Your favorite “B-tier” exhibits at your local zoo

TheGytrash

TheGytrash

Well-Known Member
Every zoo has its big-ticket exhibits that draw a lot of guests, but they also have their less-loved exhibits that either exist to complement a larger exhibit, is on a waiting list for an upcoming renovation, or just isn’t a very popular and beloved species.

What are your favorite under-appreciated exhibits at your local zoo? It can be because you like the exhibit design, you’re a fan of the species, or you just think the animals are particularly fun to watch?

For example, the Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest is absolutely amazing. But if you prefer to spend more time at the mixed-species red river hog and mandrill exhibit in the same complex and visit the gorillas as an afterthought, this thread is for you.

In my case, the giant pandas are a big draw at the National Zoo, but my favorite bears at the zoo are the Andean bears. Their exhibit is tucked away off the beaten path and is relatively “no frills” in design compared to the lavish panda habitat, but the Andean bears are often quite active and fun to watch, especially when there are babies. The exhibit has two benches guests can sit on to watch the bears and it rarely gets crowded, so I just really like to hang out there.
 
Hmm. I sort of have four home zoos at the moment, even if I rarely visit one of them.

Potawatomi Zoo: I love the sand cats. They have lots of toys and sleeping spots and they genuinely might be my favorite animal in the zoo. The size of the peccary herd is also great, but they might count as an A-tier exhibit at the zoo. I don’t know why the male howler monkey hates me but he does. It’s always interesting to visit him.

Brookfield Zoo: I think two of the aviaries (swamp, prairie) might be the actual best exhibits at the zoo. Australia House is also great despite its age. And, of course, Habitat Africa: The Forest is unmissable for zoo nerds and kind of skippable for the general public.

Shedd Aquarium: This is harder. I like the sea dragons and deep sea animals more than the general public? The old galleries in general seem much more appreciated by zoo nerds than the public.

Lincoln Park Zoo: I barely visit this one so it’s a little hard for me to pick. I like the cactus mice a lot. I guess they’re my pick here.
 
Cleveland:
- American Bears (Black, Grizzly) While the exhibits often get criticism for being old polar bear grottos from the '70s, the bears themselves are always worth watching. The Grizzlies are usually active and watching them swim in the summer is always fun.
- Dingo. While its kind of tucked away in Australian Adventure, I always have to stop and see them since my childhood dog looked a bit like a Dingo and they remind me of her.
 
Detroit: The "A Tiers" are obviously Arctic Ring of Life, the PPCC, and the NACC.

The red panda exhibit, though, is one of the best of its kind. In fact it was mentioned in the excellent Popular Zoo Mammals And Their Best Exhibits thread. Yet every time I go, there's few people there! It's a little tucked away in the Asia section, which only has two animals - red panda and tiger. That whole area desperately needs an expansion, but the red panda exhibit needs no renovation.
 
Is the Small Mammal Building at Milwaukee County Zoo considered B-tier? In terms of animal welfare it definitely is, all of the exhibits are just small glass-fronted boxes. But it has always been one of my favorite areas at that zoo, and I've seen many species there that are quite uncommon to see anywhere else, and some I haven't seen anywhere else at all. Over (many) years the building has been home to springhaas, mouse deer, agoutis, an indian flying fox, kinkajou, tayra, douroucouli, potto, slow loris, pygmy marmoset, black footed cat, and even a giant pangolin (though that was well before my time back in the 70s).
 
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