The World's 50 Greatest Zoo Exhibits

snowleopard

snowleopard

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The latest issue of Zoo Grapevine magazine has a mouth-watering list of the world's 50 greatest zoo exhibits (in no particular order). Like all lists it is highly subjective and yet there are many truly wonderful exhibits profiled in 11 intriguing pages. It is by no means an exhaustive list and there could easily be another 50 exhibits added that are also extremely impressive. There were many seasoned zoo-visiting veterans that contributed to the creation of the top 50 list. They include but are not confined to: Tim Brown, Mike Grayson, John Tuson, Alan Ashby, Sam Whitbread, Rob Vaughan, Jonas Livet, Scott Richardson (that is me), Doug Richardson (no relation), Herman Reichenbach, Ken Kawata, Anthony Sheridan and Dr. Bernhard Blaszkiewitz.

The World’s 50 Greatest Zoo Exhibits:

The Aquarium - Zoo Berlin (Germany)
Hippo House - Zoo Berlin (Germany)
Antelope House - Zoo Berlin (Germany)
Alfred Brehm House - Tierpark Berlin (Germany)
Camel Meadows - Tierpark Berlin (Germany)
African Panorama - Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany)
Eismeer (Arctic Panorama) - Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany)
Colobus Walk-Through - Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany)
Elephant Exhibit - Heidelberg Zoo (Germany)
Chimpanzee Exhibit - Osnabruck Zoo (Germany)
Gondwanaland - Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
Kiwara Savannah - Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
Pongoland - Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
White Wagtail Exhibit (Exotarium) - Frankfurt Zoo (Germany)
Grzimek House - Frankfurt Zoo (Germany)
Ape House - Kolner Zoo (Germany)
Rio Negro - Zoo Duisburg (Germany)
Penguin Exhibit - Emmen Zoo (The Netherlands)
Dolphin Delta - Harderwijk (The Netherlands)
Burgers’ Desert - Burgers’ Zoo (The Netherlands)
Masoala Rainforest - Zurich Zoo (Switzerland)
The Arctic Ring - Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark)
Maria Theresia Pavilion - Tiergarten Schonbrunn (Austria)
Spotted Hyena Exhibit - Beauval Zoo (France)
Black Rhinos - Doue-la-Fontaine (France)
Siberian Aviary - Plzen Zoo (Czech. Rep.)
Children’s Zoo - Skansen Zoo (Sweden)
The Great Rock - Budapest Zoo (Hungary)
Rock Hyrax Exhibit - Edinburgh Zoo (UK - Scotland)
Drive-Through Section - Highland Wildlife Park (UK - Scotland)
Brown Bear Enclosure - Whipsnade Zoo (UK - England)
Giant Otter Exhibit - Chester Zoo (UK – England)

Mouse House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Aquatic Bird House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Congo Gorilla Forest - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Penguin Encounter - SeaWorld, San Diego (USA)
Lost Forest: Monkey Trails - San Diego Zoo (USA)
Elephants of Asia - Los Angeles Zoo (USA)
Amphibiville - Detroit Zoo (USA)
Africa: Chimpanzees - Kansas City Zoo (USA)
Grizzly Bear Exhibit - Woodland Park Zoo (USA)
CHINA - Memphis Zoo (USA)
Migratory Songbird Aviary - Columbus Zoo (USA)
Ocean Voyager - Georgia Aquarium (USA)
MOLA - Fort Worth Zoo (USA)
Kingdoms of the Night - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo (USA)
Seabird Aviary/Aquarium - Alaska SeaLife Center (USA)

Flying Squirrel Walk-Through - Singapore Night Safari (Singapore)
Tuna Tank - Tokyo Sea Life Park (Japan)
Nocturnal House - Alice Springs Desert Park (Australia)

A breakdown:

Germany = 17
USA = 15
UK = 4 (two each from England & Scotland)
The Netherlands = 3
France = 2
Sweden = 1
Czech. Rep. = 1
Austria = 1
Denmark = 1
Switzerland = 1
Hungary = 1
Singapore = 1
Japan = 1
Australia = 1
 
I'll be interested to hear what our European Zoochat brethren thinks of the Europe list.

I think that this is an interesting and thoughtful list of American zoo exhibits. The only exhibits there that puzzle me are the Bronx Zoo's Mouse House and Aquatic Bird House, which I remember as being decent but not spectacular. The exhibits I would add to that list are Disney's African savanna, Monterey's kelp forest and/or deep ocean tank, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum's "Life On The Rocks" and/or coati exhibit, and the San Diego Wild Animal Park field exhibits for their sheer scope.

