Such a Lovely Place: Pachy' Pro Goes to San Diego
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
- Start date
timmychompchomp
Well-Known Member
2020 for access to the Asian Plains. Great news. Better start saving now so I can give them a hefty donation for this. I was getting worried the parks were trying too hard to steer away from animal attractions while focusing on zip lines and balloons and such. Then they tried nickel and dining the customer for special encounters or access to the rest of the park. If they make a second tram ride part of the general admission to view the Asian plains, I will donate quite a bit to incentivize this kind of development. That’s as long as they don’t double admission prices. A small bump would be fine, but I could easily argue that the admission price now is too high.
Glad you are having a great time. It may sound odd too you, but I enjoyed my time in Chicago as much as you enjoy it here.
Glad you are having a great time. It may sound odd too you, but I enjoyed my time in Chicago as much as you enjoy it here.
1/2/18, Day 3: An Off Brand Marine Land - Part I
SeaWorld. This place is perhaps the most controversial US zoo on these forums (And very well outside these forums). @snowleopard , @jayjds2 and @Moebelle upon others love the place and say its a must visit, Moe even going as far to say that he prefers it over the San Diego zoo. However, @DavidBrown , @sooty mangabey and @Arizona Docent upon others all hate the place. I tried to go in with lower expectations so I couldn't be disappointed, and luckily I wasn't. I wasn't blown out of the water (Pun very much intended) but It was better then I hoped. It was only a short 15 minute drive away from the del and I was able to sleep in, as the place didn't open until 11. I sipped some tea while watching the ocean waves and I enjoyed ever moment of it. I was there a little after opening and planned my day around the shows. And by that only the shows I wanted to see, Orca Encounter and the Dolphin show. The pet show is currently closed, and sootys tail of the dreadful sea lion show fiasco still haunts me to this day.
I walked in and was immediately met with several touch tanks. The larger ones had bamboo sharks of two species as well as some horseshoe crabs. Nothing special but good enough I suppose. However, I was surprised to find skin eating fish in a touch pool that was by far the most popular. I tried it and it felt relaxing once you got used to it. I then continued down left to the sea otter and dolphin interaction area. The otters had a solid exhibit with some rather shabby viewing (A rather common occurrence here). But at the same time its four delightful and entertaining otters so who cares? The dolphin pool was also pretty nice, a trainer was doing a presentation with a dolphin were visitors were able to touch the specimen. Pretty cool if you ask me, though I do remember when a dolphin beached itself on land when he was in something like this. All the dolphins seemed perfectly fine on my visit though.
Up next I was the reason behind SeaWorld's massive loss of money and support. The orcas are the animal that everyone thinks of when they think of SeaWorld, their mascot. Orcas are remarkable creatures that I spent a good amount of time observing at SeaWorld today. When a massive whale came into view, I heard chants of joy and amazement and for good reason. The marine mammal was gliding all over the water and I almost felt peaceful watching him, and I would have if everyone and their mother wasn't yelling SHAMU!!! at the op of their lungs. The habitat itself of course could use some work. Its no where near as bad as PETA and Blackfish make it sound, but it still is just multiple interconnected pools with nothing much to them. The show pool is quite nice and I'll elaborate a bit more later. However its just merely an average set of spaces for the marine mammals.
Next up were two indoor spaces. The first and far superior one was Aquaria: World of Fishes. A medium sized building contains a small amount of rather large tanks. Outside is a large touch pool home to fish and some corals which I did not note. It was a very impressive start to the building. Inside there is a large freshwater tank with two massive alligator gar as the stars. The next is a long saltwater tank for around a dozen Mexican look-downs. The tank at the right end of the room is filled to the brim with piranhas. And my favorite tank is an adjacent aquarium home to at least 30 leopard sharks. I was so stunned to see so many jammed into a single tank. Maybe not jammed as there was still a really good amount of space but its still - dare I say - awesome! Additionally, there was a small ruined temple terrarium for a group of poison dart frogs.
The next place though is by far one of the worst sections of the park, Aquarium.
And the title of best zoo exhibit name of 2018 goes to...
Its an open air building with some cool inhabitants in lousy conditions. Some smaller octopus species have decent but tiny tanks to live in. What was cool is that one was being fed some shrimp, and was chomping down on two at once which was a great site to see. However, its much bigger relative faired far worse. The giant pacific octopus tank is as ugly as dirt. Its a cramped, filthy looking thing that looks awful in the highest caliber. It has to be one of the most ugly tank for the species I have ever seen, I couldn't stand being in there...
SeaWorld. This place is perhaps the most controversial US zoo on these forums (And very well outside these forums). @snowleopard , @jayjds2 and @Moebelle upon others love the place and say its a must visit, Moe even going as far to say that he prefers it over the San Diego zoo. However, @DavidBrown , @sooty mangabey and @Arizona Docent upon others all hate the place. I tried to go in with lower expectations so I couldn't be disappointed, and luckily I wasn't. I wasn't blown out of the water (Pun very much intended) but It was better then I hoped. It was only a short 15 minute drive away from the del and I was able to sleep in, as the place didn't open until 11. I sipped some tea while watching the ocean waves and I enjoyed ever moment of it. I was there a little after opening and planned my day around the shows. And by that only the shows I wanted to see, Orca Encounter and the Dolphin show. The pet show is currently closed, and sootys tail of the dreadful sea lion show fiasco still haunts me to this day.
I walked in and was immediately met with several touch tanks. The larger ones had bamboo sharks of two species as well as some horseshoe crabs. Nothing special but good enough I suppose. However, I was surprised to find skin eating fish in a touch pool that was by far the most popular. I tried it and it felt relaxing once you got used to it. I then continued down left to the sea otter and dolphin interaction area. The otters had a solid exhibit with some rather shabby viewing (A rather common occurrence here). But at the same time its four delightful and entertaining otters so who cares? The dolphin pool was also pretty nice, a trainer was doing a presentation with a dolphin were visitors were able to touch the specimen. Pretty cool if you ask me, though I do remember when a dolphin beached itself on land when he was in something like this. All the dolphins seemed perfectly fine on my visit though.
Up next I was the reason behind SeaWorld's massive loss of money and support. The orcas are the animal that everyone thinks of when they think of SeaWorld, their mascot. Orcas are remarkable creatures that I spent a good amount of time observing at SeaWorld today. When a massive whale came into view, I heard chants of joy and amazement and for good reason. The marine mammal was gliding all over the water and I almost felt peaceful watching him, and I would have if everyone and their mother wasn't yelling SHAMU!!! at the op of their lungs. The habitat itself of course could use some work. Its no where near as bad as PETA and Blackfish make it sound, but it still is just multiple interconnected pools with nothing much to them. The show pool is quite nice and I'll elaborate a bit more later. However its just merely an average set of spaces for the marine mammals.
