DAY 8: Tuesday, July 11th
Zoo/Aquarium #10: Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (Litchfield Park, Arizona) - PART TWO
This was my
2nd visit to Wildlife World Zoo (2011, 2023)
I already posted a review of the
90-exhibit aquarium complex, and now it’s time to move on to the rest of the zoo’s massive acreage in part two of this extensive recap of the zoo. I'm hoping that my hours of writing will create the definitive review of this zoo.
The older,
‘original’ part of Wildlife World Zoo is a real mixed bag. There are numerous hoofstock yards that are very nice, with an African Savanna being top-notch and in fact all of the ungulate paddocks meet modern standards. It’s a joy to see so many species of hoofstock that are basically extinct in AZA zoos. Where else can you see a big herd of Red Lechwe or three paddocks with Dama Gazelles? The downside to this part of the zoo are the numerous aviaries that are tiny and part of the original 1970s-era bird breeding facility. Some of these aviaries are disgustingly small and inappropriate for their inhabitants. The same goes for a row of chain-link primate cages that are not aesthetically pleasing or good for the animals stuck inside for the rest of their lives. There have been some improvements, with the old Jaguar enclosure now empty and the new area offers a bit more space and variety with mock-rock backdrops. A brand-new Tiger exhibit has almost been completed and it will also meet modern standards. I wouldn’t mind a few more visitor amenities, as all the pathways at this zoo are dusty ones, with no paved trails anywhere. At the end of the day, I was caked with dust and my black-and-white shoes had become a shade of beige. And remember, it was
46 Celsius/115 Fahrenheit during my visit.
Addax exhibit:
Giraffe exhibit with minimal barrier (there's also a second yard of equal size):
But contrast the zoo's enormous hoofstock enclosures with a row of a half-dozen gibbon cages that all look like this one:
There are two Jaguar exhibits and the three cats have access to the metal walkway above the heads of visitors. I know this because I took a photo of a sleeping Jaguar right above me! This particular image has a walking Jaguar at the top of the rocks:
There's also a LOT of these small aviaries, each just a few feet wide and with a branch or two for perching:
The zoo has at least EIGHTEEN different primate islands, with a few of them being way too small. This one holds Ring-tailed lemurs:
The 15-acre
Adventureland extension opened in 2016 and it’s the worst part of the zoo. The focus is on North and South American animals but for a new area the enclosures are downright awful in places. The North American House (13 exhibits) has viewing windows into exhibits that have gorgeous background murals, tastefully created mock-rock zones, and zero natural substrate. It’s cement in all directions and I don’t know why legislation allows the zoo to showcase mammals with zero natural substrate in the year 2023. How is that legal? Then again, there are many states where for a small permit fee you can purchase a King Cobra, or it’s still possible to own a Tiger or Chimpanzee in your backyard. Those kinds of situations are far less than they used to be, but they are still there. There are four rides here, including a small rollercoaster, and a very busy road that runs alongside this section. Wildlife World is near the airport and so planes create a tremendous noise when they fly through the air almost directly over the zoo, to go along with the traffic in this one section. There’s also a South American Critters House (10 exhibits) and a Monkeys + More House (6 exhibits) with similarly new yet junky exhibits.
Black Bear exhibit:
There's a Groundhog curled up on cement in this exhibit:
Here's a tiny outdoor cage for a Gray Fox:
So many zoos, particularly in Europe, are adding thick layers of mulch and natural substrate to absolutely everything. Elephant barns, primate indoor areas, even lizard exhibits will have layers upon layers of something natural for the animals for both comfort and enrichment. Then there's this 2016 enclosure for a huge Asian Water Monitor that is hard, unyielding cement:
The
Safari Park is another extension to the zoo, and it opened in phases between 2014 and 2020. It’s around 25 acres in size and is a step up in quality. There’s a Lion exhibit that wouldn’t look out of place at a major zoo, numerous hoofstock yards that are spacious and grassy, and even a sizeable White Rhino paddock. It’s all dominated by African animals, but this being Wildlife World Zoo, there are still Asian and South American species that have crept into the zone. I honestly found the Safari Park to be a significant upgrade on both the original zoo and the god-awful Adventureland. Here there are still scattered aviaries that are too small, but the hoofstock paddocks are at times massive in size and some of the carnivore exhibits (Lion, Cheetah) would not look out of place at a major AZA zoo.
