolute smallest elephant paddock that I’ve ever seen. Audubon Zoo is such an impressive establishment that it is a shock to see two elephants in a sandy area that is badly outdated and in need of an overhaul. There is a sign offering up details on a new elephant barn that will be completed in late 2011, and the sign also states that an expanded elephant exhibit will be the focus in the future, but these elephants should be sent somewhere else in the meantime.

One of the elephants stood on the edge of a scarily deep moat on all 3 occasions that I visited the area on my tour of the zoo, and elephants often suffer mentally and physically in zoos when placed in small environments. Leg ailments and joints freeze up due to lack of action, and the swaying and head-bobbing is cute to some visitors but horrible to see to those that realize the onset of insanity is only a few years away. I have no idea how well the elephants are coping in their hellhole, but I honestly think that the babirusa (there are at least 4 of them) should be added to the enclosure and the elephants sent away until funds can be raised for a new paddock.

OVERALL:

Audubon Zoo is one of the better zoos that I’ve visited on this trip, and the Louisiana Swamp, South America and Reptile/Amphibian sections are all top-class and quite extensive. The rest of the zoo features a wide-ranging collection in many average exhibits, and the only major change in the past couple of years appears to be the disappearance of the Tropical Bird House. This mini-South American rainforest zone is nowhere to be found on the map, and I’m guessing that the current “Dinosaur Adventure” area is now utilizing the building and that perhaps the birds have been sent to various other zoos.

One of the more common aspects of this epic road trip is the sheer volume of dinosaur adventures that are to be found in zoos. Oregon, Cleveland, Louisville, Audubon, Houston and at least 3 other zoos that I know of in the United States ALL have animatronic dinosaur displays this summer that are enclosed in a separate area and can be seen for an extra fee. I understand that these temporary sensations are crucial in terms of a financial bonus to the zoos that have them, but are there truly that many life-like dinosaurs throughout America?:)
 
I must say SL, I think the Central Florida Zoo has a smaller enclosure, once I get my photos developed I will show how dissappointing their enclosure is. Also the Jacksonville Zoo will add dinosaurs aswell to increase zoo attendance(After the stringray leaves)
 
ANyhuis said:
Yep, the sign there says they're Asian lions. I remember that from my visit there a couple months ago. Don't know if they're pure bred Asians, though.
Click to expand...

Just checked ISIS out of curiosity to see if this is true. Seems they are all Africans or just a general generic. Oh well, maybe one day I can see an Asian Lion.
 
The Asian Lions in Europe are pure, the US population wasn't so it was phased out in favor of breeding purebred South African lions.
 
I'm not going to post a review tonight, as the past couple of days have featured late nights and I simply do not have hours of time to invest in typing up zoo reviews.:) After 2 days in Tennessee, 2 days in Alabama and 2 days in Louisiana we will be spending a minimum of 8 straight days in the gigantic state of Texas. The plan is to visit 7 zoos (Houston and Caldwell have already been toured, and Dallas, Cameron Park, San Antonio, Gladys Porter and El Paso will be seen in the next week...along with Dallas World Aquarium to make it 8 animal attractions from America's 2nd largest state). On the 2008 epic road trip we only made it to Fort Worth in Texas, so we have to make up for it this time around.

In brief: Houston Zoo is large and it took just over 5 hours to see, and my favourite section was "World of Primates". Overall it is an average zoo with many hit-and-miss sections. Caldwell Zoo is uniformly excellent all over the grounds, but not quite as spectacular as I was expecting it to be. It is still a very good zoo and quite comparable to Nashville, as at a brisk pace both of those small but well-designed zoos can be seen in 2-3 hours.

Tentative schedule:

Friday: Dallas Zoo
Saturday: Dallas World Aquarium + The 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Sunday: Cameron Park Zoo (it is a pain that they open at 11 on Sundays!)
Monday: San Antonio Zoo

Random Notes:

- I love the idea of the animatronic dinosaur displays, and I was not being critical of them but instead just refering to how many there are. When I was a child of 10 and I visited the Calgary Zoo one of the all-time highlights for me was the Prehistoric Park area.

