Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium - Review (4 hour visit)
Over 320 photos will be posted onto the ZooChat site soon!
I visited the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for the 3rd time on August 1st, and this fairly small 29-acre zoo has come a long way in the past 6 years, and new exhibits are due in the near future. It is found in picturesque Point Defiance Park, which is in the city of Tacoma and about half an hour south of Seattle. Considering the fact that the AZA (American Zoo & Aquarium Association) placed the zoo on probation in 1999 there has been a wealth of improvements since then.
2003 – Animal Hospital
2003 – Seahorse Odyssey (located in the North Pacific Aquarium)
2004 – Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre (seats 300 people)
2004 – Asian Forest Sanctuary ($10 million, 5 acres, rotating animals so that visitors never know what species will be found in one of the enclosures)
2005 – Kids’ Zone – Part I
2005 – Historic Carousel
2008 – Kids’ Zone – Part II (Animal Avenue)
2009 – Budgie Buddies (walk-through budgerigar aviary)
2010 – Red Wolf Woods (the two red wolf packs will have a new exhibit in the spring)
2011 - Cats of the Canopy (clouded leopards)
Review:
The Best:
Asian Forest Sanctuary – this set of habitats opened in 2004 and has siamangs, white-cheeked gibbons, Sumatran tigers, Malayan tapirs, lowland anoas, Indian crested porcupines and small-clawed otters all rotating through a series of exhibits. That is 7 species in 5 exhibits, plus a pair of female Asian elephants in their own paddock. The 7 species are rotated through a series of chutes and tunnels, and so each exhibit has a list of possible animals that are found inside. On my most recent visit there were anoas with siamangs; anoas, otters and white-cheeked gibbons together, otters with porcupines; and then the Malayan tapirs and Sumatran tigers each had their own enclosure. However, on previous visits the animals were all in different habitats, and so in truth one can guess but won’t know for sure what enclosure will have which Asian species.
I’m a huge fan of this innovation, which is also practiced at the Louisville Zoo in the United States. The animals are enriched by the odours and scent-marking of the other species and it means that instead of living out their lives in one enclosure they have several to move through over time. The problem with the set-up at the Point Defiance Zoo is that only one of the exhibits is excellent (the lushly planted, largest enclosure that is usually occupied by the tigers) and the other 4 enclosures are all average in size and quality. A very nice set of exhibits, but I’d never rank it in the top 50 in North America.
On a side note, I listened to the keeper talk outside of the Asian elephant paddock, and I already knew that the two female elephants were “problems” but had no idea of the extent of their history. They are both around 45 years of age, and one of the pachyderms (Suki) has the equivalent of ADHD, or attention-deficient disorder, which leads to a complex series of behavioral issues. The second elephant (Hanako) used to live in a circus, and over the years she was cruelly beaten and badly hurt on a number of occasions. The keeper told me (and those around that were listening) that the elephant attempts to injure its current keepers on a weekly basis and is perhaps “the most dangerous elephant in North America”. There is of course protected contact at the zoo, like just about everywhere now in the United States, and the keepers have to be constantly aware of their surroundings as the ex-circus elephant looks for ways to kill them whenever she can.
Rocky Shores – my two favourite exhibits at the zoo are located here (puffins and walruses), as the walk-through puffin aviary is top notch and quite enjoyable. The pool is of an average size, but the large cliff face and dense undergrowth means that sometimes puffins come waddling through the thick grass and then plunge 20 feet into the pool with a loud splash. Engaging birds but they are not really appreciated by many of the visitors as people often walk right by to see the sea otters. The otters have a standard pool, but the real stars of this complex are the walruses. The 3 massive creatures (1.2) haul themselves out of the water, and they have a decent but slightly small habitat to swim around in. The one thing that taints the enclosure is the fact that it is entirely netted and thus would be more enjoyable if it were open-topped. This area of the zoo used to have beluga whales but one recently died and the survivor was transferred away. The signage is still up everywhere showcasing belugas, but there are now 5 harbour seals in the spacious pool. This area definitely is beginning to reveal its age (opened in 1982), but the animal collection is impressive. Not many zoos (if any!) have walruses, puffins, sea otters and harbour seals in one place.
