I also did not think there were any Florida panthers outside of Florida. Interesting that a zoo in Louisiana has them.
Some of the extreme animal rarities are more commonly found in non-AZA accredited facilities. I'm not even surprised about what I come across these days and at Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge (where they are extremely professional and do genetic testing on tigers) there are TWO Indochinese Tigers plus another tiger that is half Indochinese and half Amur. With those three plus at least two others that I've seen just in the past week, that makes 5 Indochinese Tigers and several of us were under the impression that the species was close to extinction in U.S. zoos. Anyway, time for bed as I prep for another long zoo day tomorrow.
I think the question is whether any of these tigers are actually Indochinese or whether they are Malayan, as the subspecies split may not have been recognized/accounted for at many of these institutions. There is still a lot of information out there that does not recognize the split (for example, the Columbus zoo's Asia Quest has information about "all" subspecies of tigers, but mentions only the Indochinese, and this exhibit was completed 2 years after the subspecies split was recognized by genetic analysis. I daresay that many of these specimens were considered Indochinese but are from the same stock as all the other American tigers and are truly Malayan.
Really hope you've enjoyed it snowleopard, coming from somebody who has follow all your adventures since the original '08 road trip!
If they are pure-bred, then the tigers are Malayan and not Indochinese. I don't think any imports of actual Indochinese ever happened. It's just a labeling error. I know some zoos, liker Berlin, refuse to even accept the split.
DAY 11: Thursday, July 23rd “For you, I’d give up all my time Searching for the perfect rhyme And this is one that certainly perplexes For you, I would spend all my days Thinking up all the crazy ways I love you even more than I love Texas.” Lyrics by Said Cleaves The last two days has seen me tour 4 zoos each time and now I’m upping the ante to 5 zoos for the next couple of days. After my exploits in Arkansas and Louisiana I am back in Texas for a week and I never thought that I’d be so happy to do just that. Frank Buck, the legendary animal collector, had a slogan: “Bring ‘em back alive!” Last year I made up my own slogan: “I visit ‘em so you don’t have to!” East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park: East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park is a very tiny establishment out in the countryside and seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is in fact located in Grand Saline, Texas, and is run by a family. I walked in and they all seemed elated to have a visitor, thus one of the young, exuberant teenage girls promptly began handing me animals one by one. I held a Leopard Gecko, Ball Python, Corn Snake and California Kingsnake in quick succession and I had to beg to stop as she would have gone around the room removing snakes and lizards from terrariums all morning long. This place is actually rather similar to a neighbourhood dump, with boxes, crates and hoses strewn in all directions and that seems to be a trend in these backyard zoos where the owner’s home is right next to the chicken wire cages. Red Ruffed Lemurs, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Chinchillas, Coatis and at least 15 terrariums pretty much sums this place up apart from the main attraction of a swamp with exactly 39 American Alligators. I saw it all in about 25 minutes and please don’t ever accuse me of rushing. What else was I supposed to do? Sit and drink some moonshine with the chatty owner while waiting for a basking gator to blink? Ha! I hit the road in search of more zoos! Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge: Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Tyler, Texas, and it was founded in 1998. It is a 140 acre site that is home to approximately 40 felines and there is a high level of quality to the establishment. A brand-new, temporary visitor center (future animal health unit) has been built and a large Educational Center is in the works for the future. Just about every single tiger and lion is in a large grassy enclosure and the climbing cats (cougars and leopards) are in brand-new exhibits near the entrance. I came at the right time as the 45-minute tour now allows visitors to see twice as many cats as before, including Sierra the tiger who was once owned by Michael Jackson. I’ve now seen Jackson’s alligator (at Joe Exotic’s zoo) and now his tiger. Is Bubbles the chimp still alive and kicking? He would have added to a very enjoyable experience. There are mainly tigers here (Amur, Bengal, apparently Indochinese; two white ones and two “golden tabbys”) but also African Lions, an Amur Leopard, several Cougars and a couple of Bobcats. The nice thing about Tiger Creek is that after the 45-minute tour guests can then wander the grounds by themselves with no supervision, something that is not common at other sanctuaries. I actually question the long-term viability of these places, as for example C.A.R.E. near Dallas used to have 60 big cats and now only have 40 as many of the older cats have died. There are still loads of rescue operations ongoing but I just wonder what will happen twenty years from now because there are fewer drug dealers with tigers in their basements; fewer circuses using big cats; fewer roadside zoos that get shut down and need space for their animals; there is going to reach a point when these type of sanctuaries will be filled with elderly felines and won’t need the space for more. I suppose that is a really positive thing. Let us pause here to add up some tiger statistics for all of you keeping score at home. Not including any other big cats but instead focusing exclusively on tigers and counting zoos with 5 or more…here is what I’ve seen in the past week or so: Tiger Safari (Oklahoma) = 5 tigers G W Exotic Animal Park (Oklahoma) = 175 tigers C.A.R.E. Center for Animal Research & Education (Texas) = 35 tigers In Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue & Educational Center (Texas) = 28 tigers Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (Arkansas) = 5 tigers Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (Arkansas) = 85 tigers Alexandria Zoo (Louisiana) = 5 tigers Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge (Texas) = 30 tigers TOTAL = 368 tigers at 8 zoos…wow!!! Cherokee Trace Drive-Through Safari: Cherokee Trace Drive-Through Safari is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Jacksonville, Texas, and