Changes You Would Make to Your Zoo

Since I just visited the Bronx Zoo, I thought I would now make a list of changes I would make to improve this already amazing zoological park.

• Children's Zoo
  • Replace the Asian small-clawed otters in the children's zoo. There will still be ASCOs in Jungleworld, and since the North American river otters would also fit an American theme and be better suited for the Northeastern climate, I see this as an absolute win.
  • In keeping with moving out the wild animals that are not native to the New World, I would replace the fennec fox with a pair of black-footed ferrets.
• Move the grizzly bears to a new habitat constructed across from the bison and near the Bronx River Entrance. To better fit an Asian theme, my dream would be to replace them with Asiatic black bears. (Considering how Metro Richmond Zoo seems to still be breeding the species successfully, and have sent them to other AZA facilities like Jackson before, this may not be as far as far-fetched as you might think.) But if not, sloth bears would work just fine as an alternative.
• Speaking of the Bison Range, I would like if the zoo at least entertained the idea of adding elk and/or pronghorn to the habitat.
• Move the Amur leopard from Jungleworld over to Tiger Mountain and make the necessary adjustments to the habitat barriers so they can rotate with the Amur tigers. Retime the area to something like "Great Cats of the Far East".
• Speaking of the Amur leopard, give its now-vacant habitat in Jungleworld to a clouded leopard or two.
• Renovate the majority of the nocturnal room in Madagascar! to become an aye-aye habitat. This famously bizarre prosimian feels like the only thing missing from this incredible indoor attraction.
  
• Replace the Nature Trek or whatever it's called at the bottom of African Plains with a brand-new cheetah habitat. If there's still room left over, add meerkats, bat-eared foxes, ground hornbills, vultures, and maybe a few other birds and small mammals.
• The big new area I'd like the zoo to add would be a Latin America complex, taking the place of the current Treetop Adventure by the Bronx River entrance. Focusing on larger mammals, jaguars would be the star attraction here, but I'd also like to add capybaras, tapirs, giant otters, cougars and Andean bears. And yes, I know Queens Zoo already breeds the last species, but what's better than one WCS park with Andean bears? How about two WCS parks with Andean bears? Additionally, a few new bird species would arrive; I'd love to see harpy eagles if it was feasible, and I think greater rheas and crested screamers would fit well, too.

I know some aspects of this plan may be unfeasible, but at least we can agree it's more realistic than... other concepts of a Bronx Zoo master plan than have been posted on this site before.

 

D23 was a disappointment. Here's a master plan for Disney's Animal Kingdom. Since this is a theme park there are also some ride / show suggestions.

Dino Land USA: I'm going to make people mad and say I absolutely wouldn't scrap this. I think Dinosaur was a solid ride and the extinct animal concept was good. Dinosaur itself needs a lot of TLC to restore the sections of the track that are just kept dark now because the effects don't work anymore. Now that Everest / Flight of Passage / Kilimanjaro Safaris have demoted it from the top three best rides in the park it could go down for a bit to restore it.

I would keep the Boneyard and some of the shops / restaurants. Everything else is getting turned into a mid-concept ride based around Dinosaur National Monument. When the Antiquities Act and the National Park Service were new, conservationists led boat tours of prominent politicians and eastern businessmen and socialites through the canyons of the park to convince them it should be saved. I would make a ride recreating some of these tours, explaining the struggles to preserve important lands and the things the riders would have seen. This is also a chance to display some North American species such as (red) wolf, cougar / florida panther, eagles, and beavers. *Maybe* clear the Finding Nemo show and a few staff buildings behind the area to allow for a trail alongside the canyon that goes more into the Badlands and the other major dino beds in North America. Don't know if bison could stand the heat, but they could be on that trail along with prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. Show a replica of Theodore Roosevelt's cabin or something on the trail since he was involved in Dinosaur NM, too. This better integrates the land with the themes of the park and adds another E-Ticket.

But isn't there already a boat ride? Yeah. I'd get rid of Kali River Rapids after the Dinoland revamp is done. Disney could probably get pandas from their connections in China. They could expand the Maharaja Trail or build a new exhibit complex over Kali River Rapids for giant pandas, red pandas, Chinese Salamanders, small-clawed otters, giant pangasius, and a few other Asian species they don't have. Also at some point Everest will need to be closed for a while so they can finally make the mountain support the yeti animatronic. If there's still room in this section that the panda complex doesn't replace they could add a rock garden or other sensory relaxation area. God knows the parks are hard on neurodiverse people, even if AK is by far the most forgiving.

Africa is fine. More than fine. Nothing to be done here. If something *must* be done, expand the lion habitat and put trailside viewing. And add leopards. But neither of those changes is at all mandatory.

Navi River Journey badly needs a proper upgrade. Otherwise Pandora is perfectly fine. Should it be there at all? Eh. But it is and it's a pretty good execution of the concept. Maybe replace it in thirty years with a dragon / fairy area like they originally planned. And more Navi animatronics, even if they aren't as good as the one in river journey, should really be built. Feels weirdly empty without them.

There's a lot of open land by Planet Watch. I would turn Planet Watch into a more traditional farm area / Children's Zoo. Or close it to the public and turn it into more dedicated staff space to replace the areas lost when expanding Dinoland. Then I would build a tropical themed island area for the Pacific / Moana. Have it themed around Moana learning what her ancestors did and the animals they saw on their travels, + some of her own. One or two rides. A Moana boat ride, obviously, but I think a walk through / omnimover about the legends of Maui could be cool. Maybe have a Lilo and Stitch show in a building based on Iolani Palace. Could use that half of the Pacific area for Hawaiian Monk Seal in a lagoon using sight lines / murals to make resemble a proper ocean. Nene and any Hawaiian birds they can get their hands on work in general.

In the Moana / Wayfarer section there could be various Australian and Pacific animals like koala, kangaroo, tasmanian devils, kiwi, New Caldedonian Crow, cassowary, kookaburra, a walkthrough aviary, and giant tortoise. Maybe a gallery on introduced and invasive species near the Lilo and Stitch half since Stitch is, you know, an actual alien. Have a show theme around Stitch learning what plants / animals are good and which are harmful.

If Disney really wants to throw their weight around they could make some donations, hire some lobbyists, and try to get a platypus.

The remainder of the oasis / discovery isle would be entirely for South / Central American species. Maybe redo some theming but it's not strictly necessary. Coco ride can be left for either the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT or Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. I actually like how the entry areas don't have many rides or shows, just making them fairly quiet places to explore.

 

As someone who works at Toledo, I can definetely say that some of the stuff Toledo has isn't perfect. So, here are a couple of changes I would make. Some of these may be a bit unrealistic, but I think they would suit the zoo.



Arctic Encounter: Expand the amount of species and the current Polar Bear enclosure. With only 3 exhibits and 5 species, I'd argue that it could use atleast 2 - 3 more exhibits. 1 for Arctic Foxes, and another for their already present Snowy Owls. As for the Polar Bear enclosure expansion, like someone mentioned prior on this thread, I'd definetely think some more natural substrate could do the exhibit justice. As well as just generally making it a bit larger as well.



Africa!: Get the Reindeer out of it. Please. They need a consistant exhibit to call home that ISN'T Africa. Putting them in The Barnyard for Lights Before Christmas, I can understand. Sure. And they're probably just staying in Africa until Kodiak Ridge is complete. But they still look extremely out of place there. And I'd also remove those weirdly out of place barriers in the exhibit and either add more hidden and naturalistic barriers ( and have only 2 instead of 3 ), and add some species such as vultures and Warthogs or just completely get rid of them all together and add more hoofstock into the mix.


Cassowary Crossing: I'd honestly remove this entire section and replace it with a 2 story building for Australian natives. The first floor having species such as Echidnas, a Platypus ( realistic, I know. /S. ), as well as several bird and fish species, with an outdoor viewing section for Cassowarries. And then the second floor having their Tasmanian Devils, a seperate room for a Koala, Tree Kangaroos, a Laughing Kookaburra, and several reptile species such as their Kimberly Rock Monitors, Bearded Dragons, and Blue Tongued Skink.

Aviary: Honestly? This one is almost perfect. It's just the only thing I ask for is to move the non-birds in the final room out. Except for the sloth. Weird, I know, but if you took the current Tamarin exhibit, combine it with the current sloth exhibit, redecorated it a bit and added a few small bird species? I think it would fit ALOT better in my opinion.

Tiger Terrace: ....Yeah this one is a mess. Immediately, I'd expand the Tiger exhibit. More natural substrate and a larger pool included. I'd also just turn the area into an Asian themed area. Replacing the rest of the species with a Malayan Sun Bear, their Red Pandas, Binturong, their Snow Leopards, and use Flamingo Key as a viewing area for Asian Small Clawed Otters and Malayan Tapirs. As well as having an extra exhibit for Takin.

The Snow Leopard exhibit: This one doesn't really have a name, I think? Although correct me if I'm wrong. But since I would have the Snow Leopards be in Tiger Terrace, I'd expand and change the exhibit to house Fossa. No particular reason. I just like Fossa.

