Zoos with the greatest future/best master plans

I haven't heard anything recently about the L.A. Zoo's master plan. The new Cape vulture exhibit (and upcoming Swan Lake refurbishment) are not actually part of that plan, but resulted from dedicated grants. The zoo's website hasn't had any updates on the vision plan since August 2023. The proposed California area, which was to replace the Children's Zoo, is in jeopardy due to the previously mentioned lawsuit by the Friends of Griffith Park against the zoo. At issue is the potential removal of protected oaks and chaparral, which provides important habitat for native wildlife.

Another problem is the recently filed lawsuit by the L.A. Zoo against GLAZA (Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association). GLAZA and the zoo will be terminating their 61-year partnership at the end of June this year. Consequently, the zoo's main annual fundraising event, the Beastly Ball, has been cancelled since GLAZA did not want to plan it. Also, a lot of money that GLAZA has raised for the zoo is in limbo since GLAZA plans to keep the funds for future conservation use outside of the zoo. According to an article published in January by the L.A. Times, GLAZA currently has $49 million under its control, which the zoo is suing to obtain.

Considering that the zoo is now embroiled in two lawsuits and that the City of L.A., which owns the zoo, has significant budget problems, it doesn't look good for the zoo's master plan. Also worth mentioning is the City's commitment to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is a huge financial strain, and the unprecedented wildfires in Pacific Palisades (part of Los Angeles), which is going to take years to rebuild and has been estimated as the most expensive natural disaster in the country's history.

I wish I had better news, but it seems unlikely that there will be any significant progress on the zoo's master plan anytime soon. However, there are many empty exhibits throughout the zoo that could be refurbished (similar to the Cape vulture exhibit). Hopefully, the zoo will be able to get grants for these types of projects in the near future.

I'm curious now how the Master Plan will turn out, being they are relocating their Asian Elephants, Billy & Tina. I think they said they will bring elephants back in the future though.
 
Milwaukee County Zoo has released a new master plan and I think it's a pretty solid one that will inject some amazing new life into the zoo and elevate it well above it's current status, provided the financials work out.
 
Milwaukee County Zoo has released a new master plan and I think it's a pretty solid one that will inject some amazing new life into the zoo and elevate it well above it's current status, provided the financials work out.

Looks nice but 2000sqft (185sqm for reference) Jaguar enclosure in a new build? It wouldn't be horrendous for something that's been there for a while that they're trying to get rid of, but...
 
Looks nice but 2000sqft (185sqm for reference) Jaguar enclosure in a new build? It wouldn't be horrendous for something that's been there for a while that they're trying to get rid of, but...
For example at Chester Zoo, the two outdoor enclosures at Spirit of the Jaguar (which opened in 2001) are 1200 m² each. That's not to mention the two 800m² indoor enclosures!
At the smaller Hertfordshire Zoo the main Jaguar enclosure is around 430 m² (calculated using Google maps) while the smaller side is 180m². Although I imagine at the moment the two are combined and used together as they contain a settled breeding pair.
 
For example at Chester Zoo, the two outdoor enclosures at Spirit of the Jaguar (which opened in 2001) are 1200 m² each. That's not to mention the two 800m² indoor enclosures!
At the smaller Hertfordshire Zoo the main Jaguar enclosure is around 430 m² (calculated using Google maps) while the smaller side is 180m². Although I imagine at the moment the two are combined and used together as they contain a settled breeding pair.
Not sure if you mean for this or not, but the 2nd outdoor and 2nd indoor enclosure are for Spectacled Bears, not the jaguars. That definitely doesn't take away from the brilliance of the habitat though!
 
Not sure if you mean for this or not, but the 2nd outdoor and 2nd indoor enclosure are for Spectacled Bears, not the jaguars. That definitely doesn't take away from the brilliance of the habitat though!
Originally there were Jaguars in both exhibits and that was what the building was designed for. The two exhibits were supposed to demonstrate the widely different habitats(desert/jungle) they could be found in.
 
Not sure if you mean for this or not, but the 2nd outdoor and 2nd indoor enclosure are for Spectacled Bears, not the jaguars. That definitely doesn't take away from the brilliance of the habitat though!
I am aware that it had been a number of years since the savannah side of the house was used for Jaguars, but as Pertinax has said above, that is what it was designed for (one pair on each side). I would like to see the exhibit reach it's full potential once again for Jaguars in the future (and that could be the case as I believe it has held mostly temporary inhabitants in the last handful of years), however it doesn't change the fact that one pair of Jaguars get such a large amount of space split between inside and outside!
 
