Audubon Zoo Review Date of Visit: December 27, 2016 The Audubon Zoo is a borderline large facility located in a park inside New Orleans. The zoo is arranged geographically with a few exceptions most notably the World of Primates and Reptile Encounter section. Most of the exhibits were built between the late 1970s and mid 1980s and almost all of them were designed by Torre. Audubon is a textbook example of a southern zoo of its size in terms of animals on display, exhibitry and the layout and vibe of the grounds. The collection is relatively well-rounded with all continents except for Australia represented in reasonable quantities, lots of superstar animals and a few rarities and most of them are in decent exhibits. While there are no monstrosities here, the lion’s share of the exhibits range from average to merely good. Very few are best of their kind or particularly modern and there’s a simplicity to many of the exhibits in design and setup. The Best Jaguar Jungle- This was my favorite section of the zoo and I would consider it one of the best South American exhibits in the country. It strikes me as a South American version of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Maharajah Jungle Trek. Of the ones I’ve seen, only Range of the Jaguar at Jacksonville is better. The cornerstone of this section is the jaguar exhibit, which is quite good. There are many qualities in this exhibit I normally don’t like- it uses a ruined temple theme quite prominently, the floor is largely mulch and it is topped. However, it wins me over by its abundant water/large pool, brilliant design of fake roots and rocks, amount of vertical space, enrichment and hiding opportunities and decent amount of space. Not as good as Jacksonville but still far better than most jaguar exhibits and it was a thrill to see them so close. Spider monkeys have a wonderful habitat with plenty of ropes, palm trees, climbing/enrichment opportunities, good amount of naturalism and detailed temple backdrop. It is one of the largest exhibits I’ve ever seen for the species as well. Giant anteaters live in a habitat that’s similar in design to the jaguar one, although it is open topped. The backdrops are quite immersive, the mulch and vegetation are well placed and it is one of the better exhibits I’ve seen for the species. Macaws live in a lush open-topped habitat that is very good. The entire area is well-painted and it is some of the best execution of the ruined temple theme I’ve ever seen. The complex will be expanded with the addition of a nocturnal house featuring kinkajous, ringtails, fruit bats, vampire bats, opossums and tarantulas and a playground. Construction had already started on my visit. This area isn’t especially large but it is mostly brilliantly done and a very good addition to the zoo. South American Pampas- Relatively simple but brilliant. Probably my favorite thing about the Audubon Zoo is it showcases not one but two bioclimatic habitats from South America in excellent exhibits. While Jaguar Jungle focuses on the Amazon, this one is all about the pampas, one of the most underrepresented habitats in America’s zoos. Guanacos, capybaras, Baird’s tapirs and rheas share a vast grasslands habitat with a huge body of water separating most of it from guests. It is the best pampas habitat I’ve ever seen and its grassy landscape dotted by trees for shade and water for swimming perfectly represents this region. My only complaint is I believe this habitat used to be larger and was on both sides of the boardwalk before Phase II of Jaguar Jungle began construction. Nearby a large lake features an enormous flock of flamingos and it is one of the best flamingo pools I have seen. The last habitat in the section is a grassy mixed-species habitat for giant anteaters and maned wolves. It is quite naturalistic and great for the animals but the downside is viewing isn’t always easy and the chainlink fence is a bit of an eyesore. Louisiana Swamp- I won’t lie I was a bit disappointed in this section. I had always heard about it being one of the best immersion exhibits in the country and the highlight of the zoo and while it had its charms it didn’t quite live up to the hype. In terms of giving the illusion of being in a swamp and recreating the environment, this exhibit is flawless. You really feel like you’re in a swamp when walking around it and all the architecture, pathways and details are designed to create this feeling. The alligator pools are exceptional and some of the largest and most naturalistic of their kind. A great moment is looking out from a boardwalk and seeing a spacious pool covered in duckweed and seeing the tops of alligators break up the sea of green and others laying on the dock. Pure genius. The downside is a lot of the enclosures are at least slightly outdated. Black bears have a decent exhibit that’s smallish, features a large wooden resting/climbing structure, a good amount of deadfalls and trees for enrichment and climbing and a wooden fence backdrop. Cougars live in a far weaker exhibit which is basically a glorified, enlarged cage. It has some enrichments and branches but is ultimately substandard. A raccoon exhibit is quite good and filled with enrichments but none could