Zoos with the greatest future/best master plans

As others have already mentioned, I too am still devastated by the loss of the Los Angeles Zoo's master plan. It was my most anticipated zoo master plan along with the Elk Grove City formation (which was just cancelled), so now we've seen two major blows regarding major zoo master plans and projects. :'(
 
Could you please shed some light on what you’re referring to by elk grove city?
 
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Even though I like Milwauke Zoo's master plan, as a Fresno Chaffee Zoo regular it's a bit disappointing to see SHR studios reusing our abandoned "African Hippo River" exhibit and self plagiarizing it into a South American exhibit!

Fresno Chaffee Scrapped African River Concept:
FCZ-MP-Africa+w.jpg


Milwauke Zoo South American Tropics Concept:
stratplan-renderings_latin-tropics.jpg
I understand your gut perceptions... Just one facility's draad is another's spread (their wings). Sure it is almost the neatly one on one ... safe for the African versus Americas theme. Admit it though ... the concept art looks great and I love to see it happen at Milwaukee (which is very realistic).

TBH: Where Sacramento Zoo is going now with the recent new site not working out and their "visionary" zoo animal focussed director Jason Jacobs leaving ... for Florida ... Not a good sign and I really fear for that Counties and Municipalities have gone the short term Wild Fires debacles first versus nature and their real assests (like zoos, museums, educational facilities, housing, health services ... !
 
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I understand your gut perceptions... Just one facility's draad is another's spread (their wings). Sure it is almost the neatly one on one ... safe for the African versus Americas theme. Admit it though ... the concept art looks great and I love to see it happen at Milwaukee (which is very realistic).

TBH: Where Sacramento Zoo is going now with the recent new site not working out and their "visionary" zoo animal focussed director Jason Jacobs leaving ... for Florida ... Not a good sign and I really fear for that Counties and Municipalities have gone the short term Wild Fires debacles first versus nature and their real assests (like zoos, museums, educational facilities, housing, health services ... !
Yeah, I was being a bit overdramatic on purpose, like rival sports teams fighting against each other, lol.

In reality I have no problems with zoos reusing similar concepts with one another. It isn't the same as two movies or pieces of media plagiarizing one another in my eyes, when media can be consumed almost instantaneously and actually affect individuals' lives in the grand scheme of things.

In reality I would love if every zoo could have Nashville's "Expedition Peru" or The San Diego Safari Park's "Walkabout Australia," or Bronx's "Congo Gorilla Forest," etc. Because then every animal could have an outstanding home, and everyone regardless of where they live could get to experience the same world-class exhibits for themselves. It's like trying to patent houses or stores, it just results in more inconveniences and unnecessary gatekeeping.

(Although I do still hope Fresno can reconsider bringing back their African RIver though, North Cal needs hippos!)
 
I realized that the Masterplan of Zoo Zurich wasn't mentionned here, so time to do that:
The masterplan was published in 2021 with some smaller upgrades already done. The idea is to create large habitatis which are linked with a in-situ conservation project. With the Masoala Rainforest, the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park and the Lewa Savannah some of these Habitats were already buildt in the old masterplan.

Here you can see the whole masterplan: Development Plan 2050 | Zoo Zürich
There is also a pdf (on german) about the concept of all projects: ZooZürich_Entwicklungsplan_2050.pdf

These Projects are already complete:
- Ornis breeding station (2021): A behind the scenes breeding station for endangered birds and other animals wich are seperated in three climate sections.
- Centre of nature conservation (2023): A exhebition about the conservation work on the masoala peninsula and 360 degree cinema with a 5 min film about the conservation work of the zoo.
- Research station (2024): A breeding station which can be viewed from the visitors to breed and study endangered amphibians, reptiles and fishes.
- Panthera (2025): A rotational habitat with four enclosures for Amur tigers, Snow leopards and Asian lions. Next to the rotational exhibits there is also an exhibit for red pandas and the indoor Insect Forest with free roaming insects.

Currentrly they are working on the 7'500 sqm (1.85 acre) up to 35m (115 foot) high Pantanal Aviary for macaws, smaller parrots, tapirs, anteaters, flamingos, ibisses, and other birds. This will be finished in 2028.

After that they will build the Ndoki Forest for gorillas, okapis, drills, pigmy hippos, smaller african monkeys, as well as birds, reptiles and amphibians which will roam freely in the tropical house of the Ndoki Forest. This 2.9 ha (7.1 acre) exhibit is designed as an rotational exhibit with three large enclosures with each an indoor and an outdoor section with real trees to climb for the monkeys and will open in 2031.

They are also currently planning to build the Zoo cable car as a public transportation from a near train station to the zoo to reduce traffic.

These projects will come after the Ndoki-Forest (the last two in this list will come somewhere between the large projects):
- Sumatra Rainforest: On an 3 ha (7.4 acre) area they plan an sumatran exhibit for orang-utans, tapirs, babirusas, gibbons, gharials and manaties (as representation of the dugong) whith an 5000 sqm (1.24 acres) tropical house and an treetop walk and deers on the outdoor part of the enclosure.
- Sea Cost: This 2 ha (4.9 acre) shows a large cost for steller sea lions and humbolt penguins with a total water area of 11'000 sqm (2.7 acre) and an underwather tunnel.
- Slow Island: The current Australia Area should be turn into an aviary for koalas, tree kangoroos, giant galapagos turtles and other endemic animals (of course a lot of birds) with an komodo dragon exhibit next to the aviary.
- Kaeng Krachan Aviary: The plan is to build an net over the outdoor part of the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park (project of the old masterplan) so that birds and siamangs can live there.
- Indoor Playground: They plan to build a large indoor playground with a small restaurant.
- Event Centre: A new building next to the area of the zoo for meetings, events, education rooms and rooms to stay overnight.
 
