from WorldWeb.com Travel Guide
Untitled Document
Unlocking a fascinating world
perhaps otherwise only seen in nature documentaries or on an African safari, today’s
zoos are losing a tarnished reputation of cruelty and are instead heralded as
environmental blessings. The world’s greatest zoos are committed to the conservation
of wildlife and its natural environment and are making a positive impact on the
survival of threatened species in the wild. In addition to conducting and supporting
research, facilitating breeding programs and ensuring the highest standards of
animal care and enclosures, the conservation commitment also entails educating
the public and fostering an appreciation of the world’s precious wildlife.
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Zebras Hang Out
at San Diego Zoo1
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Good zoos are great fun for
the whole family. Both grandson and grandmother watch captivatedly as one monkey
grooms another with human-like care and concentration. Easily accessible information
reveals amazing facts that astound. Responsible for captive animals and human
visitors alike, quality zoos maintain top-notch human facilities, such as bathrooms,
food kiosks, walking paths and children's attractions alongside clean, safe animal
enclosures that represent natural habitats as closely as possible.
Following are ten of
the best zoos in the USA and
Canada. Each demonstrates
impressive conservation efforts, excellent visitor facilities, commendable enclosures
and healthy, happy animals. All zoos mentioned are also accredited by the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an organization dedicated to the well-being of captive
wildlife.
SAN DIEGO ZOO
San
Diego Zoo is perhaps the most famous zoo on the planet. Its world-wide
reputation is well-deserved with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species.
Located in Balboa
Park, north of downtown San
Diego, the zoo's 40 ha (100 acres) feature environments and ecosystems
from around the world, including desert, coastline, prairie, wetland and tropical
rainforest habitats. San Diego's mild Mediterranean climate nurtures over 700,000
plants and bodes well for the zoo's mostly open-air naturalistic enclosures (of
which the zoo is known for) and their intriguing inhabitants. The zoo's dedicated
Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES), located at
its Wild
Animal Park, is home to one of the largest zoo-based research teams in
the world. San Diego Zoo also boasts an overhead gondola, which offers visitors
a bird's-eye safari view as it traverses from one side of the zoo to the other,
and excellent disability-friendly visitor facilities.
BRONX ZOO
Equally as impressive
as San Diego Zoo, the Bronx
Zoo in New York is also
home to over 4,000 animals occupying enclosures that closely resemble their natural
habitats from around the world. The largest urban zoo in North America, Bronx
offers 107 ha (265 acres) to explore, with a surprise around every corner. A mix
of outdoor and indoor exhibits take visitors on a global safari while rides like
the Skyfari gondola, Bug Carousel and Wild Asia Monorail are accessible to all
guests. Managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo is committed to
preserving wildlife and increasing public awareness of conservation and environmental
issues. Their snow leopard and gorilla families are two of the zoo's proudest
breeding success stories.
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A Gorilla Contemplates
His Audience at Bronx Zoo2
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OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY
ZOO
Omaha's
Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska
has come a long way from its small beginnings as the Riverview Park Zoo in 1894
to become the commendable, world-class recreational, environmental and educational
facility it is today. Located off Interstate 80, the zoo's expansive grounds host
exhibits and enclosures that display a global diversity of wildlife and environments
representing natural habitats, including the world's largest indoor rainforest.
Get a high-climbing monkey's view of this leafy ecosystem from the TreeTops Restaurant.
Completed in 2008, the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion is an impressive structure
that looks like a giant insect from above and houses a fascinating population
of creepy-crawlies that may give some visitors the heeby-jeebies. The zoo's veterinary
medical and research facility, the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation
and Research, conducts state-of-the-art research in important fields such as animal
care, reproductive physiology and nutrition.
PHOENIX ZOO
Recognized as one
of the USA's best zoos for children, Arizona's
Phoenix
Zoo entertains, educates and amazes. Exploring the zoo's 50 ha (125 acres)
via 4 km (2.5 mi) of walking trails (or by safari train for sore feet), visitors
may discover around 1,200 exciting animals. In addition to free animal encounters,
keeper talks and feeding sessions, visitors can get up close and personal at Stingray
Bay – a touch tank swimming with small rays and sharks, on the back of a
camel, or at the petting zoo. The Phoenix Zoo's conservation programs focus on
breeding and research, working with the AZA's Species Survival Plan. The zoo also
features an area called Sanctuary dedicated to animals requiring special care
due to injuries and illness, rehabilitation for return to the wild, captive-breeding
programs and retirement from breeding programs.
ST. LOUIS ZOO
Since its establishment
in 1910, St.
Louis Zoo in Missouri
has always been free to enter, although today there are small fees for some attractions
and rides. The zoo is proud of its beautiful, naturalistic exhibits, the first
of its natural immersion exhibits being the 4-ha (10-acre) River's Edge. Here,
a river meanders through four continents, showcasing wildlife from South America
to the African Nile as each lush habitat is revealed around the bends. A world
leader in the conservation of endangered species and habitats, the St. Louis Zoo
WildCare Institute has centres around the world dedicated to managing and recovering
threatened species populations and ecosystems. In addition, the zoo's Endangered
Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital commits to captive-breeding programs,
research and medical care for zoo residents and incoming animals.
