DAY 34: Saturday, August 14th Zoo/Aquarium Review # 31: Dallas World Aquarium Dallas World Aquarium’s website: www.dwazoo.com Dallas World Aquarium is arguably not really an aquarium at all, as since I’ve recently strolled through at least 10 huge rainforest buildings at various zoos I felt as if I was in yet another jungle atmosphere. At the end of the visit my wife and I turned to each other and asked this question: “where is the rest of the zoo”? Our visit was about 2.5 hours in length, but it felt not as if we had just toured an aquarium but rather invested some time in a zoo’s rainforest canopy. One of the major flaws of the establishment is that it is 7-storeys high, meaning that many of the larger birds escape to the upper regions of the building and are impossible to locate. Another disappointment is the size of many of the exhibits, as the major species such as the giant river otter, jaguar, pygmy marmoset, Orinoco crocodile, giant anteater, little penguin, Morelet’s crocodile, etc; all are in enclosures that are too small in relation to the dimensions of the inhabitants. Those 6 species that I named all have the smallest ever exhibits that I’ve seen for them, as the aquarium attempts to pack thousands of animals into a rainforest environment that should be limited to fewer creatures in larger exhibits. I’ll attempt to list most of the animals that are at DWA, as the expansive 16-page field guide is one of the best that I’ve ever seen and I’ve had requests for an extensive list of the species at the aquarium. I’m not going to list everything, as there are loads of birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians and thus if one were to type out a comprehensive list it would become never-ending. The aquarium is famous for its extremely rare animals (yapok, red howler monkey, three-toed sloth, cock-of-the-rock, etc) so I’ll mention all of those and the more elusive creatures. THE BEST: Orinoco Rainforest: Canopy Level Three – This area is the first that visitors encounter as they walk into the main section of the building, and it is the best part of the entire aquarium. A crashing waterfall seems to come out of nowhere; lush foliage abounds, I saw a father, mother and baby white-faced saki monkey jumping around in the treetops, and while there are birds flying above visitors’ heads there is also the opportunity to look down upon the Antillean manatees and other species far below. There are birds listed in the 16-page field guide such as red-breasted toucan, Swainson’s toucan, keel-billed toucan, channel-bill toucan, mountain toucan, mot-mot, scarlet ibis, sunbittern, curl-crested jay, curl-crested aracari, troupial, bare-faced curassow, southern yellow grosbeak, crested oropendola, green oropendola, Andean cock-of-the-rock, pompadour cotinga, capuchin bird, wattled jacana, golden-collared manakin, blue-crowned manakin, golden-headed manakin, red-capped manakin, lance-tailed manakin, golden-browed chlorophonia and Chiriqui quail-dove. Other animals include red-footed tortoise, white-faced saki monkey, emperor tamarin, cotton-top tamarin, red-handed tamarin, red howler monkey and giant anteater. Seeing a three-toed sloth was a highlight (I’m assuming it was three-toed as it was labeled thus and yet was curled up into tight ball) but I was told that the red howler monkeys were off-exhibit. Orinoco Rainforest: Understory – Level Two – This area is simply a continuation of Level Three, as the upper trail winds down to a lower elevation. Birds here include: helmeted curassow, rosy-billed pochard, white-faced whistling duck, ringed teal, Orinoco goose, double-yellow headed Amazon parrot, black-necked swan, hawk-headed parrot, gray-winged trumpeter, fiery-billed aracari, green aracari, various other aracaris and toucanets, swallow-tale tanager, paradise tanager and other tanagers. Other animals include: green anaconda, goliath bird-eating spider, vampire bat, striped basilisk, piranha, Orinoco crocodile, a baby Orinoco crocodile (the only establishment outside of Venezuela and Colombia to successfully breed the species), silver arowana, pacu, polka-dot stingray, mata mata turtle, caecilian, electric eel, various tarantulas and scorpions, giant river otter, caiman lizard, golden lion tamarin, golden-headed lion tamarin, douroucouli, two-toed sloth, yellow-spotted Amazon turtle and a variety of poison dart frogs. THE AVERAGE: Orinoco Rainforest: Aquatic – Level One – This area is more of a traditional aquarium, and a partial species list includes: Antillean manatee, red-tailed catfish, fork-snouted catfish, shovel-nosed catfish, arrau turtle, black-banded leporinus, freshwater stingrays, arapaima, radiated tortoise, brown stingray, pipa pipa, dendrobates frog and a bewildering variety of other creatures. There are a number of large tanks that focus on specific ecosystems of the world: Palau, Southern Australia, Lord Howe Island, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Guinea, British Columbia, Sri Lanka, Denizens of the Deep (Japanese spider crabs are arriving soon), Indonesia, Japan and the 22,000 gallon Continental Shelf walkthrough tunnel exhibit. A temporary and seasonal outdoor area focuses on Madagascar, and contains animals such as leaf-tailed geckos, panther chameleons, painted mantilla frogs and various other amphibians. The Cape of Good Hope outdoor area has black-footed penguins in a small exhibit, rock hyrax, white-crested turacos and Lady Ross’s turacos. Mundo Maya: Lower Level – This are of the zoo contains two levels instead of the three in the Orinoco Rainforest zone, and