Tembo Trail: Ah, heres the second elephant in the room ( pun intended ). Here, instead of an African Savannah theme, I'd honestly go for a more forest-esk themeing since Africa! kind of has the Savannah already going for it. I'd keep the elephants, however I would give them a small outdoor expansion. And I'd also keep the Naked Mole Rats, Indian Rhino ( weird, I know. ) and Nile Hippos. But for the remaining exhibits as well as some new ones, I'd add an Aardvark, Cape Clawless Otters, Okapi, Red River Hogs, Mongeese, and a new exhibit for Aardwolves ( very realistic, I know. ).

Reptile House: Wouldn't change a thing.

Promedica Museum of Natural History: Only thing I would change would be to add a few exhibits into the Mazza room or to remove it entirely. I'm sorry, but nobody goes into there, and frankly it could use an exhibit in it to draw more folks in ( besides a sign being needed ), like a Ball Python.

Nature's Neighborhood: Add some kind of ant species back into the tunnels, and to give the Guinea Pigs a much larger enclosure. Besides those, I wouldn't change a thing.

The Barnyard: Wouldn't change a thing.

The Aquarium: I would change the touch tank's size ( again, expand it a wee bit. ) and their rules. I'd add a rule there stating that people younger than the age of 6 cannot touch anything in the tank. Only reason I state this is because 1, salmonella risk. And 2, the amount of times I've had to tell toddlers off for splashing is ridiculous. And it's only toddlers as well. They're TERRIBLE around the tank. And it's only toddlers.

I think I covered just about every major exhibit? However please let me know if I missed any.

 

St. Louis Zoo
Generally not a zoo that desperately needs improvement but there's a couple things I think they could benefit from updating.
Red Rocks- update the theming and work on making unnatural elements less noticeable. Its actually a really solid concept and the direction behind it was really interesting, but its starting to fall behind a bit. It would be cool to see this area some more TLC.
Discovery Corner and The Wild- Create a consistent aesthetic for the Discovery Corner and The Wild Zones to help them feel unique from the other zoned areas. Both of these areas just feel really generic, whereas they've done a good job creating a consistent aesthetic for Historic Hill, Red Rocks and especially River's Edge. Lakeside Crossing can get away with being lacking in this area in my because of the nature of the area. Its not really about animal exhibits (though the one that it does have is excellent), more on amenities.
Dinoroarus- I haven't visited Dinoroarus and probably won't because, lets be honest, I don't think there's much a 22 year old animal photographer can get out of a bunch of dinosaur animatronics. That being said, I know they've been displaying some birds there to emphasize the link between dinosaurs and avians. I actually think this is a very solid idea and if the zoo does end up making Dinoroarus a long term thing (its actually a big hit with kids in the area) I would really like to see them further commit to the bird aspect of the exhibit. Based on what I've seen of the current bird exhibits, I think they are pretty underwhelming. The concept of a themed area comparing birds and dinosaurs has a lot of potential and I'd love to see them give it a little more commitment. Because of how popular it is with kids, and how it occupies the former children's zoo, I think it would be really cool to see it be transformed into a kid oriented space focused on play and interactive exhibitory.
River's Edge- Improve the River's Edge signage. The signage on the new exhibits in the area is actually really good and it seems to be interesting the visitors, which is awesome. Sadly, the same can not be said for older exhibits. Its kinda infamous for this. I'd really like the zoo to find a way to still maintain the aesthetic of the area while providing more information on the animals.
Missouri section of River's Edge- Add more animal exhibits. It would be an excellent opportunity to bring appreciation to and educate the public on native species.

 

Hi Cloudedleopard611,

I've never been to St. Louis Zoo, but I would love to someday (especially with these improvements). I think they should add more animals to the Missouri section of River's Edge- I love zoo exhibits that focus on local animals, especially when children are involved. I have read a lot about River's Edge and love the theming around on the Flood of '93, but it sounds like the Missouri area is short on animal exhibitry. St. Louis sounds like a fascinating zoo to visit and I'd love to one day for many reasons.

Cheers,
CleZooMan

 

Hey, thanks! The St. Louis Zoo does have an excellent native exhibit in the historic Cypress Swamp walkthrough aviary but I'd love to see them improve their native species representation. It really is a great zoo and I hope you get a chance to visit sometime!

 

You're welcome. sent you a PM to avoid clogging up this thread

 

PHILADELPHIA ZOO

To give a bit of background, I've written about this particular zoo and the changes I'd like to see personally. Even without some animals, I loved seeing at the zoo (too many to name), Philly'll always be one of my childhood zoos. After visiting it for the first time in almost half a decade, I wanted to revisit some of my older ideas and see how they could be modified more realistically. I'm going off of the route I went rather than in alphabetical order, mainly for illustrative purposes.

General Zoo

• I like the idea of creating "node" habitats and potentially including "node" holding areas throughout the zoo to give the animals already within Zoo360's purview even more space and open up opportunities to bring even more animals into the collection. That said, I'd personally like them to reflect different environments and have them have a bit of "personality" to them design-wise. Maybe an eroded mudbank along with some logs, a small running stream, or a hillside that adjoins an endless horizon. Whatever the case, they should be designed optimally so big cats, great apes, and small primates would get the maximum amount of enrichment possible. This would also solve the problem of having larger monkey species in the Rare Animal Conservation Center, which leads me to...

Rare Animal Conservation Center

• I would love to see this building renovated as an Annamite Mountains Conservation Center in my ideal world. Given the likelihood of that happening, a more realistic version of this idea would be more in line with Houston's Natural Encounters building.
• Restock the dwarf mongoose exhibit that adjoins the naked mole rat habitat, either with *more dwarf mongoose* or something fun like a Kenyan sand boa.
• Connecting as many indoor habitats as possible so all of the smaller monkeys (sans the Francois langurs and the red-capped mangabey) would have free reign of the space, and furnishing them in as natural a way as possible. Mulch biofloors, buttress root climbing frames/epoxy vines, living plants, the whole nine yards.
• While one side of the building would be devoted to rainforest critters, the other would be devoted to animals living in the desert. Stuff like jerboa, fennec fox, sand cat, lesser bushbaby, aardvark, or even large-spotted genet.
• The end result of having all of these animals in one building could be a way to open up the Small Mammal House for future development.

Reptiles and Amphibians

• Other than touching up the exhibits' murals a tad and maybe sprucing up the crocodile/tortoise wing, this building still holds up quite nicely and is much better than I remember it being.

KidZooU

• Didn't go in because the building was closed; the way it acts as a mini-aquarium and insect house is truly ingenious. That said, I do think they should still emphasize the initial theme of "misunderstood animals" as much as possible.

PECO Primate Reserve

• Given its history and how it's put together, I am willing to cut this exhibit slack; having the great apes' holding areas underground is an absolutely clever utilization of space. That said, I personally think the dayrooms could be more naturalistic, utilizing floors and more natural deadfall.
• I understand why the zoo went with a more utilitarian approach to the gorilla habitat, given the Bronx's tough-to-beat facility. Still, the outdoor gorilla space could not lack any more sense of creativity if it tried. Even with the addition of a new climbing frame, I think more could be done. If there was a way to retrofit the gorillas' outdoor habitat (at least aesthetically) with concrete mudbanks, eroded bedrock, and other natural fittings to better reflect a montane rainforest environment while not compromising on the gorillas' space outside of Zoo360, that would be ideal. Same modus operandi with the orangutans' outdoor space.

Bear Country

• I could also see these two exhibits getting a little TLC, although these are FANTASTIC enclosures for the bears themselves. I'd touch up the rockwork in the sloth bears/Andean bears' habitats to reflect their natural environments better. Depending on the bears' temperaments and the species chosen, some mixed-species opportunities could also be neat. Andean bears and coati, or howler monkeys and bush dogs, in with the Andean bears. Woodland Park Zoo's 1976 Master Plan proposed sloth bears in with axis deer and Indian peafowl and seeing a similar mix could be pretty inventive.

Penguin Point

• As much as I miss Coldilocks and Klondike, the penguins and flying steamer ducks are a PHENOMENAL replacement. Other than touching up the rockwork to distinguish it from the rest of Bear Country, I'd not do much else.

