The oldest zoo in the American South, the Atlanta Zoo (as it
was then known) in Grant Park was founded with the animals from a bankrupt
circus, which were then donated to the city.
Like many zoos, it enjoyed periods of success alternating with periods
of decline, until it became infamous for its antiquated, inadequate facilities
in the 1980’s. The Humane Society rated
it as one of America’s worst, and it was cited as a civic embarrassment. Fortunately for the zoo, the community
decided to rally around the embattled institution, and under new leadership its
rebirth was begun. Today, the rebranded
Zoo Atlanta is one of the most respected zoos in America, famed for its
commitment to great apes and its wellness-based animal care.
Improving a zoo isn’t a one-and-done project; it requires
constant commitment to keeping facilities upgraded and making better habitats
for the animals. Evidence of that can on
the zoo’s African Plains. Originally opened in 1989, the exhibit
underwent a recent renovation, with the newly improved, expanded elephant
habitat opening in 2019. The yard houses
a small herd of African elephants, who can wander among boulders, splash in
pools, snack from puzzle feeders, or bathe in the red Georgia soil which gives
them a somewhat distinctive color. The
adjacent elephant barn provides visitors with a behind-the-scenes look at how
zookeepers and vets care for the world’s largest land mammals, complimented by
interactive devices and video displays.
I really admired the educational component of African Plains, which put visitors in the position of animal
caretakers or researchers, while encouraging them to consider the adaptations
of the animals and how they help those species survive in the wild.
Outside of the elephant barn, a new habitat for meerkats was
under construction during my recent visit (but should be open by now). The former elephant habitat, located nearby,
was being refitted for white rhinoceroses (which should also be ready by now)
and, like the new elephant habitat, features a barn that provides for viewing
of the animals when they are indoors, as well as insights on their care. Up the trail from the elephants, giraffes,
zebras, and ostriches occupy a grassy yard, which also features a giraffe
feeding station. Nearby, a pride of
lions sprawls across the rocks on the kopje which dominants their exhibit. Kori bustards and warthogs round out the African Plains experience.
No animal better exemplified the story of Zoo Atlanta’s
transformation than its famous silverback gorilla, Willie B. Willie B may have since passed away, but his
legacy can be seen in the Ford African
Rainforest. Over twenty gorillas
have been born here since its debut in 1988, some of them fathered by Willie B
himself. The gorillas can be viewed from
several vantage points, including from across moats and through the windows of
a viewing bunker. What appears to be one sprawling habitat,
resembling a forest clearing, is actually several, which allows of different
troops to be maintained. Sometimes,
males can be seen displaying to one another from across a hidden barrier, which
allows each male to feel like he is successfully defending his troop and
maintaining his territory. The habitats
are spacious and well-planted, with several climbing structures of wood and
rockwork scattered around to promote natural behavior. For many visitors, the most popular feature
is the bronze statue of Willie B, which is popular with photo ops.
I rated this as one of the best gorilla habitats I’ve ever
seen; I just wish that there had been some way to preserve (or recreate) Willie
B’s original tile-and-glass cage, perhaps complete with another life-size
statue and a flickering TV set for company, that visitors could enter. Then, they could truly understand how far Zoo
Atlanta, and zoos in general, have come in their approach to animal care.
Completing the Ford African
Rainforest is the Living Treehouse,
a walk-through aviary that features birds from rainforests across the
world. Pied-imperial pigeons,
hamerkops, scarlet ibises, and superb starlings are among the species flying
about. Visitors view the birds from an
elevated boardwalk; along the other side of the boardwalk is a mesh-enclosed
habitat for ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed, and crowned lemurs. These were some of the best lemur exhibits
I’d ever seen, though I will say that the mesh made viewing a little difficult
at some points. Exiting through the tree
house, visitors find themselves in the Monkeys
of Makokou, where they can observe four species of African monkeys. Among these are drills, black-faced relatives
of the mandrills more commonly seen in zoos.
As of now, Zoo Atlanta is the only zoo in the United States to house
these primates, though I had seen them before at other facilities that no
longer have them. The other monkeys
featured are Schmidt’s red-tailed monkeys, Wolf’s guenons, and an endearing
family of Angolan colobus monkeys, which had recently welcomed a baby at the
time of my last visit.
The review of Zoo Atlanta will continue tomorrow.
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