overall I found this part of the aquarium average and not as impressive as many huge rainforest zones that I’ve toured in loads of different zoos. The world of the Maya is explored in this region, and the entire area has a Mayan temple theme to it. Species include: barred owl, screech owl, burrowing owl, leaf-nosed bat, neotropical rattlesnake, beaded lizard, red-eyed tree frog, Mexican tree frog, Morelet’s crocodile, red-tailed boa, fer-de-lance, eyelash palm viper, blue spiny lizard, longsnout seahorse, conehead lizard, queen conch, clarion angelfish, horseshoe crab, marine toad, Panamanian golden frog, hourglass tree frog, blind cavefish, axolotl, yapok (water possum – which I could not see for the life of me!), helmeted basilisk, red-eared slider turtle, sailfin molly, Jack Dempsey cichlid, bonnethead shark, loggerhead sea turtle, brown shark, sawfish, eagle ray, cownose ray and giant grouper. Mundo Maya: Upper Levels – There are plenty more rare species here, including but not limited to: black-and-white hawk eagle, ornate hawk eagle, harpy eagle, Guiana crested eagle, spectacled owl, troupial woodpecker, ocelot, jaguar, agouti, Chilean flamingo, burnished-buff tanager, blue dacnis, bay-headed tanager, silver-throated tanager, purple-throated fruitcrow, bare-naked fruitcrow, jabiru stork, hawksbill sea turtle, many species of hummingbird and innumerable other birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Entrance – This area has a tiny Matshcie’s tree kangaroo exhibit, a fairly small saddle-billed stork enclosure (after I just saw them last week in an enormous, lush, outdoor exhibit at Nashville Zoo that was a thousand times better), argus pheasant, Moluccan cockatoo, rhinoceros hornbill, little/fairy penguin, bali mynah and Asian arowana. THE WORST: Crowds – Like most popular aquariums the sheer volume of visitors can make life borderline intolerable for those that wish to take their time and admire the animals. We left our stroller behind and had our daughter in a backpack-type carrying bag, but many strollers were at the aquarium and effectively jamming the pathways. DWA needs to ban all strollers, as Baltimore’s aquarium does, in order to ensure that there isn’t “road rage” within the confines of cramped spaces. We arrived right before the aquarium opened and by the time we left 2.5 hours later there was a massive line-up outside that snaked across the nearby alleyway! Signage – Instead of having labels on each tank or terrarium the aquarium often has frustrating touch screens that apply to 4-5 tanks or terrariums in a row. So while looking frantically at a terrarium in a hopeless attempt to figure out whether I’m supposed to be searching for a lizard, snake, spider or scorpion I abandoned my quest on numerous occasions and went to the touch screen in the corner of the room. After battling through the crowd and waiting in line to use the screen (assuming that it worked as two of them did not) then I had to force my way through the throngs of visitors back to the original terrarium and then I still had to guess what the animal was that was inside the exhibit. I knew what 4 or 5 animals were supposed to be in the row of 4-5 enclosures, but which animal is in which terrarium? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID signage. Okay, rant over for now…haha. The least that DWA could do is post a tiny sign on each exhibit like all other zoos and aquariums. Small exhibits - The giant river otters, jaguar, Orinoco crocodiles, giant anteaters, little penguins, Morelet’s crocodile and tree kangaroos are all amongst the largest of the inhabitants of the aquarium, and ALL of them have possibly the smallest exhibits for their species that I’ve ever seen. The jaguar rotates with an ocelot, and its fish bowl tank that is surrounded on all sides by huge panes of glass is atrocious. There was only a tiny pool for a water-loving cat, and a video screen monitor showed a pacing jaguar in the upper exhibit after the cats had rotated while I was there. There are plans to make an addition to the space for these cats, but even that will not suffice in my honest opinion. The two species of crocodiles have tiny exhibits, and a juvenile Orinoco crocodile was in a tank only about 2 feet longer than its entire body! OVERALL: Dallas World Aquarium is most definitely worth a visit just to see the absolutely incredible assortment of rare and endangered creatures that are often not found just about anywhere else. The list of species that I have provided is so vast that it is impossible to see them all on 5 visits, let alone a single journey to downtown Dallas. I’d love to revisit the establishment in the future and spend more time gazing around in vain hope of spotting one of the birds of prey, or improving my chances of ever seeing a yapok or red howler monkey. There really is no comparison to the behemoths of the aquarium world such as Shedd, Georgia, Monterey Bay, Baltimore and Tennessee, and I would place Vancouver and Oregon Coast also above Dallas World Aquarium as DWA is nowhere near being a top 10 aquarium. However, it has carved out a niche for itself by exhibiting such rarely seen animals, and the rainforest environment is well designed and planted. While I had issues with some visitor amenities such as the convoluted map, poor signage and small pathways with massive crowds, overall I would recommend a visit and it is similar to being inside a zoo’s huge rainforest complex.
Concerning the grass in Miami vs. Dallas, there is a significant climate difference that leads to more grass growth in Miami.
