Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo: Ideas, Dreams, Hopes

Here's mine, because why not:

Tropic World
Honestly, this exhibit isn't that bad. It suffers from a lack of natural, well, anything, but has lots of climbing space and the enclosures are very large. I would add natural substrate (soil or maybe mulch) to much of the floor and replace the fake plants with real ones. I would repaint the fake tree and the backdrops of all the main habitats (giant murals, anyone?). The habitats seem a bit empty currently. For South America, I would add Capybara, Black Howler Monkeys, Brown Capuchins, Amazonian Motmots, and Spangled Cotingas to the main habitat. Up near the path, turn the sloth area into one for for a South American Coati and Screaming Hairy Armadillo. In Asia, I would add add large trees to allow the orangs access to the lower parts of the enclosure (there's no reason for them to be separate). As for Asian birds, I would add Red-whiskered Bulbul, Azure-winged Magpie, Chinese Hwamei, Golden-headed Myna, and Pied Imperial-Pigeon. Up near the visitor path, I think there should be a couple exhibits added: one for Tokay Gecko and one for Common Tree Shrew. In Africa, Mandrill, Emerald Starling, Blue Duiker, and the magabeys currently in the "ape retirement home" would be added to the main exhibit. The "ape retirement home" would become home to either the lemurs from the play zoo, a Fossa, or a Great Blue Turaco.

Outside the building, on the site of the current "Aqua Trail", an outdoor exhibit for the gorillas would be constructed.

Habitat Africa! The Savanna and Hoofstock Yards
Habitat Africa! The Savanna is actually close to perfect, the only problem is the recurring hoofstock species. I think the former African waterhole turned boring Addax yard could become a swampy exhibit for Sitatunga or Red Lechwe. An alternative to this would be a swampy netted aviary for Shoebill, White Stork, Egyptian Goose, and Blue Crane. I would move some of the traditional savanna species currently missing (Common Waterbuck, kudu, Common Ostrich, Impala, Bontebok) into the current Bactrian Camel and Prewalski's Horse yard, and official making the current hoofstock yards into part of Habitat Africa. Where the old Aardvark exhibit was add en exhibit for Small-spotted Genet.

Habitat Africa! The Forest
This part, like the other Habitat Africa, almost perfect, it's just the recurring species that are the issue. I would turn one of the Yellow-backed Duiker yards to a a mixed species with Red River Hog. The remaining Yellow-backed Duiker yard could be for Bongo and Black Duiker. The old Red River Hog yard could become a Congo aviary with species like Hadada Ibis, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Common Bulbul, Congo Peafowl, White-cheeked Turaco, and Green Wood-Hoopoe. Inside the building, I would turn the current Madagascar terrarium into one for Togo Slippery Frogs.

Australia
The size of westernmost Macropod/Emu yard is really unnecessary. I would cut the size in half and in the remaining area add exhibits for Koala, Brush-tailed Bettong, and Tasmanian Devil. Inside I would bring back all the estrelids to their old home and bring in Blue-winged Kookaburra to replace the Laughing.

Great Bear Wilderness
Add a couple of netted aviaries near the wolves, one for the ravens from the play zoo and the other for the kestrel (also from the play zoo). Inside the building with the bear underwater viewing, add some terrariums for species like Wood Frog and other interesting North American herps.

The Living Coast
Change around the inhabitants of a few of the tanks and terrariums to better fit with the Chilean coast theme. Turn the current splash pad and trees behind them into an exhibit for Cougar.

Feathers and Scales and the Formal Pool
I would make this house much more bird oriented by removing all the "scales". I would add a major expansion to the building by expanding it over the Formal Pool. I would keep the current Rainforest and Desert Aviaries, with the Rainforest one expanded to cover most of the building's current footprint. The rest of the building (the new areas) would be a bird house akin to Toledo's. I would add species to both of the aviaries kept from the original building and add plenty of new ones into the expansion. This would be a huge bird house with lots of species, including rarities.

