mstickmanp
Well-Known Member
Can't wait to read the review and see the photos!
Snowleopard's 2011 Road Trip
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
I haven't been to Sea World in about 6 years until I went twice this year. Before I left because I could see continuing in the ride trend, and now I see that I am correct with this new "Manta" ride. To be honest, I severely dislike the new shows. They are by far the cheesiest things I have ever seen. (well, snowleopard maybe you could also give an opinion on SDZ's new Camp-themed show, I overheard it last week and I thought it was pretty bad). Seaworld's shows all have singing and acting and gymnastics now which is pretty shallow from my point of view. (Aside from the sea lion show, that should always have a storyline and its still good). I liked it before when they just showcased the animal, its characteristics and habits. I learned that Orcas were probably the smartest predators by how they hunted seals from a Sea World show, but now there are no mentions of seals what so ever. Apparently people don't value education anymore.
In regards to the San Diego Zoo, the best part of the zoo is probably in the "Lost Forest" area, which is vastly too large. It would have been nice if they kept the old names to break up the area. I would agree that San Diego is still the nation's best zoo after visiting the Bronx past spring. Although, San Diego is going in the complete opposite direction if they hope to maintain that status. Their ignorance to zoo design and focus on marketability is blinding them of what they could be. The name change from the San Diego Zoological Society to San Diego Zoo Global totally strips them of their image as a legitimate scientific institution that they spent 90+ years building.
In regards to the San Diego Zoo, the best part of the zoo is probably in the "Lost Forest" area, which is vastly too large. It would have been nice if they kept the old names to break up the area. I would agree that San Diego is still the nation's best zoo after visiting the Bronx past spring. Although, San Diego is going in the complete opposite direction if they hope to maintain that status. Their ignorance to zoo design and focus on marketability is blinding them of what they could be. The name change from the San Diego Zoological Society to San Diego Zoo Global totally strips them of their image as a legitimate scientific institution that they spent 90+ years building.
DAY 15: Tuesday, July 26th
AND
DAY 16: Wednesday, July 27th
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 14: San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo’s website:
San Diego Zoo
Zoo Map:
San Diego Zoo: Zoo Map
A two-day visit resulted in this 16-page word document:
San Diego Zoo is still the best zoo in North America, although the gap is closer than it ever was before. Bronx Zoo and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo would be the next two choices on my list, although neither has the gorgeous climate of southern California and that definitely plays a factor in the zoo-going experience. It's true that comparing northern zoos to southern zoos is like comparing apples to oranges, but the case is valid in this situation. Visiting a northern zoo like the Bronx means that one has to rush to fit everything in within the 7 hour time limit, while at San Diego in summertime no one has to leave the grounds until 9 p.m. and the animals are always on-exhibit and visible year-round. Literally hundreds and hundreds of animals in northern zoos never once spend time outdoors, as there are 7-8 immense pavilions littering zoo grounds and huge sections of the zoo are completely shut down to the public in winter.
The Bronx Zoo closes its almost 40-acre Asian monorail section during poor weather and a species like the giraffe can spend weeks locked inside a tiny barn in the offseason. At San Diego giraffes are outside for hours longer every day, and barring a freak snowstorm have 365 days a year to enjoy the sunshine. Is San Diego aided considerably by the tropical weather? You bet, and that is a major reason why the zoo is so darn enjoyable. Everything is outdoors, there is natural substrate in almost 100% of the exhibits, and the animal collection of 4,500 is staggeringly awesome.
For my review I’ll refer to the new names that the zoo has designated to exhibit complexes, but many old signs are still in place around the park and so it will be important for me to be as detailed as possible in my lengthy review. The new map is terrific and makes the zoo much easier to navigate, although the Monkey Trails & Forest Tales area is still a mazelike, head-scratching set of raised pathways.
THE BEST:
Botanical Garden - The zoo is a lushly planted paradise, with massive palm trees around each and every corner. Some of the aviaries are so gorgeous that I almost didn't want to walk through them and spoil the Eden-like ambience that has been created. I forgot just how beautiful this zoo really is, and from the Skyfari ride it appears as if ants are milling around in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. San Diego is probably the best looking zoo in North America, and Fern Canyon Trail epitomizes just how impressive the botanical collection is.
Lost Forest: Monkey Trail (Monkey Trails and Forest Tales) – This is arguably the best zoo in North America for primates. Species in this area of the zoo include Eastern Angolan colobus monkey, Kikuyu colobus monkey, black mangabey, golden-bellied mangabey, mandrill, red-cheeked gibbon, lesser spot-nosed guenon and Wolf’s guenon. This multi-acre set of exhibits opened in 2005 and is one of the best parts of the zoo. I'd take the natural substrate, huge mesh exhibits and stunning boardwalks and myriad walkways over "JungleWorld" or "Tropic World" any day of the week. The pygmy hippo/Wolf's guenon enclosure is magnificent, and the adjoining slender-snouted crocodile pool is equally brilliant. Near the entrance is a large lagoon with plenty of Caribbean flamingos, and an entry pair of exhibits along Monkey Trail is for yellow-backed duikers.
Lost Forest: Hippo Trail (Ituri Forest) – This is yet another amazing set of mixed-species exhibits. Allen's swamp monkeys, Schmidt's spot-nosed guenons and spotted-neck otters share a pair of exhibits, while red river hogs and forest buffalo are in a background enclosure. The river hippo’s 150,000 gallon pool is always crystal-clear due to the tilapia feasting on hippo dung, the okapi/black duiker paddock is almost completely in shade from the massive surrounding trees, and if I complained about some of the sightlines I'd be nitpicking a fantastic, award-worthy, 4-acre set of exhibits. The infamous bars in the red river hog/forest buffalo exhibit have been removed, and the interaction amongst the monkeys and otters is as playful as ever.
Lost Forest: Monkey Trail (Gorilla Tropics) - The gorillas have a very scenic exhibit, with cascading waterfalls and pools of water around some of the edges. The bonobo habitat is just as good, with loads of different natural surfaces for the apes to clamber over. Angolan colobus monkeys, snakes and other animals dot the landscape around these ape enclosures, and everything is fantastic to see up close and personal. On both days the troop of gorillas actively used the large rocks in the center of their exhibit, and the viewing windows offer terrific sightlines into the spacious habitat.
Birds & Giant Aviaries – This is the best zoo in North America for birds. Scripps Aviary has over 130 birds and is a thick, dense, jungle-like aviary that has multiple boardwalks cruising through it. Owens Aviary (200 bird species) is just as overwhelming, Parker Aviary is smaller but worthwhile, and the 23 Australasian Aviaries are small, lushly planted, and showcase a diverse collection of birds that is unmatched anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. There is a small kiwi house, a set of hornbill aviaries (and apparently over 30 species of hornbills at the zoo), some of the largest bird of prey aviaries I’ve ever seen, a couple of flamingo pools with various other waterfowl, and then seemingly an aviary around every nook and cranny of the zoo. My wife and I aren't even huge bird fans, but the collection is vast and while some of the exhibits are basic metal boxes there are also many excellent aviaries. I believe that the Owens and Scripps aviaries are two of the largest walk-through aviaries in the world; the Hummingbird Aviary is tiny but extremely lush; and the Birds of Prey aviaries are outstanding and feature Steller’s sea eagles, Andean condors, harpy eagles and ornate-hawk eagles.
Asian Passage: Panda Canyon (Giant Panda Research Station) – There are 3 giant pandas, with 2 on view and the possibly pregnant mother in an unseen exhibit. It is hard to believe that the San Diego Zoo has had 5 baby pandas and that there might well be a 6th on the way! The National Zoo in Washington DC clearly has the best giant panda enclosures in North America, and San Diego, Atlanta and Memphis are far behind in terms of space and variability. However, kudos must go to San Diego for having attendants there to keep everyone quiet, and the crowd members who are noisy are immediately hushed. Panda Trek opens within the next few weeks, with red pandas, mountain vipers and Sichuan takins included in the area. Across the pathway from the giant pandas is a densely planted enclosure for western tufted deer, as well as a now empty cage that used to house red pandas.
Discovery Outpost: Reptiles & Amphibians – This is the best zoo in North America for reptiles and amphibians, and I’m not sure if any other zoo besides Fort Worth even comes remotely close. The Reptile House 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. I walked all around the rectangle-shaped structure and counted exactly 50 terrariums of varying sizes. The Reptile Mesa section near the Reptile House has a further 35 terrariums within a few small buildings, so that makes 85 terrariums that are for the most part of average quality. However, the outdoor enclosures are simply awesome, with a huge gharial pool that contains 6 species of turtles as well as the rare crocodilians, loads of iguanas and other lizards in massive habitats, and many enormous Galapagos tortoises in a few huge paddocks. With 85 terrariums, a large Komodo dragon outdoor exhibit, the gharial pool and tortoise enclosures, combined with maybe another 8-10 outdoor exhibits and once you add all of that up there is no other zoo in North America that can touch San Diego for reptiles and amphibians. Species list for the gharial pool: narrow-headed softshell turtle, Malaysian giant turtle, painted terrapin, river terrapin, fly river turtle and Chinese stripe-necked turtle.
Polar Rim: Polar Bear Plunge – This excellent area has a large polar bear exhibit with massive viewing windows both above and underwater. The 3 bears have a huge 130,000 gallon pool that slopes into a very deep section, a patch of grass, a digging box, and lots of logs and tree stumps to play around with. There isn't a ton of substrate in this exhibit, but it's still good enough to be one of the best of its kind in North America. There is an Arctic fox and a raccoon in two small wire cages, reindeer in a raised paddock, and diving arctic ducks and waterfowl in a pair of bird areas. Species list in the walk-through aviary: ruff, smew, bufflehead, long-tailed duck and harlequin duck. On my 2008 visit I saw a caracal and an Arabian wild cat (a revolving army of animals have been placed here) but the fox and raccoon fit better with the Polar Rim theme. Outside of this area is a long row of metal aviaries with many species of Australian/Asian birds, and they could almost be classified as off-exhibit as almost no one wanders down that pathway.
