I'm really hoping that Rocky Shores (opening in 2012) will be as fantastic as Asian Highlands, as that section of the zoo is by far and away the best part of Hogle. An excerpt from my 2010 review: Asian Highlands – Anyone who adores thematic exhibit complexes will love this section of the zoo, and it is by far and away the best attraction at Hogle. Every building is constructed with stone bricks, and there is a cool new Asian-themed eating establishment called the “Cat Wok Café” where my wife and I had steaming teriyaki chicken rice bowls while we stared out at the surrounding mountains. Prayer flags, a well-designed “Grandma’s House” with Nepalese and Tibetan artifacts, bicycles, paintings and other tiny details all combine to create the feeling that one is strolling through a village in Tibet or Nepal. The Utah mountainside aids in the immersive context of the area, and this 2006 exhibit complex is borderline spectacular. There are 5 cat habitats there: an Amur leopard exhibit that is rocky, steep, and naturalistic and easily amongst the best of its kind; an average-sized Amur tiger enclosure that is also built upon a steep slope; an above-average, lushly planted snow leopard habitat; and realistic but standard exhibits for Pallas’ cats and Siberian lynxes. The 3 tigers on show (all one-year old cubs) jumped in the water, ran around their enclosure, ventured over the heads of visitors on a wide walkway, and created havoc with each other in their netted exhibit. The entire area is almost flawless, other than tiny complaints such as the tigers can also be seen from the back of their enclosure and thus they lack a little privacy, and of course one can always point out that the exhibits could always be a tad larger. Overall this is an awesome addition to the zoo and one of the best cat complexes at any American zoo.
This looks like a very nice leopard habitat. What is Rocky Shores going to be? Polar bears? Sea lions? Update: polar bears, sea lions, harbor seals, and river otters http://www.hoglezoo.org/images/Exhibits/Rocky-Shores_large.jpg
The zoo's Master Plan is extremely informative, with dates on key areas: http://www.hoglezoo.org/images/Renew/master-plan_01-20-2010.jpg
