Reading the San Fran website after the tradegy on Christmas day... They too have one which contains: "This indoor habitat is home to many South American reptile, fish and bird species, including a 15-foot long green anaconda, a pair of broad-nosed caiman and several bird species, such as the green-winged macaw, that fly freely among the tall trees and tropical plants. With the vocal birds and humid air, you’ll really get a sense of what it feels like to be in the rainforest. The historic building located on the northern side of the Zoo is an original depression-era WPA project, and was originally an aquatic birdhouse. Today, the climate-controlled building is a place where you can come in and sit for a while, observe the birds flying overhead, or to simply enjoy the warm, tropical atmosphere." Some old buildings at this zoo...
This is only a rumour and it is on another continent but I have heard that Parque Zoologico Huachipa in Lima, Peru, wanted to built a rainforest exhibit. If true, I guess that would be the first rainforest hall in a zoo in South America (?). Of course not counting the South American zoos in humid tropical settings (unlike dry Lima) that have large walkthrough cages which due to the climate easily could pass for a rainforest.
Vienna has a large Rainforest House (see pictures on my gallery). Lots of free-flying birds and fruit bats (and 2 toed sloth I think). The vegetation rivals the Eden project in scale. There are also smaller enclosures for other species (not free-roaming) such as otters, mouse deer, shrew, fish, reptiles, etc.
No, no sloths in that Vienna house-as it's a "Borneo rainforest" House. And as far as I can remember, there are are no sloths in Borneo...(at not non-human ones). The flying foxes (among them also Kalongs) are quite impressive. Other "Rainforest halls" not mentioned yet could be: -Berlin (both zoo and Tierpark) -Munich ("Jungle Tent", Giant tortoise indoor building) -Cologne -Krefeld -Papiliorama (Switzerland) -Wuppertal -Dvur Kralove -Reptile Gardens, Rapid City, New Orleans, Jurong etc. etc..... Though I wonder whether they will all fit into the category mentioned in the first post...
Well, there is probably no border of what is "rainforest hall". Maybe it 1) focuses on rainforest, not just birds 2) has at least three species of mammals or bigger reptiles. Many zoos have bird houses with 1-2 mammals, turtles and fish, but emphasis is on birds, so maybe this is not really "rainforest hall". So both houses in Berlin's zoo and Tierpark would not count. I know very little about U.S. zoos. I think they should have more this type of halls.
Wuppertal also falls out of the category. Not sure about Munichs' Jungle Tent though? Perhaps Rio Negro in Duisburg Zoo?
