As the title suggest I started this thread just to find out how people like to see their home zoo. I almost always take the same route around Melbourne Zoo except when I enter from the tram station entrance; I start with the African rainforest, then to the Asian rainforest, then the savannah and up up to the Australian bush. After that I go past the bongos and over to the peccaries, down to the maned wolves/cats/lemurs/bears, then to see the lions and painted dogs, followed by the reptile house and galapagos tortoises. Then this is where my plan comes unstuck, I go down the small cat section and have to backtrack back to the main path again, then to the platypus' and finish with the the box of chocolate section and japanese gardens. Everyone else?
At Chester: - first stop the elephant house and one side of the paddock - then monkey islands indoor enclosures - walk back towards the entrance area between the spider monkey enclosure and Asian Plains - head towards the Tsavo area - see the other hoofstock paddocks - then onto bears of the cloud forest and twilight zone - mini monkeys and monkey island outdoor areas before crossing the elephant bridge and seeing the other side of the elephant paddock - visit condor cliffs, butterfly house and onto the Jaguars - visit Chimps, realm of the red ape and flamingos - head towards Tropical Realm and then onto the Red River Hogs, Warty Pigs, Giraffe and Okapi - onto Islands in Danger - then penguins, sealions and europe on the edge aviary - see the tigers and then head to the area with Bongo and Red Panda - see the area with kangaroo, cassowary, bush dogs and serval before seeing the lions - head towards the Asian Steppe area and the lemur enclosures before seeing the Cheetah and Philippine Deer enclosures from the bridge. - head towards the entrance area and then picking and choosing which areas I visit again.
Well I always go anticlockwise around Newquay zoo (which only takes around an hour so I do quite a few times in a day (from opening to closing) so first I go to the lake and see the lemurs and small primates then to the red panda/priare dog/azras agouti complex and onto one side of the phillipine exhibit seeing the phillipine deer. Then around to the african exhibit and again some small primate islands aound the tarzan trail. then to the oriental garden to see hornbills, otters, prevost squirrel and owstons palm civet. Around to the tapir enclosure also with capybara, pied tamarin, east african crowned crane and hawaiian goose. around to the penguins and past some small aviaries to the lion enclosure turn around to see the fossas onto the meerkats and then to the lynx enclosure. Then I turn back past the lion enclosure see the coati in their cage and to the sulawesi crested macaque. back down to the rest of the phillipine exhibit (ie the wart pigs) then to the farm ard area. back out of the farmyard and into the tropical realm to see the indoor rainforest and reptile exhibits. Outside of the tropical realm and into the monkey walk to see the three monkey cages then into the night house to see the two enclosures in their containing (in the first enclosure paca, kinkajou and sebas bat and (in the second enclosure) six banded armadillo, tamandua and sebas bat. Then i'm at the entrance again.
It would be very interesting to know what criteria people are using. Factors that spring to mind re. route determination include:- -Going the "wrong way around" the zoo to avoid visitors density caused by visitors following recommended route. -Knowledge of feeding times , shows etc & avoidance thereof of these often annoying events. - Giving priority to favoured species / exhibits. -Location of cafeteria / restaurant & time of day / need for refreshments. -Weather conditions / time of year / daylight length -e.g. leaving indoor houses for last wnen animals have been transferred inside. I certainly tend to avoid any type of show which I have seen on numerous previous visits to a given zoo.
I use the highlighted points at Chester which is why I visit the hoofstock and waterfowl paddocks early when most visitors head straight to the apes or big cats on the other side of the zoo. I always manage to conveniently miss the talks that take place so I generally avoid the crowds here.
