Now, This is my list of the Top Ten Best Zoos in America list. I have been to over 20 zoological facilities and have many friends who give me their opinions on other zoos and I have decided to give out my top zoos in this country.
My basis of judging zoos is different then some, 1. I look for large natural exhibits 2. Updated facilities 3. Diversity of animals 4. Conservation leaders 5. Educational for all but especially kids!
RhinoRyan's Top Ten Zoos
1. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE: I rate this the best zoo in the country. Not everything is completely updated, but it has some of the best exhibits of different regions of the world. Lied Jungle is world-famous for its size and naturalistic themes. Desert Dome and Kingdoms of the Night will leave you amazed. Don't miss Scott Aquarium or the Gorilla/Orang facility.
2. Bronx Zoo in Bronx, NY : Immense in sure size and the facilities are amazing, Congo Gorilla Forest and Tiger Mountain are there best. But as big as the zoo may be the things they due are much greater. The Bronx Zoo is very education oriented and conservation driven.
3. St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, MO: Free! Free! Free! One of the very few free zoos. Have many innovative exhibits and very educational. Penguins and Apes region are great.
4. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, OH : Columbus probably is the most updated zoo on this list and has some of the most natural exhibits in the country. The only problem is that if you love African Savanna animals they don't have them at this point just lions, rhinos and elephants. Africa will come by 2011-12 also in 2009 Polar Frontier will be built(brown and polar bears, fox and reindeer.
5. Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN : Like a Rising Phoenix from the ashes Minnesota Zoo has regained its form. Once was one of the best in th country it lost its way but in the past few years it's brought itself back! It's Tropical and Aquatic regions are great but not the best. Tiger Liar is arguebly the best tiger exhibit in the country fighting with Bronx for the top spot. Also in 2008 they were given the 2008 Best Exhibit Award for Minnesota Trails exhibit. An look out in 2009 for the best exhibit award as Russia's Grizzly Coast is one-of-a-kind (brown bears, leopards, otters, and boar)
6.San Diego Zoo in San Diego, CA: The World-Famous Zoo is one of the best with Polar Plunge, Tiger River, Gorilla Tropics(best gorilla exhibit-my opinion). Reason so LOW sometimes I think they worry more about breeding instead of letting animals just be animals and spare space for animals for other things.
7. Louisville Zoo in Louisville,KY : Great Asia and Australia. Gorilla Forest is the best area and so unique in design.
8. Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City,UT: Utah?! Yes! This zoo is a hidden secret of great designs. Very Updated with best areas being Asian Highlands and Elephant Encounters. Asian Highlands feels so real and unbelievable.
9. Jacksonville Zoo in Jacksonville, FL : Diverse and Florida! Of course we go there. Jacksonville houses animals from alittle of everywhere. Range of the Jaguar is their best and one of the best exhibits in the country.
10. Tie-Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago,IL: Both have great educational stand outs and have a diverse collection. Lincoln Park Zoo is free but dont skip Brookfield its worth the 11 dollars. Both have similar regions but each has a leg up on eachother.
Runners Up: Lowery Park Zoo, Miami Zoo, LA Zoo, Nashville Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo.
List for looking for favorite animal by best exhibits:
Gorillas:
1.San Diego
2.Louisville
3.Bronx
Elephants:
1.Columbus
2.Hogle
3.North Carolina
Big Cats:
1.Philly
2.Bronx
3.Minnesota
Rainforest:
1.Jacksonville
2.Cleveland
3.Omaha
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Louisville Zoo
The Louisville Zoo is one of the most well developed zoos in the country. One of the best qualities of this zoo is it's ability to creat new styles and ways of exhibiting animals. The zoo has been turning heads in the zoological society.
Louisville has created a few styles that now are being based on their innonvations. The biggest one is it's multi-species rotational exhibit. This style is a combination of exhibits interlocked between eachother and during the day, keepers will switch animals around, so maybe you saw a tiger in one, a tapir in another and siamangs(gibbons) in the other. But you come back a few hours later and you will see babirusa, an orangutan, and a tiger. This allows the animals to constantly have something new to do. Another idea is the migrating exhibit for their gorillas. In the wild gorillas migrate dayly but in captivity they are left to in one exhibit all day. This exhibit allows the gorillas to follow a more natural pattern of life.
The Louisville Zoo has many different areas of the zoo that will entertain guest all-day. The Islands is one of the more popular areas, which is home to the rotational exhibit as well as cranes, herpatarium, aviary, and etc. Gorilla Forest is aard-winning for having the 2003 AZA best exhibit, which is home to gorillas and pygmy hippos. The zoo also has Australia(lorikeets, wallabies, and wallaroos), Africa (rhino, lion, elephant, giraffe, crane, antelope) somewhat of an outdated area, a South America (alpaca, rhea(similar to emu), maned wolf).