I realized that the Masterplan of Zoo Zurich wasn't mentionned here, so time to do that:
The masterplan was published in 2021 with some smaller upgrades already done. The idea is to create large habitatis which are linked with a in-situ conservation project. With the Masoala Rainforest, the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park and the Lewa Savannah some of these Habitats were already buildt in the old masterplan.

Here you can see the whole masterplan: Development Plan 2050 | Zoo Zürich
There is also a pdf (on german) about the concept of all projects: ZooZürich_Entwicklungsplan_2050.pdf

These Projects are already complete:
- Ornis breeding station (2021): A behind the scenes breeding station for endangered birds and other animals wich are seperated in three climate sections.
- Centre of nature conservation (2023): A exhebition about the conservation work on the masoala peninsula and 360 degree cinema with a 5 min film about the conservation work of the zoo.
- Research station (2024): A breeding station which can be viewed from the visitors to breed and study endangered amphibians, reptiles and fishes.
- Panthera (2025): A rotational habitat with four enclosures for Amur tigers, Snow leopards and Asian lions. Next to the rotational exhibits there is also an exhibit for red pandas and the indoor Insect Forest with free roaming insects.

Currentrly they are working on the 7'500 sqm (1.85 acre) up to 35m (115 foot) high Pantanal Aviary for macaws, smaller parrots, tapirs, anteaters, flamingos, ibisses, and other birds. This will be finished in 2028.

After that they will build the Ndoki Forest for gorillas, okapis, drills, pigmy hippos, smaller african monkeys, as well as birds, reptiles and amphibians which will roam freely in the tropical house of the Ndoki Forest. This 2.9 ha (7.1 acre) exhibit is designed as an rotational exhibit with three large enclosures with each an indoor and an outdoor section with real trees to climb for the monkeys and will open in 2031.

They are also currently planning to build the Zoo cable car as a public transportation from a near train station to the zoo to reduce traffic.

These projects will come after the Ndoki-Forest (the last two in this list will come somewhere between the large projects):
- Sumatra Rainforest: On an 3 ha (7.4 acre) area they plan an sumatran exhibit for orang-utans, tapirs, babirusas, gibbons, gharials and manaties (as representation of the dugong) whith an 5000 sqm (1.24 acres) tropical house and an treetop walk and deers on the outdoor part of the enclosure.
- Sea Cost: This 2 ha (4.9 acre) shows a large cost for steller sea lions and humbolt penguins with a total water area of 11'000 sqm (2.7 acre) and an underwather tunnel.
- Slow Island: The current Australia Area should be turn into an aviary for koalas, tree kangoroos, giant galapagos turtles and other endemic animals (of course a lot of birds) with an komodo dragon exhibit next to the aviary.
- Kaeng Krachan Aviary: The plan is to build an net over the outdoor part of the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park (project of the old masterplan) so that birds and siamangs can live there.
- Indoor Playground: They plan to build a large indoor playground with a small restaurant.
- Event Centre: A new building next to the area of the zoo for meetings, events, education rooms and rooms to stay overnight.

Wow!! I think I had definitely overlooked Zoo Zurich. I mean I realised it was a great zoo but this masterplan seems unreal! Utterly astonishing and when finished an extremely strong cause for best zoo in the world in my opinion.
 
I notice that a well-known European zoo has been overlooked in this thread.
Basel Zoo published "Zolli 2049" in 2022. The idea is to restructure the older parts of the zoo, and an expansion is planned for the existing parking lot.
Here is the complete master plan: A hub of biodiversity in the heart of the city: ‘Zolli 2049’ master plan to be implemented from late 2024

The following are planned:
-The parking lot will be completely underground.
-Domes will be built over the parking lot to house, among other things, manatees, gharials, and coral reefs.
-An African area themed around the savannah and coastal areas will house giraffes, zebras, hippos, African penguins, and sea lions (at the Schutzmatte).
-An aviary for large birds will be built in the Sauter Garden.
-The sea lion enclosure will be repurposed for sun bears.
-The current petting zoo area will be dedicated to forest animals. There will be, among other things, an indoor pavilion open to visitors for pygmy hippos.
-The giraffe pavilion will house the petting zoo.
-The cheetahs will have a new enclosure at the corner of Pelikanweglein/Birsigstrasse. The African wild dog enclosure will be expanded to include the cheetah enclosure.

The following areas: Australis, the monkey pavilion, the bird pavilion, the Tembea elephant enclosure, the Etoscha/Gamgoas complexes, as well as the antelope pavilion, the owl pavilion, and the rhino enclosure will remain unchanged for the next 25 years.

The following species will be leaving the animal collection: porcupines, bison, long-tailed macaques, mouflon, coypu, reindeer, snow leopards, and wild boar.
 
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