Zoo Bucket List

I've done very little international travel but Taronga, San Diego and Singapore are the top 3 on my list. I'd also love to check out Leipzig, Dallas and Omaha at some point. Woodland Park is probably next up on the agenda though, as it's one zoo I really wanna check out and it's probably the only one I could visit through a road trip
 
For this thread, you are welcome to share zoos that are on your bucket list to go to one day. You are welcome to share as many as you would like! :)
Here’s mine:
San Diego Zoo (San Diego)

Memphis Zoo (Memphis)

Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta)

National Zoo (Washington DC)

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha)

Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)

Brookfield Zoo (Chicago)

Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)

Bronx Zoo (NYC)

Queens Zoo (NYC)

Central Park Zoo (NYC)

Prospect Park Zoo (NYC)

New York Aquarium (NYC)

Nashville Zoo (Nashville)

Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga)

Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville)

Houston Zoo (Houston)

Dallas Zoo (Dallas)

Fort Worth Zoo (Fort Worth)

Indianapolis Zoo (Indianapolis)

Fort Wayne’s Children’s Zoo (Fort Wayne)

Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)

Oregon Zoo (Portland)

Oakland Zoo (Oakland)

Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta)

Jacksonville Zoo (Jacksonville)

Zoo Miami (Miami)

Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara)

Columbus Zoo (Columbus)

Cleveland MetroPark Zoo (Cleveland)

Cincinnati Zoo (Cincinnati)

Toledo Zoo (Toledo)

Louisville Zoo (Louisville)

Detroit Zoo (Detroit)

Audubon Zoo (New Orleans)

Honolulu Zoo (Honolulu)

Phoenix Zoo (Phoenix)

Reid Park Zoo (Tucson)

Tulsa Zoo (Tulsa)

Riverbanks Zoo (Columbia)

Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita)

Milwaukee County Zoo (Milwaukee)

Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento)

Denver Zoo (Denver)

San Diego Zoo Safari Park (San Diego)

Akron Zoo (Akron)

Maryland Zoo (Baltimore)

Aquarium Of The Bay (San Francisco)

Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey)

Kansas City Zoo (Kansas City)

and probably more I forgot to write down :)
 
The only realistic ones for me are berlin zoo and zürich zoo, as most others are either in the US or japan.
 
Top 10

1. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
2. San Diego Zoo
3. SeaWorld Orlando
4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
5. Saint Louis Zoo
6. Georgia Aquarium
7. Shedd Aquarium
8. Bronx Zoo
9. Memphis Zoo
10. Nashville Zoo
 
Not in any particular order, but…

- Zoo Atlanta
- Australia Zoo
- Smithsonian National Zoo
- San Diego Zoo & Safari Park
- Detroit Zoo
 
HungarianBison said:
next 3-4 years
Prague Zoo
Vienna Zoo
Szeged Zoo(revisit)
Veszprém Zoo(revisit)
Bratislava Zoo
Jászberény Zoo

next 10 years
Pécs Zoo
Zagreb Zoo
Leipzig Zoo
Salzburg Zoo
Alpenzoo Inssbruck
Zoo Zürich
Tierpark Friedrichsfelde
Zoo Berlin

next 20 years
Burgers Zoo
Diergaarde Blijdorp
Apenheul
Chester Zoo
London Zoo
Durrel's Wildlife Conservation Trust
Zoo Bojnice
Zoo Zlin
Zoo Kosice
Zoo Ostrava
Click to expand...
Visited Jászberény in June. I will visit Pécs Zoo next week, and I have a plan to a trip to Veszprém and Schönbrunn in 2022. Others seem really distant:(
 
My Top 20:

20. New York Aquarium
19. Memphis Zoo
18. Saint Louis Zoo
17. Australia Zoo
16. Central Park Zoo
15. Shedd Aquarium
14. Los Angeles Zoo
13. Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
12. S.E.A Aquarium
11. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
10. Ueno Zoo
9. Berlin Zoological Park
8. Dallas World Aquarium
7. Sedgwick County Zoo
6 Sylvan Heights Bird Park
5. Bronx Zoo
4. Singapore River Safari
3. Singapore Zoo
2. Singapore Night Safari
1. Jurong Bird Park
 
EternalPigeon said:
My Top 20:

20. New York Aquarium
19. Memphis Zoo
18. Saint Louis Zoo
17. Australia Zoo
16. Central Park Zoo
15. Shedd Aquarium
14. Los Angeles Zoo
13. Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
12. S.E.A Aquarium
11. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
10. Ueno Zoo
9. Berlin Zoological Park
8. Dallas World Aquarium
7. Sedgwick County Zoo
6 Sylvan Heights Bird Park
5. Bronx Zoo
4. Singapore River Safari
3. Singapore Zoo
2. Singapore Night Safari
1. Jurong Bird Park
Click to expand...