The Zoo is in the process of develpoing the newest region knon as Glacier Run. The first couple of areas have already opened with the Kid's ater playground and Tiger Tudra, home to the zoos Amur tiger. The area under construction is the main area, which is set-up as an old town that has been merged with the wild and the animals are taking over. When done this area will show case sea eagles, sea lion, sea otters, Artci fox, and of course the Polar Bear.
Louisville has created a few styles that now are being based on their innonvations. The biggest one is it's multi-species rotational exhibit. This style is a combination of exhibits interlocked between eachother and during the day, keepers will switch animals around, so maybe you saw a tiger in one, a tapir in another and siamangs(gibbons) in the other. But you come back a few hours later and you will see babirusa, an orangutan, and a tiger. This allows the animals to constantly have something new to do. Another idea is the migrating exhibit for their gorillas. In the wild gorillas migrate dayly but in captivity they are left to in one exhibit all day. This exhibit allows the gorillas to follow a more natural pattern of life.
The Louisville Zoo has many different areas of the zoo that will entertain guest all-day. The Islands is one of the more popular areas, which is home to the rotational exhibit as well as cranes, herpatarium, aviary, and etc. Gorilla Forest is aard-winning for having the 2003 AZA best exhibit, which is home to gorillas and pygmy hippos. The zoo also has Australia(lorikeets, wallabies, and wallaroos), Africa (rhino, lion, elephant, giraffe, crane, antelope) somewhat of an outdated area, a South America (alpaca, rhea(similar to emu), maned wolf).
The Zoo is in the process of develpoing the newest region knon as Glacier Run. The first couple of areas have already opened with the Kid's ater playground and Tiger Tudra, home to the zoos Amur tiger. The area under construction is the main area, which is set-up as an old town that has been merged with the wild and the animals are taking over. When done this area will show case sea eagles, sea lion, sea otters, Artci fox, and of course the Polar Bear.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Pittsburgh Zoo
The Pittsburgh Zoo is unique in that after buying your tickets you jump on a escalator and go a couple of hundred feet and then your in the zoo. The Pittsburgh Zoo is developing new ideas and facilities constantly.
The newest area is the Water's Edge, which houses the zoos polar bear and sea otters, and allows the guest to get a view the bears in an underwater tunnel. Pittsburgh also has an African region(elephants, giraffe, lion, rhino, and giraffes), Asia(Amur tigers, leopards, Komondo dragons), North America( otter, beaver, and avairy) and Primate World( gorilla, gibbons, orangs, and monkeys) But the most unique area to me is the zoos aquarium.
The Aquarium allow the visitor to see a tremoundous amount of sea life, from sea stars to barracuda and sharks. As well as penguins, stringrays, fresh and saltwater fish. But my favorite is the mini rainforest that houses tamarin(a very small primate), poison frogs, and Amazon Basin Pond.
The newest area is the Water's Edge, which houses the zoos polar bear and sea otters, and allows the guest to get a view the bears in an underwater tunnel. Pittsburgh also has an African region(elephants, giraffe, lion, rhino, and giraffes), Asia(Amur tigers, leopards, Komondo dragons), North America( otter, beaver, and avairy) and Primate World( gorilla, gibbons, orangs, and monkeys) But the most unique area to me is the zoos aquarium.
The Aquarium allow the visitor to see a tremoundous amount of sea life, from sea stars to barracuda and sharks. As well as penguins, stringrays, fresh and saltwater fish. But my favorite is the mini rainforest that houses tamarin(a very small primate), poison frogs, and Amazon Basin Pond.
Knoxville Zoo
If your traveling through Tennesse, you may find yourself in the Knoxville area and might want to check out the zoo that calls this area home. Now, Knoxville will not be on anyones list of top zoos', but it allows it's guest to get close and gives a few odd angles to see the animals.
One of my favorite areas is Bear Falls, which when entering you will find yourself in a large naturalistc looking hollow log. The log will have large slits in it, which allows you to see the large black bears walking around and on top of it. Also the African region is a unique area, as with the elephants you will see large fake trees all around and see the cute little meerkats enjoying there home thats more like a playground.
As I said earlier Knoxville Zoo needs to update itself in areas of Asia, South American and jungles regions, as well as renovate pre-existing areas. Though Kids Zone is a good area for parents to kick up there feet and let the kids to play, enjoy the petting zoo and learn more about the animals of North American and Knoxville has a nice reptile collection.
