Animal Parks Garden Nursery Landscaping Guide
Animal Parks Around The World
By Rodger G Allenby
In the past, animal parks showcased glum animals trapped behind
bars, pacing back and forth and sometimes causing visitors to
wonder whether zoological facilities are a good thing or not.
However, the modern zoological exhibit aims to be as close to
a natural habitat as possible, offering visitors the ability to
get up close to exotic animals, which don’t appear to be caged
but are unable to leap their barricades nevertheless.
As Charles Stovall of Walt Disney World says, "We don’t
think of it as just a zoo... it’s a full-fledged theme park."
In fact, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the most famous zoos
in the world and has inspired a new ilk of animal exhibits.
Bronx Zoo Has Over 6,000 Animals
It should come as no surprise that America houses many of the
world’s best animal habitats. In New York City, the 265-acre Bronx
Zoo is home to over 6,000 animals, many of which are on the endangered
species list.
The Bronx has been operating its animal center since 1889 as
the largest of the metropolitan animal parks and was the first
place to house (and breed) rare snow leopards.
Largest Man Made Rainforest
Additionally, it’s the first park to house a predator-prey animal
exhibit, where lions and gazelles are separated merely by dry
moats, and it was also the first zoological center to host an
educational program.
Visitors love the Wild Asia tramway monorail, the indoor JungleWorld
display and the 6.5-acre Congo Monkey Forest, which is the largest
man-made rainforest in the world. Guests will also see a number
of babies at this bustling breeding facility, including dwarf
mongoose, lemur, okapi, sea lion, rhino, lion and pit viper species.
A Large Display Of Giant Pandas
Another one of the top animal parks to review and visit state-side,
is the San Diego Zoo in California, one of the largest and most
progressive zoos in the world, housing over 4,000 animals. Here
visitors will find the largest display of giant pandas outside
of China.
Other highlights include the polar bear plunge, the okapis in
Ituri Forest and the spacious elephant habitat. San Diego also
has the world’s only albino koala, the largest number of New Guinea
singing dogs in one place and an "escape artist" orangutan
named Ken Allen.
Breeding And Proliferating Endangered Animals
In addition to this expansive park, there is also the San Diego
Wild Animal Park, which was created for endangered animals and
rare species to breed and proliferate in an expansive state-of-the-art
park without cages.
Their free-range exhibits include free-range enclosures that
house such animals as cheetahs, antelopes, lions, giraffes, okapis,
elephants, zebras, Przewalski’s horses, rhinos and bonobos.
The Largest Animal Collection At The Berlin Zoological Garden
There are also a number of European animal parks that have achieved
world fame for their impressive exhibits. For instance, the Berlin
Zoological Garden in Germany boasts the largest animal collection
in the world with more than 14,000 animals from 1,440 species.
They have had enormous success breeding white rhinos, black rhinos,
gaurs, pandas and polar bears, as well as rare deer and pig species.
The Chester Zoo in the UK ushers in 1.2 million visitors a year,
who come to see their sizable collection of endangered species,
including the Congo buffalo, jaguars, blue-eyed cockatoos, Madagascar
tree boas, gemsboks (all ESB species), black rhinoceros, Ecuadorian
Amazon parrots, Mindanao writhe-billed hornbill and Rodrigues
fruit bats, all of which are bred at the park. They’re also noted
for having the largest ape enclosure in all of Europe.
About the Author:
Rodger G Allenby has written a number of articles on recreation, pets, gardening and landscaping including
Bird Baths,
Fish Ponds,
Hummingbird Feeders,
Underground Pet Fence,
Gardening Tools,
Backyard Ideas,
Backyard Landscaping Pictures,
Potting Table,
Backyard Fences.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Little Known Facts About Zoos....
What are zoos?
A zoo is an area that is protected to house
various species of animals. It can be a free range zoo where the
animals are left in habitats similar to their own and visitors
simply drive through the park to see the animals in the wild.
Or it can be a confined zoo where animals
are held in pens for visitors to see. Both have their merits and
also have their downfalls. But zoos are a constant source of delight
for people to see new and exotic animals that they may never get
the chance to see in real life.
It is also a fantastic learning opportunity
for young and old alike as most zoos have an information chart
beside each exhibit that gives facts about the animal.
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