Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo: Ideas, Dreams, Hopes

Reptiles and Birds has one medium sized room that holds all the birds in the building. Most of the building is terrariums for amphibians and reptiles. Honestly in terms of your plan, it might be easier to convert Reptiles and Birds from a birdhouse into something else, though Reptiles and Birds is a little smaller. Feathers and Scales has a bunch of aviaries built into the walls with terrariums in the middle.

 

Ok. Thanks to everyone for your feedback.
New Plan:
Reptiles and Birds will become a butterfly house that has a pond exhibit for Blanding's turtles and red-eared slider turtles (in a discussion about invasive species).

Clouded leopards will be one of three anchor tenants in Tropic World, which will remain indoors with vastly improved enclosures for orangutans and gorillas that allow for softer substrates and opportunities for visitors to get closer.

 

I know that the old reptile building by the formal pond is now an education center (or may be I am just confused), but I know in the past I had wandered in there just to see what it was like. With the addition of the Nature Pavilion I thought it might be a nice idea to convert, at least in part, some of that building back into some small animal exhibits, highlighting native species that are at risk or have made a rebound due to conservation efforts as well as showing species that are invasive to Illinois. They would have to be small exhibits, as the building isn't overly large and you would still want to maintain classroom space in at least part of the facility.

Also, I know I have asked before, but can someone PLEASE explain to me how the mudskippers were incorporated into Habitat Africa: The Forest? From what I can tell they were just running rampant in the little creek area along the walkway up to the main building, but I don't see how they weren't literally just running everywhere due to there being no real barriers. Unless when the exhibit opened it was more contained? Just confused by this. Thank you!

 

Yeah, they always had access to the creek, but were mainly in that small pond by the first okapi yard on the left hand side of the exhibit. There were never any barriers there as far I am aware.

 

I was looking around the web for info about Brookfield’s future, and enjoyed reading the comments here! As a mammal loving kid, growing up in the Chicago area was wonderful, with two zoos, Shedd, and Field Museum. So, seeing the relative stasis of Brookfield is sad. I hope you don’t mind my two cents, though I ended up being trained in natural history museum mammalogy, so my ideas may be a bit off.

-Much of the discussion was about gorilla exhibits, so I am going to be radical: get rid of gorillas! At one time, LPZ, Milwaukee, and Brookfield tried not too overlap species. Let LPZ have gorillas. Having okapis opens the door to have bonobos also to emphasize the Congo. I would incorporate a journey for visitors to “discover” these two species, two of the last large mammals discovered.

-What to do with Tropic World: Rather than maintaining three continents, I would make it world class for one zoogeographic zone, such as:

--It may be a bit esoteric, but I feel like an opportunity to convert all of Tropic World to a Madagascar exhibit would personally be amazing. I feel like Madagascar is so unique beyond lemurs, but does not have an exhibit that does the island justice. I was hoping Bronx’s would be, but it is still pretty small. My concept would be diverse lemurs such as Duke’s Center exhibits, fossa, a bit of the atmosphere of Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Madagascar desert exhibit, and any other Madagascar species available. It is a great island to highlight the isolation as the “placental Australia.”

--Speaking of Australia, maybe Tropic World and its surroundings becomes world class Australia exhibit. Stretch goal: Platypus. Super stretch goal: Thylacine (kidding)

--Getting back to okapis and bonobos, re-purpose Habitat Africa!: The Forest into something else, and make the current Tropic World and land around as a Salonga National Park exhibit, with the focus on okapis and bonobos. Maybe even have an exhibit where okapis reside on the exhibit floor, and bonobos live in the trees above them (separated). Lots of potential species based on indoor/outdoor potential: Leopards, hippos, African Forest elephants (I can dream).

--Tropic World as an orang-centric exhibit, maybe featuring the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Komodo. But here is where I go nuts. Not only extensive orang indoors, but a portion of the roof can open based on the weather, and the orangs can leave via ropes ala DC and Indy to an outdoor exhibit. Maybe add something similar for gibbons. Focusing on orangs differentiates from LPZ.

