The Association of Zoos and Aquariums just published the winners of their annual photography contest. The winner in 2017 is Grahm Jones of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio. The image is of a mother and cub Polar Bear swimming. Jones is a professional photographer who owns amazing equipment. I am not. I do not own an amazing camera. In fact, I think of my Kodak PIXPRO AZ251 as a piece of shit. I really need to buy something else. But be as it is, here are some of my pics from some of zoos that I've visited over the past couple of years.
When I go to a zoo I have only one plan: to see ANIMALS! And I try to see them all. I really don't rank one animal as more interesting or noteworthy than any other.
Denver, Colorado - est. 1896
Highlights of the Denver Zoo include there brand new (March 2017) Amur Tiger habitat, the expansive Toyota Asian Elephant Passage with habitats for several Asian species. They also have a Tropical Discoveries building simulating tropical jungle habitats for birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and small mammals, as well as an impressive habitat for California Sea Lions and Gray and Harbor seals. It is a zoo that will provide many wonderful opportunities to see a wide range of animals that are well cared for.
Meller's Chamelion, chameleo melleri
Harlequin Tuskfish, choerodon fasciatus
Komodo Dragon, Varanus komodoensis
Somali Wild Ass, Equus africanus somaliensis
Indian Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros unicornis
Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos horribilis
Mandrill, Mandrillus sphinx
Spotted Hyena, Crocuta crocuta
Sioux Falls, South Dakota - est. 1963
Highlights include a guest exhibit space featuring a pair of Koala Bears on loan from the San Diego Zoo in California, and a new education center and habitat space for the Eastern Black Rhinoceros complete with a mated pair and 14 month old male still nursing from his mother.
Japanese Macaque, Macaca fuscata
Red Kangaroo, Marcopus rufus
Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi
Wild African Dog, Lycoan pictus
Eastern Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis
Omaha, Nebraska - est. 1894
Highlights could go on for pages! One of the finest and most elaborate zoos in the United States. A member of the holy trinity: San Diego Zoo, Brooklyn Zoo, Henry Doorly Zoo--not an overstatement. Some, The Geodesic Desert Dome, Leid Interior Jungle, Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, Bernice Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavillions, the new African Grasslands, etc.
White-handed Gibbon, Hylobates lar
Black Howler Monkey, Alouatta caraya
Scarlet Macaw, Ara macao
Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus
Yellow-backed Duiker, Cephalopus silvicultor
Western Lowland Gorilla (infant), Gorilla gorilla gorilla
African Lion, Panthera leo
Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardus reticulata
Southern White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum simum
Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger
Kansas City, Missouri - est. 1909
Highlights include a new Orangutan Canopy (opened 2014) habitat, expansive African Elephant habitat, thriving Chimpanzee colony, the Helzberg Penguin Plaza and a large collection of endangered bovidae, including Addax, Eastern Mountain Bongo and Scimitar-horned Oryx.
Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae
Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius
Common Chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes
Common Warthog, Phacochoerus africanus
Chicago, Illinois - est. 1968
Highlights include its practice of free admission, and series of habitats under the financial auspices of the Regenstein family foundation including Africa in general, and Macaques, African Apes, Birds of Prey, and a small mammal and reptile house. Additionally the Kovler Sea Lion pool with its under water observatory is also quite nice.
Chilean Flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis
Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi
Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1876
Highlights include animals from Africa and North America predominately. The zoo has the most impressive and state of the art African Penguin habitat in the world, and leads the nation in species survival for this delightful animal. Other highly successful breeding programs include the Sitatunga, Reticulated Giraffe and African Elephant. There is also a new North American Aviary to join the existing African Aviary. Full disclosure, I am a member of the Maryland Zoo and have been a fan for the past 24 years. It is my preferred home zoo. (Also explains the many photos!)
Dama Gazelle, Manger dama
Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus
Pink-backed Pelican, Pelecanus rufescens
Sitatunga, Tragelaphus spekii
Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
African Elephant, Loxidontus africanus
Blue-bellied Roller, coracias cyanogaster
Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardilus reiculata
Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
Wood Duck, Aix sponsa
African Penguin, Spheniscus demerus
Panama Golden Poison Dart Frog, Atelopus zeteki
Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Cynomys ludovicianus
Southern White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum simum
PHILADELPHIA ZOO
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - est. 1874
Highlights include Zoo 360 that is a series of overhead habitrails open to various feline and primate species on different days giving them access to the larger zoo. Truly amazing. The new rare small animal/primate conservation center, the finest herpetarium I have ever seen, the McNeil Avian Center, PECO primate research center, and the Keybank Big Cat Falls. This zoo is the stellar example of how a zoo confined by its geographic circumstances makes the most of the space it has been given.
Pygmy Marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea
Ringed Teal, callonetta leucophrys
Amur Tiger, Panthera trilris altatica
Amur Leopard, Panthera pardus orientalis
Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus
Yellow Rat Snake, Elophe obsolete quadricittata
Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates leucomelas
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - est. 1898
Highlights include the PPG Aquarium with its exterior habitats that include Polar Bears, Sea Otters, and Seals which are called the Water's Edge. In 2015 a new area for critically endangered species called The Islands opened. The zoo lost it's AZA accreditation due to it's harsh management treatment practices with animals like their African Elephants. It's a simple fix and I'm not fan for their bull-headed refusal to comply.
African Elephant, Loxidontus africanus
Amur Leopard, Panthera pardus orientalus
Cheetah, Acinonyx jubata
Western Lowland Gorilla, Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Salisbury, Maryland - est. 1954
Highlights include the zoo's long-standing relationship with the Andean Speckled Bear species and a history of successful breeding. A new William E. Morgan Conservation Center opened in 2017.
Scarlet Macaw, Ara macao
Alpaca, Vicugna pacos
Greater Rhea, Rhea americana
Capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochoerus
Washington, D.C. - est. 1889
Highlights include the Expansive Asian Elephant House, Amazonia interior jungle biome, Great Ape Habitats for both Western Lowland Gorillas and Bornean Orangutans, Asian Trail featuring Panda Bears. The Smithsonian National Zoo is another local zoo for me.
Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens
Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Red-ruffed Lemur, Varecia rubra
Prevost's Squirrel, Calosciurus prevosti
Cuban Crocodile, Crocodylus rhombifer
Red-rumped Agouti, Dasyptocta leporina
Dwarf Mongoose, Helogale parvula
African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
Sumatran Tiger, Panthera tigris sumatrae
Andean Spectacled Bear, Tremarctos ornatus
Norfolk, Virginia - est. 1900
Highlights include the Asia Trail of the Tiger, African Okavango Delta, the Australian Walkabout and the new Reptile House (February 2018).
Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Equus hartmannae
Masai Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardis tippelskirchi
Cheetah, Acinonyx jubata
Eastern Mountain Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci
Meerkat, Suricata suricatta
Seattle, Washington - est. 1902
Highlights include Tropical Asia/Tropical Rain Forest, Humboldt Penguin exhibit, North American Trail, multiple aviaries, and an expansive Orangutan habitat.
Humboldt Penguin, Spheniscus humboldti
Jaguar, Panthera onca
White-tailed Trogon, Trogon chionurus
African Lion, Panthera leo
Lion Tail Macaque, Macaca silenus
Rock Wallaby, Petrogale wilkinsi
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