Kids’ Zone – with two major developments to the children’s area in the past 4 years ($7 million) this zoo has one of the better kiddie zones in North America. There is a petting yard, lots of small terrariums, a small splash zone, a large climbing spider web, an otter slide, ring-tailed lemurs, scorpions, frogs, snakes, toads, invertebrates and the ubiquitous meerkats. Many of the signs and exhibit layouts are child-friendly and aimed at younger kids and the height of many of the animals are low and perfect for toddlers.
South Pacific Aquarium – basically two large tanks, but very well designed. The largest has 3 massive underwater viewing panels, and is dimly lit. There are black-tip reef, lemon, nurse, bamboo and sand tiger sharks all in the same large aquarium. Another impressive tank has a mangrove swamp atmosphere, complete with stingrays, tropical fish and an actual beach area. There is also a seahorse display with many varieties of those unique creatures.
The Average:
North Pacific Aquarium – one massive, 160,000 gallon tank is the centerpiece of this two-story aquarium. There are underwater and above-water viewing points, and animals from Puget Sound off of the coast of Washington are exhibited here. Lots of starfish, lobsters, small sharks and a bewildering variety of fish swim in endless circles. Many smaller tanks line the walls around the main exhibit, but they are all beginning to show their age. There is a tiny Marine Discovery Center where there are a number of touch tanks.
Arctic Tundra – this is an area that has declined over the years, and barely made it into my “average” category. The muskox and caribou paddocks are still impressive, as they are large and situated on sloping hillsides. There are numerous viewing opportunities and the animals are not difficult to find due to their size. However, the arctic fox enclosure has been completely renovated and currently sits empty as the zoo waits for a new occupant. That exhibit used to be full of tall grass and hilly terrain that made it difficult to locate the foxes. Now it has been scaled down to nothing but flat grass, and hopefully the zoo once again allows the undergrowth to blossom. There is even an ugly brick wall that is in the process of being built, which further demeans the once excellent fox habitat.
The polar bear exhibit, which opened in 1981 and won “Best New Exhibit” (for the Arctic Tundra area) from the AZA in 1982, is now in my opinion a below average and disappointing habitat. There is nowhere near enough space for 4 huge polar bears, and the only outdoor viewing is from scratched-up windows. The underwater viewing is murky as well, and those are the only two locations to see the bears. The new steel fencing surrounding the top of the moat utterly destroys the landscape, as in the past the muskox and caribou could sometimes be seen in their hilly paddocks. Now visitors peer through dim glass and see an obtrusive and needless metal fence. Some ZooChatters do not seem to mind the overuse of fencing, but this once world-class exhibit has been diminished considerably. With Detroit, San Diego, Toledo, Memphis (and maybe now Toronto) all opening modern polar bear habitats in the past 15 years it just goes to show how times have changed. The Point Defiance enclosure is probably one of the 5 smallest polar bear exhibits in North America, and in 1981 it was without a doubt the best. Sad.
The Worst:
Birds of Prey - three tiny aviaries with a raven, a spectacled owl and a Eurasian eagle owl. Some birds are occasionally used in shows, but the wood and wire contraption that houses them is in desperate need of a makeover.
Magellanic Penguins – compared to the Woodland Park Zoo’s brand-new Humboldt penguin exhibit this tiny one is an embarrassment.
Discovery Hut – small building that is missed by many visitors. One barn owl, some blind cave fish, and a Burmese python.
Budgie Buddies – tiny, loud, scary amount of feed sticks. Complete bedlam.
Overall:
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium lacks a single great exhibit, and yet has come a long way in the past decade and has a number of generally good animal enclosures. The rotating inhabitants of the Asian Forest Sanctuary are exciting to see, as is the still impressive Rocky Shores complex. With red wolf and clouded leopard exhibits set to open in the two years the 29-acre zoo continues to gradually expand and improve its existing enclosures. Due to its small size and modest ambitions it will never challenge the big guns and become one of North America’s great zoos, but it is still a worth a visit for many and regularly receives over 500,000 visitors per year. To some extent it lives in the shadow of its neighbours the Woodland Park Zoo and Oregon Zoo, both of which pull in 1.1 million and 1.6 million visitors respectively.
There has definitely been a focus on children during the past few years, with a carousel being built, a budgerigar aviary constructed, and two sections of a Kids’ Zone opening to the public. There are now camel rides at the zoo (on a pair of dromedaries), and the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre provides great entertainment in a 30-minute show that features 13 different species of animal.
Over 320 photos will be posted onto the ZooChat site soon!