it is located on 300 acres seemingly far from any signs of civilization. Curiously enough there is a welcome center but zero walk-around animal exhibits and the entire park consists only of a one-hour drive-through safari. The red sand road is nice and smooth to drive on but vehicles emerge covered with a fine dust and with windows down to feed the animals it is readily apparent that one leaves this facility with dust in all directions both inside and over the top of the vehicle. Not cool. However, the looping path takes one through vast meadows with Blackbuck in all directions; past a couple of scenic lakes; through thick woodland and it is a rather pretty, enjoyable trip. Signs are kept to a minimum and the entire park has a real “outdoors vibe” that the owners have worked hard to maintain according to the lady in the gift shop. There is a distinct lack of buildings, fences, etc, in comparison to other drive-through establishments and a decent number of hoofstock. One thing that makes me cringe is when zebras or camels stick their entire heads in vehicles and I saw many visitors (even very young kids) petting these huge beasts. It would only take half a second for a zebra to give a very nasty bite; I also found the rheas annoying as hell as they would peck at the car as I went by. Species List: Collared Peccary, Feral Pig, Red Kangaroo, American Bison, Asian Water Buffalo, Grant’s Zebra, Brindled Wildebeest, Common Eland, Nilgai, Red Lechwe, Blackbuck (probably more than 100), Aoudad, Pere David’s Deer, Red Deer, Sika Deer, Axis Deer, Fallow Deer, White-Tailed Deer, Barasingha, Rocky Mountain Elk, Yak, Alpaca, Llama, Dromedary, Miniature Sicilian Donkey, Zebu, Watusi Cattle, Scottish Highland Cattle, Emu, Rhea (at least 50) and American Alligator. Ellen Trout Zoo: Ellen Trout Zoo is an AZA accredited zoo located in Lufkin, Texas, and it opened in 1967. It is owned and operated by the city of Lufkin and is situated on 15 acres. I had a very poor experience here for a number of reasons. - The zoo does not produce a map and while the facility is not large one would still think that with 15 acres of looping pathways that a map would come in handy. I felt naked without one! - Masai Giraffe, Bontebok, Nile Hippo, White Rhino and Malayan Tapir were ALL off-exhibit. Seriously? Those are the 5 largest species at the zoo and they were all not on show due to “habitat reconstruction”. What a joke! The Nile Hippo enclosure is one of only about 10 in North America with underwater viewing and I saw it with a little bit of water and a badly scratched window but with no hippos in sight. - The Small Animal Building has 13 empty terrariums that are either fully furnished and with no inhabitants whatsoever or they are amateurishly plastered over with paper. The one bright spot was the shock of seeing an Echidna slumbering away in one of the exhibits. - The whole zoo appeared to be in a shambles. With 5 major species off-exhibit, the Small Animal Building in need of a serious upgrade, and what seems like 200 roaming peacocks pooping in all directions I felt as if I needed to grab a mop and bucket and pitch in to help. - On a positive note the Masai Giraffe exhibit looks to be stunning, with many mature trees in all directions. The African Lion/Jaguar/Amur Tiger exhibits are all adequate and I had some great views of the big cats through harp wire (similar to the setup at Memphis Zoo). Other than that, with all of the closed exhibits I left after an hour. Franklin Drive-Thru Safari: Franklin Drive-Thru Safari is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Franklin, Texas, and it is basically a roadside zoo in many ways. Funnily enough I had trouble finding the place as it was not in my GPS and so I pulled into a gas station (“petrol” in various parts of the world) to fill up my car and ask for directions. I figured that in a town of only 1,500 people someone had to know where the only local attraction was. The two ladies and young man in the store all raved about the facility and my hopes were raised as so far all I really had to go on was the bright-green, atrociously-designed zoo website. I then headed down the road with a jaunty air only to have my dreams dashed as I pulled into a shambolic establishment that had seen better days. How do people not recognize a crappy zoo? Is it because they are used to it being the only one around and they don’t know any different? The actual drive-through section was messy and a bit of a joke but nevertheless the highlight of the visit. A bumpy, sandy road takes one past a Ring-Tailed Lemur exhibit and then a variety of species that seemed eager to approach the vehicle for food. A few of the more exotic animals were kept in side pens while the rest were free to roam wherever they chose. The species list includes: Blackbuck, Grant’s Zebra, Common Eland, Nilgai, Aoudad, Red Lechwe, American Bison (white ones), Fallow Deer, Pere David’s Deer, Reeve’s Muntjac, Capybara, Llama, Sicilian Miniature Donkey, Pot-Bellied Pig, Domestic Pig, Domestic Cow, Zebu, Red Kangaroo, Bennett’s Wallaby, Ostrich, Emu and Rhea (including some white ones). The walk-around section is a travesty, with a couple of giraffes (how do these zoos get giraffes?) and a long row of primate cages that are for the most part rather ghastly. Just like Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari in Gentry, Arkansas, any good will built up by the drive-through section is dashed by the hopelessly inadequate primate cages. At Franklin the exhibit quality is slightly higher but that is faint praise indeed. The species list includes: White-Handed Gibbon, White-Capped Capuchin, Black-Capped Capuchin, Bonnet Macaque, Vervet Monkey, Patas Monkey, Black-Handed Spider Monkey, Common Marmoset, Cusimanse, Ringtail, Prevost’s Squirrel, Binturong, African Crested Porcupine, Coati, Red-Ruffed Lemur and Two-Toed Sloth. The gift shop had exhibits for these species: Cotton-Top Tamarin, Bearded Dragon and African Spurred Tortoise (babies for $85) and Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
It appears substandard, roadside menageries are a regional thing. In my state of Arizona there is not a single one (the two bad zoos I visited 20 years ago have both since closed). I am pretty sure California also has nothing like what Snowleopard is describing and neither does New York or a dozen other states. I wonder if there would be a way to make a respected and well used website ranking ALL public zoos in US with a somewhat objective score and a color coded ranking. Green means a visit is heartily recommended, yellow means a visit is recommended with some reservations, red means do not visit.
