Snowleopard's 2015 Road Trip
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
The biggest revelation of this thread is that snowleopard has finally invested in a mobile (cell) phone. Welcome to the dark side SL!
Yes, he has a cell phone and GPS, but still no air-conditioning! So he hasn't totally joined us in the 21st Century! (Just kidding, as he has told me in an email that he didn't really know, before this trip, that his car's AC was not working well. I guess up in British Columbia, where he lives, they don't need AC very much.)
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
I think SL only goes back to zoos that he's visited before if they've added some major exhibits since his last visit. Since that's not true of the San Antonio Zoo, he's skipping it.
did you visit ellen trout zoo in lufkin, tx?
Pass on our regards to him please.
Yes he did. The review is on post 103 of this thread.
@Brum: your comment about my cellphone made me laugh! It has only been in the last year that I purchased an I-phone and now I don't know how I survived without one. My wife can text me all day long and I paid $80 for a U.S. plan that allows me to text and talk as much as I like for one month.
@Kiang: I visited San Antonio Zoo in 2010 and while there have been some minor additions (and a huge central Visitor Plaza) there has not been a major animal exhibit since...plus I think that zoo sucks anyway. That is as honest as I can be, as for a big city zoo with over a million annual visitors there is little to write home about with tons of outdated exhibits in all directions. Some folks like to stick up for the zoo but I expect far more with a zoo of that size.
DAY 14: Sunday, July 26th
Texas State Aquarium:
Texas State Aquarium is an AZA accredited zoo located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it opened in 1990. The facility is located on 6 acres and attracts over 500,000 annual visitors. There is a 400,000 gallon dolphin tank with a couple of dolphins and while that is a premier attraction for some folks I was a bit surprised at the fairly generic size of the exhibit. Near the dolphins in the outdoor section are North American River Otters (in an exhibit of mainly cement), an American Alligator enclosure, Alligator Snapping Turtles, a Bald Eagle and a sea turtle recovery tank. This aquarium actually houses 4 species of sea turtle (Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, Green and Hawksbill); the Flower Gardens 40,000 gallon tank is pretty; there are several species of jellyfish; and a 125,000 gallon Island of Steel tank with mainly stingrays. Many of the exhibits throughout the main floor are adequate but there is nothing superlative and it does not take long to see this facility. Without kids with me to play in the large outdoor waterpark area, or to see a dolphin show, I found myself wandering around and done after an hour.
The good news is that Caribbean Journey opens in 2017 and at a cost of $50 million it looks to be fantastic. I watched a video with computer images that depict approximately what the building will look like and the foundation has already been laid and so I could see the scale of the project with my own eyes. The current aquarium is 49,000 square feet and Caribbean Journey is going to be a 65,000 sq. ft. addition, thus more than doubling the size of the establishment. I chatted with a couple of workers out by the dolphin pool and of course they are tremendously excited for the development and when finished the aquarium will be a minimum of a 2-hour visit and probably a lot longer for families with young children. That will give the state of Texas a trio of bona fide aquatic facilities (Moody Gardens, Dallas World Aquarium and Texas State Aquarium) that might not be as great as what is found in California but all three will be must-sees for any zoo enthusiast. Texas State Aquarium is long overdue for an expansion and I’m excited that it is getting a $50 million addition.
The Texas Zoo:
The Texas Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Victoria, Texas. The main draw is a Jaguar, a Bengal Tiger and a couple of African Lions, all in mediocre enclosures. There are 3 species of lemur, Coatis, Red Wolves, Collared Peccaries (with two of them wearing harnesses!), White-Tailed Deer, Llamas and several other species but this is one very rundown little zoo and an hour is easily enough time to see everything. A Reptile House has a Nine-Banded Armadillo, a couple of Ringtails and many rattlesnakes (including a pop-up bubble into one exhibit) but overall this zoo needs a good lick of paint and someone to help out the dedicated staff.
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo:
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in New Braunfels, Texas, and it opened in 1967. How this place managed to get hold of lions, cougars, wolves and hyenas is beyond my comprehension but sure enough those animals can be found outside in small but barely adequate exhibits. There are many other mammals in tiny cages that are perhaps 10 feet wide and 6 feet deep and are pure “roadside zoo” cages likely from the opening date of 1967. Inside the entrance area is very tiny and there are two wings packed to the gills with mainly snakes in small terrariums that offer nothing much more than sawdust and a water bowl. The species list is incredible and it is easy enough to see the animals but there is very little attempt at a natural-looking terrarium. The facility is directly next to a major highway and it was jammed with passing tourists.
Species list for outdoor exhibits (42 total): African Lion (two white ones), Cougar, Spotted Hyena, Serval, Tayra, African Crested Porcupine, Capybara, Pig-Tailed Macaque, Black-Capped Capuchin, Common Marmoset, Squirrel Monkey, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Common Brown Lemur, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Grey Wolf, Fennec Fox, Coati, Prevost’s Squirrel, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Rock Hyrax, Patagonian Cavy, Groundhog, Prairie Dog, Texas Longhorn Cattle, Watusi Cattle, Grant’s Zebra, American Bison, Miniature Horse, Warthog, Dromedary, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Scarlet Macaw, Green-Winged Macaw, Hyacinth Macaw, Vasa Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Double Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot, Golden Conure, Moluccan Cockatoo, Kookaburra and White-Necked Raven.