Do you have a copy of this to hand?
Here is the full 1976 Woodland Park Zoo long-term master plan, there are actually images of the full plan broken up into exhibits in the ZooChat gallery (credit for all photos goes to @StoppableSan).
1. Tropical Forest:
full

2. Savanna:
full

3. Desert:
full

4. Steppe:
full

5. Chaparral:
full

6. Temperate Deciduous Forest:
full

7. Temperate Rain Forest:
full

8. Taiga:
full

9. Tundra:
full

10. Montane:
full
 
Here is the full 1976 Woodland Park Zoo long-term master plan, there are actually images of the full plan broken up into exhibits in the ZooChat gallery (credit for all photos goes to @StoppableSan).
1. Tropical Forest:
full

2. Savanna:
full

3. Desert:
full

4. Steppe:
full

5. Chaparral:
full

6. Temperate Deciduous Forest:
full

7. Temperate Rain Forest:
full

8. Taiga:
full

9. Tundra:
full

10. Montane:
full
While I feel this is the most influential and groundbreaking zoo master plan ever, some major flaws are apparent 50 years later…
—Little or no attention to off exhibit/holding spaces
—Little or no attention to guest comfort/revenue generating elements (food service, restrooms etc)
—Lack of a clear way finding/ guest circulation system

Nevertheless, brilliant and visionary. Too bad current WPZ leadership has entirely abandoned virtually all aspects of the plan.
 
Looks nice but 2000sqft (185sqm for reference) Jaguar enclosure in a new build? It wouldn't be horrendous for something that's been there for a while that they're trying to get rid of, but...
That's a valid criticism of the specifics of the plan. I didn't look too deeply into the numbers because I fully expect them to change when the exhibits start to reach fruition, and I'm hoping those changes end up positive. It's not a "great" master plan in terms of competing with world-class zoos like Chester, but it is a great plan in terms of improving a facility that relies heavily on dated infrastructure.
 
I haven't heard anything recently about the L.A. Zoo's master plan. The new Cape vulture exhibit (and upcoming Swan Lake refurbishment) are not actually part of that plan, but resulted from dedicated grants. The zoo's website hasn't had any updates on the vision plan since August 2023. The proposed California area, which was to replace the Children's Zoo, is in jeopardy due to the previously mentioned lawsuit by the Friends of Griffith Park against the zoo. At issue is the potential removal of protected oaks and chaparral, which provides important habitat for native wildlife.

Another problem is the recently filed lawsuit by the L.A. Zoo against GLAZA (Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association). GLAZA and the zoo will be terminating their 61-year partnership at the end of June this year. Consequently, the zoo's main annual fundraising event, the Beastly Ball, has been cancelled since GLAZA did not want to plan it. Also, a lot of money that GLAZA has raised for the zoo is in limbo since GLAZA plans to keep the funds for future conservation use outside of the zoo. According to an article published in January by the L.A. Times, GLAZA currently has $49 million under its control, which the zoo is suing to obtain.

Considering that the zoo is now embroiled in two lawsuits and that the City of L.A., which owns the zoo, has significant budget problems, it doesn't look good for the zoo's master plan. Also worth mentioning is the City's commitment to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is a huge financial strain, and the unprecedented wildfires in Pacific Palisades (part of Los Angeles), which is going to take years to rebuild and has been estimated as the most expensive natural disaster in the country's history.

I wish I had better news, but it seems unlikely that there will be any significant progress on the zoo's master plan anytime soon. However, there are many empty exhibits throughout the zoo that could be refurbished (similar to the Cape vulture exhibit). Hopefully, the zoo will be able to get grants for these types of projects in the near future.
The first 2 issues are just too insanely NIMBY (Griffith Park objectionists) or just near-suicidal (GLAZA terminalion). The LA Zoo City Council is just a major ****-** hurdle where I do not understand why a big city like LA cannot balance its books and be in one of the richests Federal States of the USA.

NOTA BENE: I share all your pain(s) in this. Just feel incredibly sad and dejected about the whole situation myself. The Masterplan was the road map to some kind of wonderful and together some of California's finest have managed to screw up the entire board and game.
 
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