Thanks for posting the list, snowleopard, and thanks to the panel for putting it together.
 
The penguin exhibit in Emmen will be redesigned into a hippo enclosure for the new zoo and the penguins already have been moved out, so technically that exhibit doesn't exsist anymore.

For me I wouldn't put the Alfred Brehm haus in the list same for the rock in Budapest. In the first I would like more space for the animals and the second is nice but not outstanding in my view.
 
I have seen all the exhibits listed, except the ones at Budapest Zoo, Alaska SeaLife Center and Memphis Zoo.

Overall the list is good and there are some great exhibits listed, but a few don't really belong on the list and a few others are missing. The Maria Theresia Pavilion in Schönbrunn is an exceptional pierce of historical architecture, but not really an animal exhibit (some might argue that the restaurant visitors count, but I'm not entirely convinced ;) ). The list is also somewhat Eurocentric and misses a few exhibits in "less famous zoos". As examples of missing North American exhibits, Bronx's Baboon Reserve clearly belongs on the list. Although Leipzig's Kiwara Savannah is good, it doesn't match the top savannah exhibits in the US. As example of exhibits at "less famous zoos" that are missing, the polar bear exhibit at Orsa Björnpark is an easy choice, and I'd place Givskud Zoo's giant otter exhibit above Chester's that is on the list.
The inclusion of three aquaria is perhaps also somewhat questionable. I doubt anyone would argue with the inclusion of Georgia's Ocean Voyager, but I'm less convinced about the other two: Berlin's Aquarium is an entire aquarium (not really one exhibit); in fairness they do have a freshwater fish collection where very few aquaria even come close. The Tuna Tank in Tokyo Sea Life Park is also quite impressive. However, if these two are included, there are a few other that are notably absent such as Amazon Rising (Shedd) and Kelp Forest (Monterey Bay).

However, the above is mostly nit-picking and it will always be a matter of personal taste. For the most part I agree entirely with the list and it includes several very impressive exhibits.
 
I cannot see why the walkthrough colobus exhibit in Munster is better than Burgers Bush. I wonder why the Alfred Brehmhaus is on that list too and the wagtail exhibit in Frankfurt. Yes that exhibit is nice, but not great... And if Osnabrucks chimpanzee exhibit is on that list, why not the gorillas in Apenheul. I do not understand many of the german entries, although some make perfect sense, but else the European exhibits are in place I would say...
 
Also have some comments on the list :
I would prefer Burgers Bush and Burgers Ocean above Burgers Desert.
Also strange is that not a single Butterfly exibit is mentioned in the list and I surely would place Emmens butterfly hall and the huge butterfly freeflight at Xcaret ( Mexico ) on the list.
Also the missing of any exibit from Apenheul and not a single Belgium exibit ( both Antwerp and Pairi Daiza have world class exibits ) is strange.
 
Can you (or anybody else) expand on the white wagtail exhibit in Frankfurt? It's the only exhibit that I have never in my life heard about (though I have heard of the Exotarium). First off, I can't imagine white wagtails being very interesting to most visitors. They are rather common in Europe, after all, and can be seen in the wild everywhere...
Also, while you probably could build a decent exhibit/aviary, I just can't imagine how it would be large and spectacular, maybe even breath-taking, like the others on the list. Alright, Mouse House and Aquatic Bird House weren't anything unusual in terms of size and exhibit quality, but they had really nice collections, and having whole houses for only rodents (and a few other small mammals) and aquatic birds is quite unique.

So... someone enlighten me, please?
 
Mouse House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Aquatic Bird House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Congo Gorilla Forest - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Penguin Encounter - SeaWorld, San Diego (USA)
Lost Forest: Monkey Trails - San Diego Zoo (USA)
Elephants of Asia - Los Angeles Zoo (USA)
Amphibiville - Detroit Zoo (USA)
Africa: Chimpanzees - Kansas City Zoo (USA)
Grizzly Bear Exhibit - Woodland Park Zoo (USA)
CHINA - Memphis Zoo (USA)
Migratory Songbird Aviary - Columbus Zoo (USA)
Ocean Voyager - Georgia Aquarium (USA)
MOLA - Fort Worth Zoo (USA)
Kingdoms of the Night - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo (USA)
Seabird Aviary/Aquarium - Alaska SeaLife Center (USA)

