Snowleopard's Epic Road Trip
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Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@snowleopard: Thanks for the posts so far. Did You look for the Naked Mole-rat poster...? 
@Sun Wukong: there were no posters at all in any of the 6 different gift shops at the Brookfield Zoo. I tried though...
Well today my wife and I got off to a slow start by finally catching some serious sleep. Spending hours and hours walking around zoos had made us exhausted, as some days it is more than 10 km of strolling around without many breaks. Since we left British Columbia 8 days ago I don't think the temperature has dropped below 30 degrees in the heat of the day, and so the sun also has left its mark on us. Also, we had to finally do some laundry on this road trip, and so we took it easy and I didn't do much driving. I do 100% of all the driving and planning of our trips, while my wife simply shows up and takes 100% of the photos and then afterwards designs elaborate and amazing scrapbooks. The partnership works perfectly, and today we still saw a zoo! By stopping for lunch in Toledo, Ohio we decided to take in the Toledo Zoo. Due to the fact that we are members of Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo we also get in free at about 125 other zoos in the United States. Toledo Zoo certainly isn't one of the best zoos around, but with free parking and free admission we spent all afternoon there and apart from a couple of soft drinks we didn't pay a cent!
Tomorrow we will definitely hit the Detroit Zoo, as I am typing this in a motel about 5-10 minutes from the zoo's entrance. Monday is a visit to Niagara Falls, and so if all goes well then Tuesday will be a full day out at the massive Toronto Zoo.
Toledo Zoo Review - 4.5 hours (Zoo/Aquarium # 5 for the road trip)
This was an unscheduled stop on the holiday, and we hadn't planned on seeing it. But with the free admission and the fact that we had lunch just minutes from the entrance, it made for an obvious zoo to add to the growing list. In all honesty there aren't many exhibits that are noteworthy, and the vast bulk of the zoo features average to disappointing enclosures. I'm actually surprised that the zoo wasn't a little better, as they receive over 1 million visitors per year and doubled in size in the year 2000. But comprehensive reviews from fellow ZooBeaters prepared me for what to expect.
The Best:
Hippoquarium - opened in 1987, this very large pool and land area is probably the most famous and still the best habitat at the zoo. The water isn't as deep as the hippo pool at the Calgary Zoo, but the close-ups of the hippos made for a packed group of visitors. Nearby are vultures, kori bustards, DeBrazza's monkeys, meerkats and some white lions to add to this section of the zoo.
Arctic Encounter - a fairly new set of exhibits, they feature polar bears, seals and wolves. The polar bear exhibit will undoubtedly pale in comparision to Detroit Zoo's "Arctic Ring of Life", but it is still one of the better polar bear habitats in North America. That might not be saying much, but the underwater viewing, off-exhibit dig yard, large concrete boulders, etc all are conducive to natural bear behaviour. The trio of cubs were on display (although they are rather large) and at one point one of the cubs was nursing from its mother. A harbour seal swam underneath the bear exhibit, which is another neat part of the design. Across the pathway are 4 wolves that were quite active in a large enclosure. They didn't have the spectacular habitat that the 4 wolves in Brookfield have, but it is more than adequate.
Cheetah Valley - very simplistic yet quite effective. A long, sloping hillside for at least 3 cheetahs that allows them lots of space, with many trees lining one side of the steep hill. This exhibit probably cost little to construct, but is much larger than most zoo habitats for the world's fastest land mammal and allows for some great viewing opportunities.
Primate Forest - some of these exhibits are a little small, but they seemed to work for the monkeys and apes. Diana monkeys, colobus monkeys, allen's swamp monkeys, francois' langurs, white-cheeked gibbons and DeBrazza's monkeys all rotate through the different habitats, and so there is a sign showing photos of all 6 possible animal species that could possibly be inside a particular enclosure. That in itself is a great idea, but the space given to the primates could be improved. While we were there the francois' langurs were going crazy, as 4 of them were tearing around the wired cage for at least 10 minutes straight.
Kingdom of the Apes - 10 gorillas were impressive, but their exhibit was disappointing. The outside area is a large meadow, with tons of hotwire around every damn tree. It looks like a cheap imitation of London's poorly designed "Gorilla Kingdom". There were 2 old chimps (41 and 48) slowly lurching around in another exhibit, while the orangutans had the best of the enclosures. There was quite a bit of vertical space, and overall this section of the zoo was flawed but with some strong points as well. I swear that there was more spent on visitor information and signage than the actual living space for the apes, but barely anyone bothers to read any of it!
Africa! - opened in 2004, and this massive, grassy, 5-acre paddock with a tiny stream flowing through it allows for loads of space. There were 6 species of hoofstock and 6 species of bird all co-habitating, but visitors are only allowed to walk along a small section of the large exhibit. At times the animals wandered further away, and the only way to see them then is to pay $2 to take a slow-moving train to the far end of the paddock. We didn't bother with the train, and at all zoos we never jump on trains, trams, go-carts, monorails, etc...all walking all the time. The most innovative part of this area featured humans, as there are brand new gift shops, a cafe, a large restaurant, grass-themed huts, etc that are more eye-catching than the huge meadow that people aren't allowed to even walk around.
The Museum - a large building built in the 1930's that houses insects and a brand new amphibian section. The frog and salamander tanks were very well done, with vibrant signs and cool facts on the animals. I got to see my first Japanese giant salamander, and those things are enormous!
The Worst:
Reptile House - ancient, tiny, terrible. Some intriguing species, but poorly executed habitats.
Aviary - another 1930's relic that was redone in 1999 but I still found lacking.
Sloth bear and tiger exhibits - opened in 2005 (perhaps renovated at that time?) these side-by-side enclosures were so-so at best. Surprisingly bland for such new habitats.
Aquarium - another 1930's monstrosity that is due to eventually be renovated.
Snow Leopard exhibits - a pair of wire cages that are embarrassingly small.
Paddocks - rhino and elephant dust-bowls that were adequate 20 years ago but are sadly out of place in today's modern zoo world. We only saw the single African elephant, but it was fairly sedentary as it mainly stood in one place while tossing sand onto its back. This area is undergoing renovations that are due towards the end of 2009, which is according to a sign near the entrance.
