Review of the Louisville Zoo Louisville Zoo The Louisville Zoo is situated in Poplar Level, a neighborhood region near Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1969, and is considered to be the “State Zoo of Kentucky.” Its claim to fame lies in recognition from the AZA for its innovation in rotational exhibits – specifically Gorilla Forest and Glacier Run. The collection presently holds about 1,700 specimens of around 300 species. Probably the most accurate word to describe Louisville is “decent.” The animal collection is well rounded along with some notable rarities, the visitor experiences are good, and the exhibits are overall decent quality. However, the Zoo has carved a niche in the zoological community as a result of the rotational policies in its newest exhibit complexes, and is definitely improving without looking back. Animal Exhibit Complexes Penguin Cove – I realize this exhibit is part of the Islands complex, but seeing how it is the newest addition to the Zoo (opened in 2016), I thought I’d give it its own place. A colony of little blue penguins (a first for me) lives in a mesh-enclosed environment complete with a shallow pool, some plantings, and a sandy beach. There is also a series of large windows to get a good look at the world’s smallest penguin species. I thought it was a cute little exhibit. Islands – When this complex opened in 1995, the Zoo gained recognition across the globe. It was the very first exhibit area to allow for multiple species to rotate through various exhibits at different times of the day. Here in Louisville, Sumatran tiger, orangutan, Malayan tapir, siamang, and babirusa are the participants in the set-up, rotating through four habitats. Three of them are outdoors, each with a few climbing opportunities, a shallow pool and stream, and a variety of terrain. The variance in design is interesting and the exhibit quality on the whole is good, though the balance for all the species is not quite perfected. For example, a streamside-like habitat works well for the tigers, pigs, and tapirs, but not as well for an orangutan. Also there’s a grassy exhibit with an adequate amount of ropes and vines that is fine for siamangs, but small and not enough water for tigers and tapirs. The fourth exhibit is known as the Dayroom and is located in the Islands Pavilion building (see next paragraph); with its many ropes, vast height, and wooden climbing structure, it definitely is best suited for the two primate species. The strongest element, however, is the innovation behind the exhibit, keeping each species on their toes with the extra enrichment of detecting who was previously in their “territory.” I actually visited the area twice, being the first and last exhibit complex I saw on my visit. The first time around I saw a tiger, a babirusa, a siamang, and orangutans all in their own exhibit; going through a second time I saw a tiger, a pair of babirusa, and orangutans occupying two exhibits. Also part of this great complex is a building known as the Islands Pavilion. Walking through the doors, one will come across glass-fronted exhibits for many bird species and Rodrigues fruit bats. After encountering the previously mentioned Dayroom, visitors travel through the Bird Forest Trail, a great jungle environment for birds such as nene goose, Sulawesi ground dove, golden-breasted starling, and Bali mynah. Then, a prehensile-tailed porcupine exhibit comes into view, followed by a rockhopper penguin/Inca tern/Argentine red shoveler pool with cool coastal designs in both the exhibit and viewing area (closed due to maintenance), a terrarium for two Cuban crocodiles with a deep pool, and an empty indoor exhibit. The other two enclosures in the area are a large tree-filled pen for Aldabra tortoise, demoiselle crane, and oriental white stork (didn’t see the latter two), and a heavily vegetated habitat for Komodo dragon (empty as the last one passed away about six months ago). This is probably my favorite complex in the Zoo, with great innovation, cool species, overall nice exhibits, and solid attention to detail in the theming and signage. African Animals – A nice group of denizens from the Dark Continent reside in a string of exhibits that is overall hit-and-miss. It starts with a large mock-rock mountain exhibit for three species of lemurs (ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed, and black – though I only saw a trio of ring-tailed). Unfortunately apart from a few logs leaning on one side of the mountain, there are no other climbing opportunities for the unique primates; this exhibit, while inappropriate for its inhabitants, is a step-up from others of its kind because there is grass planted at the bottom of the exhibit. Next is a narrow, subpar white rhino paddock, a good-sized warthog habitat filled with dirt and mud, and a lush wattled crane exhibit that is easy to miss. The giraffe barn then comes into view; walking inside one will come across a spacious exhibit for rock hyrax and African pygmy falcon (didn’t see), a nicely detailed aviary for newly introduced waldrapp ibis and European black stork, two basic stalls for Masai giraffe, and a viewing window into the outdoor giraffe yard. Though it is situated in front of the exhibit pool, this was a unique viewing style I haven’t seen before. An outdoor viewing area of the long, grassy giraffe exhibit (also home to Ruppell’s griffon vulture and white stork) is next, followed by generic paddocks for bongo (including a 2 ½ month old calf), addax/African spurred tortoise, and dromedary camel, which also doubles as the camel ride area. Across the path, a newer addition to the area is the renovated elephant exhibit, completed in 2016. Sadly, the dusty paddock is still quite underwhelming. It has a nice shade structure, a cool-looking encounter/training demo area, and surprisingly a couple protected trees, but its small size, tiny pool, and distracting views through cable fences equate to an elephant paddock that clearly pales in comparison to the newer pachyderm complexes. Two elephants, one African and one Asian (both female) are housed