Reptiles and Birds and the Hamill Family Nature Plaza
This house, of course, would become a reptile house. I would expand it to cover the Hamill Family Nature Plaza and have a new, huge, reptile house with multiple floors. All the species moved out of terrariums in other places around the zoo would reside here, as well as other species brought in. If the zoo wanted to do something really interesting, they could open the house with a large amount of empty terrariums and slowly fill them with illegally smuggled animals that were found at the O'Hare Airport (this actually happens all the time, unfortunately. Much of the zoo's reptile collection came this way). This would be a great opportunity to educate the public about the illegal pet trade.

The Swamp
No changes.

Butterflies
Remove the extra charge and turn this into a small invertebrate house.

Hamill Family Play Zoo and Wild Encounters
Honestly, I don't want many changes here. These bring in quite a lot of money for the zoo. They don't really have many species interesting for ZooChatters but that's okay - it means we don't have to pay extra. All the species I want put in other parts of the zoo rather than the play zoo I have put in other parts of this post. I think the only thing I would add is a butterfly house because the other one would be gone.

Old Bear Grottoes
Put a building here and make it a small aquarium for native species (such as the ones moved out of The Living Coast). There could be a section on aquatic invasive species, as well. This would a great opportunity to educate the public about Asian Carp and Zebra Mussels, as well a breeding space for more endangered native species like freshwater mussels and American Paddlefish.

Seven Seas and Pinniped Point
Bring Walrus back in to Pinniped Point. Keep the dolphins but put them on phase-out, bring in Florida Manatees later. Rechristen the area Marine Mammal Rescue Center or something like that. When the manatees come in, add fish and sea turtles to the pool. The area above the water (current dolphin show theater) could become a mangrove aviary with waterbirds and sloths.

Big Cats
Keep as is.

Fragile Desert/Rainforest
The rainforest is fine as is. Add more terrariums for reptiles and arthropods into the desert, otherwise the current expansion plan is fine, as long as they keep Black-footed Cat.

Pachyderm Building
Keep as is.

The number one most important thing the zoo needs is to redo all the landscaping with native plants and have sign all around the zoo about why this is important.

 

I forgot to mention that's what's left of the bear grotto area after the mini-aquarium is built could become a yard for the Prewalski's Horses.

 

Regarding the native plants, I agree. Salt Creek Wilderness, Hamill Family Nature Plaza, Hamill Family Play Zoo, etc. should all house native plants. Hamill Family Nature Plaza is a great way, along with Salt Creek Wilderness, to educate on native plant species. I don't see the zoo phasing out exotic plants from their collection as they are also a certified arboretum and that is also a draw for some visitors. I do feel like a lot of the signage that used to be on the non-native trees and such have disappeared. I would like to see those back, honestly. If you're going to be an arboretum as well use it to help educate. Don't just have a tree from Africa just for having a tree from Africa. Tell us about it and why it is important.

I hope a big portion of Hamill Family Nature Pavilion will be replanted for next year to make it the proper prairie area I thought it was going to be. I think maybe that they just rushed into it last year to get it open.

 

With very limited to none availability for walruses and manatees being completely controlled by the US government, neither would make sense in the Brookfield Zoo's vision plan. However, repairing the life support systems for Pinniped Point should be a priority.

I am surprised you recommend keeping the feline grottoes and Pachyderm House as they are and claim the ape habitats in Tropic World are "very large." I think the folks at Brookfield would acknowledge all those areas need change.

 

If Brookfield brings elephants back (which, given the limited availability of elephants and costs of building in a very expensive metropolitan area with old infrastructure, is a big if), they most certainly would not use the old pachyderm house. A disaster from the 30s, the building is falling apart and the costs of just fixing the building without building anything new would be astronomical. At the end of the day, the space would still be too small for a modern elephant complex.

Just to put things in perspective, this proposed plan would cost north of $500 million and it would not address the quarter of a billion dollars worth of deferred maintenance across the 200+ acre campus.