Overall:
The Toledo Zoo has a great hippo pool, some half-decent ape and monkey exhibits that are too small and yet adequate, a so-so African section, and a half-decent polar bear/seal/wolf set of habitats. However, the bulk of the zoo is old and in need of an overhaul. There is $100 million in improvements that are scheduled to be implemented in the near future, starting with the pedestrian crossing over the highway and the future children's zoo. There is a rather large area of the zoo that has a lot of construction going on, and this represents the 2009 opening of the new Children's Zoo. The elephant and rhino paddocks are getting overhauled, and the aquarium is eventually going to be either gutted or altered considerably.
The problem is that the 1930's buildings like the aquarium, the museum, the reptile house, the "Carnivore Cafe", the aviary, etc, make the zoo seem older and shabbier than necessary. When a zoo's best exhibit is a 20 year-old hippo pool then something is seriously wrong. The brand new Africa! paddock is great to look at, but not being able to walk all the way around it has its drawbacks. The large african wild dog meadow also is tough to see through the train station that is alongside it. I actually felt sorry for the dogs to be positioned next to an incredible amount of noise. In terms of world-class exhibits perhaps only the hippo pool would make the list. Some other enclosures are quite well done, but for the most part the zoo is merely adequate.
Well today my wife and I got off to a slow start by finally catching some serious sleep. Spending hours and hours walking around zoos had made us exhausted, as some days it is more than 10 km of strolling around without many breaks. Since we left British Columbia 8 days ago I don't think the temperature has dropped below 30 degrees in the heat of the day, and so the sun also has left its mark on us. Also, we had to finally do some laundry on this road trip, and so we took it easy and I didn't do much driving. I do 100% of all the driving and planning of our trips, while my wife simply shows up and takes 100% of the photos and then afterwards designs elaborate and amazing scrapbooks. The partnership works perfectly, and today we still saw a zoo! By stopping for lunch in Toledo, Ohio we decided to take in the Toledo Zoo. Due to the fact that we are members of Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo we also get in free at about 125 other zoos in the United States. Toledo Zoo certainly isn't one of the best zoos around, but with free parking and free admission we spent all afternoon there and apart from a couple of soft drinks we didn't pay a cent!
Tomorrow we will definitely hit the Detroit Zoo, as I am typing this in a motel about 5-10 minutes from the zoo's entrance. Monday is a visit to Niagara Falls, and so if all goes well then Tuesday will be a full day out at the massive Toronto Zoo.
Toledo Zoo Review - 4.5 hours (Zoo/Aquarium # 5 for the road trip)
This was an unscheduled stop on the holiday, and we hadn't planned on seeing it. But with the free admission and the fact that we had lunch just minutes from the entrance, it made for an obvious zoo to add to the growing list. In all honesty there aren't many exhibits that are noteworthy, and the vast bulk of the zoo features average to disappointing enclosures. I'm actually surprised that the zoo wasn't a little better, as they receive over 1 million visitors per year and doubled in size in the year 2000. But comprehensive reviews from fellow ZooBeaters prepared me for what to expect.
The Best:
Hippoquarium - opened in 1987, this very large pool and land area is probably the most famous and still the best habitat at the zoo. The water isn't as deep as the hippo pool at the Calgary Zoo, but the close-ups of the hippos made for a packed group of visitors. Nearby are vultures, kori bustards, DeBrazza's monkeys, meerkats and some white lions to add to this section of the zoo.
Arctic Encounter - a fairly new set of exhibits, they feature polar bears, seals and wolves. The polar bear exhibit will undoubtedly pale in comparision to Detroit Zoo's "Arctic Ring of Life", but it is still one of the better polar bear habitats in North America. That might not be saying much, but the underwater viewing, off-exhibit dig yard, large concrete boulders, etc all are conducive to natural bear behaviour. The trio of cubs were on display (although they are rather large) and at one point one of the cubs was nursing from its mother. A harbour seal swam underneath the bear exhibit, which is another neat part of the design. Across the pathway are 4 wolves that were quite active in a large enclosure. They didn't have the spectacular habitat that the 4 wolves in Brookfield have, but it is more than adequate.
Cheetah Valley - very simplistic yet quite effective. A long, sloping hillside for at least 3 cheetahs that allows them lots of space, with many trees lining one side of the steep hill. This exhibit probably cost little to construct, but is much larger than most zoo habitats for the world's fastest land mammal and allows for some great viewing opportunities.
Primate Forest - some of these exhibits are a little small, but they seemed to work for the monkeys and apes. Diana monkeys, colobus monkeys, allen's swamp monkeys, francois' langurs, white-cheeked gibbons and DeBrazza's monkeys all rotate through the different habitats, and so there is a sign showing photos of all 6 possible animal species that could possibly be inside a particular enclosure. That in itself is a great idea, but the space given to the primates could be improved. While we were there the francois' langurs were going crazy, as 4 of them were tearing around the wired cage for at least 10 minutes straight.
Kingdom of the Apes - 10 gorillas were impressive, but their exhibit was disappointing. The outside area is a large meadow, with tons of hotwire around every damn tree. It looks like a cheap imitation of London's poorly designed "Gorilla Kingdom". There were 2 old chimps (41 and 48) slowly lurching around in another exhibit, while the orangutans had the best of the enclosures. There was quite a bit of vertical space, and overall this section of the zoo was flawed but with some strong points as well. I swear that there was more spent on visitor information and signage than the actual living space for the apes, but barely anyone bothers to read any of it!
Africa! - opened in 2004, and this massive, grassy, 5-acre paddock with a tiny stream flowing through it allows for loads of space. There were 6 species of hoofstock and 6 species of bird all co-habitating, but visitors are only allowed to walk along a small section of the large exhibit. At times the animals wandered further away, and the only way to see them then is to pay $2 to take a slow-moving train to the far end of the paddock. We didn't bother with the train, and at all zoos we never jump on trains, trams, go-carts, monorails, etc...all walking all the time. The most innovative part of this area featured humans, as there are brand new gift shops, a cafe, a large restaurant, grass-themed huts, etc that are more eye-catching than the huge meadow that people aren't allowed to even walk around.