Australia Zoo but not Prague? Interesting choices :).
 
EternalPigeon said:
My Top 20:

20. New York Aquarium
19. Memphis Zoo
18. Saint Louis Zoo
17. Australia Zoo
16. Central Park Zoo
15. Shedd Aquarium
14. Los Angeles Zoo
13. Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
12. S.E.A Aquarium
11. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
10. Ueno Zoo
9. Berlin Zoological Park
8. Dallas World Aquarium
7. Sedgwick County Zoo
6 Sylvan Heights Bird Park
5. Bronx Zoo
4. Singapore River Safari
3. Singapore Zoo
2. Singapore Night Safari
1. Jurong Bird Park
Click to expand...
Only Berlin from Europe? Hmm.
 
My most wanted zoological institutions to visit:
USA (Aquariums)
1. Dallas world aquarium
2. Monterey bay aquarium
3. National aquarium
4. Tennessee aquarium
5. Aquarium of the Pacific
USA
1. Bronx zoo
2. Omaha's Henry Doorly zoo
3. Miami zoo
4. Columbus zoo and aquarium
5. Houston zoo
6. Sedgwick county zoo
7. Fort worth zoo
8. LA zoo
9. Toledo zoo
10. Memphis zoo
11. Smithsonian national zoo
12. San antonio zoo
13. Woodland park zoo
14. Tulsa zoo
15. Oklahoma city zoo
Canada
1. Vancouver aquarium
2. Toronto zoo
3. African lion safari

Americas
1. Sao paulo aquarium
2. Zoodom
3. Belo horizonte zoo

Oceania
1. Taronga zoo
2. Port moresby nature park
3. Perth zoo
4. Auckland zoo
5. SEA life aquarium Sydney
6. Alice springs desert park

China
1. Shanghai zoo
2. Shanghai sea life park
3. Beijing zoo
4. Chimelong ocean kingdom
5. Edward youde aviary

Asia
1. Singapore zoo
2. Night safari
3. (Jurong/Mandai?) Bird park
3. River safari
4. SEA aquarium
5. Batu secret zoo
6. Novosibirsk zoo
7. Sharjah desert park
8. Ho chi minh zoo
9. Krasnoyarsk zoo
10. Dubai aquarium and underwater zoo

Japan
1. Okinawa churaumi
2. Toba aquarium
4. Ueno zoo
5. Aquamarine fukushima
6. Tama zoo
7. Osaka aquarium
8. Tokyo sea life park
9. Zoorasia
10. Kamogawa sea world
11. Numazu deep sea aquarium
12. Yokohama hakkeijima sea paradise
13. Kawazoo
14. Izoo
15. Higashiyama zoo

UK
1. Chester zoo
2. Hamerton zoo park
3. ZSL Whipsnade
4. ZSL London
5. Exmoor zoo
6. Twycross zoo
7. Blue planet aquarium
8. Colchester zoo
9. Yorkshire wildlife park
10. Bristol zoo

Europe
1. Berlin zoo and aquarium
2. Prague zoo
3. Plzen zoo
4. Berlin tierpark
5. Cologne zoo
6. Wroclaw zoo
7. Zoo leipzig
8. Walsrode weltvogelpark
9. Moscow zoo
10. Frankfurt zoo
11. Zooparc de Beauval
12. Schönbrunn zoo
13. Burgers zoo
14. Budapest zoo
15. Oceanografic de valencia
16. Wilhelma
17. Haus des meeres
18. Den bla planet aquarium
19. Pairi daiza
20. Ostrava zoo
21. Zoo magdeburg
22. Zurich zoo
23. Oceanopolis brest
24. Madrid zoo
25. Brno zoo
26. Chemnitz zoo
27. Rotterdam zoo
28. Zoo antwerpen
29. Bojnice zoo
30. Jihlava zoo

This ended up being a very long list but these are all zoos I'd really like to go to. Although that is not practical.
 
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I'm interested in why so many non-Australasians list Australia Zoo on their bucket lists. I'm guessing it is just because of Steve Irwin?


Of all the zoos in the thread, though, I'm baffled by the following two choices for a bucket list.

ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
My most wanted zoological institutions to visit:
4. Wellington zoo
8. Ho chi minh zoo
Click to expand...
 
Chlidonias said:
I'm interested in why so many non-Australasians list Australia Zoo on their bucket lists. I'm guessing it is just because of Steve Irwin?


Of all the zoos in the thread, though, I'm baffled by the following two choices for a bucket list.
Click to expand...

I definitely meant Auckland, not Wellington. A rather embarrassing geographical slip-up :confused:

For Ho Chi Minh I was thinking about the Mammal collection, such as two Douc species and the ferret badger, I wasn't really taking husbandry into consideration
 
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I can assure the many members on this thread that placed Australia Zoo on their list might come away from a visit quite disappointed. As a regular visitor (only because I don't have to pay for admission), the collection is much smaller that anticipated and be of little interest especially for international visitors compared to some of the great global collections mentioned.