@Arizona Docent kinda hard to do with the vast differences in zoo expectations of visitors. "The animals look sad crowd" would castigate all zoos. "The I want to interact with the animals" crowd would likely be high on the roadside (or a step higher) zoos. That's what I like about this site (and known reviewers like yourself and Snowleopard), I get a feel for how like minded folks view zoos and benefit from their reviews. You also have AZA...not that they have exclusivity when it comes to quality. But close. I would love to see maybe a group effort on this site to network their experiences and come up with a standard listing...who knows where you all could take it from there! @Snowleopard. Keep up the good work sir. Enjoying all your posts.
Being born and raised in kentucky with a parent from Alabama, I'm pretty familiar with the culture of the American South. Kentucky's status as a Southern state is often debated, but for all intents and purposes it's culture is very southern. Anyway, here in Kentucky we have a saying. When we hear about our lack of education or poor performance in some national study between the states, we just say "Could be worse. Could be Mississippi or Arkansas.". I have a buddy from Cameroon who actually lived in Arkansas when he first came over to the states. He always contended that it wasn't really all that much different than a 2nd world African nation.
DAY 12: Friday, July 24th Ghosts out on the highway, voices on the wind Tellin’ me we may never pass this way again Voices on the highway, angels beckonin’ Like a long lost friend Fare thee well I’m bound to roam This ain’t never been my home Stranger in my mirror, lines around my eyes String around my finger but I don’t remember why Don’t remember why, don’t remember how Goodbye guitar town Lyrics: Steve Earle It was time for me to say goodbye to some of the smaller zoos and guitar towns and head towards the mega-city of Houston, Texas. After yesterday’s excursion of 5 zoos I was tired but there was no time for relaxing as 6 were on the docket today and I had to roll into the evening. Only one of the zoos (Moody Gardens) was excellent and there were a couple of terrible ones to add to my lifetime list. “I visit ‘em so you don’t have to!” Gator Country: Gator Country is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Beaumont, Texas, and the current owners took over the property in 2005. There are almost 400 American Alligators in 9 ponds across 15 acres. Unfortunately this was my 4th gator park in the past couple of days and in reality none of them are terribly exciting. This one held promise with a large entrance building but once inside there are assorted terrariums in all directions with peeling stickers on them, no signs on several, heavy objects randomly placed on top to keep the lids on, and a general sense of decay. It bothers me that some zoo owners don’t really care about the aesthetics of not only the exhibits but the day-to-day running of their business. Why would anyone have buckets, mops, shovels and various other odds n’ ends lying around for visitors to gawk at? Clean up your mess and make your zoo look presentable! While wandering around inside attempting to figure out what was in each terrarium, the power went out and the facility was plunged into semi-darkness. As a couple of staff members ran off to attempt to fix the outage (probably with duct tape) I went outside and puttered around the gator ponds. The problem with gator parks is that the marquee animal that hauls people in from the adjacent highway is an animal that scarcely moves and even with 400 in the park it is possible to spend half an hour wandering around and only see a dozen or so gators. I was expecting a lot more from an establishment that heavily promotes the fact that it has been featured many times on the television network Animal Planet. Bayou Wildlife Zoo: Bayou Wildlife Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Alvin, Texas, and it has been privately owned for more than 30 years by Clint Wolston. There are 80 acres to explore and that is done via a 45-minute tram tour and a few exhibits that can be seen on foot. There are more than 500 animals of 60 species in the zoo and yet again I found that I had the knack of running into an owner. I’d give this facility a 1 out of 10 and it was a strong contender for the worst zoo on the trip (although Sharkarosa and the previous day’s East Side Gators are in the running). Clint Wolston is in the business of breeding and selling animals and I did not get a good vibe from him in our conversation. The first thing he did was brag that for his 500 animals his entire year’s veterinary bill is always less than $1,000. How is that even possible? Then he pointed out his baby giraffe and said that would be $80,000 sitting there if it was a female but because the youngster is a male that means hopefully more than $100,000 in his pocket. He has “Safety Rules” on an enormous sign; another sign that says “armed guard on duty 24 hours a day; and animals for sale include Grant’s Zebra ($7,000 a pair), Common Eland ($2,000 a pair) and various deer ($200 to $800 each). He cannot even spell the names of the animals for sale properly: “Wildebeast”, “Simator Horn Oryx” and “Barasinga” being three examples. Clint told me that he is 67 years old and wants to sell his rundown, disgraceful property for $7.5 million and I almost laughed in his face. With fences barely standing up, an owner who is well past his prime, and an overall air of dilapidation I would highly recommend that no zoo enthusiast ever visit this dump. The name has recently changed from Bayou Wildlife Park to Bayou Wildlife Zoo to help entice buyers and the species list includes: Giraffe, White Rhino (just the one), Grant’s Zebra, Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Brindled Wildebeest, Common Eland, Blackbuck, Asian Water Buffalo, American Bison, Barasingha, Pere David’s Deer, Axis Deer, Fallow Deer, Dromedary, Llama, Red Kangaroo, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Ostrich and several domestic species. Moody Gardens: Moody Gardens is an AZA accredited zoo located in Galveston, Texas, and it opened in 1983. With numerous expansions over the years the annual attendance now exceeds 2 million and the complex includes a Hope Therapy Center, a 60,000 sq. ft. Convention Center, Palm Beach (literally a large beach that was created in 1988), a jungle-like Rainforest Pyramid, a Discovery Pyramid, a hotel, an Aquarium Pyramid with 1.5 million gallons of water, a 4D Theater and a golf course. I visited on a Friday afternoon and I had to battle throngs of visitors but at least the facility is well-organized and capable of dealing with immense crowds. There are only two sections that contain animals (the Aquarium and Rainforest Pyramids) and even though they are separate attractions with separate entrance fees I think that it is fair to classify them as one entity as they fall under the same “company umbrella” and no one is going to drive all the way to Galveston (on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico) to visit only one of the gigantic pyramids. Overall I was hugely impressed with Moody Gardens and I spent