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A Wolf Howls
at the Sonoran Desert Sky3
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MINNESOTA ZOO
About 2,500 animals
representing 445 species call Apple
Valley's Minnesota
Zoo home. Three main trails lead visitors through a diverse landscape
of varied biospheres – guests can venture into the rainforest to spot sloths
and lemurs, wander hardy Northern landscapes where wolves and bison roam, or explore
the Minnesota Trail and discover this state's beautiful pumas and eagles. Save
some walking time by boarding the monorail, which provides an elevated view of
the extensive Northern Trail while a guide narrates the scenery and animal activity.
The Minnesota Zoo is actively involved in wildlife conservation at an international,
national and local level, working with other zoos and organizations to preserve
and protect species in jeopardy. The zoo participates in a significant number
of the AZA's Species Survival Plans and is most notably involved in tiger conservation
efforts, coordinating global programs through the Tiger Global Conservation Strategy.
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT
MUSEUM
Established in 1952,
the Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum in Tuscon
is dedicated to the conservation of this valuable desert area through fostering
an appreciation and understanding of the natural world. Set on 40 ha (100 acres)
of true Sonoran Desert, exhibits make use of the natural environment to present
animals, plants and geology native to the region. More than a significantly progressive
zoo, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is also a world-renowned botanical garden,
featuring 40,000 plants of 1,400 varieties, while the on-site Earth Sciences Center
catalogues and displays thousands of fascinating gems, fossils and minerals from
the area. Contributing significantly to the preservation of the land, plants and
animals of the Sonoran Desert region, the museum is home to nearly 20 endangered
native animal and plant species. It participates in influential conservation strategies
such as recovery and captive-breeding programs via its on-site scientific and
educational facility, the Center for Sonoran Desert Studies.
TORONTO ZOO
Reputably Canada's
top zoo, Toronto
Zoo is one of the world's largest, sprawling over 287 ha (710 acres) of
Rouge
Park in north eastern Toronto.
Separated into six geographical “territories,” the zoo has a population
of over 5,000 animals from more than 460 species. Exploring the 10 km (6 mi) of
trails, visitors will discover both national wildlife and animals from far-off
lands, such as the African Savannah and Australasia, inhabiting naturalistic outdoor
enclosures and indoor tropical pavilions. It's a big place, so guests can hop
aboard the Zoomobile to give their legs a break, and camel and Safari Simulator
rides also get visitors off their feet. The zoo is passionate about its animals
and protecting threatened species in the wild. Partnered with conservation organizations
and other zoos, Toronto Zoo is heavily involved with research in reproduction
biology and animal behaviour, as well as world-wide conservation programs.
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A Snow Owl Stares
Back at Calgary Zoo4
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GRANBY ZOO
Visitors delight
in the opportunity to meet the 1,000 exotic residents of Granby
Zoo, as well as surf Quebec's
largest wave pool and float down the Amazon-inspired “Lazy River” at
the Amazoo
Yoplait Water Park and play on the rides at the zoo's amusement park.
This expansive zoological playground takes guests on a round-the-world wildlife
adventure as its walking paths lead to impressive exhibits that simulate the animals'
natural environments. Committed to the preservation of wildlife, the Granby Zoo
protects endangered and threatened species within the safety of its walls, participating
in captive-breeding programs as part of the AZA's Species Survival Plan. It also
takes part in a variety of research projects beneficial to species conservation
through its Centre de Soins et de Conservation (Care and Conservation Centre).
CALGARY ZOO
Boasting 1,000 animals
from about 275 species, Alberta's
celebrated Calgary
Zoo is also praised by botany buffs who appreciate the zoo's magical Dorothy
Harvie Gardens and Conservatory complete with a butterfly house. Also
unique to Calgary Zoo, the Prehistoric Park allows visitors to step back to a
time when dinosaurs roamed the plains of western Canada,
while the Canadian Wilds exhibit introduces visitors to the current-day inhabitants
of the area – the grizzly bears, moose, wolves and bighorn sheep that call
western Canada's Rocky Mountains home. Many of the zoo's animals are endangered,
playing an important part in the restoration of healthy populations under the
AZA's Species Survival Plan. The zoo's Centre for Conservation Research is dedicated
to saving threatened species in Canada and its Conservation Outreach Department
contributes funding toward conservation projects around the world.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Zebras Hang Out at San
Diego Zoo; San Diego, CA, USA
- A Gorilla Contemplates
His Audience at Bronx Zoo; New York, NY, USA
- A Wolf Howls at the Sonoron
Desert Sky; Tuscon, AZ, USA
- Germán Rodríguez
Pazo; A Snow Owl Stares Back at Calgary Zoo; Calgary, AB, Canada
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