Next up were two indoor spaces. The first and far superior one was Aquaria: World of Fishes. A medium sized building contains a small amount of rather large tanks. Outside is a large touch pool home to fish and some corals which I did not note. It was a very impressive start to the building. Inside there is a large freshwater tank with two massive alligator gar as the stars. The next is a long saltwater tank for around a dozen Mexican look-downs. The tank at the right end of the room is filled to the brim with piranhas. And my favorite tank is an adjacent aquarium home to at least 30 leopard sharks. I was so stunned to see so many jammed into a single tank. Maybe not jammed as there was still a really good amount of space but its still - dare I say - awesome! Additionally, there was a small ruined temple terrarium for a group of poison dart frogs.
The next place though is by far one of the worst sections of the park, Aquarium.
And the title of best zoo exhibit name of 2018 goes to...
Its an open air building with some cool inhabitants in lousy conditions. Some smaller octopus species have decent but tiny tanks to live in. What was cool is that one was being fed some shrimp, and was chomping down on two at once which was a great site to see. However, its much bigger relative faired far worse. The giant pacific octopus tank is as ugly as dirt. Its a cramped, filthy looking thing that looks awful in the highest caliber. It has to be one of the most ugly tank for the species I have ever seen, I couldn't stand being in there...
1/2/18, Day 3: An Off Brand Marine Land - Part II
After I left the octopus prison, I decided to take the sky tram just for kicks. Sometimes its nice just to admire the view of the surrounding area. After I retuned to ground level. I found myself next to a simple yard for flamingos. The exhibit itself is fine, but its placed next to a loud roller coaster, and seeing how delicate flamingoes are, I can't say this was the best location. I then came across Sea lion point. Its rather basic, two rock yards filled with pinnipeds begging for food that can be purchased by guests. But its one it contains that made me enjoy it so much. Three pinnipeds in one exhibit! California sea lions, harbor seals and the only 3 Guadalupe fur seals left in captivity. So many seals yapping at once is so chaotic but so fun to watch.
After all the pinniped chaos, I found one of many cages that dot the park. The best of these cages was a tall lushly planted one for a pair of red-knobbed hornbills. The worst of it was a single Asian small clawed otter pup in a concrete cage that barely had any water. There was also a rather nasty one for some African crested porcupines as well. Besides that I also found some macaws and smaller passerine species among these ugly structures as well. Luckily, this was the last time an exhibit was of poor quality at the park. The next exhibit was one of my favorite of its kind.
Penguin Encounter is great. You walk in a dark room and step on a moving walkway. You spend just the right amount of time watching dozens of penguins, such as emperor, chinstrap, rock hopper and others. The glass is a little blurry do to condensation build up, but you can still get a clear view of these charismatic creatures swimming about. When you get out of the building, there is then a megellanic penguin yard with grass in it! Never though I would see the day I would find something so surprisingly uncommon in zoos. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it really is.
Just a hop skip and jump away from the penguin building, The Wild Arctic stands without polar bears for the first time in years. I was pretty excited for this building, mainly for the pacific walrus duo. And I saw the walruses, and they were a real joy to watch get fed by their keepers and swim about in the impressive underwater viewing area. The belugas were also interesting to watch as they gracefully swam through the water. Some additional harbor seals take up residence in the former polar bear enclosure, and while I would prefer a completely new species to the park, they fill up the space nicely.
I had seen most of the park by then, and I only had two more things I still needed to do...
After I left the octopus prison, I decided to take the sky tram just for kicks. Sometimes its nice just to admire the view of the surrounding area. After I retuned to ground level. I found myself next to a simple yard for flamingos. The exhibit itself is fine, but its placed next to a loud roller coaster, and seeing how delicate flamingoes are, I can't say this was the best location. I then came across Sea lion point. Its rather basic, two rock yards filled with pinnipeds begging for food that can be purchased by guests. But its one it contains that made me enjoy it so much. Three pinnipeds in one exhibit! California sea lions, harbor seals and the only 3 Guadalupe fur seals left in captivity. So many seals yapping at once is so chaotic but so fun to watch.
After all the pinniped chaos, I found one of many cages that dot the park. The best of these cages was a tall lushly planted one for a pair of red-knobbed hornbills. The worst of it was a single Asian small clawed otter pup in a concrete cage that barely had any water. There was also a rather nasty one for some African crested porcupines as well. Besides that I also found some macaws and smaller passerine species among these ugly structures as well. Luckily, this was the last time an exhibit was of poor quality at the park. The next exhibit was one of my favorite of its kind.
Penguin Encounter is great. You walk in a dark room and step on a moving walkway. You spend just the right amount of time watching dozens of penguins, such as emperor, chinstrap, rock hopper and others. The glass is a little blurry do to condensation build up, but you can still get a clear view of these charismatic creatures swimming about. When you get out of the building, there is then a megellanic penguin yard with grass in it! Never though I would see the day I would find something so surprisingly uncommon in zoos. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it really is.
Just a hop skip and jump away from the penguin building, The Wild Arctic stands without polar bears for the first time in years. I was pretty excited for this building, mainly for the pacific walrus duo. And I saw the walruses, and they were a real joy to watch get fed by their keepers and swim about in the impressive underwater viewing area. The belugas were also interesting to watch as they gracefully swam through the water. Some additional harbor seals take up residence in the former polar bear enclosure, and while I would prefer a completely new species to the park, they fill up the space nicely.
I had seen most of the park by then, and I only had two more things I still needed to do...
1/2/18, Day 3: An Off Brand Marine Land - Part III
The two shows were all that seemed to be left to do at the world of sea. First up was the Orca Encounter show. This show just started last year and from the looks of it, is miles better than the old show. They actually have the orcas do things the would do in the wild and turn them into entertaining routines. And they toss out so many facts to the audience and they actually seem engaged in the presentation. The new coastline rock work is a nine touch. And this wouldn't be an American zoo/aquarium without at least one (Or in this case two) magical waterfall from the heavens. The show is really good, probably the best show SeaWorld has to offer.
*Sigh* immediately after the great Orca presentation concluded, I headed down to the dolphin stadium for the dolphin show. What do you think I hear as soon as I step in to the stadium? An island version of the 12 days of Christmas played on the ukulele. "And a coconut in a palm tree!" Of course the audience sung along with glee as I sat there patiently waiting for the pilot whales to come out. Luckily, they cam out fairly early in the show for a few minutes before going back off exhibit. While 15 bottlenose dolphins together is a sight to see on its own, I could have left the show after that in all honesty. I really only came for the pilot whales. Unlike the orca presentation earlier, this show is still heavily based on the pizzazz factor. Lots of tricks like flips in the air (By both animal and trainer), a trainer riding a dolphin like a surfboard and some other rubbish.
All in all, SeaWorld is a pretty good establishment. It needs a lot of work in some parts (Octopus, dolphin show, bird/small mammal cages) but has some very nice areas (Penguins, Orca Presentation, Wild Arctic). I also wanted to come for its nice collection of some rare marine critters like walruses, the fur seals, pilot whales, emperor penguins and of course the killer whales. Really glad I was able to come when I had to chance, but I'm not confident I would return in the future unless serious remodeling and some cleanup happens in the future.
@Hyak_II Yes I believe so.
