“Predators of the Serengeti” was much better than I anticipated, and the area is an excellent addition to an already noteworthy African zone at the Oregon Zoo. Massive rockwork frames the entrance to the new area, and rockwork is used as a perimeter device in most of the exhibits. The best usage of the gigantic rocks is for the viewing areas, as visitors must walk through cave-like crevices to gaze at the predators through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. An interesting fact in regards to the new exhibits is that they are all larger than they first appear. The lion enclosure is the first encountered, and it is surrounded by massive stones but is covered with grass, boulders and logs. There is a waterfall off to the side and a lengthy expanse of lawn, and the lions have an exhibit that curves around towards huge glass viewing areas. All 3 lions were extremely active on my visit, including running back and forth against the glass and exploring the height of the rocks in their exhibit. At the entrance to the lions are a pride of the animals in the form of statues that attract all keen photographers and families. The 3 African wild dogs were also very active, as well as the skittish cheetah that barely stood still for more than a few seconds. All of the major animals are fairly young, and that fact combined with the knowledge that the area is only 6 months old is perhaps why they are so active for visitors. The cheetah exhibit is extremely green and with a waterfall and a safari truck (half in and half out of the enclosure) right near the massive viewing windows. The African wild dog exhibit is in stark contrast to the lion and cheetah yards, as the dogs are on a reddish-brown, sandy surface that is a nice difference from the big cat enclosures. Besides the big 3 yards, there is an extremely impressive caracal exhibit that didn’t allow me to even locate the animal(s) inside! It is again much larger than it appears, as the enclosure curves around through a series of mesh and glass viewing opportunities. There are plenty of high rocky lookouts, bushes, grass, a small stream, boulders, logs, etc, as well as a series of acrylic tunnels and viewing bubbles at the end of the exhibit. The nearby dwarf mongooses can have access to these tunnels, as the mongooses are combined with a hornbill in an adjacent glass exhibit. One of the best things about the new area is that there are lots of cool interactive areas for visitors. The large African rock python tank has a special “heat zone” next to it where visitors can see thermal images of themselves, and there was a lineup to pet the realistic looking python head snaking out of the wall. Besides the cheetah enclosure there is a sensor pad on the floor where people can jog and then their speed in relation to a cheetah is recorded on a series of flashing lights. There is also a large “discovery station” room with a big screen showing images of African wildlife, a docent with skins and bones from big cats, and some terrariums with scorpions, frogs and spiders. Overall none of the exhibits will rank amongst the very best of their kind, but as a cohesive unit I was duly impressed. The lion, cheetah and African wild dog enclosures are all of an average size but slightly above average quality, while the caracal exhibit is much better than most small cat habitats. The key to the area are the visitor amenities, whether it is the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, caves for viewing opportunities, or interactive features. I would rank the Oregon Zoo as definitely one of the 20-25 best zoos in North America, which is an excellent achievement when one considers that there are around 220 AZA accredited zoos and many other roadside menageries. Oregon has certainly proven to be tremendously popular, as the all-time attendance record has been broken 9 times in the past 11 years, and there are now at least 1.6 million people visiting the zoo each and every year. It has also become a bit more “cat friendly” as when I made the first of my 4 visits (in 2005) there were only Amur tigers, ocelots and Amur leopards. Just in the past 4 years there have been lions, cheetahs, caracals, cougars and bobcats added to the collection, and there is a wide range of mammals from all across the globe. There are these major species: elephant (7 of them!), rhino, hippo, zebra, giraffe, 3 types of bear (black bears will join polar and sun bears this summer), babirusa and Visayan warty pigs, 8 species of cat, sea lions/sea otters/penguins, insects (summer only), and a number of primate species. This summer’s “Red Ape Reserve” will combine the white-handed gibbons with orangutans, and I have photos of the construction included in my more than 300 shots ready to upload onto ZooChat.
Thank you for the excellent review, I visited Oregon Zoo for the first time last summer and saw the construction; as usual, I was upset that I was not there a few months later when it opened! Is there a live rock python exhibit or just the simulated one?
The rock python was moved over from the African Forest section and now has a very large exhibit in Predators of the Serengeti
Thank you snowleopard for the excellent review of the Oregon Zoo's Predator of the Serengeti. I can't wait to see the photos you take.
Good review Snowleopard Yes, all the large mammals (including the caracal) are under 4 years old How is the new indoor gibbon exhibit as well?
@Zoogoer2000: thanks for the information in regards to the age of the animals, and it is great to have so many new, young mammals in a brand new exhibit complex. I've now added over 300 photos into the Oregon Zoo gallery, including loads of shots of the new enclosures. The new indoor gibbon area is far nicer than it used to be, as it now resembles more of a rainforest than the old, sterile "dentist's office" that it once was. I couldn't get any good photos due to condensation on the windows, but the gibbons will have a blast once they are released into the finished "Red Ape Reserve" this summer.
Aw, you didn't see Peggy the caracal? She's a bit on the shy side. She's become more active and outgoing then when she first arrived. I've seen her sit out and not move too much, compared to her nervous jumping around at anything that made a movement. Her exhibit can also be split into two, if the zoo decided to add say a serval or other small carnivore. Gotta come back sometime next year when there may be lion cubs.
The website's info on Zawadi Mungu the lion is incorrect, he was actually born November 2007 (Not April 2008)