 

I agree the feline grottoes and exhibits in the pachyderm house are a bit small, but they aren't terrible and I couldn't find anywhere else to put those species. TBH I don't think the zoo needs those species, but they bring in so much money I had to keep them in somewhere (the Lowland Tapirs are the exception. The zoo needs those).

When I said the Tropic World habitats were very large I was talking about the main habitats. I agree the exhibits for the gorillas and orangs aren't good at all, hence why in my plan I expanded their exhibits.

 

I wasn't aware there was a problem with it. If there is, I agree. Otherwise, it might be that bad of an idea to turn the area into something completely different.

 

As I alluded to in my comments on the Pachyderm House, often the things you don't see (holding areas, sewers, pipes, roofs, HVAC systems) are the areas in most critical need (and as equally important in sustaining functionality and accreditation as the ones you do see.) With a huge campus built on 1930s infrastructure, Brookfield has a lot of those. Even if the Pachyderm House is acceptable for rhinos, tapirs and pygmy hippos, it still dates from the 1930s and many of the "unseen things" are in critical repair. Pipes and HVAC systems do not get donors excited so finding money to fix them can be a challenge.

 

The Pachyderm house is an interesting case, as there are virtually no off exhibit areas in the building. The entire area can be seen by guests. However, this is a blessing and a curse because as someone who has been in there countless times, exposed pipes, deteriorated floors and rusted fencing are in clear view of the public. While the outdoor yards are perfectly good for the animals left in the building, the indoor exhibits need work. Besides its history, I don't see why the building should be kept around instead of destroyed and replaced by something better.

 

It is pretty interesting to see how Brookfield has changed in the last 10 years. I've had the privilege of visiting four times (2010, 2011, 2013, and 2018) and enjoyed every visit. In fact, I remember being so amazed on my first visit, that it ranked as my #2 zoo that I had seen, but with each year it seemed to be losing a few more notable species (elephant, Nile hippo, forest buffalo, American alligator, aardvark, and cassowary for instance), major development definitely seems to have slowed down, and some other zoos I visited did have some qualities I enjoyed more. Don't get me wrong though, I still really like Brookfield, and it still is one of my Top 10's (currently at #9 to be exact).

I'll likely be coming up with more suggestions in the future, but here's some of the big ones for me. Keep in mind that some areas I haven't seen either in a long time or never, and am going off observations on my previous visits:

Australia House - This has always been one of, if not the, favorite section of the Zoo for me. There are a few things I would change though to give it an extra "oomph." To begin with, the large open woodland habitat usually seemed kind of empty when I visited other than a couple of emus. I would bring over/re-introduce the gray kangaroos, along with introducing the wallabies and burrowing geese to the space. One of the central yards could become an outdoor wombat enclosure, maybe introduce Tasmanian devils, while the other area near the building's exit houses tree kangaroo and cassowary (giving a sort of Papua New Guinea mini-section).

Habitat Africa! The Savannah - In my last trip update about two years ago, I found this complex to be improved, but still needing to tap into its unfulfilled potential. The plan below would probably go above and beyond that. I'll break this section into bullets so that it doesn't seem like one huge paragraph:

- As they are already excellent in my opinion, I wouldn't change the African wild dog and giraffe habitats, though giving the gerenuks access with the giraffes would be a nice bonus (an upgrade from their current small side enclosure).
- Bring back aardvarks in an expanded house and outdoor enclosure, along with maybe meerkats. In the kopje, bring in rock hyrax to coexist in one of, or both, klipspringer exhibits.
- Back outside, the current hoofstock habitat (correct if I'm wrong, but I believe the current lineup of species is nyala and red river hog) would have the following animals: keep nyala, bring back warthogs, and introduce crowned crane and either bontebok or eland. The open area behind the aardvarks and small hoofstock pens could be replaced/developed into an African lion habitat with up-close viewing and a training demo area).
- Then, continue with the plans of converting the Pachyderm House into a dedicated black rhino facility. There could be a couple paddocks for the rhinos, and one larger area for a type of antelope (perhaps kudu), which could have access to a rhino exhibit as well.
- Finally, eliminate the Hoofed Animals section and do the following: convert the Bactrian camel paddock into one for dromedary camel rides (a bridge between the African and Australian zones), another paddock is a mixed-species environment for the Grevy's zebras and return of ostriches, and then the long-awaited African elephant complex - the barn and a bull pen could occupy a couple paddocks, while a larger herd habitat would curve around across from the giraffes, and (if possible) a separate private outdoor yard that might only be viewable from the Nature Trail.