The Museum - a large building built in the 1930's that houses insects and a brand new amphibian section. The frog and salamander tanks were very well done, with vibrant signs and cool facts on the animals. I got to see my first Japanese giant salamander, and those things are enormous!
The Worst:
Reptile House - ancient, tiny, terrible. Some intriguing species, but poorly executed habitats.
Aviary - another 1930's relic that was redone in 1999 but I still found lacking.
Sloth bear and tiger exhibits - opened in 2005 (perhaps renovated at that time?) these side-by-side enclosures were so-so at best. Surprisingly bland for such new habitats.
Aquarium - another 1930's monstrosity that is due to eventually be renovated.
Snow Leopard exhibits - a pair of wire cages that are embarrassingly small.
Paddocks - rhino and elephant dust-bowls that were adequate 20 years ago but are sadly out of place in today's modern zoo world. We only saw the single African elephant, but it was fairly sedentary as it mainly stood in one place while tossing sand onto its back. This area is undergoing renovations that are due towards the end of 2009, which is according to a sign near the entrance.
Overall:
The Toledo Zoo has a great hippo pool, some half-decent ape and monkey exhibits that are too small and yet adequate, a so-so African section, and a half-decent polar bear/seal/wolf set of habitats. However, the bulk of the zoo is old and in need of an overhaul. There is $100 million in improvements that are scheduled to be implemented in the near future, starting with the pedestrian crossing over the highway and the future children's zoo. There is a rather large area of the zoo that has a lot of construction going on, and this represents the 2009 opening of the new Children's Zoo. The elephant and rhino paddocks are getting overhauled, and the aquarium is eventually going to be either gutted or altered considerably.
The problem is that the 1930's buildings like the aquarium, the museum, the reptile house, the "Carnivore Cafe", the aviary, etc, make the zoo seem older and shabbier than necessary. When a zoo's best exhibit is a 20 year-old hippo pool then something is seriously wrong. The brand new Africa! paddock is great to look at, but not being able to walk all the way around it has its drawbacks. The large african wild dog meadow also is tough to see through the train station that is alongside it. I actually felt sorry for the dogs to be positioned next to an incredible amount of noise. In terms of world-class exhibits perhaps only the hippo pool would make the list. Some other enclosures are quite well done, but for the most part the zoo is merely adequate.
Last edited:
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@snowleopard: Drat! Thanks a lot for looking. If You happen to see any nice vintage or somehow orginal zoo poster in one of the zoos for sale, please let me know. Thanks!
Detroit Zoo Review - 5 hours (Zoo/Aquarium # 6 for the road trip)
Wow, this is a damn good zoo. There was one anonymous member of ZooBeat who told me months ago that Detroit would rank in his top 5 North American zoos, but over the years all I've heard about is the polar bear exhibit and the bankruptcy problems. I'd have to say that at least 75% of the exhibits were spacious, naturalistic and at times quite brilliant. The remaining 25% of the zoo is outdated and yet still free from bars, but with some zoos those percentage figures are reversed. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the zoo, even without big fancy indoor rainforests jammed with hundreds of different animals.
The Best:
Arctic Ring of Life - by far and away the best polar bear exhibit on the planet (although the Scandinavian Wildlife Park also reportedly has a good one), this set of habitats is breathtaking. All other polar bear habitats should bow their heads in honour of this one. My wife and I arrived just after the zoo opened, and skipped all of the enclosures as we headed to the far end to be amongst the first to see the magnificent polar bear exhibit. We took tons of photos, saw a couple of bears foraging for food through the tall grassy meadow, a mock fight between bears in their large pool, a massive male swimming OVER OUR HEADS in a fantastic, 70-foot long tunnel, and seals alongside bears and only separated by glass. I think that this 4-acre, award-winning exhibit might be not only the best polar bear exhibit ever but the best overall exhibit of all time for any animal!!! Amazing to see the lineups later in the day as we backtracked so that we could see it a second time, but the "Arctic Ring of Life" was worth the price of admission all on its own.
Amphibiville - another brilliant set of habitats. This building is devoted entirely to frogs, salamanders and newts, and there are plenty of cool interactive features and large tanks for them to reside in. Outside there is a 2-acre swampland that apparently holds many hundreds of frogs. Innovative and deserving of its exhibit award.
Reptile House - extremely old building, but rare species and well-laid out tanks that are larger than the majority of reptile tanks at other zoos. No wonder the book "America's Best Zoos" rates the Detroit Zoo as the second best in the United States for reptiles and amphibians. Arguably only the San Diego Zoo has a more diverse and interesting way of presenting such animals.
Great Apes of Harambee - largest chimp exhibit in the United States is indeed massive, with around 8 chimps making their home here. There is a large tree that towers over the rest, and when I was over by the polar bears I could see 3 chimps at the top seemingly peering over the rest of the zoo. Next door is a gorilla/mandrill/diana monkey enclosure that is also very large, with multiple viewing opportunities. The downside to the fabulous outdoor meadows is that the indoor rooms are too dark and small. I found myself being disappointed after seeing the magnificent space allotted to the apes when they are outside because their indoor dayrooms are poorly designed.
African Grasslands - huge paddocks for zebras, ostrich, giraffes, warthogs, african wild dogs and a variety of birds. One massive enclosure had 4 different species of vultures and close to 20 vultures altogether! Another wide habitat had an aardvark that was racing around digging up small mountains of dirt. Yet another enclosure was at least half an acre in size for flamingos, african crowned cranes and spoonbills.
Australian Outback - extremely large walk-through exhibit with red kangaroos.
Red Panda Exhibit - one of the largest and best planted I've ever seen.
Snow Monkeys - traditional mountain with cascading waterfall in a grassy meadow.
Wolverine - 3 wolverines tearing around a densely planted exhibit.
South American grassland - brazilian tapir, rhea, guanaco and capybara in an enclosure that was definitely around 1 to 1.5 acres in size.
The Worst:
Grottoes - amur tigers, lions, black and grizzly bears all have 1928 grottoes that were amazing at the time but of course are sadly lacking these days.
Aviary - old and full of condensation, although there is a wide variety of birds.