Lost Forest: Tiger Trail (Tiger River) - This set of enclosures is as terrific as the rest of Lost Forest, and the thick jungle foliage along the pathways creates a lush landscape. A Malayan tapir enclosure has high mudbanks and the fishing cat has a deep pool with fish in it. There is a beautiful, underrated Johnstone crocodile exhibit with several turtle species included, yet more aviaries, a huge Burmese python and a few assorted terrariums nearby.
Lost Forest: Orangutan Trail (Absolutely Apes) - The orangutans and siamangs interact well, but still spend too much time on the ground. This exhibit works because the multiple viewing windows are enormous, the apes appear to always be active and not interrupted by the humans staring at them, and the uniqueness of the enclosure is appealing now that it is looking lush in the middle of summer. The exhibit dips down a hill at the back to allow for quiet time for the apes, and there is loads of soft substrate spread around the front of the enclosure as well as a squishy floor for visitors. Nearby is a glass-enclosed exhibit for Eastern Angolan colobus monkeys and Wolf’s guenons.
Asian Passage: Sun Bear Trail - sun bears in a rocky, grotto-like exhibit, lion-tailed macaques in an outstanding habitat, tropical birds in an aviary (red-billed malkoha/chestnut-bellied hill-partridge/superb fruit dove) and silvered-leaf langurs in a pair of vertically enormous exhibits all set in a densely planted, nicely winding trail.
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 I was amused to see so many herds of hoofstock that are not on show as I have heard that San Diego has a large collection that can only be seen by employees. The paddocks that are behind the scenes are almost all larger than what the public see from the visitor pathways, and it was cool to travel over the enormous aviaries and gaze down on the gorillas in their rocky habitat.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa Rocks – There is a fantastic klipspringer/rock hyrax kopje that is a near perfect collection of rocks and boulders and a large, sand-filled meerkat exhibit at the end of Africa Rocks, but those are the two best exhibits in this outdated section of the zoo. There are 5 tiny wire cages that are the oldest in the entire zoo (more on those later) and then the species list is as follows: warthog, Chinese goral, yellow-footed rock wallaby, spotted hyena, striped hyena, New Guinea singing dog and Bateleur eagle. The eagle aviary is excellent and adjacent to the Kopje area, but the other enclosures are all subpar. A brand-new North Chinese leopard exhibit just opened a week or so ago and it provides excellent viewing of the leopard through a combination of glass and mesh. The enclosure itself is not as large as perhaps it should be, but there is a real tree already in place and the leopard has options for attaining height.
Elephant Odyssey – This large-scale, $40 million set of exhibits opened in 2009 and has been much maligned by many ZooChatters. In all honesty the average zoo visitor does not want to stroll past innumerable enclosures that all appear the same and all contain antelope, deer and pigs. I have fond memories of Horn & Hoof Mesa from my 2006 visit to the zoo and I personally loved the endless rows of hoofstock. However, I fully understand the reason for the zoo to dramatically overhaul the area as the current hoofstock paddocks don’t hold anyone’s attention but hardcore zoo fans. I spent two full days at the zoo and I noticed a stream of people only pausing long enough to take a quick glance at the hoofstock before lumbering along to see the mighty polar bears.
Elephant Odyssey has been discussed endlessly on ZooChat, but I’ll still give a summary here. In my two days at the zoo I went through this area a total of 3 times and so I feel well acquainted with it. What definitely works is the very nice California condor exhibit; the large rattlesnake exhibit with 3 species (southwestern speckled, southern pacific and red diamond); the terrific series of reptile and amphibian ponds along the path; the kid-friendly prehistoric creatures to touch, the mini-bulldozer for kids to clamber on, and the neat little messages about elephant conservation (via life-size collars) and the tar pits of the world; the jaguar habitat is much better than I thought it would be, although it is jarring to see the huge double-decker buses go by in the background; and finally the excellent graphics on all of the signs. The zoo chose a theme and stuck to it well, and I applaud the audacity to attempt something new and original.
What doesn’t work: the elephant exhibit doesn’t break any new ground and is basically a sandy dustbowl for aging female elephants that are past their reproductive age (there is also one bull); the elephant care center is a massive pile of ugly steel; some of the pathways are far too narrow for large groups of people, especially near the elephant care center where on both days I saw traffic jams; the lion exhibit is not nearly as impressive as what the jaguar has; the pronghorn/llama/camel enclosure is bleak and I only saw a single pronghorn on all 3 of my visits; the secretary bird enclosure leaves little protection for the bird; the guanaco/Baird’s tapir/capybara exhibit has some nice landscaping by the water but the holding building is an intense eyesore; and the horse/donkey yard is simply ridiculous.
Outback – Including indoor, glass-fronted exhibits there are approximately 8 enclosures featuring at least 12 koalas, some goodfellows tree kangaroos down the path, at least 6 or more parma wallabies (with a couple in with some koalas) and some southern hair-nosed wombats. Those Aussie critters combine to make this one of the top 5 zoos in North America for Australian creatures, and with all of those koalas there are more here than anywhere else outside of Australia. This being San Diego Zoo there are of course some odds n’ ends exhibits near the Outback section, and the species list includes: Bactrian camel, Cuvier’s gazelle, Visayan warty pig and a ring-tailed lemur/rock hyrax exhibit. There is still a large mesh exhibit that is on the zoo map, appears to have at one point held primates, and while I took a photo of it at the moment it is closed to visitors. Before reaching the Outback section of the zoo there are a series of small, outdated, black metal cages that seem to exist solely to give visitors something to gaze at on the way to the koalas. Species include: binturong (two cages), slow loris, blue-crowned lorikeet, double-eyed fig parrot, kookaburra, banded mongoose, southern white-faced owl and Vietnam giant flying squirrel.
Hoofstock Exhibits – There is a red river hog pair of enclosures directly next to Panda Trek, and the reminder of what was left over from the now decimated Horn & Hoof Mesa stretches from the top of Elephant Odyssey almost to the gigantic Bird of Prey aviaries. Species list: Sichuan takin, Cavendish’s dik-dik, southern steenbok, red-flanked duiker, Chacoan peccary, gerenuk, bontebok, addra gazelle, lesser kudu, Speke’s gazelle and Grevy’s zebra.
THE WORST:
Repeating Exhibits – There are at least 3 exhibits with red river hogs, 3 exhibits with otters (containing 3 different species), 3 exhibits of meerkats, 3 exhibits with fossas and 3 exhibits of colobus monkeys.
Asian Passage - The grottoes containing grizzly bears (rotating with a Manchurian brown bear), lions, spotted hyenas, spectacled bears and cape-clawless otters all need to be radically overhauled. Then there are 4 corn crib cages that are terrible, featuring DeBrazza guenons, red ruffed lemurs, Francois’ langurs and L’hoest’s guenons. Why does the zoo insist on maintaining these obviously outdated cages? I’d rather see yet another gift shop there as no one can be impressed by the terrible viewing opportunities in the metal boxes. Big Cat Trail contains old-fashioned but still adequate wire cages for these species: mountain lion (two exhibits although one was empty on my visit), jaguar, snow leopard and Siberian lynx. There is a southern ground hornbill enclosure bizarrely placed between the snow leopards and Siberian lynx.
Below the Big Cat Trail upper pathway is a lower level with the 5 oldest exhibits in the entire zoo. I know this because a tour bus went by and the guide pointed out how animals “used to be showcased”. Why the hell does the world-famous San Diego Zoo still have such tiny metal cages on its grounds? Instead of lavishing $40 million on Elephant Odyssey, wiping out an amazing hoofstock collection in the process, the zoo could have spent $1 million and bulldozed this crap. Species listing: kinkajou, bat-eared fox, coati and fossa (two exhibits). There is also an African wild dog exhibit by an escalator; an Indian crested porcupine enclosure; and 3 adjoining aviaries: Reeves’s pheasant/great hornbill, Siamese fireback/red-knobbed hornbill, and Java rhinoceros hornbill. A couple of other bird cages have grosbeak starlings, and a mixed-species aviary with these species: Himalayan monal/fairy bluebird, magpie robin, metallic starling, Bali mynah and fawn-breasted bowerbird.
Urban Jungle – This small section of the zoo used to be Elephant Mesa, and now it is even more of a mess. The elephants have been replaced by Indian rhinos in the large center exhibit, and there is another large enclosure that was empty on my visit but supposedly houses the ambassador animals that the zoo has. That includes Arctic wolves, golden retrievers, Anatolian shepherds and cheetahs, as there were plenty of signs with the names of each animal. Other exhibits in Urban Jungle: babirusa/lowland anoa, meerkat, red river hog, Caribbean flamingo, clouded leopard, serval, red kangaroo, Grant’s zebra/miniature Mediterranean donkey, and Masai giraffe/Soemmerring’s gazelle. None of the enclosures are very good, and the cats are in horrid little metal cages. The Kiwi Trail still juts off from Urban Jungle and is the same as ever, but this entire area is now a shambles both geographically, aesthetically and morally and some of the enclosures need to be destroyed.
Discovery Outpost: Children's Zoo – This is one of the weakest areas of the zoo for me, particularly after visiting some really cool, interactive kid zoos during the past few years. Here the cages for an ocelot (badly pacing), a fennec fox, red pandas, meerkats, Goeldi’s marmosets, pygmy marmosets, macaws, a fossa, mice, North American river otter/spot-necked otter, thick-billed parrot, collared loris, a kea, toe-toed sloth, Indian crested porcupines, naked mole rats and an echidna range from mediocre to borderline terrible, even though some of those animals are used in shows. This zone needs to be freshened up, but the small insect section (18 terrariums) is quite well done and the highlight of the area. There is a little theater there for daily shows (the new Camp-themed show is definitely weak as I watched some of it while I was in Reptile Mesa) but for a zoo of San Diego’s stature the children’s section is hugely disappointing.