Reptile & Amphibian species list (146 total including 131 snakes!): Green Anaconda, Emerald Tree Boa, Jamaican Boa, Amazon Tree Boa, Rosy Boa, Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Kenyan Sand Boa, Solomon Island Ground Boa, Cuban Boa, Dominican Mountain Boa, Red-Tail Boa Constrictor, Caramel Albino Ball Python, Ringed Python, Green Tree Python, Jungle Carpet Python, Timor Python, Anthill Python, Reticulated Python, Angolan Python, White Lip Python, Albino Burmese Python, Hypo Granite Burmese Python, Albino Blood Python, Mexican Burrowing Python, King Cobra, Egyptian Cobra, False Water Cobra, Coral Cobra, Indian Spectacled Cobra, Monacle Cobra, Moroccan Cobra, Samar Cobra, Black and White Spitting Cobra, Red Spitting Cobra, Forest Cobra, Broad-Banded Copperhead, Southern Copperhead, Trans-Pecos Copperhead, Chinese Copperhead, Western Cottonmouth, Fer-De-Lance, Black Mamba, Gaboon Viper, Central African Bush Viper, West African Bush Viper, Variable Bush Viper, Temple Viper, Russel’s Viper, Sahara Sand Viper, Transdanubian Sand Viper, Hognose Pit Viper, Saw Scale Viper, Death Adder, Puff Adder, Inland Taipan, Bushmaster, Ornate Cantil, Western Massasauga, Eastern Massasauga, Desert Massasauga, Sidewinder, Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake, Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake, Western Pygmy Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Canebrake Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake, Midget Faded Rattlesnake, Uracoan Rattlesnake, Baja Rattlesnake, Huamantlan Rattlesnake, Quartzite Speckled Rattlesnake, Black Tail Rattlesnake, Banded Rock Rattlesnake, Mottled Rock Rattlesnake, Northwestern Neotropical Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Great Basin Rattlesnake, Bullsnake, Albino Nelson’s Milksnake, Sinaloan Milksnake, Hypo Pueblan Milksnake, Honduran Milksnake, Hypo Red Milksnake, New Mexican Milksnake, Mexican Milksnake, Louisiana Milksnake, Black Pine Snake, Durango Mountain Pine Snake, Grey-Banded Kingsnake, Nuevo Leon Kingsnake, Albino Striped California Kingsnake, California Kingsnake, Mexican Black Kingsnake, Arizona Mountain Kingsnake, Striped California Kingsnake, Durango Mountain Kingsnake, Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnake, Baja Kingsnake, Utah Mountain Kingsnake, Desert Kingsnake, Hypo Baird’s Rat Snake, Granite San Luis Putosi Kingsnake, Speckled Kingsnake, Western Hognose Snake, Giant Madagascan Hognose Snake, Mexican Hognose Snake, Coral Snake, Corn Snake, Coachwhip, Bamboo Rat Snake, Texas Rat Snake, Mandarin Rat Snake, Emory Rat Snake, White-Sided Black Rat Snake, Japanese Rat Snake, Northern Green Rat Snake, Red-Tailed Green Rat Snake, Trans-Pecos Rat Snake, South Florida Yellow Rat Snake, Fox Snake, Yellow-Throated Bold-Eyed Tree Snake, Paradise Flying Tree Snake, Barrons Racer, Beak-Nosed Snake, Checkered Garter Snake, Eastern Indigo Snake, Glossy Snake, Green Tree Monitor, Solomon Island Spiny Monitor, Solomon Island Skink, Giant Day Gecko, Axanthic Green Iguana, Spectacled Caiman, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Siamese Crocodile, American Alligator, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Rio Grande Ornate Turtle, American Box Turtle, African Spurred Tortoise, Red-Foot Tortoise and Pancake Tortoise.
San Antonio Aquarium:
San Antonio Aquarium is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in San Antonio, Texas, and it opened in December of 2014. The infamous Covino Brothers have now opened 4 aquariums in a very short span of time and none of them are any good. The San Antonio location is a former car dealership and at 50,000 sq. ft. it is by far the largest of the Covino facilities. With one brother having been sentenced to a year in jail for shady animal dealings, and controversial animal deaths at several of the facilities (although things have since improved in Boise, Portland and Austin) the San Antonio location debuted to quiet fanfare just 7 months ago. If you are a little kid then you’d likely enjoy this place but I hated it as everything is amateurishly done and it seems that this enormous warehouse is simply a mess. The mock-rock barriers, the garbage from the stingray feeding cups, the 50 Green Iguanas in a large walk-through cage, the two big parakeet/budgie walk-through areas, the tiny exhibits…everything is slapdash and held together with glue. This facility has one floor devoted to animatronic dinosaurs and on a Sunday afternoon the aquarium was packed to the rafters so they must be doing something right. I would personally give it a 1 out of 10 rating and it is so bad that it makes Boise and Portland look like they would deserve a 2 or 3 out of 10.
- At this point in the day I had seen the 4 attractions on my itinerary but each of them had taken 1.5 hours or less to tour and I had time to kill. I had actually penciled in SeaWorld and Aquatica months ago as possibilities if I had time on my hands and since I had just that it worked out well. Interestingly enough SeaWorld is only a 10-minute drive from San Antonio Aquarium and the enormous theme park is open to 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. every night during the summer months and so my zoo-touring day continued until it was getting dark outside.
SeaWorld San Antonio:
SeaWorld San Antonio is 9 out of 10 for kids and a few years ago my wife and I spent 9 hours at San Diego SeaWorld and our kids had a total blast. There is so much to do just in the Sesame Street themed zone that it boggles the mind, plus assorted rides, games animals, etc, and it is a lot of fun. For a zoo enthusiast SeaWorld is very poor and the San Antonio location is nowhere near as impressive as the same facility in San Diego (which I’ve visited several times). In San Diego it is possible to glimpse the Orcas in their side pools at any time; dolphins can be viewed at all times; the Penguin Encounter is amazing; there are sea otters and an Arctic section (Polar Bears, Walruses and Beluga Whales) and even a huge shark section and a terrific sea turtle tank with more than 60 turtles. San Antonio lacks all of that and the Orcas, Beluga Whales and dolphins can only be viewed in their 20-minute shows. Anyone who loves SeaWorld should remember that often the big cetaceans do not have access to the largest stage show and spend 23 hours a day in the off-exhibit side pools.
So what does SeaWorld San Antonio have? The Penguin Encounter is still extremely impressive (with a nearby puffin exhibit that is also excellent); the Animal Connections gallery has perhaps a dozen terrariums (again, nowhere near as good as San Diego); Pacific Point is the new California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal pool connected to the sea lion stadium; but there aren’t any small aquariums or huge stingray touch tanks like at San Diego either. I watched 10 minutes of the Orca show and the entire Beluga Whale show and stayed 3 hours but it was more to say that I went and to add another zoo to my lifetime list as without kids SeaWorld feels a bit empty. A big draw for zoo enthusiasts used to be the Hawaiian Monk Seals but they were all sent to Minnesota Zoo a few months ago. I’d heard from everyone that I’d spoken to that SeaWorld San Antonio was the weakest of the theme parks and I can confirm that is definitely the case. Interestingly enough the new San Antonio Aquarium is terrible, SeaWorld is great for kids but disappointing for zoo enthusiasts, and even San Antonio Zoo (with a huge animal collection) has many very poor exhibits. Maybe skip the city’s zoos and head to the Alamo?
Aquatica San Antonio:
Aquatica San Antonio is a new waterpark that opened in 2012 and it is directly next to SeaWorld and in fact one is required to purchase a SeaWorld ticket ($75 per adult plus $20 for parking) and Aquatica can be added on for an additional $35 but I got in for free! I had a whole story prepped for the ticketing staff about how I was down from Canada touring zoos throughout Texas and I didn’t want to go on any of the rides in Aquatica but simply wished to photograph the animal exhibits, yada, yada, yada. Well, one guy I talked to said that I had to buy the $35 extra ticket as Aquatica is a massive waterpark with slides, tube rides and tons of beach-themed swimming pools and I had no choice but to pay. The place does look awesome for kids. Anyway, I waited until the guy left and then he was replaced by two young teenage girls and they were checking for tickets and wristbands as people entered the park. I waited until 30 minutes before closing (as Aquatica closes earlier than SeaWorld) and once there was a lull in the line-up and the girls both began to text at the same time I made my move. I was the only customer walking up and one of the girls just waved me through…unbelievable. Maybe it was because there wasn’t much time left in the day or maybe she was simply engrossed in her text, but for whatever reason I was in the doors of the waterpark for free.
