Steep, Sloping or Unplain Zoos - Spectacular?

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Nikola Chavkosk

Well-Known Member
Do you think that zoos located on unplain terrain, on a steep, slopping terran - so not plain terrain like in lowland, are very specialy attractive and are appropriate for keeping lowland big hoofstock and elephants? Please don't confuse that every steep, slopping or unplain zoo is mountainous. Yes there is maybe greater proportion of zoos who are steep, or who are located on slopping terrain and at the same time are also located on mountains, but they can also be settled on hilly terrain in lowlands. Contrary, Denver zoo, though settled very high, it is not steep/slopping (?). Seems that zoo animals in such zoos have far greater extended field of vision in the soroundings.

Some examples of such zoos I can think of:
-Selwo Aventrua (Spain) - wonderfull - anyone been there?
-Alpenzoo, Austria
-Bitola zoo in R. Macedonia is also steep but small, located under mountain.

To make things regarding this thread more clear, I am asking in particular:

-If you can list such zoos that are on your mind, for I to search photos from them,
-In what such zoos you have been?
-Do you find them very attractive?
-What about probable limitations in keeping certain zoo animals like big hoofstock from lowland areas and elephants (eg, living on a steep enclosure)?
-Do you find Selwo Aventura very attractive?

Here is also short promotive video for Selwo Aventura :


Thanks,
 
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One "steep" zoo I know about is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. It's the only mountainside zoo in the US. Animals featured include African bush elephants and black rhinos that share a barn, the largest reticulated giraffe herd in the country, and a soon-to-be-completed aquarium section for the zoos African penguins and Nile hippopotamus. It was named the 6th best zoo in the country back in 2015.
 
Yes, yes now I remmeber about fascinating success of Cheyenne Mountain zoo for giraffe breeding, though high-altitude zoo, back to my thread about the altitude and zoos. Thanks
 
Now back to the topic...

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (USA) is at the top of a gently sloping desert terrain with magnificent views of the open desert below and the mountains in the distance (including Kitt Peak Observatory).

The Living Desert (USA) is at the base of the mountains and the upper portion (such as cheetah and giraffe exhibits) also offer nice views.

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens (USA) is on a bluff overlooking the town of Carlsbad and the open desert beyond.

Zoo Salzburg (Austria) has I believe stunning views of the valley and Alps. (I will be there soon to see for myself).

There is a similar thread that I started here: Zoos with great vistas
 
The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is in a hilly location. The wolf exhibit is unique in that it has a small enclosure on the bottom of a hill and another larger one on top of a hill. The wolves have a fairly steep climb between the two. It also has some gorgeous views of the Wasatch Range.
 
I'm fairly Certain that Dudley Zoo in the UK would fit this category. Its built on a hill with a castle right on the top, many of the enclosures are build on the terraces that have been created. Then there are enclosures in the lower sections of the zoo such as the acre large chimp enclosure; this is fairly flat if i remember correctly. At some point they kept 2 elephants in a small paddock on one of the terraces ... couldn't tell you when this was though, however I believe one of them came from Bristol in an attempt to aid the zoo in its financial crisis.
 
I have been to Selwo Aventura- I wouldn't exactly call it attractive but it definitely gets the job done. The elephant enclosure is big (barren though and I did see an elephant head bobbing) and the enclousres are generally well planted. However, the landscape surrounding the enclosures aren't the nicest.
 
ThomasNotTom said:
I'm fairly Certain that Dudley Zoo in the UK would fit this category. Its built on a hill with a castle right on the top, many of the enclosures are build on the terraces that have been created. Then there are enclosures in the lower sections of the zoo such as the acre large chimp enclosure; this is fairly flat if i remember correctly. At some point they kept 2 elephants in a small paddock on one of the terraces ... couldn't tell you when this was though, however I believe one of them came from Bristol in an attempt to aid the zoo in its financial crisis.
Click to expand...

I suppose if they kept elephants, they are quite big zoo in respect to surface area. Do you know on how much surface is settled Dudley Zoo? :)
 
In the UK, both Edinburgh and Port Lympne have steeply sloping sites, in both cases facing south. Edinburgh has splendid views over the city and the Pentland Hills. Port Lympne has equally spectacular views over the Romney Marsh and the English Channel, on a clear day you can also see the French coast around Cap Gris Nez. Both zoos have some fairly steep paths, but much of Port Lympne can now only be seen from the trucks on the safari tour.
 
A challenge at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which is on the steep side of a mountain, is creating sufficiently large flat spaces for the species that need them. So depending on the topography of the zoo in question, not all animal species may be advisable.
 
Alpenzoo Innsbruck and Highland Wildlife Park would both count, in my opinion, with these being the most stunningly-attractive collections I have ever visited.

full
 
I think it was @carlos55 that posted photos of a zoo in Latin America that looks out over a large city, although I can't remember what city or country it was...
 
Taronga Zoo built on a slope, affording spectacular views of Sydney and it's Harbour, and Wellington Zoo in New Zealand is also built on a slope with views over the city.

:p

Hix
 
Nikola Chavkosk said:
I suppose if they kept elephants, they are quite big zoo in respect to surface area. Do you know on how much surface is settled Dudley Zoo? :)
Click to expand...

Dudley isn't a big zoo, it's about 40 acres and the elephant enclosure was tiny. At an estimate I would say it was well under half an acre... Not exactly roomy and it's now been turned in to an equally small wallaby walk through! Dudley encompasses the entire hill but large tracts of land going up are still unused, definitely a zoo that never lived up to its potential!
Also in the UK are Paignton, Shaldon and Welsh Mountain. All are built on slopes but Shaldon is extremely small (1 acre?) so the slope isn't too much of a problem if you're fit and healthy; they do offer concessions for the disabled though as they can't manage the entire site.
 
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