be found on the day of my visit. Nutrias live in a decent exhibit with a good amount of water but has too much concrete for my liking. An otter exhibit is below average in my book since it is quite outdated, lacks underwater viewing, basic and uses a fair amount of concrete. I’ve seen way too many good otter exhibits to praise this one. Foxes have an open-topped exhibit that’s quite nice while a bobcat one is basically a smaller version of the cougar one. Reptiles and amphibians live in a bunch of solid terrariums and white alligators live in an average indoor pool. There is a lot to admire in this section but some of the exhibitry is lacking for such a well-respected complx. Reptile Encounter- A great set of exhibits for an excellent collection. The Komodo dragon habitat was particularly impressive. Average Asian Domain- The best part of this complex is the newly remodeled exhibits for orangutans and Asian elephants. Using the land of the former elephant habitat (which was a small WPA disgrace), Audubon has built a surprisingly good orangutan exhibit. It is by no means exceptional but it is far more dynamic than many orang exhibits I have seen. This moated habitat is spacious, filled with tall wooden structures for the apes to climb and swing, uses immersive rockwork with a crashing waterfall, contains ample ropes, hammocks and enrichments, has a nice viewing window, multiple levels of elevation and authentic backdrops. The Asian elephant exhibit is a huge improvement from their old habitat but less impressive than the orangutan exhibit. Viewed through cables, the habitat has two pools (one large one and another small one, plenty of grass, enrichments such as tires and deadfalls, muddy areas for them to cool down, shade structures and a few palm trees. It is nice enough but smallish compared to other new elephant exhibits in the country and is fairly plain. It strikes me as a smaller version of the Asian elephant habitat at Oklahoma City. That being said, it is good and miles ahead of the disaster the pachyderms lived in for decades. In the older section, tigers live in a moated lush habitat that could be larger and more immersively designed. I could only find one tiger and it was in deep sleep so I didn’t get a chance to see the cats interact with their environment. However, I’d consider the habitat to be average at best and am pleased a new tiger exhibit is in the masterplan. Next door is a fairly roomy mixed species habitat for babirusas and Asian small-clawed otters. The highlight of this exhibit was definitely seeing babirusa piglets, who were really cute. The two species seemed to mix quite well together and I liked the amount of room, water, dirt and vegetation found in their exhibit. A herd of Barashinga deer live in a standard long but narrow habitat on the other side of the boardwalk. Sun bears live in a decent-sized exhibit with a good amount of enirhcment, vegetation and shade. It is actually better than I expected as it is well-planted and meets the needs of the tiny bears. Leopards live in a mediocre habitat that should really get renovated soon. It has some enrichment opportunities but is basically a glorified cage. This uneven section is good and has a phenomenal collection but still needs updating in some of its older parts. African Savanna- This complex was better than I expected although it is smaller in size, immersion and scope than African sections at several other zoos. Two exhibits serve as highlights for this section. One is a large yard for white rhinoceros, zebras and wildebeests that is viewed across a body of water. The amount of space here is admirable and it is quite well designed. The use of subtle immersive qualities such as the mix of sand and grass in the mud, the detail in the edges of the habitat next to the water, sparseness of trees and the occasional deadfall makes this exhibit feel like an African watering hole, even if in a mundane way. Across the path elands and Thomson’s gazelles roam a large grassy yard, which is simple but good. I believe this habitat will close to build a new lion exhibit. Red river hogs live in a smallish, muddy habitat with decent rockwork. This exhibit used to house habitats and I ultimately would say it’s average. An enormous pack of African wild dogs live in a relatively good habitat with a decent amount of room and but quite sparse and lacking enough hiding opportunities. It was a treat to see a dozen of them run and move around here though. The biggest disappointment for me about this complex is the giraffe exhibit, which is much too basic and a little too small for my liking. This section is fine but underwhelming and dated considering how many African exhibits actually make you feel like you’re in Africa. Hopefully the renovation of Africa will elevate this complex. World of Primates- I almost put this exhibit in the worst category since it is really basic, a bit dated and run-of-the-mill. Waterfalls are found everywhere and it is very similar to complexes at Lowry Park and Memphis. Siamangs live in an island habitat that is alright if a bit small. Tamarins and saki monkeys live in an open-topped exhibit which is quite lush and filled with height. A black-and-white-ruffed lemur