Denver Zoo Thoughts on the Future of The Denver Zoo

[ThatOneZooGuy]

Howdy Folks, being Colorado born and raised, and a huge zoo enthusiast, I’ve thus been to the Denver Zoo easily over 50 times. As of late however, I’ve noticed something. Now don’t get me wrong, Denver will always hold a special place in my heart, but recently it’s lost a large amount of it’s glamour and awe. I notice the collection slowly shrinking, and it seems that day by day, the classic zoo that I once knew is fading into something unrecognizable from 3 years back. I understand the entire Master Plan process, and am inevitably excited to see the end result as I’ve looked into it greatly, however it seems unnecessary steps are being taken with the Zoo. For example, Harmony Hill, a large disappointment in my opinion is nowhere on the master plan, and neither is the 4D theater that never changes showings. My point is, I feel that Denver is at a fork in the road. This Master Plan renovation could take it beyond the stars in glory, or place it amongst the most bland of zoos in the US. So I’m curious to hear your guys’ thoughts. Will Denver suffer or prosper, because I don’t feel like driving an hour to Cheyenne Mountain whenever I want to go to the zoo. (Though Cheyenne Mountain is great and might be worth it lol).

 

[NSU42]

Never been to Denver so I can't really say much about how it's changing, but I will say most zoos are downsizing collections and moving away from the "classic" zoo. Zoos in general are downsizing the size of their collections to free up space and provide better quality of exhibits to the ones they keep. The days of keeping as many animals as possible are gone as we realize that's not the best way to keep these animals and conserve them. That being said, maybe you could elaborate on what you mean by the classic zoo is disappearing? Is this in terms of them getting rid of old enclosures or exhibits in general? Zoos are modernizing, thats about all I can say there. The old style grottoes for large carnivores are just that, old and not really the best way to show and exhibit them. Also, how is Harmony Hill a disappointment? We were just talking about it in another thread and one criticism was that it wasn't planted the best, but part of that is age. Need to give time for things to grow in.

On another note, I see your new here so welcome, but for future reference this probably doesn't belong in the General Discussion Forum and instead belongs under the Denver Zoo Sub-Forum under the United States.

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

Never been to Denver so I can't really say much about how it's changing, but I will say most zoos are downsizing collections and moving away from the "classic" zoo. Zoos in general are downsizing the size of their collections to free up space and provide better quality of exhibits to the ones they keep. The days of keeping as many animals as possible are gone as we realize that's not the best way to keep these animals and conserve them. That being said, maybe you could elaborate on what you mean by the classic zoo is disappearing? Is this in terms of them getting rid of old enclosures or exhibits in general? Zoos are modernizing, thats about all I can say there. The old style grottoes for large carnivores are just that, old and not really the best way to show and exhibit them. Also, how is Harmony Hill a disappointment? We were just talking about it in another thread and one criticism was that it wasn't planted the best, but part of that is age. Need to give time for things to grow in.

On another note, I see your new here so welcome, but for future reference this probably doesn't belong in the General Discussion Forum and instead belongs under the Denver Zoo Sub-Forum under the United States.

I guess in my post I’m just venting a bit of frustration. It seems the zoo is trying to sweep less high profile species under the rug, for example their snow leopard. Now admittedly, the snow leopard (basically cage) was quite atrocious for such a species, however, the zoo never announced her recent passing, and as a favorite, it was very disappointing to get all the way there only to find out that the snow leopard had passed. On top of this, last year, I was just getting of the age (14) where I could volunteer first year at the zoo, and just as I became able to volunteer, the program was scrapped for incoming young volunteers. So I guess my pessimistic approach on this post was a bit of a result of those two things.

The more I think in regards to the Denver Zoo, the more I notice the pattern of quality over quantity, just as you said, which I can get behind. My main issue with this is instead of sticking to the Master Plan which does seem pretty solid, the Zoo is implementing things such as the upcoming Stingray Cove. Where they could have begun to focus more upon implementing more endangered species such as bringing back the polar bears promised in the master plan, or ven upgrading the seals and sea lions, the zoo decided to bring in a touch tank.

Finally, with Harmony Hill, it does seem like a great upgrade for the Grizzly Bear, far better than their previous grotto, however, I do think I was expecting something a little bit better, as just about half of the area is covered in a colorful house wallpaper, which very well could change in the near future.

Also, thank you for contributing to the thread, you really did help me see the future of Denver in a more optimistic light, even though you’ve never been there!

 

[Arizona Docent]

@NSU42 is correct - it is the way all (or most) AZA accredited zoos are heading. I visited Denver Zoo once in January 2009 I think and only had a few hours before heading to airport so I only saw one half (I missed the side with polar bear and of course this was before the new Asia area). From what I saw I was sorely disappointed and I have a much lower opinion of Denver Zoo than most other ZooChatters. For example my friend @snowleopard who has seen hundreds of zoos of all kinds just posted in another thread that it is in his top ten. I have been to just over one hundred zoos but I would not even put it in my top thirty! (If I saw the new Asia addition my opinion might change). If I visited in summer I might also have a higher opinion, but seeing gorillas in a field with barren trees (because the leaves had fallen off for winter) did nothing for me. The tiny cat exhibits were atrocious and since I am a cat lover this was the final straw. (The then-new rotating exhibit for lion and hyena was quite nice though).