-Lastly, I would love to see an exhibit that features the animals of India like most zoos feature Africa. Ranging from Indian rhinos (again, differentiating from LPZ) to tigers to snow leopards, focus on the natural history and culture of India, and try to invigorate the Chicago area Indian community to partner in this exhibit. Include an Indian restaurant off of 31st street that features views of India wildlife throughout the year (transition from summer to winter species) that is open even after the zoo is closed. Stretch goal: Indian Lions and a Gir Forest section (Lions and Tigers and Bears!)

Thanks for letting me be creative! I have great memories of Brookfield, and a guidebook from the year Seven Seas Panorama opened. My, that collection was extensive as one can get back then,

 

I like many of your ideas here. The biggest problem is the public outcry that would go with the loss of so many charismatic species. Minnesota, for example, is a major zoo that lacks many of the ABC species, and it has been struggling financially for years.

 

Semi off-topic, but I always thought MN and NC Zoos as state zoos opened with big, marvelous ideas, but state budgets leave them hanging in limbo for years. Maybe a similar problem for Brookfield on a county scale?

 

This is has been brought up previously, but there have been quite a few reasons Brookfield has been struggling as of late. For one, with many buildings that date back to nearly a century ago, the majority of Brookfield's investments have gone into restoration of aging and deteriorating structures such as the Pachyderm House or Tropic World. This leaves very little to be spent on new exhibits, which is why newer additions such as the Hamill Family Nature Plaza don't contain any live animals (though in the future, it will feature a new outdoor orangutan exhibit). The zoo asked for quite a bit of money from the state last year, but didn't receive any funding. Minnesota is a zoo that has also been struggling, almost facing closure until they were given 6 million in emergency funding. North Carolina is another zoo that hasn't always had the best funding. Its taken around a decade of trying just to finally get the upcoming Asia and Australia zones started.

Another reason why Brookfield hasn't been seeing much funding, is the competition with the Lincoln Park Zoo. Obviously zoos aren't trying to compete, rather work with each other, but while Brookfield's attendance has been slowing down with little to no new attractions built, Lincoln Park has invested North of 100 million dollars into upgrades just over the past five years! All of Lincoln Parks new exhibits are funded by wealthy donors and they have more than a million additional visitors than Brookfield has had. Of course, being in the middle of the third largest city in the country and being free likely make it more enticing to many people than Brookfield - who has recently raised admission - so perhaps its unfair to compare the two. Point is, Brookfield has failed to make much progress while Lincoln Park is better than ever, and has essential seen a radical overhaul of every outdated area of the zoo.

 

Sad, but true.

Hopefully if many zoogoers are serious, they should donate to the Above and Beyond campaign if they want radical chances. Of course I will not expect too much, but at least some improvements to the exhibits that need it and return of fan favorite animals.

 

So I was bored and made a concept for a potential elephant complex at the zoo. Truth be told this idea really isn't entirely my own, as @Anmltrnr98 came up with the original set up with his mock master plan for the Pittsburgh Zoo. I took this general design, added some things and resized it to better fit with the layout of Brookfield. I don't have the knowledge of how to make cool graphics like this, but I made a rough outline using an area calculator so I'm sure you can get a good idea of what I'm getting at.

Whenever the idea of a new elephant complex is discussed it is always built on the misc. hoofstock yards. I came up with something different. This idea would completely replace the pachyderm house and surrounding areas. It's worth noting that pathways on the ends of the North and West Malls that boarder the area would be removed. This would help keep the complex integrated as part of Habitat Africa by having it viewed from one main path, as well as providing nice symmetry as the other side pathway of the North mall was removed when the pavilions were built many years ago. The way I see it, if Brookfield brings back elephants they better go big or go home. This complex would either house a breeding herd or bachelor herd depending on whats feasible in this hypothetical scenario. Ideally, it could accommodate 8+ animals.