One of my favorite areas is Bear Falls, which when entering you will find yourself in a large naturalistc looking hollow log. The log will have large slits in it, which allows you to see the large black bears walking around and on top of it. Also the African region is a unique area, as with the elephants you will see large fake trees all around and see the cute little meerkats enjoying there home thats more like a playground.
As I said earlier Knoxville Zoo needs to update itself in areas of Asia, South American and jungles regions, as well as renovate pre-existing areas. Though Kids Zone is a good area for parents to kick up there feet and let the kids to play, enjoy the petting zoo and learn more about the animals of North American and Knoxville has a nice reptile collection.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Toledo Zoo
The Toledo Zoo is becoming more well known every year. The zoo is known for it's ability to create outstanding exhibits in the little space it works with (about 65 acres). The zoos' Polar Encounter is known as one of the best in the country, this exhibit gives visitors the idea that seals and polar bear share the same exhibit. The zoos' Hippoquarium is the first underwater viewing exhibit of hippos ever. The Toledo Zoo has grown faster and faster. It's latest area is called Africa!, this area is home to African wild dogs and a large 5 acre exhibit that houses the zoos' giraffe, zebra, antelope, and birds. Visitors have the chance to ride a train around the large exhibt to get even closer. The zoo has built around it's old architecture and helped to mesh the new with the old. It's constantly changing and developing new things. The zoo has plans to build new exhibits for the elephants, rhino, and hippos. The zoo has a large collection of fish, primate, and has renonvated it's Children's Zoo making it better.
North Carolina Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo is known as having one of the longest walking trails in the country for zoos. This zoo has two main regions, North America and Africa. North America is broken into 4 regions. Everglades(gators, snapping turtles, pumas, and waterfowl), Arctic(sea birds, polar bears, and seal lions), Prairie(bears, wolves, elk, and bison), and temperate forest(otters, bobcats, snake and fishes). The African region has a gorilla (within the year they are to recieve a group of male gorilla from the Columbus Zoo), chimpanzees, giraffe, elephant, rhino, antelope, and much more. The zoo also has a desert region and avairy. The zoo is in the process of developing better exhibits for the elephants and rhinos. Though the zoo doesn't have the most high-tech things it makes up with it's sure size and nature.
Monday, January 28, 2008
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is world famous though I don't feel it's the best it is certainly a top five. The San Diego and Columbus Zoo are alike with both immersing the visitors in the animals domain. San Diego is known for their project work in different areas of the world and also the housing of some of the most endangered animals in the world. The has many great areas, but the can't miss areas are the Gorilla Tropics, which gives guest maybe the best idea of how gorilla live in the wild but being in captivity, Ituri Forest(hippo, okapi, buffalo, and monkeys, Polar Plunge(polar bear), Tiger Forest(tigers, tapirs, and etc.), and Forest Tails and Monkey Trails, the zoos' newest area. The one problem with this zoo is that the only well designed exhibits have been built in the last 10 years while all others are somewhat sad. But all in all this is a zoo you will never forget, with the size of area and amount of animals this is one of the best. Also don't miss the Giant Panda, which this is the only zoo west of Memphis to house them.
In the future the zoo hopes to rebuild the elephant area and the Australia region
In the future the zoo hopes to rebuild the elephant area and the Australia region
Cincinnati Zoo
The Cincinnati Zoo is the second oldest zoo in the country, only behind the Philadelphia Zoo. The Cincinnati Zoo is known as The Sexiest Zoo in the Country for it's ability to breed some of the rarest animals on earth. The Zoo is located in downtown Cincinnati. The zoo has tried over the past few years to become more up to date with exhibits lay-outs and creating biomes. The zoo has renonvated it's Vanishing Giants area, home to elephants and giraffes, which should be open by spring of 2008. In the zoo world they are known for their ability to breed the un-breedable, an the Sumatran rhino is the perfect example. In 2001 they became the first zoo in America to breed this species and is the only zoo to ever reproduce three offspring. Besides the rhinos the zoos' Manatee Springs(home to crocs, manatees, and snakes) and Jungle Trails(orangs, monkeys, birds, and etc.) are some of the more popular areas. But if you travel to the zoo I will guarantee you will see animals that you've seen before and probably never again.
In the near future the zoo hopes to add a new parking lot, rebuild the Sumtran rhino area so it ill be bigger and visitors will beable to see them all year round. Also hopes are to build a state-of-the-art gorilla facility in the next few years.
In the near future the zoo hopes to add a new parking lot, rebuild the Sumtran rhino area so it ill be bigger and visitors will beable to see them all year round. Also hopes are to build a state-of-the-art gorilla facility in the next few years.
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