a full two hours there just inside the pyramids. An hour in the aquarium was eventful and here are a few highlights: enormous foyer with a very tall ceiling; all-indoor pinniped pool is smallish but adequate (California Sea Lion, Northern Fur Seal, Harbour Seal); side-by-side tanks of Healthy Corals and Corals in Distress was unique; 4 species of sea turtle (Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, Green and Hawksbill – several tanks of those guys); lots of small shark species plus big ones like Zebra Shark, Nurse, Atlantic Blacktip, Blacknose, Brown and Sand Tiger Shark; 5 species of seahorse (Potbelly, Dwarf, Northern, Longsnout, White’s); and 5 species of penguin (King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Chinstrap, Macaroni) in an exhibit with an incredibly deep pool and over 80 penguins in total. It was a little difficult viewing the birds because the lights were dimmed in an attempt to replicate an Antarctic winter. The aquarium has 4 major sections (South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific and Caribbean) but there is no map and nothing on the walls in terms of way-finding signs. Several of us were a little perplexed as to which way to go as there are ramps that take one down into a lower level and then if you aren’t careful it would be easy to miss a section. The aquarium closes down for 3 months this fall, then for another 3 months in fall 2016, then for another three months in early 2017…and in May of 2017 a brand-new exhibit for Humboldt Penguins will open. That will give Moody Gardens 6 species of penguin to showcase to the public. After an hour in the aquarium I headed over for an hour in the rainforest pyramid and I actually preferred the jungle atmosphere and the African, Asian and American trails. The Giant River Otter exhibit is fantastic and it is viewed from water level and from up high on the second level. The habitat is enormous and with everything an otter could desire from a trickling stream to a deep pool. There is a monolithic rock formation in the background and a random car tire but the overall effect is outstanding on visitors and people were glued to the windows watching one of the otters frolic around its exhibit. There is a trippy, green-lit entrance to the rainforest pyramid, along with some large terrariums and Pygmy Slow Lorises. There are plenty of cool terrariums throughout but also some larger animals (some free roaming like the Cotton-Top Tamarins, Two-Toed Sloths and White-Faced Sakis) while others are in glass-fronted or mesh exhibits: Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Madagascar Giant Jumping Rat, Komodo Dragon, Blue Duiker, Green Anaconda, Ocelot and at least 3 species of bat. Just like in the aquarium pyramid there is a very high level of quality and the exhibits are mainly all excellent. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Moody Gardens and without a doubt the entire complex combines to produce an excellent zoological institution. Aquarium Restaurant Kemah: Aquarium Restaurant Kemah is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Kemah, Texas, and it contains a 50,000 gallon centerpiece aquarium. The same company owns the similarly-themed Aquarium Restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as the large, full-size aquariums in Houston, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. Interestingly enough Kemah is a very small town that has a main boardwalk packed with tourist attractions and the place was jammed on a Friday night. A comparison would be Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I went in not expecting much and at $8 for parking and $6 for the aquarium entrance fee the price is outrageous, but the facility was a little bigger than I anticipated. Stingray Reef is an additional charge to feed the animals but otherwise is free with admission and includes the following 4 species: Southern Stingray (including a couple of 6-footers), White-Spotted Bamboo Shark, Brown-Banded Bamboo Shark and Epaulette Shark. Besides the large stingray touch tank, which would not look out of place in a major zoo, there is a Dwarf Crocodile exhibit that includes some unidentified turtles and fish, as well as an additional 14 exhibits. Not all of the species have labels but all of the tanks are impeccably maintained and in fact look brand new. Here is a complete species list for what was labeled: Emerald Tree Boa, African Lungfish, Archerfish, Arowana, Red-Bellied Piranha, Freshwater Stingray, African Knifefish, Elephant Nose Mormyrid, Gourami, Glass Catfish, Cuckoo Catfish, Channel Catfish, Congo Tetra, Frontosa, Spotted Gar, Blowfin, Peacock Bass, Largemouth Bass, Ornate Bichir, Freshwater Pufferfish, Heckel Discus, Datnoid, Mono, various rainbowfish, loaches, cichlids and a few terrariums of poison dart frogs and tarantulas. Downtown Aquarium Houston: Downtown Aquarium Houston is an AZA accredited zoo located in Houston, Texas, and it is part of a 6-acre complex that includes the huge shark tunnel that unfortunately can only be seen via a train ride through the 200,000 gallon Shark Voyage tank as it is in a completely separate building. That means that all zoo enthusiasts, whether with a child or not, must sit on a small train and hear the elated cheers of “choo choo” as we all go to visit Jaws. The shark tank is great but having to sit on a small train to view it is painful. The opening themed area features an American Alligator, an Alligator Snapping Turtle and several other bayou residents; another zone has Coral Reef fish and a Giant Pacific Octopus tank; there is a Rainforest/Amazon section; a brilliant curving tank with temple relics (a la Sea Life); and the facility goes a little crazy with the temple theme in many of the exhibits. A Pier-themed Gulf of Mexico tank is from ceiling to floor and likely 20 feet long; then there is the infamous White Tiger exhibit that is almost entirely unnatural and is actually a travesty. Downtown Aquarium Houston is a mediocre establishment and not nearly as nice as the Downtown Aquarium Denver facility. Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo: Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Houston, Texas, and it is located within the bowels of the 2,154 acre Public Park. It is a free zoo that has a total of 23 exhibits that are split between 12 large paddocks and 11 aviaries. The 12 paddocks are all in a long row of chain-link fenced yards that cover an entire city block and the enclosures are spacious and in some cases perhaps half an acre or more in size. However, the species list is not that exciting: American Bison, Emu (3 exhibits), Domestic Goat (several exhibits), Domestic Sheep, Miniature Horse, Sicilian Donkey, Domestic Pig, Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig and a large terrarium with unidentified turtles. The species list for the aviaries includes: Crested Caracara, Turkey Vulture, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Moluccan Cockatoo, Catalina Macaw, Ring-Necked Dove and assorted pigeons, budgies, parakeets and cockatiels.
How much does Moody Gardens charge to visit each pyramid? It seems kind of weird that it isn't all priced as one attraction.