Even the visitor barrier is of a high quality with its grey bricks, a far cry from some of the cheap wooden fences found elsewhere. This is a nice Lion exhibit:
This Greater Kudu/Springbok exhibit must be at least a couple of acres in size:
Dama Gazelle exhibit (one of three around the zoo):
White Rhino exhibit:
Rock Hyrax exhibit:
Cheetah exhibit (again with the solid brick, aesthetically appealing visitor barrier):
The zoo’s
Reptile House is an old structure that for the most part has terrariums that are of the average size to be found in American zoos. This place could certainly use an upgrade, but it’s not terrible by any stretch of the imagination. The building has a grand total of
53 exhibits and the following
59 species: Curl-crested Aracari, Guyanan Toucanet, Green Anaconda, Argentine Boa, Rainbow Boa, Rosy Boa, Columbian Red-tailed Boa, Dumeril’s Boa, Kenyan Sand Boa, Woma Python, Stimson’s Python, Ball Python, Trans-pecos Ratsnake, Western Hognose Snake, Argus Monitor, Black-throated Monitor, Red Tegu, Argentine Black-and-White Tegu, Green Iguana, Jeweled Lacerta, Tropical Girdle-tailed Lizard, San Esteban Island Chuckwalla, Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Legless Lizard, Sandfish Skink, Fire Skink, Blue-tongued Skink, Solomon Island Skink, Crocodile Gecko, Western Banded Gecko, Central American Banded Gecko, Tokay Gecko, Leopard Gecko, Crested Gecko, Mourning Gecko, African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise, Red-footed Tortoise, Yellow-footed Tortoise, Indian Star Tortoise, Pancake Tortoise, Russian Tortoise, Three-toed Box Turtle, Ornate Box Turtle, African Side-necked Turtle, Cuban Tree Frog, Amazon Milk Frog, Pacman Frog, Woodhouse’s Toad, Barred Tiger Salamander, Quezon Blue Earth Tiger Tarantula, Zebra Tarantula, Desert Blond Tarantula, Brazilian White-knee Tarantula, Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula, Red-knee Tarantula, Desert Hairy Scorpion, Giant Sonoran Centipede and Vinegaroon.
There’s a genuine rarity in the form of an old-fashioned
Small Mammal House. How many zoos even have one of those these days? The enclosures for small rodents are perfectly functional, but this building does a disservice to its larger inhabitants and that’s sad to see. There are
38 exhibits and the following
35 species as some of them have multiple enclosures: Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur, Red-handed Tamarin, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Geoffrey’s Tamarin, Cotton-top Tamarin, Common Marmoset, Meerkat, Fennec Fox, Kinkajou, Prevost’s Squirrel, Southern Flying Squirrel, Harris’ Antelope Ground Squirrel, Round-tailed Ground Squirrel, Cliff Chipmunk, Red-rumped Agouti, Bettong, Thick-tailed Bushbaby, Hairy Armadillo, Neotropical Fruit Bat, African Hedgehog, Hedgehog Tenrec, Chinchilla, Degu, Peruvian Guinea Pig, Pocket Gopher, Pocket Mouse, Spiny Mouse, Common Mouse, Siberian Dwarf Hamster, White Winter Hamster, Pack Rat, Black Rat, Fancy Domestic Rat, Kangaroo Rat, Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat and Cotton Rat.
Dragon World contains
19 exhibits and the following
18 species: Saltwater Crocodile, African Dwarf Crocodile, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Spectacled Caiman, American Alligator, Green Anaconda, Asian Water Monitor, Crocodile Monitor, Lace Monitor, Nile Monitor, Rhinoceros Iguana, Gila Monster, Beaded Lizard, Sailfin Dragon, Green Basilisk, Caiman Lizard, Radiated Tortoise and Florida Snapping Turtle. Visitors are outdoors but in a covered area and this area is relatively new but, yet again, the zoo underwhelms when it comes to husbandry. Where’s the natural substrate? It’s great to see the species, but not in such disappointing exhibits.
