What the title says. The discussion of what zoo is "the best" or "top x zoos" has been beat to death on here. So why not make something that can stand (hopefully) without drawing any intense back and forths?
For myself, I have visited over 40 facilities, and bar none, my favourite has been the Oregon Zoo!
There are many reasons for this, whoever much of it simply has to do with a gut feeling, so to speak. Between the lovely pacific northwestern atmosphere, that lovely kind of cool calm of the forest that surrounds the zoo, to the architecture of the zoo it's self, I find a sense of calm and happiness coming over me when I visit Portland (the zoo, couldn't care much one way or the other about the city
). Like I said, I also very much enjoy the presentation of virtually all the exhibits at the zoo. They all mesh in perfectly with the theme of the zoo. The majority of them range on the mid to larger size for their inhabitants, from the sprawling new elephant lands to rather appealing slender snouted crocodile exhibit. Another pro would be their collection. While I don't think portland has any screamingly unique rarities, nor any particularly notable collection of some group of animals or another, but they have a very well rounded collection, with crowd pleasers such as elephants, lions, penguins and sea otters, to more unique surprises such as grey gulls, California condors, and allens swamp monkeys. Overall there is something to please everyone, and all are in will thought out, visually pleasing exhibits.
Another reason I enjoy Oregon so is because of their conservation programs and partnerships. Between breeding condors and western pond turtles for release, and supporting Bornean elephants and orangutans in in-situ situations, they help give back both locally, and on a more international scale!
For myself, I have visited over 40 facilities, and bar none, my favourite has been the Oregon Zoo!
There are many reasons for this, whoever much of it simply has to do with a gut feeling, so to speak. Between the lovely pacific northwestern atmosphere, that lovely kind of cool calm of the forest that surrounds the zoo, to the architecture of the zoo it's self, I find a sense of calm and happiness coming over me when I visit Portland (the zoo, couldn't care much one way or the other about the city
). Like I said, I also very much enjoy the presentation of virtually all the exhibits at the zoo. They all mesh in perfectly with the theme of the zoo. The majority of them range on the mid to larger size for their inhabitants, from the sprawling new elephant lands to rather appealing slender snouted crocodile exhibit. Another pro would be their collection. While I don't think portland has any screamingly unique rarities, nor any particularly notable collection of some group of animals or another, but they have a very well rounded collection, with crowd pleasers such as elephants, lions, penguins and sea otters, to more unique surprises such as grey gulls, California condors, and allens swamp monkeys. Overall there is something to please everyone, and all are in will thought out, visually pleasing exhibits.Another reason I enjoy Oregon so is because of their conservation programs and partnerships. Between breeding condors and western pond turtles for release, and supporting Bornean elephants and orangutans in in-situ situations, they help give back both locally, and on a more international scale!
The possibility of get good photos of rare wished species is what makes a zoo "the best zoo" for me. I don't mind about how the exhibits are, unless they are really extremely ugly and unappropiate.