Elephant Yards: Two large yards would be the key component of this exhibit. Yard one would be about an acre, and yard two comes out at roughly 1.8 acres. Combine that with the off exhibit yard and that's about three acres of outdoor space. There would be a big emphasis on open views via small slopes and Hotwire. Cable fencing would only be used by the demo area to allow for up close presentations. Features of these yards include large pools, mud wallows, dozens of hidden and hanging feeders, scratching posts, and access to large amounts of grass. A strong irrigation system would be a must to keep these exhibits green every summer. These yards would be connected via an overhead bridge that goes over the heads of visitors. Going under the bridge would give you a panoramic view of both yards on either side of you, and brings you to a small plaza featuring the entrance to the elephant barn.
National Elephant Conservation Center: What I have dubbed the "National Elephant Conservation Center" would be North America's largest and most ambitious elephant house, coming out at over an acre in size. If Brookfield is set on housing elephants, they must go big on a building that can house many animals through a Chicago winter. Many elephant houses constructed in North America take a more industrial approach, but this center would be the countries first naturalistic elephant house, in a similar vain to Zurich. Live plants surrounding the area and faux trees (again, see Zurich) with enrichment devices would help convey this. Features include sand floors, more hanging and hidden feeders, scratching posts, an indoor pool and a shower activated by the elephants. Massive windows would line the back of the building and allow natural light to shine through (see Oregon's Forest Hall). These windows could even potentially be opened to allow fresh air on warm summer nights, or really whenever keepers please. The visitor area would essentially be one large overlook with a Wide variety of educational displays. This would undoubtably take the cake for the best elephant house in the western hemisphere.
Off Exhibit Space(s): Six off exhibit stalls with natural light would be key to up close elephant care. A 360 layout (See Milwaukee) would allow keepers to easy traverse the area. A large scale, lift in case of emergency, and heated floors would be included. Natural light should also be featured. This would be connected to a small off exhibit yard behind yard one, for whatever separation would be needed. Also include a food prep and storage area. This would all be located in the corner between the North and West Malls and would be accessed through a large service road for keeper connivence.
Learning Center: A small learning center would be constructed on a wooded space just south of the nyala/red river hog yard. It would essentially be an education area for all things involving Africa and would serve as a precursor to all of Habitat Africa. Large screens would show signs and videos describing life on the savannah and in the forest and educating guests about endangered species and the zoos conservation efforts in Africa. An expansive aquarium for an assortment of cichlids would also be included.

 

Bravo. This is perhaps the best move to go at for a new elephant exhibit. It ride of an old space just to make something bigger and better to accommodate these gentle giants.

The ideas of fencing and lift would help with making the keepers safe while properly taking care of the elff elephant. Pools were something I felt the old elephant exhibit needed for a while given elephants ware known to swim and cool off in water. A much needed addition. Great implementation of a cultural center for having guests learn all about elephants and the importance of their conservation. Which is more important than ever given recent new of their endangered status.

 

Which begs the question how to go forward with modernising this ageing zoo?
What chances exist to make it a free venture and allow State or Municipality funding to create a state of the art zoo at Brookfield?

(Given that the current Brookfield is essentially a stale mate and stagnant affair not ever going to make any decent progress, my personal perception ... Yes.).

 

I have a couple issues that I think may arise from this plan. The first being that it appears that it would significantly infringe on the new outdoor gorilla habitats they are planning for Tropic World. They are supposed to be expanding into that mall. I don't see them giving up on that or tearing it out after they build it anytime in the future. Second, it also appears to cut significantly into the Australia section of the zoo. That is another portion of the zoo that I do not readily see them cutting out anytime soon. The third being that I also do not see them getting rid of their rhinoceros in the future. Especially given the dire state of the species in the wild. Plus, last I heard, and I could be wrong, but I thought they were planning on really working on their rhinoceros breeding program and make that a focus. I mean, all that could change in a heartbeat. Especially with the new change in leadership over there.