Pathways – I think that San Diego features steeper walkways than even Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, and that establishment is built on a mountain! Walking alone on the first day I didn’t mind the foot-throbbing climbs up and down the canyon trails, but with a stroller and two kids in it (around 62 pounds) I received a work-out the following day. Also, many of the trails around the Lost Forest section are so winding and mazelike that it is quite easy to move from the Hippo Trail to the Monkey Trail to the Tiger Trail and miss exits to key exhibits.
OVERALL:
San Diego Zoo is my favorite zoo in North America and it is regarded as being one of the best zoos on the planet. The Bronx Zoo for me is a brilliant institution with fantastic exhibits that ultimately slots into second place in my personal rankings, and Omaha and Columbus have the money and history to have exciting futures. The lushly planted gardens, tropical weather and collection of animals at San Diego (that allows most of them a huge amount of unlimited time in their exhibits) all contributes to the overall visitor experience. Northern zoos simply cannot compare to San Diego, specifically when animals are locked in night quarters in the late afternoon or not even on view in the off season as is the case with many northern zoos that I have visited.
The zoo is the best in North America for birds, the best for its botanical collection, the best for reptiles, the best for its animal collection, the best for primates, and probably amongst the top categories for just about everything else possible. If you are a major zoo fan and have never visited then you are definitely missing out on one of the great zoological establishments of the world. Combined with the nearby Safari Park this 1-2 punch surely tops most other captive wildlife experiences in the world. There is a selection of exhibits in San Diego that deserve criticism, but in my humble opinion the vast majority of the enclosures are better than anything at almost any other North American zoo. Other than the children’s zoo practically every single exhibit complex on the left-hand side of the map is stellar and well worth visiting, while on the right-hand side of the map is where all of the grottoes and mediocre exhibits are located.
AND
DAY 16: Wednesday, July 27th
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 14: San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo’s website:
San Diego Zoo
Zoo Map:
San Diego Zoo: Zoo Map
A two-day visit resulted in this 16-page word document:
San Diego Zoo is still the best zoo in North America, although the gap is closer than it ever was before. Bronx Zoo and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo would be the next two choices on my list, although neither has the gorgeous climate of southern California and that definitely plays a factor in the zoo-going experience. It's true that comparing northern zoos to southern zoos is like comparing apples to oranges, but the case is valid in this situation. Visiting a northern zoo like the Bronx means that one has to rush to fit everything in within the 7 hour time limit, while at San Diego in summertime no one has to leave the grounds until 9 p.m. and the animals are always on-exhibit and visible year-round. Literally hundreds and hundreds of animals in northern zoos never once spend time outdoors, as there are 7-8 immense pavilions littering zoo grounds and huge sections of the zoo are completely shut down to the public in winter.
The Bronx Zoo closes its almost 40-acre Asian monorail section during poor weather and a species like the giraffe can spend weeks locked inside a tiny barn in the offseason. At San Diego giraffes are outside for hours longer every day, and barring a freak snowstorm have 365 days a year to enjoy the sunshine. Is San Diego aided considerably by the tropical weather? You bet, and that is a major reason why the zoo is so darn enjoyable. Everything is outdoors, there is natural substrate in almost 100% of the exhibits, and the animal collection of 4,500 is staggeringly awesome.
For my review I’ll refer to the new names that the zoo has designated to exhibit complexes, but many old signs are still in place around the park and so it will be important for me to be as detailed as possible in my lengthy review. The new map is terrific and makes the zoo much easier to navigate, although the Monkey Trails & Forest Tales area is still a mazelike, head-scratching set of raised pathways.
THE BEST:
Botanical Garden - The zoo is a lushly planted paradise, with massive palm trees around each and every corner. Some of the aviaries are so gorgeous that I almost didn't want to walk through them and spoil the Eden-like ambience that has been created. I forgot just how beautiful this zoo really is, and from the Skyfari ride it appears as if ants are milling around in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. San Diego is probably the best looking zoo in North America, and Fern Canyon Trail epitomizes just how impressive the botanical collection is.
Lost Forest: Monkey Trail (Monkey Trails and Forest Tales) – This is arguably the best zoo in North America for primates. Species in this area of the zoo include Eastern Angolan colobus monkey, Kikuyu colobus monkey, black mangabey, golden-bellied mangabey, mandrill, red-cheeked gibbon, lesser spot-nosed guenon and Wolf’s guenon. This multi-acre set of exhibits opened in 2005 and is one of the best parts of the zoo. I'd take the natural substrate, huge mesh exhibits and stunning boardwalks and myriad walkways over "JungleWorld" or "Tropic World" any day of the week. The pygmy hippo/Wolf's guenon enclosure is magnificent, and the adjoining slender-snouted crocodile pool is equally brilliant. Near the entrance is a large lagoon with plenty of Caribbean flamingos, and an entry pair of exhibits along Monkey Trail is for yellow-backed duikers.
Lost Forest: Hippo Trail (Ituri Forest) – This is yet another amazing set of mixed-species exhibits. Allen's swamp monkeys, Schmidt's spot-nosed guenons and spotted-neck otters share a pair of exhibits, while red river hogs and forest buffalo are in a background enclosure. The river hippo’s 150,000 gallon pool is always crystal-clear due to the tilapia feasting on hippo dung, the okapi/black duiker paddock is almost completely in shade from the massive surrounding trees, and if I complained about some of the sightlines I'd be nitpicking a fantastic, award-worthy, 4-acre set of exhibits. The infamous bars in the red river hog/forest buffalo exhibit have been removed, and the interaction amongst the monkeys and otters is as playful as ever.
Lost Forest: Monkey Trail (Gorilla Tropics) - The gorillas have a very scenic exhibit, with cascading waterfalls and pools of water around some of the edges. The bonobo habitat is just as good, with loads of different natural surfaces for the apes to clamber over. Angolan colobus monkeys, snakes and other animals dot the landscape around these ape enclosures, and everything is fantastic to see up close and personal. On both days the troop of gorillas actively used the large rocks in the center of their exhibit, and the viewing windows offer terrific sightlines into the spacious habitat.
Birds & Giant Aviaries – This is the best zoo in North America for birds. Scripps Aviary has over 130 birds and is a thick, dense, jungle-like aviary that has multiple boardwalks cruising through it. Owens Aviary (200 bird species) is just as overwhelming, Parker Aviary is smaller but worthwhile, and the 23 Australasian Aviaries are small, lushly planted, and showcase a diverse collection of birds that is unmatched anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. There is a small kiwi house, a set of hornbill aviaries (and apparently over 30 species of hornbills at the zoo), some of the largest bird of prey aviaries I’ve ever seen, a couple of flamingo pools with various other waterfowl, and then seemingly an aviary around every nook and cranny of the zoo. My wife and I aren't even huge bird fans, but the collection is vast and while some of the exhibits are basic metal boxes there are also many excellent aviaries. I believe that the Owens and Scripps aviaries are two of the largest walk-through aviaries in the world; the Hummingbird Aviary is tiny but extremely lush; and the Birds of Prey aviaries are outstanding and feature Steller’s sea eagles, Andean condors, harpy eagles and ornate-hawk eagles.
Asian Passage: Panda Canyon (Giant Panda Research Station) – There are 3 giant pandas, with 2 on view and the possibly pregnant mother in an unseen exhibit. It is hard to believe that the San Diego Zoo has had 5 baby pandas and that there might well be a 6th on the way! The National Zoo in Washington DC clearly has the best giant panda enclosures in North America, and San Diego, Atlanta and Memphis are far behind in terms of space and variability. However, kudos must go to San Diego for having attendants there to keep everyone quiet, and the crowd members who are noisy are immediately hushed. Panda Trek opens within the next few weeks, with red pandas, mountain vipers and Sichuan takins included in the area. Across the pathway from the giant pandas is a densely planted enclosure for western tufted deer, as well as a now empty cage that used to house red pandas.
Discovery Outpost: Reptiles & Amphibians – This is the best zoo in North America for reptiles and amphibians, and I’m not sure if any other zoo besides Fort Worth even comes remotely close. The Reptile House 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. I walked all around the rectangle-shaped structure and counted exactly 50 terrariums of varying sizes. The Reptile Mesa section near the Reptile House has a further 35 terrariums within a few small buildings, so that makes 85 terrariums that are for the most part of average quality. However, the outdoor enclosures are simply awesome, with a huge gharial pool that contains 6 species of turtles as well as the rare crocodilians, loads of iguanas and other lizards in massive habitats, and many enormous Galapagos tortoises in a few huge paddocks. With 85 terrariums, a large Komodo dragon outdoor exhibit, the gharial pool and tortoise enclosures, combined with maybe another 8-10 outdoor exhibits and once you add all of that up there is no other zoo in North America that can touch San Diego for reptiles and amphibians. Species list for the gharial pool: narrow-headed softshell turtle, Malaysian giant turtle, painted terrapin, river terrapin, fly river turtle and Chinese stripe-necked turtle.
Polar Rim: Polar Bear Plunge – This excellent area has a large polar bear exhibit with massive viewing windows both above and underwater. The 3 bears have a huge 130,000 gallon pool that slopes into a very deep section, a patch of grass, a digging box, and lots of logs and tree stumps to play around with. There isn't a ton of substrate in this exhibit, but it's still good enough to be one of the best of its kind in North America. There is an Arctic fox and a raccoon in two small wire cages, reindeer in a raised paddock, and diving arctic ducks and waterfowl in a pair of bird areas. Species list in the walk-through aviary: ruff, smew, bufflehead, long-tailed duck and harlequin duck. On my 2008 visit I saw a caracal and an Arabian wild cat (a revolving army of animals have been placed here) but the fox and raccoon fit better with the Polar Rim theme. Outside of this area is a long row of metal aviaries with many species of Australian/Asian birds, and they could almost be classified as off-exhibit as almost no one wanders down that pathway.