African Plains/Southern Zoo

• The big one. (Quite literally.) I've heard of plans to fill in Bird Lake and move giraffes, Ankole cattle, ostrich, and other cold-tolerant African hoofstock into that space, which could open up the soon-to-be former giraffe space and The Phase up for redevelopment. Since the underground holding conditions of The Phase are apparently not in the best condition, The space could be incorporated to maximize the zoo's large mammal collection while maximizing the amount of space that all parties involved would have.
• I love Tony the white rhino, but switching to Eastern black rhino would be a smart move space-wise, and SSPwise, especially given Maryland/Bronx/Six Flags already have more space and resources to devote to white rhinos.
• With the giraffe space vacated, I would build gates connecting the rhino/hippo habitats to the former giraffe space, acting as a flex/breeding yard for the rhinos and more space for the hippos.
• I would construct a new path circumventing the Phase and build crossings for rhinos, Hartmann's mountain zebra, and hippos. The giraffes would also have access to this space, and while the zebras would have more space overall, the rhinos/hippos/giraffe would basically "timeshare." Regarding new species for the area, hoofstock like common eland, roan antelope, and Thomson's gazelle would round things out pretty nicely, having access to both The Phase and the giraffe savanna on Bird Lake.
• The area with the cheetahs/maned wolf, Raptor Ridge, and spider monkeys would also receive a facelift, incorporated with the rest of the giraffe development. I would love to see the maned wolves/spider monkeys incorporated elsewhere in the zoo and the raptors currently in Raptor Ridge. Cheetahs would be maintained, and maybe a new species (spotted hyenas or even the return of African wild dogs) would be brought in. Hamadryas baboons would round out the zoo's primate collection nicely, tying everything else within this precinct together.

Water Is Life/Carnivore Kingdom

• Yeah, the new theme was lost on me. I think the zoo has enough space within Carnivore Kingdom to maximize the collection, especially since the vampire bats are moving over into the former dwarf mongoose habitat. Depending on European zoos' availability, I'd either bring coati back into Carnivore Kingdom or even bring bush dogs in the former coati space. I would bring another fossa into Rico's old habitat space or something left-field like fishing cat or tayra.

Big Cat Falls

• More space for the big cats is always a good thing. Eroding the exhibit's original message about the animals that live in the same environments as these big cats, not so much. I proposed in my last post that the zoo should forego any theming that would be too out of place with any cat in one another's space or rotate the cats in habitats that are designed with appropriate biomes/themes in mind. The current setup of seeing a tiger in an African savanna with termite mounds or a lion in Central American ruins, or a snow leopard in a Southwestern desert is quite jarring. I'd bring back cougars (for a start) and build "node" habitats throughout the zoo to provide these cats with the maximum amount of space and spatial complexity possible.

McNeil Avian Center

• Having a tray with disinfecting soap for guests to soak their shoes in before entering the aviaries should be a simple solution (no pun intended) for letting them explore the entirety of the bird house. I haven't been in ages, and advertising the McNeil Avian Center as "open" when it's just the entry foyer is quite misleading. At that point, it's just a bathroom with a 4D Theater and a peafowl/turaco exhibit. Granted, it'd be the nicest zoo bathroom facility in the US, but that's not what this exhibit is. At all.

Outback Outpost

• I don't know why the kangaroos had to be moved from the Small Mammal House other than occupying the space after Kesho the okapi died. This could be more impressive than the nicely done train station theming.

Small Mammal House

• Quite a few ideas could be implemented for this, depending on cost and feasibility. Realistically, if it turns into a gift shop or a cafe, that might make a good amount of revenue for the zoo - but what if it could be turned into something more radical/different? Like an auxiliary insect house or even an invertebrate house?

So, yeah! Honestly, no matter which direction the zoo goes, I at least hope they maximize the collection despite being landlocked on 42 acres, or even expand into a satellite facility within Fairmount Park.

 

BRONX ZOO
I visited Bronx a while ago, and these are my thoughts on what could be improved about the zoo. On my most recent visit, I haven't gotten to see World of Reptiles, Mouse House, Aquatic Bird House/Seabird Colony or the second floor of World of Birds, so this list will omit those attractions for now until a subsequent visit happens.

AFRICAN PLAINS

• In general, I would add more "low-key" theming throughout this section, as the planting is absolutely superb and depicts the African savanna in a subtle, simple and effective way. Not necessarily in the way of "crashed jeeps" but more along the lines of termite mounds, an impala carcass hanging in a tree, maybe some pewter statues alongside the trail of animals like serval, white-backed vulture, dwarf mongoose, etc.
• The nyala exhibit is well done - simple and effective. That said, I would probably add a couple more hoofstock species as well in with the nyala - maybe some warthogs or ground hornbills, maybe bringing back lesser kudu.
• I think the lion exhibit has stood the test of time, but adding a glass viewing area and slightly expanding into the Thomson's gazelle exhibit would be beneficial - even adding a "tug-of-war" function for the lions would be highly engaging.
• Apparently there are unused hoofstock barns behind the scenes that would be good for moving in Southern white rhinos, and even past the relatively new Nature Trek, there is still ample room to move rhinos in. Otherwise, another hoofstock species like sitatunga or even bongo would provide more species diversity.
• The slender-horned gazelle and zebra habitats are well-done, nothing in the way of improvements here.
• The spotted hyena exhibit and African wild dog exhibits are quite nice, though for the former - this is where I would add some more low-key theming for the benefit of both animals and guests alike. Another termite mound, or even some abandoned "burrows" that were supposedly constructed by warthogs would provide great interpretive opportunities.
• If it isn't already so, I would open up the giraffe feeding deck to the general public, and slightly enhance the viewing areas for the giraffe and ostrich exhibits as well. I do understand the zoo's place in holding generic giraffes, but if the time comes, I would slowly make a switch to Masai giraffes or even wait for an import of Rothschild's or West African giraffes.

AMERICAN BISON

• I would add interpretive and interactive signage about various indigenous tribes' relationships with bison, as well as training walls for showing various veterinary procedures to the general public.

AQUATIC BIRD HOUSE/SEA BIRD AVIARY

• When I revisit the zoo, I'll have my own opinion as a basis for what the zoo could improve.

BIG BEARS

• Other than adding more signage about indigenous relationships with brown bears and maybe adding a glass viewing area/underwater viewing, I wouldn't improve much else. This is a top tier bear exhibit. (Quite literally with that MASSIVE mountain they can climb).

BIRDS OF PREY

• I do like the aesthetics of the older-style aviaries, but I do think that bigger raptors like the eagles and condors could use more space. I believe there is a way to "invert" some aviaries and create massive netted-over habitats for the larger raptors, or introduce some smaller species of raptors while moving the bigger species elsewhere in the zoo.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN

• Haven't visited in a while, I do remember quite liking it and finding it really charming

CARTER GIRAFFE BUILDING

• I've read a lot about how the building could be improved for the giraffes on this site - and honestly I don't know enough about the facility to properly say how it could be expanded given the size of the herd. That said, if it does end up on the zoo's docket, I'm curious to see what improvements could entail.
• The dwarf mongoose/red-billed hornbill and aardvark/scops owl exhibits are phenomenal - honestly some of the best exhibits of their kind I've seen. I do think a *couple* more species could be added, such as leopard tortoise and yellow-crowned bishops for the mongoose, or springhaas and greater bushbaby in with the aardvarks.

CHILDREN'S ZOO

• Haven't seen yet due to time, will form an opinion once I do visit.

CONGO GORILLA FOREST

• As a whole, an absolute MASTERCLASS in immersion. There are minimal nitpicks as far as signage and species (e.g. the nonexistent DeBrazza's monkeys in particular) that were noticeable but barely hampered the experience for me. Seeing everything again for the first time in years truly was spectacular, and especially seeing gorillas crossing overhead on that tunnel was absolutely magical. I do wish there was a way to better crowd flow as there were massive backups as far as the tunnel and the lower level of the viewing gallery for the gorillas, and it could be as simple as reopening the theater.

GELADA RESERVE

• Absolutely magical. Seeing the gelada youngsters playing in the grass while ibex were running and the hyrax were on the rocks at once truly was a spectacular experience - I do wish more people paid attention to the Fossil Dig section however - I personally believe that it's a highly interesting section that complements the rest of the exhibit. If there were signs pointing it out more conspicuously, that would lead to more people visiting that part of the exhibit.

HIMALAYAN HIGHLANDS

• There is a long walk to Himalayan Highlands from Northern Ponds, that could be used for exhibits. Something as simple as a set of aviaries for pheasants, or even something big like an exhibit for takin would be fantastic. Because the shuttle only goes one way, and people do take that long walk from Bronx River to get to the monorail, more exhibits along that line would be beneficial.
• As for Himalayan Highlands itself, I think that adding more water features akin to Central Park's snow leopard habitat would be a good enhancement for the animals as well as the guests, with signage opportunities for meltwater and glacial ecosystems along with how climate change impacts even the Himalayas.

JUNGLEWORLD

• This was an absolute highlight of my visit. Seeing gharials for the first time as far as I can remember, seeing a gibbon right up against the glass and on the tapir beach, and seeing tapirs submerge themselves like hippos in their jungle pool truly was an otherworldly experience. There are some aspects animal-wise and theming-wise I would tweak - I would move the Asian small-clawed otters back to the Mangrove Forest gallery once the ebony langurs pass, and replace them with animals that live in Scrub Forests - Asian palm civet would come to mind, maybe mixed with binturong as well? As for replacing the ebony langurs, as much as I would love for proboscis monkeys to be brought back, realistically (and keeping in theme with the Mangrove Forest), I would bring in crab-eating macaques instead. I would also move the Amur leopard to Tiger Mountain and replace them with clouded leopards, retrofitting the space so they do have opportunities for privacy while not hiding away in a completely unviewable corner.