Well, im just saying because the grass in Dallas' exhibit was kind of faded from the beginning, and it hasn't really had much time to grow in. The Dallas Zoo even states on their website "the expansive area is planted with a special soil mixture that will keep the habitat lush, soft, and green year-round". I agree with this because I find it really hard to believe a 4 acre paddock is already turning barren. SDWAP's is 3 acres and there is still a huge grassy portion, and there have been 7-15 elephants on it since 2003.
I ought to weigh in here. Of course I speak for myself not for the Zoo: The grass in Nashville looked a bit better on opening day (than Dallas') because it had been given more time to grow beforehand. Sometimes it can't be avoided. The Dallas exhibit has opened to the hottest and driest June in Dallas history. It has gotten much greener since opening. The North part, where remedial work was done, has become green and lush during weeks of temperatures steadily over 100 degrees and no rain. So we shall see what happens when the exhibit is a year old...
Honestly, around here, I'm surprised when any grass is green this time of year. Mostly we have large swaths of brown covering the Earth.
I'm really surprised that you didn't like the signage at DWA, really surprised. The touch screens are a great touch, but if you were looking for what species was where without using those screens then you had the guide in your hand. I'm looking at one right now and it tell you where everything is with nice little arrows pointing to it on the map. No real need for more signs than that honestly.
Whilst I disagree with Snow Leopard on a whole load of zoo things, I'd wholly agree with him on this one. "Electronic" signs are a nightmare: they go wrong, they are slow to use, they encourage children (and adults) to unthinkingly wallop them, they are a nasty gimmick. Decent i.d. signs are particularly important in an aquarium - and often these institutions fail to label their collections in a clear and accurate fashion.
I also agree with this, and I have seen multiple of these electronic signs at the DWA that didn't actually work.
Once again, two extremely well written reviews SL. I think we've now seen enough material for you to self publish a complete volume of road trip reviews from 2008 and 2010. And amazing DWA has a Yapok, I always considered them a fascinating and rare choice for any institution, since viewing a photo of one in a book on mammals as a youth. Too bad you couldn't spot one.
DAY 35: Sunday, August 15th Zoo/Aquarium Review # 32: Cameron Park Zoo Cameron Park Zoo’s website: Cameron Park Zoo Zoo Map: Cameron Park Zoo | Zoo Map Cameron Park Zoo, located in the city of Waco, was not included in the great travel guide “America’s Best Zoos”, but it is the one zoo that somehow slipped through the cracks from the illustrious list of the 60 best zoos in the United States. Cameron Park is a great little zoo that in my opinion is as good as or better than Buffalo, Milwaukee, San Francisco, San Antonio, Maryland, Roger Williams Park, Montgomery, Riverbanks, Tulsa, Caldwell, Fort Worth, Lincoln Park and Los Angeles. Some of those zoos that I listed certainly have quantity, but many lack quality in their animal exhibits. What is the point in having a wonderful collection if they are housed in boring, outdated enclosures? Cameron Park opened to the public on its current site in July of 1993, so along with Nashville that makes two small but excellent southern zoos that opened in the 1990’s. The Brazos River Country exhibit complex that was unveiled in 2005 at Cameron Park Zoo essentially doubled the size and provided a quality set of habitats for many animals native to Texas and the surrounding U.S. states. Other minor additions have also improved the zoo, along with the opening in August of 2009 of “The Mysteries of the Asian Forest” (Sumatran tigers, komodo dragons and orangutans) which for the first time added Asian animals to the already existing North American and African zones. THE BEST: Brazos River Country – This Texas themed area has a terrific pair of aquariums that are air-conditioned havens from the scorching Texas sunshine, and the “Marine Aquarium” is the actual entrance to this 2005 set of habitats. Visitors enter via the prow of an enormous boat, and inside is a huge ceiling-to-floor tank with a large variety of fish. On the opposite wall, and across from the spongy floor, are a series of tanks with similarly colourful fish, including poisonous lionfish. Upon leaving this area visitors are immediately transported from the end of the boat and into the “Shorebirds Aviary”. In this large walk-through aviary there are: nutrias, brown pelicans, white pelicans, herring gulls, laughing gulls, black-necked stilts, ducks, sandpipers and a variety of other seabirds. After exiting the highly impressive aviary there are exhibits for these species: alligator snapping turtle, American alligator, beaver, river otter (with a children’s slide that goes directly through the exhibit), crested caracara, black bear, cougar, ocelot, jaguar, wild turkey/white-tailed deer and bison. There is a fantastic “Freshwater Aquarium” that has a large tank containing uniquely-shaped paddlefish and other oddities upon arrival, and a long wall full of terrariums with snakes, lizards and other smaller creatures. The real highlight is the immensely long exhibit with juvenile alligators and a stunning variety of fish and turtles. This tank stretches from one end of the room