I paid $43 for the two pyramids. It is very expensive to see everything: https://www.moodygardens.com/tickets/index.cfm?catID=SC_E20F7B9518_10222013_022607
DAY 13: Saturday, July 25th After days of 4 zoos, 4 zoos, 5 zoos and 6 zoos it was almost with a sense of relief that I entered the gates of Houston Zoo knowing that I was going to see one great zoo and then afterwards the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Both are located in Hermann Park, a sprawling oasis near the heart of America’s 4th largest city, and both are overwhelming popular. The line-up to get into the zoo had to be seen to be believed and I spent my time waiting by doing head counts of the families anxiously waiting for the gates to roll up. By my calculation there must have been close to 800 humans milling about and wanting to see one of the country’s best zoos. Of the 8 ticket windows only 4 of them were open and I was fortunate that I arrived early to claim a great spot in line. Incoming director Lee Ehmke will have to address the entrance concerns, as well as those darn zoo signs on the highway that are blue and small but clearly showcase a Polar Bear; that species is definitely not present at the facility. Houston Zoo: Houston Zoo is a terrific facility and one of the best zoos in all of the United States in terms of its comprehensive list of species in mainly very good exhibits. If you are a fan of birds then the zoo has between 220 and 250 bird species and a staggering collection that contains St. Vincent Amazon Parrots, Andean Cock-of-the Rocks, Shoebill Storks, Cassowaries and everything in between. If you like primates then the zoo has 20 species, including state-of-the-art new exhibits for Lowland Gorillas and Chimpanzees. Felines are represented by 9 species: Malayan Tigers, African Lions, Jaguars, Cheetahs, Amur Leopards, Cougars, Caracals, Clouded Leopards and Bobcats. There are 105 species of reptiles and amphibians; a new $2 million Bug House with 34 species; 2.4 million visitors last year and this year will be even more with the $30 million addition Gorillas of the African Forest. If you like giraffes then you can stare at the herd of 9 that you can feed; there is a trio of Asian Elephant exhibits that total 3 acres and 8 elephants to watch. The list could go on all day. The Children’s Zoo is fantastic and I think that if I brought my 4 kids to the zoo they’d never leave that one area. When I first visited the zoo in 2010 I was impressed and when I ranked all of the major American zoos that I’d seen I placed Houston around the #30 position. I pointed out that it was a solid zoo but one that lacked a marquee exhibit; now the zoo has elevated its position. In the past 5 or so years there have been excellent new enclosures for gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, wombats and a Bug House. This unparalleled level of construction has upgraded perhaps 9 acres worth of land and a mini zoo seemingly has been built. Just the elephant, gorilla and chimp exhibits have contributed greatly to the overall quality of the establishment. I’d still place Dallas as the #1 zoo in the state of Texas but it is a very fine line these days. It would be interesting to compare the zoos head-to-head and for example I think that Dallas wins for its chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, Reptile House, etc. Houston wins for its gorillas, size of collection, children’s zoo, Bug House, etc. I’d pick Dallas in first place but between them they are both knocking on the door of America’s top 10-15 zoos. What flaws are in Houston? The Aquarium (built in 1980) has only 17 exhibits and is quite poor due to congestion and design flaws; the Tropical Bird House has seen better days; the sheer volume of crowds needs to be dealt with; and the two bear exhibits are disappointing. Here are some detailed lists of species (as I had several requests): Bug House: This building was recently built and has exactly 25 exhibits inside with several displays of huge beetles. It is a great addition to the zoo and makes Houston even more comprehensive than it already was. Connected to the