Continuing through the Tulsa Zoo...
Apart from the Rainforest, the bulk of the zoo's non-mammalian collection is found in the Conservation Center (a name that many zoos seem to use these days for their mixed-purpose bird/reptile/small mammal houses. A visitor the this building - essentially one long hallway with herps on one side, birds and primates on the other - probably won't be too dazzled by the enclosures themselves, which, while perfectly functional, are a bit plain. A zoo connoisseur, however, will be interested in some of the rarely seen species found along the hall, including Diana monkeys (an African primate once fairly common in zoos, now sadly something of a rarity) and maleo, a strange turkey-like bird from Sulawesi which builds a mound to incubate its eggs, rather than sitting on the nest. In the center of the building is an aquarium of Pangasius catfish and other Asian fish. I was interested to learn that, in keeping which this zoo's strong former focus on anthropology, this exhibit used to feature giant fish of the Amazon - and included a side display of shrunken heads. American flamingos possess an outdoor yard adjacent to the building, while across the path is one of the most astonishingly involved play structures I have ever seen, in or out of a zoo.
One of the zoo's newest features is the Asian complex, Lost Kingdom. Much like the rainforest, it leans heavily on the ruined temple theming (think Angkor Wat style), some of which incorporates visitor space, animal holding, and the overhead passages which one sees so often in cat complexes these days. Cats - in form of tigers and snow leopards - are the stars here, but are supplemented by siamangs, red pandas, binturongs, Komodo dragons, and a small aviary. One of the indoor visitors spaces, which provides close up viewing of the cats, also features a pool of Chinese alligators, shared with various Asian turtles.
Predating Lost Kingdom is the adjacent Elephant Encounter, home to the herd of Asian elephants. The elephants can either be seen outdoors or from their holding building, which features a small but interesting museum of elephants. The centerpiece of this gallery used to be a life-sized statue that depicted a mammoth being hunted by prehistoric humans, though this has since been replaced by a more child-friendly, climbable statue of elephants. The exhibit itself is nothing to write home about... at least at the moment. During my visit a few months ago (and at the present time), the zoo is in the process of constructing an enormous new elephant expansion, which will allow their present animals more room to roam and display natural behaviors, as well as increase the size of the herd that the zoo can maintain.
Two handsome new aquatic exhibits for African penguins and California sea lions are other recent additions to the zoo. Both include underwater viewing opportunities. The penguin exhibit includes a burrow that kids can tunnel through for a closer view of the birds. (The penguin exhibit was founded through the sale of stylized penguin sculptures, now on display throughout the city). Also included in the zoo are some old grottos, formerly for bears, now holding lions, a nearby meerkat exhibit, and a yard for Aldabra tortoises, which includes an adjacent holding building to provide winter viewing.
These last few exhibits will be replaced as part of one of the zoo's other future projects, a comprehensive new African area which will include new habitats for these species as well as gorillas, pygmy hippos, African wild dogs, and more. We already have a yardstick for how these new habitats will be constructed by checking out the new Mary K. Chapman Rhinoceros Reserve, a spacious paddock for white rhinos, warthogs, and antelope. White rhinos are the species most commonly exhibited in US zoos, and their habitats tend to be... kind of dull. Usually just an open yard with a small pool (they aren't as inclined to enter the water as other rhinos), some boulders, and a shade structure or two. This habitat is one of the best, biggest, and certainly the most attractive that I've seen in a conventional zoo. Nearby is a yard for giraffes - not bad, but nowhere near as impressive or attractive as the rhino yard.
Tulsa very much gives the impression of being a zoo on the rise - not surprising when you consider that it won the contest of being named America's Favorite Zoo not too long ago in a contest held by Microsoft to promote Zoo Tycoon 2. That might be a bit of an overstatement. It's not the biggest in terms of size and collection, and while it has some excellent exhibits, there are others which are fairly middling. Many of these, however, seem to be in the queue for repair or replacement. It's hard not to be impressed by many of the successful new habitats over the past decade. I look forward to a repeat visit when new improvements are completed - all while still being a bit downcast that I missed some aspects of the zoo which were so unique and unusual when they were still present.
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