At Marwell - Past the Black Swan Pond to the Penguin and Mara enclosures. - Along the road, which runs alongside the sable antelope/congo buffalo paddock, rhea/capybara paddock, flamingo lake, tapir/capybara paddock, pygmy hippo paddocks, cheetah enclosure, serval enclosures and warthog enclosure. - Turn left into Into Africa for Porcupines and Hyrax and indoor quaters of Giraffe, Sable Antelope, Colobus Monkey and Diana Monkey. - Exiting the building, turn left for Giraffe or Bongo paddock (depending which is using it) and Heart of Africa for Potto, Lake Malwai Cilichids, Invertebrates, Nile Monitor and indoor quaters for Bongo and Congo Buffalo. - Walk back along used route, getting back onto main route via arabian oryx and colobus/diana monkey outdoor enclosure. - Follow main route to see Marabou Mansions, Leopard Lookout, Gemsbok/Dama Gazelle Paddock, Bat House and Ground Hornbills. - Turn left past gazelle and gemsbok hardstands to Cafe Graze and the African Valley viewpoint. - Turn right, taking the path opposite to the previous one to see Aridlands. - Follow main route past Amur Tigers, Desert Carnivores, Camel/Prezwalski's Paddock, Ocelots, Bat-Eared Foxes, Somali Wild Ass, Zebra/Black Wildebeest Paddock, Coatis, Roan Antelope, Red Pandas and Secretary Birds. - Turn right into Yew Tree Walk past aviaries for Demoiselle Cranes, Hammerkop and Stanley Cranes. - Turn right to the Somali Wild Ass Stallion, another view of the zebra/wildebeest paddock and okapi paddocks. - Turn left into Okapi houses, Nyala and Amur Tiger House. - Turn left down past meerkats, sarus cranes and Zebra/Oryx/Ostrich Paddock. - Turn left towards Marwell Hall into the back lawn, past tamarins and conures. - Turn right down int the lawn towards Dwarf Mongooses. - Turn left into World of Lemurs, exiting out past enclosures for Yellow Mongoose, Tamirins, Fossa and Dorroucouli. - Turn left into Life in the Trees, visiting tree shrews and emus nearby upoun exiting. - Turn left onto main route past ankole, sitatunga and macaque island into Encounter Village and the Australian Bush Walk. - Follow footsteps back to LITT exit, usually going through this enclosure again in the opposite direction. Continue forward on the main route into Tropical World, the Rhino House, and if it's open, the Science and Learning Centre. - Get back onto the main route, past the rhino/kudu paddocks, takin enclosure, pygmy hippo paddocks, tapir paddock, peccary enclosure, kangaroo enclosure and giant anteater enclosure. Take left turns at two intervals for Roof of the World and the Amphibian Centre, a right turn at one for the Hippo/Tapir House. - Get back to starting, return to any particular spots.
Chester -Elephants Of the Asian Forests -Tsavo, African Aviary, Pelicans -Paddock Animals -Mini Monkeys -Bears, Tapirs, Vicuna -Twilight Zone -Asian Plains -Monkey Islands -Over the new bridge to the Cheetahs, Camels & Lemurs -Condors & Butterfly House -Ringtailed Lemurs -Giraffes, Okapis, Red River Hogs, Warty Pigs & Buffalos -Tropical Realm -Capuchins, Macaws & Sand Lizards -Jaguars -Chimpanzees -Realm Of The Red Ape -Flamingoes, Penguins, Europe On The Edge & Sealions -Tigers -Small Mammals (Meerkats, Mongoose, Porcupine) -Islands In Danger, Old Bird Corridor & Round Aviaries -Lions -Owls, Bongos, Cranes & Red Panda -Kangaroos, Bush Dog, Serval, Cassowarry, Pudu -Going back to see anything i might have missed or an animals that wasnt showing, whilst going back over the new bridge again this time seeing the Anoas. Obviously this might not be the exact route on every visit but its a rough idea
I don't have any "home zoo" per se (I live just about the place in the country where there is the longest way to any real zoo), but I surely have a preferred route in my most visited zoo, Aalborg. I don't want to bother describing the exact route (like how Marwell Dalek) so I'll just list the exhibits in the order I see them -African Aviaries with african passerines, doves, touracos and fossas -Chimpanzees -Capouchins -Vervet monkeys -Brown bears -Polar bears -Indoor exhibits for lions, tigers and leopards (here are also a few terraria) -African wild dogs -Meerkats -Lions, tigers and leopards outdoor -African elephants -Ring-tailed lemurs -Ice cream time! When I go with my grandparents, they also give an ice cream at the ice parlor here -Orangutans -The savannah with ostrichs, giraffes, zebras, oryxes and kudus -The African Village with boer goats, warthogs, pygmy hippos and some african tropical birds -The exhibition building Panthera -The tropical house with tamarins, marmosets, agoutis, a few birds and a lot of reptiles, amphibians and fishes -Macaws -Sea lions -Penguins -Domestic pigs -African pygmy goats (when I was a kid, I spend almost half of the time petting them ) -The farm (stables for pigs, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs) -Red pandas -Donkeys -Bactrian camels -Western gray kangaroos -Pampas exhibit with vicunas and lowland tapirs -Snack at the restaurant -Hamadryas baboons -Rainbow lorikeets -The Payamino House - South American tropical house with indoor exhibits for spider monkeys, giant anteaters, armadillos and some amphibians as well as free-ranging parrots and iguanas -The spider monkey island with nutrias in the water -Coatis -Capybaras -The pampas exhibit with maras and giant anteaters -Macaws -Flamingos