outside is a glass-fronted exhibit for Common Wombats, a rarity in American zoos. One really cool aspect of the insect terrariums is that the glass actually sticks out from the wall, which is almost unheard of. Most terrariums are set into the wall but this way it is possible to get side angles of the animals. Species List (34 total): Atlas Beetle, Cactus Longhorn Beetle, Hercules Beetle, Rainbow Stag Beetle, Flamboyant Flower Beetle, Sunburst Diving Beetle, Fiery Searcher, Darkling Beetle, Harlequin Flower Beetle, Blue Death Feigning Beetle, Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Weevil Beetle, Elephant Beetle, Frog Legged Beetle, Giant Water Bug, Lubber Grasshopper, Thorny Devil Giant Stick Insect, Giant Prickly Stick Insect, Jungle Nymph, Giant Wingless Phasmid, Giant Katydid, Dragon-Headed Katydid, Giant Asian Mantid, Eastern Velvet Ant, Texas Leaf Cutter Ant, White-Eyed Assassin Bug, Giant Centipede, Monarch Larva, Asian Forest Scorpion, Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Giant Cave Cockroach, Gooty Sapphire Tarantula, Red-Leg Tarantula and Brazilian Red and White Tarantula. Primate Species list (20 total): Lowland Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Sumatran Orangutan, Bornean Orangutan, Siamang, Mandrill, Allen’s Swamp Monkey, Patas Monkey, Schmidt’s Red-Tailed Monkey, Black Howler Monkey, DeBrazza’s Monkey, White-Faced Saki Monkey, Goeldi’s Monkey, Pied Tamarin, Cotton Top Tamarin, Golden Lion Tamarin, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Red-Fronted Lemur, Crowned Lemur and Coquerel’s Sifaka. Tropical Bird House: This aging building holds just a tiny portion (approximately 10%) of the zoo’s bird collection and the structure has seen better days. There is a walk-through section in the middle that has a few birds not on the species list below but the lack of signs makes identification difficult. The birds listed are all ones in basic, glass-fronted exhibits. Species list (26 total): White-Bellied Go-Away Bird, Wonga Pigeon, Green-Naped Pheasant Pigeon, Taveta Golden Weaver, Western Bluebill, Luzon Bleeding-Heart Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Black-Naped Fruit Dove, White-Throated Ground Dove, Tambourine Dove, Mariana Fruit Dove, Grey-Headed Lovebird, Northern Cardinal, Orange Bishop, Yellow-Crowned Bishop, Lavender Waxbill, Crested-Wood Partridge, Golden White-Eye, Micronesian Kingfisher, Tawny Frogmouth, Southern White-Faced Owl, Taiwan Yuhina, Swallow Tanager, Red-Legged Honeycreeper, Golden-Headed Manakin and Golden-Headed Quetzal. Reptile House: This 1960 building has exactly 70 exhibits inside, plus 2 outdoor exhibits to make it 72 in total. There are 96 species in the building, plus another 9 different reptiles and amphibians in the Children’s Zoo, to give Houston a whopping 105 different species in total. Incredibly, both Dallas and Fort Worth have more species on-show than Houston and the state of Texas certainly does not lack for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Houston’s Reptile House exhibits are actually rather outdated and everything from the sterile two halls, the signs and the furnishings inside each terrarium could use an overhaul. Species list (96 total): Komodo Dragon (outdoors), Crocodile Monitor (outdoors), American Alligator (white), Malayan Gharial, Green Anaconda, Boelen’s Python, Black-Headed Python, Reticulated Python, Burmese Python, Lesser Sundas Python, Green Tree Python, Carpet Python, Emerald Tree Boa, Mexican Moccasin, Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Canebrake Rattlesnake, Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Southern Ridgenose Rattlesnake, Tamaulipan Rock Rattlesnake, Lance-Headed Rattlesnake, Aruba Island Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Banded Rock Rattlesnake, Mexican Massasauga, Monocellate Cobra, Black Forest Cobra, Black Mamba, West African Green Mamba, Brazilian Lancehead, Armenian Viper, Eyelash Viper, Rhino Viper, Sri Lankan Green Pit Viper, Mang Mountain Pit Viper, Dunn’s Hognosed Pit Viper, Rowley’s Palm-Pit Viper, Mexican Jumping Pit Viper, Vogel’s Pit