habitat is disappointing as it lacks naturalism, is surrounded by mock rock and too small for my liking. A terrible zoogoing moment as a guest played I Want to Move It from Madagascar quite loudly to get the lemur’s attention. An even worse moment happened in this section where a zoo employee sprayed a ton of bugs pray on the railings in front of children. Marmosets have a small habitat with a mural backdrop. Diana monkeys, howler monkeys and colobus monkeys live in similar topped habitats which are below average. Moats take up a majority of the room and the climbing/enrichment opportunities are limited. Mandrills live in a habitat that once has orangutans. It is average-sized, lacks a canopy and quite outdated in terms of style. Across the path, gorillas have a disappointing exhibit which has rocks for them to sit on and some bushes but far too little space, few enrichment opportunities, no trees and a general lack of substance. I’ve seen too many great gorilla exhibits to condone this one that’s average at best. Personally I think World of Primates should be converted into a naturalistic gorilla habitat or a Monkey Trails and Forest Tales-esque area. Quite outdated and disappointing as it is today. Emus- Live in a so-so exhibit near the entrance. Poor Sea Lion Pool- I was surprised at how low quality this exhibit was. It was relatively small, the water was quite green and it lacked the naturalism or opportunities for enriching behavior I expect in a pinniped exhibit. Quite weak in my book. The Audubon Zoo was ahead of its time when it opened many new, relatively naturalistic exhibits between 1979 and 1987. This makes the zoo reasonably modern as a whole. However, since then only a few major additions have arrived most notably Jaguar Jungle in 1998 and the new Asian elephant/orang exhibits this past year. Most of what is found here is nice but a lot has been done to take immersion, naturalism and detail in exhibits to the next level and much of that is not found here. I would guess Audubon belongs somewhere between 27 and 38 on a list of America’s best zoos.
Does anyone know if there are plans to build new exhibits/renovate the sea lion habitat and World of Primates, the areas of the zoo most criticized in my review?
Nice review with which I concur. I was there in August and the waterpark in the middle was quite active (almost a necessity during the summer). I like the creative way they put it next to the elephants and basically incorporated the elephant pool and waterpark together. I agree with you about the jaguar exhibit being the best. I too was somewhat disappointed with Louisana Swap exhibit. After all, you have to drive across 20 miles of native Louisana swamp just to get to New Orleans (coming from the north or west). It's like they fenced off a part of a natural area, put a boardwalk over it, and called it a zoo exhibit.
I think in the big ole masterplan, World of Primates was supposed to be disbanded in favor of expanding the African savanna area, and the primates were either going to be moved to their geographical section of the zoo or sent off. However, from what I've heard, that may have changed due to lack of funds... and even if it hasn't, it probably won't be for several years. Sea lions, I'm not too sure about. One of their pools is historic and can't really be renovated too much. But that one is not even in use at the moment. I haven't heard of anything planned for sea lions honestly. Also - "A raccoon exhibit is quite good and filled with enrichments but none could be found on the day of my visit" Did you look up? There's about seven of them, and if there's none on the ground, they're usually taking a nap in the trees. I actually agree about the general disappointment with the Swamp and Primates sections. I feel like the exhibits there are probably adequate, but still far too small. Overall I liked reading your review! Btw - only one tiger comes out at a time. If you saw the white one, sleeping is pretty much all he does these days as he's pretty old (though quite healthy). The Malayan one is more active - climbing, swimming, exploring, vocalizing, etc.
Hippos, not habitats used to live in the red river hog exhibit. I believe cheetahs lived in the wild dog exhibit originally.
You're correct, a hippo lived in that exhibit until 2004 (don't ask me why, but for some reason that year has stuck in my head all this time LOL). And cheetahs were originally in the wild dog exhibit, although haven't been for some time (~10 years)
The World of Primates was opened in Spring of 1980 and (at the time) they seemed to be more concerned that the primates were in enclosures that didn't have bars obstructing the view as the old exhibits were WPA iron bar cages. Current rumors say that this area will eventually be turned into an African forest area that will keep the gorillas, mandrills and other African primates while adding other species such as okapis, pygmy hippos and bongos (Not confirmed). Siamangs will be moved to Asian Domain and the New World monkeys will go to Jaguar Jungle (which is currently being expanded into much of the South American Pampas). Of course, plans could change a dozen times before construction begins and funding is always a factor.