I still think our best bet is the following, which is essentially a restructure, mainly, of the species we do have and a better utilization of the grounds while keeping them aesthetically pleasing without overcrowding the areas like some zoos do. Also, bearing in mind that the zoo is a registered arboretum and the flora is important to maintain as well as the fauna in that situation.
Here's a quick rundown:
Australia: expand into the unused picnic area next to it and into the hoofstock yards a little bit. Basically flipping where the kangaroos and emus currently are exhibited. This could also allow for a later expansion of the Australia section to the side of the building going toward the Butterfly exhibit.

Hoofstock Yards: These exhibits would be removed to make room for the potential future elephant exhibit. Either way, they are outdated and need to be removed and the species relocated to other exhibits throughout the zoo.

Africa: Expand the giraffe yard for them to be able to host the zebra as well. From what I understand, the addax are already moved into the watering hole exhibit. That's two out of the hoofstock yard already. Tear out the old antelope building that used to exhibit the aardvark and also is housing for the warthog and dik-dik, I believe. Make it into a kopje for a lion exhibit. Add the warthog back to the watering hole exhibit and the hogs back to the forest exhibit. The dik-dik and gerenuk can be displayed in a more fitting exhibit near the other savannah animals near the jeep and termite mound exhibits. Expand the building out if need be in the Forest and let it house the pygmy hippo. There is a yard there that used to belong to the forest buffalo that I don't think has really been utilized since.

Pachyderm House: Tear it down. Rebuild a bigger building that can house the elephants in the winter as well as the rhinoceros. Expand the rhinoceros habitat into the mall a bit. Use the remaining hoofstock yards as the elephant exhibits. Also, create a path from the pachyderm house to those yards for the elephants. Removing the Australian animals from the other side of that building should help with that.

North America: Great Bear Wilderness: Add the dang Raven over there like there is signage for. Also, a small cabin can be used to display smaller North American species such as prairie dogs, the blind Texas cave salamanders, various mouse species, their coati, skunk...That could be built right at the junction of where Wolf Woods, the bear exhibits and the nature trail converge.

South American Plaza, The Living Coast: Turn the Living Coast back into a South American coastal exhibit. The original theme went away and it is a mishmash now of just "Hey look at these cool animals!" It's confusing and the message has gotten away from them. I would take the anteater and give it an exhibit near the splash pad in that unused area between it and wolf woods. Also, a walkthrough exhibit for the Galapagos tortoises. These changes, along with the already existent Andean Condors, will hopefully nail down the South American theme of the area. There could even potentially be room to house the ocelot from Desert's Edge over here, which would make much more sense.

Tropic World: Get those outdoor exhibits for those primates going and it will be great. I can't wait to see them experience grass and such.

Asian section: Get the mountain ridge side of those bear grottos up to snuff and netted off. Make it a cold-tolerant Asian bird exhibit. Possibly even a small antelope species. Restructure the remaining animals (Amur Leopard, Amur Tiger, Sloth Bears and Snow Leopards) in the big cat grottos to give them more room. Expanding into the mall have exhibits opposite the grottos for the Bactrian Camels and P Horses. You already have Clouded Leopard Rainforest over there.

Desert's Edge: Another one they turned into a mishmash. Figure out what deserts from what continent you want to display. Most of them are already African species. I would suggest going back to that instead of just showing animals whose presence in a desert environment are tenuous at best. Also, adding in small terrariums to display scorpion, tarantula and other smaller species in some of the sections can make it seem less sparce.

 

I appreciate the constructive criticism, I always enjoy discussing things like this. To your points...

1.) I don't see how this plan would infringe on either the Australia House or the West Mall. The Australia house isn't really touched at all in fact so I don't quite understand what you mean by this. The only way it would effect the West Mall would be the removed of the pathway closest to the existing pachyderm building/future elephant complex. That shouldn't be an issue considering the two center paths are still there. The actual land that will be used for the gorilla exhibit isn't actually being touched at all.
2.) Just because the pachyderm house would be removed doesn't mean the zoo would phase out rhinos. Perhaps they would have to temporarily to allow for the elephant exhibit, but certainly not long term. I may make another plan like this later down the line, but I would propose a new rhino complex to replace part of the hoofstock yards. I absolutely think the zoo should focus on black rhino breeding for the foreseeable future.