Ok, how are these exhibits when more than one enclosure is involved? And whoever voted for CHINA should be... I have nothing nice to say. Bronx other than CGF, why? LA Elephants, is great regardless of the bad press. Billy runs his barn and can go and do whatever he feels. MOLA overall, shouldn't get the nod. Gharial River, is the best. I don't care for some of the smaller exhibits. The indoor Komodo Dragon exhibit is.... small. Outdoor Komodo Dragon is great, as it shows well. Everyone else puts them in tropical settings, no clue why. Have yet to get to Alaska SeaLife Center, but that aviary alone is why I want to go. I don't care for birds, but Puffins <3. And why didn't Asia Trails at SNZ get a nod? The Giant Panda enclosures alone are excellent!
 
The World's 50 Greatest Zoo Exhibits? A selection by Independent Zoo Enthusiasts?
Given such a pretentious claim I would at least have expected an explanation how a balanced judgement among the many contributors (veterans) to the list could be achieved.
Maybe the list is part of an article with more information?
 
Taisha said:
Maybe the list is part of an article with more information?
Click to expand...

Considering the opening post said the following (bold for emphasis) I would assume it is!

snowleopard said:
Like all lists it is highly subjective and yet there are many truly wonderful exhibits profiled in 11 intriguing pages. It is by no means an exhaustive list and there could easily be another 50 exhibits added that are also extremely impressive.
Click to expand...

As for my own opinion of the list, it is somewhat tempered by the fact I have only seen the four UK exhibits - that said, I'll be visiting Berlin and Leipzig in April, so I'll hopefully have more to say on my opinions of the exhibits highlighted then.

Of the four UK exhibits highlighted, I certainly agree with three of them - not so sure about the Whipsnade enclosure as (great though it is) I would not call it one of the four best exhibits in the UK. I would possibly substitute the walk-through aviaries at Living Coasts.
 
Hvedekorn: The Frankfurt wagtail exhibit is essentially an aquarium with local fish and an aviary above. Interesting and quite unusual, but arguably doesn't belong on the list.

Gulo gulo: Georgia's Ocean Voyager is one "enclosure", but I do see your point on the remaining. However, if you use this very strict definition of "1 enclosure = 1 exhibit", you can disregard most of the entries in the list.
 
I have only visited UK zoos in the past few years, but I consider the UK selections to be only half right.
I like the HWP drive-through areas, which suit their stock and blend well with the spectacular countryside surrounding the park. I would not disagree with the choice of the giant otter exhibit at Chester, which was developed from the old sea lion pool plus a new house with indoor viewing.
I assume the hyrax exhibit at Edinburgh is the current one, this is an old outdoor enclosure which formerly held Barbary apes (and I would not be surprised if it had held other species previously): it is large and quite picturesque - but it is also exposed and the indoor area has no viewing and looks to be pretty basic (unless it has been redeveloped since I visited 2 years ago). I believe that the brown bear enclosure at Whipsnade is one of the original exhibits at the park, which makes it about 80 years old, so it is historic and it has very mature planting. The only change that I have seen in the past 40 years is the addition of a small viewing window in one corner; this modified a small section of the thick iron bars, with overhanging spikes, across the end of the enclosure beside the road round the park. There is good viewing from the raised pathway along the side of the enclosure and it is very large, but I don't think it is as good as Chester's spectacled bear enclosure for example.

Alan
 
I have more or less the same opinion as @condor. And I wonder, which criterias/parameters has been chosen for that list (and which came first), e.g. immersion impression, animal needs, historical design, size, breeding successes, popularity, functionality etc.

So overall I agree with:

Hippo House - Zoo Berlin (Germany)
African Panorama - Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany)
Eismeer (Arctic Panorama) - Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany)
Gondwanaland - Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
Kiwara Savannah - Leipzig Zoo (Germany) IF YOU COUNT ONLY THOSE VISIBLE BY FOOT
Pongoland - Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
Grzimek House - Frankfurt Zoo (Germany)
Dolphin Delta - Harderwijk (The Netherlands) TOGETHER with the Dolphin Exhibit in Sea World Surfers Paradise (Australia)
Burgers’ Desert - Burgers’ Zoo (The Netherlands)
Masoala Rainforest - Zurich Zoo (Switzerland)
Black Rhinos - Doue-la-Fontaine (France) TOGETHER with Africambo, Zoo Magdeburg (Germany)
Mouse House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Aquatic Bird House - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Congo Gorilla Forest - Bronx Zoo (USA)
Penguin Encounter - SeaWorld, San Diego (USA)
Amphibiville - Detroit Zoo (USA) TOGETHER with the Amphibian House (Vivarium) in Chemnitz (Germany)
Grizzly Bear Exhibit - Woodland Park Zoo (USA)
CHINA - Memphis Zoo (USA)
Ocean Voyager - Georgia Aquarium (USA)
MOLA - Fort Worth Zoo (USA)
Flying Squirrel Walk-Through - Singapore Night Safari (Singapore)
and maybe Seabird Aviary/Aquarium - Alaska SeaLife Center (USA) (never been there)
and
Tuna Tank - Tokyo Sea Life Park (Japan) (never been there)

while to mention the
White Wagtail Exhibit (Exotarium) - Frankfurt Zoo (Germany)
seems to be not really serious to me.

I would cancel the others and replace them (or ad):

African Savannah BY CAR/TRAIN/TRAM - Kilimandjaro Safaris, Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA)
Spectacled Bear - Mist/Fogy Forest Exhibit, Zoo Zurich (Switzerland)
Pantanal - Zoo Zurich (Switzerland)
African Elephants - Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA) TOGETHER with Dallas Zoo (USA) and Watami Graslands, North Carolina Zoo Asheboro (USA)
Asian Elephants - Elephants of Asia, Singapore Zoo (Singapore)
Coral Reef - Burgers Ocean (Netherlands) TOGETHER with Aquarium Townsville (Australia)
Kelp Forest - Monterrey Bay Aquarium (USA)
Tigers - Tiger Mountain, Bronx Zoo N.Y. (USA) TOGETHER with Maharaja Jungle Trek, Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA)
Giant Otter - Amazon and Beyond, Zoo Miami (USA)
Building with Animals from differnt tropical regions - Burger's Bush, Burger's Zoo Arnhem (Netherlands)
Polar Bears - Tundra Trek, Toronto Zoo (Canada)
Bonobos - Animal Park Planckendael (Belgium)
Condors - Zoo Berlin (Germany)
Invertebrates - Cincinnati Zoo (USA) together with National Zoo Washington (USA)
Free Flight Aviary (not Raptors) - Wings of Asia, Zoo Miami (USA)
Free Flight Aviary (Raptors) - Raptor Canyon, Bioparc Doué-la-Fontaine (France)
Butterflies - Butterfly Dome, Papillorama Kerzers (Switzerland)
Chimpanzees - Arnhem Zoo (Netherlands) TOGETHER with Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, Los Angeles Zoo (USA)
Baboons - Baboon Reserve, Bronx Zoo N.Y. (USA)
Sharks - Shark Bay, Sea World Surfers Paradise (Australia)
North America (Streamside) - North Carolina Zoo (USA)
Australian Fauna - Creatures of the Wolemi, Taronga Zoo Sydney (Australia)
Sloth Bear/Monkey Combo - Zoo Leipzig (Germany)
Alaska Theme - Alaska, Zoom Gelsenkirchen (Germany), the whole area
Tides/Wadding Birds - Tide Exhibit Allwetterzoo Muenster (Germany) TOGETHER with Erlebniszoo Hannover (Germany).
and some others I can't remenber at the moment.

As said, it's mostly personal taste. So no claim for general validity...:)
 
snowleopard said:
A breakdown:

Germany = 17
USA = 15
UK = 4 (two each from England & Scotland)
The Netherlands = 3
France = 2
Sweden = 1
Czech. Rep. = 1
Austria = 1
Denmark = 1
Switzerland = 1
Hungary = 1
Singapore = 1
Japan = 1
Australia = 1
Click to expand...

Perhaps the title is a bit presumptuous. Is Australia and Asia so unworthy of inclusion?
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Considering the opening post said the following (bold for emphasis) I would assume it is!
Click to expand...

Sorry, you missed my question.
There are many truly wonderful exhibits profiled in 11 intriguing pages.

If I understand this right, here the exhibits are introduced , but there is perhaps no explanation how exactly the voting was done in the first place. For me a crucial part in the value of the whole list.

Unfortunately I couldn't find access to the paper.
 
Taisha said:
Sorry, you missed my question.
There are many truly wonderful exhibits profiled in 11 intriguing pages.