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

@NSU42 is correct - it is the way all (or most) AZA accredited zoos are heading. I visited Denver Zoo once in January 2009 I think and only had a few hours before heading to airport so I only saw one half (I missed the side with polar bear and of course this was before the new Asia area). From what I saw I was sorely disappointed and I have a much lower opinion of Denver Zoo than most other ZooChatters. For example my friend @snowleopard who has seen hundreds of zoos of all kinds just posted in another thread that it is in his top ten. I have been to just over one hundred zoos but I would not even put it in my top thirty! (If I saw the new Asia addition my opinion might change). If I visited in summer I might also have a higher opinion, but seeing gorillas in a field with barren trees (because the leaves had fallen off for winter) did nothing for me. The tiny cat exhibits were atrocious and since I am a cat lover this was the final straw. (The then-new rotating exhibit for lion and hyena was quite nice though).

I completely agree with you on the big cat exhibits, and thankfully, the tigers got a much needed upgrade, and the remaining Big Cats (I think only Amur Leopards now) are moving to another AZA facility in order to make room for new improved projects. Though I’m not 100% sure. Also summer is definitely the best time to visit so long as you don’t mind crowds. Again, I think Denver is at a fork in the road, and I’m just hoping to see the upcoming exhibits to be on the same caliber as Toyota Elephant Passage.

 

[Andrew Swales]

@NSU42 is correct - it is the way all (or most) AZA accredited zoos are heading. The tiny cat exhibits were atrocious and since I am a cat lover this was the final straw. (The then-new rotating exhibit for lion and hyena was quite nice though).

Having never been to the US, I have a question about the idea of 'rotational' exhibits as I do not know of any in zoos in the UK or parts of Europe I have visited. The principle was of course used here in safari parks where the animals were exhibited in open fields but spent the non-exhibit time in beast-wagons. How do zoos in the US house the animals which have been dealt the short-straw and are not 'out' that day?

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

Having never been to the US, I have a question about the idea of 'rotational' exhibits as I do not know of any in zoos in the UK or parts of Europe I have visited. The principle was of course used here in safari parks where the animals were exhibited in open fields but spent the non-exhibit time in beast-wagons. How do zoos in the US house the animals which have been dealt the short-straw and are not 'out' that day?

At the Denver Zoo at least, there are 3 rotational yards each exhibiting 3 species. So typically all 3 species are out, just in different yards on different days. Specifically at Denver, there are 2 sets of rotational yards. One has Painted Dogs, Spotted Hyena, and Lions. The other ( The newer Asia Exhibit) has Malayan Tapir, Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, and Asian Elephants. The premise is to essentially stimulate the animals by giving them hints that other species have been in the area.

 

[Andrew Swales]

At the Denver Zoo at least, there are 3 rotational yards each exhibiting 3 species. So typically all 3 species are out, just in different yards on different days. Specifically at Denver, there are 2 sets of rotational yards. One has Painted Dogs, Spotted Hyena, and Lions. The other ( The newer Asia Exhibit) has Malayan Tapir, Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, and Asian Elephants. The premise is to essentially stimulate the animals by giving them hints that other species have been in the area.

Aaah - thank you,that makes a lot more sense. I wrongly assumed it was one enclosure shared by a number of spp, with the other(s) confined off-show.

 

[snowleopard]

For example my friend @snowleopard who has seen hundreds of zoos of all kinds just posted in another thread that it is in his top ten.

Denver Zoo is a zoo that I'd rank very high out of the 520 different zoos/aquariums that I've visited and I was there in 2006 and 2012. It's such a good zoo that the facility has been performing well and is still active in the ZooChat World Cup that is all the rage on this site. I actually have a very long and detailed review on my 50 day/50 zoo road trip in the summer of 2012:

Snowleopard's 2012 Road Trip

It's a huge zoo with lots of species, lots of animals, lots of visitors (2 million per year) and it is a full-day experience. The highlights include Primate Panorama with its 7 acres of 20 primate species, the Predator Ridge rotational exhibit, the $50 million Toyota Elephant Passage rotational complex and Tropical Discovery. That last choice is a single building with a half-dozen mammal species, around 80 reptile/amphibian species, and then a large aquatic section with more fish species than I can remember. It's a 'zoo within a zoo'!

I would agree that Denver has stalled a little since my visit (which coincided with the opening of the expensive, 10-acre Toyota Elephant Passage) and since then the zoo has shut down Bird World and that building had approximately 70 on-show species during my visit. 'Harmony Hill', apart from being an awful name, appears to be only a mediocre reincarnation of the former Polar Bear exhibit into an enclosure that holds Grizzly Bears. 'The Edge' (another dodgy name) is for Amur Tigers and from photos the exhibit only looks to be okay and nothing special.

