Hi, I am planning a USA trip next year. From New York to Atlanta (via Washington and the blue ridge parkway) and then backup north via Ohio to Niagra falls we will spend a night in Ohio and I am hoping to visit one of these zoos the next day before heading on. Which zoo should i visit ? I will also be visiting the Bronx zoo and am hoping to see as much species we don't have in the European zoos. (Maybe some tips for a zoo along this trip...but I only have time for 1 or 2 zoos)
Columbus wins out in exhibit quality, Cincinnati wins out in collection. That's not to say either zoo is bad at the other category. In my personal opinion, I believe quality trumps quantity so unless you really want to see an aardwolf, I would recommend Columbus as I would still rank it among Americas top 5 zoos.
No question that the Columbus Zoo trumps Cincinnati when it comes to exhibit quality - most of Columbus's zoo is new (or newly renovated) in the past 25 years, and almost all species held by both zoos are exhibited better at Columbus (notable exception being penguins, which have Columbus's weakest exhibit, though Cincinnati's exhibit is nothing spectacular). Cincinnati does have a broader collection in some areas (notably small cats and other smaller carnivores, mostly held in Night Hunters; venomous snakes - Columbus holds only native venomous snakes at present; and non-marine invertebrates, which are missing from Columbus's collection), but the standard of exhibitry is so superior in Columbus that I'd easily give it the edge. Both zoos are probably in most all rankings of the top 25 American zoos, but Columbus is almost certainly in the top 5.
Columbus for sure. I know Bonobos aren’t common in Europe, and Columbus exhibits them best. Their Gorilla exhibit is also spectacular though gorillas aren’t uncommon in Europe. I don’t know how common Markhors or the animals in the nocturnal exhibits are in Europe but those are all highlights for me