The two shows were all that seemed to be left to do at the world of sea. First up was the Orca Encounter show. This show just started last year and from the looks of it, is miles better than the old show. They actually have the orcas do things the would do in the wild and turn them into entertaining routines. And they toss out so many facts to the audience and they actually seem engaged in the presentation. The new coastline rock work is a nine touch. And this wouldn't be an American zoo/aquarium without at least one (Or in this case two) magical waterfall from the heavens. The show is really good, probably the best show SeaWorld has to offer.
*Sigh* immediately after the great Orca presentation concluded, I headed down to the dolphin stadium for the dolphin show. What do you think I hear as soon as I step in to the stadium? An island version of the 12 days of Christmas played on the ukulele. "And a coconut in a palm tree!" Of course the audience sung along with glee as I sat there patiently waiting for the pilot whales to come out. Luckily, they cam out fairly early in the show for a few minutes before going back off exhibit. While 15 bottlenose dolphins together is a sight to see on its own, I could have left the show after that in all honesty. I really only came for the pilot whales. Unlike the orca presentation earlier, this show is still heavily based on the pizzazz factor. Lots of tricks like flips in the air (By both animal and trainer), a trainer riding a dolphin like a surfboard and some other rubbish.
All in all, SeaWorld is a pretty good establishment. It needs a lot of work in some parts (Octopus, dolphin show, bird/small mammal cages) but has some very nice areas (Penguins, Orca Presentation, Wild Arctic). I also wanted to come for its nice collection of some rare marine critters like walruses, the fur seals, pilot whales, emperor penguins and of course the killer whales. Really glad I was able to come when I had to chance, but I'm not confident I would return in the future unless serious remodeling and some cleanup happens in the future.
@Hyak_II Yes I believe so.
Your assessment of SeaWorld is exactly what I thought SeaWorld would be like ( I've only visited the one in Orlando and that was 10 years ago). It has the good and the bad, but is ultimately an enjoyable place even though there's no real reason to visit again. Also, really enjoying your reviews!
The_UltimateBea
Well-Known Member
Is anyone else here a fan of the rides/theatrical shows? I enjoy all aspects of the park. In addition, it is possible that it's counter intuitively more inspiring to see a theatrical show than a natural show. These shows are what wow people and they are the ones that are talked about long after the visit.
I liked them at SeaWorld Orlando so I bet I'd like the ones at the San Diego establishment.
1/3/18, Day 4: A Rocky Climax - Part I
Sorry this ones late; The Amazing Race Season premiere was tonight and I had to watch.
Well tonight I'm pulling an all nighter to write what was is easily the best and longest day of the trip. I went to the San Diego zoo today and I enjoyed every single solitary moment of it. It may be a bugger to get around, and may still need a little a work in some places, but I still consider this Americas best zoological facility.
Today was crazy to say the least. I basically repeated yesterday morning as I sipped some tea and watched the ocean waves, which were quite high today. I once again ate a simple protein bar for breakfast and made my down to balboa park, one of the true gems of California. The museums, the architecture and the plants are all in troves, what's not to like? I pulled up to the zoo a little after opening time and I was in within minutes. Its really smart to book tickets in advance. I walked into to the sound of chirping flamingos in a lush forest pond. What a great first impression the place makes by putting a high number of crowd pleasing critters in such great conditions. I immediately knew I had to see the 69 Million dollar Africa Rocks right away as most of the animals would be out in the morning at possibly fancy a nap or an off exhibit cool off later in the day.
However, on the way there I cut through the lovely Australian section. The wombats were no where to be seen (a not so uncommon occurrence) but two Tasmanian devils were up and about make for an entertaining few minutes. One was going back and fourth grabbing hay that it brought to one of the dens for resting, while the other stood guard. Its really great to see this species be branched out to more US collections (Or even non-Australian collections). The bird aviaries across from the devils were good. Mesh is a bit too thick for good photos, but viewing wasn't mush of an issue as its made out to be. They were lush and had a great variety of species. I crossed the street over to the koala station and to my surprise, I actually saw an active koala. One was climbing up and down a tree while a younger joey stared into the distance. Parma wallabies were also on the ground and were hopping around with joy, maybe from seeing an active koala for once.
After that I immediately made my way to AR. I began at the old kopje which holds of fantastically for its age. The main mixed species habitat is still as great as it always was. I only saw a single klipspringer, about three hyrax huddled at the top of a boulder, and a family of dwarf mongoose resting in a corner. Not the most active, but must be buzzing when they are. The old North Chinese Leopard exhibit makes a great home for the pair of servals that live there. Ironically, the exhibit is still fairly new (2011) and its already been home to three species (the other being caracals). Servals definitely make the best use of the space and mesh well into the rest of the kopje. Other than that, two small aviaries for passerines, a basic but large meerkat yard and a small yellow spotted hyrax cage make up the rest. However, my favorite exhibit in this section is the bataleur aviary. Two eagles are treated to a large sloped space and they look wonderful in it. I'm really glad they kept this older section around, as it still integrates perfectly into the new habitats.
Next up is the Ethiopian Highlands. There are three massive yards that were each home to a different species on my visit. There largest and furthest south habitat held an engaging group of hamadryads baboons that were a joy to watch. The middle habitat held one of only two groups of geladas in the US. And the furthest North Habitat held the newly introduced Nubian ibex. The ibex are intended to be mixed with the primates in the near future, but until then each species will remain separate. The H Baboons were my favorite to observe. 20 baboons of all ages chasing each other around a rocky hill was great. Visitors actually made comments about the animals that weren't "HAHAHAHA LOOK AT THEIR BUTS!!! HAHA" (Though there was of course a couple). Anyways, this habitat is probably my favorite, and my only flaw in that there is a rather ugly wall at the back of all three exhibits. Nothings perfect I suppose.
Acacia Woodlands was next and I enjoyed it a lot. The leopard was resting between the transfer shoot that is cleverly imbedded into the rocks between both exhibits. The first exhibit was a fine size, but the second exhibit felt just a tad too small for my liking. Still better then a good majority of leopard exhibits though. The standard isn't exactly high but the exhibit is still nice. Vervet monkeys were entertaining. Only about four were out but they were all over the mesh and trees in the exhibit. A larger group could turn this in to a real sight to see though. Then the aviary was approached and the zoo is famous for already having a trio of fantastic free-flight walkthrough aviaries. The Scripps, Owens and Parker aviary are all fantastic (more on them later) so I expected something good from this one. Its quite good, but doesn't quite have as many species as the others. Still really good and a worthy addition to the zoo.
I went into Madagascar with mixed expectations. The mesh was the biggest concern, however it looked much better in person. It was a cloudy day so maybe when its sunny its harder to see through but it was perfectly fine today. I saw 3 of the 5 lemur species (Ring-tailed, Red Ruffed and Blue eyed Black) and the exhibits look great for them. They can climb very far in the air and the planting looked really good to me. I was a slightly disappointed that the conquerel's sifaka wont be on exhibit for another week of so but I'm sure once all five species are together it will look remarkable. The ratel was a no show but the exhibit looked pretty nice. The fossa was poucning around on the rock background with her cups which was really fun to watch. Fossa cubs aren't the most commonly seen creatures in zoos.