Penguinarium - 1968 indoor exhibit that is larger than most and has 3 different species, but is also outdated and rather stinky. Something smells fishy...
Overall:
I was shocked at how enjoyable I found the Detroit Zoo. They have one of the best exhibits on the planet in the form of the "Arctic Ring of Life", one of the best amphibian houses anywhere, one of the largest chimpanzee exhibits on the planet, a terrific reptile collection, and many enormous grassy paddocks that I was genuinely pleased with. Perhaps what is lacking is a reliance on the Hagenback grottoes for the carnivores, but with a little bit of funding this zoo could be one of the all-time greats yet again. The beautiful old buildings, fountains and walkways added to the environment, which also includes many well-laid out garden paths.
There were signs and posters everywhere advertising the August vote for a tax hit to the local citizens in 3 different counties. If the bill passes then $10 each year will come from all of these taxpayers, and that money will go a long way to guaranteeing the future of this truly pleasing zoo. I'd rank the Detroit Zoo as one of the better zoos in North America.
Wow, this is a damn good zoo. There was one anonymous member of ZooBeat who told me months ago that Detroit would rank in his top 5 North American zoos, but over the years all I've heard about is the polar bear exhibit and the bankruptcy problems. I'd have to say that at least 75% of the exhibits were spacious, naturalistic and at times quite brilliant. The remaining 25% of the zoo is outdated and yet still free from bars, but with some zoos those percentage figures are reversed. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the zoo, even without big fancy indoor rainforests jammed with hundreds of different animals.
The Best:
Arctic Ring of Life - by far and away the best polar bear exhibit on the planet (although the Scandinavian Wildlife Park also reportedly has a good one), this set of habitats is breathtaking. All other polar bear habitats should bow their heads in honour of this one. My wife and I arrived just after the zoo opened, and skipped all of the enclosures as we headed to the far end to be amongst the first to see the magnificent polar bear exhibit. We took tons of photos, saw a couple of bears foraging for food through the tall grassy meadow, a mock fight between bears in their large pool, a massive male swimming OVER OUR HEADS in a fantastic, 70-foot long tunnel, and seals alongside bears and only separated by glass. I think that this 4-acre, award-winning exhibit might be not only the best polar bear exhibit ever but the best overall exhibit of all time for any animal!!! Amazing to see the lineups later in the day as we backtracked so that we could see it a second time, but the "Arctic Ring of Life" was worth the price of admission all on its own.
Amphibiville - another brilliant set of habitats. This building is devoted entirely to frogs, salamanders and newts, and there are plenty of cool interactive features and large tanks for them to reside in. Outside there is a 2-acre swampland that apparently holds many hundreds of frogs. Innovative and deserving of its exhibit award.
Reptile House - extremely old building, but rare species and well-laid out tanks that are larger than the majority of reptile tanks at other zoos. No wonder the book "America's Best Zoos" rates the Detroit Zoo as the second best in the United States for reptiles and amphibians. Arguably only the San Diego Zoo has a more diverse and interesting way of presenting such animals.
Great Apes of Harambee - largest chimp exhibit in the United States is indeed massive, with around 8 chimps making their home here. There is a large tree that towers over the rest, and when I was over by the polar bears I could see 3 chimps at the top seemingly peering over the rest of the zoo. Next door is a gorilla/mandrill/diana monkey enclosure that is also very large, with multiple viewing opportunities. The downside to the fabulous outdoor meadows is that the indoor rooms are too dark and small. I found myself being disappointed after seeing the magnificent space allotted to the apes when they are outside because their indoor dayrooms are poorly designed.
African Grasslands - huge paddocks for zebras, ostrich, giraffes, warthogs, african wild dogs and a variety of birds. One massive enclosure had 4 different species of vultures and close to 20 vultures altogether! Another wide habitat had an aardvark that was racing around digging up small mountains of dirt. Yet another enclosure was at least half an acre in size for flamingos, african crowned cranes and spoonbills.
Australian Outback - extremely large walk-through exhibit with red kangaroos.
Red Panda Exhibit - one of the largest and best planted I've ever seen.
Snow Monkeys - traditional mountain with cascading waterfall in a grassy meadow.
Wolverine - 3 wolverines tearing around a densely planted exhibit.
South American grassland - brazilian tapir, rhea, guanaco and capybara in an enclosure that was definitely around 1 to 1.5 acres in size.
The Worst:
Grottoes - amur tigers, lions, black and grizzly bears all have 1928 grottoes that were amazing at the time but of course are sadly lacking these days.
Aviary - old and full of condensation, although there is a wide variety of birds.
Penguinarium - 1968 indoor exhibit that is larger than most and has 3 different species, but is also outdated and rather stinky. Something smells fishy...
Overall:
I was shocked at how enjoyable I found the Detroit Zoo. They have one of the best exhibits on the planet in the form of the "Arctic Ring of Life", one of the best amphibian houses anywhere, one of the largest chimpanzee exhibits on the planet, a terrific reptile collection, and many enormous grassy paddocks that I was genuinely pleased with. Perhaps what is lacking is a reliance on the Hagenback grottoes for the carnivores, but with a little bit of funding this zoo could be one of the all-time greats yet again. The beautiful old buildings, fountains and walkways added to the environment, which also includes many well-laid out garden paths.
There were signs and posters everywhere advertising the August vote for a tax hit to the local citizens in 3 different counties. If the bill passes then $10 each year will come from all of these taxpayers, and that money will go a long way to guaranteeing the future of this truly pleasing zoo. I'd rank the Detroit Zoo as one of the better zoos in North America.
mstickmanp
Well-Known Member
Wow, it sounds like an amazing zoo! I wish someday I could visit the Detroit zoo in the future.
Snowleopard - great reviews, keep them coming
Is this what you are looking for? I don't think the posters are original if that is what you are really after
The Naked Mole Rats : Shop Offbeat Illinois : CafePress.com
@snowleopard: Thanks for the posts so far. Did You look for the Naked Mole-rat poster...?
Is this what you are looking for? I don't think the posters are original if that is what you are really after
The Naked Mole Rats : Shop Offbeat Illinois : CafePress.com
Just read this thread from the beginning. Terrific stuff so far! You are lucky to have such an understanding other half. My wife gets bored after one zoo trip so we have to ration them!
