Which zoos have savanna exhibits?

J

Jurek7

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I wonder how many zoos worldwide have an Africa savanna exhibit with giraffe, zebra, antelope and ostriches or at least 3 out of those 4?

I think there can be about 50 such African savannas in German zoos alone.
 
Wouldn't the definition be whether or not the zoo calls it a Savannah exhibit rather than the 3 of 4 definition.

I can think of an exhibit called "African Savannah" that wouldn't meet the definition. It comprises of zebra and two species of antelope.

I can also think of a zoo that would until recently have had 2 exhibits that meet the 3 of 4 criteria, neither of which are advertised as or referred to as a Savannah exhibit.
 
Defining an "African savanna exhibit" as listed in the first post (a mixed exhibit with at least three of: giraffe, zebra, antelope, and ostrich), then 8 out of the 43 zoos I have visited have them. They are:

Milwaukee County Zoo: Impala, Common Ostrich, Plains Zebra, Gray Crowned Crane

Saint Louis Zoo: Addra Gazelle, Common Ostrich, Generic Giraffe, Gerenuk

Columbus Zoo: Common Ostrich, Generic Giraffe, Plains Zebra, Greater Kudu, Thompson's Gazelle, Dama Gazelle, Slender-horned Gazelle, Helmeted Guineafowl, Saddle-billed Stork, Common Wildbeest, Gray Crowned Crane

The Wilds: Common Ostrich, Grevy's Zebra, Generic Giraffe, Masai Giraffe, Fringe-eared Oryx, Common Eland, Sichuan Takin

Toledo Zoo: Common Ostrich, Plains Zebra, Masai Giraffe, Addra Gazelle, Greater Kudu, Common Warthog, Helmeted Guineafowl, Domestic Cattle

Binder Park Zoo: Generic Giraffe, Common Ostrich, Plains Zebra, Addra Gazelle, Addax, Bontebok, Ellipsen Waterbuck, Marabou Stork, Cinerous Vulture

Indianapolis Zoo: Plains Zebra, Common Ostrich, Greater Kudu, Common Wildebeest, Marabou Stork, Ruppell's Griffon Vulture

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo: Generic Giraffe, Common Ostrich, Lesser Kudu, Impala, White Stork
 
Beauval (France) : Reticulated Giraffes, Southern White Rhinos, Grévy's Zebras, Blue Wildebeests, Sable Antelopes, Ostriches.
Formerly there used to be other species of Antelopes and Birds.
 
Off the top of my head, San Francisco, Fresno Chaffee, and Woodland Park all have savanna exhibits. I think they have all 4 of your listed groups displayed too. Depending on definition, Wildlife Safari and San Diego Zoo Safari Park also meet the species criteria.
 
Bandung Zoo's savanna exhibit held two giraffes (Rothschild's and reticulated), chapman's zebras, blue wildebeests, common elands, defassa waterbucks, red lechwes, and common ostriches.
 
These are the zoos with savanna exhibits that I have visited:
- Antwerp Zoo
- Planckendael
- Pakawi Park
- Le Monde Sauvage (drive-through)
- Pairi Daiza
- Bellewaerde Park
- Beekse Bergen (Safari park) (just about the entire zoo is in savanna theme, many exhibits are drive-trough)
- GaiaZoo
- Rotterdam Zoo (although they don't really keep the animals together but they can all be seen at the same time)
From what I know, in the US have, among others, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park savanna exhibits.
 
Of the ones I’ve visited:
  • Africa Alive
  • Animal Kingdom
  • CERZA
  • Colchester Zoo
  • Port Lympne
  • West Midlands Safari Park
  • Woburn Safari Park
  • Zoo de la Palmyre
 
The big Savannah exhibit zoo I’ve visited is Bioparc Valencia, however I have little clue of any other zoos with Savannah exhibits. Madrid has some African fauna exhibits, so perhaps that counts?
 
It is a pretty common thing for a lot of zoos, but from my experience with UK zoos, no two savannah exhibits have been the same. Chester Zoo has the Tsavo Experince, which is mostly centered around black rhinos with a couple of smaller species such as meerkats dotted around. Safari Zoo Cumbria has an extensive Africa zone with giraffes, white rhinos, zebras, nyala and wildebeest living together, along with a small side enclosure for meerkats. London Zoo has Into Africa, featuring giraffes and zebras, and Whipsnade Zoo has an extensive Africa zone with lions, giraffes, white rhinos and zebras, along with cheetahs and hippos.
 
