Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, South Carolina's biggest tourist attraction and a recipient of over 1 million visitors each year, often gets overlooked when zoos in the southeast United States are discussed.
A new proposal for a significant upgrade to the zoo has been put together, but it will surely be a tough sell in such difficult economic times. The plan calls for a new Asian complex, complete with new species; the return of a sea lion exhibit; a Children's Garden; and renovation of the entrance, which was built in 1987.
The zoo has fairly recently torn down its bird house and sea lion pool, as both were bulldozed due to age and deterioration. There is now an attempt to pass a bond that would free up $40 million in funding, with just about all of it paid for by local taxpayers:
Yes, Riverbanks Zoo is an animal institution which gets often overlooked. I don't know why, because they had and have an excellent animal (and plant) collection. Even zoo goers in good old Europe know that
I have visited Riverbanks Zoo 4 years ago. I think, most of the exhibits could be rated as "okay" to "good". There were/are a few that should be rebuilt, replaced or upsized like the big cat/monkey-grottos or the exhibits in the "tunnel" between the gorillas and the elephants (there are no outside-cages for the animals like tree kangaroos for example).
But anyway, the zoo needs financial support to keep up to date. I hope that the Zoo will get the needed 40 million US-Dollars - doesn't matter if it comes from taxpayers or private sponsors - to built a new sealion exhibit and a new bird house - maybe in the botanical section. In my opinion, the strict partition between animals and plants is not the best way. They should bring plants and animals from the same region together to create an illusion/immersion of a natural habitat (as good as possible). Also, in the botanical section (e.g. from the river upwards to the main botanical building) is space that can be used for new animal exhibits (which should be dwellers of mountaine forests in the best way). So mix it up!
