Seattle's premier zoo has won 7 AZA exhibit awards over the years (two in the 1980's, three in the 1990's and two more in the 2000's) and "Jaguar Cove" was a recipient of an award after it opened in 2003. I believe that there is still one zoo that has won more of those exhibit awards in North America, and that is the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Award-Winning Exhibits at Woodland Park Zoo: African Savanna - Giraffes, ostrich, gazelle, oryx, zebra in one large paddock, with patas monkeys, lions, African wild dogs and hippos in adjoining exhibits. Award won in 1980, and an African Village entrance was added in 2001. Elephant Forest (Tropical Asia) - 3 Asian elephants in a 1.5 acre exhibit, surrounded by a mock-temple environment. This enclosure won best exhibit of the year in 1989 but has since come under fire for being too small. How times have changed in the zoo community. Tropical Rainforest - Poison dart frogs, ocelots, anacondas, piranhas, golden lion tamarins, a variety of birds, a walk-through indoor aviary, and two connected gorilla enclosures that were the first EVER naturalistic gorilla exhibits (1979) and still perhaps in the top 5 in North America. There are amazingly naturalistic exhibits for red ruffed lemurs, colobus monkeys and red-flanked duikers on an outdoor pathway. Award won in 1992. Northern Trail - The most popular section of the zoo according to zoo polls. A pair of 900-pound grizzly bears (arguably the best exhibit for grizzlies), river otters, rocky mountain goats, arctic foxes, snowy owls, porcupines, a walk-through bald eagle aviary, gray wolves and roosevelt elk in a fantastic set of exhibits. Award won in 1994. Trail of Vines (Tropical Asia) - a pair of spacious orangutan enclosures (arguably the best in North America for orangs), lion-tailed macaques, Indian pythons, Malayan tapirs, and siamang gibbons. Award won in 1995. Jaguar Cove - a lush, glassed enclosure with a variety of enrichment that includes a pond for underwater viewing. Arguably the best jaguar exhibit in North America. Award won in 2003. Humboldt Penguin Exhibit - the second best penguin habitat that I've ever seen in a zoo (Saint Louis is amazing), this $6.5 million habitat opened in May of 2009 and won Seattle yet another exhibit award.
Sorry, Cincinnati's grotto doesn't really count, if that is what you are referring to. San Francisco also opened a moated gorilla exhibit at around the same time, including large live trees the animals had access to, but I wouldn't consider it a "natural" or "naturalistic" exhibit in the sense that Seattle's breakthrough was.
Simply one to best exhibit and most naturalistic i've ever seen. This zoo has many top exhibits that would put my local Singapore Zoo, which is very famous and considered one of the best zoo around the world, to shame. I can't wait for the Asian Forest exhibit to be completed, very excited to see how the tiger exhibit would look. I hope its as good as the jaguar's, it would then be the best tiger exhibit in the world and another award winning exhibit.