to the other and it is rather spectacular. “Brazos at Night” is a small nocturnal house in what appears to be a large red barn, and there are dimly-lit habitats for raccoons, skunks, bats, bees and at least three owl species. Overall the Brazos River Country complex is surprisingly excellent for such a small zoo, and the aquariums and shorebirds aviary are particularly brilliant. The weak spots are the small ocelot enclosure, the painfully small jaguar exhibit (with almost zero water whatsoever) and the black bear enclosure. The two bears have an exhibit that is fringed by an ugly brick wall with hotwire along the edge of the steep drop, and the brown doors to the holding area are clearly visible. Other than the ocelot, jaguar and black bear enclosures the entire area has been a terrific addition to the zoo. Primate Islands – A pair of white-handed gibbons and three ring-tailed lemurs have separate islands near the entrance to the zoo that were constructed in 2002. Both islands are lushly planted, filled with climbing opportunities and surrounded by beatific undergrowth and large waterways that contain huge white catfish. Herpetarium – This building lacks a fantastic collection, but for its size it is incredibly well-designed and a lot of attention to detail has gone into its inception. “World of Reptiles” is immersive, with rocky outcroppings poking out of the shadows, fake cacti along the rattlesnake exhibits, foliage dangling from the ceiling and two separate galleries that range from the tropical to the desert. It is small but quite pleasant to visit, and I only wish that some of the larger zoos with more expansive reptile and amphibian collections would put as much energy into the display of cold-blooded creatures. African Savanna – There is a large white rhino paddock that must be at least an acre in size, another acre paddock for two elephants, and yet another huge enclosure for giraffes, African crowned cranes, marabou storks, kudu and at least 4 gerenuks. This area is basic in presentation but certainly large enough for its occupants and there are elevated viewing opportunities for the public. Nearby is a flamingo/shoebill/ibis lagoon that is currently closed for renovations, a meerkat exhibit that is small and disappointing, and a spacious lion yard for three of the big cats, a densely planted kori bustard/dik-dik enclosure and a small African bird aviary along the main boardwalk pathway. South American Exhibit – There is a large enclosure that houses these species: mara, king vulture, squirrel monkey, capybara, two-toed sloth, scarlet ibis, Patagonian conure, agouti and two species of iguana. It isn’t ideal for all of those animals, as there is a definite lack of climbing opportunities for the monkeys, but for the most part it is a beautifully designed exhibit with a cascading stream down the center of it. Signage – One of the best things about this zoo is the amazingly detailed and gorgeous signs at each enclosure. Many of the signs are huge, brightly designed and highly informative. Perhaps the Dallas World Aquarium could follow suit one day by getting rid of their touch screens (the ones that actually work) and erecting more specific signs. THE AVERAGE: Asian Forest – This area opened in August of 2009, but I suspect that the average-sized Sumatran tiger exhibit has been around for much longer as it appears to be well worn but still of decent quality. A female komodo dragon has an all-indoor, temple-themed exhibit that is of average quality, and the orangutan exhibit with three of the apes is perhaps the largest orang enclosure that I’ve ever seen. It is of a curious shape, as it is almost perfectly round like a donut, and to describe it one must imagine that the center of the donut is off limits to the shaggy red apes. That section is lush and full of trees, but the mesh surrounds the entire area and the orangs have the large outer rim to explore. There are plenty of ropes and poles, but also lots of ground space and I’m not sold on the quality of the new habitat. It is certainly enormous in size, and there is a fantastic elevated boardwalk that surrounds the entire enclosure, but there still seems to be far more bare ground surface than is necessary. The huge viewing windows are great, as is the nearby crashing waterfall and “temple ruins” statues, but size might not count for everything in this case. THE WORST: A small bald eagle aviary, a tiny macaw cage and a basic Galapagos tortoise enclosure (lacking much deep water) are scattered along the main pathway of the zoo. OVERALL: Cameron Park Zoo is a terrific little establishment, and it is far superior to many more famous zoos that might have more animals but house them in barely adequate surroundings. Dallas is clearly the best zoo in Texas, and San Antonio is easily the worst (that is going to be a grim review to type up later) but Cameron Park has a real shot at the #2 slot. It is very similar to Caldwell, as both of those Texas zoos take about 3 hours to see, contain almost zero poor exhibits, and offer up quite a number of innovative displays for both animals and visitors alike. With Cameron Park there are a surprisingly high number of animal habitats that have been either sponsored or donated, meaning that the local community has a vested interest in the institution. There are all sorts of plaques across the zoo’s grounds detailing donations from local businesses, and with all of the improvements within the past 5 years this zoo is one to watch out for in the future.