 

[NSU42]

I guess in my post I’m just venting a bit of frustration. It seems the zoo is trying to sweep less high profile species under the rug, for example their snow leopard. Now admittedly, the snow leopard (basically cage) was quite atrocious for such a species, however, the zoo never announced her recent passing, and as a favorite, it was very disappointing to get all the way there only to find out that the snow leopard had passed. On top of this, last year, I was just getting of the age (14) where I could volunteer first year at the zoo, and just as I became able to volunteer, the program was scrapped for incoming young volunteers. So I guess my pessimistic approach on this post was a bit of a result of those two things.

The more I think in regards to the Denver Zoo, the more I notice the pattern of quality over quantity, just as you said, which I can get behind. My main issue with this is instead of sticking to the Master Plan which does seem pretty solid, the Zoo is implementing things such as the upcoming Stingray Cove. Where they could have begun to focus more upon implementing more endangered species such as bringing back the polar bears promised in the master plan, or ven upgrading the seals and sea lions, the zoo decided to bring in a touch tank.

Finally, with Harmony Hill, it does seem like a great upgrade for the Grizzly Bear, far better than their previous grotto, however, I do think I was expecting something a little bit better, as just about half of the area is covered in a colorful house wallpaper, which very well could change in the near future.

Also, thank you for contributing to the thread, you really did help me see the future of Denver in a more optimistic light, even though you’ve never been there!

All I can say is master plans take time to come to fruition. Some never happen. Look at the MN Zoos previous master plan as example #1 for that.

That being said, I would tell you things like the Stingrays or the 4D theater can help zoos towards their goals of completing their master plans because they bring in visitors and, as an extension, money. Zoos are increasingly needing to become more self-sufficient and having to rely less on public funding, because of this they are becoming more and more like a business. Those glitz things like touch pools and 4D movies are extra things zoos can sell tickets for that helps bring in money.

Finally, not to squash any dreams, but I wouldn't count on Denver getting polar bears again. That species is becoming increasingly hard to find and their aren't enough left for the number of zoos that want them. The US population of polar bears is decreasing rapidly due to age and the fact they haven't bred well. Canada also doesn't allow them to be transefered out of Canada so there is no new population coming in. Most zoos are switching their focus to grizzlys instead.

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

All I can say is master plans take time to come to fruition. Some never happen. Look at the MN Zoos previous master plan as example #1 for that.

That being said, I would tell you things like the Stingrays or the 4D theater can help zoos towards their goals of completing their master plans because they bring in visitors and, as an extension, money. Zoos are increasingly needing to become more self-sufficient and having to rely less on public funding, because of this they are becoming more and more like a business. Those glitz things like touch pools and 4D movies are extra things zoos can sell tickets for that helps bring in money.

Finally, not to squash any dreams, but I wouldn't count on Denver getting polar bears again. That species is becoming increasingly hard to find and their aren't enough left for the number of zoos that want them. The US population of polar bears is decreasing rapidly due to age and the fact they haven't bred well. Canada also doesn't allow them to be transefered out of Canada so there is no new population coming in. Most zoos are switching their focus to grizzlys instead.

That does make sense with the polar bears. Honestly with what you’ve said about them I wouldn’t be all that surprised if grizzlys replaced polars bears in their master plan that may or may not happen.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Stingray touch tanks are a money raiser but are also in my opinion a cliche and a cheap sideshow attraction in most cases. There are three in my state of Arizona and none of them are in appropriate displays (meaning part of a larger aquatic display that tells the story of sea life in the region where the stingrays are found). Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has one as a stand-alone with tarps over it that (though professionally designed) ruin the natural landscape the facility is famous for. Phoenix Zoo has a stand-alone at the entrance to Arizona Trail and I am certain that stingrays are not native to Arizona! Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm has one and - well - what can I say? Why is at an ostrich farm?

 

[John Marchwick]

Overall, I think Denver Zoos future master plan is one of the more better ones I think but maybe I’m wrong. I’m honestly very excited for the new African Penguin exhibit to be opening next year and so far a good majority of exhibits they’ve built have been exceptional. (Especially the Toyota Elephant Passage). Granite, I’m a little disappointed that Polar Bears are probably no longer in the picture but Grizzly Bears are still a good animal to have in zoos. Im very excited about what Denver Zoos future holds and I can’t wait for next years new exhibits and the animal hospital as well

 

[jayjds2]

Aaah - thank you,that makes a lot more sense. I wrongly assumed it was one enclosure shared by a number of spp, with the other(s) confined off-show.

In some cases this is unfortunately the case - especially at the Philadelphia Zoo with their big cat trails. Some zoos still provide better-than-adequate behind-the-scenes holding (for example, Dallas Zoo with their many tiger yards), but in Philadelphia I’ve seen some animals confined just to the trails themselves - not an actual exhibit!