The "Small-Zoo" Charm

Leaf Productions

Leaf Productions

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
In my travels, I've been to quite a number of different zoos, aquariums, animal parks and the like, and one thing I cannot seem to shake is the appeal I have for the "Small Zoo" charm.

Within my small circle of fellow zoo fans, we often find ourselves in heated debates about whether or not that the "Small-Zoo" Charm has validity when you live next to a super-zoo, such as Bronx Zoo or the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

Having come from Rhode Island, and having Roger Williams Park Zoo within short distance of me, I would consider myself quite lucky to have an incredible institution not too far from me, but time and time again I find myself captivated by much smaller zoos and parks. Today, I was able to quickly visit Capron Park Zoo before I had to drive to Boston, and I am so happy to take such a small detour for a digestible zoo. I was able to do the job within 40 minutes, taking my time at that, and I was out of there after I checked up on a few other habitats. It was a quick endeavor that I usually do every month or so, and it's nice to get to know the animals personally, the staff, and the like. Of course, it's nothing compared to experiencing a zoo for the first time, but it has a bit of charm going back and visiting the small stomping grounds once again.

What do you all think of the Small-Zoo charm? Have you experienced it yourselves? Do let me hear from you all, because I've become struck with love for these smaller facilities.
 
I think the South Carolina Aquarium is such a placw with small zoo charm. I enjoyed having a walk from my aunt's office to the aquarium. If I had to work at Charleston SC, then I would probablt visit the aquarium frequently during lunch breaks since it seems close within walking or biking distance.
 
Patrick "Leaf" O'Brien said:
What do you all think of the Small-Zoo charm? Have you experienced it yourselves? Do let me hear from you all, because I've become struck with love for these smaller facilities.
Click to expand...

Wellington Zoo is the smallest of New Zealand’s four main zoos at 13ha in size. It’s a great zoo with tigers, cheetahs, sun bears, chimpanzees, giraffes and many smaller species.

Growing up, this was (and still is) one of my favourite zoos. Built in 1906, there was a rich history behind it. I enjoyed watching the sun bears in remodelled century old bear pits (currently being remodelled again for Snow leopards); the meerkat exhibit built from the remnants of the elephant pool; the old elephant house, with the walls filled with zoo history and information; and the baboon troop, who had expanded at Wellington Zoo over several generations.

Like you mentioned @Patrick "Leaf" O'Brien, a small zoo allows you to get to know the animals well. I was excited to see Cantic - one of the founders of Australasia’s Sumatran tiger population, the chimps who I all knew by name etc.
 
EmmettTheOtter said:
The Stone Zoo also has that small zoo charm. It's not as crowded as the Franklin Park Zoo and has more unusual species. It's quite small but still feels big enough for adults to fully enjoy.
Click to expand...
And yet Stone Zoo is about three times the size of Capron Park or Buttonwood Park Zoos.

I'm also a big fan of small zoos, and find them enjoyable to visit, especially when they focus on species not commonly kept by larger zoos. Really I think the perfect size for a zoo is one that takes 1-3 hours to see everything, as it isn't too overwhelming but still has a good variety of animals/exhibits.
 
Reef HQ definitely has this. Although they do have a very large central tank, the facility itself is not that large. Looking forward to it reopening in 2023! (it is closed currently for refurbishments)
 
There are a few small zoos/conservation centres with rare species in the UK such as Shaldon Wildlife Trust, Axe Valley Wildlife Park, Crocodiles Of The World and Hemsley Conservation Centre that definitely qualify.

There’s a very different feeling when visiting a big zoo with megafauna, expensive exhibits and loads of species to a quaint little place that takes less than an hour even if you spend a lot of time.
 
In the Netherlands ZooParc Overloon is not super big I say, about 20 acres.
It has a very humble atmosphere yet not a low standard/quality compared to some other small zoos in the Netherlands such as Depaay...
It's cousin in Leeuwarden, AquaZoo Friesland, is also in similar quality. A lovely park with atmosphere. This zoo is about 10 acres.


Zie-Zoo is also a small zoo that I like to follow more closely since my visit this summer.
While it isn't anything special in quality of the exhibits, the newer built stuff all looks great but the older complexes are like a thorn to the zoos image I say.
Their collection in the Netherlands also stands out by having a few more rarer species not found elsewhere in the country or even rare in Europe as a whole.
They also do a very good job at progressing I think and definitely in 15 or so years I think it gets to fruition to become a great small zoological facility.
Zie-Zoo is about 5 acres in size.

