Zoos you feel need a revamp.

CheeseChameleon2007 said:
Their were rumors that it may have died early due to its health there. It spent a lot of time in that enrichment cage, and many people never saw it swimming, or ever really enjoying itself. This is all loosely based, but I just think the polar bears death added to the zoos reputation.
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That stinks, it seems like both zoos are going through a rough patch right now (partially due to covid) with Minnesota’s new, ugly looking tiger renovation, & comos polar bear death, both zoos don’t seem to be doing good. On the other hand, Lake Superior zoo seems to be doing better right now.
 
Dhole dude said:
That stinks, it seems like both zoos are going through a rough patch right now (partially due to covid) with Minnesota’s new, ugly looking tiger renovation, & comos polar bear death, both zoos don’t seem to be doing good. On the other hand, Lake Superior zoo seems to be doing better right now.
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Ugly? I personally thought the tiger renovation was a great improvement, with some neat viewing areas. If you look at the tiger lair without the renovation, It did not look so great.
 
Dhole dude said:
Forgot about the lemurs, I’ve only ever been able to spot the saffron finches, and once the blue-gray tanager, but most of the other birds stay hidden. Does anyone know any more species of birds in tropical encounters
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Como has a very interesting collection of birds in Tropical Encounters, including several rare tanagers and manakins. They are basically never seen by the visitor, though. I've been to Como three times and all I've ever managed to see is the Saffron Finches and Blue-gray Tanagers, and one brief view of what may have been a Lovely Cotinga. The lack of signage doesn't help.
 
birdsandbats said:
Como has a very interesting collection of birds in Tropical Encounters, including several rare tanagers and manakins. They are basically never seen by the visitor, though. I've been to Como three times and all I've ever managed to see is the Saffron Finches and Blue-gray Tanagers, and one brief view of what may have been a Lovely Cotinga. The lack of signage doesn't help.
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Agreed. I guess I didnt realize there were any tanagers, as I have never seen them.
 
Dudley Zoo definitely. Unfortunately it’s a small zoo near the outskirts of Birmingham, so it doesn’t get as much funding as London or Bristol (both similar in size). It has a few good exhibits, but many of them are very outdated, and consist of 70s Art Deco style of architecture. In this case I don’t think the zoo can do anything about them because they’re listed buildings.
 
After visiting the Kansas City Zoo recently, I can tell you that Tiger Trail is one of the worst exhibits I have ever seen in a zoo. All of the animals in that area have cages that are way too small, and it looks like the zoo took almost zero effort to make it look like their natural habitat. The tigers especially, have a tiny exhibit. Don't get me wrong, it's a great zoo with a great variety of animals, and most of the other animals get more than enough space, but all I'm saying is they need to redo Tiger Trail.
 
Henry Vilas Zoo's Children's Zoo could use a revamp. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the exhibits in that area of the zoo. The Black-Footed Penguin exhibit needs to be torn down and reconstructed as well.
 
birdsandbats said:
I disagree, the primate house is the only part of the zoo that needs to be redone.
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I love the old, 1920s Spanish stucco architecture of the bird, reptile, and primate houses. They’re all a pleasure to walk through, architecturally. But some of their exhibits are not spacious enough for the animals housed in them, which is why outdoor exhibit extensions like what they’re doing to the primate house are important. And did you know the herpetarium has over 200 species of reptiles/amphibians, but only 85 on exhibit at one time? They just don’t have the space anymore, especially for larger taxa like crocodilians. The 2016 Master Plan calls for outdoor, domed exhibits that would be attached to the herpetarium, one for the Congo, another for the Amazon, and a third for Southeast Asia. They do have the space around the building to do it. And the bird house doesn’t hold nearly as many species as it once did, because they’ve modernized it to give each species more space. So expanding the outdoor bird garden would be great, too, especially for more temperate species, thereby conserving indoor (and climate-controlled) space for tropical ones. But in any case, after Primate Canopy Trails next year, their next priority will assuredly be remaking the space that is now the Children’s Zoo. Fingers crossed for an Australia zone.
 
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imaginarius said:
I love the old, 1920s Spanish stucco architecture of the bird, reptile, and primate houses. They’re all a pleasure to walk through, architecturally. But some of their exhibits are not spacious enough for the animals housed in them, which is why outdoor exhibit extensions like what they’re doing to the primate house are important. And did you know the herpetarium has over 200 species of reptiles/amphibians, but only 85 on exhibit at one time? They just don’t have the space anymore, especially for larger taxa like crocodilians. The 2016 Master Plan calls for outdoor, domed exhibits that would be attached to the herpetarium, one for the Congo, another for the Amazon, and a third for Southeast Asia. They do have the space around the building to do it. And the bird house doesn’t hold nearly as many species as it once did, because they’ve modernized it to give each species more space. So expanding the outdoor bird garden would be great, too, especially for more temperate species, thereby conserving indoor (and climate-controlled) space for tropical ones. But in any case, after Primate Canopy Trails next year, their next priority will assuredly be remaking the space that is now the Children’s Zoo. Fingers crossed for an Australia zone.
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The reptile house is great and one of the best in the country. The problem with the bird house isn't the space, it's that they put large species is enclosures clearly meant for smaller species.
 
birdsandbats said:
The reptile house is great and one of the best in the country. The problem with the bird house isn't the space, it's that they put large species is enclosures clearly meant for smaller species.
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Although the herpitarium is great, it desperately needs an expansion since a lot of there reptile collection can’t be displayed due to the size of the building. Same with the the bird house(to an extent).
 