Aquatica is obviously a huge waterpark but it does have a few macaws on perches, an Aldabra Tortoise exhibit, a fantastic stingray/fish pool that is enormous and one of the rides actually goes through the stingray tunnel, and Roa’s Aviary. The aviary just opened in 2014 and it is 13,500 sq. ft. (a third of an acre) and quite stupendous. A tube ride goes past crashing water and actually through a portion of the massive aviary. Also, there are between 40-50 species and supposedly a couple of hundred birds that are all extremely friendly as visitors can purchase food to feed them. I had a couple of turacos brush against my Saint Louis Zoo hat and a Guira Cuckoo pecked at my feet as the exotic birds are very tame.
So does Aquatica count as a zoo? Some would say yes while others would say no and for the most part I know which ZooChatters would be on each side of the fence. In the case of Moody Gardens there is an aquarium pyramid and a rainforest pyramid and I would estimate that 95% of all visitors go to both during a tour. Almost no one is driving all the way to Galveston Bay and then seeing only one of the pyramids. In the case of SeaWorld/Aquatica, judging from the thousands of half-naked visitors that I saw (sporting 10,000 or so tattoos in total – no exaggeration), that families either spend the day in SeaWorld and see all the animals, shows, rollercoasters, etc, and take an entire day to do that. Or they have a more leisurely day and spend it in Aquatica. It would be extremely difficult for families to see everything in both parks during one day as they really are separate entities. With the delightful, highly impressive aviary, enormous stingray pool, tortoise exhibit and macaws I think that Aquatica probably would count as a “zoo” in the minds of many on this site and I plan to count it as one myself.
@Kiang: I visited San Antonio Zoo in 2010 and while there have been some minor additions (and a huge central Visitor Plaza) there has not been a major animal exhibit since...plus I think that zoo sucks anyway. That is as honest as I can be, as for a big city zoo with over a million annual visitors there is little to write home about with tons of outdated exhibits in all directions. Some folks like to stick up for the zoo but I expect far more with a zoo of that size.
DAY 14: Sunday, July 26th
Texas State Aquarium:
Texas State Aquarium is an AZA accredited zoo located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it opened in 1990. The facility is located on 6 acres and attracts over 500,000 annual visitors. There is a 400,000 gallon dolphin tank with a couple of dolphins and while that is a premier attraction for some folks I was a bit surprised at the fairly generic size of the exhibit. Near the dolphins in the outdoor section are North American River Otters (in an exhibit of mainly cement), an American Alligator enclosure, Alligator Snapping Turtles, a Bald Eagle and a sea turtle recovery tank. This aquarium actually houses 4 species of sea turtle (Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, Green and Hawksbill); the Flower Gardens 40,000 gallon tank is pretty; there are several species of jellyfish; and a 125,000 gallon Island of Steel tank with mainly stingrays. Many of the exhibits throughout the main floor are adequate but there is nothing superlative and it does not take long to see this facility. Without kids with me to play in the large outdoor waterpark area, or to see a dolphin show, I found myself wandering around and done after an hour.
The good news is that Caribbean Journey opens in 2017 and at a cost of $50 million it looks to be fantastic. I watched a video with computer images that depict approximately what the building will look like and the foundation has already been laid and so I could see the scale of the project with my own eyes. The current aquarium is 49,000 square feet and Caribbean Journey is going to be a 65,000 sq. ft. addition, thus more than doubling the size of the establishment. I chatted with a couple of workers out by the dolphin pool and of course they are tremendously excited for the development and when finished the aquarium will be a minimum of a 2-hour visit and probably a lot longer for families with young children. That will give the state of Texas a trio of bona fide aquatic facilities (Moody Gardens, Dallas World Aquarium and Texas State Aquarium) that might not be as great as what is found in California but all three will be must-sees for any zoo enthusiast. Texas State Aquarium is long overdue for an expansion and I’m excited that it is getting a $50 million addition.
The Texas Zoo:
The Texas Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Victoria, Texas. The main draw is a Jaguar, a Bengal Tiger and a couple of African Lions, all in mediocre enclosures. There are 3 species of lemur, Coatis, Red Wolves, Collared Peccaries (with two of them wearing harnesses!), White-Tailed Deer, Llamas and several other species but this is one very rundown little zoo and an hour is easily enough time to see everything. A Reptile House has a Nine-Banded Armadillo, a couple of Ringtails and many rattlesnakes (including a pop-up bubble into one exhibit) but overall this zoo needs a good lick of paint and someone to help out the dedicated staff.
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo:
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in New Braunfels, Texas, and it opened in 1967. How this place managed to get hold of lions, cougars, wolves and hyenas is beyond my comprehension but sure enough those animals can be found outside in small but barely adequate exhibits. There are many other mammals in tiny cages that are perhaps 10 feet wide and 6 feet deep and are pure “roadside zoo” cages likely from the opening date of 1967. Inside the entrance area is very tiny and there are two wings packed to the gills with mainly snakes in small terrariums that offer nothing much more than sawdust and a water bowl. The species list is incredible and it is easy enough to see the animals but there is very little attempt at a natural-looking terrarium. The facility is directly next to a major highway and it was jammed with passing tourists.
Species list for outdoor exhibits (42 total): African Lion (two white ones), Cougar, Spotted Hyena, Serval, Tayra, African Crested Porcupine, Capybara, Pig-Tailed Macaque, Black-Capped Capuchin, Common Marmoset, Squirrel Monkey, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Common Brown Lemur, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Grey Wolf, Fennec Fox, Coati, Prevost’s Squirrel, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Rock Hyrax, Patagonian Cavy, Groundhog, Prairie Dog, Texas Longhorn Cattle, Watusi Cattle, Grant’s Zebra, American Bison, Miniature Horse, Warthog, Dromedary, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Scarlet Macaw, Green-Winged Macaw, Hyacinth Macaw, Vasa Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Double Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot, Golden Conure, Moluccan Cockatoo, Kookaburra and White-Necked Raven.