Viper, Terciopelo, Broad-Banded Water Snake, Louisiana Milk Snake, Brown Tree Snake, Texas Coral Snake, Texas Rat Snake, Everglades Rat Snake, Thai Bamboo Rat Snake, Red-Tailed Green Rat Snake, Indigo Snake, Hognosed Snake, Madagascar Leaf-Nosed Snake, Anegada Island Iguana, Collared Lizard, Gila Monster, Mexican Beaded Lizard, San Esteban Chuckwalla, Haitian Galliwasp, Spiny-Tailed Lizard, Prehensile-Tailed Skink, African Plated Lizard, Caiman Lizard, Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Fringed Leaf-Tailed Gecko, New Caledonia Giant Gecko, Ricord’s Anole, Cuban Knight Anole, Panther Chameleon, Cameroon Stump-Tail Chameleon, Lace Monitor, Indian Star Tortoise, Egyptian Tortoise, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Yellow Headed Temple Turtle, Three-Toed Box Turtle, Gulf Coast Toad, Marine Toad, Houston Toad, Asian Climbing Toad, Sambava Tomato Frog, Bornean Eared Frog, Common Marsupial Frog, Giant Waxy Monkey Tree Frog, Spine-Headed Tree Frog, Hourglass Tree Frog, Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Panamanian Golden Frog, Vietnamese Mossy Frog, Mantella, Glass Frog, Lemur Leaf Frog, Splendid Leaf Frog, Emperor Newt, Eastern Hellbender and Aquatic Caecilian. Children’s Zoo Small Animal Species (14 total): Fat-Tailed Jird, Banded Mongoose, Desert Tortoise, Speckled Kingsnake, Spiderman Agama, Blue Spiny Lizard, Sandfish, African Plated Lizard, European Fire Salamander, Tiger Salamander, Black Spotted Newt, False Tomato Frog, Houston Toad, Emperor Scorpion and Texas Brown Tarantula. Houston Museum of Natural Science: Houston Museum of Natural Science is a non-AZA accredited zoo located in Houston, Texas, and it was founded in 1909. The complex includes a Planetarium, Butterfly Center, Hall of African Wildlife and a whole host of permanent exhibits. Over 2 million visitors tour the facility each year and it is enormously popular and quite impressive. The facility is expensive but that does not seem to deter the crowds and it was packed on the Saturday afternoon that I was there. Admission is $20 per adult but it is actually $74 per adult if you pay to see every gallery as well as two films (big screen and planetarium). I paid $20 plus an extra $8 for the Butterfly Center/Hall of Entomology. There are at least 4 special exhibit galleries (for example one on Sharks in a tiny room and one on Faberge eggs) and each was an additional fee and so the museum is very expensive to visit. The Butterfly Center has Waxy Monkey Tree Frogs and a Green Iguana along with hundreds of butterflies in a rainforest environment. There is also a single large terrarium near the entrance with these 5 frog species: Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Dyeing Poison Dart Frog, Blue Poison Dart Frog, Golden Poison Dart Frog and Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog. The only other section of the museum’s four levels with live animals is the excellent Hall of Entomology with its modern interpretative signs and graphics. Here is the species list for that zone: Species List (37 total): Giant African Longhorn Beetle, Red Spotted Longhorn Beetle, Hercules Beetle, Black Stag Beetle, Rainbow Stag Beetle, Metallic Frog Beetle, Giant Weevil, White-Eyed Assassin Bug, Peruvian Jumping Stick, Annam Walkingstick, Spiny Devil, Prickly Stick Insect, Moving Leaf Insect, Giant Jungle Nymph, Giant Asian Mantis, Budwing Mantis, Native Katydid, Giant Long-Legged Katydid, Woodlice, Blow Fly, Antlion, Eastern Subterranean Termite, Giant Centipede, Giant African Millipede, Vinegaroon, Desert Hairy Scorpion, Tailless Whip Scorpion, Emperor Scorpion, Black Widow Spider, Brown Recluse Spider, Golden Orb Weaver Spider, Brazilian Red and White Tarantula, Mexican Redknee Tarantula, Indian Ornamental Tarantula, Cave Cockroach, American Cockroach and Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
Has the Houston Zoo ever had polar bears in recent times? I visited it in 2007 and there were certainly no polar bears then. It seems bizarre that the zoo would advertise itself with a prominent species that it does not have. Are there any polar bears in Texas zoos?
