At the request of my friend Snowleopard, I am posting my impressions of Schonbrunn. I am using the term “impressions” instead of “review” for good reason. I did not step inside the indoor exhibits which make up a major portion of the zoo. I did not even go in the restaurant, as I left early to catch a train to Salzburg. Therefore I am unqualified to post a review in any proper sense of the word. I realize to many readers that skipping huge sections of this historic zoo is heresy. As discussed elsewhere, my interest in zoos is not as strong as it used to be and my main interest has always been wild cats, so I have no need to see everything per se. Seeing it all would have required staying the full day and then spending a second night in Vienna, but I much rather wanted to spend extra nights in Salzburg. (In retrospect this was a good move as Salzburg is many times more pleasing than Vienna). Also going inside in mid winter with camera gear is a pain, because I would have to pack up the camera inside my photo backpack before entering the building to prevent condensation. If I wanted to take photos inside I would have to wait at least half an hour while the camera slowly acclimated inside the backpack. Then the same procedure going out. Just not worth the trouble. The main reason in my opinion to visit this zoo is for the history. That is not to say it is a bad zoo. It is not and would be worth a look even without the history. However, based on the outside portions I saw, it is not what I would consider world class and is almost certainly NOT the best zoo in Europe as author Sheridan contends. I would say it is a good zoo, maybe even a very good zoo, but not the best of the best. Rather than do an exhibit-by-exhibit listing, I will name a few unique features that set it apart. The Pavilion turned restaurant near the front is a unique historical feature. Visitors can dine where the emperor dined. I did not enter, but after seeing a photo of the ceiling mural in a book I wish I had popped in for a look. historic pavilion by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM Franz Josef Land, the polar bear exhibit, is a standout feature. The large complex has adjoining outdoor yards and a large pool with viewing from above and underwater. The latter is done from a long indoor hallway that runs through the middle of the exhibit (so I guess I did go inside at least one building, though thankfully it was cool enough to not cause camera issues). An attractive round area with a spiral walkway interprets early arctic explorers. There is also a small indoor penguin exhibit (not sure the species) which IMO does not add anything. Along the walls inside are several interpretive elements that are quite nice, including a section on climate change that starts off by saying it is a fact (in spite of the opinion of current political leaders from a certain world superpower). polar bear exhibit layout by Arizona Docent posted 26 Feb 2017 at 5:17 PM explorers hall by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM Giant pandas are THE big ticket item for any zoo lucky enough to get them. The two neighboring exhibits looked nice with winter snow, though I am unsure what I would think of them in summer. Each exhibit has a good sized pond which is a nice feature. Considering the expense and bureaucracy involved in getting pandas, as well as their popularity with the public, I am surprised that exhibits for pandas in general are not better. I have seen perhaps half of those in the western world (Memphis, San Diego, Smithsonian, Edinburgh, Vienna) and none are what I would call outstanding. All are somewhat smallish, not tiny, but small. This one is not outstanding either, but is better IMO than San Diego or Memphis or Edinburgh. For most of my time the panda was frustratingly locked in the indoor area (which I did not go in), but just as I was leaving shortly before 2pm it was finally let outside. giant panda reflected by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM A small portion of the main grounds and the entire portion of the upper grounds are devoted to rare breeds of domestic livestock. I have mixed feelings about this. Certainly someone should preserve and propagate rare breeds, but I would prefer it be done in public farms or living history museums rather than take up space in zoos. I would rather see zoo areas given over to wild animal propagation, but others may disagree with my assessment. The upper area also features a picturesque Austrian farmhouse, which is a nice touch (especially for us foreign visitors). poitou (domestic donkey breed) by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM traditional farmhouse by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM Historic animal enclosures, whose size would be deemed inhumane today, are preserved but adjoin larger yards. This I like as it is an ideal way to present the history yet give the animals the room they need. A prime example is the Siberian tiger exhibit, which is a large yard that is bounded on one side by a wall of what would have been (I think) four previous big cat cages. These now have a large cutout in back that opens into the main yard, but provide a nice contrast of how far animal welfare has come. Next to the tiger yard is a fair sized exhibit for Amur leopard (which I am guessing used to house snow leopard, as I have seen photos of these online but there are none at the zoo now). Amur leopard by Arizona Docent posted 27 Feb 2017 at 5:50 PM I did go in the gift shop on my way out, which I am sad to report is nothing special (there is a thread devoted to gift shops that reports this is widespread). Considering the historical significance of this zoo, I really hoped for something special. Most of it was given over to stuffed animals and other children toys, just like zoo gift shops anywhere. The very small book section only had two books of interest: the Sheridan book on zoos of Europe (which I did not buy for fear I would run out of cash and not be able to eat on the last day of my trip) and a much more affordable book called Schonbrunn Zoo: Myth and Fact, available in either German or English (which I bought two copies of, one for me and one for Snowleopard). The small but detailed book is quite enjoyable and a recommended read. gift shop by Arizona Docent posted 26 Feb 2017 at 5:17 PM
Interesting to read your thoughts about this zoo. Shame you didn't go into the Rainforest House though, as I think that's quite a nice exhibit.