West African Forest is the smallest area in AR. The waterfall is magnificent and is really well made. The mixed species reptile enclousree is also really great. A dwarf croc was relaxing in the sun while two turtle species swam with several unsigned fish in the exhibit. The land area is lushly planted throughout and the glare really was not as bad as I though it would. Again, it could have been because it was a cloudy day.
Finally we have Cape Fynbos. The African penguin and leopard shark exhibit is easily one of the best for both species. The land area has rocky alcoves, real plants and some great rockwork. Some of the best fake rock I have ever seen in a zoo. The underwater viewing area is where this exhibit really shines however. The massive viewing windows look right into penguins gliding across the water in front and behind boulders and fake seaweed. It would be better if it was real, but again nothings perfect.
Africa Rocks is a lovely exhibit and a strong addition to the zoo. When things such as the hyenas, zebras, aye-ayes and other things started to get cut from the plan, I really started to worry about how it would turn out. It feels great to be proven wrong. The exhibits like a fine wine, it gets better with age. Once the plants grow in more the exhibit will look even be even better.
I then went to Sun bear forest...
Sorry this ones late; The Amazing Race Season premiere was tonight and I had to watch.
Well tonight I'm pulling an all nighter to write what was is easily the best and longest day of the trip. I went to the San Diego zoo today and I enjoyed every single solitary moment of it. It may be a bugger to get around, and may still need a little a work in some places, but I still consider this Americas best zoological facility.
Today was crazy to say the least. I basically repeated yesterday morning as I sipped some tea and watched the ocean waves, which were quite high today. I once again ate a simple protein bar for breakfast and made my down to balboa park, one of the true gems of California. The museums, the architecture and the plants are all in troves, what's not to like? I pulled up to the zoo a little after opening time and I was in within minutes. Its really smart to book tickets in advance. I walked into to the sound of chirping flamingos in a lush forest pond. What a great first impression the place makes by putting a high number of crowd pleasing critters in such great conditions. I immediately knew I had to see the 69 Million dollar Africa Rocks right away as most of the animals would be out in the morning at possibly fancy a nap or an off exhibit cool off later in the day.
However, on the way there I cut through the lovely Australian section. The wombats were no where to be seen (a not so uncommon occurrence) but two Tasmanian devils were up and about make for an entertaining few minutes. One was going back and fourth grabbing hay that it brought to one of the dens for resting, while the other stood guard. Its really great to see this species be branched out to more US collections (Or even non-Australian collections). The bird aviaries across from the devils were good. Mesh is a bit too thick for good photos, but viewing wasn't mush of an issue as its made out to be. They were lush and had a great variety of species. I crossed the street over to the koala station and to my surprise, I actually saw an active koala. One was climbing up and down a tree while a younger joey stared into the distance. Parma wallabies were also on the ground and were hopping around with joy, maybe from seeing an active koala for once.
After that I immediately made my way to AR. I began at the old kopje which holds of fantastically for its age. The main mixed species habitat is still as great as it always was. I only saw a single klipspringer, about three hyrax huddled at the top of a boulder, and a family of dwarf mongoose resting in a corner. Not the most active, but must be buzzing when they are. The old North Chinese Leopard exhibit makes a great home for the pair of servals that live there. Ironically, the exhibit is still fairly new (2011) and its already been home to three species (the other being caracals). Servals definitely make the best use of the space and mesh well into the rest of the kopje. Other than that, two small aviaries for passerines, a basic but large meerkat yard and a small yellow spotted hyrax cage make up the rest. However, my favorite exhibit in this section is the bataleur aviary. Two eagles are treated to a large sloped space and they look wonderful in it. I'm really glad they kept this older section around, as it still integrates perfectly into the new habitats.
Next up is the Ethiopian Highlands. There are three massive yards that were each home to a different species on my visit. There largest and furthest south habitat held an engaging group of hamadryads baboons that were a joy to watch. The middle habitat held one of only two groups of geladas in the US. And the furthest North Habitat held the newly introduced Nubian ibex. The ibex are intended to be mixed with the primates in the near future, but until then each species will remain separate. The H Baboons were my favorite to observe. 20 baboons of all ages chasing each other around a rocky hill was great. Visitors actually made comments about the animals that weren't "HAHAHAHA LOOK AT THEIR BUTS!!! HAHA" (Though there was of course a couple). Anyways, this habitat is probably my favorite, and my only flaw in that there is a rather ugly wall at the back of all three exhibits. Nothings perfect I suppose.
Acacia Woodlands was next and I enjoyed it a lot. The leopard was resting between the transfer shoot that is cleverly imbedded into the rocks between both exhibits. The first exhibit was a fine size, but the second exhibit felt just a tad too small for my liking. Still better then a good majority of leopard exhibits though. The standard isn't exactly high but the exhibit is still nice. Vervet monkeys were entertaining. Only about four were out but they were all over the mesh and trees in the exhibit. A larger group could turn this in to a real sight to see though. Then the aviary was approached and the zoo is famous for already having a trio of fantastic free-flight walkthrough aviaries. The Scripps, Owens and Parker aviary are all fantastic (more on them later) so I expected something good from this one. Its quite good, but doesn't quite have as many species as the others. Still really good and a worthy addition to the zoo.
I went into Madagascar with mixed expectations. The mesh was the biggest concern, however it looked much better in person. It was a cloudy day so maybe when its sunny its harder to see through but it was perfectly fine today. I saw 3 of the 5 lemur species (Ring-tailed, Red Ruffed and Blue eyed Black) and the exhibits look great for them. They can climb very far in the air and the planting looked really good to me. I was a slightly disappointed that the conquerel's sifaka wont be on exhibit for another week of so but I'm sure once all five species are together it will look remarkable. The ratel was a no show but the exhibit looked pretty nice. The fossa was poucning around on the rock background with her cups which was really fun to watch. Fossa cubs aren't the most commonly seen creatures in zoos.
West African Forest is the smallest area in AR. The waterfall is magnificent and is really well made. The mixed species reptile enclousree is also really great. A dwarf croc was relaxing in the sun while two turtle species swam with several unsigned fish in the exhibit. The land area is lushly planted throughout and the glare really was not as bad as I though it would. Again, it could have been because it was a cloudy day.
Finally we have Cape Fynbos. The African penguin and leopard shark exhibit is easily one of the best for both species. The land area has rocky alcoves, real plants and some great rockwork. Some of the best fake rock I have ever seen in a zoo. The underwater viewing area is where this exhibit really shines however. The massive viewing windows look right into penguins gliding across the water in front and behind boulders and fake seaweed. It would be better if it was real, but again nothings perfect.
Africa Rocks is a lovely exhibit and a strong addition to the zoo. When things such as the hyenas, zebras, aye-ayes and other things started to get cut from the plan, I really started to worry about how it would turn out. It feels great to be proven wrong. The exhibits like a fine wine, it gets better with age. Once the plants grow in more the exhibit will look even be even better.
I then went to Sun bear forest...
