I agree wholeheartedly with what Hix and jayjds2 said, especially about forming opinions around exhibits you haven't seen in person. Additionally, while I think you are entitled to have and share your opinions about exhibit quality, @GraysonDP, I feel like you have a tendency to state your opinions more as facts than as preferences.
Wow I seem to have gained a lot of criticism for my comments. Everything I say is a matter of opinion and my perception and I'm not saying the Honolulu Zoo is a bad zoo. Many of the exhibits seem quite good and all I was saying is a few exhibits don't seem to measure up to other exhibits in the country built at the same time. I hope to visit the zoo someday and should have a better idea of their strength once I see them.
On potential for re-accreditation: what is needed to accomplish that? Second question: Has there recently been any indication from Municipality that they intend to get serious on assisting their local zoo with more robust funding and other perks to enable it to get over crisis mode?
I love the HNL zoo! I feel the review recently posted is really accurate. Re: tourism... consider that folks visiting Hawaii are there for the more typical tourist experience. To me it isn't so surprising that their attendance isn't bursting a the seams, as it is to other forum members. I loved the zoo, but some of my visiting family would say "but I can go to so-and-so zoo anytime, and I'm sure ours is better, let's go surfing/beaching/hiking". Regarding Muni funding... highly unlikely. There's a lot of poverty and homelessness on Oahu especially, because the cost of living in Hawaii is so astronomically high that the people turning down the bed linens in your hotel likely have 2-3 other jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. There's corruption in the police department... and the wildly debated, highly infamous rail project that is always short of it's financial goal to complete. Failing infrastructure (80+ year old bridges supporting the overpopulated, overtrafficked island) and parks that desperately need upkeep and/or maintenance just to look halfway presentable due to the high visitor load.
I posted yesterday that the Reptile House closed down permanently in 2014 and there is still no definitive date for the opening of a new building. It seems as if the hippo exhibit has also been closed down since 2014. Apparently at the last AZA inspection "the zoo was down 15 out of 75 full-time positions" and "employees missed 470 days of work in 2014 alone due to on-the-job accidents". Combine that information with the fact that the zoo at one point went through 5 directors in 6 years and no wonder there has been so much turmoil. There is mention of not enough potable drinking water for the elephants and there are other articles that reference how the two elephants apparently dug up a car battery located inside their exhibit. Here is the link: PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News The link below mentions that the zoo has 870 animals (less than I would have estimated) and there is also a photo of the cool-looking Koi pond in the Keiki Children's Zoo: An Uncertain Future for the Honolulu Zoo? | Hawaii Aloha Travel Although, like "GraysonDP" I have never visited the zoo, his criticisms of the elephant exhibit are probably valid as the AZA has also had issues with the fairly new elephant habitat. From yet another article (June 2016) on the beleaguered zoo: "When the Association of Zoos and Aquariums failed the Honolulu Zoo in March, it took umbrage in particular with the facility's handling of a pair of post-reproductive Asian elephant females. Among various concerns for the elephants, the AZA criticized the zoo's limited shade, brackish pools and untested chlorine levels in the pools." Even ZooChatters "Ituri" and "Hix" criticized the elephant exhibit on this photo thread: Asian Elephant Exhibit | ZooChat Lastly, the earliest that Honolulu Zoo can apply for AZA-accreditation is March 1st, 2017.
I think that while you can't really judge an exhibit properly until you see it I do think you can have a pretty good glimpse of the quality by looking at pics and videos. For instance (an extreme example) I think you could tell Congo Gorilla Forest is worlds better than Buffalo's gorilla dungeon without visiting either zoos. Also, I've heard the naturalism is not necessary argument on here several times but I do believe more naturalistic, immersive exhibits are by rule better than ones that are not. Honolulu's elephant exhibit is by no means bad but at only 37,000 square feet (what I read in articles on line) and not having a blade of grass I don't think it can be put as being in the same calibier as 3-4(or larger acre elephant exhibits with higher levels of naturalism at zoos such as North Carolina, Dallas, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Omaha, Sedgwick County, Oregon, Indianapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, Reid Park, Fresno, Birmingham, National or Saint Louis to name a few. Just my opinion and perception but that doesn't mean I haven't given it thought.
I agree; there are many occasions on here where I've seen a photo and commented "That enclosure sux big time" or something similar. Because sometimes it's obvious. And on some occasions I've changed my tune when someone who has been there has provided more information that could not be seen from the photo, or the photo doesn't actually give you the whole story or an accurate picture. That first statement contradicts your original post that "the new elephant exhibit appears to be easily the worst new elephant exhibit in the last decade". I haven't seen the elephant exhibits in any of the zoos you mentioned, but I wonder how many of them have only two elephants. Two other things to consider when building an exhibit - the amount of space you have and your budget. Honolulu was probably desperate to get the elephants out of the Flintstones exhibit and used what they had available as best they could. Hix
You hit the nail on the head. Their exhibit was awfully outdated. These days, zoo's that go to refurbish elephant exhibits on the mainland have many more resources. They likely have a bigger footprint to work with, more capital to invest, AND, extremely importantly, a facility they can transfer animals to for temporary holding while work is completed. If you were expecting Honolulu Zoo to create a sweeping, many-acres, state-of-the-art elephant facility given their resources... just not realistic at all. But they did well with what they had to work with, and their new habitat is a giant leap from their previous "flintstones" exhibit.
A chimpanzee escaped, but was returned to its exhibit area within 10 minutes. Chimpanzee escapes from Honolulu Zoo exhibit
The chimp exhibit was reopened 10/08/2017. I visited on 10/18/2017. I uploaded some photos to show the improvements that were made to the exhibit.
The Ectotherm, a new complex with cold-blooded creatures, has opened. Honolulu Zoo shows off fancy new exhibit; hopes to be re-accredited soon
Hello everyone ! Glad to see the new exhibit is open and hope it is a turning point for the Zoo! Perhaps I have missed it but I was wondering if anyone had posted a species list from the new display complex, and I am especially interested if the Japanese Giant salamanders are featured as was previously billed ? Thank you !
African wild dog pups were born! KHNL : You'll soon get to meet 7 critically endangered African wild dog puppies at Honolulu Zoo
An exhibit for Japanese giant salamanders is now open in the Ectotherm. Honolulu Zoo unveils new giant salamander exhibit
The new 'Ectotherm Complex' at Honolulu Zoo opened in late 2017 and if anyone is interested there is a video (1 minute 44 seconds) on the link below that shows the new building. Visitors don't actually go inside the structure but instead walk around like El Paso and San Diego-style Reptile Houses. Potentially lots of glare on the windows and the whole thing cost $3 million. Honolulu Zoo Opens Newly Renovated Ectotherm Complex
I uploaded lots of photos of the new Ectotherm Complex to the gallery. I tried to get close ups of all the signs and some wide angle shots of the exhibits. I didn't get many animal shots because the glare and reflections are brutal. I thought they did a great job on the information signs. They have 3 Japanese salamanders, one in the first exhibit and two in the second exhibit. They were hiding very well when I first went by and when I came back for the feeding I only saw the head.
7 wild dog pups were unveiled on their first birthday. Little weird they would be off display and lose the ability to promote 7 puppies for a full year. Anyone know the back story? Honolulu Zoo unveils seven African Wild Dog puppies on their first birthday
Legendary ex-director Paul Breese, who led the Honolulu Zoo from 1947 to 1964, died at the ripe old age of 96. He also wrote a terrific history book of the zoo that was published a couple of years ago and that piece of valuable literature is well worth owning.