DAY 36: Monday, August 16th ZOO/AQUARIUM REVIEW # 33: San Antonio Zoo San Antonio Zoo’s Website: San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium - Where you experience Real. Wild. Life. Zoo Map: http://www.sazoo-aq.org/animalexhibits/files/SAZOOMap6.pdf Of the 120 zoos and aquariums that I have visited in my lifetime San Antonio Zoo has some of the ugliest animal exhibits of them all. There is an absolutely wonderful children’s section that is geared specifically for kids 5 years of age and under, and a terrific new African zone that seems oddly out of place because it is of fairly high quality, and after that I’d like to see 80% of the zoo bulldozed into obliteration. There is a South American section that is almost exclusively metal cages from some ancient zoo era, hoofstock paddocks with tiered levels that resemble mini Wal-Mart parking lots, bear pits from the 1920’s, a small aquarium from the 1940’s that badly needs a makeover, row upon row of bird aviaries that visitors skip as if they aren’t even there, and a splendid assortment of creatures trapped in a vaguely unknown epoch of zoo design that most closely resembles a postage stamp collection. I’ve seen all of the big-name, major zoos in Texas and this one is the worst. THE BEST: Africa Live 1 + 2 – This area is the newest, biggest and best part of the zoo, and even though it opened in two phases it is now one continuous, large complex that is top-notch and far superior to anything else that the zoo has to offer. My wife, daughter and I actually had a fantastic zoo-going moment here, as at 10:00 in the morning (an hour after the zoo had already opened!) the Nile hippos were finally let out and as luck would have it we were practically the only ones in attendance for a few glorious minutes. Two massive “river horses” lumbered onto their small land area before diving into a colourful array of cichlid fish in their deep pool. Underwater viewing made for an awesome experience, and this is one of the best hippo exhibits in North America. There are only a handful that have underwater viewing, but that is the only way to showcase hippos or else most visitors spend time looking at hairy rocks during their visit. Nile crocodiles and dwarf crocodiles also have spectacular underwater viewing areas, and there are various other terrariums and fish tanks inside the main building. Other species include: African palm civet, banded Egyptian cobra, gaboon viper, rhinoceros viper, African rock python and green mamba. Outside leads to a different viewing area for the Nile crocs, and then into a massive walk-through aviary with a variety of African birds. There is a netted enclosure for Wolf’s guenons and Angolan colobus monkeys, and exhibits for these species: African wild dogs in a terrific cave-like viewing area that has cool statues of grubs, termites and snakes attached to the walls and ceiling; okapi; dwarf mongoose; rock hyrax and another bird aviary. This entire African area is a massive improvement to the zoo, and I only wish that there was a masterplan for Africa Live 3 + 4! Tiny Tot Nature Spot – A fantastic children’s area that is one of the best that I’ve seen on this epic road trip, and it contains a long cave with Amazon fish such as pacu in large tanks; a discovery house with zookeeper related activities and a nice prairie dog exhibit; coatis; squirrel monkeys; the ubiquitous farmyard and petting zone; a campground zone with tents; a flamingo lagoon; and the best area of all is a sandy beach with palm trees and kid-friendly waterways. The entire area is quite large, and some parents appeared to have gone to the beach for the day as they lounged in the shade while their sons and daughters splashed in the surf. Komodo Dragon – The outdoor exhibit here is much larger than what is found at most zoos, and curiously enough these enormous lizards are perhaps more common than meerkats at the zoos that I’ve visited during the past month. There is also an indoor area that is not nearly as spacious but well furnished with natural substrate. Gibbon Forest – A massive enclosure for white-handed gibbons, Reeves’ muntjacs and Asian small-clawed otters. I was led to believe that the muntjacs and otters were each confined to one section of the exhibit while the gibbons had free reign over everything, but I’m sure that we saw otters on both sides and it appears as if the animals can cross over a high, muddy embankment in the middle. This exhibit is huge, lush, and it has two areas with large glass windows that offset the metal on either side. THE AVERAGE: Cats of the World – A cave-like viewing entrance allows visitors to enter a covered walkway that has glass-fronted exhibits on either side. Species include: clouded leopard, fishing cat, black-footed cat, fossa, northern tree shrew, black-and-white ruffed lemur, red ruffed lemur and prevost’s squirrel. Nearby is a basic enclosure for two black leopards. Cranes of the World – Densely planted enclosures for whooping, red-crowned, African crowned and blue cranes. These are the best bird exhibits in a zoo that reportedly has one of the largest bird populations of any zoo in the world. Reptile House – This building packs a punch in terms of rare and endangered animals, and there are a number of species that I’d never seen before. The animal collection is impressive, but once again the exhibitry is terrible. Tanks are set into brick walls, and there are rows of terrariums that stretch around the building. A few of the larger habitats are great to see, but overall the graphics, signage and positioning of the terrariums makes for a boring building that contains a massive amount of potential. TOADally – A tiny building with a few terrariums of amphibians. Ho hum. This puny area is not going to trouble Detroit Zoo’s outstanding “Amphiville” anytime soon. Rift Valley – Cheetahs have a spacious, grassy enclosure, and there is a decent walk-through African aviary with at least 10 different species of birds. Small mammal enclosures are at the top of a lookout, but the bad news is that looking down the view is of barren, ugly, desolate black and white rhino paddocks that seem as if they are decades past their due date. Where are the huge savannas that one sees at other zoos? THE WORST: Amazonia Rain Forest – A large free flight aviary packed with scarlet ibis and other brilliantly coloured birds is quite pleasant, as is an impressive capybara and Maguari stork pond. A jaguar enclosure is so-so at best, and the rest of this area is pure junk as far as quality exhibitry is concerned. There is a tiny nocturnal section with two-toed sloths, fruit bats and douroucoulis, and a dwarf caiman pool that is also tiny