I mean in Condor ridge, which has after all held: Black footed ferret Ocelot North American porcupine Prairie dog (not positive which species) Lowland paca
That'd really be something, however it does seem as though it'd be a little repetitive. For example, no zoo needs to have ten separate elephant exhibits, lol.
The overall repetitiveness in terms of species might make it rather less interesting. Not to mention when all at the same facility, some complexes would appear quite a bit less special compared to their neighbors.
Maybe just pick the best exhibit out of the ones holding duplicate species lol. Would otherwise be the greatest zoo in the world! And where there really ten elephant exhibits in this thread alone!?
Yeah imagine going from the Nashville Andean Bear exhibit to that black bear exhibit from Knoxville lol. Species repetitiveness could be solved by selecting the best exhibit of the species duplicate exhibits and picking only one for each species. Even so who wouldn’t want to see multiple elephants!
This opens the question of which animals may not be on the list at all due to a lack of quality exhibits.
Good guess, but nope. I was running off the conversation about repeated species across exhibits if they were in one facility. I think the list was very balanced species-wise though.
Where there I don’t have time the review the entirety of the list but now I’m curious about this too. The majority were mammals but there were a few aviaries and reptile houses here so that evens the variety of mammals, birds, and herps quite a bit. I can’t remember any particular species which weren’t featured as part of any of these exhibits, showing how forgettable those species may be
At the very beginning of the year I paid a revisit to the San Diego parks for the first time in several years. Originally I was thinking of doing a whole new thread dedicated to this trip, but I want to take the opportunity to do something just a bit different. I want to look back upon the nine exhibits at the zoo and safari park that were selected for the list. Now that I've seen them again, some for the first time, I thought it'd be fun to assess their wholly objective "must-see" status once more, reflect on some of the discussion surrounding them and add some personal anecdotes about my experiences with each. It'll be three posts covering three exhibits each, starting with the zoo and in the order of which the exhibits in question were presented on this thread. After things wrapped up, I was reflecting on this selection and started to wonder if I should have just included the entire Reptile Walk section of the zoo in one slot, which consists of a variety of different herp complexes opened at different times but is defined as one large area by the zoo. However, now I can say for sure that I’m glad I highlighted this exhibit in particular. It really is excellent and one of the most dynamic reptile enclosures I’ve ever seen. What makes it so special is the number of brilliant species all exhibited together which makes it consistently engaging. It would still be great if it was just the crocodilians, but all of the additional Southeast Asian turtle species, many of which are true rarities, guarantee constant activity. Among the small-to-medium sized turtles were two Malaysian giant turtles fighting for a piece of lettuce and I even witnessed one of the gharials moving around on land before sliding itself into the water. This isn't to say there aren't some other highlights of this part of the zoo: the spacious outdoor yards for tortoises, iguanas and Chinese alligators are terrific. The newer Komodo dragon complex is well designed and many of the covered terrariums viewed outdoors are nice, although some of the turtle ones were a smidge tight on space. The WPA-era reptile house is mostly fine but has definitely seen better days. Many enclosures were rather scruffy looking and some were just far too small for their inhabitants; an especially cramped gray’s monitor terrarium stands out in this regard. Regardless, the gharial pond is outstanding and a strong contender for one of my favorite individual habitats in the zoo. Nearly 20 years later and this exhibit continues to age like fine wine. There’s been discourse recently about the decline of primate diversity in zoos, so seeing eight monkey species sequentially is more of a treat than ever, plus the many other non-primate species of varying sizes. Some of my personal visit highlights include watching a mandrill/red-tailed monkey scatter feed, seeing an adorable baby Debrazza’s monkey interacting with visitors, and the sheer number of tufted capuchins on display. My only real complaint is that the rather unsightly holding buildings in a majority of the enclosures are in plain sight of visitors. It hinders the naturalism of the area even if the surrounding vegetation is beautiful, but I’m nitpicking here. In response to earlier comments that pointed out how tricky this exhibit can be to navigate for first-timers (and it definitely can be) I said that the layout creates a sense of discovery to the area. I recognize some will disagree and prefer a more defined route, but I absolutely stand by my initial assessment. I struggle to think of another complex that’s so interesting to navigate. There's many paths you can choose to take and you'll almost never know what you'll find next whether it be one of the smaller aviaries on the forest floor or that hidden wall of the vivaria opposite the pygmy hippo and crocodile viewing. San Diego is so beloved primarily because of the amount of enclosures to be found everywhere across the grounds and no complex in the zoo exemplifies this better than Monkey Trails and Forest Tales. The zoo had a remarkable total of six walkthrough aviaries mentioned during this thread, including honorable mentions and similar exhibits, but when it comes down to it this is still probably the greatest one (although not my personal favorite). What is there to say that hasn't already been said? Stunning environment, a vast and diverse assortment of rainforest birds, and multiple levels of viewing. The actual structure is a marvel in itself and be sure not to miss the few side enclosures within the aviary which can be viewed from an outside path, once again demonstrating that sense of discovery experienced around this part of the zoo. With all that said, I would make an amendment here. My original intent was to have all three of the walkthrough rainforest aviaries all share a spot on the list, but I ultimately went with the Scipps aviary to avoid any confusion or unnecessary controversy. If I were making the list now however, I wouldn't have gone either of these routes. Instead I would have had both the Scripps and Owens aviaries share a spot. They are similar enough in structure and scale to justify it and while I truly loved my time in the Parker aviary as well, it’s just not on the same tier. The Owens aviary is undergoing renovations so I did not get to experience it first-hand this time around, but based on memory and photos it evokes the same feeling of awe as its counterpart. Thoughts on Elephant Odyssey, Hummingbird Habitat and Africa Rocks will follow in the coming days...