Thanks for the review...and of course for mailing me Schonbrunn Zoo: Myth and Fact. It is indeed an excellent book. It is too bad that you were a bit disappointed with the zoo but if you saw the facility in the summer and went into all the indoor houses then you'd likely enjoy the zoo more than in the dead of an Austrian winter. There are many ZooChatters that do not have Vienna as the #1 zoo in Europe and so I am often curious as to why Anthony Sheridan ranks the establishment so high in all of his 3 books.
They had an electronic sign on the front showing the humidity percentage. I forget the exact amount (65 percent? 80 percent?), but going in from outside temperatures right at freezing would have fried my gear for sure! The Schonbrunn book actually mentions this at the beginning and explains Sheridan's complex rating system. On page 21 it states, "The quality evaluation takes place in accordance with 26 criteria, including animal keeping, diversity of species, protection of endangered species, investments, marketing, visitor numbers, education and staff."
Interesting review. It is a shame you did not enter the small birdhouse, which is one of the best zoo exhibits in Europe... The leopard enclosure was home to jaguar until recently . The penguin exhibit was already built long before the new polar bear enclosure and contains Europe's biggest and most successful rockhopper penguin breeding colony. I am one of the persons who would put Schoennbrunn in the top-3 zoos of Europe (for me together with Zurich and Burgers Zoo) and apart from overall enclosure quality, the succesful mix of modern with 19th century zoo enclosures is the main reason for that.
I have to agree with my fellow Europeans here above. Interesting review and a shame you did not enter the birdhouse as it is very good, which very interesting species. Schönbrunn is also in my top 3 of European Zoos and like Lintworm the way the modernised the zoo without losing the historical character is one of my reasons (next to overall collection and enclosure quality). And you should have had lunch in The Pavilion. The prices are fair and the ceiling paintings are stunning.
Domestic breeds don't "take up space in zoos". They have been a part of zoos from the beginning, and given the raising alienation of urban youth from farm animals, their presence is becoming even more important. No major zoo can exist without a petting zoo. Would it be smarter to fill said obligatory niche with generic pygmy goats, as it is often the case, or really live up to the self-proposed conservation role for at least a bit for once and support the sustainance of a rare domestic breed instead? As for Vienna vs Salzburg: I've lived in both, and both have their pros and cons. Vienna's zoo, however, is on a different level than the one in Salzburg.
I have to agree with both "Lintworm" and "DDcorvus" here. Schonbrunn is one of my very favourite zoos. I love the way it has been sensitively modernised to preserve its historical character. I would definitely rank it as one of my top three personal favourites (alongside the two Berlin zoos).
I was wondering if the different view of Arizona Docent and us Europeans might be cultural? Are there any American examples of a zoo combining its historical architecture with modern purpose? Even though Schönbrunn stands out, I do love Jardin des Plantes and Antwerp Zoo as examples of modern zoos while showcasing history.
Again I agree with you here; Antwep and the Jardin des Plantes are particular favourites of mine too.
I think the Central Park Zoo (which I visit around 2-3 times a year) and the Philadelphia zoo are good examples of this. CPZ does make fairly good use of what it has but still, it's certainly not the grandest zoo out there. And then there's Philadelphia who was always big and is finding new and innovative ways to deal with such problems. One example are the hanging bridges system, which it seems a few zoos here are now copying
Le Menagerie at Jardin des Plantes has average to substandard enclosures. I don't understand how anyone who has seen a modern zoo can list that as a favorite. So yes clearly I have a very different outlook than some of my European counterparts. @Batto - No major zoo can exist without a petting zoo? Well there are two excellent AZA zoos in my city of Tucson and neither one has a petting zoo. One (Arizona Sonora Desert Museum) is consistently ranked by zoo professionals, journalists, and ZooChat members as one of the best in the United States. So I am going to firmly disagree with you on that one. As for the argument that I would have a much more favorable view if I had seen the indoor exhibits, I will agree you are almost certainly correct. Given the limited scope of my visit, it really is unfair of me to make any judgments. I also agree that Schonbrunn (Vienna) has much more to offer than Hellbrunn (Salzburg) and is "on a different level." That being said, my visit to Salzburg Zoo was the more enjoyable of the two, but that is based on my interests and the circumstances. I am a cat fanatic (as regulars know) and the morning of my visit to Salzburg Zoo it was snowing and I got great shots of snow leopards in snow, with virtually no other visitors around.