The_UltimateBea
Well-Known Member
Real seaweed would have been ridiculously difficult to maintain. Fake seaweed is really the best they could've done.
The_UltimateBea
Well-Known Member
Was the reptile pool in the aviary filled?
1/3/18, Day 4: A Rocky Climax - Part II
To me, Sun Bear Forest feels like one of the most underrated exhibit areas at the zoo. I usually here how the sun bear exhibit is basically a slightly larger grotto, though I disagree. I believe that the area as a whole is fantastic. Small like the bears that call it home, but it still does the handful of exhibits it has so well. The red-cheeked gibbon enclosure is planted beautifully and the gibbons are allowed to branchiate to great heights. I miss when there were lion-tailed macaques in here admittedly, but at least they chose a good species to replace them. The François langur exhibit(s) are almost just as great. Two vertically stunning round structures hold a charismatic group of the black monkeys that were swinging wild during my visit. They don't blend in quite as well as the previous gibbon exhibit but are still great in their own right. There's a small aviary will a handful of passerines inside that is basic but still good none the less. Now the sun bears are the main draw to the area, and I believe that their exhibit is very very good. Maybe not quite great, but very good. The bears are treated to big long logs and branches to climb around on and the exhibit is a pretty good size. The fact that its mostly concrete hinders it somewhat, but otherwise I think its a perfectly acceptable enclosure for the bears.
Now I wish I could say the same thing about Bear Canyon. Its almost connected to Sun Bear Forest but is no where near as good as the tropical bear and primate habitats. Several identical grottos make up average exhibits for a pair of grizzlies, an Andean bear, another sun bear, an African clawless otter and a snow leopard in a mesh covered grotto. They are all pretty ugly and basic for their inhabitants. They aren't completely awful but still stick out like a sour thumb when compared to other parts of the park. But you know what is completely awful? The four monkey crib cages that were erected After Sun Bear Forest was built. Seriously, these cages could very much so be the worst thing in the zoo and should be demolished immediately. If it were up to me and the money was there, I would extend Sun Bear Forest out this way. Create new exhibits for Indian rhinos, lion-tailed macaques, Asian small-clawed otters another primate, maybe a smaller aviary and replant the sun bear yard.
After I walked the incredibly steep hill back out to Australian Outback, I went to the other end of the park for the reptile building. I needed to get ahead in this reptile challenge from Jay and this was the perfect time to do it. I was searching through snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises and writing them down on my notepad one at a time. I ended missing about half of the reptile building however when I was distracted by an impressive Komodo dragons pacing in his indoor exhibit. One of my favorite reptiles is treated to a very good enclosure both inside and out. I never went back inside, but I still got a decent amount going through the series of outdoor reptile exhibits. I tallied pretty alright for the day and headed over to the children's zoo.
A good word to describe the children's zoo is average. The insect house? Average. The goat petting pen? Average. The otter pool? Average. The parrot exhibits? Average. The random building with rescue reptiles, more insects and naked mole rats? Average. The several cages scattered throughout home to animal ambassadors? Below average and very much ugly. I am ecstatic that the new Animal House will be starting construction later this year as it is desperately needed. These cages are home to miscellaneous mammals such as an ocelot, fennec fox, squirrel monkeys, fossa, tamandua and maybe a few others. Any good exhibits? Another wombat exhibit is fairly large. The former pangolin exhibit sits empty awaiting a replacement still. However, it was filled with dozens of plants so maybe something will happen here in the near future.
After that I decided to go see the movie Rio in the 4D theater...
Said no respected zoo enthusiast ever! Man I despise these theaters. Valuable money that could have gone to expanding Sun Bear Forest or fixing up the Children's zoo earlier on or including irrigation into EO or at least something that had to do with improving animal conditions! Easily the biggest sell-out move any zoo has ever pulled.
*Sigh* Well what I really did was I descended into the maze of plants and primates that is Monkey Trails...
@The_UltimateBea Yes the reptile pool in the aviary was filled.
To me, Sun Bear Forest feels like one of the most underrated exhibit areas at the zoo. I usually here how the sun bear exhibit is basically a slightly larger grotto, though I disagree. I believe that the area as a whole is fantastic. Small like the bears that call it home, but it still does the handful of exhibits it has so well. The red-cheeked gibbon enclosure is planted beautifully and the gibbons are allowed to branchiate to great heights. I miss when there were lion-tailed macaques in here admittedly, but at least they chose a good species to replace them. The François langur exhibit(s) are almost just as great. Two vertically stunning round structures hold a charismatic group of the black monkeys that were swinging wild during my visit. They don't blend in quite as well as the previous gibbon exhibit but are still great in their own right. There's a small aviary will a handful of passerines inside that is basic but still good none the less. Now the sun bears are the main draw to the area, and I believe that their exhibit is very very good. Maybe not quite great, but very good. The bears are treated to big long logs and branches to climb around on and the exhibit is a pretty good size. The fact that its mostly concrete hinders it somewhat, but otherwise I think its a perfectly acceptable enclosure for the bears.
Now I wish I could say the same thing about Bear Canyon. Its almost connected to Sun Bear Forest but is no where near as good as the tropical bear and primate habitats. Several identical grottos make up average exhibits for a pair of grizzlies, an Andean bear, another sun bear, an African clawless otter and a snow leopard in a mesh covered grotto. They are all pretty ugly and basic for their inhabitants. They aren't completely awful but still stick out like a sour thumb when compared to other parts of the park. But you know what is completely awful? The four monkey crib cages that were erected After Sun Bear Forest was built. Seriously, these cages could very much so be the worst thing in the zoo and should be demolished immediately. If it were up to me and the money was there, I would extend Sun Bear Forest out this way. Create new exhibits for Indian rhinos, lion-tailed macaques, Asian small-clawed otters another primate, maybe a smaller aviary and replant the sun bear yard.
After I walked the incredibly steep hill back out to Australian Outback, I went to the other end of the park for the reptile building. I needed to get ahead in this reptile challenge from Jay and this was the perfect time to do it. I was searching through snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises and writing them down on my notepad one at a time. I ended missing about half of the reptile building however when I was distracted by an impressive Komodo dragons pacing in his indoor exhibit. One of my favorite reptiles is treated to a very good enclosure both inside and out. I never went back inside, but I still got a decent amount going through the series of outdoor reptile exhibits. I tallied pretty alright for the day and headed over to the children's zoo.
A good word to describe the children's zoo is average. The insect house? Average. The goat petting pen? Average. The otter pool? Average. The parrot exhibits? Average. The random building with rescue reptiles, more insects and naked mole rats? Average. The several cages scattered throughout home to animal ambassadors? Below average and very much ugly. I am ecstatic that the new Animal House will be starting construction later this year as it is desperately needed. These cages are home to miscellaneous mammals such as an ocelot, fennec fox, squirrel monkeys, fossa, tamandua and maybe a few others. Any good exhibits? Another wombat exhibit is fairly large. The former pangolin exhibit sits empty awaiting a replacement still. However, it was filled with dozens of plants so maybe something will happen here in the near future.
After that I decided to go see the movie Rio in the 4D theater...