Reptile & Amphibian species list (146 total including 131 snakes!): Green Anaconda, Emerald Tree Boa, Jamaican Boa, Amazon Tree Boa, Rosy Boa, Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Kenyan Sand Boa, Solomon Island Ground Boa, Cuban Boa, Dominican Mountain Boa, Red-Tail Boa Constrictor, Caramel Albino Ball Python, Ringed Python, Green Tree Python, Jungle Carpet Python, Timor Python, Anthill Python, Reticulated Python, Angolan Python, White Lip Python, Albino Burmese Python, Hypo Granite Burmese Python, Albino Blood Python, Mexican Burrowing Python, King Cobra, Egyptian Cobra, False Water Cobra, Coral Cobra, Indian Spectacled Cobra, Monacle Cobra, Moroccan Cobra, Samar Cobra, Black and White Spitting Cobra, Red Spitting Cobra, Forest Cobra, Broad-Banded Copperhead, Southern Copperhead, Trans-Pecos Copperhead, Chinese Copperhead, Western Cottonmouth, Fer-De-Lance, Black Mamba, Gaboon Viper, Central African Bush Viper, West African Bush Viper, Variable Bush Viper, Temple Viper, Russel’s Viper, Sahara Sand Viper, Transdanubian Sand Viper, Hognose Pit Viper, Saw Scale Viper, Death Adder, Puff Adder, Inland Taipan, Bushmaster, Ornate Cantil, Western Massasauga, Eastern Massasauga, Desert Massasauga, Sidewinder, Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake, Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake, Western Pygmy Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Canebrake Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake, Midget Faded Rattlesnake, Uracoan Rattlesnake, Baja Rattlesnake, Huamantlan Rattlesnake, Quartzite Speckled Rattlesnake, Black Tail Rattlesnake, Banded Rock Rattlesnake, Mottled Rock Rattlesnake, Northwestern Neotropical Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Great Basin Rattlesnake, Bullsnake, Albino Nelson’s Milksnake, Sinaloan Milksnake, Hypo Pueblan Milksnake, Honduran Milksnake, Hypo Red Milksnake, New Mexican Milksnake, Mexican Milksnake, Louisiana Milksnake, Black Pine Snake, Durango Mountain Pine Snake, Grey-Banded Kingsnake, Nuevo Leon Kingsnake, Albino Striped California Kingsnake, California Kingsnake, Mexican Black Kingsnake, Arizona Mountain Kingsnake, Striped California Kingsnake, Durango Mountain Kingsnake, Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnake, Baja Kingsnake, Utah Mountain Kingsnake, Desert Kingsnake, Hypo Baird’s Rat Snake, Granite San Luis Putosi Kingsnake, Speckled Kingsnake, Western Hognose Snake, Giant Madagascan Hognose Snake, Mexican Hognose Snake, Coral Snake, Corn Snake, Coachwhip, Bamboo Rat Snake, Texas Rat Snake, Mandarin Rat Snake, Emory Rat Snake, White-Sided Black Rat Snake, Japanese Rat Snake, Northern Green Rat Snake, Red-Tailed Green Rat Snake, Trans-Pecos Rat Snake, South Florida Yellow Rat Snake, Fox Snake, Yellow-Throated Bold-Eyed Tree Snake, Paradise Flying Tree Snake, Barrons Racer, Beak-Nosed Snake, Checkered Garter Snake, Eastern Indigo Snake, Glossy Snake, Green Tree Monitor, Solomon Island Spiny Monitor, Solomon Island Skink, Giant Day Gecko, Axanthic Green Iguana, Spectacled Caiman, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Siamese Crocodile, American Alligator, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Rio Grande Ornate Turtle, American Box Turtle, African Spurred Tortoise, Red-Foot Tortoise and Pancake Tortoise.
San Antonio Aquarium:
San Antonio Aquarium is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in San Antonio, Texas, and it opened in December of 2014. The infamous Covino Brothers have now opened 4 aquariums in a very short span of time and none of them are any good. The San Antonio location is a former car dealership and at 50,000 sq. ft. it is by far the largest of the Covino facilities. With one brother having been sentenced to a year in jail for shady animal dealings, and controversial animal deaths at several of the facilities (although things have since improved in Boise, Portland and Austin) the San Antonio location debuted to quiet fanfare just 7 months ago. If you are a little kid then you’d likely enjoy this place but I hated it as everything is amateurishly done and it seems that this enormous warehouse is simply a mess. The mock-rock barriers, the garbage from the stingray feeding cups, the 50 Green Iguanas in a large walk-through cage, the two big parakeet/budgie walk-through areas, the tiny exhibits…everything is slapdash and held together with glue. This facility has one floor devoted to animatronic dinosaurs and on a Sunday afternoon the aquarium was packed to the rafters so they must be doing something right. I would personally give it a 1 out of 10 rating and it is so bad that it makes Boise and Portland look like they would deserve a 2 or 3 out of 10.
- At this point in the day I had seen the 4 attractions on my itinerary but each of them had taken 1.5 hours or less to tour and I had time to kill. I had actually penciled in SeaWorld and Aquatica months ago as possibilities if I had time on my hands and since I had just that it worked out well. Interestingly enough SeaWorld is only a 10-minute drive from San Antonio Aquarium and the enormous theme park is open to 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. every night during the summer months and so my zoo-touring day continued until it was getting dark outside.
SeaWorld San Antonio:
SeaWorld San Antonio is 9 out of 10 for kids and a few years ago my wife and I spent 9 hours at San Diego SeaWorld and our kids had a total blast. There is so much to do just in the Sesame Street themed zone that it boggles the mind, plus assorted rides, games animals, etc, and it is a lot of fun. For a zoo enthusiast SeaWorld is very poor and the San Antonio location is nowhere near as impressive as the same facility in San Diego (which I’ve visited several times). In San Diego it is possible to glimpse the Orcas in their side pools at any time; dolphins can be viewed at all times; the Penguin Encounter is amazing; there are sea otters and an Arctic section (Polar Bears, Walruses and Beluga Whales) and even a huge shark section and a terrific sea turtle tank with more than 60 turtles. San Antonio lacks all of that and the Orcas, Beluga Whales and dolphins can only be viewed in their 20-minute shows. Anyone who loves SeaWorld should remember that often the big cetaceans do not have access to the largest stage show and spend 23 hours a day in the off-exhibit side pools.
So what does SeaWorld San Antonio have? The Penguin Encounter is still extremely impressive (with a nearby puffin exhibit that is also excellent); the Animal Connections gallery has perhaps a dozen terrariums (again, nowhere near as good as San Diego); Pacific Point is the new California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal pool connected to the sea lion stadium; but there aren’t any small aquariums or huge stingray touch tanks like at San Diego either. I watched 10 minutes of the Orca show and the entire Beluga Whale show and stayed 3 hours but it was more to say that I went and to add another zoo to my lifetime list as without kids SeaWorld feels a bit empty. A big draw for zoo enthusiasts used to be the Hawaiian Monk Seals but they were all sent to Minnesota Zoo a few months ago. I’d heard from everyone that I’d spoken to that SeaWorld San Antonio was the weakest of the theme parks and I can confirm that is definitely the case. Interestingly enough the new San Antonio Aquarium is terrible, SeaWorld is great for kids but disappointing for zoo enthusiasts, and even San Antonio Zoo (with a huge animal collection) has many very poor exhibits. Maybe skip the city’s zoos and head to the Alamo?