I visited the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for the 3rd time on August 1st, and this fairly small 29-acre zoo has come a long way in the past 6 years, and new exhibits are due in the near future. It is found in picturesque Point Defiance Park, which is in the city of Tacoma and about half an hour south of Seattle. Considering the fact that the AZA (American Zoo & Aquarium Association) placed the zoo on probation in 1999 there has been a wealth of improvements since then.
2003 – Animal Hospital
2003 – Seahorse Odyssey (located in the North Pacific Aquarium)
2004 – Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre (seats 300 people)
2004 – Asian Forest Sanctuary ($10 million, 5 acres, rotating animals so that visitors never know what species will be found in one of the enclosures)
2005 – Kids’ Zone – Part I
2005 – Historic Carousel
2008 – Kids’ Zone – Part II (Animal Avenue)
2009 – Budgie Buddies (walk-through budgerigar aviary)
2010 – Red Wolf Woods (the two red wolf packs will have a new exhibit in the spring)
2011 - Cats of the Canopy (clouded leopards)
Review:
The Best:
Asian Forest Sanctuary – this set of habitats opened in 2004 and has siamangs, white-cheeked gibbons, Sumatran tigers, Malayan tapirs, lowland anoas, Indian crested porcupines and small-clawed otters all rotating through a series of exhibits. That is 7 species in 5 exhibits, plus a pair of female Asian elephants in their own paddock. The 7 species are rotated through a series of chutes and tunnels, and so each exhibit has a list of possible animals that are found inside. On my most recent visit there were anoas with siamangs; anoas, otters and white-cheeked gibbons together, otters with porcupines; and then the Malayan tapirs and Sumatran tigers each had their own enclosure. However, on previous visits the animals were all in different habitats, and so in truth one can guess but won’t know for sure what enclosure will have which Asian species.
I’m a huge fan of this innovation, which is also practiced at the Louisville Zoo in the United States. The animals are enriched by the odours and scent-marking of the other species and it means that instead of living out their lives in one enclosure they have several to move through over time. The problem with the set-up at the Point Defiance Zoo is that only one of the exhibits is excellent (the lushly planted, largest enclosure that is usually occupied by the tigers) and the other 4 enclosures are all average in size and quality. A very nice set of exhibits, but I’d never rank it in the top 50 in North America.
On a side note, I listened to the keeper talk outside of the Asian elephant paddock, and I already knew that the two female elephants were “problems” but had no idea of the extent of their history. They are both around 45 years of age, and one of the pachyderms (Suki) has the equivalent of ADHD, or attention-deficient disorder, which leads to a complex series of behavioral issues. The second elephant (Hanako) used to live in a circus, and over the years she was cruelly beaten and badly hurt on a number of occasions. The keeper told me (and those around that were listening) that the elephant attempts to injure its current keepers on a weekly basis and is perhaps “the most dangerous elephant in North America”. There is of course protected contact at the zoo, like just about everywhere now in the United States, and the keepers have to be constantly aware of their surroundings as the ex-circus elephant looks for ways to kill them whenever she can.
Rocky Shores – my two favourite exhibits at the zoo are located here (puffins and walruses), as the walk-through puffin aviary is top notch and quite enjoyable. The pool is of an average size, but the large cliff face and dense undergrowth means that sometimes puffins come waddling through the thick grass and then plunge 20 feet into the pool with a loud splash. Engaging birds but they are not really appreciated by many of the visitors as people often walk right by to see the sea otters. The otters have a standard pool, but the real stars of this complex are the walruses. The 3 massive creatures (1.2) haul themselves out of the water, and they have a decent but slightly small habitat to swim around in. The one thing that taints the enclosure is the fact that it is entirely netted and thus would be more enjoyable if it were open-topped. This area of the zoo used to have beluga whales but one recently died and the survivor was transferred away. The signage is still up everywhere showcasing belugas, but there are now 5 harbour seals in the spacious pool. This area definitely is beginning to reveal its age (opened in 1982), but the animal collection is impressive. Not many zoos (if any!) have walruses, puffins, sea otters and harbour seals in one place.
Kids’ Zone – with two major developments to the children’s area in the past 4 years ($7 million) this zoo has one of the better kiddie zones in North America. There is a petting yard, lots of small terrariums, a small splash zone, a large climbing spider web, an otter slide, ring-tailed lemurs, scorpions, frogs, snakes, toads, invertebrates and the ubiquitous meerkats. Many of the signs and exhibit layouts are child-friendly and aimed at younger kids and the height of many of the animals are low and perfect for toddlers.