North American zoos seem to be blessed with lots of space and no shortage of rich benefactors, and it sounds as though the money is being spent wisely on the latest exhibits. Shedd aquarium and Brookfield are on my list - what's the best time of year to visit Chicago?
North American zoos seem to be blessed with lots of space and no shortage of rich benefactors, and it sounds as though the money is being spent wisely on the latest exhibits. Shedd aquarium and Brookfield are on my list - what's the best time of year to visit Chicago?
@Chris79: it's difficult for me to tell you the best time to visit Chicago. I believe that it is the 3rd largest city in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. The metropolitan population is something like 9 million, and there are a ton of great attractions. The winter can be nasty, but the summer is hot and beautiful. My wife and I stayed at a "Days Inn" for about $120 per night (after a CAA driving discount) but it was $22 per day to park our vehicle. It's probably only the second time that we've ever paid to actually park our car at a motel. We arrived midweek and the hotel's prices went up $20 per day as the weekend approached. My wife is fantastic when it comes to going to tons of zoos, but I am a little worried about this road trip as there will be over 20 of them to see. At least now there is a space of time where there aren't that many in a row! In the next two weeks or so there are only two (Toronto and the Montreal Biodome) before we start seeing a zoo a day again.
Today we spent a few hours at Niagara Falls, which is an amazing destination all on its own. The temperature was scorching hot, and it was actually quite a relief to stroll alongside the falls and let the water mist over us. Tomorrow it's a full day at the Toronto Zoo, which has over 5,000 animals and just over 10 km of walking trails. People have told me to get there when the zoo opens and be prepared to stay until it closes.
For those that are interested, yesterday I uploaded a ton of shots of the grizzlies, geysers and sea otters from the "Russia's Grizzly Coast" brand new exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. I've been urging my wife (she takes all the photos) to get lots of exhibit shots on this trip, and so for all of the zoos so far I've literally got hundreds upon hundreds of animal and exhibits shots to post at a later date.
Today we spent a few hours at Niagara Falls, which is an amazing destination all on its own. The temperature was scorching hot, and it was actually quite a relief to stroll alongside the falls and let the water mist over us. Tomorrow it's a full day at the Toronto Zoo, which has over 5,000 animals and just over 10 km of walking trails. People have told me to get there when the zoo opens and be prepared to stay until it closes.
For those that are interested, yesterday I uploaded a ton of shots of the grizzlies, geysers and sea otters from the "Russia's Grizzly Coast" brand new exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. I've been urging my wife (she takes all the photos) to get lots of exhibit shots on this trip, and so for all of the zoos so far I've literally got hundreds upon hundreds of animal and exhibits shots to post at a later date.
Definitely go at opening, and the first thing you should (if you are going to) do is Stingray Bay, because the lines are incredibly long near the end of the day and it is really hot waiting in the line. If you choose not to go to Stingray Bay, then i would highly recommend going to the Austrilasian Pavilion first because it is the newest thing at the zoo and gets very crowded in the day. The rest of the areas are not that bad, but I erge you to go to all of the African, and Indo Maylan parts in the early day because they also get crowded with people, that includes indoor and outdoor exhibits. Hope you have a blast!
Marinelander
Member
Have fun at the Toronto Zoo! I've been reading this thread and love your reviews.
Toronto Zoo Review - 7 hours (Zoo/Aquarium # 7 for the road trip)
I will start this review with an apology, as I realize that there are a handful of Torontonians here at ZooBeat who love and adore their local zoo. I'm sorry that I disliked your zoo! It was far from terrible, but it simply was not as good as many others that I've visited. With over 5,000 animals the Toronto Zoo certainly has a substantial collection, but in my humble opinion this zoo was a major disappointment. My main problem with it is that it simply does not contain a single knock-out exhibit. There are numerous average to fairly good enclosures, but too many poor ones and not even one great one. So far on this road trip the Minnesota Zoo had a fantastic "Russia's Grizzly Coast", as well as the largest tiger habitat in North America. Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago isn't a great zoo, but they have a fabulous chimpanzee/gorilla complex. Brookfield Zoo has the infamous Tropic World and an amazing 2-acre mexican gray wolf exhibit. Shedd Aquarium is absolutely brilliant everywhere, and the Toledo Zoo has a world famous hippoquarium. The Detroit Zoo has been the best of the lot, with polar bear, amphibian and chimp habitats that rank amongst the largest of their kind. The Toronto Zoo = nothing that is world-class whatsoever!! Over 5,000 animals makes it one of the largest collections anywhere, but there is not one habitat that is the best of its kind. I saw many spacious paddocks and so-so enclosures, but there is no way that this zoo is even close to being in the top 20 for North America. If anyone thinks otherwise I'm convinced that they are either biased for their hometown zoo or simply haven't been to that many truly great zoos. Compared to many smaller wildlife parks around the world the Toronto Zoo is quite impressive, but compared to some of the big guns in the world of zoological collections it is not even close to being ranked with the best. Visiting a zoo is a somewhat subjective experience, and so there might be people who enjoy the Toronto Zoo much more than I did. There are certainly enough species to rank this zoo higher, but the lack of "knock your socks off" exhibits harms it terribly. The orangutan, clouded leopard, snow leopard, lynx and pygmy hippo exhibits were some of the smallest that I'd ever seen in a major zoo, but I do admit that the "African Savanna" section of the zoo was fairly well done and since it is the newest area it doesn't show the wear and tear of the older regions. Many of the older parts of the zoo were built over 30 years ago when the zoo first opened, and the exhibits look as if they have barely been upgraded since the mid-seventies. Perhaps 30 years ago this zoo was world-class, but in the year 2008 I would call it average at best.
The good news is that the entire northern half of the zoo is due for a major overhaul, as already most of the "Americas" section has been closed to the public in anticipation for 2009's "Tundra Trek". That section will feature polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, etc. The "Canadian Domain" and "Eurasia" sections will also be massively overhauled in the next 5-10 years, and the elephant exhibit could possibly also face renovation. A zookeeper told me that in 10 years time half of the zoo might look completely different, and I'm only hoping that it is an improvement on what is currently there. It's not so much that the habitats are truly horrible, but just that they are bland and not innovative in any shape or form.
