I for one find binturongs to be fascinating and I feel like a good zoo animal shouldn't be defined by how much they sleep. Maybe base that on if it's possible to see them at all. For example moles and ground caecilians, wouldn't because of the dirt it would be impossible.
Hey, to each their own
Valid about being able to "see" the animal, but if I am just looking at some curled up hair on a high ledge, like binturongs tend to be, I don't really count it as seeing the animal. It is the rare zoo that I have actually seen the binturong, other than semi-sketchy non-AZA zoos like Rainforest Adventures. I have only seen them *once* at ZooTampa, and it was sleepy, simply raising its head and then putting it back down.
I have never seen young ones, maybe that is my issue
I have always loved binturongs - cute, large and bizarre mammals, that terrified me when I first saw them at Longleat as a very young child, and I have had a soft spot for them ever since. But it was my encounter at Cotswold too which truly showed me how exciting they can be. As you mention, watching five of them hang from a roof, fight, leap and even sprint was amazing. Another thing I love about them is the subspecific variation. The Indochinese at Exmoor (a rarity outside of their native range), for example, are huge and with shaggy fur, seeming almost more like a sloth bear than a civet. Compare them to the smaller, lighter and more fuzzy Palawans, for example.
They are basically red pandas, as in Asian arboreal furball that loves to snooze, but from the tropics and not as marketable since they aren’t pandas. I still think they are cooler than red pandas though.
@SwampDonkey -- I think you've had bad luck with binturongs. The trick to seeing them active is to go late in the afternoon, especially this time of year after the time change when it's getting dusk as the zoo closes. I just saw an active binturong at the Santa Ana Zoo last month around 4:30 PM and at a similar time last year at the Los Angeles Zoo in November when it was almost dark. They are really neat animals to watch when they're walking around and climbing on branches with their tails curled up. However, I've never smelled the popcorn odor at either zoo.
Surprisingly, I actually like this take. I have seen binturongs active only once awake(from memory) and that was at Zoo Atlanta with the 2 babies going out and exploring. I may have also seen them at Detroit awake too. They remind me a lot of aardvarks, beavers and all the other no shows at various zoos. They only do well with indoor viewing or a night habitat for example, Omaha you see both beavers and aardvarks active and at Cincy the binturong was as active as a wolverine!
Honestly any zoo animal could be easily classified as boring if you haven't had an engaging experience with them. I for example was pretty meh on Koalas for years until I was lucky enough to experience a keeper bringing them fresh eucalyptus (needless to say they were up very fast). There are tons of animals that I feel could be engaging to watch but oftentimes I just go at the wrong time of day.
I want to think that it is bad luck, maybe the time thing is correct. I just have seen their enclosures at a lot of zoos (or it feels like a lot) and I rarely have seen them up and about. Even if they were up....I am not sure that I would really "care" about them that much, I just don't find them *that* interesting.
I imagine you are correct, perhaps in a night environment they would be more interesting.
I think your dislike for heavy theming is one shared by most on this site, although I am not sure how non-enthusiasts feel about it. For me, it relies on whether it feels lousy or clever. When cheap materials and needlessly bold colours are used, or when obnoxiously loud music or sound effects makes it all but impossible to admire the animals, I despise it. But when it is clear that a great deal of effort and thought has been put into having theming that enhances the immersion, without detracting from it, especially when it links to in situ conservation efforts supported by the zoo, and manages to avoid overly buying into cultural stereotypes, I love it and think it makes for a very interesting change of scenery.
Do you disapprove of privately owned animals being wild-caught?
Even as someone who really enjoys themed exhibits, I definitely think that in a lot of zoos it is done in excess and it takes away from the actual exhibit space. Zoos should maximize practicality over aesthetic, and it is a real shame there aren't a ton of facilities that can balence both. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Disney's Animal Kingdom exhibits.
I see your wires and raise you moats. While definitely seen as old fashioned to a lot of people, I think moated exhibits really eliminate the feeling of a barrier. Im a photographer as well so I'll take a good moat over a smudged glass barrier or wires/mesh any day.
I agree that moats are often better than either glass or wires, especially for photography. I like exhibits that incorporate several different viewing areas (some with glass, open air, etc.) to give visitors more opportunities to see the animals in various ways.
I think conservation efforts by zoos are admirable, but they should not be done to the detriment of the zoo itself. For the past several years, I've watched my home zoo in Los Angeles raise a great deal of money for conservation in other parts of the world while its own facilities and animal collection have suffered. The zoo has lost many species (animals have passed away and not been replaced), construction projects have closed off large areas of the zoo for over a year and have seemingly stalled, the Children's Zoo has been left to rot, the carousel is closed, and probably at least 40% of the exhibits are empty. Meanwhile, the zoo continues to tout its conservation efforts with staff members traveling to many countries presumably with the money being raised. In my opinion, a zoo's first responsibility is to ensure the efficient operation of its own facilities (especially a city-owned and tax-payer funded zoo like Los Angeles). Then, by all means, the zoo should support and participate in conservation efforts.