That was only a temporary move that lasted for about a year. That yard now features lowland nyala and red river hogs. The addax are still part of hoofstock row.

That exhibit in question now holds a male yellow-backed duiker. Its also worth noting that the zoo has two groups of red river hogs. One still in the forest, one in the savannah.

 

While I'm at it, I put together another plan for one of my ideas. When discussing a replacement for the abandoned bear grottos the idea of an asian mountain exhibit for cold tolerant species is often Brough up. I like this idea, but I came up with something a bit different. An African Mountain exhibit, more specifically Ethiopian Highlands. It's an exhibit thats only been done at a handful of major zoos worldwide is always an impressive display. It would also bring back two fan favorite species from the zoos past. The plan below is inspired by the exhibits done at San Diego and Zurich.

Baboon/Ibex Exhibits: Three rotational hillside habitats for geladas, hamadryas baboons and Nubian ibex would be the main attraction of this exhibit. I originally was going to go with one large exhibit, but went with multiple as a way to include additional species. All of these yards would be about a quarter of an acre in size. Large kopje boulders in the center would allow the baboons and ibex to climb to great heights. Timed feeders and puzzle feeders would be integrated here as well for enrichment. For visitors, the idea would be to allow views from different vantage points of each exhibit. This includes open views that look out onto the exhibits and glass windows that look into lower levels of the exhibit. If possible, warthogs may also be integrated into one of the exhibits.
Viewing/Education Building: There would be a large viewing and education building placed between exhibits. There would informational graphics and interactive displays spread throughout the building. The most impressive aspect would be two massive glass windows that look out into the lower levels of exhibits 2 and 3. This area would also include elements where the primates can interact with guests or keepers similar to Lincoln Parks macaque exhibit. A small exhibit in between the two windows can be used for daily keeper demos and zoo chats.
Misc: The pathway behind the current bear grottos would be marinated but converted into a service path for keeper access to the holding building. Throughout the area would be numerous different Ethiopian plants and gardens as well as interactive displays describing Ethiopian culture and how the displayed animals play a role. The main plaza would feature a village display, perhaps a mall concessions and seating area, as well as another glass viewing shelter into exhibit 1. Lastly, I want this area to be cut off from the main path where you access Wild Encounters. One could do this via a naturalistic rock wall similar to what Zurich has to block the view from the path. This would help keep things separate between the different exhibit areas.

 

Always thought of the possibilities for these unused grottos myself, great idea. I wonder if a small outdoor African aviary could be placed somewhere along the path. Of course it would have to be seasonal. Would there be viewing into a indoor exhibit for the baboons so visitors could see them all year round?

 

I almost included a small aviary for blue winged-geese and wattled ibis connected to the education center, so perhaps that could work.

Indoor viewing would not be possible in this set up. From my understanding, baboons and ibex are both pretty cold tolerant so even in colder fall or spring months they can still be out.

 

My comments sprang mostly from confusion because I am having to look at the map on my phone so it is small and I could not see it very well, so that's good to hear. I think the main thing the zoo needs is just a restructuring and focus on the problem areas at the moment, though.

I also remember hearing somewhere on here that the issue with the old bear grottos being used for almost anything is that there are structural issues that would almost require them to be removed and replaced. I am not sure if this is true or not because from the pictures I saw of the old grottos, they appeared to be made of stone/concrete. The side that is still open that I believe most recently held the dahl sheep seems to be in good condition, but I don't know what lies beneath. I suppose that could be the issue.

I also seem to remember indoor access on either side. I wonder that if there are indoor issues, and if they can be resolved, if this might not make an interesting new indoor exhibit altogether. Right now the only place to see lemurs in the zoo is at the Hammill Family Play Zoo.

