My trip to the San Diego Zoo

[houstonrunner]

Here are a few shots I got earlier this year while in San Diego - the zoo is absolutely amazing!!! ... C/C always appreciated (note the pics have been downsized significantly... I may repost better versions when I get home from work). Thanks!

Jason

[capreppy]

I used to live 45 minutes from the SD Zoo. I truly do miss that place. It's probably the best zoo I've ever been to. Did you by chance get to go to the sister Wild Animal Park?

[CaptainTom]

SD zoo is number one, and the Ft. Worth zoo is number two....

[houstonrunner]

... and the Houston zoo is just depressing .

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go to the wild animal park, though that looks incredible!!! They even have wildlife up close and personal tours just for photographers. Definitely doing that the next time I go!

Jason

[Jay Henley]

Interesting that you said that. I went to SD zoo two weeks ago and after going there I thought it was a great zoo but I guess I was expecting it to be leaps and bounds better than FW zoo and I did not get that feeling at all. In some ways I think the FW zoo is better. Many of the animals in SA are in a fairly small enclosure compared to FW. Also in SD I found myself trying to shoot through chain link much more often than in FW........those are the only two zoos I have ever been to. It made me really appreciate what I have here in my own backyard.

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

SD zoo is number one, and the Ft. Worth zoo is number two....

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by Jay Henley

Interesting that you said that. I went to SD zoo two weeks ago and after going there I thought it was a great zoo but I guess I was expecting it to be leaps and bounds better than FW zoo and I did not get that feeling at all. In some ways I think the FW zoo is better. Many of the animals in SA are in a fairly small enclosure compared to FW. Also in SD I found myself trying to shoot through chain link much more often than in FW........those are the only two zoos I have ever been to. It made me really appreciate what I have here in my own backyard.

Your're right, but I lump the San Diego Wild Animal park in with the zoo. If you were to combine Ft. Worth Zoo with the animal park in Glen Rose you'd have a new number one.

[sandboa]

Originally Posted by houstonrunner

... and the Houston zoo is just depressing .

I actually disagree. I think Houston Zoo has an extraordinary collection of animals. The displays aren't as glitzy, but it is quite a good zoo by collection standards.

Also, Houston is $8.50 to get in. San Diego costs almost 4X as much ($33.50!!!) and I think parking is extra at SD Zoo. SD Zoo is becoming more of an animal theme park than a traditional zoo.

I think I have been to every real zoo (I don't count animal drive throughs as zoos) in Texas except the one in Victoria and one of the nicest zoos in Texas is the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. They have a great collection and it is nicely displayed (and it is $9.00) to get in.

I'm not saying SD zoo isn't nice. It is gorgeous, but don't overlook some of our fine Texas Zoos! (In case it doesn't show - I love zoos. I go to zoos whereever I travel and have been to zoos all over the world.)

And if you haven't been to Zoomat in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico - you haven't been to a great zoo!

[Jay Henley]

I forget what the admission was but the parking was free.

[houstonrunner]

Anyone have any comments on the photos??? Are they that bad?? :)

Jason

[pippin]

Originally Posted by Jay Henley

Interesting that you said that. I went to SD zoo two weeks ago and after going there I thought it was a great zoo but I guess I was expecting it to be leaps and bounds better than FW zoo and I did not get that feeling at all. In some ways I think the FW zoo is better. Many of the animals in SA are in a fairly small enclosure compared to FW. Also in SD I found myself trying to shoot through chain link much more often than in FW........those are the only two zoos I have ever been to. It made me really appreciate what I have here in my own backyard.

The point behind the san diego zoo is that it is more research and conservation than that of an amusement zoo. There are more species at the san diego zoo than that of fort worth, that I appreciate, but if you were to go there to photograph, the cages on some habitats prevent that.

It was never meant to be more for the visitor, but more for research. Thats why alot of the areas are closed off to visitors (the panda exhibit for example has an entire section for the zoo's conservation and breeding efforts that cannot be accessed by visitors).

If you want to photograph, the wild animal park is much better.

In terms of which zoos are better, SD is #1, denver is #2, FW #3, atlanta #4 (which is meant to directly rival SD) and cleveland #5. The zoo in Boston just plain sucks.

Oh, parking is free at SD zoo. as it is in denver also (and the membership to denver is about $30 cheaper than that of FW). In terms of entrance fees - the SD zoo is much much bigger than fw, thus facilities are more expensive to maintain. I believe all the money that the SD zoo gets is from donations and entrance fees (as well as food stands etc).

[sandboa]

Originally Posted by pippin

In terms of which zoos are better, SD is #1, denver is #2, FW #3, atlanta #4 (which is meant to directly rival SD) and cleveland #5.

I keep seeing these zoo rankings. Are there some official rankings, or are these just opinions? Just curious.

I found one online list which gave no basis for ranking that said
1. SD Zoo
2. Disney's Animal Kingdom (not a zoo in my book)
3. SD Wild Animal Park (again, more a theme park than a zoo)
4. Baltimore Zoo
5. Bronx Zoo
6. San Antonio Zoo (Whoop!!)
7. Henry Doorly (Omaha, NE) - yahoo travel rates this number 1 - and most had been to SD zoo as well.
8. Phoenix Zoo
9. St Louis Zoo
10. Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley MN)

I've only been to number 1, 5, 6, and 8 on that list, and they are all good zoos. Everything I read makes me really want to visit the Omaha (Doorly) Zoo.

I think the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson belongs on this list as well, especially as a photography zoo!

[ttusa]

Love #2-nap time...

[Tim T]

I like the first one of the best. What kind of bird is it?

[houstonrunner]

Tim,

I'm pretty sure the bird is a Sagittarius serpentarius. It's actually a pretty odd looking bird and has huge spindly legs. I think this one was nearly 4 feet tall.

Hopefully not derailing the thread again (I still would like any constructive criticism on the pictures!) but on the topic of zoos again... I agree the Houston zoo has a wide range of animals but they seem like they're packed into tiny little enclosures for the most part and most seem depressed or neurotic. And I swear the Okapi has OCD... I watched it walk around its enclosure in the exact same pattern for about 20 minutes. Every time I go there it makes me sad. Especially when I walk past all the cats crammed into tiny cages. Of I'm probably just upset because it took me 4 hours to park

[suzyjazz]

Where is the National Zoo in all of this zoo talk? It's amazing. I really want to go back to D.C. to see what I missed, and to get to the zoo early in the morning and spend more time there.

Back to your photos -- the bird is good and I love the pose of the polar bear! He looks like he is just relaxing and stretching. It's a nice perspective. Do you do some processing on it? It has an edgy look. The 3rd one is good, too, just not as interesting to me as the polar bear (I like mammals better, that's all).