here – a mix that is frowned upon today, but still neat to see. Carrying on, a small and outdated lion grotto is nearby, along with a poor, almost all-gravel paddock for Hartmann’s mountain zebras. The only good thing about this exhibit is one of the viewing areas; it’s a safari truck with about half of it situated so the windows have a clear look into the zebra pen – normally that kind of viewing is reserved for predators, so this was a nice, clever thing I didn’t see coming. The final set of exhibits consists of a goat feeding pen, a decent outdoor meerkat exhibit, an indoor room for the charismatic critters, and two viewing areas for naked mole rats. On the whole, there are some clever ideas and a few good exhibits here, but this African area is looking tired in my opinion. Gorilla Forest – The build-up to this great ape facility is excellent. After a glimpse of one of two gorilla habitats, visitors wind their way through the foliage coming across several education signage and props along the way, ranging from gorilla spoor to a replica of a hippo trail. Soon, the pygmy hippo habitat comes into view; however it was closed for the day due to the pool getting cleaned – what a pity! From what I could tell, the deep pool (with underwater viewing) and waterfall area look refreshing, but I thought the land area seemed too steep and rocky. The highlight of this complex comes in the form of the Gorilla Sanctuary. Visitors enter a round building with a gathering area in the middle, and gorilla indoor exhibits that surround the public. Being able to see several of the great apes in three exhibits all around you is unbelievable! The spacious outdoor gorilla habitats are not phenomenal, but they’re quite good with tall grass, a couple shady trees, rolling hills, a set of bare climbing trees, and a rocky area at the top of a hill. One can be seen via a small overlook at the start and from a vast window, and the other can be seen from above in an impressive researcher’s hut - complete with guides and pictures of gorilla behavior to watch out for. This solid area concludes with a boardwalk leading to a small gift shop. Tiger Tundra – A single Amur tiger lives in a steep habitat with a good-sized pool, plenty of grass, and a few large trees that provide ample shade. Overall a pretty good tiger habitat. Glacier Run – This Arctic-themed complex opened in multiple phases, starting in 2007, and cumulating in 2013. Something that really sticks out about the area is the amazing theming and touch of detail. It was designed to resemble a mining town that is at the edge of Arctic wilderness, and even coming into contact with a receding glacier. It does quite well with immersing visitors into their world, without compromising the natural exhibit quality for the most part. Upon entering the town, the first glimpse of the bear habitat can be seen through mesh across a moat, followed by a couple of buildings with windows that give a better look at the exhibit. The bears (a single female polar, and a family of three grizzlies) have a pretty nice home with a flowing stream, a small amount of grass, a gravel dig pit, fake rock walls (some of it white to resemble the colliding glacier), a view of the next-door pinniped pool, and probably the deepest pool I’ve ever seen in a bear exhibit. Across the path is the second bear enclosure, this time an indoor room resembling a warehouse with crates, stairs, and even the back of a pick-up truck – with up-close visitor viewing in the truck’s seating area. Louisville’s prized rotation system comes into play via an overhead chute that the bears use to traverse over the path from one exhibit to the other. After a few more above-water windows, the path descends to the underwater viewing area for the bears and pinnipeds. Speaking of which, the two species (California sea lion and gray seal) have an average habitat that was smaller than I was expecting, with a pool that is surprisingly a bit shallow, along with a nearby seating area for guests to check out a feeding and/or behavior demonstration. Then, an extremely tall aviary is encountered; unfortunately, on the day of my visit, there was a limited time when it could be entered that I didn’t know about, but I could still get a good look at it from the paths. It is divided into two parts: first is a walk-in portion with a variety of bird species (couldn’t see the signage, but could make out a type of duck). The second is a gorgeous habitat for Steller’s sea eagle (another first, and including a four-month-old), complete with a pool, vegetation, plenty of perches, and a huge nest at the top. Down the hill, the last species can be found – a pair of snowy owls in an indoor exhibit uniquely designed like the interior of a barn. Rainbow Springs – This is the name of the Zoo’s collection of Australian animals, which is made up of two parts. First is Wallaroo Walkabout. Visitors can walk among wallaroos, red-necked wallabies, and cape barren goose (didn’t see) in this decent, grassy, scrubland-like habitat. There is also a pair of Aussie bird aviaries situated just as guests enter the walkthrough, which are for kookaburra and tawny frogmouth. Right before leaving the exhibit, an emu can be found in a side pen with tall grass and a wood shelter. The other part is Lorikeet Landing, in which visitors walk through a large, well detailed mesh aviary filled with rainbow lorikeets. They can also pay for a cup of nectar to feed the colorful, screeching birds. I gave it a go, and had a couple lorikeets even start crawling around my shoulders – what fun! South American Area – Exhibits here include: a jaguar chain-link cage with not much detail; a pair of hyacinth macaws in a corn crib cage; a puny chain-link cage that is thankfully empty; a shady pool area for Chilean flamingo and crested screamer; and a snow leopard has a mock rock and chain-link cage that is outdated. The only two exhibits that stand out here are for guanaco, which have a vast, grassy hillside habitat that is stunning, and maned wolf, which have an enormous, lush habitat on a hill that is viewed through chain-link (the only drawback). Cats of the Americas – A small pathway leads to a wooden boardwalk that takes visitors towards a trio of enclosures: a large, open-topped exhibit with some perches for bald eagle, a tiny Canada lynx cage with little naturalism, and a cougar cage that is a little bigger, but also severely lacking in natural features. HerpAquarium – Home to a good collection of predominantly reptiles, amphibians, and fish, this building opened in 1989. The tanks and terrariums are divided into biomes such as coral reefs, the Amazon, a native Kentucky section, and even a nocturnal desert region. The exhibits range from basic terrariums and fish tanks (most of the snake species), to a boardwalk overlooking large reptile environments (alligators, an unsigned snake species, snapping turtle), to a few mixed-species habitats (like an Indian desert with Indian star tortoise and montigue lizard; an Amazon tank with dolphin catfish, arowana, redhook metynnis, green severum, and banded leporinus; a tank with Philippine sailfin lizard, mono, diamondback terrapin, and archer fish; and a Kentucky freshwater display). Some of the other highlight species include: King Louie the white alligator, Chinese alligator, woma (another first), cottonmouth, copperhead, broad-headed skink, fence swift, black piranha (another first), gila monster, red diamondback rattlesnake (another first), and vampire bat (didn’t see due to their exhibit undergoing renovations). Other Exhibits – While on the train ride, the railway passes a couple of lush crane enclosures that I don’t think can be seen from the normal public pathway. One is for sarus crane, and the other for red crowned crane (another first, and including a chick). A cage for woolly monkey, off-display since Monkey Island renovations began, can be seen behind the giraffe barn if one takes the train or peers around a corner from the pathway. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the incredibly rare monkeys despite using both methods. NOTE – I did not see the MetaZoo, an educational building with a variety of birds and black-footed ferrets, because it was closed for the day due to a camp in session. Visitor Experiences The 134-acre grounds are generally situated in a loop that is easy to navigate. It is a bit hilly in some areas, especially between the African and South American areas, but it’s not too bad. Additionally, some of the paths do weave down the slope, which greatly helps. There is a stretch between Gorilla Forest and Glacier Run, and with only one exhibit (Tiger Tundra) and a small snack stand along the way, it can feel pretty hot and long. The entrance area consists of some neat wooden animal cutouts and a nice open-air plaza, making for a pleasant start to the day. There are four main eateries scattered around the Zoo along with some little concession stands and machines. A trio of gift shops can be found at the entrance, Gorilla Forest, and Glacier Run. Finally, there is a good amount to do around the Zoo apart from the animal exhibits. The rides consist of a train ride, which I went on, that goes around the outer perimeter of the establishment, with the engineer telling some interesting information about some of the animals and the Zoo itself; an area for pony rides located near the African section; a carousel that is situated before entering the African area; and a tram that goes around certain parts of the Zoo, but didn’t seem to be running during my visit. Visitors can also enjoy a Splash Park that opened in 2007 as the first phase of Glacier Run; a couple playgrounds near the Aussie and African sections; and a ropes course located next to the MetaZoo. Also attached to the MetaZoo is an amphitheater that hosts bird shows a few times a day during the summer – I briefly stopped to watch while a female Sarus crane was introduced to the public. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Not only did I get to see a training session with one of the animals, but I also saw one of Louisville’s famous rotations at work! After keepers prepped the exhibit, Qannik the polar bear was shifted through the overhead chute (what a cool sight that is!), and into the exhibit. She then proceeded to find some scattered goodies around her enclosure, before making her way to the area where a keeper performed a training session before the crowd. This also marked the first time I heard a polar bear growl and roar, as she impatiently waited for her keeper to give her meat. After her training, Qannik went back to wandering her exhibit and briefly cooling off in the pool. Meanwhile, preparations were being made for the grizzly bears to occupy the indoor exhibit with treats and enrichment being put out. I didn’t get a chance to see the grizzlies as I had the rest of the Zoo to explore, but it was a thrill to experience a polar bear in a way I never did before. OVERALL: While the Louisville Zoo cannot compete with some of its large zoo brethren, it stands on its own as a nice, decent zoo. Despite needing a refresh in some areas, the newest and clearly the best sections (Islands, Gorilla Forest, and Glacier Run) are an indicator for a bright future. It also has a good animal collection, a creative flare, and a few additional fun activities to help keep the crowds coming. I’d say it’s a zoo worth checking out. A brand new master plan was unveiled in early 2016, calling for several incredible additions from an overhauled African Savanna complex and native Kentucky section, to areas dedicated to crocodiles and sharks. A link to the plan: https://iwc9c3sa3hy1j923hc1io8za-wp...content/uploads/2016/02/MASTER-PLAN-FINAL.pdf At the moment, the Zoo is in the middle of its “Leadership Campaign.” New exhibits for elephants and blue penguins have already been completed, and the rest of the projects include enhancements to the African Outpost area, a renovation of Monkey Island to house colobus monkey, and a new and improved snow leopard habitat (thank goodness!). I will not say what Louisville’s ranking is yet, as I’ll probably post an updated list of rankings later this year. Photos coming soon!