and outdoors. There are numerous ugly, small, wire metal cages for these species: golden lion tamarin, white-faced saki monkey, white-throated capuchin monkey, ocelot, cotton-top tamarin, agouti, Andean condor, pied tamarin and a number of other animals. All of the creatures are difficult to properly see through the metal, all are next to impossible to photograph, and the entire area resembles a zoo from a third world country. I’ve visited many fantastic Amazon-themed rain forest buildings, along with innumerable South American zones in zoos that feature massive lush islands and outdoor habitats, and so to see a bunch of metal cages is dull, ugly and repetitive. Hoofstock Yards – A top-notch collection in $hitty cement enclosures with high concrete walls on the sides and the occasional enormous rocky cliffs as a backdrop. Species include: babirusa, warthog, red river hog, blue duiker, yellow-backed duiker, addax, Reeves’ muntjac, sand gazelle, white rhino, black rhino, Nubian ibex, addra gazelle, okapi, and a huge enclosure for marabou storks, African crowned cranes and topi antelope. There apparently used to be Grevy’s zebras and giraffes in that last enclosure, but the signage has been taken down even though there are a couple of buildings that were clearly built for giraffes still present. The hoofstock yards are dull, in most cases far too tiny and derivative of the neighbouring yard, and zero thought or imagination has been put into exhibiting the creatures. It is the postage-stamp mentality all over again, and the addax and okapi tiered enclosures are easily the worst that I’ve ever seen. The addax has its feces all over the top section of its enclosure, and none anywhere else in the rest of the grotto. That makes me wonder if the antelope mainly stay on the top tier, which is about the size of a two-bedroom apartment. The Nubian ibex are kept behind chain-link fencing, which only adds to the humiliation of the dated rock “mountain”, and the enclosures are only memorable for their outdated method of showcasing hoofstock. Non-Hoofstock Yards – Large enclosures for lions and Sumatran tigers are definitely fine in terms of size but totally brutal in terms of an acceptable amount of natural substrate. Huge cement slabs for the cats to lie on does not make a quality zoo habitat. Nearby there are these animals in similar parking lots: spotted hyena, Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, cassowary (there are actually some bushes in this exhibit), yellow-footed rock wallaby, a decent emu/kangaroo mixed-species enclosure and a small and disappointing walk-through aviary with Australian birds. Wetlands – This area is covered in a slick topping of bird poop, as hundreds of egrets descend upon the zoo each year and give this swampy area a nice white pasting. It is disgusting and foul-smelling, but I still gingerly tip-toed through the area just so I could see how stinky and empty it was. Ugh. There aren’t even any visible signs detailing information about the egrets, but there sure were many funny faces from disconcerted zoo visitors! Hixon Tropical Birdhouse – This 1960’s bird house has a nice central area that is fairly tiny but features free-flying birds, but the glass-fronted aviaries that surround the mini-jungle are more like museum dioramas than effective zoological displays. I love open areas for birds, lush walk-through aviaries, or massive netted enclosures…but I am not a big fan of indoor glass tanks for birds. It always seems to be such an outdated method of exhibitry as it is impossible to smell or hear the birds. If the animals perch without moving then one could be excused for thinking that they were at a natural history museum. The only time one can tell whether a bird is alive or stuffed is when they fly for 2 seconds from one side of their glass tank to the other. Bird Aviaries – There are countless aviaries scattered all over the zoo, but almost all of them are little metal boxes that offer up nothing to the average zoo fan. At one point there is a walkway with at least 10 bird aviaries on each side of the wide trail, and my wife and I sat near there and ate ice creams from the delightful ice cream shop overlooking the scenic yet stinky flamingo lagoon. Endless streams of families walked back and forth virtually oblivious to the incredible diversity of bird life all around them. Of the around 20 aviaries there are about 30 bird species that range in size and colour, and yet barely anyone even looked at them. Whenever a particular bird would emit a loud screech then sometimes people would stop and stare, but 90% of the time folks would just walk on by without even breaking their stride. The bottom line is that other than hardcore bird fans no one wants to see endless rows of boring metal aviaries. Houston and San Antonio both have too many birds in crappy little boxes, and quite literally the general public does not care about birds in metal hamster cages. More Bird Enclosures – There are several more blocks of wire aviaries that range in size, but one section has a group that are only about 5 feet in height and I’d be shocked if anyone could name a single bird that they saw on their visit. ZooChatters don’t count…haha! There are also rows of ugly cement walls that separate countless waterfowl enclosures, but again the showcasing of such a staggering quantity of avian life is horrendous. There is a fantastic bird collection in junky cages. Nearby are pools for American alligators, false gharials and Orinoco crocodiles, and all are separated from each other by attractively placed thick slabs of grey cement. Aquarium – This 1940’s building is similar to the small aquarium at Houston Zoo, as both can be toured in about 10 minutes. An electric eel, an alligator snapping turtle and bonnethead sharks are the highlights, although it is small and totally unmemorable. Elephant Exhibit – There are two Asian elephants in the African zone of the zoo, and their enclosure is an ugly joke. Under the searing Texan heat (it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on my visit) I made note of the fact that there are only two tiny shade structures in the enclosure. Each structure casts a shadow barely large enough for a single elephant and the size of the indoor holding area and small pool make this a contender for one of the truly worst elephant enclosures in all of America. Detroit Zoo sent its two elephants away and that zoo has broken its all-time attendance record in 4 of the past 5 years so that is proof that the zoo will not suffer financially without elephants and will in fact save a small fortune on food and care. If San Antonio was to do the right thing and send