Lost Forest: Tiger Trail (Tiger River) - This set of enclosures is as terrific as the rest of Lost Forest, and the thick jungle foliage along the pathways creates a lush landscape. A Malayan tapir enclosure has high mudbanks and the fishing cat has a deep pool with fish in it. There is a beautiful, underrated Johnstone crocodile exhibit with several turtle species included, yet more aviaries, a huge Burmese python and a few assorted terrariums nearby.
Lost Forest: Orangutan Trail (Absolutely Apes) - The orangutans and siamangs interact well, but still spend too much time on the ground. This exhibit works because the multiple viewing windows are enormous, the apes appear to always be active and not interrupted by the humans staring at them, and the uniqueness of the enclosure is appealing now that it is looking lush in the middle of summer. The exhibit dips down a hill at the back to allow for quiet time for the apes, and there is loads of soft substrate spread around the front of the enclosure as well as a squishy floor for visitors. Nearby is a glass-enclosed exhibit for Eastern Angolan colobus monkeys and Wolf’s guenons.
Asian Passage: Sun Bear Trail - sun bears in a rocky, grotto-like exhibit, lion-tailed macaques in an outstanding habitat, tropical birds in an aviary (red-billed malkoha/chestnut-bellied hill-partridge/superb fruit dove) and silvered-leaf langurs in a pair of vertically enormous exhibits all set in a densely planted, nicely winding trail.
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 I was amused to see so many herds of hoofstock that are not on show as I have heard that San Diego has a large collection that can only be seen by employees. The paddocks that are behind the scenes are almost all larger than what the public see from the visitor pathways, and it was cool to travel over the enormous aviaries and gaze down on the gorillas in their rocky habitat.
THE AVERAGE:
Africa Rocks – There is a fantastic klipspringer/rock hyrax kopje that is a near perfect collection of rocks and boulders and a large, sand-filled meerkat exhibit at the end of Africa Rocks, but those are the two best exhibits in this outdated section of the zoo. There are 5 tiny wire cages that are the oldest in the entire zoo (more on those later) and then the species list is as follows: warthog, Chinese goral, yellow-footed rock wallaby, spotted hyena, striped hyena, New Guinea singing dog and Bateleur eagle. The eagle aviary is excellent and adjacent to the Kopje area, but the other enclosures are all subpar. A brand-new North Chinese leopard exhibit just opened a week or so ago and it provides excellent viewing of the leopard through a combination of glass and mesh. The enclosure itself is not as large as perhaps it should be, but there is a real tree already in place and the leopard has options for attaining height.
Elephant Odyssey – This large-scale, $40 million set of exhibits opened in 2009 and has been much maligned by many ZooChatters. In all honesty the average zoo visitor does not want to stroll past innumerable enclosures that all appear the same and all contain antelope, deer and pigs. I have fond memories of Horn & Hoof Mesa from my 2006 visit to the zoo and I personally loved the endless rows of hoofstock. However, I fully understand the reason for the zoo to dramatically overhaul the area as the current hoofstock paddocks don’t hold anyone’s attention but hardcore zoo fans. I spent two full days at the zoo and I noticed a stream of people only pausing long enough to take a quick glance at the hoofstock before lumbering along to see the mighty polar bears.
Elephant Odyssey has been discussed endlessly on ZooChat, but I’ll still give a summary here. In my two days at the zoo I went through this area a total of 3 times and so I feel well acquainted with it. What definitely works is the very nice California condor exhibit; the large rattlesnake exhibit with 3 species (southwestern speckled, southern pacific and red diamond); the terrific series of reptile and amphibian ponds along the path; the kid-friendly prehistoric creatures to touch, the mini-bulldozer for kids to clamber on, and the neat little messages about elephant conservation (via life-size collars) and the tar pits of the world; the jaguar habitat is much better than I thought it would be, although it is jarring to see the huge double-decker buses go by in the background; and finally the excellent graphics on all of the signs. The zoo chose a theme and stuck to it well, and I applaud the audacity to attempt something new and original.
What doesn’t work: the elephant exhibit doesn’t break any new ground and is basically a sandy dustbowl for aging female elephants that are past their reproductive age (there is also one bull); the elephant care center is a massive pile of ugly steel; some of the pathways are far too narrow for large groups of people, especially near the elephant care center where on both days I saw traffic jams; the lion exhibit is not nearly as impressive as what the jaguar has; the pronghorn/llama/camel enclosure is bleak and I only saw a single pronghorn on all 3 of my visits; the secretary bird enclosure leaves little protection for the bird; the guanaco/Baird’s tapir/capybara exhibit has some nice landscaping by the water but the holding building is an intense eyesore; and the horse/donkey yard is simply ridiculous.
Outback – Including indoor, glass-fronted exhibits there are approximately 8 enclosures featuring at least 12 koalas, some goodfellows tree kangaroos down the path, at least 6 or more parma wallabies (with a couple in with some koalas) and some southern hair-nosed wombats. Those Aussie critters combine to make this one of the top 5 zoos in North America for Australian creatures, and with all of those koalas there are more here than anywhere else outside of Australia. This being San Diego Zoo there are of course some odds n’ ends exhibits near the Outback section, and the species list includes: Bactrian camel, Cuvier’s gazelle, Visayan warty pig and a ring-tailed lemur/rock hyrax exhibit. There is still a large mesh exhibit that is on the zoo map, appears to have at one point held primates, and while I took a photo of it at the moment it is closed to visitors. Before reaching the Outback section of the zoo there are a series of small, outdated, black metal cages that seem to exist solely to give visitors something to gaze at on the way to the koalas. Species include: binturong (two cages), slow loris, blue-crowned lorikeet, double-eyed fig parrot, kookaburra, banded mongoose, southern white-faced owl and Vietnam giant flying squirrel.
Hoofstock Exhibits – There is a red river hog pair of enclosures directly next to Panda Trek, and the reminder of what was left over from the now decimated Horn & Hoof Mesa stretches from the top of Elephant Odyssey almost to the gigantic Bird of Prey aviaries. Species list: Sichuan takin, Cavendish’s dik-dik, southern steenbok, red-flanked duiker, Chacoan peccary, gerenuk, bontebok, addra gazelle, lesser kudu, Speke’s gazelle and Grevy’s zebra.
THE WORST:
Repeating Exhibits – There are at least 3 exhibits with red river hogs, 3 exhibits with otters (containing 3 different species), 3 exhibits of meerkats, 3 exhibits with fossas and 3 exhibits of colobus monkeys.
Asian Passage - The grottoes containing grizzly bears (rotating with a Manchurian brown bear), lions, spotted hyenas, spectacled bears and cape-clawless otters all need to be radically overhauled. Then there are 4 corn crib cages that are terrible, featuring DeBrazza guenons, red ruffed lemurs, Francois’ langurs and L’hoest’s guenons. Why does the zoo insist on maintaining these obviously outdated cages? I’d rather see yet another gift shop there as no one can be impressed by the terrible viewing opportunities in the metal boxes. Big Cat Trail contains old-fashioned but still adequate wire cages for these species: mountain lion (two exhibits although one was empty on my visit), jaguar, snow leopard and Siberian lynx. There is a southern ground hornbill enclosure bizarrely placed between the snow leopards and Siberian lynx.
Below the Big Cat Trail upper pathway is a lower level with the 5 oldest exhibits in the entire zoo. I know this because a tour bus went by and the guide pointed out how animals “used to be showcased”. Why the hell does the world-famous San Diego Zoo still have such tiny metal cages on its grounds? Instead of lavishing $40 million on Elephant Odyssey, wiping out an amazing hoofstock collection in the process, the zoo could have spent $1 million and bulldozed this crap. Species listing: kinkajou, bat-eared fox, coati and fossa (two exhibits). There is also an African wild dog exhibit by an escalator; an Indian crested porcupine enclosure; and 3 adjoining aviaries: Reeves’s pheasant/great hornbill, Siamese fireback/red-knobbed hornbill, and Java rhinoceros hornbill. A couple of other bird cages have grosbeak starlings, and a mixed-species aviary with these species: Himalayan monal/fairy bluebird, magpie robin, metallic starling, Bali mynah and fawn-breasted bowerbird.
Urban Jungle – This small section of the zoo used to be Elephant Mesa, and now it is even more of a mess. The elephants have been replaced by Indian rhinos in the large center exhibit, and there is another large enclosure that was empty on my visit but supposedly houses the ambassador animals that the zoo has. That includes Arctic wolves, golden retrievers, Anatolian shepherds and cheetahs, as there were plenty of signs with the names of each animal. Other exhibits in Urban Jungle: babirusa/lowland anoa, meerkat, red river hog, Caribbean flamingo, clouded leopard, serval, red kangaroo, Grant’s zebra/miniature Mediterranean donkey, and Masai giraffe/Soemmerring’s gazelle. None of the enclosures are very good, and the cats are in horrid little metal cages. The Kiwi Trail still juts off from Urban Jungle and is the same as ever, but this entire area is now a shambles both geographically, aesthetically and morally and some of the enclosures need to be destroyed.
Discovery Outpost: Children's Zoo – This is one of the weakest areas of the zoo for me, particularly after visiting some really cool, interactive kid zoos during the past few years. Here the cages for an ocelot (badly pacing), a fennec fox, red pandas, meerkats, Goeldi’s marmosets, pygmy marmosets, macaws, a fossa, mice, North American river otter/spot-necked otter, thick-billed parrot, collared loris, a kea, toe-toed sloth, Indian crested porcupines, naked mole rats and an echidna range from mediocre to borderline terrible, even though some of those animals are used in shows. This zone needs to be freshened up, but the small insect section (18 terrariums) is quite well done and the highlight of the area. There is a little theater there for daily shows (the new Camp-themed show is definitely weak as I watched some of it while I was in Reptile Mesa) but for a zoo of San Diego’s stature the children’s section is hugely disappointing.