My wife and I have already handled many stingrays at other zoos and so we skipped the $3 fee per person and missed "Stingray Bay". We didn't bother to see the bird show as we've already been to our fair share, and of course the children's zone and kids splash park area we simply strolled by. Even with the "Americas" section mainly closed to the public for construction, we still put in 7 hours at this extremely large zoo. There are massive spaces between enclosures, and without a doubt I've never seen a zoo with so much spare land at its disposal. The "Eurasia" section takes 2 hours to walk-around, and there are about 14 paddocks and the small "Australiasia" pavilion.
The Best:
Zoo Map - this doesn't involve any animals, but they had the best zoo map I've ever seen. Each guest at the zoo is given a 34 page glossy magazine that includes a 3-page foldout map that is well highlighted and informative. Brilliant concept!
African Savanna - nice paddock for white rhino, alongside a large antelope and stork mixed-species habitat. There is a short walk to a lookout point that I really enjoyed, and the Simba Safari Restaurant has a perfect location for chewing on a hamburger and seeing the African wildlife at their waterholes. The warthog, zebra, giraffe and ostrich paddocks were well done, but many zoos worldwide have even better savannas.
Olive Baboon - if I had to choose the best exhibit at the zoo I would probably have to go with this one. It's tricky to decide as there aren't any that first spring to mind, but the baboons have a nice waterfall, trickling stream, lots of grass and hiding places, and the viewing opportunities are terrific.
Cheetah - right next door to the baboons, and also a very nice enclosure that has lots of space for the big cats to roam.
Canadian Domain - bloody steep hill to climb, and this section of the zoo is listed as 1.5 km there and back on the zoo map. The enclosures for the bison, musk ox and wolves are spacious enough, but the lynx, cougars and grizzly bears all have habitats that are too small. The moose have a large paddock but not even a big lake to swim in, and they were sitting panting in the shade. On a side note, a large marmot/woodchuck ran through their enclosure while we were standing there.
Indian Rhinos - good to see a spacious paddock with a deep mudpit/pond.
The Worst:
Snow Leopards - 4 leopards in a tiny cage. Bulldozer time!
Clouded Leopard - inside the Indo-Malayan pavilion, and in an exhibit that is smaller than my motel room. It should be a habitat for a pair of squirrels or something much tinier.
Pygmy hippos - nice viewing opportunities but the land space allocated to these animals is far too small.
Lions - at first glance the enclosure is large, naturalistic and impressive with the gigantic rock walkway that appears to cut the enclosure in half. But a closer inspection reveals that fences restrict the lions to the central part of their habitat, and there really isn't that much space for them to escape the eyes of the public. All along both sides of the two sections of their enclosure is fencing that doesn't allow them to venture far from the center.
Elephants - not surprisingly a terribly small pair of paddocks. There are 6 elephants crammed into an acre in what is as small a space for that many elephants that I've ever seen. However, there might be good news on the horizon. A keeper at the elephant talk told my wife and I that there is going to be a feasibility study to determine whether it would be worth the cash to expand the elephant habitat and basically more than quadruple the space of the current exhibit.
Orangutans - terrific viewing opportunities, but the orangutans are limited to a tiny indoor environment. Why can't they go into their outdoor exhibit? It's because there isn't an outdoor exhibit! For a major zoo to have its orangs inside, with ugly metal poles, wooden beams and a small amount of space is quite disappointing. The gibbons in the next exhibit also lack an outdoor habitat.
Gorillas - there are numerous gorilla habitats that I've seen that are better than the one at the Toronto Zoo. The outdoor habitat is covered with metal fencing and wire and difficult to see through, and it is also far too small for a troop of 7-8 apes. The two indoor areas are also too small and too fake. One has a concrete floor with steps going down that is surrounded by metal poles and plastic platforms. The second indoor section is at least more realistic, with giant fake trees...but of all the gorilla exhibits that I've seen in major zoos this is one of the worst. If anyone went to Seattle, San Diego, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Taronga, Melbourne, Lincoln, Toledo, Detroit, etc, etc...I could list another 20 gorilla exhibits that are bigger and better than Toronto's.
Malayan tapir - outdoor enclosure is terribly small, and the tiny pool was also in need of an upgrade.
Overall:
I basically summed up the Toronto Zoo at the beginning of this review, but I simply felt dismayed at what I saw. Many of the paddocks for hoofstock were large fields that I don't really have a problem with, as there is only so much that can be done with such large animals. The elephants need more space, many of the cat species require much more space, and the orangs and gorillas are in big troops that live in poorly designed enclosures.
In the wintertime Toronto is hit hard by bitterly cold weather, and so many of the animals are then confined to their indoor quarters. Being such a northernly zoo, it must be difficult to stop their animals from pacing and becoming bored out of their minds when they are locked inside for days on end. In summary the collection is massive, the new "Great Barrier Reef" tank is colourful, the "African Savanna" is half-decent, and the cheetah-olive baboon habitats are definitely worthwhile for visitors. The rest of the zoo is sadly behind the times, with nothing that sticks out as truly memorable. Perhaps in a decade half of the zoo will be renovated and overhauled, and then it might be regarded as one of North America's great zoos. But as of today it is simply average.