- While touring the Montgomery Zoo last Sunday with "okapikpr" we kept commenting on how empty the place was. When we had lunch there was literally only about 2 other people in the massive central restaurant that undoubtedly holds hundreds upon hundreds of visitors. Were we really in the "Bible Belt" of America? It sure seemed like it to me, as the many religious signs throughout Alabama means that Sundays are certainly the best day to visit a zoo for an atheist like me!:)

- I am always incredibly intrigued by the demographics of a particular city or area, and my wife and I are quite interested in the fact that there are many parts of the United States where there most definitely is NOT a mixture of people in terms of racial identity. It is all or nothing! Two years ago we spent a day in New Mexico, including visting a Denny's restaurant with about 85 people in it, and practically every single person that we met that day was Hispanic/Latino.

While in Baltimore about two weeks ago we went to a Golden Corral buffet-style restaurant on a Sunday night, and we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes as the place was packed to the rafters. We were so bored that we began to count the number of customers just to see how many there were, and a rough estimate was just over 300. Of that 300 there were 8 that were Caucasian (including myself, my wife and daughter) and every single other individual was African American. Who knew that Baltimore had certain neighbourhoods that were almost exclusively African American?

Also, on the last road trip we spent 5 nights in the Bronx neighbourhood of New York City, and I swear that we were the only white people for miles around. It is so different from where we live near Vancouver in Canada, as the demographics of that city mean that the number of Asians (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian) are much higher than we ever see in the United States. In our hometown of Abbotsford about 15% of the community is Sikh, but on our American travels we hardly come across turbaned individuals or Sikh gurdwaras along the highway. I find it interesting that certain ethnic groups congregate in areas, and in other parts of the continent are not found at all.

- Why is it that 90% of the Americans we have spoken to that work at zoos have no clue about geography? Whenver I show my I.D. and AZA card to get into zoos for free I've been asked on at least 5 occasions whether or not Vancouver is close to Toronto, when in fact it would take us 5 days of driving at least 8 hours each day just to get across Canada to the city of Toronto! My Woodland Park Zoo membership has prompted 3 different employees to ask me what U.S. state Seattle is in! I'm a teacher and these kind of things bother me, but I'm sure that just as many Canadians don't know very much either. People don't read these days, and when I go to a new zoo every day I see less than 5% of the visitors actually reading the signs on the animal exhibits.

I've heard through an insider that the lions at Audubon Zoo are indeed African, as are ALL of the lions in North American zoos. However, there most definitely is a sign up at that excellent zoo that states that the cats are Asian. That little sign got me quite excited, and maybe it should be fed to the lions instead...haha.

Anyway, feel free to comment, and all of this simply intrigues me and I'll get back to the zoo reviews tomorrow!
 
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I'm finding your reviews fascinating and am very jealous too! I'd love to make a trip like that but Shirokuma's epic bus journey through south east England doesn't have the same ring to it...
 
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Yes, Baltimore has quite a few areas that are basically all black. That is far from unusual in major American cities though. Most of the western cities aren't like that other than LA for example, but in the East and South, that's generally how it is. Many cities have all mexican or other hispanic races dominating certain areas.

There are a lot of Asians in much of California along with in the Northeast, especially in parts of NYC, Philadelphia, and DC. But yeah, probably not that many in the most of the Midwest or South.

Sorry that there are so many geography moronic people out there. It is rather sad.
 
snowleopard said:
I've heard through an insider that the lions at Audubon Zoo are indeed African, as are ALL of the lions in North American zoos. However, there most definitely is a sign up at that excellent zoo that states that the cats are Asian. That little sign got me quite excited, and maybe it should be fed to the lions instead...haha.
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What am I? Chopped liver? ;)

Ituri said:
The Asian Lions in Europe are pure, the US population wasn't so it was phased out in favor of breeding purebred South African lions.
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