MADAGASCAR

• This is the finest Madagascan collection I've seen consolidated in one building. I do think there is space for a proper nocturnal gallery, as even in the Small Wonders/Big Threats gallery there is enough space to put in aye-ayes or even Madagascar giant jumping rat. That said, given how much construction/renovation that would entail, would the risk be worth the reward? Genuinely curious.

MOUSE HOUSE

• Didn't see, will form an opinion once I visit again.

SEA LION POOL

• I've debated whether underwater viewing like Central Park would be necessary - would it be possible to somehow embed a glass panel into the retaining wall for the pool for people to look down at the sea lions as they swim in that area of the pool? I've seen how sea lions act on land much better at Bronx rather than other zoos I've been to where they just swim in concentric circles.

TIGER MOUNTAIN

• I really wanted to visit this exhibit the first two times I went to Bronx, I finally saw it and... I was ABSOLUTELY underwhelmed. The buildup for it was actually nice as well as seeing the tiger fence from behind the bamboo, but the actual exhibits... maybe I visited on a bad day, because a plaza with two glass viewing pavilions for tigers is all I saw. The poaching theme is cool, as well as the ranger station nearby, but everything else was just absolutely underwhelming. I genuinely don't know what would make this exhibit more interesting, other than maybe using one of the tiger yards for another predator that competes with the tigers (Amur leopard? netting over the space).

WILD ASIA MONORAIL

• Honestly, I'd like to see more theming here as well. The Indian "farm" display on the monorail is quite nice, so having stuff like a watchtower/Machan for the tigers, a ranger station and a research station, a row of "crops" in the Kanha Meadow exhibit to highlight human-wildlife conflict, and even a poaching camp would provide more educational opportunities as well as visual interest for the public. I would also place "feeding stations" throughout the meadows as well, as far as helping display some of the shier species like the muntjac and hog deer.
• Tapping into the original names as well would also provide opportunities for subtle theming - Kanha Meadow would have a ranger station, Angkor Forest could have... low key temple theming, Rajasthan Uplands would have signage for Asian lions (the monorail driver could have a blurb about seeing lions in African plains and convergent evolution), the world's whoever actually decides to add these things to the monorail's oyster.
• Let's talk about the literal elephant in the room. It's been a general consensus that Happy and Patty are, for all intents and purposes, the last elephants at Bronx. And given the age of the facility and potentially how much it would cost to renovate said facility, I do think there are a couple options, with some being more realistic than others.
  • In The Zoo, the line that I am reading into out of sheer wishful thinking is "we'll never keep elephants *this way* again. In the ASTRONOMICAL CHANCE that Bronx is actually open to keeping elephants after Happy and Patty, there is a need within the SSP to keep bachelor groups of 2 or 3 elephants. Expanding into the babirusa space as well as further into the forest leading to the rhino habitat might be an option, along with potentially renovating the barn to add sandy substrates and good drainage. Again, this is assuming that they are willing to continue with elephants, which - they've basically put out signs they aren't.
  • Realistically, making it another Indian rhino yard would be beneficial as far as maximizing space and having more animals on display, and minimal renovations would be needed.
  • A radical rethinking of the space would be to utilize the exhibit for sloth bears - seeing them amble about and reusing the pipe system to create a running stream/rocky ridge for the bears to interact with would result in an engaging, dynamic exhibit on par with Singapore Night Safari's exhibit.

WORLD OF BIRDS

• Haven't seen the second floor, the first floor had some really fascinating exhibits - I do wish the screen they pull down whenever the birds are nesting was more like a "viewing blind" with tiny slits to properly look inside, as it's difficult to view through *layers* of mesh.

WORLD OF DARKNESS

• I have a radical idea as far as reopening World of Darkness - open only one side of World of Darkness, renovating the exhibits inside to better accommodate the animals inside, and renovate the other side of World of Darkness to highlight insects, arachnids and arthropods. Or, incorporating arthropods and insects within World of Darkness to compensate for the species that were phased out permanently (bay cats and leopard cats). The object of this is to basically highlight "misunderstood" animals.

WORLD OF REPTILES

• Didn't see, will form an opinion once I revisit.

ZOO CENTER

• I do like the idea of having *a* pachyderm species within Zoo Center, so depending on whether they move the white rhinos to African Plains or not, I would use the existing space for Eastern black rhino, Nile hippopotamus, Baird's tapir or even pygmy hippopotamus. Moving the babirusa back from the monorail would also provide a greater sense of "diversity" to the building.

 

I know someone has already covered Omaha Zoo, but after the recent upgrades and changes I feel that the zoo deserves a few new speculative plans.

Previous Cat Complex Area: Add a new South American exhibit where the Cat Complex once stood with maned wolves, jaguars, anteaters, bairds/mountain tapirs, galapagos tortoises, capybaras and a few primates and small animals. This could all be viewed from an indoor area resembling a jungle research station.

Desert Dome: All of the mammal exhibits deserve expansions, and alot could be done to improve the viewing of the ocelots. In addition, a few new reptiles, birds and small mammals could be added in additional exhibits throughout the dome. Also, replace the first klipspringers (animals already kept in the African Grasslands) with some sort of other mammal (porcupines?) or possibly, with an exhibit renovation, the African penguins kept behind the scenes.

Kingdoms of the Night: Replace the fossas exhibits (a species already kept next to the Madagascar building) with genets and Pallas cats, and replace the first springhares and bushbabies with Cloud rats and pygmy loris. Also, move the female Sloth to the future South American area, making the African area more geographically accurate. Much like the desert dome, a few additional exhibits for small animals could be added throughout the building.

Previous Gaur Area:

Add an Australian exhibit here with kangaroos, koalas, tree kangaroos, cassowaries, wombats and Tasmanian devils. If possible, the Australian animals (crocodiles, wallabies, echidna) from Kingdoms of the Night could be moved here as well, with their previous area being renovated to house a some sort of small carnivore that could access both exhibits and walk over the path in some sort of tunnel. If there's enough room, Add a second entrance to the Asian Highlands with a small hoofstock yard for babirusa and Lowland anoa nearby.

Glacier Bay Landing Property: Add a few grizzly bears, Moose, eagles and bighorn sheep (if possible) to the area near glacier bay, making a sort of Canadian Exhibit and finishing off the North American area.

Lied Jungle and Aquarium: Add a few new terrariums and tanks, nothing much but something that could add a few more species to these buildings.

African Grasslands: Add a few African Wild Dogs next to the tortoises, as well as a few African birds. Bring in dama gazelles to share the exhibit with the dying sable antelope herd, and a few white-bearded wildebeest to share the zebra area.

Gorillas and Orangutans:

Replace the duiker and African bird exhibit with an exhibit for some sort of African or Asian primate (celebes Macaque? They used to be kept in this building) and move the current inhabitants to the African Grasslands. Bring a few more Indonesian species to the Orangutan House, including hornbills, birds of paradise, prevosts squirrels and komodo dragons.

Madagascar: Give the whole building a revamp. The exhibits are far too small, and all deserve expansions. A few more birds and small mammals could be brought in as well, adding to the diversity of Madagascar's wildlife kept in the building. Since this place is ignored by most zoo guests, making a more impressive and noticeable building would be key to making the building a more popular area of the zoo.

Wild Kingdom Pavillion: Bring in a few more small mammals and reptiles, bringing back a few old species.

The camels deserve to be brought back to the zoo as well, even though idk where they'd be kept.

This is probably far too much to plan, but still a few plans that the zoo could (probably) do if they had enough money and resources to do so.

 

I'd love to bring in Spectacled Bears as well, but idk if there would be enough room

 

I've shared my thoughts on New England zoos on the past, but I've yet to share my thoughts for my new "home" zoo, Buffalo Zoo. This zoo has a lot that's strong going for it, but does have room to grow, especially in regards to the two weakest exhibits in the zoo, those for gorillas and giraffes (the latter of which I'd consider the worst exhibit in the zoo, and the former the worst gorilla exhibit I've seen).