Habitat Africa! The Forest - If possible, expand both okapi habitats on each side of the building; I probably would even combine the first enclosure with the next-door duiker habitat (what species is in there these days?). In addition to the current red river hog and yellow-backed duiker habitats, I'd also include a pygmy hippo habitat with underwater viewing, mixed in with a monkey species (could be either a new species brought in, or moved over from Tropic World), and a mandrill habitat.

Tropic World - Continue with the Zoo's plans of giving outdoor access for the great apes, with the gibbons being combined with orangutans if possible. The biggest thing with this colossal building would be a freshening up - wood chips or soft substrate on the exhibit floors, more vegetation that is durable to give a more natural look to enclosures, and toning back on the concrete in favor of some artificial rock that looks realistic. The pathways could be redone to traverse along different levels of the exhibit rooms, like going from forest floors, to canopies, the understory, etc. These enclosures could be either linked together via overhead vines/bridges, or separated depending upon diversity and how species get along with another. I also would try to implement some new species where possible, like reptiles and mammals (such as capybaras or chevrotains) mixed in with primates on the forest floor, terrariums in the walls, or separate areas for birds that might not mix in well such as macaws or hornbills (some of this could come courtesy of slowly emptying out Feathers and Scales and/or Reptiles and Birds). Throughout all of this, some visitor sections reminiscent of a rainforest/canopy research station can be implemented. In all, this would result in something like a combination of Minnesota's Tropic Trail and Omaha's Lied Jungle.

Asian Foothills - This would be part new complex, part replacement of Fragile Hunters. The current Amur leopard habitat could be renovated for Pallas' cat, while the grottoes combined and improved into a couple naturalistic habitats for sloth bears. Across the pathway, a mixed-species habitat for Przewalski's wild horse and either a bird (white-naped crane maybe) or another hoofstock (tufted deer probably) that can also be viewed from the restaurant nearby (which can be modified into an Asia theme); an Amur tiger facility that consists of a couple habitats, underwater viewing, and a tunnel view; and rotational habitats for Amur and snow leopards.

Pinniped Point - The underwater viewing section is pretty cool and nicely-themed, so I would keep that. However, it is above the water that I feel some improvements could be made. Make the rock-work more naturalistic and combine into two: one for pelicans, California sea lion and harbor seals (grays can be relocated to Lincoln Park for diversity between facilities); the other for either sea otters, walrus, or a seabird aviary with puffins, etc. I'd also make the above-water visitor sections more themed to a pier, which brings me to...

Seven Seas - To tie in with Pinniped Point, I'd give a little refresh to the visitor areas and general decor to give more of a pier/seaside village appearance. If possible, I'd also renovate the dolphin pool to incorporate natural features like artificial reefs and kelp.

Other - Attach a dedicated Galapagos giant tortoise habitat to Reptiles and Birds, and build a new Komodo dragon habitat that is attached to either the same building or Feathers and Scales. In correspondence with the Tropic World plans above, these two buildings, in my opinion, can easily become one or the other - a dedicated bird house, and a dedicated herpetarium. Lastly, depending upon the section, I'd try hiding or softening the views of the chain-link fencing.

 

Let me just first say I love this thread idea and have thought about this concept and what I would do the Brookfield zoo for a long time. I have only visited once in 2015 so my opinions may be a little dated. I have not seen either children’s area but I do not think that will impact my analysis based on all that I have heard. I have two solutions, the first being to only renovate the true problem areas and the second for a dream, long term overhaul to reorganize the zoo’s animals more cohesively.