Saltwater Crocodile exhibit:
There's just the one little rocky area for this Caiman Lizard to get out of the water:
Here's a list of animals I saw in outdoor exhibits throughout the entire zoo,
NOT including any of the species I've already provided from the various zoo buildings.
Ungulate species: Reticulated Giraffe (2 exhibits), White Rhino (2 exhibits), Pygmy Hippo (2 exhibits), Common Eland, Plains Zebra, Watusi Cattle, Blue Wildebeest, Nilgai, Red Lechwe, Nile Lechwe, Waterbuck, Sitatunga, Blesbok, Nyala (3 exhibits), Greater Kudu, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Arabian Oryx, Beisa Oryx, Addax, Sable Antelope, Springbok (2 exhibits), Impala (2 exhibits), Dama Gazelle (3 exhibits), Thomson’s Gazelle (2 exhibits), Blue Duiker (2 exhibits), Reeves’s Muntjac, Pronghorn, American Bison, Axis Deer (2 exhibits), Sika Deer, Fallow Deer, Mule Deer (2 exhibits), Onager, Dromedary, Llama, Alpaca, Miniature Donkey, South American Tapir (2 exhibits), Warthog (2 exhibits), Red River Hog (3 exhibits), Javelina, Capybara (2 exhibits) and Mara.
Primate species: Siamang, Pileated Gibbon (2 exhibits), White-handed Gibbon (2 exhibits), Hamadryas Baboon, Olive Baboon, Black-handed Spider Monkey (7 exhibits), Patas Monkey, Vervet Monkey, Brown Tufted Capuchin (3 exhibits), White-face Capuchin, Schmidt’s Spot-nosed Guenon, DeBrazza’s Monkey (2 exhibits), Black Mangabey (2 exhibits), Black Howler Monkey, Colobus Monkey (2 exhibits), Squirrel Monkey, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Ring-tailed Lemur (5 exhibits) and Red Ruffed Lemur.
Carnivores and assorted other mammal species: Tiger, Lion, Jaguar, Amur Leopard, Cheetah, Cougar, Clouded Leopard, Caracal, Bobcat, Ocelot, American Black Bear, Spotted Hyena, Striped Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, New Guinea Singing Dog, Gray Fox, Arctic Fox, Red Fox, American Badger, Tayra, Two-toed Sloth, Groundhog, Striped Skunk, Six-banded Armadillo, Greater Grison, Ringtail, Rock Hyrax, Brown-nosed Coati, American Red Squirrel, Red Kangaroo, Bennett’s Wallaby and Jamaican Fruit Bat.
Bird species: Ostrich, Emu, Double-wattled Cassowary, Rhea, Lesser Flamingo, Great Horned Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Andean Condor, Turkey Vulture, King Vulture, African Pied Crow, Southern Ground Hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill, Von Der Decken’s Hornbill, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, African Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Abdim’s Stork, Marabou Stork, East African Crowned Crane, West African Crowned Crane, Demoiselle Crane, Sarus Crane, Blue Crane, White-naped Crane, Vulturine Guineafowl, Ocellated Turkey, Black-necked Swan, Nene Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Cape Barren Goose, Purple Swamphen, White-faced Tree Duck, Green Peafowl, Southern Bald Ibis, White Ibis, Scarlet Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Giant Wood Rail, Red-fronted Macaw, Blue and Gold Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Iliger’s Macaw, Severe Macaw, Military Macaw, Green-winged Macaw, Hyacinth Macaw, Umbrella Cockatoo, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, African Grey Parrot, Cuban Amazon Parrot, Mealy Amazon Parrot, Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot, Greater Vasa Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, White-crowned Parrot, Derbyan Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Princess Parakeet, Keel-billed Toucan, Patagonian Conure, Greater Curassow, Helmeted Curassow, Crested Screamer, Great Argus Pheasant, Water Thick-knee, Pheasant Pigeon, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Blue-crowned Pigeon, Kookaburra, Golden Pheasant, Reeves’s Pheasant, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Purplish-backed Jay, Collie’s Magpie Jay, various lorikeets, White-headed Piping Guan, Society Finch, Zebra Finch, White-crested Turaco, White-cheeked Turaco, Lady Ross’s Turaco, Red-crested Turaco, Violet Turaco, Guinea Turaco, Western Gray Plantain-Eater, Masked Lovebird, Peach-faced Lovebird, Fischer’s Lovebird, Golden Taveta Weaver, Blue-bellied Roller and Purple Gallinule.