its elephants away then life would still go on for the zoo and once there was funding for a world-class elephant exhibit then those mammals could be brought back to the zoo. Send them away! Metal Monkey Prisons – There is an area by the reptile house with ancient monkey cages that feature cement floors and black metal bars. Golden-belled mangabeys, black mangabeys, Wolf’s guenons and an elderly black-and-white ruffed lemur all toil away in this area that seems to have been built long before the sinking of the “Titanic”. The one positive note that I do have is that at least the primates are outdoors, as zoos such as Cleveland, Philadelphia and even the great Saint Louis zoo all keep many primates indoors year-round. Bear Pits – Ahhh, good old bear grottoes. Everyone reading this will know my feelings when I see bears clicking their claws back and forth across worn cement, and the scattered logs and tiny amount of natural substrate doesn’t amount to much in the 4 pits that were opened in 1929. One pit has an elderly grizzly bear that is often off exhibit due to the excessive Texas heat, another ugly pit has black-and-white lemurs languishing in boredom, a third has a couple of American black bears pacing into oblivion, and a fourth is empty and under renovation. I almost hope that a mammal died so that it could finally have an opportunity to stop its insane mental suffering through boredom and lethargy. OVERALL: San Antonio Zoo has so many pits, grotttoes and metal hamster cages that the funniest moment all day was when my wife turned to me while we were gazing at hippos in the amazing underwater viewing area: “Are we still in San Antonio? It feels as if we opened a door and stepped into a good zoo.” The African Live 1 + 2 area is excellent, and the children’s zone is a gem where we spent quite a bit of time during our 5 hour visit to this zoo. However, the innumerable pits, grottoes and tiered hoofstock yards all relegate this zoo to one of the worst that I’ve seen on this trip. It reminds me of Milwaukee County Zoo, as both have exhibit design that seems frozen in time, as if visitors stepped back into the 1970’s when natural substrate was an unknown and risky proposition. At least San Antonio has made an attempt at real change by investing heavily into its African zone, and the new area is radically different from the surrounding bare pits and paddocks. The zoo needs more than an overhaul in many areas, as entire precincts need to be demolished in order to create space for 21st century exhibitry. Rather than have metal cages, bare grottoes and concrete slabs separating waterfowl pits the zoo needs to make use of its warm climate by creating beautiful island oases for its birds and primates. Perhaps some of the hoofstock yards could be combined to create more spacious and humane living conditions for the antelope, and maybe the zoo can build on its excellent children’s section by expanding that area of the zoo. I’m intrigued to see if the recent choices of exhibit design will continue, or if the zoo will remain rooted in the past. Only time will tell.
All I can say is that my cousin and her family lived in San Antonio for 3 years recently. While they lived there, the San Antonio Zoo was one of their favorite places to take their 2 small girls. They didn't see all outdated exhibits or lack of natural substrate. What they saw was a huge zoo with one of the largest collections of animals in America. But I can understand why SnowLeopard dislikes this zoo. He's got different standards than my cousin had. We all have differing likes and dislikes when comparing zoos.
Some 20 years ago, I can remember a former co-worker praising the San Antonio Zoo as the best in America. Even ranting and raving about it being much better than the San Diego Zoo.
If we lived in San Antonio my family and I would visit the zoo all the time, and not because it is any good but because it is simply there. We live about 15 minutes away from Greater Vancouver Zoo and we don't really even like many elements of that particular establishment, but in 2009 we visited that place over 20 times! Where else can we see exotic animals and have a nice family outing at the same time? Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is a 5 hour roundtrip that we usually do about 8 times a year, and so people who enjoy going to zoos are always going to visit their local zoo no matter how good, bad or in San Antonio's case UGLY it is. I saw many families having a blast on their day out at the San Antonio Zoo, and because the city has a huge population the zoo receives over a million visitors per year. But most people don't seem to care about the monkeys behind thick metal, or the fact that there are at least 20 hoofstock paddocks that are atrocious. Folks walk by the swaying elephants, pacing bears and cement dividers around the bird pools and the locals suck back their burgers, slurp on their coca-colas and then head home for the day. If they were to visit more than a handful of zoos in their lifetime then and only then might they realize just how awful much of the San Antonio Zoo is. There are some terrific elements, and like Milwaukee maybe in the 1970's or even 1980's it was all world-class but now San Antonio is the worst major zoo in Texas by a country mile. Dallas is by far and away the one zoo that is a top 20 candidate (probably on the edge of America's top 10 zoos) and after that Cameron Park and Caldwell are small but excellent, while Gladys Porter is small and decent with many rare animals, and Houston and Fort Worth are large and well worth a visit. San Antonio's radically altered exhibit policy of recent years (Africa Live 1, Africa Live 2, Tiny Tots Nature Spot) makes it seem as if the zoo is making an improvement to its aging and grotesque infrastructure, and maybe in 20 years it can be a top-class establishment as well. It will always receive at least a million visitors a year, whether it is good or not, so attendance in the huge American cities with millions of inhabitants has zero relation to a quality of a specific zoo. I received a private message from someone who said that I was far too kind in my review of the Philadelphia Zoo, a zoo that I praised and panned at the same time, and yet something like 1.3 million folks visit that zoo every year mainly because there are so many folks in Philly. Heck, even San Francisco gets a million visitors per year with all of their outdated exhibits (apart from about 3 goood ones) and the terrible publicity that the zoo has received over the years. Most of that zoo is just as junky as what is found in San Antonio, but the majority of families either don't notice or just don't care.