• While I would call giraffes the weaker of the two exhibits, the giraffe situation would also be the more difficult of the two to improve, as there isn't really the room to make a good, large giraffe habitat. However, what there is room for, while it would be an expensive project, is a decent gorilla exhibit. So Project #1 in my plan is a new indoor-outdoor gorilla exhibit. The most underutilized corner of the zoo that could fit this project is between the giraffe barn and the old entrance, a piece of land currently home to a miniature train and is approximately 0.8 acres large. Due to the weather in Buffalo, I feel a large, good indoor exhibit should be the top priority for the zoo, while still giving gorillas an opportunity for outdoor access. Due to this, I'd recommend a 10,000 square foot outdoor yard (netted in), complete with climbing frames, vegetation, and the like, connected to a much larger half-acre "Gorilla Dome". Essentially, I'd like to see a modern, indoor gorilla exhibit built, filled with natural elements/vegetation, climbing opportunities, and a waterfall. This half-acre dome will provide another 15,000 square foot exhibit for the gorillas, along with new holdings and a visitor pathway, allowing visitors to view the gorillas through large, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. One thing I wish more small and medium zoos would take advantage of is mixed-species exhibits whenever possible, and because of this I'd want to see the gorillas mixed with a new species to the zoo, Colobus Monkeys (ideally Angolans, but either are fine). While not the most exciting addition for zoo nerds, it does add one more species to the collection, which will both add interest to this habitat and provide a more unique and enriching primate habitat.
• With the gorillas moved into their new home, that leaves the big question for the zoo what to replace them with. There's no real obvious answer to this question, but it is a good-sized indoor habitat that could accommodate any number of tropical species. Ideally, the zoo would choose something that is reasonably popular and would not require much renovation to the exhibit (albeit some being necessary of course). The best solution to this, in my opinion, would be re-theming the exhibit to Madagascar, and moving the zoo's Ring-Tailed Lemurs into the current gorilla exhibit from their existing one in Vanishing Animals, which would provide guests with year-round viewing of the lemurs. The zoo can continue to house a non-reproductive group of ring-tailed lemurs in here, while also bringing two new species into the collection: breeding groups of Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs and Crowned Lemurs.
• After moving the lemurs, their current exhibit could be transformed into an extension of the Japanese Macaque area, providing more room for these impressive animals and hopefully more reproductive success. These are one of my favorite primates, so I'd love it if the zoo would give them additional space to potentially hold more animals. This is also ideal since Japanese Macaques are one of the few cold tolerant primate species.
• One exhibit that there is no good answer for is the black rhino exhibit, formerly elephants. Having two rhino species is fairly redundant for the zoo, and the zoo would be better served using this space for a species capable of being outdoor year-round. While there isn't any obvious choice for this, one personal favorite of mine that would utilize the space nicely is the Sichuan Takin. These are really cool animals that I think, with very minimal renovation, could utilize the exhibit nicely.
• At this stage, the zoo should focus their attention to the side of the zoo currently home to hyenas, roan, and addax. While I appreciate the diverse and unique ungulate collection the zoo has, some of the habitats are sub-par, and could be improved by focusing on having a single, larger habitat for some more mixable, cold tolerant species. As such, I would fill in the moats, connect the addax exhibit with the hyena exhibit, and build a new, modern barrier for an exhibit with a bachelor herd of Hartmann's Mountain Zebra and a bachelor herd of a spiral-horned antelope species (either greater kudu or nyala). A larger barn could be constructed between the addax yard and zebra yard (sort of where the roan holding is) to provide a better indoor space for these animals, as well as some windows into it to allow visitors a view inside. The roan antelope can be maintained in the current zebra and gemsbok yards, as these are unique and interesting ungulates I really enjoy seeing- absolutely gorgeous animals. If this is not possible long term, any other appropriately sized ungulate species would be a good alternative, as these are essentially flexible ungulate areas to house whatever the zoo needs to. Roan are also a better choice to maintain than either gemsbok or addax due to the climate of Buffalo, which is more suited for a species that can handle the amount of precipitation (not just snow, but also rain and other wet conditions, which can't be good for the gemsbok in particular)
• Moving to the current giraffe exhibit, this is another case where there isn't really a good answer. Long-term, I don't see it as advisable for the zoo to continue housing giraffes, both due to space and climate concerns. As such, I would like the zoo to consider an alternate use of that space after the passing of the current giraffes. Depending on funding when this occurs, the zoo could choose either an "easy" option or an "expensive" option while maintaining the historic giraffe barn. The easy option would be to choose a smaller, more cold tolerant ungulate species. While not the most creative choice, I could see one popular use for this space as an exhibit for Bactrian Camels, while a more endangered option would be Przewalski's Horse. Either of these would be good options for the zoo, and it'd be a unique species that could utilize the yard year-round. A more expensive option would be to replace the yard completely with a habitat for some sort of large canid, such as the return of maned wolves or the addition of red or mexican grey wolves. Any of these would be a great, popular choice to compensate for the loss of giraffes, albeit it'd be a more extensive change than simply putting a new species in the exhibit and would require some changes to the holding building (including closing it to the public).
• The entire side of the zoo home to the farmyard, bighorn sheep, and tufted deer is a bland area that underutilizes the space provided. Ideally, this would be a space the zoo could pursue a major new exhibit, and with wanting to stick with animals that can be outdoors year-round, one good option would be a Cleveland-style Asian exhibits, containing new, modern exhibits for the zoo's Red Pandas and Snow Leopards, along with some new species to the zoo. Good choices for new species would be Amur Leopard and Pallas' Cats, in addition to the first two species as part of a rotational system similar to Cleveland's, and then perhaps supplement the area with a nice walk-through aviary to add some more birds to the zoo, including White-Naped Cranes, Red-Breasted Geese, Red-Billed Blue Magpie, and Scaly-sided Merganser. The zoo's tufted deer and swan geese could also be held in this aviary.
• That's pretty much it for major/semi-major changes. Other than that, there are a few small quality of life changes I'd appreciate (such as a stronger bird collection in the Rainforest building), and the Vanishing Animals exhibits vacated by moving the snow leopard/red panda can become a new exhibit themed around birds-of-prey, housing a series of birds-of-prey species that are cold tolerant.

 

A while ago I posted something similar, but since some time has passed, I think this (maybe) could do with an update.

New species will be highlighted in bold.

First of all, I'll quickly list all the changes which are already in place;

• Reptile house reform; the lateral exhibits (snakes, lizards, smaller turtles…) will be taller and perhaps wider, and the collection will change a bit.
  
  
• Building of a new Addra gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) (and maybe something else…?) habitat where the Aquarama used to be. Details on it are fuzzy for now.
  
  
• Building of a new wildlife pond, focusing on the Mediterranean turtle (Mauremys leprosa), where the petting zoo restaurant used to be.
  
  
• Completion of the African bush elephant paddock in the Sahel Savannah.
  
  
• Expansion of the first Western lowland gorilla enclosure (the former habitat of Snowflake/Copito) into the area formerly occupied by the Baobab tree and drill island.
  
  
• Restructuring of the former cheetah exhibit to house Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
  

Next up, some changes that have been hinted in former master plans that I'd go full steam ahead with.

• After the (elderly, non-breeding) Chilean flamingos are phased out, turn their habitat and the former site of the fin whale skeleton into a new Madagascar complex. There would be two outdoor enclosures, a smaller one representing the Southwestern spiny forest and housing the resident ring-tailed lemurs, and a larger one, representing the Northeastern rainforest, housing common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) and black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). In the middle of both (where the old information center used to be, would be a reinterpretation of the old Baobab tree house, with indoor spaces for the lemurs and terrariums for Madagascar hognose snakes (Leioheterodon madagascariensis, may currently be in the zoo), panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis), wide-tailed zonosaurs (Zonosaurus laticaudatus), Henkel's leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus henkeli, may currently be at the zoo), and Standing's day geckos (Phelsuma standingi). In short, it would be a return to the zoo's 90s collection of Malagasy animals.
  
  
• Turn the current Sumatran tiger and former lion grottos into a single habitat for the former, reducing the amount of water to a well-sized pool, giving it more extensive vegetal coverage, soft substrate and climbing enrichment, and moving the barriers, now tall walls and plexiglass windows, to where the visitor path is, with some observation canopies like those for the chimps and lions.
  
  
• Build a modestly-sized, African-themed nocturnal house underneath the Sahel pathway. A good collection of smaller African animals could be brought in from other EAZA institutions, like four-toed hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris), naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber), forest African dormice (Graphiurus murinus), Egyptian spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus), Barbary striped grass mouse (Lemniscomys barbarus), Northern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) and Moholi bushbaby (Galago moholi). The currently resident scops owls (Otus scops), along with domestic mice, rats and guinea pigs, could also be housed here.
  
  
• Following the latest masterplan, a marine biodiversity could be made, but I wouldn't stuff it into the already packed reptile house, but rather use the former dolphin pavilion to house it. It could have several aquariums housing Mediterranean fish and invertebrates, along with the resident Spanish toothcarps and axolotls (although those could be moved to the reptile house or Montseny brook newt centre instead), but the star attraction would be rescued loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), either to be rehabilitated or released or kept permanently in cases where the animal has suffered irreparable damages.
  

And so, here are the changes that are more out-there, born from my own creative mind;

• While it seems the petting zoo may disappear, I would actually keep it, but radically change it into two well-sized paddocks with Catalonian donkeys and Blanca de Rasquera goats.
  
  
• The second lowland gorilla family could be moved to another zoo, and its space could be combined with the current chimpanzee enclosure, albeit with some light alterations.
  
  
• With the Addra gazelles being moved to another exhibit, the northmost corner of the zoo would be refurbished, well-planted and made climb-proof to keep the mating pair of Sri-Lankan leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya), one in each paddock. The third could be used as a temporal home for new stock, or kept as a bird flu refuge.
  