Pathways – I think that San Diego features steeper walkways than even Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, and that establishment is built on a mountain! Walking alone on the first day I didn’t mind the foot-throbbing climbs up and down the canyon trails, but with a stroller and two kids in it (around 62 pounds) I received a work-out the following day. Also, many of the trails around the Lost Forest section are so winding and mazelike that it is quite easy to move from the Hippo Trail to the Monkey Trail to the Tiger Trail and miss exits to key exhibits.
OVERALL:
San Diego Zoo is my favorite zoo in North America and it is regarded as being one of the best zoos on the planet. The Bronx Zoo for me is a brilliant institution with fantastic exhibits that ultimately slots into second place in my personal rankings, and Omaha and Columbus have the money and history to have exciting futures. The lushly planted gardens, tropical weather and collection of animals at San Diego (that allows most of them a huge amount of unlimited time in their exhibits) all contributes to the overall visitor experience. Northern zoos simply cannot compare to San Diego, specifically when animals are locked in night quarters in the late afternoon or not even on view in the off season as is the case with many northern zoos that I have visited.
The zoo is the best in North America for birds, the best for its botanical collection, the best for reptiles, the best for its animal collection, the best for primates, and probably amongst the top categories for just about everything else possible. If you are a major zoo fan and have never visited then you are definitely missing out on one of the great zoological establishments of the world. Combined with the nearby Safari Park this 1-2 punch surely tops most other captive wildlife experiences in the world. There is a selection of exhibits in San Diego that deserve criticism, but in my humble opinion the vast majority of the enclosures are better than anything at almost any other North American zoo. Other than the children’s zoo practically every single exhibit complex on the left-hand side of the map is stellar and well worth visiting, while on the right-hand side of the map is where all of the grottoes and mediocre exhibits are located.
hey
snowleopard, a few points of your seaworld review
how would you rate the new show compared to the believe show in which it replaced?
how does the dolphin cove compare to the one in orlando? (tho i believe you havent been to the one in orlando, so maybe another member would care to answer this?)
i do agree with your sealion feeding opinion, tho i did enjoy feeding them when i went
,
and finally, are any animal exhibits being removed for the manta to be built?
i've been on the manta at orlando, and it is a truly amazing ride, im very much enjoying these reviews so far snowleopard, and i look forward to reading the ones to come
your, dan
snowleopard, a few points of your seaworld review
how would you rate the new show compared to the believe show in which it replaced?
how does the dolphin cove compare to the one in orlando? (tho i believe you havent been to the one in orlando, so maybe another member would care to answer this?)
i do agree with your sealion feeding opinion, tho i did enjoy feeding them when i went
,and finally, are any animal exhibits being removed for the manta to be built?
i've been on the manta at orlando, and it is a truly amazing ride
, im very much enjoying these reviews so far snowleopard, and i look forward to reading the ones to comeyour, dan
A few remarks: The empty mesh cage in the Outback by the giftshop was pretty well done. It once held Francois Langurs and European Otters, it had a stream and some nice plantings, but apparently it may be converted into a Lorikeet Landing-type of place. I can't believe you bashed the Zoo for having 3 different species of otters, very few zoos have Cape clawless otters. Guests always like seeing otters at play, no matter the species. I would say, its almost as bad as saying a zoo is too repetitive for having African and Asian elephants. To the average visitor the huge bird collection is far worse, because apparently every bird is the "same."
Also, the zoo no longer has gharials anymore in their great crocodilian exhibit. I know the male died and the female may have also, or been taken off exhibit. The exhibit is depreciating a bit too with weeds and more guests throwing coins into the pool.
The Freshwater crocodile exhibit with the many snake necked turtles is definitely not underrated too. Its a huge hit with many children, because kids love huge glass aquariums with turtles. I have passed by it several times this summer and it has always been more crowded than the tiger exhibit or hippo exhibits nearby.
In other news, a great review, I thought you would be in town visiting the SDZ today, but apparently I lost track of time. Ituri says you enjoy meeting Zoochatters, so I thought about offering to join you. Best of luck on your journeys.
Also, the zoo no longer has gharials anymore in their great crocodilian exhibit. I know the male died and the female may have also, or been taken off exhibit. The exhibit is depreciating a bit too with weeds and more guests throwing coins into the pool.
The Freshwater crocodile exhibit with the many snake necked turtles is definitely not underrated too. Its a huge hit with many children, because kids love huge glass aquariums with turtles. I have passed by it several times this summer and it has always been more crowded than the tiger exhibit or hippo exhibits nearby.
In other news, a great review, I thought you would be in town visiting the SDZ today, but apparently I lost track of time. Ituri says you enjoy meeting Zoochatters, so I thought about offering to join you. Best of luck on your journeys.
"Big Cat Trail contains old-fashioned but still adequate wire cages for these species: mountain lion (two exhibits although one was empty on my visit), jaguar, snow leopard and Siberian lynx." One of the "2 exhibits for mountain lions" used to hold the chinese leopard that was moved to the new exhibit. They moved the mountain lions into his old exhibit. I am not sure what they are going to put in the empty one. The zoo recently received a $15 million donation from Conrad Prebys which I believe they are going to use to redesign the big cat area.
That's sad that the clouded leopards are in a tiny cage on Elephant Mesa now when they use to live in one of the best clouded leopard exhibits in the nation in the wonderful Monkey Trails & Forest Tales. Do you know what is in there now?
In my opinion the renaming of all the areas of the zoo was a disaster and really makes the zoo sound like some sort of theme park. The old names worked very well hence I still go by them and they make the zoo seem a lot more legitimate as a conservation organization just in my opinion.
I still want to see Elephant Odyssey in person as the last time I visited the San Diego Zoo was three months before it opened. I still think people are unnecessarily harsh on the elephant exhibit. I'm not exactly sure what you want an elephant holding facility to look like any one of them is going to be a lot of metal. I'm sure North Carolina's or Nashville's holding facility wouldn't look much different either if it were on display so I think in that respect EO gets an unnecessary lower rating of an exhibit. I definitely agree it isn't the best elephant exhibit but it definitely is one of the better as it has a very generous amount of space, soft sand, a great pool, and one of the best elephant staffs around so overall I would say pretty good for the elephants, and I have heard there are some great viewing opportunities, which in my opinion is important as how is a visitor going to learn to appreciate an elephant gazing at them across a field? Just a thought, but as always a great review!
In my opinion the renaming of all the areas of the zoo was a disaster and really makes the zoo sound like some sort of theme park. The old names worked very well hence I still go by them and they make the zoo seem a lot more legitimate as a conservation organization just in my opinion.
I still want to see Elephant Odyssey in person as the last time I visited the San Diego Zoo was three months before it opened. I still think people are unnecessarily harsh on the elephant exhibit. I'm not exactly sure what you want an elephant holding facility to look like any one of them is going to be a lot of metal. I'm sure North Carolina's or Nashville's holding facility wouldn't look much different either if it were on display so I think in that respect EO gets an unnecessary lower rating of an exhibit. I definitely agree it isn't the best elephant exhibit but it definitely is one of the better as it has a very generous amount of space, soft sand, a great pool, and one of the best elephant staffs around so overall I would say pretty good for the elephants, and I have heard there are some great viewing opportunities, which in my opinion is important as how is a visitor going to learn to appreciate an elephant gazing at them across a field? Just a thought, but as always a great review!
re: San Diego Zoo
Very thorough review and my only disagreement is I would put Sun Bear Forest in the average category instead of excellent. Sure the winding path is well shaded, but the actual exhibits are blase'. The sun bears are in a 100% concrete grotto with limited viewing, the primates are in a large square glass enclosure that looks like a greenhouse (but without the plants), and the lion tailed macaques have little houses that ruin the otherwise natural effect.
As for the corn crib monkey cages, the worst part is that they are a fairly recent addition! Yikes!
Like the previous post, I too am surprised you would find three different species of otters a negative. How is that different than having three species of big cats? Surely you do not object to lions and tigers and leopards in one zoo (all from the same genus)?
As for your like of the signage in Elephant Odyssey, did you notice that is the only area of the zoo that omits scientific names for the species?
Very thorough review and my only disagreement is I would put Sun Bear Forest in the average category instead of excellent. Sure the winding path is well shaded, but the actual exhibits are blase'. The sun bears are in a 100% concrete grotto with limited viewing, the primates are in a large square glass enclosure that looks like a greenhouse (but without the plants), and the lion tailed macaques have little houses that ruin the otherwise natural effect.
As for the corn crib monkey cages, the worst part is that they are a fairly recent addition! Yikes!
Like the previous post, I too am surprised you would find three different species of otters a negative. How is that different than having three species of big cats? Surely you do not object to lions and tigers and leopards in one zoo (all from the same genus)?
As for your like of the signage in Elephant Odyssey, did you notice that is the only area of the zoo that omits scientific names for the species?
Wow, 6 more replies and a terrific private message all relating to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. ZooChatters were definitely awaiting with bated breath my San Diego trilogy of reviews, but it might be a while before I type up another lengthy review for the Safari Park. The last four days have been exhausting, as today was another 7 hours trekking around a fantastic zoo. That time includes me leaving my wife and two kids for a full hour as I wandered up to see Elephant Overlook (average), Tiger Territory (what a waste) and Condor Ridge (excellent as always). Then it was a drive back to the motel, time for loads of laundry after 4 days of sweating in the sunshine, feed the kids, bathe the kids, change dirty diapers, shower, eat dinner and now it is almost 9:00 at night and I'm finally posting something on ZooChat. A 10-page review will just have to wait!