Going on the same concept with Parken Zoo Eskilstuna, since I don't count the park Skansen in Stockholm as a zoo. -Entrance -Walk-through exhibit with red-necked wallabies and visayan warty pigs -Himalaya with pallas cats and red pandas -Asia Pavilion - Indoor tropical house with binturong, clouded leopard, mouse deer, birds and reptiles -Asian lions -Outdoor exhibits for binturongs and fishing cats -Gibbon islands (white-handed and white-cheeked gibbons) -Tiger forest with Sumatran tigers -Souvenir shop with indoor exhibit for sand cats -Outdoor exhibit for sand cats -African wild dogs -New exhibit for drills (opened in 2010) -Savannah with bongos and wildebeest -Cheetahs -Amur leopard exhibit -African aviary with pygmy hippo and african birds -Second exhibit for pygmy hippos -Aviary for Aloatran lemurs and red-bellied lemurs -Amazoonas - South american tropical house with free-ranging monkeys, anacondas, piranhas, armadillos, birds, crocodiles, iguanas etc -Exhibit for pumas (cougars) -Walkthrough aviary with white storks, cattle egrets and crowned cranes -Exhibit for maned wolves and guanacos (they actually fit well together) -Summer exhibit for tapirs and capybaras (they have another exhibit in winter) -South american exhibit with southern pudus, rheas and anteaters -Flamingo valley - exhibit with 3 different species of flamingos -New outdoor exhibits for spider monkeys and different species of smaller monkeys. -House for South american monkeys, also with Galapagos tortoises. -Komodo house with Komodo dragons
My home zoo is the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and my route is like almost everybody else. -Go through entrance to the Rift Valley Aviary -Then go to Plains of East Africa(Boardwalk) -To the Reptile house then the Elephants. -Go back on the Boardwalk where the Lions, Colobus, and Leopards are. -Get off boardwalk to Savanna Bloom Gardens -Go to Giraffe Overlook -Range of the Jaguars(Jaguar exhibit, Temple, River's Edge, then Aviary) -PlayPark(Squirrel Monkeys, Penguins) -Optional:Australia -Now go to the Asia Gardens then the Komodo Dragons -Leave the gardens and Dragons to the Great Apes past the Play Park -Then go Wild Florida and then leave the zoo.
Akron- Always Legends of the Wild, Komodo Kingdom, Grizzly Ridge/Farmland/Wild Prairie, Tiger Valley!
San Antonio Zoo, I usually start at the left and see the bears, lemurs, and other primates. Then I go through the grotto area and look at the small cats and other animals they have there. From there, I usually head toward the tiger exhibit and look at stuff on my way. Sometimes I stop at Lory Landing to feed the birds. After tigers, I wander to the Africa area. Since most of my zoo trips are in the middle of a weekday, most of the food/snack places are closed, and the big restaurant by the carousel is my only option if I get hungry, so I might stop there. Then I usually go to the Amazon area, and then wander around the zoo aimlessly. If there's some new thing that I really like (such as the baby tigers) I might go back and watch it longer.
I deliberately plan on trying a different route next time, but my typical Brookfield Zoo route is from the North Gate past/through the Fragile Kingdom exhibits, down by Seven Seas and then past the former Bear Grottos (still a habit despite the new exhibit being opened for a few years now) stopping by Tropic World and then working from the Living Coast, Birds and Reptiles, etc. back up through Great Bear Wilderness and the Habitat Africa exhibits, ending by 31st Street Yards. Not a path I'd recommend honestly, as the east side of the zoo is extremely barren right now, and a lot of time is wasted going through space that is now largely empty or in development. Wild Encounters is under development, Reptiles and Birds, and the Bear Grottos, are all closed, the Stingray Bay and Hamill Family Play Zoo require separate admission. The Fragile Kingdom (all 3 sections) exhibits are some of the best BZ has to offer and Seven Seas is good to stop by on any visit, but those are all in the north and close to the zoo entrance and can be seen after plowing through the west side.