  
• After having the pair of jaguars moved to another zoo, the big cat complex, after some remodeling that would make the exhibits wider and closer to the visitor path and given some more climbing structures, would become the small cat complex. The five cages would be home to:
  
  
  • 1.1 Indochinese clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa nebulosa) in the former Sri Lankan leopard cages.
    
    
  • 1.1 Fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) in the former jaguar cage with the waterfall.
    
    
  • 1.1 Sri Lankan rusty-spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus phillipsi), in the single cage right of the fishing cat's.
    
    
  • 1.1 Binturongs (Arctictis binturong), in the single cage left of the fishing cat's.
    
• The parrot plaza would be turned into three larger, well-planted parrot cages, in the style of the hornbill cages further down the path. The one on the right would house a breeding group of red-crowned amazons (Amazona viridigenalis), the one in the middle would house the blue-streaked lories (Eos reticulata), along with brand-new rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus), and on the right there would be a mix of single, non-breeding parrots, including the Cuban amazon (Amazona leucocephala), eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) and triton cockatoo (Cacatua galerita triton). Any remaining amazons can be either sent to other collections, or housed in spare cages in the palm garden (the macaw zone), prioritizing the most endangered species.
  
  
• Move the red buffaloes to another zoo and incorporate their enclosure into that of the European bison.
  
  
• The former chamois exhibit, along with the mountain's summit, can be incorporated into the griffon and cinereous vulture flight cage.
  
  
• The Hermann's tortoise would get a new enclosure in the ecology garden in the petting zoo.
  
  
• The De Brazza's monkeys and talapoins could be moved in with the gorillas. The collared mangabeys, on the other hand, will have a new enclosure built in the area formerly occupied by coypus and tamanduas. Finally, with the European mouflons being phased out, the Barbary macaques will have a new home adapted in that grotto, in tandem with the drills. With that, the monkey galleries will be kept empty for…
  
  
• All 7 species of marmosets and tamarins would be moved to a much refurbished monkey gallery, adapted to have openable glass ceilings like in the Komodo dragon exhibit, along with a much greener, lusher look, protected by a mesh of course. Perhaps some could be joined together, and some other South American animals could join this gallery, sharing room with the monkeys. The Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) is a winning choice, and the Southern three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus) and Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) are well-worth considering
  
  
• The space formerly used up by the marmoset and tamarin would be turned into two exhibits for European mink (Mustela lutreola), as it ties in with the Doñana flight cage and Montseny brook newt house as local wetlands creatures dependent on conservation efforts.

• The grassy lane between the tapir and capybara exhibit can be combined into a single, larger South American paddock, getting rid of the tapir's current pool and instead enlarging the capybara's moat. The crested screamers and black-necked swans can be moved in with them, maybe even a non-mating couple of common rheas (Rhea americana) can join in.
  

And, finally, animals that will be inevitably phased out, and what could replace them.

• Even though the Dalmatian pelicans are an elderly group, I would definitely bring in more, as I feel that pelicans are an essential zoo animal, perhaps after reforming their enclosure a tad.
  
  
• With the Pere David's deer all but gone, and the Axis deer down to 1-2 animals, this rather haphazard enclosure is on its way out. Personally, I would just leave it as a grassy, gardened lane, as it was before.
  
  
• The Bactrian camels may be on their way out, in which case it may be wise to simply incorporate their paddock into that of the Grant's zebra and blue wildebeest. Bonteboks (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) may also be worthy of inclusion into this space.
  
  
• Once the three female common hippos aren't in their pools, as proposed it could be given to the African bush elephants instead.
  
  
• With the imminent passing of Pedro the Southern white rhinoceros, his paddock, after some remodelling, could be given to the current group of red-necked wallabies, along with a single or a pair of emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).
  
  
  • The former wallaby exhibit, with some alteration, could be home to a pair of Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii).
    
• After being home to the two spotted hyena siblings, their paddock would be given to a pack of bush dogs (Speothos venaticus).
  
  
• After the European brown bears, the old bear grottos, after being made climb-proof, having the moat removed to the waterfall, pebbly stream and a single pool, more soft substrate, a generous supply of climbing structures and more vegetation providing shade, it would all become a habitat for a mating pair of Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus malayanus).
  

Eventually, I may create a map for this future project for the Barcelona Zoo, so yoy can stay tuned for that. I may also write something like this for other zoos I'll visit in the near future.

 

Right now the Akron Zoo has a relatively untouched area called Wild Prairie that has mostly been taken over by expansions and is only home to a Snowy Owl and a small children's playground called Frontier Town.

My ideas to fully utilize this area as part of Wild Asia, a renovation of the zoo's former Asian area, Tiger Valley, involves removing the picnic shelter and Frontier Town for a new exhibit for Sloth Bears, which left the zoo back in 2018. Removing the seating for the Grassland Cafe would free up room for a larger mammal, possibly Malayan Tapir. The Snowy Owl would be replaced by a new bird species

 

My sort of "Master Plan" for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo:

Goals: Remove outdated exhibits, empty out PCA/Hilltop for removal, reduce empty space.

African Savannah:

• Remove the outdated Flamingo/ Leopard Tortoise exhibits.
• Fill in the moat around the current Lion yard and expand a 2nd yard into the current Flamingo/Tortoise exhibits spot. A holding/education building sits between the yards.
• Incorporate flamingos into the savannah exhibit, as well as the Aldabra Tortoise from PCA.
• Remove the unused picnic table space and former Colobus Monkey holding building next to the Rhinos for a new Nile Hippo exhibit.
• Relocate the Zoo camp area and make that area plus the next door parking lot a new Cheetah exhibit

Waterfowl Lake

• Renovate Birds of Prey exhibits behind Koalas.
• Turn the path where Dinosaurs! is installed into a lemur/small Primate trail around the lake using former residents of PC&A

Australian Adventure

• Yagga Tree: Crocodile animatronic is removed and the sinkhole is converted into reptile exhibits.
• Ballarat Theater: Entirely removed for reptile building which continues the cave theme from the Yagga Tree next door.

Wilderness Trek

• Removal of the Grizzly and Black Bear Grottos for new bear exhibits akin to those in Akron's Grizzly Ridge.
• Remove the Seal and Sea Lion Exhibit.
• Replace the Reindeer exhibit and the other hoofstock yard for a new Seal and Sea Lion exhibit. Buffalo can remain.

 

Why would you want to remove the PCA? Not only did I find it to be one of the stronger areas in the zoo, it'd be a real shame to reduce the zoo's footprint and have less space available for exhibits. If you're goal is to empty it out and replace it with a different exhibit, that's something I could get behind, but barring the soon-to-be-former gorilla exhibit I found everything in PCA to be solid habitats for one of the strongest primate collections in the country, along with a very respectable fossa habitat and a really nice cheetah exhibit. I wasn't a big fan of the aquatics area though, so if the zoo was to revamp that section it'd be appreciated.

 

I've already posted about Omaha on this thread, but I've changed what I would like a bit. I won't be covering the indoor exhibits, I'll save those for later, because there's just too much to cover. Keep in mind that this is totally improbable, and this is just what I'd do given the chance.

Move komodo dragons and galapagos tortoises next to the garden of the senses, as well as a few new bird species.

Asian Highlands:

Bring in a few new hoofstock species (camels, gaur, preswalskis horse) if given the chance. There's a decent bit of room near there, but even so, this may not be possible. Maybe a few more Chinese species *cough* pandas *cough* could even be brought in, but I personally don't see that happening.

African Grasslands:

Bring in a few new hoofstock species (eland, wildebeest, addax, etc) and, most of all, Spotted hyenas next to the current Lion area. They're my favorite species, and I'd love to see them at the zoo. Hippos and Nile crocodiles could be moved in next to the river area, but idk where they'd go.

Cat Complex:

Continue the plan for Equatorial africa, moving bongos and okapis here. Red river hogs, vervets and Pygmy hippos could work as well, leading on a path to the gorillas. Also, remove the birds and duikers, moving them elsewhere in the zoo, and replace them with some sort of primate.

Area Behind Glacier Bay:

Since we are missing quite a few South American mammals, I think turning this into a south american area would work. Capybaras, guanacos, pumas, tapirs, jaguars, maned wolves and more would all work perfectly.

Previous Gaur Yards:

The previous gaur yards would be perfect for a Canadian area, including Bighorn sheep, moose, grizzly bears, bald eagles and more. These would all fit decently well with the Alaskan theme.

A revamp of Madagascar is desperately needed as well, but since that's almost inevitable, I'll leave that to the zoo.

Either way, feel free to add more ideas or critique the current ones I've proposed if you guys have any thoughts.