I'll address some of the comments about my San Diego review:
- My feet are tired! A week of 7+ hour days have taken their toll and even my calf muscles are throbbing. Imagine the steep canyons at San Diego Zoo, then imagine pushing two kids and a stroller (62 pounds) up those hills, and then imagine doing that for parts of 4 days at mega-attractions. I'm 6 feet tall and very skinny (155 pounds) and so I wonder if I'll gain some muscle on this trip?
- I should not have included the otters on my list of repeating exhibits as the different species were great to see and I personally love otters as they are usually so active. However, meerkats, red river hogs and colobus monkeys are as common as rats and I saw all of them yet again today.
- no wonder I didn't see any gharials if they are either dead or off-exhibit. The zoo should take down the sign, but that habitat is still terrific with all of the various turtle species.
- I've met 7 different ZooChatters in the last few years, and on Monday morning I'll be meeting an 8th at Reid Park Zoo. Interestingly enough all of those ZooChatters have been one at a time and it is not like I met a herd of them all at once!
- A $15 million donation to redesign Big Cat Trails is sorely needed, and a wonderful boost to the zoo. With Panda Trek almost complete the right-hand side of the zoo will become slightly better in terms of exhibitry.
- The clouded leopard cage in Urban Jungle (the old Elephant Mesa area) is one of the worst exhibits in the entire zoo. The old clouded leopard habitat has been depleted of foliage and now contains lesser spot-nosed guenons.
- The renaming of the zoo's zones was a poor decision, but the new maps and graphics at both the zoo and Safari Park are superb. I really like the new maps, and at the Safari Park there are mini-maps posted all over the place that show individual trails. The zoo has the same idea but the mini-maps are more impressive at the park.
- Elephant Odyssey has several great viewing opportunities of the elephants but the enormous pile of steel that is the Elephant Care Center should have been hidden from view. Maybe the criticism is unjust when one considers that most other elephant barns probably look remarkably similar to the one in San Diego, but there is a negative vibe given out from such a prison-like structure. Not everyone is enarmoured with its appearance, plus there is barely a blade of grass in the exhbit while in North Carolina, Nashville and Dallas there are fields of grass. It is interesting to know that there are no scientific names on the Elephant Odyssey signs, but that was something that I only noticed in hindsight.
I'll address some of the comments about my San Diego review:
- My feet are tired! A week of 7+ hour days have taken their toll and even my calf muscles are throbbing. Imagine the steep canyons at San Diego Zoo, then imagine pushing two kids and a stroller (62 pounds) up those hills, and then imagine doing that for parts of 4 days at mega-attractions. I'm 6 feet tall and very skinny (155 pounds) and so I wonder if I'll gain some muscle on this trip?
- I should not have included the otters on my list of repeating exhibits as the different species were great to see and I personally love otters as they are usually so active. However, meerkats, red river hogs and colobus monkeys are as common as rats and I saw all of them yet again today.
- no wonder I didn't see any gharials if they are either dead or off-exhibit. The zoo should take down the sign, but that habitat is still terrific with all of the various turtle species.
- I've met 7 different ZooChatters in the last few years, and on Monday morning I'll be meeting an 8th at Reid Park Zoo. Interestingly enough all of those ZooChatters have been one at a time and it is not like I met a herd of them all at once!
- A $15 million donation to redesign Big Cat Trails is sorely needed, and a wonderful boost to the zoo. With Panda Trek almost complete the right-hand side of the zoo will become slightly better in terms of exhibitry.
- The clouded leopard cage in Urban Jungle (the old Elephant Mesa area) is one of the worst exhibits in the entire zoo. The old clouded leopard habitat has been depleted of foliage and now contains lesser spot-nosed guenons.
- The renaming of the zoo's zones was a poor decision, but the new maps and graphics at both the zoo and Safari Park are superb. I really like the new maps, and at the Safari Park there are mini-maps posted all over the place that show individual trails. The zoo has the same idea but the mini-maps are more impressive at the park.
- Elephant Odyssey has several great viewing opportunities of the elephants but the enormous pile of steel that is the Elephant Care Center should have been hidden from view. Maybe the criticism is unjust when one considers that most other elephant barns probably look remarkably similar to the one in San Diego, but there is a negative vibe given out from such a prison-like structure. Not everyone is enarmoured with its appearance, plus there is barely a blade of grass in the exhbit while in North Carolina, Nashville and Dallas there are fields of grass. It is interesting to know that there are no scientific names on the Elephant Odyssey signs, but that was something that I only noticed in hindsight.
Outback – Including indoor, glass-fronted exhibits there are approximately 8 enclosures featuring at least 12 koalas, some goodfellows tree kangaroos down the path, at least 6 or more parma wallabies (with a couple in with some koalas) and some southern hair-nosed wombats.
It is interesting how US zoos overuse the term "outback", especially as only one of the species mentioned, the southern hairy-nosed wombat, actually live in the outback.
I have only visited San Diego once 15 years ago and remember being impressed by the kopji, and it was at the kopji that I saw my first ever wild hummingbird (I am a bird enthusiest).
It is great to hear about the new monkey exhibits, I was shocked by the poor standard of the monkey complex I saw when I visited.
Keep up your wonderful reviews, I am enjoying my virtual tour of California zoos.
It is interesting how US zoos overuse the term "outback", especially as only one of the species mentioned, the southern hairy-nosed wombat, actually live in the outback.
I have only visited San Diego once 15 years ago and remember being impressed by the kopji, and it was at the kopji that I saw my first ever wild hummingbird (I am a bird enthusiest).
It is great to hear about the new monkey exhibits, I was shocked by the poor standard of the monkey complex I saw when I visited.
Keep up your wonderful reviews, I am enjoying my virtual tour of California zoos.
Yeah thats very depressing to hear about the Clouded Leopards and another reason why my personal ranking of San Diego has gone down from one I visited in 2007 and 2009 when it was my very favorite zoo. Personally I like the Bronx Zoo much better than San Diego. I love the huge parklike setting at the Bronx and how one would never know they are in the nation's largest city when walking the pathways of the enormous zoo. The exhibits are mostly fantastic and in my opinion zoos are one of the places to enjoy the change of seasons, something one cannot do in San Diego as everyday is pretty much sunny and 70 degrees. I certainly enjoyed my visit to the Bronx in early April as it was a brisk 55 degree day yet all the animals were out and enjoying the cool weather. Also just a thought, different weather can provide different added enrichment for animals such as pachyderms and apes that can tolerate somewhat cooler temps. Elephants and rhinos especially love to run around in snow, atleast here in Cleveland so im assuming in other zoos like Bronx as well. Just trying to bring up a different perspective and to show you that zoos don't have to be in warm climates just to be amazing. I do agree with you 100% though Bronx's hours are very bad and they could atleast open an hour earlier and stay open an hour later in the summer months.
The elephant barn at EO was apparently designed by the elephant keepers themselves. It allows them to separate and take care of the elephants quite well and people do enjoy watching the keepers work with the elephants. Since the keepers designed it, they ensured it was built to their satisfaction, even if they did not know much about landscape immersion. It works well and it allows interaction between the guests and the keepers like it was designed for. Sure, its not an architectural wonder, but the barn is everything a vet or keeper could ask for in order to take care of elephants.
Average Weather for San Diego, CA - Temperature and Precipitation Proof that we get below 70 degrees occasionally. I do admit that if it gets below 50 we all think it is freezing. The silverback Paul Donn has refused to come out if it is raining. The zoo recently "bought snow" for the polar bears.
I live in Tucson and there is a word you are using that I am not familiar with. What is a "season"???
DAY 17: Thursday, July 28th
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 15: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s website:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Safari Park’s Map:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Park Map
San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a spectacular achievement set on 1,800 acres about a half-hour drive away from the equally stunning San Diego Zoo. The park actually only utilizes 900 acres for exhibits as the rest is set aside for the preservation of local habitats. The park and zoo combine for a total of over 8,000 animals, and there are over 3,500 different species of plants just at the park. Once again, if you are a hardcore zoo fan and have yet to visit San Diego then you are missing out on a wonderful pair of establishments. On top of that SeaWorld is adored by many families and Birch Aquarium is an underrated gem overlooking the Pacific Ocean and so southern California is the place to visit for zoos and aquariums.
The breeding record at the park is nothing short of phenomenal, as placing large herds of mammals in wide open spaces has resulted in a stunning number of babies since the park opened in 1972. There have been 14 black rhinos born, around 50 Indian rhinos, the greatest record of white rhino births of any zoo in history (around 100), over 400 scimitar-horned oryx, 4 African elephants in the past two years and 6 giraffes just this year! Around 350 Arabian oryx have been born at the park and they are not even on exhibit anymore. The list could go on and on…
THE BEST:
African Woods & African Outpost – These two sections of the park are the old “Heart of Africa” area, and there is a snakelike path that gradually winds its way down from the Nairobi Village to Lion Camp and African Plains. This area is gorgeous, with densely planted pathways, thick foliage creeping over onto the visitor walkway, and a series of spacious and naturalistic habitats. Exhibit listing (in order): bontebok, Eastern giant eland/Sudan red-fronted gazelle, Western Egyptian vulture/hooded vulture/South African shelduck, yellow-backed duiker, okapi, gerenuk/red-flanked duiker/kori bustard/demoiselle crane, East African crowned crane, yellow-billed stork/kori bustard/secretary bird, Abyssinian ground hornbill, bat-eared fox/warthog, greater flamingo exhibit (over 150 birds in a 3-acre lagoon), colobus monkey and cheetah.