Phoenix Zoo is my home zoo. It has a perimeter route with 2 "feeder paths" so you could do an S pattern if you wanted to see everything with minimal backtracking, starting with the Arizona Trail. What I do, however, is dependent on how much time I have and what my mood is. I only live 6 minutes from the zoo so the key to me not getting bored with it is to see different exhibits on different days. Cheetahs are always on the itiniery (I never know how to spell that) so depending on my mood I will either hang a right at the African Savannah (the route to the left starts the perimeter route) to go by the Zebra, Otters and 2 Lemur islands or take the perimeter route to the left and go up to the Lion/Tiger exhibit (they are back to back) to get to Cheetahs. after Cheetahs, if I'm feeling good enough, I will continue on or backtrack depending on my original route, and take the perimeter route to the Forest of Uco to see the Andean Bears before finishing off at the Jaguars. when I'm feeling real good I will go to the Children's Zoo to see the Bald Eagles and Ocelot.
The Alaska Zoo: enter and check on the Harbor Seals to the right. If nothing too exciting is happening with them, turn left and view the Polar Bears. Continue on to the Red Fox, Canada Lynx, Moose, and Peregrine Falcon exhibits. Next it's on to the Golden Eagle, Snowy Owl, Magpie, Raven, Great Gray Owl, and Sitka Deer. Move on to the Musk Ox. Divert left to check on the Amur Tigers and back end of Wolf exhibit. Backtrack to the intersection of paths near the Musk Ox and head east. The moose and Porcupines are on the right. Small raptors and owls to the left. Continue past the Yak, Alpaca, and Bactrian Camel yards, following the hill down to the Caribou. Turn left. If the Black Bears are up, follow the elevated walkway between the Black Bears and Bald Eagles. Come out near the Amur Tigers, check in on them. Turn right and down the hill past the tigers, eagles, and Coyotes. Cross the lower bridge over the creek and view the ducks and swans. Check out the progress on the new Moose exhibit. Turn right and view the Mountain Goat and Dall Sheep exhibits. On to the Snow Leopards. Then the Brown Bears and the back end of the Caribou exhibit. Backtrack to the Snow Leopards. Turn right and cross over the creek and back to the eagles. Turn left at the Coyotes. Head back up hill. Check out the Tigers again. Turn right past the Great Horned Owls to the main viewing area for the Gray Wolves. Turn left, past the infirmary, view small animals and orphaned wildlife. Continue past the Arctic and Red Foxes. View the Goshawk and Redtailed Hawk. Stop by the barnyard. Cross the old entrance plaza and backtrack past the Lynx to the Polar Bears. Brief side jaunt up the path to the Hawk Owl. Turn back around and view the Harbor Seals and River Otters. Exit the zoo or repeat.
Milwaukee County Zoo - Humboldt penguins (entrance exhibit) - Continue to Apes of Africa (Gorillas and Bonobos) - Primates of the World (Mandrills, Spider Monkeys, Orangutans, Et al) - Macaque Island (Japanese Macaques) - Aviary - Aquatic and Reptile Center (Fish, Snakes, Et al) - Small Mammals (Day and Night) - Camels - South American (Tapirs, Alpacas, Rheas) - Black Rhinos - African Elephants - Reticulated Giraffes - Big Cat Country (Lions, Tigers, Jaguars, Et al) - African Watering Hole (Zebra, Kudu, Waterbuck, Et al) - African Savannah (Impala and Vultures) - Hippo - Bongo - Red River Hog - Elephants (again) - Australian (Tree Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, Emu) - American (Brown Bears, Moose, Seals, Polar Bear, Other Bears, Elk, Caribou) http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/pdf/ZooMapSummer2014.pdf
Smithsonian National Zoo: - Asia Trails: Pandas, otters, fishing cat, clouded leopard, then sloth bear. - Down the main route, maybe a quick stop to cheetah loop, or I go straight down to American Trails. -From American Trails, I go see the Andean bears. -Depending on my mood, I may go through the Kids Farm back the main route or go back in American Trails and up the stairs past the giant anteater. -I will go do Big Cats and head back up the hill, sometimes making stops in the Big Ape House or Small Mammal House. Maryland Zoo: *Polar Watch *Journey Into Africa (veering off to the right towards waterhole) *Maryland Wilderness