Dhole dude said:
Although the herpitarium is great, it desperately needs an expansion since a lot of there reptile collection can’t be displayed due to the size of the building. Same with the the bird house(to an extent).
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This. I love my hometown zoo, and the Herpetarium is excellent, but I also want STL to be indisputably the best in the nation, if not the world. And holding more species, especially endangered/little-known ones is important if they have the resources to do so (and they do). I’ve talked with Justin Elden a few times before (he’s one of the herpetarium keepers), and he’s stressed that there are so many imperiled herps (especially frogs) in the world right now that they would love to help save, with things like SSPs and ex situ conservation efforts, but they just need more space to do it. I’m sure the aviculturists feel the same way. Fingers crossed they prioritize those two areas of the zoo after they finish with the primate house and Children’s Zoo reimagining. Again, the Saint Louis Zoo is a treasure, and I love almost every part of it — but I’d also love to see it surpass the San Diego Zoo or Berlin Tiergarten someday.
 
Smaggledagle said:
I do agree that Capron Park Zoo need's a redo

like for instance, fill in the lemur islands. I feel like you can get away with putting a lot more exhibits there. or maybe making it like a crocodile/hippo area.
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Trust me. Myself and everyone else who works or volunteers at Capron agrees that a revamp is needed. If you can convince the city council to give us more money, basically every building will be completely redone in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get anything done as a nonprofit city-run zoo if the city won't financially support you. Crocs or hippos won't happen on that pond though for two reasons-
A. The zoo struggles as it is with winter holding space. There would need to be a new large barn built for either species.
B. A hippo exhibit without underwater viewing would be kind of pointless. No one would ever see the hippos.

I do know that there are currently no plans to get more lemurs after all the current ones die, so hopefully that means a better use of that pond will come. Asian waterfowl is a likely use, but is by no means the only possibility.
 
Neil chace said:
Trust me. Myself and everyone else who works or volunteers at Capron agrees that a revamp is needed. If you can convince the city council to give us more money, basically every building will be completely redone in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get anything done as a nonprofit city-run zoo if the city won't financially support you.
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What is your dream to redesign this specific zoo?
 
Neil chace said:
B. A hippo exhibit without underwater viewing would be kind of pointless. No one would ever see the hippos.
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Would Cheyenne Mountain's new exhibit be pointless then? ;) . There are a lot of downsides to having underwater viewing, and a lot of zoos do it wrong. I do agree, however, that they are probably not going to be an option for Capron Park Zoo.
 
Smaggledagle said:
What is your dream to redesign this specific zoo?
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I've thought a lot about it. I really have. I would definitely take down the current entry building and replace it with a two story building. That way the second floor can serve as educational space, etc. and the first floor could become a Penguin/Puffin exhibit similar to St. Louis. O would also include an indoor restauraunt with access to the park that could overlook an Exhibit and act as a revenue-enhacement. I would personally keep the Rainforest Building as is, but change some specific animals for ones I find more interesting (great Blue Turaco, andean cock of the rock, Crested Oropendola, etc.) and replace the caiman with west african dwarf crocodile. The Nocturnal Building should stay standing as it is the original building however I would completely change the inside in favor of a Koala and Tree Kangaroo Exhibit similar to the one at Cleveland Zoo. For outdoor exhibits, I would like to see the Kangaroo exhibit become Maned wolves, see an updated Otter exhibit to breed Spotted-necked otters, an okapi exhibit where the goats currently are, and a new Bear Exhibit in order to breed sloth bears again (the current exhibit does not have a separate area for the Male). I would also turn the current lion and Bear Exhibits into Sumatran tiger, turn the current wartypig and Crane exhibits into jaguar, add a Reeve's muntjac to with the red pandas, replace the leopard with raccoon dogs, and build various new Exhibits in unused space for bush dogs, clouded Leopard, fossa, pallas Cat, white-haired gibbon, chinese Central Goral, an outdoor serval Exhibit, and Red-crowned crane/ tufted deer. The pond would also be drained in my ideal scenario to make room for the new Bear Exhibit, dholes, and some of the aforementioned species. This would cost way more money than possible, yet it would be my dream zoo.
 
ZooBinh said:
Would Cheyenne Mountain's new exhibit be pointless then? ;) . There are a lot of downsides to having underwater viewing, and a lot of zoos do it wrong. I do agree, however, that they are probably not going to be an option for Capron Park Zoo.
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I am not familiar with Cheyenne's new Exhibit, but I will look into it.
 
Neil chace said:
I am not familiar with Cheyenne's new Exhibit, but I will look into it.
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The pictures of it in the gallery definitely make it seem like a nice Exhibit. I've never been, but I wonder how easy it is to see the hippos. They probably enjoy the Exhibit at the very least.
 
Neil chace said:
The pictures of it in the gallery definitely make it seem like a nice Exhibit. I've never been, but I wonder how easy it is to see the hippos. They probably enjoy the Exhibit at the very least.
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I don't imagine its hard at all. It's all about how you exhibit the animals. Definitely better for the animals than your typical underwater window with no land space and a small pool type of exhibit.
 
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