Said no respected zoo enthusiast ever! Man I despise these theaters. Valuable money that could have gone to expanding Sun Bear Forest or fixing up the Children's zoo earlier on or including irrigation into EO or at least something that had to do with improving animal conditions! Easily the biggest sell-out move any zoo has ever pulled.
*Sigh* Well what I really did was I descended into the maze of plants and primates that is Monkey Trails...
@The_UltimateBea Yes the reptile pool in the aviary was filled.
Don't be too hard on yourself. There were probably other factors as well.
Some comments on your San Diego review
I too saw an active Koala early in the day but when I went back later they were all sleeping.
My personal favourite part of Acacia Woodlands was the aviary. For me the Leopard exhibit was meh and the Vervet monkey exhibit was good but didn't hold my attention for long. The aviary however, I thought was brilliant and might have been the best part of Africa Rocks. I didn't mind that the birds were scarce a it was fun trying to spot them in their brilliant exhibit. By the way, on the higher level of the bird floor, did you spot the birds nesting in the rock wall? I thought that was pretty neat.
The waterfall is amazing and especially good at night when it lights up! I felt that the crocodile exhibit got somewhat overshined by the waterfall.
I too saw an active Koala early in the day but when I went back later they were all sleeping.
My personal favourite part of Acacia Woodlands was the aviary. For me the Leopard exhibit was meh and the Vervet monkey exhibit was good but didn't hold my attention for long. The aviary however, I thought was brilliant and might have been the best part of Africa Rocks. I didn't mind that the birds were scarce a it was fun trying to spot them in their brilliant exhibit. By the way, on the higher level of the bird floor, did you spot the birds nesting in the rock wall? I thought that was pretty neat.
The waterfall is amazing and especially good at night when it lights up! I felt that the crocodile exhibit got somewhat overshined by the waterfall.
1/3/18, Day 4: A Rocky Climax - Part III
Monkey Trails is a brilliant complex. Such a genius concept executed near flawlessly. Viewing active primates from 2 different levels is great as it can be. Combine the fact that its in the middle of a massive tropical rainforest, and you got yourself something fantastic. Mandrills, black mangabeys, colobus monkeys, wolf's monkeys, tufted capuchins and more all scattered around in massive mesh netting that surround the enclosures. Each of them can branchiate up to the top of their exhibits and its a great time to watch. Unfortunately, I regret to admit that I completely missed the pygmy hippo and crocodile enclosures. I was just in such a hurry to get through most of the zoo. Other than that, there is a babirusa exhibit on ground level that looked average at best. Otherwise his primate complex gets the thumbs up from me.
I then made it to the largest aviary in the park, Scripps! Its remarkable, really truly remarkable. Similar to Monkey Trails, its a multi leaved tropical paradise for dozens of free flight birds. There's crashing waterfalls surrounding beautiful plants. If there's one thing that the zoo does well its aviaries. The Scripps aviary, along with the Parker and Owens aviaries are simply superb. But it reality who really cares about just a bunch of birds? Why not just see a movie about a bunch of birds? Like RIO.
Jokes aside, it goes without saying that the Scripps aviary is beautiful. I could easily have spent the entire day in there.
Next up was Ituri Forest and this is another wonderful set of habitats. The highlight for me was the Nile hippo exhibit. The pool is massive and Otis, a male hippo followed me around the glass which was a treat to see. The land area is pretty small though, just like most hippo exhibits unfortunately. Right behind it was a forested exhibit for a trio of okapi as well as black duikers. The habitat is well shaded and makes a great panorama with the hippo exhibit. much more successful then when Dallas zoo tried something similar last year. After those two exhibits, there is a small little African village section with a snack bar and a gift stand that are immediately before an exceptional pair of habitats. both home to Allen's swamp monkeys, Schmidt’s red-tailed monkey and spot necked otters. One of which also has a raised land area for red river hogs. Its such a joy to watch these playful creatures interact in the environment. The metal fake trees are really quite an eyesore though in a otherwise excellent set of habitats.
After I reached out of the Lost Forest zone, I decided go up yet another steep hill and go to the Northern Frontier. I first saw all the hoofstock yards, ruminants of the much loved Horn and Hoofed Mesa. They are all average habitats with not a whole not to them. Species in each yard included, grevy's zebra and greater eland, less kudu and Speke's gazelle, yellow-backed duikers, a gerenuk, Cuvier's gazelle and chacoan peccaries. These yards are forgettable and could use a facelift. They are a pretty much identical, sand, some fake rock and few trees make up all that remains of the once famed ungulate collection.
Then I went across the street to polar bear plunge...
@TZDugong Well I suppose we can't agree on everything. Yes I did notice a few birds nestled in the rock walls.
Monkey Trails is a brilliant complex. Such a genius concept executed near flawlessly. Viewing active primates from 2 different levels is great as it can be. Combine the fact that its in the middle of a massive tropical rainforest, and you got yourself something fantastic. Mandrills, black mangabeys, colobus monkeys, wolf's monkeys, tufted capuchins and more all scattered around in massive mesh netting that surround the enclosures. Each of them can branchiate up to the top of their exhibits and its a great time to watch. Unfortunately, I regret to admit that I completely missed the pygmy hippo and crocodile enclosures. I was just in such a hurry to get through most of the zoo. Other than that, there is a babirusa exhibit on ground level that looked average at best. Otherwise his primate complex gets the thumbs up from me.
I then made it to the largest aviary in the park, Scripps! Its remarkable, really truly remarkable. Similar to Monkey Trails, its a multi leaved tropical paradise for dozens of free flight birds. There's crashing waterfalls surrounding beautiful plants. If there's one thing that the zoo does well its aviaries. The Scripps aviary, along with the Parker and Owens aviaries are simply superb. But it reality who really cares about just a bunch of birds? Why not just see a movie about a bunch of birds? Like RIO.
Jokes aside, it goes without saying that the Scripps aviary is beautiful. I could easily have spent the entire day in there.
Next up was Ituri Forest and this is another wonderful set of habitats. The highlight for me was the Nile hippo exhibit. The pool is massive and Otis, a male hippo followed me around the glass which was a treat to see. The land area is pretty small though, just like most hippo exhibits unfortunately. Right behind it was a forested exhibit for a trio of okapi as well as black duikers. The habitat is well shaded and makes a great panorama with the hippo exhibit. much more successful then when Dallas zoo tried something similar last year. After those two exhibits, there is a small little African village section with a snack bar and a gift stand that are immediately before an exceptional pair of habitats. both home to Allen's swamp monkeys, Schmidt’s red-tailed monkey and spot necked otters. One of which also has a raised land area for red river hogs. Its such a joy to watch these playful creatures interact in the environment. The metal fake trees are really quite an eyesore though in a otherwise excellent set of habitats.
After I reached out of the Lost Forest zone, I decided go up yet another steep hill and go to the Northern Frontier. I first saw all the hoofstock yards, ruminants of the much loved Horn and Hoofed Mesa. They are all average habitats with not a whole not to them. Species in each yard included, grevy's zebra and greater eland, less kudu and Speke's gazelle, yellow-backed duikers, a gerenuk, Cuvier's gazelle and chacoan peccaries. These yards are forgettable and could use a facelift. They are a pretty much identical, sand, some fake rock and few trees make up all that remains of the once famed ungulate collection.
