North Carolina Zoo - New Exhibits » North Carolina Zoo

15-04-2008

$160,000 honeybee exhibit? A member of ZooBeat who has been to over 50 zoos in North America told me that the North Carolina Zoo would probably be in his top 5 for overall quality. Road trip indeed....and before the polar bears arrive!

15-04-2008

They already have polar bears. They will probably just expand their holding area to allow for offspring and materinty dens. It's a nice exhibit, not really big. But it has varied terrain, good topography, a nice pool, and most important real substrate...grass, dirt, rocks, the good stuff. When I get my scanner up, I will have to post my pictures of the North Carolina Zoo.

15-04-2008

@okapikpr: Thanks, I was just checking out the website and noticed the polar bear exhibit. Do they only have African and North American animals, as if I'm not mistaken they shut down their Australiasia section a year or so ago...

15-04-2008

Yeah, they only have the Africa and North American sections, there were other continents planned but funding never got that far. I'm expecting a copy of their old masterplan within the next few weeks, I'll fill you in on the juicy details of the plans.

As for the Austrailian section, it was only a temporary exhibition that took over the children's area across from the polar bears for a few years. This held raise attendance and funding to get Watani off the ground. It was a nice exhibit for being temporary and so cheap (I think $200,000).

16-04-2008

I expect you're right. There's not enough of a budget to do a new space for polar bears.

24-04-2008

ThePilot.com : Donor Give $201,000 to Zoo for Giraffe Feeding Station

Must be nice to have private donors willing to part with $200,000!! So next summer's honeybee and giraffe feeding station exhibits are already paid for, and just have to be built.

02-05-2008

There is also a raptor center in NC that is not far from Charlotte.

Off-site Amphibian Conservation Center
18-05-2008

Taken from the zoological society's website:

18-05-2008

I want to go back there so badly

23-06-2008

Charlotte Local News | Charlotte Observer

After reading about the brand-new, massive new exhibits for white rhinos and african elephants, plus all of the upcoming plans for future developments, this article shatters some of those illusions and paints a bleaker portrait of the zoo. There is only the one elderly polar bear left in an exhibit that is outdated and contains a leaky pool. The African Pavilion is only 24 years old but is being torn down, and can the zoo really raise another $30 million to build a new one? There are many exciting projects on the horizon, but I worry about the finances and infrastructure of this institution.

23-06-2008

Actually its finances and future potential is looking a lot better than 8 years ago...they have finally received some support from the state and annual attendance is up.

23-12-2008

Elephants can handle very cold temperatures. At Cleveland Zoo they let the elephants go out when it is below freezing temperature and allow the elephants to play in the snow. Elephants are pretty adaptable creatures and in their homeland in Africa it does get cold at night. I don't think just because an elephant is in a colder climate it will be locked inside more, it just means it will have enrichment that a zoo in the South cannot offer snow!! In Cleveland the elephants still go out daily. I don't think in any zoo (except Alaska), that the elephants would be locked up 24/7 in the winter. Most if not all zoos allow their elephants to go out 1 time per day even if it is just for 30 minutes.

24-12-2008

Just a few comments (and an update) on a few months-old chain about the North Carolina Zoo -- one of my favorites. In my 1994 book (The Zoo Book: A Guide to America's Best), I called this zoo, "The 21st Century's Best Zoo", and the zoo then used my quote in its advertising. My claim was based on what Okapikpr said (above) -- that they planned on continuing the excellent continental themes that they already have with their African and North American areas. They intended to add (about every 10 years) equally excellent and expansive sections dedicated to the animals of Asia, South America, Australia, and even Europe! Had then been able to do this, my above claim would have been true. But, as Okapikpr pointed out, the state funding dried up and they've struggled lately. Thankfully, things now seem to be turning around, with the new Watani Grasslands exhibit. It is sad, however, to know the African Pavilion is closing down. Back in 1994, I ranked this exhibit among the Top 25 zoo exhibits in America.

By the way, I will likely be visiting the North Carolina Zoo next week, probably on December 30th. If I remember, I'll post my thoughts on the new Watani Grasslands exhibit.

24-12-2008

That is the same day I am going to Miami Metrozoo!

02-01-2009

At last the Zoo is preparing to start work on expanding the polar bear exhibit.
https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/AGENCY/PDF/06598500.pdf