Condor Ridge – This area is right at the top of the park and set far away from almost every other section, thus there are few visitors and on both of my tours of the Safari Park over the years I’ve really enjoyed this zone. The raised boardwalk is a joy to walk along, the exhibits are all tastefully designed, and the only downside is that the trail is not a loop and visitors have to double-back. Exhibit listing (in order): thick-billed parrot, bald eagle, lowland paca, western Harris’ hawk, North American porcupine/black-tailed prairie dog, western burrowing owl/American magpie/desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep and California condor.
Lion Camp – A male and two females reside in one of the best lion exhibits in America. Huge viewing windows allow for large crowds, a range rover is a favorite sleeping spot for the magnificent male, the main section of the habitat is elevated to allow for close-up views, and the background scenery is spectacular.
Nairobi Village – This scenic area is a mazelike mix of visitor amenities and animal exhibits, all surrounding Mombasa Lagoon (Lagoon Loop Trail) and the beatific Congo River Fishing Village with its cascading waterfall. Exhibits include: Cavendish’s dik-dik, black duiker, red river hog, ring-tailed lemur, meerkat and several lush waterfall islands with egrets, ducks, geese, flamingos, herons and even a shoebill stork! There is also a Nursery Kraal (it currently has babies from these species: red river hog, springbok, Armenian mouflon and Nubian ibex) and a Petting Kraal (all goats) in the vicinity of the park’s entrance. Opening this fall next to the Petting Kraal is a flying fox exhibit that looks to be almost complete. A large red-cheeked gibbon exhibit is somewhat bizarrely placed in an African zone, and a walk-through lorikeet aviary entices nectar-buying visitors. There are also several smaller aviaries in the area: white-fronted bee-eater/Taveta golden weaver/yellow-necked francolin, Congo peafowl/great blue turaco, white-bellied go-away-bird/red-billed pintail/crested guineafowl/Madagascar crested ibis.
Leaving Nairobi Village to gain access to the African Woods pathway all visitors must descend from the Great Rift Lift elevator so that the higher elevation is temporarily left behind and the next phase of the safari begins. This massive structure dwarfs all objects around it and the views from the top are incredible. One can see the gigantic hot air balloon (somewhat incongruously placed), the little kiddie waterpark and some visitor amenities, but also there is a fantastic aerial view of Lion Camp and the African Plains central enclosure. The California mountains in the distance create an amazing backdrop to the park.
Africa Tram – This is the relatively new tram tour (2007) that replaced the old 50-minute WGASA monorail tour. The tour that I was on lasted almost 35 minutes in length, which was longer than I expected, and it ventures through the African Plains section of the park. Species list includes: southern white rhinoceros, northern white rhinoceros (the park has two left), black rhinoceros*, cape buffalo, cheetah*, wildebeest, Ankole cattle*, Barbary red deer*, Grevy’s zebra*, Somali wild ass*, reticulated giraffe, Rothschild’s giraffe, East African bongo, blesbok, gemsbok, fringe-eared oryx, scimitar-horned oryx, sable antelope, roan antelope, Patterson’s eland, South African springbok, Thomson’s gazelle, red-fronted gazelle, Soemmering’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, greater kudu, Uganda kob, ellipsen waterbuck, defassa waterbuck, red lechwe, Nile lechwe, greater flamingo, western Rueppell’s vulture, lappet-faced vulture, yellow-billed stork, European white stork, saddlebilled stork, sacred ibis, Dalmatian pelican, great white pelican, pink-backed pelican, blue crane, southern ground hornbill, black spur-winged goose, East African kori bustard, ostrich, goliath heron, East African crowned crane, West African crowned crane and mule deer (running wild).
I can honestly say that I saw almost every single one of those animals that I listed (including an almost extinct northern white rhino) as the guide was extremely informative and he pointed out practically every single new species that the tram passed. Except for the bongo I think that I saw every mammal species on my list, and the ones with asterisks were definitely in separate exhibits along the right-hand side of the trail while those without asterisks were in the massive central range. The Africa Tram tour (the name Journey into Africa is no longer used) is a tad disappointing as it is essentially one large loop around a central enclosure that I believe is at least 100 acres in size. On my previous visit to the park (2006) the old monorail was still in existence, the tour was 50 minutes, the Asian paddocks were seen, and even the now-elusive bonobo habitat was briefly driven past. Now the tour is shorter, costs money, includes no Asian animals and it is simply a big loop. The only real way to see the Asian Savanna area is to pay around $100 and zipline over it!
The nice thing about the tour is that the guide is well informed, stops to allow people to occasionally stand up to take photos, rattles off a tremendous amount of data on the weight, height, location and characteristics of many of the animals, and it is a very educational experience. I’m always amused at how the many species of hoofstock all stick together in a herd, so that there would be little pockets of gemsbok, and then a gap and a group of Cape buffalo, etc. The park really does need to either add a second loop through the Asian paddocks or else add in some walking trails as there is a wonderful animal collection hidden from view.
Safari Base Camp – This area is the entrance to the park, and it contains the usual assortment of eateries, zoo photographers, gift shops, information booths, a carousel, Discovery Station (a small children’s educational area with a greater roadrunner exhibit), a lowland paca exhibit, a West African crowned crane exhibit, a couple of macaws on perches, and a large walk-through aviary with these species: Eastern hammerkop, greater sunbittern, African openbill stork, southern bald ibis, white-headed lapwing, African spoonbill and Bartlett’s bleeding-heart dove.
THE AVERAGE:
Elephant Overlook – The previously separate elephant enclosures are now linked via a pachyderm pathway to create a 5.5 acre exhibit that features a huge herd of 17 African elephants. On my visit a crew of keepers was cleaning out one of the enclosures, and so there was about 5 elephants in the barn/holding area and then the other 12 were all packed into one side of the multi-acre second habitat.
The bad part about this area is that the viewing opportunities are not really very impressive, with some areas situated far from the elephants, another zone is partly through chain-link fencing, and a lot of steep walking is needed just to reach these viewing “patios”. The great thing about the exhibit, which is nondescript and is a product of the 1970’s, is the terrific herd of elephants. Having a whopping 17 elephants, including 4 that are all less than 2 years of age, meant there was a lot of dynamics occurring between individual animals. The enclosure is simply average but the interaction amongst so many large mammals is great for visitors.
Gorilla Forest – This gorilla exhibit does not resemble a forest whatsoever, and it is reminiscent of Cincinnati’s enclosure for the same species. One of the highlights of the day was seeing a female holding its infant that was only just born on June 17th. The baby is around 6 weeks of age and my son is 10 weeks of age, they both cry and cling to their mothers, and yet Jeffrey is not nearly as hairy! Gorilla Trail also includes an amphitheater for bird shows and an aviary with buff-crested bustards and Von der Decken’s hornbills. Nearby is Hidden Jungle, a walk-through, glass-enclosed aviary with many bird species and a cave-like entrance with at least 15-20 terrariums of invertebrates.
THE WORST:
Tiger Territory – This area features two enormous, multi-acre enclosures surrounded by a high, rusty chain-link fence. One of the exhibits is currently empty while the other has 3-4 Sumatran tigers. Unfortunately to arrive at this point one has to make their way along a steep, dusty, unpaved path to a lookout point with terrible viewing opportunities of the tigers. The little striped creatures at the bottom of an undulating ravine catch the interest of visitors for approximately 10 seconds but they are too far away for anyone to truly care. The good news is that the park is revamping this entire area, making it much more visitor friendly and incorporating additional species into a future Southeast Asia Tiger Exhibit. I’m excited about the development as other than the name changes, tram tour and new map system barely anything has changed at the park since my inaugural visit 5 years ago.
OVERALL:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park makes it into my top 10 zoos in North America, and I love the atmosphere that is created as soon as I stroll through the front entrance. There is the sense that all visitors are embarking on a journey to exotic lands and the wondrous botanical gardens and lush exhibits add to the sense of adventure. Tiger Territory is the only section that is very poor, and it is going to be replaced by a more expansive, visitor-friendly Asian area in the next few years.
The breeding record is almost unbeatable, the animal habitats are almost all very impressive, it is one of the 3 best zoos on the continent for African animals (the other two being Kansas City and Dallas) and the thatched roofs, colorful decorations, scenic walkways and glistening lagoons allow visitors to be briefly transported to the continent of Africa. The downside is that there are often steep pathways between attractions, it is not as visitor-friendly as the San Diego Zoo, there is a sense of commercialism creeping into aspects of the park, and there are sometimes long walks between exhibits. The park will always be in second-place in comparison to the zoo, but it can stand on its own as one of the very best captive wildlife facilities in the western hemisphere.
Zoo/Aquarium Review # 15: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s website:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Safari Park’s Map:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Park Map
San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a spectacular achievement set on 1,800 acres about a half-hour drive away from the equally stunning San Diego Zoo. The park actually only utilizes 900 acres for exhibits as the rest is set aside for the preservation of local habitats. The park and zoo combine for a total of over 8,000 animals, and there are over 3,500 different species of plants just at the park. Once again, if you are a hardcore zoo fan and have yet to visit San Diego then you are missing out on a wonderful pair of establishments. On top of that SeaWorld is adored by many families and Birch Aquarium is an underrated gem overlooking the Pacific Ocean and so southern California is the place to visit for zoos and aquariums.
The breeding record at the park is nothing short of phenomenal, as placing large herds of mammals in wide open spaces has resulted in a stunning number of babies since the park opened in 1972. There have been 14 black rhinos born, around 50 Indian rhinos, the greatest record of white rhino births of any zoo in history (around 100), over 400 scimitar-horned oryx, 4 African elephants in the past two years and 6 giraffes just this year! Around 350 Arabian oryx have been born at the park and they are not even on exhibit anymore. The list could go on and on…
THE BEST:
African Woods & African Outpost – These two sections of the park are the old “Heart of Africa” area, and there is a snakelike path that gradually winds its way down from the Nairobi Village to Lion Camp and African Plains. This area is gorgeous, with densely planted pathways, thick foliage creeping over onto the visitor walkway, and a series of spacious and naturalistic habitats. Exhibit listing (in order): bontebok, Eastern giant eland/Sudan red-fronted gazelle, Western Egyptian vulture/hooded vulture/South African shelduck, yellow-backed duiker, okapi, gerenuk/red-flanked duiker/kori bustard/demoiselle crane, East African crowned crane, yellow-billed stork/kori bustard/secretary bird, Abyssinian ground hornbill, bat-eared fox/warthog, greater flamingo exhibit (over 150 birds in a 3-acre lagoon), colobus monkey and cheetah.