Houston Zoo leads trips to see wild polar bears up by Churchill, so that is probably the reason for their road signs depicting the species.
Didn't realize Houston had so many invertebrate species. Also very good to hear that the African Forest expansion was worth the $30 million. Quick question, Snowleopard: do you know if the Bat Cave in the Children's Zoo is still there, and if so, does it still have the same species as it did on your previous visit?
The 34 invertebrate species is because of the fairly new Bug House, which is small and basic but of great interest to zoo enthusiasts. The Bat Cave is still there, with these 3 species: Seba's Short-Tailed Bat, Pallas's Long-Tongued Bat and Jamaican Fruit Bat. There are also a number of small terrariums set into the walls and I already provided a list of the inhabitants above. That whole area is excellent but many visitors were not noticing it or were deciding not to enter the cave.
Just so people know, as I've had a few emails and messages to answer, I'm doing great but the last couple of days have been packed to the gills with zoos. Sunday, July 26th: Texas State Aquarium - one hour (disappointingly short visit but future plans are great and this aquarium will more than double in size) The Texas Zoo - one hour (more than enough time) San Antonio Aquarium - 30- 45 minutes (terrible place) Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo - 1.5 hours (huge species list: 130 different snakes including 11 different cobra species and 24 different boas and pythons. Insane number of snakes in small terrariums) SeaWorld San Antonio - spent 3 hours here and the separate park Aquatica Aquatica San Antonio - next door to SeaWorld and I think that I'll count it as a zoo as there is a monstrous aviary that is 13,500 sq. ft. with 40-50 bird species flying around; plus macaws, tortoises and a world-class stingray pool...sounds like a zoo and I got in free! More later. Monday, July 27th: Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch - 1.5 hours (loved this drive-through safari!) Exotic Resort Zoo - 1.5 hours (tram tour is just a feeding frenzy for animals) Austin Zoo - 1 hour (lots of wire cages everywhere) Austin Nature & Science Center - 45 minutes (not bad and with probably 50 species) Capital of Texas Zoo - 1 hour (not as bad as I was expecting but still home-made) Austin Aquarium - 30 minutes (same company as San Antonio, Portland and Boise aquariums "Sea to Believe" and I might be the first visitor in the world to tour all 4) Every single day of this trip I’ve arrived at a zoo before it opens and I’m always one of the first people in the gate. I’ve benefited enormously from some of the late hours and that is why I’ve been able to squeeze in 4, 5 or even 6 zoos per day. There are some pretty tiny places that anyone without kids along for the ride can tour in 30 minutes flat. For example, on Friday, July 24th, the Aquarium on the Kemah Boardwalk and Downtown Houston Aquarium were both open to around 10:30 at night. The Bear Creek Pioneers Park Zoo says 10:00 p.m. on the city’s website but I’m not sure that it even closes as the facility is free and there doesn’t seem to be any kind of gate stopping people from walking around the small zoo in the wee hours of the morning. On that day I was at my first zoo at 10:00 a.m. when they opened and I left Bear Creek when it was dark out. Sunday was similar as I was at Texas State Aquarium at 9:00 a.m. and I was the first one in the door; then after 3 hours at SeaWorld San Antonio I left when it was getting dark at night. My insane schedule is one of the reasons why I’m always at least a day behind on the reviews as by the time I leave the last zoo, hit the highway for an hour of driving, cruise through a drive-through for dinner, find a motel, shower and scrub myself down after a whole day of zero air-conditioning (the shower is actually the highlight of the day!), chat with my wife for 45 minutes while uploading some photos…it is then between midnight and 1:00 a.m. and far later than I ever go to bed back home in Canada. During the past couple of days I have had very little time to spend HOURS typing up reviews and posting extensive lists of species. Cool? I'm hoping that today (after Fossil Rim and Fort Worth) that I'll end the night earlier as I won't be at a sixth zoo in the dark tonight. Be prepared for a full MOLA species list in the next few days... Lastly, all of these reviews over the past couple of weeks have consistently been typed up in the order that I visit the establishments…just in case you were wondering.
