Bengal Tiger Exhibit

Aug. 21st, 2010.

Oh dear. Just...oh dear. I'll have to reread your review on this zoo. I'm assuming from the photos it wasn't a good one.

I have to say that having looked through the gallery it doesn't look at all attractive, none of the enclosures pictured are at all impressive from an aesthetic point of view.

I've never been, but from the photos it looks like an American Colchester--all half-hearted "African" themeing, dusty paddocks, crap rockwork, and too many species crammed into the place. Is the aquarium any better?

@blospz: Here is the review from my 2010 summer road trip of 39 zoos/aquariums in 46 days, as I have all of my numerous reviews saved on my computer and I know that many folks don't want to scroll through the huge thread to locate a specific review:

ZOO/AQUARIUM REVIEW #36: Rio Grande Zoo

Rio Grande Zoo’s Website:

ABQ BioPark Zoo | City of Albuquerque | Cultural Services Department

Zoo Map:

http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/zoo/pdf/ZooMap.pdf

Rio Grande Zoo lacks a spectacular exhibit, and since I am an “exhibit guy” who hates seeing amazing exotic animals in subpar enclosures I was slightly disappointed to tour the zoo and have no habitats to ecstatically gush over. However, there are many decent areas within this zoo and the beautiful grounds and lush scenery made for a terrific day out at yet another animal attraction. One of the hallmarks of this zoo is the beautiful “Cottonwood Park” near the center of it, as there is a huge field with towering trees that is a similar setup to the one found at Audubon Zoo far away in New Orleans. As a fairly new father to an adorable little daughter, I now really appreciate zoos that have a park-like setting that allows folks to lounge on the grass, sit at picnic tables, or let loose their offspring onto vast fields.

THE BEST:

Adventure Africa – This area is decent but it lacks a truly outstanding exhibit within its 6 acres. Reticulated giraffes are seen through tribal huts, but the yard for the world’s tallest mammal is smaller than most. A huge zebra/ostrich enclosure is terrific; a white rhino pair of paddocks (or one massive yard if the gate is left open) is very good; at least 9 chimpanzees enjoy an average exhibit that has plenty of huge viewing windows for the public; warthogs, spotted hyenas, cheetahs, African wild dogs and hippos all have nice exhibits with plenty of shady areas; DeBrazza monkeys, klipspringers and red river hogs enjoy fairly spacious enclosures, Ankole cattle are difficult to see through a thick wooden fence, and the most intriguing exhibit of all is a walk-through aviary where humans are on a wooden path that is surrounded by a wire cover. I had 4 Griffon’s vultures directly over my head and almost within touching distance, and there are also marabou storks and another vulture species in the same aviary. An adjacent aviary features hammerkops and saddle-billed storks. The entire African area is pleasant enough, but there is the general feeling that a knockout exhibit is most definitely absent from the area. Also, there is a takin yard in the African section that is certainly out of place but does contain at least 4-5 of the animals, including an energetic youngster.

Raptor Roost – I was thrilled to see an excellent set of bird aviaries, as bald eagles, golden eagles, crested caracaras, Andean condors and a couple of other birds of prey all reside in absolutely massive aviaries that actually allow the birds to fly a little. Imagine that!

Bird Exhibits – There are a few really nice bird areas within the zoo’s scenic grounds: Caribbean flamingos on a densely planted island near the entrance; a lush South American yard home to scarlet ibises and a host of other birds (including Stanley cranes); a walk-through parrot section with multiple aviaries; and a decent roadrunner enclosure. Zoos in Houston, Birmingham and San Antonio that have massive bird collections could take a few notes on how to effectively showcase a diverse avian collection.

Mexican Gray Wolf Exhibit – A massive enclosure for wolves and the zoo has had a lot of breeding success over the years. It is difficult to spot the canids through the thick foliage, but yet again here is an American zoo has a top-notch wolf habitat.

THE AVERAGE:

Koala Creek – Two koalas sleeping in trees doing what koalas do best, some wallabies (there was zero signage to explain what species they were); a lorikeet aviary that is currently closed for renovation; a future enclosure for saltwater crocodiles that has barely begun to be built (I saw the two estuarine crocs in the reptile house); the custom-built Tasmanian devil exhibit for tassies that will never arrive (red river hogs are in there!); a walk-through budgie encounter; carpet python, wompoo doves, kookaburras, cockatoos, an aquarium with colourful fish, a snake-headed turtle and a nearby echidna enclosure round out the area.