One (or even two) swallow(s) don't make a summer, no matter how nice they are. And even if you and I would name other institutions, even beyond the glorious USA, which do not have traditional petting sections (such as bird or reptile zoos etc.), the majority of typical major zoos, may they be AZA, ARAZPA, ALPZA, EARAZA, EAZA etc. etc. tend to have petting zoos with mostly domestic breeds. However, that is a minor matter and beyond the point I initially made - which is that (rare) domestic breeds are not "a waste of space" in zoos, but quite an essential part of most traditional zoos. Maybe our disagreement on this matter is based on another cultural difference, since the majority of rare domestic breeds organized in conservation projects are of European origin (and the subject of rare breed conservation is an important aspect in Austria), with few rare truly American breeds such as the American Mammoth Jackstock, the Navajo-Churro sheep or the San Clemente Goat. However, the The Livestock Conservancy is quite active in the USA on this behalf.
The enclosures are actually average to good and suited for the animals they house. Thematisation is lacking, but for me that is actually the thing I care least about in a zoo and in the case of some zoos I find it even distracting and annoying. That while taking into account the history of the zoo and how that history is maintained in the zoo makes it for me a favourite. I would be interested to hear your opinion when you ever visit Durrell as that is another zoo with a big history (although no architectural in that case) and the enclosures follow Gerry's vision.
Due to the noticeable absence of cats and carnivores (and its location on a difficult to reach island), I am virtually certain I will never make it to Durrell Zoo (or whatever its official name is). My personal favorite Europe zoos I will freely admit are not the same as what could be considered the best European zoos by objective standards. My favorites are based on enjoyable experiences photographing cats and large mammals in large spaces. Thus of the fourteen or so Euro zoos I have been to, my favorite times were at Le Parc Des Felins (favorite zoo ever - spent several days there), Highland Wildlife Park, Heritage Wildlife Foundation (photo tour), Rare Species Conservation Centre (private tour), Zoo Salzburg (though might not like it as much if it had not been snowing), Port Lympne (before the changes). Of the general, well rounded zoos my favorite is Chester Zoo.
But, and I may be wrong here, is it not the case that despite the age of these two zoos, neither Central Park nor Philadelphia have any significant architectural reminders of their past - rather, that past has been obliterated in the move towards modernity. I think there is a big difference between Europe and America in this regard - the belief that we should preserve the past does not seem to be so ingrained in North America as it is here. On a different note, and without in any way criticising (we should all be able to set our own agendas on a zoo visit!) I do find it a little puzzling, AD, that you trekked half way across the world to visit Vienna Zoo, but elected not to see big chunks of it. I understand that your primary interest is in cats, but nonetheless the other parts of the zoo must have been worth just a brief glance.....
@sooty mangabey: I know that we are in danger of taking this thread off on a tangent but you bring up a valuable point. Just in my neck of the woods there is Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo and that facility opened in 1905 and therefore is now 112 years old. However, I am struggling to think of anything at that zoo that is older than the 1980's (other than the soon-to-be-gutted North Aquarium) and in a way that is a shame. Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is even older and other than an overgrown paddock for Lowland Anoa I'm not sure if anything precedes the 1950's "Adaptations" building. There are plenty of American zoos that have been around for more than 100 years and yet the majority of the older structures have been bulldozed decades ago. The common policy is "out with the old, in with the new"!
[QUOTE="sooty mangabey, post: 1012800, member: 721] On a different note, and without in any way criticising (we should all be able to set our own agendas on a zoo visit!) I do find it a little puzzling, AD, that you trekked half way across the world to visit Vienna Zoo, but elected not to see big chunks of it. I understand that your primary interest is in cats, but nonetheless the other parts of the zoo must have been worth just a brief glance.....[/QUOTE] I thought the same thing. It's an awful long way to see half a zoo, AD!
To clarify, I did NOT go to Austria specifically to see the zoo. I went to Austria to photograph Salzburg (the city, not the zoo) in winter. I am far more interested these days in architectural photography (than animal photography), especially historic European architecture. I booked the trip on a whim due to a cheap winter airfare special. The visit to historic Schonbrunn just happened to line up as my 100th zoo visit, which was a nice match. If I had more time in Austria I might have stayed longer in Vienna and had more time at the zoo, but given my itinerary I am pleased with my decision to leave early and catch a train to Salzburg.
This seems like a good place to post my thoughts after my first visit to Schönbrunn. I spent a very warm sunny spring afternoon there a week ago. Because of the history and age, I was expecting more of a mixed bag of exhibit quality, but was very, very impressed and more than pleasantly surprised. I covered the whole zoo and would consider it a world class zoo. (I live in NYC, so the Bronx and its three affiliated zoos are my home zoos.) In Europe, I've been to Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart, London and Zürich, and would rank Vienna with Berlin and Zürich. I think Vienna has done a very nice job of modernizing older buildings--the monkey house might be the best example. I also really liked how in the cat house there is a spot where you are looking at animals while you standing in what used to be a cage. The rain forest is really nicely done, while much smaller than Zürich's, it is much more elaborate in design. For those who go to Vienna as tourists, there is a free bonus--the interior of the nearby parish church in Hietzingen just outside the gate to the park has a breathtakingly beautiful baroque interior.