My alternate proposal is to create a Madagascar exhibit inside the old bear grottos. Firm up the structure inside and hire a firm to basically gut it and install exhibits for Madagascar species. The outdoor sections can still be netted off and used as outdoor areas for the lemur species when the weather allows. Bronx Zoo renovated a building with a similarly sized footprint into a wonderful Madagascar exhibit. I think it would be rather impressive to have something like that over at Brookfield. Madagascan animals always seem popular with the general public.

I'm just spit-balling. In all, anything they do to that area would be an improvement right now. As long as it is an animal exhibit. I'd rather not see another picnic area or underutilized nature pavilion.

 

When the grottos are dealt with, they will almost certainly be destroyed and built something from scratch in their place. I actually considered the idea of a Madagascar exhibit on this site as there is certainly more than enough space for it. The only real issue would be finding a replacement for the lemurs in the play zoo, as they are considered the main attraction of that area and I have trouble thinking of a species that would be a good replacement.

Your telling me you don't want to see the Hamill Family Event and Play Area, a fun interactive area for kids and private events with no animal exhibits?

In all seriousness if I see one more exhibit with the Hamill Family brand, I may die a little on the inside.

 

I think we need to do away with the Play Zoo anyway. I feel it is a flawed concept. I don't like the idea of families paying for their children to enter the zoo and then being charged again for the children's sections plus there being upcharges in both. You're pricing out families and part of the goal of zoos is to get that newer generation invested in protecting these species. So, a child who may have that wonder is unfortunately priced out of their experiences because their parents already had to pay for parking, admission, food...Keep Wild Encounters. I think it is a better concept and everything they do in the Play Zoo can be done there. Also, don't charge the dang families for it. I think that building can be better served as an exhibit everyone can enjoy.

I think in general the zoo needs to be cautious and have close communication with any big donors about what actually needs to be done and what would be a good move for them. Right now, I would say it is upgrading the existing buildings and structures. That includes the outdoor spaces for the primates in Tropic World. It is not a new exhibit, per se, but an addition that, frankly, should have been there from the start. Heck, there was supposed to be an exhibit nearby/included in the bison exhibit that would have showcased mountain goats as a sort of homage to the Ibex Island that had used to stand there. I would love to see that come to fruition one day.

The next step be a restructuring. The scattershot approach to the exhibits I feel does not really work. Let's take The Swamp, for example. In the beginning it was mostly animals that were from North America and we ended in Illinois with the river otter and snapping turtle exhibits. Then, when they really kicked off the concept of turning that area into a South American section with the addition of The Living Coast and the South American Plaza with the Andean Condors and the penguin splash pad, they switched the animals out to South American species. Now? It's a mishmash and so is the Living Coast. To me it is jarring. Take a look at the inventory of species that they keep. Decide which species should go where. Most of those are small species and creating a small exhibit for them in a more appropriate location wouldn't be impossible. Desert's Edge is another one that is just a mishmash now as well as the Big Cat Grottos.

This would also lead into a third phase where new exhibits would be built. Turn Hammill Family Play Zoo into something that everyone can enjoy. I maintain my idea of turning that other side of the park into an area featuring Asian species, since they are underrepresented in the zoo. How great would it be to have an amazing lion exhibit in Habitat Africa? How great would it be to have more interactive exhibits featuring the Galapagos Tortoises? If they showed these animals in a more cohesive way and told a story with them that the general public could understand I think it would go a long way into making this zoo amazing.

I sound like I maybe don't like the zoo, I realize. I love this zoo. I have seen them do better and that is why I want them to do better. I know they can. I know it costs money to do so and that is something that all zoos and businesses are hurting for right now. Fundraising and sponsorships can go a long way. Honestly, if it means we get an amazing Madagascar complex or Asian complex (just...no temples please...) I don't care if it's the Madagascar Journey brought to you by Monster Energy Drink or whatever. As long as it is done right and is a good complex for animal care and education.