Asian Elephant Exhibit – There is a massive new pool that can be clearly seen through a visitor viewing station, and the enclosure stretches around to include a second elevated viewing area. There is a third yard in the background that featured a couple of bull elephants, and the barn appears to be quite large as well but those areas are difficult to see. There is a sign that boldly declares that the entire area available to the elephants is 5.5 acres, which I find incredibly unrealistic, based on what I could see. However, the zoo has been constructing a larger space for the elephants, and there is still ongoing construction in the back ground of the now huge enclosure. Bactrian camels have a nearby chain-link yard that offers up little to the imagination.

Inukshuk Bay – A standard polar bear exhibit that is actually pretty good for the bears, as there are two pools and lots of rocky outcrops along with enormous underwater viewing windows.

Seals/Sea Lion Exhibit – California sea lion/harbor seal/grey seal mix in a large pool that I’ve seen a hundred times before. The different species and huge underwater viewing panels are nice touches. Somewhat bizarrely there is a very good black-tailed prairie dog exhibit nearby.

Tropical America – An indoor rainforest with prehensile-tailed porcupines, golden lion tamarins, cotton-top tamarins, stingrays, spider monkeys and many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. This pales in comparison to the mega-jungles in other American zoos, but taken on its own it is of average quality. There is an average-sized capybara enclosure directly outside the building, and an excellent Aldabra tortoise exhibit around the corner.

South American Loop – There is a Wolf’s guenon corn-crib cage here; howler monkeys and ground hornbills in lush, mesh exhibits; and a variety of birds including two areas for helmeted curassows.

Ape Country – Orangutans have an average yard that looks a little worn around the edges; a gorilla troop of at least 9 has two different yards to rotate in, but both areas feature wooden jungle gyms and are essentially long, narrow grottoes that remind me of similar gorilla enclosures at San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park and Cincinnati Zoo. No matter how active this troop is their exhibits are definitely lacking many hiding spots and are subpar in today’s world of multi-acre ape habitats. Siamangs have the best enclosure in this part of the zoo, as they have a huge exhibit that features mesh viewing but also a cool suspension bridge that allows visitors to get extra close to the apes.

Gator Swamp – A tiny area with juvenile alligators and naked mole rats, and this small zone is not really even worth visiting.

Night Animals – After viewing an echidna cave (a brutally small exhibit with little natural substrate) visitors enter a long, creepy, well-designed cave that promises a lot but instead offers up very little. A slow loris exhibit, a pygmy slow loris exhibit, a Micronesian kingfisher exhibit…and that’s all folks. Disappointing.

THE WORST:

Cat Walk – This area is sad, as there are two large but dull grottoes for Bengal tigers and lions, and the tiger exhibit is the larger of the two but it also features a tremendous amount of concrete for the cats to walk on. There is a long row of exhibits that all have brutal viewing areas, as cage after cage has black metal wiring across the front of it. Species here include: jaguar (two enclosures with one yellow cat and one black cat); mountain lion; snow leopard (I saw a mother with 3 cubs that were only 9 weeks old); ocelot; bobcat; red panda; binturong; rock hyrax and meerkat. There is also an emu/red kangaroo yard, and the entire area lacks a decent exhibit and is really a mish-mash of different animals. Whatever the zoo has extra of they probably just chuck into one of the cages whenever one of the former occupants dies.

Reptile House – This is easily the worst reptile house on the road trip in terms of presentation of the animals. There is a great collection at the Rio Grande Zoo, including a nice pair of komodo dragon exhibits, but the ugly green walls within the reptile/amphibian building feature peeling paint on every single exhibit. I checked and found that at each terrarium there is some kind of ugly crack or lack of paint on the wall, and thus the imagery of seeing wonderful cold-blooded animals is destroyed. There were at least 3 empty terrariums on my visit, and the entire building would look a thousand times better with cleaner glass, a new paintjob, and some updated graphics. I’ve seen many great reptile houses in southern zoos, but here the zoo might as well just toss some tuataras into a cardboard box and nail some chicken wire over the top.

THE FUTURE:

There are a lot of minor construction projects going on at the zoo:
-The old Arctic fox enclosure next to the polar bear exhibit is empty and being renovated
-The walk-through lorikeet aviary in the Australian section is also empty and being renovated
-There is a construction zone for the new saltwater crocodile pools in the Aussie zone, but I did see the crocs in their spacious indoor holding areas next to the Reptile House.
-There is a messy area that appears to be under construction next to the sea lion pool, as the zoo no longer has camel rides in that yard
-A brand new entrance is being constructed alongside the current entrance, but it will be used only for school groups and large gatherings of people
-There is still ongoing work on the Asian elephant yards, and maybe that is why there is a sign up stating that the elephants have access to 5.5 acres
-There are future Asian exhibits planned across from the elephants, but there is no confirmation of what animals will be placed there.
-Between the polar bears and Mexican gray wolves is a large area with a sign up stating that a new zone is being built for “Endangered Southwestern Species”

