Olgebay Good Zoo - Exterior Habitats

I grant you this, the map is not current.  The train on the
tracks were taken down a couple of years ago in favor of a
gas powered, rubber tire version. 

 Once you leave the back side of the entrance building you have a choice.  Go left or go right.  It doesn't matter.  It's all just an irregular loop.  The building sits on high ground.  You're going to walk up and down and then finally up mostly no matter which direction you choose.

The habitats are not generally abutted to one another.  There will be times when you walk a little ways to get to the next one.  And there will be places where they seem to be more clustered.  With such a simple arrangement, you'd think it would be difficult to miss anything; however, after the fact I looked at the map and was surprised to see both Grevy's Zebras and Ostriches on the thing and never saw either OR a habitat where either might have been...  Was I obtuse, or is the information on the website out of date?  It feels like a coin toss to me.

The animals are loosely ordered by region, and when you choose to go right as we did, you encounter African animals first.  On this morning we also met two beautiful and sweet Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys on their way in the company of two keepers to the paddock on the other side of the loop.  Africa was followed by Australia, and then it felt less cohesive.  While habitats are secure and well appointed, there is far less artifice at this zoo, and what there is seems less important.  It's a question I would sincerely put to the administration of the zoo regarding how to focus their future growth.

Speaking of which, one of the first things you see, even before the animal welfare clinic, is a sign proclaiming to future arrival of African Lions.  They next dedicated project of the zoo is to construct a new African Lion habitat.  This will clearly eclipse all of the existing habitats in terms of design and iconic status.  There are still a handful of species that seem to define the essence of a "real" zoo.  Elephants, Rhinoceros, Giraffe, Gorilla, Tigers, and; yes, LIONS.  

What we saw on our journey around the outside loop...

RED RIVER HOGS

Potamochoerus porcus

CHEETAH

Acinonyx jubatus

The climb to the Australian animals and Lemurs

The Kangaroo and Wallaby Walk

RED KANGAROO

Osphranter rufus

RED-NECKED WALLABY

Notamacropus rufogriseus

WHITE-AND-BLACK RUFFED LEMUR

Varecia veriegata

This little Blue Barn is home to an African Spurred Tortoise

Upon seeing us, he wanted to come over and say, "Hello!"

AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISE

Centrochelys sulcata

MANED WOLF

Chrysocyon brachyurus

If you look closely, perhaps squint or enlarge the image, you might be able to see this South American canine napping like most of the other Good animals.

A collection of buildings anchored by this traditional Red Barn awaited us at the far end of the pathway.  There were a cluster of habitats, Red Wolves, Snow Leopards, and Chinese Goral all had lovely spaces, and all were no en casa on this hot and humid summer day.

MEDITERRANEAN MINIATURE DONKEY

Equus asinus asinus

DOMESTIC FERRET

Mustela putorius furo