I wasn't sure what to make of Elephant Odyssey in the past and honestly I’m still not sure what to make of it now. When it works it works very well: the condor aviary, rattlesnake exhibit, even the jaguars are very good. I’d add the streamside reptile exhibit to that list too, except I saw absolutely nothing in here and I’m not the only one who’s questioning if it’s still occupied or not. While the elephant complex itself has some questionable aesthetics, functionally it is terrific for the animals. It’s great that they’ve added live trees and some grass in recent years and the zoo has begun shifting to housing a bachelor herd of African elephants which is more practical than mixing geriatric individuals of both species - I even got to see the two brothers sparring with one another for a bit. The only part I truly dislike is the barn. I understand what they were trying to do here by essentially turning an elephant house inside-out for the public to see, but perception is important and I reckon many people will look at that cluster of steel and see a building resembling a jail. Not the image a modern zoo should be evoking. The complex as a whole has gotten a lot better over the years with a few minor tweaks, but there’s still a fair share of weak points that need fixing. The lion exhibit is even smaller than I remembered and definitely not appropriate. All of the ungulate exhibits are also a bit small for my liking and it’s still just silly to have domestic horses and donkeys. However, regardless of any personal feelings, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a must-see exhibit purely because of the reputation it’s garnered in zoo-nerd circles. One final note, the interpretive material and educational displays here are pretty great and it all makes a solid effort to explain the concept of the exhibit in a way that's easy to understand. This was the only exhibit at the zoo I hadn’t seen prior to this year. In spite of numerous visits prior to its closure, I never did find the old hummingbird aviary which was hidden away and beloved by many. When its replacement was first discussed earlier in this thread there were some dissenting opinions, but unlike the reactions to some other exhibits I never questioned the inclusion of this exhibit. This house is absolutely lovely! Very compact, but well designed and full of activity. I didnt even find the rockwork all that bad in person. Special mention to the hummingbird themed benches as well which are just great. I will say that while this is a hummingbird focused aviary, they don’t exactly feel like the primary feature. I went through twice and had two hummingbird sightings both times, and only one of them remained still for more than a few seconds. The wattled jacanas feel like the stars of the show more than anything, but that in itself is also neat. It was so nice to see visitors interested in all of these smaller, niche birds that would rarely get more than a glance elsewhere. If one is seeking out the definitive hummingbird experience, perhaps the aviary at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is what you're looking for. However, if you want to see a beautiful aviary packed with hummingbirds and more than a dozen other colorful species with a sleek design, the hummingbird habitat is the place to be. How nice it would be to come on a quiet day and spend a couple hours just in this little aviary. Last time I was at the zoo was shortly after Africa Rocks had fully opened in its entirety. I thought it was superb then and it’s only gotten better with time, especially now that the vegetation has had many years to grow-in. I distinctly remember the garden by the baboons being extremely sparse six years ago, but I loved it this time around even as someone who isn’t a huge plant geek. Species-wise things have gotten marginally less interesting with the loss of ibex, ratel and bateleur, but some had valid reasons for their departure. The exhibits aren't perfect either; the way the sun hits the mesh on the exhibits in the center of the canyon makes viewing more difficult than it should be. The Madagascar exhibits are especially effected by this and a couple glass viewing shelters would've really gone a long way here. I had many personal highlights as well: the large Hamadryads baboon troop is always fun, seeing three leopards all up and about was an awesome sight, and the kopje mixed-species habitat is just as brilliant now as it was 40 years ago. The true highlight of the area for me is the Acacia Woodlands aviary, my personal favorite aviary at the zoo. Unlike the Scripps, Owens and Parker aviaries, this one is far more open and I found it much easier to get a good look at the birds. The multiple species of bee-eater are the stars of the show and I lost track of time watching these guys kill and eat mealworms from the upper-viewing area. This is probably a hot take, but I actually preferred the Acacia Woodlands aviary and Hummingbird Habitat over the Lost Forest aviaries. What definitely isn't a hot take is that Africa Rocks is undoubtedly the strongest exhibit complex the zoo has to offer in my opinion. Last up, a trio of exhibits from the Safari Park: Condor Ridge, Walkabout Australia and the iconic Field Exhibits.