In the first proposal I have I have selected Habitat Africa!, the Pachyderm Building, Tropicworld, and the Big Cats area as areas in need of a renovation and reorganization. All other zoo areas while imperfect for the most part feature quality habitats not in urgent need of an upgrade.


The entire Northwest zoo quadrant I see being reorganized into a larger, more comprehensive home to Africa’s mammals and birds. The Pachyderm building I think can be renovated and cut off from visitors. In the former pachyderm yards I would leave the rhinos and hippos, and add in zebras and lions.

Habitat Africa! The Savannah would see some changes as well. The antelope yard could be landscaped to be more realistic as well as the wild dogs.

I think an African-themed eatery would fit in the space where the Aardvark building was.

The hoofstock yards would keep the addax, camels, and horses and add in tapirs.

The African Forest I can see staying as is.


In keeping with only necessary renovations I would want Tropicworld to get two yards on its South side for the gorillas and orangutans. These would go where the former reptile house and formal pool are, (while I wish the new plaza wasn’t built over baboon island I think it is a nice touch and would want to leave it).


The Big cats area would receive a small overhaul giving another yard for the tigers to expand into once the lions leave. The clouded leopards could potentially rotate into some of the yards and the area could get an asian theme overall.


I have a second part with a more comprehensive plan but this is my simpler, more attainable plan building on a smaller budget and focusing on necessary renovations.

 

I like this idea of winding pathways at different levels. How exactly could this be implemented? I had an idea once of creating an underground trail that would essentially be like a cave that peers out into the main exhibits from underneath the existing trails. Is that what you were referring to?

 

To build on my last post I would like to add that this second master plan is comprehensive and zoo-wide and features almost every exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo. I have let my imagination run (reasonably) wild and have brought back or added in new species altogether to the zoo with this new master plan. This plan is meant to build on the first one I posted so the exemption of some species and areas (Habitat Africa!, pachyderms, Tropicworld, Big Cats) are addressed in the former video. This plan is for the exhibits that are not in need of a renovation, this is just what I would like to see happen to the zoo. Enjoy!

Starting clockwise from the North entrance in Australia this will wrap up in The Fragile Kingdom.



In Australia I would create a walk-through area in the existing kangaroo yards for wallabies. The interior of the building would stay the same except add a cane toad exhibit talking about their invasive species status. I would also add a lorikeet aviary to the australia building or around it instead of where it is now in the children’s zoo. Perhaps a future expansion to the Australia House could hold tree kangaroos or koalas.

At the Pachyderms I would remove the pygmy hippos and put baboons in their place to vary up the primate lineup.

For Habitat Africa! I would extend the kopje building doubling its size and move the small animal displays (birds, duiker, crocodile, pangolin) from the forest building to this new larger facility. This new building would focus more on the species from Africa as a whole and prepare visitors for both the Savannah and Forest.

In Habitat Africa! The Forest I would bring back forest buffalo to one of the yards and demolish the small building. This area would be closed in winter. I like the idea of keeping the indoor portion closer to the main path for the winter season to shorten walks.

In the Northwest zoo corner similar to Brookfield’s former master plan I would create a brand new elephant exhibit and bring back elephants. This exhibit area would have three elephant yards, space for pygmy hippos, and an indoor center to view the elephants in winter. Whatever is left of the hoofstock yards that the elephants don’t take up would house addax in one exhibit and african storks, vultures and cranes in another.

In Great Bear Wilderness, I would add pronghorn in with the bison and feature some smaller exhibits along the exhibit path for snowy owl, ravens, mountain goats, cougars and arctic foxes.

The Living Coast should thematically be reverted back to flora and fauna of the South American coast.

While Feathers and Scales and Birds and Reptiles are harmless and inoffensive its silly that both buildings both feature birds and reptiles. Birds and Reptiles should house only birds and be called Birds of a Feather. I could see this holding tropical bird species and keeping the walk through portion as South American. Feathers and Scales should be converted into the Reptiles of the World and hold reptiles and amphibians. This could be a chance to bring in some new herp species.