@snowleopard: I don't know if sending the elephants away would be the best idea. It would probably be better to invest in some larger shading structures, and clean the pool more often rather than send away two 50-55 year old female elephants. It also might help if they made a new elephant exhibit a top priority, and to be honest zoos really are no where near as good without elephants, as I can attest to that because we haven't had elephants in Cleveland for two years. Also, as a volunteer, one of my most common questions is 'where are the elephants' so getting rid of the elephants would not be the smartest idea, people love to see them.
I agree with BlackRhino -- make the minor improvements necessary for the current elephant exhibit. Of course it would be wonderful if they could build a great multi-acre elephant habitat like North Carolina's, but that's not absolutely necessary. (In the same way, it would be great if I could afford to build a huge mansion for my kids to live in -- but I can't afford it.) Above all, San Antonio and all zoos should avoid what Detroit did -- sending their elephants to an anti-zoo "sanctuary". This move has been used over and over by zoo-haters. If they really want to ship them out, send them to another zoo, or to Pittsburgh's huge off-site complex.
@BlackRhino: I didn't know that the elephants were that old, so thanks for that information. I still think that sending the elephants away, building a new exhibit, and then bringing them back (or obtaining new elephants) in a few years would be the best solution. Keeping them in the current enclosure is the worst decision, but if the elephants are on the older side then it is not as terrible as if they were younger and much more active. On a side note, folks undecided about San Antonio Zoo should check out the ZooChat gallery of photos just to see the "third world exhibits", but like I've said before the new enclosures are so radically different that maybe the zoo is heading in a much more positive direction. Gotta go, as there is a "driving day" ahead of us. I'll try and post a review of Gladys Porter Zoo tonight, and while at that establishment I saw the #1 most active gorilla troop ever! There were 2 elderly gorillas in a side yard, but the main habitat had 10 of the apes just going crazy. I have photos of 4 gorillas in their water moat, including one ape in the water up to its shoulders. Also, a younger gorilla did a cannonball jump 15 feet in the air and into the water...amazing stuff. Add on Jentink's duiker and harnessed bushbuck and that is one zoo not to miss out on.
Proving that zoo rides can be the most exciting part of a zoo visit: Nation Shudders At Large Block Of Uninterrupted Text | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Snowleopard:I agree with you on this I have been going to the Cleveland Zoo almost once a week since I was 2 years old,not because it is the greastest zoo around but because its home.When I got to high school I started to visit other zoos throughout the country and started to realize Cleveland's faults.Despite these faults I continue to visit and hope that they continue to improve as they stride towards the greatness that I know my zoo is capable of. Black Rhino and Anyhuis:I do agree that elephants are very popular animals to the general public, I do not agree that they are necassary for the sucess of a zoo.Detroit has had very good attendance numbers in the years since moving out their elephants and overall it is a very nice zoo with a large variety of species.I do side with Anyhuis on sending elephants to other zoos as opposed to sanctuaries.There are plenty of zoos that have the space that are constructing new facilities.I am totally in support of zoos improving elephant exhibits but the fact is not all zoos have the resources to do it and have to consider the welfare of the animal first. Martin from Team Tapir
To those saying San Antonio can just improve or renovate their elephant exhibit, you obviously have NOT been to the San Antonio Zoo. The whole zoo is in a Limestone quarry, hence all the rock and why there is next to no grass in the whole park. There is no room for expansion, less other exhibits are removed. I love elephants at zoos, but SA needs to remove them IMMEDIATELY or allow these remaining 2 elderly cows to pass away. Cameron Park was the first elephant exhibit I saw with grass on the ground, I was impressed with that. I love what Dallas has done and I am looking forward to Houston's expansion. Fort Worth needs a remodel for elephants (I'd lose the hippos and take their yard). Gladys Porter lost their elephants because they could not provide a good enough home, SA should do the same. BTW, <20 years ago, SA had 2 asian and 1 african in that elephant exhibit. It was a circus like show followed by rides. I'm glad they stopped that (and also glad I got a ride while I could back in the day as a child) Interesting to hear the lack of zebra and giraffe, giraffe were in a facility where the gibbons are and were moved to the rift valley multi species exhibit. Maybe they have been moved in prep of Africa Live 3. BTW, did you notice the stamps on the lion and tiger quarries? Public Works Administration. These were new deal projects. Cool history, poor zoo.