OVERALL:

Rio Grande Zoo is definitely worth visiting, and as one can tell from the 8 construction projects that I listed there are signs of improvements all over the grounds. It is a decently-sized zoo, and it definitely has a splendid animal collection that takes at least 4-5 hours to see. However, as I’ve pointed out in my extensive review the zoo really does lack anything that would be considered a knockout exhibit, and even the best that is on offer (Adventure Africa, Raptor Roost) are exhibit complexes that would be considered average at the top American zoos. Even with all of the construction projects there isn’t anything that seems to be able to put this zoo firmly on the map. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a very average zoo, but if Rio Grande can persuade the Australian government to finally send them some Tasmanian devils then every American ZooChatter would head straight to Albuquerque, New Mexico!

I'd place Rio Grande Zoo around the #50 position when ranking America's best zoos, while the aquarium is really tiny and not worth seeing unless one is already in town to tour the zoo.

Albuquerque Aquarium review:

ZOO/AQUARIUM REVIEW #37: Albuquerque Aquarium

Albuquerque Aquarium’s Website:

ABQ BioPark Aquarium | City of Albuquerque | Cultural Services Department

Aquarium Map:

http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/aquarium...cGardenMap.pdf

Albuquerque Aquarium is a well-organized establishment that only takes about an hour to visit. It is a 5 minute drive from the Rio Grande Zoo, and it was amusing to see so many people that I recognized from both attractions. Every single exhibit inside the aquarium is quite impressive, but the lack of size makes it a pleasant but not especially noteworthy addition to the canon of American aquariums. In my review I will simply list off the main areas of the establishment and provide a brief synopsis of each.

Aquarium Exhibits (in order on the map):

Rio Grande – local fish tank with an “automobile theme”, meaning that hubcaps and car parts are in the water with the animals.

Theater – small area showing aquatic documentaries.

Trout Stream – tank with trout!

Model Ships – A special exhibition of model ships in a separate room.

Salt Marsh – small and unmemorable tank with coastline fish.

Gulf Coast – a massive backdrop of a pier with a single mid-sized tank of fish from the Gulf of Mexico.

Shrimp Boat – this is the only outdoor section of the aquarium, and it features zero animals but instead a large rusting fishing boat with a small-town façade in the background. An enclosed shorebirds aviary would have fit in well here.

Shallows & Shores – an impressive tank with plenty of stingrays and various other fish that inhabit shallow waters.

Surf Zone – Fish that come into contact with swimmers in slightly deeper waters in comparison to the shallows.

Coral Reef – a magnificent, floor-to-ceiling tank that is quite spectacular. It features a dizzying array of fish found in coral reefs.

Eel Cave – the obligatory walk-through underwater tunnel, but this one stands out because there are at least 10 massive eels (of various species) in all the nooks and crannies of the mock-rock, plus several species of large fish.

Pacific Preview – a series of smaller tanks with seahorses, a giant clam and a couple of other Pacific Ocean species.

Jellies – about a thousand moon jellies in a large central tank, and some Japanese sea nettles in a side exhibit.

Shipwreck – a realistic depiction of a small section of a doomed ship, complete with swirling fish.

Ocean/Sharks – probably the feature attraction of the entire aquarium, as sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, a couple of other shark species and a huge variety of fish swim in a massive, enchanting tank. A sea turtle is also found here, even though it is not noted on any of the signage.

OVERALL:

Albuquerque Aquarium has nothing but excellent exhibits, especially the Eel Cave, Oceans/Sharks and Coral Reef tanks. There is nothing to criticize at this aquarium, but the small size means that the only reason to visit for an out-of-towner is the close proximity to the Rio Grande Zoo.

@Fossa dude: From snowleopard's review:

Tropical America – An indoor rainforest with prehensile-tailed porcupines, golden lion tamarins, cotton-top tamarins, stingrays, spider monkeys and many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. This pales in comparison to the mega-jungles in other American zoos, but taken on its own it is of average quality. There is an average-sized capybara enclosure directly outside the building, and an excellent Aldabra tortoise exhibit around the corner.

He placed it in "THE AVERAGE" section of his review.

This looks more like somebody's backyard in Arizona. Hideous exhibit!

At least they provided the tigers with a nice (very brief) jogging track.

I've been visiting the ABQ Zoo since the mid-70s, and the tigers have had that same enclosure at least since I've been around.