Beautiful savanna habitat! to me this exhibit evokes a feeling of being in Africa more than any other elephant exhibit and that is why i think its the best.
Today I was at Cleveland Zoo and took a decent amount of photos of our African Elephant Crossing that is pretty much finished. I do not believe it is not the same size or scope of this although there is a decent amount of thought behind it. The two pools are beautiful and ill wait until there is no snow to judge how realistic of a savanna it is. The problem is the numerous visible fencing and gates.
There are definitely many zoo directors around the world that are incredibly envious of Dallas, as the entire "Wilds of Africa" area is simply superb and the zoo has had the money for many improvements in recent years. The 11-acre addition "Giants of the Savanna" has really set a high standard for American zoos, and there are already plenty of top-notch, excellent African exhibit complexes scattered across the nation. Now the zoo needs a fantastic set of animal habitats for perhaps Asia in the "ZooNorth" section.
snowleopard: With the new addition of Giant of the Savannah do you think that Dallas has the top African complex in the country. I am a little afraid that Kansas City may get de-throned.
Kansas City Zoo is still #1, as with 100 acres there is far more space, far more variety with the animal species, and it can all be seen on foot. There are many other great American zoos for African animals (San Diego Zoo Safari Park, North Carolina, Dallas, Disney's Animal Kingdom, etc) but a lot of folks still believe that Kansas City is simply fantastic in that category.
I was at Cleveland Zoo today and completely agree with you on the size and scope not competing with Dallas as well as the fencing being a problem as well.I spoke with a friend in maintenance who has been inside the facility and he says its amazing completely pimped out.Have you been inside and if so have you got pictures? Marty from Team Tapir
Hopefully Columbus will be within those ranks in just a few years. At 70 acres and with the money Columbus has at its disposal, it might give Kansas City a run for its money
I love 'Giants of the Savanna' (having seen it myself, not just from photos) but no one in his right mind could ever confuse it with an actual African Savanna; at least no one who has ever watched Animal Planet or National Geographic.