Then I went across the street to polar bear plunge...
@TZDugong Well I suppose we can't agree on everything. Yes I did notice a few birds nestled in the rock walls.
The_UltimateBea
Well-Known Member
@pachyderm pro
I dont see any particular issue with the hoofstock yards. They are large, filled and well decorated enough. I would also have to disagree with you a little bit on Ituri Forest. I believe the lower yard is well enough but the upper yard seems a bit empty at times due to the death of Helen and the rare sightings of the otters. I love the hippo enclosure but I think the okapis are too difficult to view I would also completely echo your thoughts on monkey trail and the aviaries. There is almost nothing wrong with these areas.
I dont see any particular issue with the hoofstock yards. They are large, filled and well decorated enough. I would also have to disagree with you a little bit on Ituri Forest. I believe the lower yard is well enough but the upper yard seems a bit empty at times due to the death of Helen and the rare sightings of the otters. I love the hippo enclosure but I think the okapis are too difficult to view I would also completely echo your thoughts on monkey trail and the aviaries. There is almost nothing wrong with these areas.
I think Bongos would be a good replacement if San Diego doesn't get another Forest Buffalo. Maybe some Natal Red Duikers?
I agree that the monkey/otter/ Red River hog exhibits are exceptional and in my opinion are the best exhibits in the zoo. The interactions between species are enough to make these exhibits great, but the fact that the exhibits are large, grassy and have enough climbing opportunities for the monkeys is what really makes it special. I could've spent hours at those two exhibits alone!
1/3/18, Day 4: A Rocky Climax - Part IV
Polar Bear Plunge is a fine exhibit complex. The polar bear exhibit is one of the best of its kind in the country, beaten by only Detroit and Columbus. Its a large yard with sand rock and grass for the bears to walk on. Not to mention a long pool with great underwater viewing. The bear yard is very good, but its the exhibits next to it that bring it down. The reindeer yard is... weird. Its just really, really weird. Its on a hillside and the viewing is incredibly awkward. Its not even that bad but its just really strange to say the least. Its between two cages that seem out of place next to the modern polar bear yard. There's a average cage for arctic foxes and an abysmal cage for raccoons. However, another positive is the hidden gem that is the Arctic aviary. As small as it is, its a fantastic little place with a good collection of artic birds.
Then I walked down near the skyfari tram. There a decent exhibit for mara and a giant anteater that's a adjacent to the tram. Its a bit too small through. Then there is the new (2014) mountain lion enclosure. Its about the same size of the old exhibit, which is fine, but it adds better viewing angles and allows the duo of cats to climb much higher. Before the bridge, there is one final yard for a pair of maned wolves. Its lush and long if a bit narrow and is a fine exhibit. I then entered Elephant Odyssey, but then amiddiantly left and crossed over the massive new canopy brdge. Its fantastic! It makes travel from the prehistoric desert of EO to the lush jungle of Gorilla Tropics so much easier. It also provides an overhead view of the giant panda yards, which is a nice way to beat the line if you not that into them. I had a quick lunch at treetops café, admired the exceptional gorilla habitat for a couple minutes, and went back to the other end of the bridge.
Ah, Elephant Odyssey. I've been waiting to wright about this controversial exhibit complex ever since I planned this trip. Its something of a very strange exhibit area to say the least. It has the good, the bad and the ugly (Especially that last part) just like most zoo exhibits, but this exhibits opening somewhat marked the beginning of the dark ages for the San Diego zoo and Safari Park...
Around 2009 - 2013 are what I consider to be "The Dark Ages." This is when the zoo and safari park started to focus less on improving animal conditions and instead became much more commercial. The ghastly 4D theaters, the dismantlement of the monorail and the rise of paid for "safaris," the more kid friendly and less professional displays around the parks, and new attractions or exhibits being disappointing or even inferior to the old ones they replaced. The general public of course didn't care, but true zoo fanatics and fans of the parks took notice. The zoo needed to turn around and fast.
And they did.
The Australian Outback section (2013) is fantastic, the mountain lion exhibit (2014) is an improvement over the old one, Asian leopards (2015) have new ways to travel around the exhibit area, and Africa Rocks (2017) is the cherry on top of it all. And the Safari park opened Tiger Trail (2014) a large new tropical space for many more tigers then the previous, the African tram safari became free, and with the new Australian Walkabout coming this Summer and Asian field exhibits, which were cut from public access and forced people who wanted to see it to pay an additional fee, will be getting full public access once more in 2020 or so.
Anyways, Elephant Odyssey once again started the dark ages, so how does it hold up nearly 9 years later? Well, I came in and knew this had a very different atmosphere then the rest of the park. The exhibits lacked plants or any substrate other then sand for the most part, and the zoo is known for its lush furnishings in their exhibits. The pair of big cat exhibits are near identical in size, but one is clearly superior then the other. The lion exhibit is much too small, with its awful fake rocks and lack of any vegetation just to detract even more from it. The jaguars on the other hand, have great climbing opportunities, have plants all over the exhibit and even get access to the roof of the holding building. Both habitats suffer from mediocre indoor "dens" and a hideous cross view with passing busses but again, one is clearly better than the other.
Now the elephant yard(s) itself I feel doesn't get the discussion that its worth. Most people focus on the aforementioned cat exhibits or other paddocks in the area. Size wise, the exhibit is a little under three acres, which is perfectly adequate. However, its almost exclusively sand, with only a few patches of grass grown in near the edge of the yards. The enrichment is very fake looking and the "Elephant Care Center" is easily the most ugly buildings built any zoo in the past decade. The "utilitrees" have been discussed quite a bit in itself as well, so I'll keep this short. To reference my home zoo for a brief moment, I'm completely aware Brookfield got out elephants a little after EO opened as the yard was not adequate for a large herd. But one part that was good, the fake baobab tree that provided plenty of stimulating activities for the pachyderms, but actually looked realistic. If Brookfield zoo can pull this off decades ago, San Diego has not a single excuse why they can't either.
I also couldn't help but feel that it wasn't the same as it was the last time I saw it in 2015. Since then, three elephants have deceased do to age related illness. One of which, Ranchiper, was perhaps my favorite animal at the zoo. He had a fantastic set of tusks and was the third oldest male in North America at the time. I was devastated to hear he was euthanized back in 2016 (Seriously that was an awful year). In just didn't feel the quite the same without his presence.
Anyway, the rest of EO ranges from great, to uglier than dirt. The mixed species South American exhibits (Barid's tapir, capybara, guanaco) are decent even if their off exhibit building is atrocious to look at. Similarly, the dromedary camels and pronghorn had an all sand and fake rock yard that was a huge eyesore. The final really poor area was the domestic burro and horse stables. Completely awful. Its hard to comprehend that we went from rare exotic antelope, bovids and others in rocky but spacious yards, to farm domestics in a disgustingly ugly metal pen that looks right out of the 60's. That's to last truly unbearable part of EO. Luckily its all uphill from here.
