The Zoo Review: Zoo Review: Tulsa Zoo, Part I

I spend a lot of time following zoo news and looking forward to new habitats and exhibits that are opening. It's not as often, however, that I spend time looking backwards, feeling sad about an incredible exhibit that I will not see. One such exhibit was the Tulsa Zoo's Robert J. LaFortune North American Living Museum, which opened in 1978. When a young me first heard about it, I was dazzled. This four-building complex located just inside the entrance of the zoo was, without me knowing it yet, the epitome of what I thought a zoo could be - a comprehensive educational facility that incorporated all aspects of natural history, including zoology, botany, paleontology, and geology, with a little anthropology thrown in for good measure. After having first learned about it, but long before having seen it in person, I imagined a greatly expanded version of it with more biomes, more habitats, more animals, and more additional features. The exhibit still exists, in a way - the same four buildings still stand, with some of the same animals - but stripped of both its North American focus and its broader philosophical view.

Following a 2013 rebranding, the Museum (which earned the zoo accreditation in the American Association of Museums in 1982) now exists as WildLIFE Trek, with the theme of each of the four buildings being tweaked slightly. The former Arctic building (covered with small white stones - each of the buildings was distinguished by being a different color) is now "Life in the Cold," the southwestern desert building is "Life in the Desert," the eastern deciduous forest building is "Life in the Forest," and the southeastern swamp building is "Life in Water." The four buildings are linked with walkways that feature larger residents - grizzly bears, collared peccaries, bald eagles - while the indoor spaces are home to smaller animals; in some cases, the smaller animals have outdoor exhibits that are viewed from the inside, such as the Arctic foxes in the cold building. Aspects of the building are enjoyable - the walk-through aviary in the desert building, surrounded by tanks of desert reptiles, the small but attractive aquariums in the water building, the alligators opposite wading birds, the naked mole rat colony. having known what it was like, however, I just find the exhibit someone... bland. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read extensively about the older version. The loss of the inclusive educational messaging that really spoke to the BioPark concept that I've always admired just saddens me a bit.

Another geographic-themed area which has recently seen some thematic dilution is the Rainforest. Perhaps not the largest or most spectacular of the rainforest buildings out there, it does have a lusher, more pleasant feeling to me than many of the big ones, perhaps because the relative lack of large mammals allows for greener settings. This exhibit area was Latin American in theme and is still probably 95% accurate, but a few African and Asian species have popped up in the mix. After passing through aquariums of piranhas, anaconda, and caiman, visitors enter the jungle itself, which is home to a variety of rainforest birds, sloths, bats, and small primates. The translucent panels of the roof allow natural light in, providing a brighter experience than in many indoor rainforests. Winding through the exit is a habitat of jaguars, which can be viewed both inside and outside. For most visitors, however, the real attraction is the giant recreation of an Olmec Head statue, which is one of the most-see photo opportunities of the zoo. I tend to roll my eyes a little at the mock temple aesthetic which is so popular among zoo designers, but you have to admit, it does give the people what they want.

When the zoo's Chimpanzee Connection first opened in 1991, no less an authority than Jane Goodall declared it to be one of the best she had ever seen. I've been a bit more impressed with some of the facilities that have opened since, but it has held up well over three decades and continues to be a suitable habitat. The outdoor island (a preexisting monkey island) is covered with climbing structures and an artificial termite mound, and is then linked to an indoor habitat, providing year-round viewing of the apes.

A small nearby children's zoo features domestic animals, as well as river otters and kangaroos. There was construction in progress at the time of my visit, so I didn't get the best look at it.