I will start this review with an apology, as I realize that there are a handful of Torontonians here at ZooBeat who love and adore their local zoo. I'm sorry that I disliked your zoo! It was far from terrible, but it simply was not as good as many others that I've visited. With over 5,000 animals the Toronto Zoo certainly has a substantial collection, but in my humble opinion this zoo was a major disappointment. My main problem with it is that it simply does not contain a single knock-out exhibit. There are numerous average to fairly good enclosures, but too many poor ones and not even one great one. So far on this road trip the Minnesota Zoo had a fantastic "Russia's Grizzly Coast", as well as the largest tiger habitat in North America. Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago isn't a great zoo, but they have a fabulous chimpanzee/gorilla complex. Brookfield Zoo has the infamous Tropic World and an amazing 2-acre mexican gray wolf exhibit. Shedd Aquarium is absolutely brilliant everywhere, and the Toledo Zoo has a world famous hippoquarium. The Detroit Zoo has been the best of the lot, with polar bear, amphibian and chimp habitats that rank amongst the largest of their kind. The Toronto Zoo = nothing that is world-class whatsoever!! Over 5,000 animals makes it one of the largest collections anywhere, but there is not one habitat that is the best of its kind. I saw many spacious paddocks and so-so enclosures, but there is no way that this zoo is even close to being in the top 20 for North America. If anyone thinks otherwise I'm convinced that they are either biased for their hometown zoo or simply haven't been to that many truly great zoos. Compared to many smaller wildlife parks around the world the Toronto Zoo is quite impressive, but compared to some of the big guns in the world of zoological collections it is not even close to being ranked with the best. Visiting a zoo is a somewhat subjective experience, and so there might be people who enjoy the Toronto Zoo much more than I did. There are certainly enough species to rank this zoo higher, but the lack of "knock your socks off" exhibits harms it terribly. The orangutan, clouded leopard, snow leopard, lynx and pygmy hippo exhibits were some of the smallest that I'd ever seen in a major zoo, but I do admit that the "African Savanna" section of the zoo was fairly well done and since it is the newest area it doesn't show the wear and tear of the older regions. Many of the older parts of the zoo were built over 30 years ago when the zoo first opened, and the exhibits look as if they have barely been upgraded since the mid-seventies. Perhaps 30 years ago this zoo was world-class, but in the year 2008 I would call it average at best.
The good news is that the entire northern half of the zoo is due for a major overhaul, as already most of the "Americas" section has been closed to the public in anticipation for 2009's "Tundra Trek". That section will feature polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, etc. The "Canadian Domain" and "Eurasia" sections will also be massively overhauled in the next 5-10 years, and the elephant exhibit could possibly also face renovation. A zookeeper told me that in 10 years time half of the zoo might look completely different, and I'm only hoping that it is an improvement on what is currently there. It's not so much that the habitats are truly horrible, but just that they are bland and not innovative in any shape or form.
My wife and I have already handled many stingrays at other zoos and so we skipped the $3 fee per person and missed "Stingray Bay". We didn't bother to see the bird show as we've already been to our fair share, and of course the children's zone and kids splash park area we simply strolled by. Even with the "Americas" section mainly closed to the public for construction, we still put in 7 hours at this extremely large zoo. There are massive spaces between enclosures, and without a doubt I've never seen a zoo with so much spare land at its disposal. The "Eurasia" section takes 2 hours to walk-around, and there are about 14 paddocks and the small "Australiasia" pavilion.
The Best:
Zoo Map - this doesn't involve any animals, but they had the best zoo map I've ever seen. Each guest at the zoo is given a 34 page glossy magazine that includes a 3-page foldout map that is well highlighted and informative. Brilliant concept!
African Savanna - nice paddock for white rhino, alongside a large antelope and stork mixed-species habitat. There is a short walk to a lookout point that I really enjoyed, and the Simba Safari Restaurant has a perfect location for chewing on a hamburger and seeing the African wildlife at their waterholes. The warthog, zebra, giraffe and ostrich paddocks were well done, but many zoos worldwide have even better savannas.
Olive Baboon - if I had to choose the best exhibit at the zoo I would probably have to go with this one. It's tricky to decide as there aren't any that first spring to mind, but the baboons have a nice waterfall, trickling stream, lots of grass and hiding places, and the viewing opportunities are terrific.
Cheetah - right next door to the baboons, and also a very nice enclosure that has lots of space for the big cats to roam.
Canadian Domain - bloody steep hill to climb, and this section of the zoo is listed as 1.5 km there and back on the zoo map. The enclosures for the bison, musk ox and wolves are spacious enough, but the lynx, cougars and grizzly bears all have habitats that are too small. The moose have a large paddock but not even a big lake to swim in, and they were sitting panting in the shade. On a side note, a large marmot/woodchuck ran through their enclosure while we were standing there.
Indian Rhinos - good to see a spacious paddock with a deep mudpit/pond.
The Worst:
Snow Leopards - 4 leopards in a tiny cage. Bulldozer time!
Clouded Leopard - inside the Indo-Malayan pavilion, and in an exhibit that is smaller than my motel room. It should be a habitat for a pair of squirrels or something much tinier.
Pygmy hippos - nice viewing opportunities but the land space allocated to these animals is far too small.
Lions - at first glance the enclosure is large, naturalistic and impressive with the gigantic rock walkway that appears to cut the enclosure in half. But a closer inspection reveals that fences restrict the lions to the central part of their habitat, and there really isn't that much space for them to escape the eyes of the public. All along both sides of the two sections of their enclosure is fencing that doesn't allow them to venture far from the center.
Elephants - not surprisingly a terribly small pair of paddocks. There are 6 elephants crammed into an acre in what is as small a space for that many elephants that I've ever seen. However, there might be good news on the horizon. A keeper at the elephant talk told my wife and I that there is going to be a feasibility study to determine whether it would be worth the cash to expand the elephant habitat and basically more than quadruple the space of the current exhibit.
Orangutans - terrific viewing opportunities, but the orangutans are limited to a tiny indoor environment. Why can't they go into their outdoor exhibit? It's because there isn't an outdoor exhibit! For a major zoo to have its orangs inside, with ugly metal poles, wooden beams and a small amount of space is quite disappointing. The gibbons in the next exhibit also lack an outdoor habitat.
Gorillas - there are numerous gorilla habitats that I've seen that are better than the one at the Toronto Zoo. The outdoor habitat is covered with metal fencing and wire and difficult to see through, and it is also far too small for a troop of 7-8 apes. The two indoor areas are also too small and too fake. One has a concrete floor with steps going down that is surrounded by metal poles and plastic platforms. The second indoor section is at least more realistic, with giant fake trees...but of all the gorilla exhibits that I've seen in major zoos this is one of the worst. If anyone went to Seattle, San Diego, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Taronga, Melbourne, Lincoln, Toledo, Detroit, etc, etc...I could list another 20 gorilla exhibits that are bigger and better than Toronto's.