Thanks for revisiting some of your past exhibit reviews and it's fascinating to see that for the most part you hold true with your initial thoughts. At least so far! We are in agreement that the Acacia Woodland aviary, in the Africa Rocks zone, is San Diego Zoo's "best" aviary. Scripps and Owens are massive structures, and Parker is densely foliaged, but in all three of them it's very difficult to actually locate many of the species. Enormous walk-through aviaries, with looping paths and even separate entrance zones, makes finding tiny tropical birds almost like the classic needle in a haystack situation. With Acacia Woodland, the open design of the aviary works to the advantage of visitors, because the birds are far easier to locate.
It's quite clear for me that the lost forest aviary and the acacia aviary are representing different habitat, so it really depends what "vibes" are you going with.
Going to go slightly out of order for this one: Condor Ridge is one of those exhibits I feel doesn't get talked about enough. I understand there are more flashy exhibits out there, especially at the San Diego parks, but the area is gorgeous. Remove the animal exhibits and this would make for a stunning hiking trail by itself. The smaller aviaries along the trail are simple, but so well done and feature some great new world species. Seeing an entire family of toucans was a highlight, as was encountering a rather inquisitive gray-winged trumpeter. I get that some would prefer if the park went back to exclusively keeping native birds in these aviaries, but the species exhibited are cool enough to where I don't really care. Obviously these are all just teasers to prepare you for the breathtaking California condor aviary at the top of the hill which is one of the greatest bird-of-prey aviaries you will ever find in a zoo. How cool it was to see a triThe adjacent big-horned sheep enclosure built into the hillside is terrific as well. For me however, one of the most memorable parts of the whole area isn't any of the exhibits at all, but rather the spectacular view from the peak of the trail looking out at the field exhibits in the distance. If one were to create a list of must-see zoo views, this would surely have to be a contender for the top spot. The photos don’t do it justice. I believe that I rather undersold the quality of this area in my original profile. Walkabout Australia is much more than just your average kangaroo walkthrough that just so happens to also have a species that made it to the US against incredible odds. Let me say though, the platypus was just awesome. One of them was swimming all over the deep end and playing in a bubbler machine while the female was splashing around in the shallow end. Such an amazing little species I feel blessed to have seen. Beyond that however the design of the whole complex is really thoughtful. I'm a big fan of the lower path resembling a roadway, providing commentary on the dangers many Australian species face with car collisions. From there the path zig-zags uphill until you reach the woolshed. The woolshed not only doubles as a concession area and gift shop, but also acts as a vessel for viewing the incredibly lush tree kangaroo enclosure which is probably the best I’ve seen for the species. The smallish cassowary enclosures are similarly planted and its great that guests can get really close to the birds. I was surprised however by the number of flight-restricted birds in such a new development, both in the main walkthrough and the pond by the woolshed. Recently the park announced it would discontinue the practice of keeping birds wing-clipped or pinioned, so it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this area eventually. Tossing a net over the kangaroo walkthrough seems unlikely, so I imagine the birds will eventually be removed from that enclosure and perhaps the pond habitat can be modified. The area would definitely benefit from another small enclosure or two to round things out, but for the time being I have no problem saying that Walkabout Australia is probably the strongest Australia exhibit in the US. The field exhibits are one of the most legendary parts of any zoo in the world. At the same time though, they've also seen some tough discourse on this site surrounding the removal of many rare species in recent years. If one were to go further back in time, it was the loss of the monorail that was the tipping point for many long-time park-goers. While I wasn't around early enough to have witnessed the monorail first hand, I myself have fond memories of touring through the Asian field exhibits on a previous visit many years ago and being awe-struck by the herd of gaur as well as several unique deer species that are sadly gone. Now with that said, the field exhibits still come out on top as my favorite zoo exhibit of all time. Seeing vast herds of cape buffalo, gemsbok, eland and other seldom seen ungulates will never get old. The gemsbok in particular really stood out to me as we had a large herd of them hanging out by the tram. It was also terrific to see Somali wild ass and peninsular pronghorn is spacious enclosures along the road. Once again the mountainous views here are astonishing, truly something that must be seen in person to get a full grasp on. During this most recent trip I rode the main tram twice; my first driver was good, albeit often speeding through things and ignoring some of the side-enclosures completely. My second driver went at a much slower pace and was sure to point out all of the animals that could be seen along the tram, although his enthusiasm was a bit exaggerated to an almost comical extent, so your mileage may vary. When choosing to look at the field exhibits for what they are and not what they once were, these ungulate-filled golf courses still provide one of the greatest zoo experiences of all time.
Enjoyed my virtual zoo trip! Well Written tour..thank you! Must return their soon..such rich, diverse exhibits, I also appreciate small Charles Paddock Zoo in Central CA with simple and thoughtful choices.