They have just under 100 species on display and a third of those species are exotics that could be found across North American and European collections. This doesn't include the Australian staples (i.e. red kangaroos, several parrot species) that are common globally. There are much more deserving collections in the area with a wider range of natives. A day combined with Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and David Fleay Wildlife Park comes to mind.
 
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In order of (as of now probable) visit

This year:

Magdeburg
Leipzig (revisit)
Nürnberg (revisit)

Next years:

Arnhem
Pairi Daiza
Doue la Fontaine
Obterre
Prague
Plzen
Wroclaw

Some day:
Chester
Tallinn
San Diegos
Dvur Kralove
Singapore
Taronga
 
PossumRoach said:
  • Tierpark Berlin
  • Pairi Daiza
  • Ménagerie du Jardin des plantes
  • Apenheul
  • Zie Zoo
  • Budapest zoo
  • Bioparc du la Fontaine
  • Zoo Antwerp
Click to expand...

PossumRoach said:
I should also add zoo plzen and Cheyenne mountain zoo as well.
Click to expand...

I have decided to add Sylvan Heights bird park. One might argue that Weltvogelpark Walsrode should be on this list as well. But I want to visit SH in particular bc of its primary focus on ducks. Which brings the condition of my dream visit to SH: I want to get dressed as (or as some say, cosplay) Hugh Neutron to see a the rare ducks that call Sylvan Heights home.
 
I don't think there is any zoo i would not visit at least once (with a few exceptions) and would be keen to visit many of those mentioned in this thread, so rather than list every facility that i would like to visit i have had a think about some different categories.

I have also tried to limit it to zoos i have a reasonable chance of visiting because as much as I would love to go mammal ticking in Toba aquarium i think my chances of ever getting there are slim to nil;

Historical significance;
-Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg
- Schonbrunn Zoo, Vienna
- Jersey Wildlife Trust
- San Diego (both)

Last chance to see/rarities;
- LA Zoo (Uakari & Mountain Tapir)
- Leipzig (Chinese Pangolin)
- Wroclaw (Cape Hartebeest)
- Feral (Marbled Cat amongst many others - if it ever has an open day *crosses fingers* One can dream!)

Exhibitry;
- Singapore Night Safari
- Bioparc Valencia
- Beauval
- Pairi Daiza
- Cabarceno

Realistic in the next year;
- Flamingoland (one of the very few larger collections in the UK i haven't visited)
- National Marine Aquarium Plymouth
- Lake District road trip (revisit South Lakes, Lakes Aquarium, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis)


Thankfully i already undertook the zoo enthusiast pilgrimage to Baby at Duisburg and have also seen Amahoro at Antwerp. A few years ago these would have been top of my bucket list!
 
A lot of zoos on my current bucket list are return visits rather than places I've never been before:

Within the next three years:
1) Chester
2) London
3) Yorkshire Wildlife Park
4) Highland Wildlife Park
5) Welsh Mountain

Some day:
1) Central Park and/or Bronx
2) San Diego
3) Cincinnati
4) Omaha's Henry Doorly
5) Smithsonian

At the moment, I don't have anywhere near enough money to travel to America, but if and when I do my main goal would be to visit at least one of the five zoos above.
 
Tough choice, but I think my bucket list is zoos that I feel every zoo enthusiast needs to visit at least some point in their lives. I might never make it to some of these, but one can dream, can they?

I do like the way Skukuza organized his list, so I'll go by that example.

Historical Significance
- San Diego Zoo
- Saint Louis Zoo
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- London Zoo
- Bristol Wild Place Zoo

Last chance to see
- Georgia Aquarium (Whale Shark)
- Los Angeles Zoo (Bald Uakari / Mountain Tapir)
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (Shoebill)
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (Northern Elephant Seal)
- Hamerton Zoo (Tiger Quoll)

Exhibitry
- Taronga Zoo
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
- North Carolina Zoo
- Minnesota Zoo
- Sedgwick County Zoo
- Woodland Park Zoo
- Memphis Zoo

Realistic in the Next Year
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
- Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
- Louisville Zoo
 
amur leopard said:
Wild Place for historical significance???
The zoo is one of the newest developments in the UK! Try Paris Menagerie, or Vienna, or Artis, or Hamburg or Antwerp for historical significance instead.

Also the Tiger quoll at Hamerton is dead unfortunately. Eastern quolls (and bonus pangolins) can be seen at Leipzig.
Click to expand...
Bristol is closing, so I figured since the Wild Place will become the new Bristol Zoo, it would kind of make sense. Plus the only country in Europe I think I'll make it to is the UK.

Hamerton is still because from what I can read, it drives zoo enthusiasts crazy with the many rare species it has.
 
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