Artis also has a savanna exhibit with reticulated giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), Grévy's zebras (Equus grevyi), greater kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris).

In the past it also housed white-tailed gnus (Connochaetes gnou), Gemsboks (Oryx gazella), Common ostriches (Struthio camelus) and Great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus). Not all these species were kept at the same time.

Other zoos in The Netherlands with savanna exhibits are Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen, Ouwehands dierenpark, Dierenpark Amersfoort and Zooparc Overloon if you cant the giraffe/Brazza's monkey enclosure too.
 
Jurek7 said:
I wonder how many zoos worldwide have an Africa savanna exhibit with giraffe, zebra, antelope and ostriches or at least 3 out of those 4?

I think there can be about 50 such African savannas in German zoos alone.
Click to expand...
Hello.
- Bioparque do Rio (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil):
Current species:
- Rusa timorensis - (Javan rusa/Sambar-de-java);
- Kobus ellipsiprymnus - (Waterbuck/Cobo-de-meia-lua);
- Struthio camelus - (Common ostrich/Avestruz-comum);
- Alopochen aegyptiaca - (Nile goose/Ganso-do-nilo);
- Anser domesticus - (Domestic goose/Ganso-doméstico);
- Numida meleagris - (Domestic guineafowl/Galinha-d'angola-doméstica);
- Balearica regulorum - (Grey crowned crane/Grou-coroado-cinza);
- Grus virgo - (Demoiselle crane/Grou-senhorinha);
Future species:
- Giraffa (camelopardalis) giraffa (South African giraffe/Girafa-sul-africana);
- Equus sp. - (Zebra/Zebra).

- Parque Zoológico de São Paulo (São Paulo, SP, Brazil):
Current species:
- Camelus dromedarius - (Dromedary camel/Dromedário);
- Kobus ellipsiprymnus - (Waterbuck/Cobo-de-meia-lua);
- Equus grevyi - (Grevy's zebra/Zebra-de-grevy);
- Struthio camelus - (Common ostrich/Avestruz-comum);
Former species:
- Boselaphus tragocamelus - (Nilgai/Nilgó)*;
- Tragelaphus angasii - (Lowland nyala/Niala-da-planíce)*;
- Tragelaphus strepsiceros - (Greater kudu/Grande-cudo);
- Aepyceros melampus - (Impala/Impala);
- Antilope cervicapra - (Blackbuck/Cervicapra)*;
- Eudorcas thomsonii - (Thomson's gazelle/Gazela-de-thomson);
- Addax nasomaculatus - (Addax/Ádax);
- Equus quagga (burchellii) - (Plains zebra (Burchell's zebra)/Zebra-da-planíce (de-burchell));
- Plectropterus gambensis - (Spur-winged goose/Ganso-da-gâmbia);
- Balearica regulorum - (Grey crowned crane/Grou-coroado-cinza)*;
- Antigone antigone - (Sarus crane/Grou-indiano)*;
- Grus virgo - (Demoiselle crane/Grou-senhorinha).
* - Held before the exhibit was considered to be a savanna one.

- Zoológico de Brasília (DF, Brazil):
Current species:
- Giraffa (camelopardalis) giraffa - (South African giraffe/Girafa-sul-africana);
- Kobus ellipsiprymnus - (Waterbuck/Cobo-de-meia-lua);
Former species:
- Equus quagga (burchellii) - (Plains zebra (Burchell's zebra)/Zebra-da-planíce (de-burchell));

- Zoo Santo Inácio (Avintes, Porto, Portugal):
Current species:
- Giraffa sp. - (Hybrid giraffe/Girafa híbrida);
- Giraffa antiquorum - (Kordofan giraffe/Girafa-de-kordofan);
- Tragelaphus angasii - (Lowland nyala/Niala-da-planíce);
- Taurotragus oryx - (Common elan/Elande-comum)
- Kobus leche (kafuensis) - ((Kafue) lechwe/Cobo-leche (de-cafué));
- Nanger dama - (Addra gazelle/Gazela-dama);
- Equus grevyi - (Grevy's zebra/Zebra-de-grevy);
- Equus quagga (burchellii) - (Plains zebra (Burchell's zebra)/Zebra-da-planíce (de-burchell));
- Struthio camelus australis - (South African ostrich/Avestruz-sul-africano);
Former species:
- Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis - (Angolan giraffe/Girafa-de-angola);
- Alopochen aegyptiaca - (Nile goose/Ganso-do-nilo);
 
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