South Pacific Aquarium – basically two large tanks, but very well designed. The largest has 3 massive underwater viewing panels, and is dimly lit. There are black-tip reef, lemon, nurse, bamboo and sand tiger sharks all in the same large aquarium. Another impressive tank has a mangrove swamp atmosphere, complete with stingrays, tropical fish and an actual beach area. There is also a seahorse display with many varieties of those unique creatures.
The Average:
North Pacific Aquarium – one massive, 160,000 gallon tank is the centerpiece of this two-story aquarium. There are underwater and above-water viewing points, and animals from Puget Sound off of the coast of Washington are exhibited here. Lots of starfish, lobsters, small sharks and a bewildering variety of fish swim in endless circles. Many smaller tanks line the walls around the main exhibit, but they are all beginning to show their age. There is a tiny Marine Discovery Center where there are a number of touch tanks.
Arctic Tundra – this is an area that has declined over the years, and barely made it into my “average” category. The muskox and caribou paddocks are still impressive, as they are large and situated on sloping hillsides. There are numerous viewing opportunities and the animals are not difficult to find due to their size. However, the arctic fox enclosure has been completely renovated and currently sits empty as the zoo waits for a new occupant. That exhibit used to be full of tall grass and hilly terrain that made it difficult to locate the foxes. Now it has been scaled down to nothing but flat grass, and hopefully the zoo once again allows the undergrowth to blossom. There is even an ugly brick wall that is in the process of being built, which further demeans the once excellent fox habitat.
The polar bear exhibit, which opened in 1981 and won “Best New Exhibit” (for the Arctic Tundra area) from the AZA in 1982, is now in my opinion a below average and disappointing habitat. There is nowhere near enough space for 4 huge polar bears, and the only outdoor viewing is from scratched-up windows. The underwater viewing is murky as well, and those are the only two locations to see the bears. The new steel fencing surrounding the top of the moat utterly destroys the landscape, as in the past the muskox and caribou could sometimes be seen in their hilly paddocks. Now visitors peer through dim glass and see an obtrusive and needless metal fence. Some ZooChatters do not seem to mind the overuse of fencing, but this once world-class exhibit has been diminished considerably. With Detroit, San Diego, Toledo, Memphis (and maybe now Toronto) all opening modern polar bear habitats in the past 15 years it just goes to show how times have changed. The Point Defiance enclosure is probably one of the 5 smallest polar bear exhibits in North America, and in 1981 it was without a doubt the best. Sad.
The Worst:
Birds of Prey - three tiny aviaries with a raven, a spectacled owl and a Eurasian eagle owl. Some birds are occasionally used in shows, but the wood and wire contraption that houses them is in desperate need of a makeover.
Magellanic Penguins – compared to the Woodland Park Zoo’s brand-new Humboldt penguin exhibit this tiny one is an embarrassment.
Discovery Hut – small building that is missed by many visitors. One barn owl, some blind cave fish, and a Burmese python.
Budgie Buddies – tiny, loud, scary amount of feed sticks. Complete bedlam.
Overall:
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium lacks a single great exhibit, and yet has come a long way in the past decade and has a number of generally good animal enclosures. The rotating inhabitants of the Asian Forest Sanctuary are exciting to see, as is the still impressive Rocky Shores complex. With red wolf and clouded leopard exhibits set to open in the two years the 29-acre zoo continues to gradually expand and improve its existing enclosures. Due to its small size and modest ambitions it will never challenge the big guns and become one of North America’s great zoos, but it is still a worth a visit for many and regularly receives over 500,000 visitors per year. To some extent it lives in the shadow of its neighbours the Woodland Park Zoo and Oregon Zoo, both of which pull in 1.1 million and 1.6 million visitors respectively.
There has definitely been a focus on children during the past few years, with a carousel being built, a budgerigar aviary constructed, and two sections of a Kids’ Zone opening to the public. There are now camel rides at the zoo (on a pair of dromedaries), and the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre provides great entertainment in a 30-minute show that features 13 different species of animal.
Changing exhibitry has been amazing, and I too am anxious to see what becomes of Congo Gorilla Forest and Kilimanjaro Safaris decades from now.