Malayan tapir - outdoor enclosure is terribly small, and the tiny pool was also in need of an upgrade.
Overall:
I basically summed up the Toronto Zoo at the beginning of this review, but I simply felt dismayed at what I saw. Many of the paddocks for hoofstock were large fields that I don't really have a problem with, as there is only so much that can be done with such large animals. The elephants need more space, many of the cat species require much more space, and the orangs and gorillas are in big troops that live in poorly designed enclosures.
In the wintertime Toronto is hit hard by bitterly cold weather, and so many of the animals are then confined to their indoor quarters. Being such a northernly zoo, it must be difficult to stop their animals from pacing and becoming bored out of their minds when they are locked inside for days on end. In summary the collection is massive, the new "Great Barrier Reef" tank is colourful, the "African Savanna" is half-decent, and the cheetah-olive baboon habitats are definitely worthwhile for visitors. The rest of the zoo is sadly behind the times, with nothing that sticks out as truly memorable. Perhaps in a decade half of the zoo will be renovated and overhauled, and then it might be regarded as one of North America's great zoos. But as of today it is simply average.
Zoogoer2000
Well-Known Member
I know where your coming from in some cases (snow leopard,clouded leopard etc.)but i think the gorillas have a nicer habitat then you say they do.You said something about the gorillas having a to small exhibit over all.The main indoor area is a actually an acre and its the worlds largest indoor gorilla habitat.The thing you said about it being fake is true but i still does seem very real and they don't mind.And if they did'nt like it then why would they have had 3 successful births since 2001.I mean sure its not like Zoo Atlanta's records who have tons of babies all the time but there gorillas are crammed onto islands by the dozen and having 23 gorillas probably means less of a bond beetween keeper and animal.The thing with the gorillas is that although it may look like ove may be trapped in there,thats not the case,the gorillas can move through all three habitats during the summer or the two in the winter plus they always have access to holding unlees a keeper is in one of the pens.The outdoor one is something i some what agree with but its better then some pit or island plus although people say that gorillas can't climb,the females and the babies do utilize the vertical space and sometimes Charles even gets up on a few platforms.The mesh also works because the babies love to climbs it.Plus, i don't know if u noticed but there is a glass window outside too?Im not writing this in a mean or biased way,i just though you came down a little bit hoard on an exhibit thats not that bad.
Zoogoer2000
Well-Known Member
also,I love the reviews so please keep going,i hope your not mad about my last post,i was just trying to point a few things out?
Just wanted to let you know, I have been to numorous zoo's before and theres a few things that the public can not see and/or know of.
The snowleopard, Clouded Leopard, Orangutans and Malayan tapir do not have exhibits that are up to standard as well as exhibits in the Canadian Domain.
The lions do have another large area of land that is not visable to the public.
The pygmy hippos will be upgraded with the African Pavilion upgrade which will include the mandrills, etc.
The Gorilla exhibit has one the award for the largest gorilla habitat in the world! The zoos african savanna has also won awards.
You are right when it comes to some of the exhibits in the older parts of the zoo. But all do have plans do be completly changed. Even the orangutans have had an outdoor exhibit talked about. Hope you have more reviews!
The snowleopard, Clouded Leopard, Orangutans and Malayan tapir do not have exhibits that are up to standard as well as exhibits in the Canadian Domain.
The lions do have another large area of land that is not visable to the public.
The pygmy hippos will be upgraded with the African Pavilion upgrade which will include the mandrills, etc.
The Gorilla exhibit has one the award for the largest gorilla habitat in the world! The zoos african savanna has also won awards.
You are right when it comes to some of the exhibits in the older parts of the zoo. But all do have plans do be completly changed. Even the orangutans have had an outdoor exhibit talked about. Hope you have more reviews!
I knew that some of you Toronto folks would reply to my review, and I welcome all discussion! I didn't realize how big the indoor gorilla habitat was, but I did in fact see the side viewing window next to the outdoor exhibit. It's actually quite difficult to view them, as outdoors it is all wire and mesh and I still think that the outdoor enclosure is far too small. Indoors the window is awfully tough to see through, and the larger of the indoor habitats has a long line of fake posts with more wire fencing across them. There is only the one viewing position in the entire complex where there isn't any sort of obstruction like glass, mesh, wire or fencing. I maintain my position that there are 20 gorilla exhibits that are better, and probably a lot more at many European zoos that I've never been to. You guys would be blown away with the high quality of realistic, naturalistic enclosures that are out there. Anyway, we can agree to disagree.
At least we all are on similar wavelengths with the snow leopards, clouded leopards, malayan tapirs, orangutans, etc all having terrible habitats. The orangs probably don't know what fresh air and living trees are after living in their current environment! I'm glad to hear that there will be some sort of overhaul of the African Pavilion, and that the lions have additional space off-exhibit. Another zookeeper told me that there is actually a herd of bison off-exhibit as well.
As I said before, perhaps the Toronto Zoo will be much more innovative in another ten years, because as of right now I would only call it average at best. Where are the amazing exhibits? Olive baboons is # 1 in my opinion.
At least we all are on similar wavelengths with the snow leopards, clouded leopards, malayan tapirs, orangutans, etc all having terrible habitats. The orangs probably don't know what fresh air and living trees are after living in their current environment! I'm glad to hear that there will be some sort of overhaul of the African Pavilion, and that the lions have additional space off-exhibit. Another zookeeper told me that there is actually a herd of bison off-exhibit as well.
As I said before, perhaps the Toronto Zoo will be much more innovative in another ten years, because as of right now I would only call it average at best. Where are the amazing exhibits? Olive baboons is # 1 in my opinion.
Zoogoer2000
Well-Known Member
I have to agree with you on the part about better exhibits,I saw Congo Gorilla Forest and Regenstein Center for African Apes and I know what you mean by better.Im not saying i hate Gorilla Rainforest, ijust liked some aspects of congo and regenstein better like the dayrooms and more natural outdoor but I still think that the indoor gorilla habitat in toronto is better but i guess we all have are own opinions.Whats on your zoo expediton list for 2moro?OH,i also meant to ask why there were four snow leopards at once?I did'nt know Koda was kept with Tiga and the cubs?