The Swamp is decent as is, although I would move the river otters altogether and put a large reptile or fish display there. An alligator and tortoise outdoor exhibit here might be cool.

In Tropicworld there will be dramatic changes. I would first move the floor up about ten feet so the ground of the exhibits is closer to eye level and install glass panels to see the various exhibits. At the entrance to the complex before the bridge I would create a research area with comprehensive information about primate intelligence. South America could add capybara and agouti to the forest floor with the anteaters, while Asia could give better viewing for the otters and a larger display for orangutans. In Africa if compatible I would bring mandrills back and give the gorillas an enclosed area with more hiding opportunities. Woodchips added to the floor of the ape exhibits could get rid of the concrete look.

Having only seen plans I am not a fan of the new outdoor children’s zoo. Therefore I would demolish it and create a new one in the block area of the footprint from the bear grottoes. This new children’s zoo should have a farmland area, an area for Illinois species like river otters, beavers, skunks, hawks, turkeys, and owls.There could be a prairie dog and badger interactive exhibit and room for reindeer.

The Children’s zoo area and Southeast corner are massive and a nice, comprehensive Asia would fit snug in this footprint. The zoo’s tigers, snow leopards, and leopards could move here with rotating yards for stimulation. Side exhibits for the sloth bears, red pandas, camels, and wild horses would sit next to new species like white-naped crane and muntjac deer.

The dolphins would be phased out of the Seven Seas and the building gutted to be converted into Desert Kingdoms. Inside the shell of the former building are three desert locations: The Sahara, The Kalahari, and the Sonoran Desert. This exhibit uses the species from The Fragile Desert. In The Sahara fennec fox and sand cat roam next to jerboas and hedgehogs while in The Kalahari live porcupines, meerkats, naked mole rats, hyrax, pygmy falcons and black footed cats. Finally the Sonoran Desert sees a large peccary exhibit surrounded by smaller areas for jackrabbits, desert tortoises, burrowing owls, roadrunners, hummingbirds, coati, and jaguarundi in a saguaro grove.

Both halves of the Fragile Kingdom building are now merged into Creatures of the Night. Inside are exhibits for Slow loris, tarsier, Aye aye, Clouded leopard, Binturong, provost squirrel, Fishing cat, tree porcupine, Armadillo, Aardvarks, Flying foxes and Vampire bats.

The final area is the big cats renovation into several yards and mesh cages for South American species. A wide open yard is home to giant anteater, baird’s tapir, llamas, and alpacas. Chilean flamingoes inhabit a large pool while in three cages are andean condors, and king vultures.



Thank you for joining me on this tour.

 

I agree that Feathers and Scales and Reptiles should be changed to hold one category each, but I'm not sure you made the right choise about which would become which. Feathers and Scales is great because of it's aviaries, and there's a reason Reptiles and Birds isn't the Perching Bird House anymore.

 

Not quite, though I do like the idea of cave-like pathways. That could be a good transition from continent to continent, with some terrariums or nocturnal species implemented, along with some peek holes similar to what you’re talking about. Anywho, what I was thinking was some wooden boardwalks. For example, going from South America to Asia, the cave transition between is a slow incline, opens up at mid-level (the understory) to meet the species above ground, and then gradually climbs up to a canopy view which would be the current viewing area in Asia by the lorises.

 

I was thinking, if Reptiles and Birds was converted into a pure reptile house, the current free-flight room could become an "aviary" for Draco lizards or flying frogs.

 

I was thinking if that building was converted to a her herpetarium - an Idea that has grown on me since my original post - than the free flight room could be renovated into an exhibit for Komodo Dragons. Yours is a much more unique exhibit idea. Has something like this been done before?

 

Not that I know of.

 

You'd never, ever see them.

 

Well if that's the case wouldn't the Indian garhial be a better choice I guess the not so common would be cool to see but at the same time a full size saltwater croc would be cool to see to like Toledo zoo