Reptile species: American Alligator, Galapagos Tortoise and Aldabra Tortoise.
Many zoo nerds have never made it out to Arizona to visit the zoos of that wonderfully arid state. I've visited 13 zoos there, including Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Reid Park Zoo in the south, Out of Africa (where keepers swim with the tigers!), many obscure establishments, and the greater Phoenix area has a lot of captive animals between Wildlife World Zoo, Phoenix Zoo and OdySea Aquarium. There's even the brand-new Rattlesnake Ranch, which I'll review at a later date.
Not many zoos have anything close to the staggering quantity of exhibits that can be found at Wildlife World in Arizona. By my count, Wildlife World has
90 exhibits in the Aquariums section,
10 in the South American Critters House,
13 in the North American House,
6 in the Monkeys + More building,
53 in the Reptile House,
38 in the Small Mammal House,
19 in Dragon World, and approximately
205 exhibits everywhere else, which includes hoofstock paddocks, each small aviary, primate cages, etc. Adding all that up, give or take a handful of tiny aviaries, the park has circa
434 total exhibits. That must surely place Wildlife World up there in the top 5 zoos on the planet. You want to see loads of animals? Step on up! You want to tour one of the largest aquariums in America AND a huge zoo at the same time? Step right in! Even if you are a zoo nerd that refuses to entertain the notion of stopping by anywhere that has roadside-type exhibits, this place is still worth visiting at least once. It's funny, but I can name more European zoo nerds who have been here than American ones, but perhaps my review will change opinions.
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is a full day experience. I know many major American zoos with perhaps 5 or 6 ungulate species. It's a bit pitiful these days. This place has more than 40 species, quite often in substantial paddocks and very few zoos in the nation can make that declaration. And a lot of those ungulates have
multiple enclosures in different parts of the zoo. If San Diego has the same acreage as Wildlife World Zoo, the California attraction does a brilliant job with small animals (insects, reptiles, amphibians, primates) but Wildlife World is the opposite as the Arizona attraction does a great job with its hoofstock yards and has a ton of them.
There are major zoos with a handful of primate species, while Wildlife World has approximately 25 species, but mainly in substandard exhibits and primates generally do poorly here. Amazingly, the zoo has many instances where there are multiple exhibits with the same species scattered all over the place, culminating in the 7 Black-handed Spider Monkey islands. Perusing the list of animals that I saw is like looking through an old Berlin or London guidebook, and Wildlife World clearly has the mentality of arranging animals in a format that has gone out of style. With owner and visionary Mickey Ollson now deceased, what will this zoo do next? With so many expansions in the past 20 years, it would be fantastic to see Wildlife World keep what they have and begin to focus on quality and not quantity. With the Safari Park having a much better overall aesthetic feel, and new exhibits for Jaguars and Tigers (opening soon) a marked improvement, let’s all cross our fingers that Wildlife World Zoo will continue to make some positive changes.
)The zoo excels in the small things and that's one of the elements which makes it so special. In my opinion what really sets in apart however is just the sense of discovery you get when traversing the place. So many zoos have neatly oriented layouts with clearly defined pathways and single loops with entry/exit points. Obviously that's a good thing when it comes to convenience, but it also makes for a far more predictable experience. With so many different walkways, bridges and boardwalks leading every direction, you'll never fully know what you'll see next at San Diego. It could be a small aviary with rare passerines, or a hidden wall of well furnished vivaria, or maybe a tall monkey enclosure. Not to sound like a tacky zoo advertisement, but going through the zoo really feels like a journey of sorts. This comes with its own setbacks of course, mainly with the heart of the zoo being nigh impossible to navigate efficiently, but it's still an amazing experience.