Aquatica San Antonio:
Aquatica San Antonio is a new waterpark that opened in 2012 and it is directly next to SeaWorld and in fact one is required to purchase a SeaWorld ticket ($75 per adult plus $20 for parking) and Aquatica can be added on for an additional $35 but I got in for free! I had a whole story prepped for the ticketing staff about how I was down from Canada touring zoos throughout Texas and I didn’t want to go on any of the rides in Aquatica but simply wished to photograph the animal exhibits, yada, yada, yada. Well, one guy I talked to said that I had to buy the $35 extra ticket as Aquatica is a massive waterpark with slides, tube rides and tons of beach-themed swimming pools and I had no choice but to pay. The place does look awesome for kids. Anyway, I waited until the guy left and then he was replaced by two young teenage girls and they were checking for tickets and wristbands as people entered the park. I waited until 30 minutes before closing (as Aquatica closes earlier than SeaWorld) and once there was a lull in the line-up and the girls both began to text at the same time I made my move. I was the only customer walking up and one of the girls just waved me through…unbelievable. Maybe it was because there wasn’t much time left in the day or maybe she was simply engrossed in her text, but for whatever reason I was in the doors of the waterpark for free.
Aquatica is obviously a huge waterpark but it does have a few macaws on perches, an Aldabra Tortoise exhibit, a fantastic stingray/fish pool that is enormous and one of the rides actually goes through the stingray tunnel, and Roa’s Aviary. The aviary just opened in 2014 and it is 13,500 sq. ft. (a third of an acre) and quite stupendous. A tube ride goes past crashing water and actually through a portion of the massive aviary. Also, there are between 40-50 species and supposedly a couple of hundred birds that are all extremely friendly as visitors can purchase food to feed them. I had a couple of turacos brush against my Saint Louis Zoo hat and a Guira Cuckoo pecked at my feet as the exotic birds are very tame.
So does Aquatica count as a zoo? Some would say yes while others would say no and for the most part I know which ZooChatters would be on each side of the fence. In the case of Moody Gardens there is an aquarium pyramid and a rainforest pyramid and I would estimate that 95% of all visitors go to both during a tour. Almost no one is driving all the way to Galveston Bay and then seeing only one of the pyramids. In the case of SeaWorld/Aquatica, judging from the thousands of half-naked visitors that I saw (sporting 10,000 or so tattoos in total – no exaggeration), that families either spend the day in SeaWorld and see all the animals, shows, rollercoasters, etc, and take an entire day to do that. Or they have a more leisurely day and spend it in Aquatica. It would be extremely difficult for families to see everything in both parks during one day as they really are separate entities. With the delightful, highly impressive aviary, enormous stingray pool, tortoise exhibit and macaws I think that Aquatica probably would count as a “zoo” in the minds of many on this site and I plan to count it as one myself.
Awesome! Have a soft spot for San Antonio Zoo. I'd compare it to Antwerp's. I believe it's improved over the years. The rhinoceros' could do better and the elephant of course...
Very much looking looking forward to your mini review on the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch and hope that the Tower Creek Addition was open for your visit; the section was closed last month...and did not exist during our previous visits.
I lived several years in San Antonio and Del Rio...never visited The Snake Farm in anticipation of the conditions you describe.
Looking forward to your updates and am happy you are enjoying you trip.
Very much looking looking forward to your mini review on the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch and hope that the Tower Creek Addition was open for your visit; the section was closed last month...and did not exist during our previous visits.
I lived several years in San Antonio and Del Rio...never visited The Snake Farm in anticipation of the conditions you describe.
Looking forward to your updates and am happy you are enjoying you trip.
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The highlight of San Antonio is the famous Riverwalk (which the Alamo sits directly above). It is the most pleasant downtown walking and dining area I have seen in the entire United States. If Snowleopard is spending the night in San Antonio, he would do well to treat himself to one nice dinner or dessert on the trip here. BTW I do like the zoo more than he does. The lion and tiger and jaguar exhibits recently had their cement floors replaced with grass and foliage, which is a huge improvement even though the actual exhibit space is the same (which was never bad).
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ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
I completely agree. Actually San Antonio is one of my favorite cities to visit with the Riverwalk, the Alamo, Spanish missions, and yes, I still do like the San Antonio Zoo. But SnowLeopard is right that the Zoo could use some improvements -- I compare it to the Milwaukee Zoo. Both are great for their collections, but the exhibits need some sprucing up.
And of course when in San Antonio I always take in an NBA game hosted by the world's greatest team, the Spurs!
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
SnowLeopard, do you actually type in these enormous species lists (such as this one with 146 species). I'm hoping that you have some time-saving way of cut-and-pasting them into your updates.
It does take a long time but I really enjoy compiling the species lists and I find that years later it is interesting to look back at them. Today while at America's greatest Reptile House (MOLA has some outstanding sections) I took a ton of photos and one of every single species sign. At some point I'm then going to go through my photos (already loaded on the laptop) and type out the entire list of species. After that I just copy and paste it onto ZooChat for my "blog". I've had quite a few requests as there are fellow zoo nerds that like to know exact totals for zoos.
I agree MOLA is the best reptile house. But I also know some of the big tanks use those rotating electronic signs that both you and I dislike.
I guess I must be one of those zoo nerds Snowleopard was speaking of... I'm looking forward to seeing a full species list from MOLA.
Two things struck me when I visited San Antonio Zoo. The first was the South American area, which I remember as a very unsightly maze of mesh and chain-link. The second was that there were birds EVERYWHERE. In cages, in lakes, on the paths... the place seemed overrun.
My family and I stayed in a hotel directly on the Riverwalk and it was the best part of the trip. Very relaxing atmosphere. Almost a city within itself.
Two things struck me when I visited San Antonio Zoo. The first was the South American area, which I remember as a very unsightly maze of mesh and chain-link. The second was that there were birds EVERYWHERE. In cages, in lakes, on the paths... the place seemed overrun.
My family and I stayed in a hotel directly on the Riverwalk and it was the best part of the trip. Very relaxing atmosphere. Almost a city within itself.
DAY 15: Monday, July 27th
With a long day of 6 zoos yesterday being exhausting, today promised the same with another 6 zoos on the schedule. However, after the first one (Natural Bridge) the other zoos all were easily seen in an hour or less. Still, it was almost 7:00 at night by the time I finished my 6th zoo of the day and 12th zoo in the past two days.
Odds n’ Ends:
- Another long snake crossed the road in front of me today
- I saw about 7 Blackbuck near the side of the road and it is odd seeing wild antelope in the dusty scrubland of Texas
- After Franklin Drive-Through Safari a few days ago I forgot to mention that I drove down the road about 10 minutes and then saw in a field a herd of at least a dozen Addax! Apparently that is not such a crazy idea in rural Texas as some farmers have exotic antelope on their land.