Condor Ridge – This area is right at the top of the park and set far away from almost every other section, thus there are few visitors and on both of my tours of the Safari Park over the years I’ve really enjoyed this zone. The raised boardwalk is a joy to walk along, the exhibits are all tastefully designed, and the only downside is that the trail is not a loop and visitors have to double-back. Exhibit listing (in order): thick-billed parrot, bald eagle, lowland paca, western Harris’ hawk, North American porcupine/black-tailed prairie dog, western burrowing owl/American magpie/desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep and California condor.
Lion Camp – A male and two females reside in one of the best lion exhibits in America. Huge viewing windows allow for large crowds, a range rover is a favorite sleeping spot for the magnificent male, the main section of the habitat is elevated to allow for close-up views, and the background scenery is spectacular.
Nairobi Village – This scenic area is a mazelike mix of visitor amenities and animal exhibits, all surrounding Mombasa Lagoon (Lagoon Loop Trail) and the beatific Congo River Fishing Village with its cascading waterfall. Exhibits include: Cavendish’s dik-dik, black duiker, red river hog, ring-tailed lemur, meerkat and several lush waterfall islands with egrets, ducks, geese, flamingos, herons and even a shoebill stork! There is also a Nursery Kraal (it currently has babies from these species: red river hog, springbok, Armenian mouflon and Nubian ibex) and a Petting Kraal (all goats) in the vicinity of the park’s entrance. Opening this fall next to the Petting Kraal is a flying fox exhibit that looks to be almost complete. A large red-cheeked gibbon exhibit is somewhat bizarrely placed in an African zone, and a walk-through lorikeet aviary entices nectar-buying visitors. There are also several smaller aviaries in the area: white-fronted bee-eater/Taveta golden weaver/yellow-necked francolin, Congo peafowl/great blue turaco, white-bellied go-away-bird/red-billed pintail/crested guineafowl/Madagascar crested ibis.
Leaving Nairobi Village to gain access to the African Woods pathway all visitors must descend from the Great Rift Lift elevator so that the higher elevation is temporarily left behind and the next phase of the safari begins. This massive structure dwarfs all objects around it and the views from the top are incredible. One can see the gigantic hot air balloon (somewhat incongruously placed), the little kiddie waterpark and some visitor amenities, but also there is a fantastic aerial view of Lion Camp and the African Plains central enclosure. The California mountains in the distance create an amazing backdrop to the park.
Africa Tram – This is the relatively new tram tour (2007) that replaced the old 50-minute WGASA monorail tour. The tour that I was on lasted almost 35 minutes in length, which was longer than I expected, and it ventures through the African Plains section of the park. Species list includes: southern white rhinoceros, northern white rhinoceros (the park has two left), black rhinoceros*, cape buffalo, cheetah*, wildebeest, Ankole cattle*, Barbary red deer*, Grevy’s zebra*, Somali wild ass*, reticulated giraffe, Rothschild’s giraffe, East African bongo, blesbok, gemsbok, fringe-eared oryx, scimitar-horned oryx, sable antelope, roan antelope, Patterson’s eland, South African springbok, Thomson’s gazelle, red-fronted gazelle, Soemmering’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, greater kudu, Uganda kob, ellipsen waterbuck, defassa waterbuck, red lechwe, Nile lechwe, greater flamingo, western Rueppell’s vulture, lappet-faced vulture, yellow-billed stork, European white stork, saddlebilled stork, sacred ibis, Dalmatian pelican, great white pelican, pink-backed pelican, blue crane, southern ground hornbill, black spur-winged goose, East African kori bustard, ostrich, goliath heron, East African crowned crane, West African crowned crane and mule deer (running wild).
I can honestly say that I saw almost every single one of those animals that I listed (including an almost extinct northern white rhino) as the guide was extremely informative and he pointed out practically every single new species that the tram passed. Except for the bongo I think that I saw every mammal species on my list, and the ones with asterisks were definitely in separate exhibits along the right-hand side of the trail while those without asterisks were in the massive central range. The Africa Tram tour (the name Journey into Africa is no longer used) is a tad disappointing as it is essentially one large loop around a central enclosure that I believe is at least 100 acres in size. On my previous visit to the park (2006) the old monorail was still in existence, the tour was 50 minutes, the Asian paddocks were seen, and even the now-elusive bonobo habitat was briefly driven past. Now the tour is shorter, costs money, includes no Asian animals and it is simply a big loop. The only real way to see the Asian Savanna area is to pay around $100 and zipline over it!
The nice thing about the tour is that the guide is well informed, stops to allow people to occasionally stand up to take photos, rattles off a tremendous amount of data on the weight, height, location and characteristics of many of the animals, and it is a very educational experience. I’m always amused at how the many species of hoofstock all stick together in a herd, so that there would be little pockets of gemsbok, and then a gap and a group of Cape buffalo, etc. The park really does need to either add a second loop through the Asian paddocks or else add in some walking trails as there is a wonderful animal collection hidden from view.
Safari Base Camp – This area is the entrance to the park, and it contains the usual assortment of eateries, zoo photographers, gift shops, information booths, a carousel, Discovery Station (a small children’s educational area with a greater roadrunner exhibit), a lowland paca exhibit, a West African crowned crane exhibit, a couple of macaws on perches, and a large walk-through aviary with these species: Eastern hammerkop, greater sunbittern, African openbill stork, southern bald ibis, white-headed lapwing, African spoonbill and Bartlett’s bleeding-heart dove.
THE AVERAGE:
Elephant Overlook – The previously separate elephant enclosures are now linked via a pachyderm pathway to create a 5.5 acre exhibit that features a huge herd of 17 African elephants. On my visit a crew of keepers was cleaning out one of the enclosures, and so there was about 5 elephants in the barn/holding area and then the other 12 were all packed into one side of the multi-acre second habitat.
The bad part about this area is that the viewing opportunities are not really very impressive, with some areas situated far from the elephants, another zone is partly through chain-link fencing, and a lot of steep walking is needed just to reach these viewing “patios”. The great thing about the exhibit, which is nondescript and is a product of the 1970’s, is the terrific herd of elephants. Having a whopping 17 elephants, including 4 that are all less than 2 years of age, meant there was a lot of dynamics occurring between individual animals. The enclosure is simply average but the interaction amongst so many large mammals is great for visitors.
Gorilla Forest – This gorilla exhibit does not resemble a forest whatsoever, and it is reminiscent of Cincinnati’s enclosure for the same species. One of the highlights of the day was seeing a female holding its infant that was only just born on June 17th. The baby is around 6 weeks of age and my son is 10 weeks of age, they both cry and cling to their mothers, and yet Jeffrey is not nearly as hairy! Gorilla Trail also includes an amphitheater for bird shows and an aviary with buff-crested bustards and Von der Decken’s hornbills. Nearby is Hidden Jungle, a walk-through, glass-enclosed aviary with many bird species and a cave-like entrance with at least 15-20 terrariums of invertebrates.
THE WORST:
Tiger Territory – This area features two enormous, multi-acre enclosures surrounded by a high, rusty chain-link fence. One of the exhibits is currently empty while the other has 3-4 Sumatran tigers. Unfortunately to arrive at this point one has to make their way along a steep, dusty, unpaved path to a lookout point with terrible viewing opportunities of the tigers. The little striped creatures at the bottom of an undulating ravine catch the interest of visitors for approximately 10 seconds but they are too far away for anyone to truly care. The good news is that the park is revamping this entire area, making it much more visitor friendly and incorporating additional species into a future Southeast Asia Tiger Exhibit. I’m excited about the development as other than the name changes, tram tour and new map system barely anything has changed at the park since my inaugural visit 5 years ago.
OVERALL:
San Diego Zoo Safari Park makes it into my top 10 zoos in North America, and I love the atmosphere that is created as soon as I stroll through the front entrance. There is the sense that all visitors are embarking on a journey to exotic lands and the wondrous botanical gardens and lush exhibits add to the sense of adventure. Tiger Territory is the only section that is very poor, and it is going to be replaced by a more expansive, visitor-friendly Asian area in the next few years.
The breeding record is almost unbeatable, the animal habitats are almost all very impressive, it is one of the 3 best zoos on the continent for African animals (the other two being Kansas City and Dallas) and the thatched roofs, colorful decorations, scenic walkways and glistening lagoons allow visitors to be briefly transported to the continent of Africa. The downside is that there are often steep pathways between attractions, it is not as visitor-friendly as the San Diego Zoo, there is a sense of commercialism creeping into aspects of the park, and there are sometimes long walks between exhibits. The park will always be in second-place in comparison to the zoo, but it can stand on its own as one of the very best captive wildlife facilities in the western hemisphere.
A former veterinarian for the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park wrote a book in which he tells the story of how they chose the name WGASA for the old monorail. If you have not heard the story, it is actually quite funny.
The absence of access to watch the Asian animals is definitely a major flaw that they have not fixed since abolishing the old monorail. One of the articles in the member's magazine last year alluded to their building an exhibit complex that would restore some kind of access to watch the Asian field enclosures. It was unclear if this would be another tram tour or a hiking trail of some kind. It may be that the new tiger exhibit complex is the start of this process. Does anybody out there have any more information about this?