 

Here are some changes I would to Woodland Park Zoo:

- Transfer river hippos Lily & Lupe to another zoo. The current hippo exhibit is outdated, as it doesn't have an up-to-date filtration system, there is no indoor pool, and the exhibit is not set up in a way for the hippos to safely breed. In place of the hippos, the zoo's 3 warthogs (Dennis, Olive, and Clover) will move in, as the current warthog exhibit will have it's original species returning: African Wild Dogs! I was pretty bummed when they phased out the species, so it would be interesting seeing painted dogs back at Woodland Park Zoo. Alternatively, they could house Spotted Hyenas, another interesting species that could allow for some unique education opportunities about the rivalry between lions and hyenas in the wild.
- The sloth bear exhibit in Banyan Wilds would get an upgrade in terms of foliage. The current exhibit, while not bad, is quite barren (I actually find it pretty funny looking at the original sun bear exhibit and seeing how much foliage there was). I would also add another open moat viewing area for the left exhibit, as that one single viewing window looks quite awkward.
- For the Forests For All Exhibit, I was thinking of just having a simple Tropical/Nocturnal House, with a diverse collection of small mammals, birds, reptiles, etc, etc. If you guys really wanna see my ideal species list for that area, go ahead an let me know, but I won't post it here because I'm still brainstorming it.

Might brainstorm some other ideas in the future, but this is what I got so far.

 

MARYLAND ZOO
I visited Maryland recently and realized how accessible it is via Amtrak/Lyft. So accessible, I'd honestly consider it as a "local zoo" per se on par with Philadelphia in terms of proximity. I found my visit one of the best zoo visits I've had in a while, as I made sure to double back to certain exhibits to look at different animals I missed on the first go-around. I am aware of the master plan's proposed changes to the Main Valley as well as throughout the zoo, so the changes I am suggesting are mainly based off of that master plan as well as what I'd personally like to see made at the zoo.

SCHAEFER PLAZA

• The prairie dog enclosure is a really charming start to this zoo, the only thing I would do is add some more side enclosures - potentially for animals like burrowing owl, gopher tortoise, nine-banded armadillo, etc. to highlight the desert grassland atmosphere.
  • Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (no change)
  • Nine-Banded Armadillo (returning species)
  • Burrowing Owl (returning species)

MAIN VALLEY

• I would actually maintain the "historic zoo" atmosphere as much as possible, keeping new animal exhibits to the undeveloped areas within the Main Valley as a way of contrasting the different schools of design. For instance, if the zoo wants to bring back gibbons, they would do the overhead passage idea/islands idea in contrast to the old cages across the path, where they could pull a Melbourne and have metal cutouts of the animals that used to live in those enclosures. The Main Valley would basically act as an exhibit of contrasts - highlighting the new juxtaposed with the old.
  • White-Handed Gibbon (no change)
  • Steller's Sea Eagle (no change)
  • Panamanian Golden Frog (moving over from Chimpanzee Forest)
  • Anything else would be at the zoo's discretion since there haven't been any other species named in this area *to my knowledge*.

AFRICAN JOURNEY

• I am counting Penguin Coast in this area as well - genuinely one of the best penguin enclosures I think I've ever seen. Other than adding a couple more bird species in the roster (like yellow-billed ducks), no changes are necessary.
  • African Penguin, Great White Pelican, White-Breasted Cormorant, Yellow-Billed Duck (returning species, rest are no change)
• I would net over the flamingo enclosure nearby and replace the Caribbean flamingos with lesser flamingoes, to maintain the African theme.
  • Lesser Flamingo (change from Caribbean Flamingo)
• The sitatunga swamp/African Waterfall enclosure is one of the zoo's strongest enclosures, and other than tweaking the rockwork a bit to add some consistency to the zoo's newer developments (African Watering Hole/new African elephant/giraffe/lion exhibits), I would keep it as is. It's incredibly lush, and genuinely fantastic.
  • Sitatunga, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (no change)
• The African Watering Hole is beyond fantastic. The subtle barrier design, the incorporation of the pools into the aviary as well as the rhino/zebra/ostrich and kudu/gazelle enclosure is beyond insightful. There is an empty enclosure adjacent to the rhino/zebra/ostrich exhibit that could be utilized for banded mongoose or some other active African critter that just appears empty as is.
  • African Spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise (no change)
  • Southern White Rhinoceros, Plains Zebra, Common Ostrich (no change)
  • Dama Gazelle, Lesser Kudu, Saddle-Billed Stork, Southern Ground Hornbill (no change)
• The leopard exhibit is one of the better ones I've seen - I would try and transplant a mature tree back into that enclosure since the original design had a mature oak tree in the middle that the leopard could lounge on, though for practical reasons that may not be achievable. Maybe planting a bunch of smaller trees and waiting for them to grow out?
  • Amur Leopard (no change)
• The cheetah exhibit is very nicely designed, the only tweak I'd make would be to use a more subtle barrier design in front of the enclosure to blur the boundaries between the cheetahs and the antelope.
  • Cheetah (no change)
    
  • Cape Porcupine (no change)
• The warthog exhibit and the blue duiker exhibit are incredibly charming, I'd actually leave them as is.
  • Common Warthog (no change)
  • Blue Duiker (move the black-crowned cranes to the African aviary)
• The elephant, giraffe, and lion enclosures. There's no denying that what happened to them was a genuine improvement welfare-wise for all parties involved, but I do think the stylistic choices between these enclosures and the African Watering Hole is too stark, with utilitarian "activity-based design" motifs being utilized. The way I would tweak everything would be the following:
  • African Elephant (no change)
    • For the elephants, they have the second strongest enclosure design, what I would tweak would be the following:
      • Painting the fences brown or go-away-green so as to make them visually unobtrusive, akin to the improvements San Diego has been making to Elephant Odyssey.
      • Redoing the pools in the central and left yard to resemble the Watering Hole pools in the rhino/zebra/ostrich yard, and instead of having a crashing waterfall, having a more subtle stream. Also adding rockwork here and there that matches the Watering Hole's aesthetic.
      • Adding a trail system akin to Cheyenne Mountain and National potentially leading up to the Chimpanzee Forest.
  • Giraffe (maybe switch over to Masai down the line?)
    • For the giraffes, I would tweak the following:
      • The barrier design is just *way* too inconsistent. One minute you have a simple wood and metal beam fence and the next there's a higher budget mesh fence. I get wanting to give the giraffes a flat surface to walk on, why not theme the fencing after African bomas and pairing that with the existing mesh fences?
  • African Lion (maybe switch to South African Lion down the line?)
    • For the lions, the only tweaks I would really make would be redecorating the contemporary viewing structure akin to the guest shade structure in African Watering Hole, and *somehow* incorporating a moated viewing area for the lions.
• I'm counting the okapi as part of this section as well as Chimpanzee Forest since they share the same facilities as the giraffes, and are a forest animal that ties into the following primate enclosures. I would tie a new development for the okapi with the African primates, and also have a small side trail for the Malagasy primates - with the okapi development themed after the Epulu Village as well as the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.
  • Okapi, Yellow-Backed Duiker (new species)
• Speaking of which, Lemur Lane. That is a predicament. The furnishings for the enclosures are actually quite nice, but the actual enclosures being corn crib cages isn't a good look. The best way I would address this would be the development I mentioned earlier, tying the okapi and African primates together into one section, with inspiration from Brookfield's Habitat Africa: The Forest as well as San Diego Zoo's Ituri Forest. There would be two or three enclosures for the okapi as the main focus of this area, and several enclosures for African primates, presumably mixed with other species. One enclosure would be for the zoo's black-and-white colobus and Schmidt's red-tailed guenons, alongside a forest floor dwelling mammal like red river hog. Another enclosure would potentially be for mandrill and Wolf's guenon, and a third enclosure would be for DeBrazza's monkeys. A side trail for the zoo's Malagasy primates would also be constructed, as a cul-de-sac path surrounded by enclosures highlighting their ring-tailed lemurs, red ruffed lemurs and Coquerel's sifakas in different environments, with separate holding from the main Chimpanzee Forest building to give more space for these other primates.
  • Black-and-White Colobus, Schmidt's Red-Tailed Guenon, Red River Hog
  • Mandrill, Wolf's Guenon (returning species/new species)
  • DeBrazza's Monkey (returning species)
  • Ring-Tailed Lemur (no change)
  • Red Ruffed Lemur (no change)
  • Coquerel's Sifaka (no change)
• The interior of the Chimpanzee Forest building would also be redone, akin to Habitat Africa: The Forest and Cincinnati Zoo's Tropical Africa building as well as the American Museum of Natural History's Dzanga-Sangha Rainforest diorama in their Hall of Biodiversity. Basically, this would be a highly immersive rainforest experience with intimate views of the primates' indoor exhibits. The faux trees would be redone and biofloors would be installed for the smaller primates, and the skylights in these indoor enclosures would be redone and installed in such a way that the entire exhibits are brightened. The slender-snouted crocodile exhibit would be renovated in the same vein as well, and the following species would be highlighted in this building:
  • Black-and-White Colobus, Schmidt's Red-Tailed Guenon, Red River Hog (new species)
  • Mandrill (returning species), Wolf's Guenon (new species)
  • DeBrazza's Monkey (new species)
  • Congo Peafowl, Long-Tailed Hornbill, Guinea Turaco (new/returning species)
  • Gaboon Viper (returning species)
  • African Rock Python (returning species)
  • Black-and-Rufous Elephant Shrew (new species)
    