If I understand this right, here the exhibits are introduced , but there is perhaps no explanation how exactly the voting was done in the first place. For me a crucial part in the value of the whole list.
Click to expand...

snowleopard said:
They include but are not confined to: Tim Brown, Mike Grayson, John Tuson, Alan Ashby, Sam Whitbread, Rob Vaughan, Jonas Livet, Scott Richardson (that is me), Doug Richardson (no relation), Herman Reichenbach, Ken Kawata, Anthony Sheridan and Dr. Bernhard Blaszkiewitz.
Click to expand...

Why not ask Snowleopard?
 
Taisha said:
Unfortunately I couldn't find access to the paper.
Click to expand...

It's an article in the quarterly newsletter of the Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society, Zoo Grapevine, and as such would be obtained by joining said society.

Which reminds me, I keep meaning to do so!
 
The opening sentence of the article states this: "perhaps the above heading should come with a question mark at the end, as we do not claim our listing to be definitive." Folks are asking for more information from me but I already spent time typing up the entire list of 50 exhibits and there are 11 packed pages of information and photos in the
Zoo Grapevine that offer a lot of explanations. People should simply order a subscription and they'd get 40 pages of zoo reviews (including Copenhagen in the new issue), book reviews and various other delights.

In regards to the list of 50 there is a series of well-seasoned zoo-going veterans who contributed to the total. I'm on that list but I'm "small fry" in comparison to some of the much more esteemed individuals who helped to compile the grand 50. Like all lists, as I stated in my opening statement on this thread, it is highly subjective. I'd like to think that most zoo nerds would agree with around 50% of the exhibits and then debate the other 50%.

As someone who has visited a vast number of American zoos I'd like to see Giants of the Savanna (Dallas Zoo), Russia's Grizzly Coast (Minnesota Zoo), Asia Trail (National Zoo) and many other great exhibits make the list. North Carolina has an entire zoo full of wonderful enclosures, including a 7-acre elephant paddock. Hogle Zoo is not well known but Asian Highlands is a feline treasure house. I could go on all day, from a trio at Denver Zoo (Primate Panorama, Toyota Elephant Passage, Predator Ridge) to a couple of terrific South American zones in Florida (Range of the Jaguar and Amazon & Beyond).

Take the list for what it is: a nice mixture of obviously great exhibits and a few that might raise eyebrows around the world.:) Then, go to the bank and make a withdrawal as it is time to see them all!
 
The biggest exclusions for me are (not necessarily in this order):

1) Kilamanjaro Safari - Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA)
2) Burger's Bush -- Burger's Zoo (Netherlands)
3) Lied Jungle -- Omaha (USA)
4) Safari -- Kolmarden Djurpark (Sweden)
5) Green Pyramid -- Sosto (Hungary)
6) Manatee House/Dolphin Lagoon -- Nuremburg (Germany)
7) Elephant House -- Copenhagen (Denmark)
8) Grand South American Aviary -- Doue la Fontaine (France)
9) Giant Panda exhibit area -- Beauval (France)
10) Tropen-Aquarium -- Hagenbeck (Germany)
11) Yukon Bay -- Hannover (Germany)
12) Jungle Palace -- Hannover (Germany)
13) City of Antiquities -- Amersfoort (Netherlands)
14) Alaska -- Zoom Erlebniswelt (Germany)
15) Afrika -- Zoom Erlebniswelt (Germany)
16) Bosc Equatorial/Kitum Cave -- Bioparc Valencia (Spain)
17) Sabana -- Bioparc Valencia (Spain)
18) Louisiana Swamp -- Audubon/New Orleans (USA)
19) Range of the Jaguar -- Jacksonville (USA)
20) Giants of Savanna/Wilds of Africa -- Dallas (USA)
 
What's hard about making any such list is how to define where an "exhibit" ends. I personally look at big continuous areas as one big exhibit. For example, I consider the entire "Africa' area of the Kansas City Zoo as one exibit, and we thus rated that big area as the #3-rated exhibit in the entire USA in our 2008 book. But the above list carves out the Chimpanzee exhibit out of this area and puts it on the list.

Similarly, I regard Nuremberg's Manatee House & Dolphin Lagoon as one continuous exhibit area, and the same with Dallas' Giants of Savanna & Wilds of Africa. I suspect that others would disagree with my logic on these.

To me, however, the biggest flaw to the above list is the complete exclusion of Disney's Animal Kingdom, and its excellent Kilamanjaro Safari adventure.
 
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