The secretary bird exhibit is average at best if a bit small. The exhibit at the safari park is still much better. The streamside reptile exhibit is another hidden gem. Its a joy to try and locate some more reptiles for the North American zoochat challe-I mean for the cool and unique species, yeah. The rattlesnake terrarium is probably the best for all three species that I have seen. Southwestern speckled rattlesnake, Southern Pacific rattlesnake, and red diamond rattlesnake all have a lovely exhibit here and I saw all three species on exhibit. Finally, the California condor aviary is lovely and spacious. Not as good as the gorgous mountain aviary habitat at the Safari Park, but is still a close second and is was a real treat t see a condor fly straight through the entire space.
Sorry this has taken so long to write. I'll be finishing up Day 4 tonight and Day 5 as it is relatively short.
Polar Bear Plunge is a fine exhibit complex. The polar bear exhibit is one of the best of its kind in the country, beaten by only Detroit and Columbus. Its a large yard with sand rock and grass for the bears to walk on. Not to mention a long pool with great underwater viewing. The bear yard is very good, but its the exhibits next to it that bring it down. The reindeer yard is... weird. Its just really, really weird. Its on a hillside and the viewing is incredibly awkward. Its not even that bad but its just really strange to say the least. Its between two cages that seem out of place next to the modern polar bear yard. There's a average cage for arctic foxes and an abysmal cage for raccoons. However, another positive is the hidden gem that is the Arctic aviary. As small as it is, its a fantastic little place with a good collection of artic birds.
Then I walked down near the skyfari tram. There a decent exhibit for mara and a giant anteater that's a adjacent to the tram. Its a bit too small through. Then there is the new (2014) mountain lion enclosure. Its about the same size of the old exhibit, which is fine, but it adds better viewing angles and allows the duo of cats to climb much higher. Before the bridge, there is one final yard for a pair of maned wolves. Its lush and long if a bit narrow and is a fine exhibit. I then entered Elephant Odyssey, but then amiddiantly left and crossed over the massive new canopy brdge. Its fantastic! It makes travel from the prehistoric desert of EO to the lush jungle of Gorilla Tropics so much easier. It also provides an overhead view of the giant panda yards, which is a nice way to beat the line if you not that into them. I had a quick lunch at treetops café, admired the exceptional gorilla habitat for a couple minutes, and went back to the other end of the bridge.
Ah, Elephant Odyssey. I've been waiting to wright about this controversial exhibit complex ever since I planned this trip. Its something of a very strange exhibit area to say the least. It has the good, the bad and the ugly (Especially that last part) just like most zoo exhibits, but this exhibits opening somewhat marked the beginning of the dark ages for the San Diego zoo and Safari Park...
Around 2009 - 2013 are what I consider to be "The Dark Ages." This is when the zoo and safari park started to focus less on improving animal conditions and instead became much more commercial. The ghastly 4D theaters, the dismantlement of the monorail and the rise of paid for "safaris," the more kid friendly and less professional displays around the parks, and new attractions or exhibits being disappointing or even inferior to the old ones they replaced. The general public of course didn't care, but true zoo fanatics and fans of the parks took notice. The zoo needed to turn around and fast.
And they did.
The Australian Outback section (2013) is fantastic, the mountain lion exhibit (2014) is an improvement over the old one, Asian leopards (2015) have new ways to travel around the exhibit area, and Africa Rocks (2017) is the cherry on top of it all. And the Safari park opened Tiger Trail (2014) a large new tropical space for many more tigers then the previous, the African tram safari became free, and with the new Australian Walkabout coming this Summer and Asian field exhibits, which were cut from public access and forced people who wanted to see it to pay an additional fee, will be getting full public access once more in 2020 or so.
Anyways, Elephant Odyssey once again started the dark ages, so how does it hold up nearly 9 years later? Well, I came in and knew this had a very different atmosphere then the rest of the park. The exhibits lacked plants or any substrate other then sand for the most part, and the zoo is known for its lush furnishings in their exhibits. The pair of big cat exhibits are near identical in size, but one is clearly superior then the other. The lion exhibit is much too small, with its awful fake rocks and lack of any vegetation just to detract even more from it. The jaguars on the other hand, have great climbing opportunities, have plants all over the exhibit and even get access to the roof of the holding building. Both habitats suffer from mediocre indoor "dens" and a hideous cross view with passing busses but again, one is clearly better than the other.
Now the elephant yard(s) itself I feel doesn't get the discussion that its worth. Most people focus on the aforementioned cat exhibits or other paddocks in the area. Size wise, the exhibit is a little under three acres, which is perfectly adequate. However, its almost exclusively sand, with only a few patches of grass grown in near the edge of the yards. The enrichment is very fake looking and the "Elephant Care Center" is easily the most ugly buildings built any zoo in the past decade. The "utilitrees" have been discussed quite a bit in itself as well, so I'll keep this short. To reference my home zoo for a brief moment, I'm completely aware Brookfield got out elephants a little after EO opened as the yard was not adequate for a large herd. But one part that was good, the fake baobab tree that provided plenty of stimulating activities for the pachyderms, but actually looked realistic. If Brookfield zoo can pull this off decades ago, San Diego has not a single excuse why they can't either.
I also couldn't help but feel that it wasn't the same as it was the last time I saw it in 2015. Since then, three elephants have deceased do to age related illness. One of which, Ranchiper, was perhaps my favorite animal at the zoo. He had a fantastic set of tusks and was the third oldest male in North America at the time. I was devastated to hear he was euthanized back in 2016 (Seriously that was an awful year). In just didn't feel the quite the same without his presence.
Anyway, the rest of EO ranges from great, to uglier than dirt. The mixed species South American exhibits (Barid's tapir, capybara, guanaco) are decent even if their off exhibit building is atrocious to look at. Similarly, the dromedary camels and pronghorn had an all sand and fake rock yard that was a huge eyesore. The final really poor area was the domestic burro and horse stables. Completely awful. Its hard to comprehend that we went from rare exotic antelope, bovids and others in rocky but spacious yards, to farm domestics in a disgustingly ugly metal pen that looks right out of the 60's. That's to last truly unbearable part of EO. Luckily its all uphill from here.
The secretary bird exhibit is average at best if a bit small. The exhibit at the safari park is still much better. The streamside reptile exhibit is another hidden gem. Its a joy to try and locate some more reptiles for the North American zoochat challe-I mean for the cool and unique species, yeah. The rattlesnake terrarium is probably the best for all three species that I have seen. Southwestern speckled rattlesnake, Southern Pacific rattlesnake, and red diamond rattlesnake all have a lovely exhibit here and I saw all three species on exhibit. Finally, the California condor aviary is lovely and spacious. Not as good as the gorgous mountain aviary habitat at the Safari Park, but is still a close second and is was a real treat t see a condor fly straight through the entire space.
Sorry this has taken so long to write. I'll be finishing up Day 4 tonight and Day 5 as it is relatively short.