Discussion Thread #1 - What are your favourite real-life zoos?

Another one of my personal favorites is my local zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo. When I saw NicholasLionRider post about it for the first time on YouTube, I was so surprised to see the fact that my own local zoo represented within the game. After getting to know the chap over the past few months and having him welcome me onto the project, I was so happy I got to represent my local zoo in a very bright light. It's a small zoo, but it's one I like to call home :) . I have some of my favorite pictures from the place down below:

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Fellow New Englander! I went there for the first time this July, and I loved it. The Faces of the Rainforest building is beautiful done! I also really loved the World of Adaptations, especially the babirusas! Great zoo!
 
I am loving this thread. It is very hard to travel outside of Australia right now, but I have organised some leave next year... so fingers crossed I get to see some of these zoos.

My favourite zoo is Werribee Open Range Zoo located in Melbourne's west. Largely, it's African-themed with a safari bus.

Here are some photos before lockdown:

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I am loving this thread. It is very hard to travel outside of Australia right now, but I have organised some leave next year... so fingers crossed I get to see some of these zoos.

My favourite zoo is Werribee Open Range Zoo located in Melbourne's west. Largely, it's African-themed with a safari bus.

Here are some photos before lockdown:
The Werribee Zoo is awesome - the landscaping is top notch - and your photo's did not work - would love to see them :)
 
Hmm, well I have been to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA; the Woodland Zoo in Seattle, WA; the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, and the Boise Zoo in Boise, ID; alongside my local zoo, the Oregon Zoo in Portland, OR.

Overall, I have to say is the Oregon Zoo. They have mostly geriatric animals and are well known for their geriatric care, as well as their Asian Elephants, which are cool, but not the big sellers. What makes my favorites, are two things. 1) they have an amazing collection of native species, and 2) They used to have Amur Leopards, and still have Amur Tigers.
And there is something about seeing native species. You don't see cougars in the wild, they see you. They aren't called ghost cats for nothing. California condors were wiped out of the area in the fifties or sixties, same with the Sea Otters. They had Steller Sea Lions until the last one died a few years back (At the time of their deaths, they were some of the oldest ever recorded in captivity, like many of the Oregon Zoo's animals).
I think a lot of zoo put a huge emphasis on exotic animals, especially those from Africa, leaving people not knowing about the species in their own backyards, that are directly impacted by their action in their everyday life.
 
Of the various zoos I've seen, I have to say the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is my favorite. Love the large enclosures and natural settings.

I grew up in southern CA, and our family went to the San Diego Zoo and its Wild Animal Park (now called Safari Park) about once a year. It's always been an amazing zoo that has been involved in research and breeding of critically endangered species. From visiting their websites, they've continued to expand and evolve. I still have family in southern CA, but I haven't been for a number of years, because my mom is getting pretty old, and her vision has deteriorated to where she can't see much anymore. I'd feel bad taking time away from her to spend a day at the zoo without her during our too-infrequent visits.

I've been to the National Zoo in Washington DC a couple of times too. That's also an awesome zoo, and it's the one in the US that actually has its own giant pandas.

I have fond memories of visits to the Brookfield and Lincoln park zoos in Chicago when I was really little, but aside from the wolves and dolphins at Brookfield, most of those memories are pretty blurry.
 
Of the various zoos I've seen, I have to say the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is my favorite. Love the large enclosures and natural settings.

I grew up in southern CA, and our family went to the San Diego Zoo and its Wild Animal Park (now called Safari Park) about once a year. It's always been an amazing zoo that has been involved in research and breeding of critically endangered species. From visiting their websites, they've continued to expand and evolve. I still have family in southern CA, but I haven't been for a number of years, because my mom is getting pretty old, and her vision has deteriorated to where she can't see much anymore. I'd feel bad taking time away from her to spend a day at the zoo without her during our too-infrequent visits.

I've been to the National Zoo in Washington DC a couple of times too. That's also an awesome zoo, and it's the one in the US that actually has its own giant pandas.

I have fond memories of visits to the Brookfield and Lincoln park zoos in Chicago when I was really little, but aside from the wolves and dolphins at Brookfield, most of those memories are pretty blurry.
The zoo will provide a staff member to narrate the zoo experience for your mom due to her vision issues. They also have rental scooters and a special bus that picks you up and drops you off if you have mobility issues so if your mom struggles with walking long distances that could help. I have significant disabilities and the SD zoo has been pretty good for me. Perhaps your mom would enjoy a trip there with you?
 
I live in Australia, and have never been overseas so I can only vouch for the zoos here in Australia, I have been to the Adelaide zoo (sadly I was quite young and only remember bits and pieces), Taronga Zoo, Australia Zoo and the Kiwi birdlife park in New Zealand (Queenstown), I plan to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in the next week or so.

Of all the zoo's so far my most favourite was the Taronga Zoo, and this is because it had the most diversity of Australian animals, I was very disappointed that the Australia Zoo had barely any Australian species in comparison to Taronga, especially since it's name has Australia in it. All I can say is if you want a true australian animal experience at a zoo, the Taronga zoo is the best for it.
 
Worldwide: I loved San Diego zoo,

In my country (Israel): The Jerusalem zoo has the best tropical house I've ever been to, and the Ramat gan Safari zoo has the biggest herds of white rhinos and hippos in zoos worldwide, over a natural area of a 1000 dunam, which is the best safari zoo I've ever been to.
 
From what i were, Wrocław Zoo is my favourite. and has huge variety of animals, compared to other zoos i were in (Silesian Zoo, Warsaw Zoo)
The newer habitats are top quality, and the most enjoyable thing atm imo is giant aquarium, including manatees and african fur seals. On the other hand, i've got massive nostalgia towards SIlesian Zoo, and i hope it'll get better in the future.
 
The zoo will provide a staff member to narrate the zoo experience for your mom due to her vision issues. They also have rental scooters and a special bus that picks you up and drops you off if you have mobility issues so if your mom struggles with walking long distances that could help. I have significant disabilities and the SD zoo has been pretty good for me. Perhaps your mom would enjoy a trip there with you?
Thanks for that info! I assume this is something you could make reservations for?

I'll ask her if she'd want to do this at some point. We've been trying to figure out things we can do with her, and she's pretty depressed about how house bound she's become (Covid hasn't helped either, since she's immune suppressed).
 
Thanks for that info! I assume this is something you could make reservations for?

I'll ask her if she'd want to do this at some point. We've been trying to figure out things we can do with her, and she's pretty depressed about how house bound she's become (Covid hasn't helped either, since she's immune suppressed).

I would call the zoo and ask how it’s handled! As far as I know the scooters are first come, first serve and the bus is something that just comes whenever you need it, although you may have to wait a little bit for it to get to you. The tour buses are not all wheelchair accessible, you have to wait for a specific one unless things have changed. I just bring my own wheelchair when we go and have never asked for staff accompaniment so I’m not sure how far in advance they need notice for that. We actually didn’t know anything about the accommodations the first time we went and a staff member pulled my mom aside and explained how it worked because trying to get my up the hill with two casts on up to my hips was visibly extremely difficult 😅.
I hope your mom can find something fun and happy to do, I know how much it sucks to end up mostly stuck at home.
 
Bubalco (Rio Negro) and Temaiken(Buenos Aires) here in Argentina
They are my favourites because I haven't really seen a zoo as good as those in argentina, Bubalco has roaming Blackbucks and a lot of parrots, macaws and Cokatoos that I haven't seen in Temaiken(who also has a lot of birds) and a lot of primates unlike Temaiken that only has Lemurs, and I like temaiken a lot because of the aviary and bacuase of the habitats which are really good
 
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