- Toll roads are rather ridiculous and many highways all over Texas charge small fees. Lately I’ve been seeing signs for toll roads but they say that bills will be sent in the mail rather than having to pull over to an actual booth. I wonder if they will mail me a bill to British Columbia, Canada.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch:
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in San Antonio, Texas, and it is a drive-thru park situated on over 400 acres. There are 500 animals of 45 species and everything here is professionally done from the roads, entrance, massive gift shop, guidebook and pathways. You’d think that with 325 different zoo visits under my belt (by the time this trip is done) I’d have seen many drive-through zoos but there aren’t many of them in North America and I’ve probably visited less than ten. Natural Bridge would be my clear favourite as the animals are easy to locate, the scenery is stunning and the roads are smooth.
The quality of a road might not seem like much but when engaged in a 1-2 hour drive through a safari park it is vitally important to have a smooth, seamless ride. People are going through these places in minivans and regular family cars, not range rovers as some parks seem to think. Arbuckle Drive-Through Safari had a disgracefully destroyed road that was a nightmare to drive on; Franklin Drive-Through Safari had a sandy mud-pit of a road that was too bouncy; Cherokee Trace Drive-Through Safari had a very smooth road but it was made out of red sand and after leaving the facility cars were caked in a fine mist of dust. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has a half-decent road but there are still hundreds of minor potholes in all directions. The 5th drive-through safari park on this trip is Natural Bridge and its road was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Of the 36 species in the drive-through safari I saw 34 of them (just missing out on the Sicilian Donkey and American Bison) as I was the very first car of the day and food had been provided along the sides of the road. At one point there was a herd of 15 wildebeest all jostling for food around my car and it was an interesting situation. The Tower Creek section of the park was open during my visit after recent floods, and that 50-acre expansion just opened in 2014. Even though Natural Bridge is the best drive-through park I’ve ever seen there was still the ridiculousness of the “Masai Savannah” section with its Addax, Llamas and Emus all comingling. Whatever happened to geographical accuracy?
Species List for the drive-through safari (36 total): White Rhino, Bactrian Camel, American Bison, Texas Longhorn Cattle, Watusi Cattle, Zebu, Reticulated Giraffe, Impala, Bongo, Greater Kudu, Common Eland, Dama Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Blesbok, Sable Antelope, Springbok, Gemsbok, Blackbuck, Addax, Arabian Oryx, Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Nilgai, Damaraland Zebra, Nile Lechwe, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Aoudad, Barasingha, Axis Deer, Fallow Deer, Llama, Sicilian Donkey, Ostrich, Rhea and Emu.
There is a small walk-around section with domestic goats in a petting yard as well as the following exotic species: Ring-Tailed Lemur, White-Handed Gibbon, Mueller’s Bornean Gibbon (a rare species), Scarlet Macaw and Blue-and-Gold Macaw.
Exotic Resort Zoo:
Exotic Resort Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Johnson City, Texas, and it is situated on 137 acres. There are over 500 animals of 80 species but the facility is very disappointing and it was an odd visit. Essentially there is a small walk-around section with the now obligatory Ring-Tailed Lemurs and domestic goats, plus a few random exotics in several chicken-wire pens such as Red Kangaroos and Bennett’s Wallabies. A visit consists of a 50-minute tram tour and that is where a tractor pulls a cart where there are 5-foot railings where feed buckets can be hung. The cart has a wooden bench along each side and I was all alone nestled amongst several families. For the first time on the trip I really felt like an outsider as I didn’t buy one of the 10-pound feed buckets and so it was weird to have all of these little kids feeding the animals while I just took photos of the herds.
It was also a little alarming at how large numbers of Fallow Deer, Sika Deer and Aoudad would trail after the cart as if they had never been fed before in their lives. There were a small number of other exotics like American Bison, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bactrian Camel, Grant’s Zebra, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Blackbuck and Scimitar-Horned Oryx. Plus there was Scottish Highland Cattle, Zebu and the comforting sight of an Ostrich, Emu and Rhea rambling together just as they would in the wild.
Austin Zoo:
Austin Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it is situated on 15 acres of land. The annual attendance is 200,000 and there are 350 animals of 100 species. Considering that Austin is the capital city of Texas it is very odd that the zoo is full of basic wood-and-wire cages and is known as more of a rescue sanctuary than a proper zoo and many of the animals are former pets. There is a haphazard feel to the way the grounds are laid out, with all sorts of little detours and cutbacks past enclosures that range from barely adequate to mediocre. There is a new Grey Wolf exhibit that was just built this year and the largest enclosures are for Bengal Tiger (quite good), African Lion and American Black Bear (two exhibits). There are lots of small metal cages for macaws and other animals plus at least 3 enclosures each for Kinkajous and Black-Capped Capuchins. This tiny place can easily be seen in 1.5 hours or less and the only rarities were: Genet, Brown Lemur, Hog Deer and Russian Red Fox (a former pet from Russia).
Austin Nature & Science Center:
Austin Nature & Science Center is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it opened in 1960. It is an old-fashioned little place that can be toured in 45 minutes if one does not venture off on the hours-long hiking trails and the big question is whether it should be counted as a zoo. There is a “Science World” establishment in Vancouver that I often visit with my kids that has a nature-themed room with a dozen or so terrariums and I’ve never included that place in my lifetime total as it doesn’t feel like a zoo. At Austin Nature & Science Center there is a small animal room with about 20 terrariums and if it was just that I’m not sure that I would have even visited on this trip but in total there are 50 species on display at this establishment. There is also an outdoor loop of 10 mainly mammal exhibits and then a third section that has birds of prey in a forested area. Now we are talking about a possible zoo!
Species list for outdoor loop (10 total): Bobcat, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, North American Porcupine, Grey Fox, Red Fox, Opossum, Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, Common Raven and Mallard Duck.
Species list for birds of prey area (14 total): Crested Caracara, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Harris’ Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Eastern Screeched Owl, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Greater Roadrunner, Ornate Box Turtle, Three-Toed Box Turtle and Texas Tortoise.
Species list for small animal building (26 total): Great-Tailed Grackle, Blue Jay, Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Domestic Mouse, Tiger Salamander, Yellow Mud Turtle, Southern Painted Turtle, Red-Eared Slider, Green Anole, Texas Alligator Lizard, Texas Spiny Lizard, Mediterranean Gecko, Gulf Coast Toad, Green Tree Frog, Leopard Frog, Bullsnake, Texas Rat Snake, Texas Long-Nosed Snake, Trans-Pecos Rat Snake, Grey-Banded Kingsnake, Rio Grande Gold Tarantula, Texas Brown Tarantula, Striped Bark Scorpion, Garden Snail and Rio Grande Perch.
