South American Exhibits

Ituri

Ituri

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I was looking at pictures from okapikpr's trip to the Audubon Zoo and it got me wondering about something. For those who have seen Audubon's "Jaguar Jungle," Palm Beach's "Tropics of the Americas," and Jacksonville's "Range of the Jaguar." How do these three exhibits compare? Which do you consider the best and why? Which has the more comprehensive collection? Which has the best exhibits and theming?
 
I've seen the three exhibits only through photos and in my opinion Audubon's "Jaguar Jungle" has the best theming.

I can't wait to see how the Los Angeles Zoo "Rainforest of the Americas" will turn out. It will have a rare collection with Giant Otters, Mountain Tapirs, Red Uakaris and some usual South American animals.
 
I have actually seen all three (Audubon, Jax, Palm Beach). However, they will all be out done when Miami and Los Angeles open their neotropical exhibits.

Audubon's Jaguar Jungle has a small collection (Jaguar, Anteater, Spider Mnky). However, the exhibit is laid out well, the enclosures are well built, and the immersion is excellent.

Jax's Range of the Jaguar has an awesome collection (Jaguar, Harpy, Giant Otter, large Aviary, Tapir, Anteater, various monkeys, and a very diverse and large reptile collection including a caiman lizard). There is no laid out path to follow, the exhibit is more of a plaza with the exhibits surrounding it. The Jaguar enclosure, Aviary, and Reptile House are superb. However the remaining exhibits (Otter, Harpy, Tapir, Anteater) dont quite compare to the other enclosures. As of now this is the large Neotropical exhibit in the country.

Palm Beach Zoo (whose exhibit was designed by Torre, who also designed Audubon) is the better themed of the three with several Mayan temples, a latin marketplace, and various other features. A good collection (Jaguar, Capybara, Bush Dog, Tapir, Rhea, Anteater, various monkeys, caiman, and various small mammal/reptile species) fills the enclosures. However the exhibit is unfinished with a phase II in design (to include and huge aviary, giant otters, large freshwater tank, and a slew of more cool animals). When finished, it will out do all neotropical exhibits that currently exist.

And lets not forget the other neotropical exhibits:
San Francisco
Santa Ana (the whole zoo is neotropical themed, or will be)
Phoenix
Buffalo
Mesker Park Zoo (newly built)
Sedgwick County Zoo
Brevard Zoo
Topeka Zoo
Dallas World Aquarium
Toronto Zoo


Others planned or in construction:
Miami Metrozoo
Los Angeles Zoo
Beardsley Zoo
Nashville Zoo
Elmwood Park Zoo
 
The Toronto Zoo exhibit is called Mayan Temple Ruins.It is basically a buch of habitats surrounding a temple used for holding with the path going in a circle around the whole temple and behing a waterfall before returning to the exhibit entrance

the current species
jaguar
spider monkey
macaw
carribean flamingo

past species
capybara
tamandua
brazilian tapir
 
Some zoos have vicuna in North America, such as the "tour by appointment" only Mountain View Conservation Centre in British Columbia, Canada. I was there earlier this year and saw a handful of vicuna.
 
snowleopard said:
Some zoos have vicuna in North America, such as the "tour by appointment" only Mountain View Conservation Centre in British Columbia, Canada. I was there earlier this year and saw a handful of vicuna.
Click to expand...

Thanks snowleopard but why none in the US
 
I've heard the reason before from somewhere ... but can't remember exactly why or how.

Apart from Winnipeg's most recent importation of vicuna (from Europe in ~2000 ... all now at Mountain View in BC), all of the recent "vicuna" in North America were believed to be hybrids, containing some guanaco genes. I suspect that this hybrid status played a role in their disappearance.

In the meantime, vicuna are CITES I, and I believe export from South America is prohibited. Which leaves captive stock in Europe as the only source - and I believe the US has very strict regulations on the importation of camelids from anywhere.
 
I have been to Jacksonville and Palm Beach, but not New Orleans. I prefer Palm Beach for its theming and larger mixed species enclosures, but its a close race! The jaguar exhibit is better at Jacksonville, and the Emerald Forest Aviary which contains the giant otter exhibit is excellent too.
 
Oh! I forgot to mention another reason why I like Palm Beach's better...bush dogs!
 
I just went to 6 Midwestern zoos and saw barely any South American exhibits! Shameful! I did really enjoy St. Louis Zoo's River's Edge, which has a small section of three South American exhibits. They are a macaw exhibit of several perching trees surrounded by waterfalls, a nice bushdog exhibit with a stump den, and a mixed capybara and giant anteater exhibit with a nice forested backdrop.
 
Audubon Zoo in New Orleans has announced that Phase 2 of the Jaguar Jungle is currently being planned.
No details available yet but the word is out that a new nocturnal building is part of the expansion.
Construction probably won't begin for a few years since other major projects need to be completed first.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top