  • White-Bellied Pangolin (ASTRONOMICAL idea for a new species, but would absolutely have an amazing conservation message.)
  • Common Chimpanzee (potential switch to Western Chimpanzee down the line?)
  • Slender-Snouted Crocodile, East African Mud Turtle, African Cichlid (no change)
• The walk back to the boardwalk adjacent to the sitatunga exhibit is a proposed area for new exhibits, which I do think could lead to an expansion/renovation of the outdoor chimpanzee space. I don't mind the chimpanzee enclosure being netted over, as long as the netting is subtly done akin to places like Zoo Antwerpen or Basel. Basically I would redo the outdoor enclosure's containment, and incorporate existing mature trees into the enclosure as a way of providing natural shade for the chimps. I'd also maintain the bamboo planted on the hillside and even expand that motif alongside the hill. In addition to the chimps, I would also add a couple more African predators, maybe stuff like spotted hyenas or African wild dogs.
  • Common Chimpanzee (potential switch to Western Chimpanzee down the line?)
  • Spotted Hyena (returning species)
  • African Wild Dog (returning species, alternative to spotted hyena)

MARYLAND WILDERNESS

• I didn't get a chance to go inside the Marsh Aviary as it was closed off due to Avian flu concerns, but from the outside, it seemed really nicely done! I doubt any changes would be needed, other than maybe adding a place for people to scrub their shoes before entering the aviary.
  • Black-Crowned Night Heron, Blue-Winged Teal Hooded Merganser, Little Blue Heron, North American Ruddy Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Sandhill Crane, Wood Duck (no changes)
• Honestly, the North American river otter renovations were a bit of a downgrade visually - the first viewing area was one of the most naturalistic vistas in the zoo, and the rockwork they added at that part of the enclosure doesn't jive with the rest of the area. If there's a way to restore that vista, that would be a good compromise between old and new. (while still maintaining the expanded land area for the otters.)
  • North American River Otter (no change)
• The hellbender exhibit at the end of the otter tunnel is legitimate perfection. No changes required.
  • Hellbender (no change)
• The bobcat exhibit is done well, I would just add glass viewing at the cave entrance before venturing further.
  • Bobcat (no change)
• The Cave was a highlight of my visit. Everything about this was just so inventive and perfectly executed, only thing I'd change is maybe utilizing red lighting for the Seba's short-tailed bats.
  • Northern Pine Snake (no change)
  • Cave Cricket, Cave Spider (no change)
  • Eastern Newt
  • Timber Rattlesnake
  • Spotted Turtle, Eastern Musk Turtle
  • Seba's Short-Tailed Bat
  • Northern Copperhead
• Eagle Ridge, no complaints about that being added to Maryland Wilderness. I am a tad confused behind the addition of the snowy owl as that would better suit Polar Bear Watch/Northern Passage, so I'd just replace them with Great Horned Owl.
  • Bald Eagle (moved over from Northern Passage)
  • Great Horned Owl (returning species)
• I did not expect the Giant Tree Slide to have exhibits, but it was a pleasant surprise to see quite a few here as well as signage about the habitat that a tree snag provides! No changes necessary here.
  • Corn Snake
  • Mole Kingsnake
  • Eastern Hognose Snake
  • Tiger Salamander
  • Spotted Turtle
  • Wood Turtle
  • Black Rat Snake
• I also didn't expect any more exhibits in the Meadow section of Maryland Wilderness other than the box turtles, but the terrariums that were there were a pleasant surprise! I guess the only thing I would change is changing the landscape to be more explicitly a meadow.
  • Eastern Box Turtle
  • Bog Turtle
  • American Toad, Broad-Headed Skink
  • Eastern Milksnake
• No thoughts on the Farm area, as it serves its purpose quite nicely.

NORTHERN PASSAGE

• I would modify the bear exhibit as per the master plan with the grizzly bear extension, and also expand the existing bear yards. Ideally, Maryland Zoo would comfortably house polar bears and grizzly bears - while not actively breeding polar bears, Maryland would continue to act as a holder for younger or even geriatric bears. As for the surrounding exhibits, that would showcase animals that live in both grizzly bear and polar bear territory, as a way of highlighting the blurred lines of a polar bear's environment due to climate change.
• With the existing bear yards, I would retool the fencing to be less obvious and add elements to emphasize the coastal landscape, even with an enrichment structure themed after whale bones/a whale skeleton. The name "Polar Bear Watch" would be reused for this set of enclosures rather than the entirety of the area.
  • Polar Bear (returning species)
  • Grizzly Bear (no change)
  • North American Porcupine (no change)
    
  • Snowy Owl (no change)
  • Canadian Lynx (new species)
  • Arctic Fox (returning species)
  • Wolverine (new species)

 

LONDON ZOO:

Casson Pavilion:
The former elephant and rhino house now holds Babirusa and Red River Hog, and after having been offshow for many years it is finally open to the public yet again. Unfortunately, with the armadillos off-display, it still feels like one of the biggest and most impressive zoo buildings in the UK is going to waste. The former Pygmy Hippo and Walrus stall is now entirely unused, so I will try to adapt it for Javan or (ideally) Javan Chevrotain. As it is a very large building, I feel as though it could do with a few additional terrariums, ideally following the Southeast Asian theme of that area. Possibilities would be Asian Water Monitor, Tentacled Snake, or the Reticulated Python from the Reptile House. This will also free up some space in the upcoming reptile house, which will allow for the return of Green Anaconda. Also in keeping with the East Asian theme, I will send the Red River Hogs back to Whipsnade, so as to return Lowland Anoa to the zoo. The return of Bearded Pigs would be ideal, but with that any realism of this post is lost.

Mappin Terraces:
In the discussion thread, it was suggested that the area was adapted for Sun Bears, and I think this idea is excellent. The Mappins have always been associated with bears, and as the smallest of bear species, they won't cause any welfare issues, while, again, helping the zoogeographical theme of that area. I would also reopen the pathways up the Mappins towards the former bear grottos, if for nothing else then to offer a better view of the sun bears, but ideally enclosures could also be built further up there, perhaps for Rusty-spotted Cats or Leopard Cats, which will bring back the zoo's small cat collection

Giant Anteater and Vicuna Enclosures:
Leaving this once great-enclosure as an entirely useless nature reserve in a zoo that is surrounded by almost 200 hectares of parkland is criminal. I would bring both the Giant Anteaters and Vicuna back, and transform the wasted education centre-like structure near the toilets into an extension of the nearby Tiny Giants (invertebrate house), with South American invertebrates to match both the taxonomic and geographical theme. Not sure how realistic this is, as I don't have the best invertebrate knowledge, but I have always been fascinated by Apple Snails and would love to see some.

Blackburn Pavilion:
My favourite zoo exhibit on the planet. It's very close to perfect, but not quite there yet. A lot of species have multiple exhibits throughout the building, which feels like a waste of space, so barring the Collared Trogons, with the two breeding pairs being kept separate for breeding reasons. I would also like to bring back hummingbirds, a species that I have always associated with that building, and, to honour the structure's routes as a Reptile House, I would add a small herptile enclosure to fill up some of the space in the main hall. I remember, at one point, Egyptian Tortoises were kept in an open-topped enclosure within the second walkthrough, so perhaps I would bring them back.

North Bank:
The bankside is a massively underutilised resource in the zoo. I don't entirely mind having the south bank as a Woodland Walk, even though my reservations about the surrounding parkland making this redundant still remain, but the north bank being empty (barring Monkey Valley, of course) is very frustrating. I would refill the former owleries, but as they feel a little too small for owls, I would focus on songbirds and laughingthrushes instead. Once, pinioned cranes roamed the banks, but as I am not all too fond of the practice of clipping birds, I would prefer to bring back a large and attractive bird that is flightless by nature, like the Southern Cassowary!

Night Life:
So much empty space here, which could hold so many interesting species. I would love to bring back Australian Water Rats and Panay Cloud Runner, but especially the latter is extremely unlikely. Ideally, some new species would be included as well. Sadly, it now focuses exclusively on rodents and prosimians, barring the tenrecs, so to fix this, I would like to see the return of bats, perhaps Straw-coloured Fruit Bats. Ground Cuscus would also be nice, and would add marsupials to the mix, too!

Tecton Roundhouse:
Anything would be better than the empty mess that it is now. I quite liked it as a fruit bat tunnel, but the fruit bats have much more flight space now in Rainforest Life, and similarly, the Aye-Ayes have a better enclosure elsewhere. Not too realistic, but I would love to see a Northern Koala (which have lived here in the past), or perhaps a newer and rarer species of lemur (which, again, have lived here in the past), like Coquerel's Sifaka or Greater Bamboo Lemur.

Meet the Monkeys:
Such a simple change, but reopen the entire walkthrough, including the exit near Blackburn Pavilion, so that it is no longer a dead-end. It's that simple.

This is definitely not everything, but is all that I can think of right now...