Post-visit comments
Good eve,
Been there, done that, and didn't buy any of the overpriced T-shirts (or anything else in the gift shop).
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: You're right. Difficult to fill an entire day, and definitely not the best of neighborhoods. HOWEVER -- I have to, in all fairness, balance what I saw and experienced with the fact that this is a municipal (city-owned) zoo and, like other municipal zoos, is suffering from budget cutbacks. This was confirmed in conversations with a friendly keeper, as well as the zoo's general manager (who told me they went from 23 full-time paid staff positions down to 8).
The photo opportunities are limited, even with good lighting. Out of 60 frames I shot that day, over a dozen were "throw-aways" due to poor lighting or interference from enclosure mesh or fencing (which I try to get around using the wrap-around effect afforded by long lenses). Many of the enclosures, notably those of bald eagle and several smaller ape species, were very poorly lit the entire day, even when sunlight was present.
The best of the photo opps come in their aviary. Though small, it does seem to be well done. It included striated herons, roseate spoonbills, white-headed whistling ducks, at least one Venezuelan troupial, and a couple of blue-crowned motmots. They had descriptive boards for some additional species which I didn't see anywhere, though.
PRESENTATIONS: They have one, billed as the 'Education and Conservation" show. Runs a bit under a half hour, and features a double-yellow Amazon parrot, a barn owl, an opossum, and at least one snake. Limited, handler-supervised contact is afforded to youngsters after each show.
The 'show' itself is nothing terribly exciting. Some simple facts about the animals are put forth, and I can tell they're gearing the presentations towards the kids more than anything else. This is not necessarily a Good Thing, as it's important to get both adults and kids engaged, and I could see the kids were a lot more interested than the adults.
I did see one thing which bothered me a great deal, and it's something I've seen repeatedly (unfortunately) at other parks: Improper raptor handling. The volunteer who brought out the barn owl not only held the jesses wrong, but they did not have the leash tied off to their glove. To make matters worse, this was a fully flight-capable bird, and he was clearly nervous judging by the way he kept bating off the glove.
I asked her, after the show, whether anyone had taken the time to teach her a falconer's knot, and I was horrified to learn she didn't even know what that was! I tried to enlighten her as best I could, though it's difficult to do without demonstrating it (which I was not, at the time, equipped to do).
The good news: I presented my concerns on this issue to zoo management via the contact form on their web site. The very next day, I was able to speak with no less than their general manager about it via phone. He assured me there would be further training for the volunteers in terms of how to properly tie off a bird's leash, and I have no reason to doubt it at this time. He certainly seemed sincerely concerned.
ANIMAL APPEARANCE AND HEALTH: As near as I can tell, the zoo's critter population is what I would term "disgustingly healthy." Everyone looked well-fed and active, and I didn't see anything I would class as stereotypical or 'pacing' behavior. Distinguishing features in their collection include a larger-than-usual variety of primates, along with a generous assortment of hoofstock. They do have one elephant who, as near as I could tell, looked like she was doing just fine (including a pretty good relationship with her keepers).
Conspicuous by their absence were larger cat species. I suspect the park lacks adequate room and funding to have them.
One notable species among their bird population were rheas, including one bird which was nearly pure white. It's rare enough that I even see rheas, and I have to say I've never come across a pure white one before.
FOOD: Pretty generic, but decent enough. It shouldn't cause any internal distress (the staff do eat there, if it's any indication). Turns out that, rather than run their own concession, the zoo contracts the cafe out to a small local Mexican restaurant.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS: I don't find it terribly surprising that this zoo is AZA-accredited, given what I saw of the condition of their animals. They seem to be trying (desperately) to do the absolute best they can with what they've been given. With the exception of the poor owl handling, I didn't see anything which set off any major alarms in my head, or anything I don't feel could be corrected by better funding and further staff training.
If you're in the area, it'll make for a decent enough distraction for a half-day or so, but don't expect miracles.
Happy travels.