Capital of Texas Zoo:
Capital of Texas Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Cedar Creek, Texas, on the outskirts of Austin. The privately owned facility is home to 500 animals and is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I’ve already uploaded a lot of photos into the ZooChat gallery, as I have for 80% of the places that I’ve visited on this trip, and it is quite an odd establishment. It is probably impossible to find without an updated, modern GPS unit and there is a long gravel road that pings rocks off your vehicle as you careen down the path. A sign outside tells visitors to honk their horns and it was good for a chuckle until I walked into the tiny entrance building (with several terrariums) and discovered that a second sign was there to inform me that I really did have to honk my horn to gain entrance to the zoo. I went back outside and honked away and then went back into the entrance building to discover that there was still no one in sight. Eventually a young guy ran down to tell me that the owner preferred visitors to pay in cash and that if I wanted to use a credit card the cost of $11.21 to enter the zoo would increase by an additional two dollars. I scrambled up the cash by going back to my car, resisting the urge to honk madly yet again, and I eventually found myself inside the actual zoo.
The zoo’s pathways are odd as there are many cutbacks, dead-ends and random exhibits haphazardly placed in all directions. The building materials seem to be different in each case, as if whatever was on special at Home Depot that week was utilized in the construction of an enclosure. To be honest this zoo is much better than several others I’ve seen on this trip and some of the exhibits have been improved from past years, but there is still a real home-made quality to proceedings. How the owner has procured some of the species is beyond my knowledge, but he must surely have the only Fanaloka in any U.S. zoo. Also, how about Jungle Cats? Again, this is likely the only zoo in the nation with that species. It is also one of perhaps 10 zoos with an Asiatic Black Bear and there is even some kind of civet to add to the mix. For a zoo enthusiast this zoo is clearly worth visiting but for the average local I’m not sure that there is much appeal.
Austin Aquarium:
Austin Aquarium is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it opened in 2013. It is one of 4 aquatic facilities that have been opened by the Covino Brothers in the last few years: Austin, San Antonio, Portland and Boise. I am likely the only non-staff-member on the planet that has visited all 4 facilities and they are all the same: amateurishly designed, poorly-maintained and clearly a level below the average Sea Life facility. There is nothing of note except to say that it is almost impossible to decide which of the four is better or worse than the others. The only bright spot is that because I was a school teacher I was allowed in for free and I was extremely grateful for that brief respite from paying yet another entrance fee. I barely made it to this aquarium as I was stuck in terrible Austin rush-hour traffic but eventually I arrived at 6:20 and the establishment closes at 7:00 on Mondays. The lady at the counter warned me that I only had 40 minutes to see everything but in fact after 25 minutes I was back outside as this new chain of aquariums is very tiny.
With a long day of 6 zoos yesterday being exhausting, today promised the same with another 6 zoos on the schedule. However, after the first one (Natural Bridge) the other zoos all were easily seen in an hour or less. Still, it was almost 7:00 at night by the time I finished my 6th zoo of the day and 12th zoo in the past two days.
Odds n’ Ends:
- Another long snake crossed the road in front of me today
- I saw about 7 Blackbuck near the side of the road and it is odd seeing wild antelope in the dusty scrubland of Texas
- After Franklin Drive-Through Safari a few days ago I forgot to mention that I drove down the road about 10 minutes and then saw in a field a herd of at least a dozen Addax! Apparently that is not such a crazy idea in rural Texas as some farmers have exotic antelope on their land.
- Toll roads are rather ridiculous and many highways all over Texas charge small fees. Lately I’ve been seeing signs for toll roads but they say that bills will be sent in the mail rather than having to pull over to an actual booth. I wonder if they will mail me a bill to British Columbia, Canada.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch:
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in San Antonio, Texas, and it is a drive-thru park situated on over 400 acres. There are 500 animals of 45 species and everything here is professionally done from the roads, entrance, massive gift shop, guidebook and pathways. You’d think that with 325 different zoo visits under my belt (by the time this trip is done) I’d have seen many drive-through zoos but there aren’t many of them in North America and I’ve probably visited less than ten. Natural Bridge would be my clear favourite as the animals are easy to locate, the scenery is stunning and the roads are smooth.
The quality of a road might not seem like much but when engaged in a 1-2 hour drive through a safari park it is vitally important to have a smooth, seamless ride. People are going through these places in minivans and regular family cars, not range rovers as some parks seem to think. Arbuckle Drive-Through Safari had a disgracefully destroyed road that was a nightmare to drive on; Franklin Drive-Through Safari had a sandy mud-pit of a road that was too bouncy; Cherokee Trace Drive-Through Safari had a very smooth road but it was made out of red sand and after leaving the facility cars were caked in a fine mist of dust. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has a half-decent road but there are still hundreds of minor potholes in all directions. The 5th drive-through safari park on this trip is Natural Bridge and its road was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Of the 36 species in the drive-through safari I saw 34 of them (just missing out on the Sicilian Donkey and American Bison) as I was the very first car of the day and food had been provided along the sides of the road. At one point there was a herd of 15 wildebeest all jostling for food around my car and it was an interesting situation. The Tower Creek section of the park was open during my visit after recent floods, and that 50-acre expansion just opened in 2014. Even though Natural Bridge is the best drive-through park I’ve ever seen there was still the ridiculousness of the “Masai Savannah” section with its Addax, Llamas and Emus all comingling. Whatever happened to geographical accuracy?
Species List for the drive-through safari (36 total): White Rhino, Bactrian Camel, American Bison, Texas Longhorn Cattle, Watusi Cattle, Zebu, Reticulated Giraffe, Impala, Bongo, Greater Kudu, Common Eland, Dama Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Blesbok, Sable Antelope, Springbok, Gemsbok, Blackbuck, Addax, Arabian Oryx, Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Nilgai, Damaraland Zebra, Nile Lechwe, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Aoudad, Barasingha, Axis Deer, Fallow Deer, Llama, Sicilian Donkey, Ostrich, Rhea and Emu.
There is a small walk-around section with domestic goats in a petting yard as well as the following exotic species: Ring-Tailed Lemur, White-Handed Gibbon, Mueller’s Bornean Gibbon (a rare species), Scarlet Macaw and Blue-and-Gold Macaw.
Exotic Resort Zoo:
Exotic Resort Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Johnson City, Texas, and it is situated on 137 acres. There are over 500 animals of 80 species but the facility is very disappointing and it was an odd visit. Essentially there is a small walk-around section with the now obligatory Ring-Tailed Lemurs and domestic goats, plus a few random exotics in several chicken-wire pens such as Red Kangaroos and Bennett’s Wallabies. A visit consists of a 50-minute tram tour and that is where a tractor pulls a cart where there are 5-foot railings where feed buckets can be hung. The cart has a wooden bench along each side and I was all alone nestled amongst several families. For the first time on the trip I really felt like an outsider as I didn’t buy one of the 10-pound feed buckets and so it was weird to have all of these little kids feeding the animals while I just took photos of the herds.
