Lake Charles Zoo: 2000

Facility Layout:

01: - Entrance/Exit

A: - Guest Relations

B: - Souvenir Shop

02: - Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) + Red-Breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) + Andean Goose (Chloephaga melanoptera) + Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)


1- Hoofstock Loop (1969)

● - Grant’s Zebra (E. q. boehmi) + Ellipsen Waterbuck (K. e. ellipsiprymnus)

● - Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)

● - Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons) *two enclosures*

● - Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus)

● - Red-Flanked Duiker (Cephalophus rufilatus) + Black Crowned Crane (Balearcia pavonina)

● - Nubian Soemmerring’s Gazelle (N. s. soemmerringii) + Lowland Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii)

● - European Mouflon (O. a. musimon)

● - Addax (Addax nasomaculatus)

● - Llama (Lama glama)


03: - Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra) island

04: - Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) + Gadwall (Mareca strepera) + Rosy-Billed Pochard (Netta peposaca) + Peninsula Cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis) + Red-Eared Slider (T. s. elegans) pond

C: - Animal Care Building

D: - Zoo Museum (former giraffe house)

05: - Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) aviary *seasonal attraction*


2- Louisiana Wilds: (1997)

● - American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) + Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

● - Raccoon (Procyon lotor) + Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

● - North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

● - American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

● - Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

● - Eastern Wild Turkey (M. g. silvestris)
+
● - American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

● - Eastern Garter Snake (T. s. sirtalis)

● - Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)

● - Western Pygmy Rattlesnake (S. m. streckeri)

● - Broadhead Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)

● - Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

● - Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

● - Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) + Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

● - Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)

● - Red Swamp Crawfish (Procambarus clarkii)

● - Southern Two-Striped Walkingstick (Ansiomorpha buprestoides)


E: - Concession Stand / Restrooms

06: - Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) enclosure

07: - Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) + Red Brocket Deer (Mazama americana) enclosure


3- South American Tropics: (1990)

● - Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) + Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) + Yellow-Collared Macaw (Primolius auricollis) + Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) + Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys) + Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)
+
● - Smooth-Fronted Caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) + Yellow-Spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) + Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus)

● - Plumed Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)

● - Red-Rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)

● - Dyeing Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

● - Golfodulcean Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus)

● - Green-Black Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus)

● - Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) + Freshwater Stingray (Potamotrygon sp.)

● - Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)


08: - Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) reintroduction site


4- Endangered Species Building (1988; originally in 1969)

● - Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

● - Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) + Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri)

● - San Esteban Chuckwalla (Sauromalus varius)

● - Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi) + Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis)

● - Edward’s Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) + Asian Fairy Bluebird (Irena puella) + Chestnut-Backed Thrush (Geokichla dohertyi)

● - Mariana Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus roseicapilla) + Guam Rail (Hypotaenidia owstoni)

● - Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki)


09: - Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger) enclosure

F: - Education Building

10: - Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) enclosure

11: - Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) enclosure

12: - Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) enclosure

13: - Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) enclosure


5- Pachyderm Place: (1969) includes indoor housing for 10-13

● - Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)


6- Carnivora Complex: (1970)

● - Southeast African Lion (P. leo. melanochaita)

● - ‘Generic’ Tiger (Panthera tigris)

● - Jaguar (Panthera onca)

● - Mainland Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

● - Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

● - Caracal (Caracal caracal)

● - Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
+
● - Black-Footed Cat (Felis nigripes)

● - Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula)


G: - Restrooms

H: - Fountain Display


7- Primate Pavilion (1981)

● - Western Lowland Gorilla (G. g. gorilla)

● - Mandrill, (Mandrillus sphinx)

● - Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) *new for 2000*
+
● - Geoffroy’s Marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi)

● - Coppery Titi (Plecturocebus cupreus)

● - Pygmy Slow Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus)

● - Diana Monkey (Cercopithecus diana)

● - Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)

● - Guianan Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus)


I: - ‘Fountain View Restaurant’

14-16: - Domestic Goat (Capra hircus) + Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries) + Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus) contact yard


(Barnyard Birds; attached to 14-16)

● - Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
+
● - Domestic Chicken (G. g domesticus)

● - Domestic Turkey (M. g. domesticus)


17: - Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) garden

J: - Children’s Play Area

Question: How would you envision the zoo’s masterplan; and how exactly will you make the existing facility even better than it already is?

@Austin the Sengi This will certainly be a fun project to do when I get the chance!

For starters, I think the best step forward in the masterplan is a "less is more" approach. For example;
- The carnivore complex has gotta go, way roo crammed. I say turn it into a small cat gallery, with the left side for ocelots, caracals, black-footed cats and dwarf mongoose, and the other side just for clouded leopards. The big cats (lions and jaguars at least) could be given brand new enclosures elsewhere in the zoo; there are a few empty spaces for that.
- Turn the hoofstock complex into two large enclosures for two savannahs; humid (zebra, waterbuck, nyala) and arid (gemsbok, gazelle). Most of the others could be placed into some of the empty spaces around the zoo.
- Same idea with the primate complex; perhaps dedicate that just to African primates, give the South American species new habitats around the South American area, and a new island for the siamang.

This is what I can suggest for now!

I must say Jiger that some of your proposed ideas already sound very intriguing. With the small cat gallery and African primate complex being good places to start as a short-term solution; and if you also have a map planned to reflect even more of your ideas for this zoo, I would be very interested to see how it turns out.

@Austin the Sengi Sure! I could make a map based on this. I've been a bit absent lately due to competing artistic projects, but sure I could make one!

Is this zoo supposed to be in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana?

@UngulateNerd92 yes, that is correct.

@Austin the Sengi, very nice. I have driven through Lake Charles on multiple occasions. In my opinion, and as I said on the thread, "Cities in Need of Zoos", they are definitely a city that needs a zoo. I actually thought specifically about a good location for such a zoo.

The location I felt was vest suitable was Mallard Golf Club located at 3470 Morganfield Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70607

@Austin the Sengi what made you want to design a zoo for Lake Charles?