The other Dutch small zoos I never really have had the chances to visit yet.

I've heard good things about Klein Costa Rica, De Orchideeënhoeve and Reptielenhuis de Aarde.


About the ''Small-zoo'' charm.

I like small zoos and how they are built up.
However I am not really a fan of seeing primates in metal cages in American road-side fashion.
Now I am very thankful that the Netherlands doesn't really have any of these zoos.
(Although Depaay isn't too much better)
 
My home zoo is the Greensboro Science Center. It is definitely considered a small zoo. Being located only 45 minutes from the NC Zoo (A massive 500 acre park) it is often over looked. But I do prefer going there then going to the NC Zoo because I don't have to walk more then 5 miles to see everything (Literally, the NC Zoo has more then 5 miles of paths) therefore I don't have to be there from opening till closing and I didn't get to spend as much time at each exhibit that I wanted too (I could spend hours watching some animals). This might just be Center, but they focus more on smaller and rarer animals and can give them bigger exhibits than a lot of zoos would give them. Also I feel like that with the smaller zoos you can have a closer connection to the animals than you can with a mega zoo, because there aren't as many species and since it takes a shorter amount of time to go through it, you can visit more frequently.
 
I may have bias for there since I worked there but Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo does a good job at being Gainesville’s local zoo. It is a nice place to blow off steam for college students as well (especially for SF students who have free entry.)


And while this zoo may be controversial because of Hanako the elephant, the Inokashira zoo also looks like a wholesome small zoo (I have never been there). While it may disappoint fans of megafauna, this zoo is home to many species of endemic wildlife along with some cute small mammals which I think is more than enough for people who are stuck in a giant metropolis. The zoo is also home to an art museum as well.
 
In think the same about small zoos as you do @Patrick "Leaf" O'Brien .I really like to visit small zoos because it's not really big and you can learn more about it and visit once if you have some time. I really like small parks and therefore I like Monde Sauvage (Belgium), Pakawi Park (Belgium) and Mondo Verde (Netherlands). Of course I also like the bigger, more famous zoos like the Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) and the Rotterdam Zoo (Netherlands) but I like these little parks just as much and hope to visit more in the future.
 
I usually go up to Duluth every year, and when up there, I always go and visit the Lake Superior Zoo, a small, quiet zoo in a suburban neighborhood in the city. Their collection isn’t very big, with not many rarities (other than Chinese Goral, Large-Spotted Genet, & until recently, Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine), and none of the exhibits are ground-breaking, but it’s quite good for what it is.
The zoo recently opened their most substantial new exhibit in two decades, that being Bear Country, a renovation of the Polar Shores, an Arctic-themed complex that was partially destroyed in the 2012 flood. It’s nothing incredible, but a major addition for the zoos size.
 
Another nice thing about small zoos is that I like to see everything in a zoo at least twice when visiting if possible. Or sometimes even five or six times like my recent Buttonwood visit with @Dyl0526. Unfortunately seeing exhibits in the zoo twice wouldn't be an option if the zoo is too large.
 
Neil chace said:
And yet Stone Zoo is about three times the size of Capron Park or Buttonwood Park Zoos.
Click to expand...

On google maps, a measurement of the zoo itself (not including the parking lot and undeveloped area) is only about 10 acres. The same measurement of Capron Park places it at 5.5 acres.
 
EmmettTheOtter said:
On google maps, a measurement of the zoo itself (not including the parking lot and undeveloped area) is only about 10 acres. The same measurement of Capron Park places it at 5.5 acres.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I guess if you don't include undeveloped area/how big the wolf exhibit is, it's not *that* much bigger than Capron. I mean for any of the zoos I've heard multiple different sizes claimed for them, so I guess it's all in how you measure it.
 
I believe the Abeline Zoo has a bit of a small zoo charm to it. Opened in 1966, and a member of the AZA since 1985; the Abilene zoo sits at a cozy 16-acres (6.5-hectares) it is easy to explore the whole park in a short 1-2 hours (although this can be extended if you attend any demonstrations). The zoo is home to over 250 species of animal including many famous species such as African lions, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, American alligators, Caribbean flamingos, ring-tailed lemurs, and jaguars as well as several lesser-known animals such as tayra, guanaco, Patagonian cavy, and ring-tail cat. The zoo is constantly expanding with its newest exhibit being Journey to Madagascar which opened on April 10, 2021. A few other exhibits include Elm Creek Backyard, an exhibit focusing on native Texas wildlife, Africa, South America, Caribbean Cove, Wetlands of the Americas, and Nakuru Lagoon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top