It was also a little alarming at how large numbers of Fallow Deer, Sika Deer and Aoudad would trail after the cart as if they had never been fed before in their lives. There were a small number of other exotics like American Bison, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bactrian Camel, Grant’s Zebra, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Blackbuck and Scimitar-Horned Oryx. Plus there was Scottish Highland Cattle, Zebu and the comforting sight of an Ostrich, Emu and Rhea rambling together just as they would in the wild.
Austin Zoo:
Austin Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it is situated on 15 acres of land. The annual attendance is 200,000 and there are 350 animals of 100 species. Considering that Austin is the capital city of Texas it is very odd that the zoo is full of basic wood-and-wire cages and is known as more of a rescue sanctuary than a proper zoo and many of the animals are former pets. There is a haphazard feel to the way the grounds are laid out, with all sorts of little detours and cutbacks past enclosures that range from barely adequate to mediocre. There is a new Grey Wolf exhibit that was just built this year and the largest enclosures are for Bengal Tiger (quite good), African Lion and American Black Bear (two exhibits). There are lots of small metal cages for macaws and other animals plus at least 3 enclosures each for Kinkajous and Black-Capped Capuchins. This tiny place can easily be seen in 1.5 hours or less and the only rarities were: Genet, Brown Lemur, Hog Deer and Russian Red Fox (a former pet from Russia).
Austin Nature & Science Center:
Austin Nature & Science Center is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it opened in 1960. It is an old-fashioned little place that can be toured in 45 minutes if one does not venture off on the hours-long hiking trails and the big question is whether it should be counted as a zoo. There is a “Science World” establishment in Vancouver that I often visit with my kids that has a nature-themed room with a dozen or so terrariums and I’ve never included that place in my lifetime total as it doesn’t feel like a zoo. At Austin Nature & Science Center there is a small animal room with about 20 terrariums and if it was just that I’m not sure that I would have even visited on this trip but in total there are 50 species on display at this establishment. There is also an outdoor loop of 10 mainly mammal exhibits and then a third section that has birds of prey in a forested area. Now we are talking about a possible zoo!
Species list for outdoor loop (10 total): Bobcat, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, North American Porcupine, Grey Fox, Red Fox, Opossum, Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, Common Raven and Mallard Duck.
Species list for birds of prey area (14 total): Crested Caracara, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Harris’ Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Eastern Screeched Owl, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Greater Roadrunner, Ornate Box Turtle, Three-Toed Box Turtle and Texas Tortoise.
Species list for small animal building (26 total): Great-Tailed Grackle, Blue Jay, Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Domestic Mouse, Tiger Salamander, Yellow Mud Turtle, Southern Painted Turtle, Red-Eared Slider, Green Anole, Texas Alligator Lizard, Texas Spiny Lizard, Mediterranean Gecko, Gulf Coast Toad, Green Tree Frog, Leopard Frog, Bullsnake, Texas Rat Snake, Texas Long-Nosed Snake, Trans-Pecos Rat Snake, Grey-Banded Kingsnake, Rio Grande Gold Tarantula, Texas Brown Tarantula, Striped Bark Scorpion, Garden Snail and Rio Grande Perch.
Capital of Texas Zoo:
Capital of Texas Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Cedar Creek, Texas, on the outskirts of Austin. The privately owned facility is home to 500 animals and is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I’ve already uploaded a lot of photos into the ZooChat gallery, as I have for 80% of the places that I’ve visited on this trip, and it is quite an odd establishment. It is probably impossible to find without an updated, modern GPS unit and there is a long gravel road that pings rocks off your vehicle as you careen down the path. A sign outside tells visitors to honk their horns and it was good for a chuckle until I walked into the tiny entrance building (with several terrariums) and discovered that a second sign was there to inform me that I really did have to honk my horn to gain entrance to the zoo. I went back outside and honked away and then went back into the entrance building to discover that there was still no one in sight. Eventually a young guy ran down to tell me that the owner preferred visitors to pay in cash and that if I wanted to use a credit card the cost of $11.21 to enter the zoo would increase by an additional two dollars. I scrambled up the cash by going back to my car, resisting the urge to honk madly yet again, and I eventually found myself inside the actual zoo.
The zoo’s pathways are odd as there are many cutbacks, dead-ends and random exhibits haphazardly placed in all directions. The building materials seem to be different in each case, as if whatever was on special at Home Depot that week was utilized in the construction of an enclosure. To be honest this zoo is much better than several others I’ve seen on this trip and some of the exhibits have been improved from past years, but there is still a real home-made quality to proceedings. How the owner has procured some of the species is beyond my knowledge, but he must surely have the only Fanaloka in any U.S. zoo. Also, how about Jungle Cats? Again, this is likely the only zoo in the nation with that species. It is also one of perhaps 10 zoos with an Asiatic Black Bear and there is even some kind of civet to add to the mix. For a zoo enthusiast this zoo is clearly worth visiting but for the average local I’m not sure that there is much appeal.
Austin Aquarium:
Austin Aquarium is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Austin, Texas, and it opened in 2013. It is one of 4 aquatic facilities that have been opened by the Covino Brothers in the last few years: Austin, San Antonio, Portland and Boise. I am likely the only non-staff-member on the planet that has visited all 4 facilities and they are all the same: amateurishly designed, poorly-maintained and clearly a level below the average Sea Life facility. There is nothing of note except to say that it is almost impossible to decide which of the four is better or worse than the others. The only bright spot is that because I was a school teacher I was allowed in for free and I was extremely grateful for that brief respite from paying yet another entrance fee. I barely made it to this aquarium as I was stuck in terrible Austin rush-hour traffic but eventually I arrived at 6:20 and the establishment closes at 7:00 on Mondays. The lady at the counter warned me that I only had 40 minutes to see everything but in fact after 25 minutes I was back outside as this new chain of aquariums is very tiny.
Natural Bridge must have improved dramatically. I only visited once, about 17 years ago, and I did not like it. Fossil Rim is miles above IMO (there is a reason Fossil Rim is AZA and Natural Bridge is not). They had a large drive thru, but no species of note that I remember. Along the route was a small metal cage for jaguar that you could only see from a distance through chain link. The walk through section at entrance was full of tiny cages for small animals - a real disgrace.
BTW jungle cats are bred in the private sector. I have personally been to one breeder (years ago) in Florida to photograph her black jungle cats (one of which she had imported from Pakistan) and I am pretty sure she is still breeding and I could probably buy one myself if I wanted to.
BTW jungle cats are bred in the private sector. I have personally been to one breeder (years ago) in Florida to photograph her black jungle cats (one of which she had imported from Pakistan) and I am pretty sure she is still breeding and I could probably buy one myself if I wanted to.