Detailed review by 1krispy1
1krispy1(62)
Broomfield, USA98%
After several weeks of true winter weather and years since my last visit I felt it was time to go to the Denver Zoo again. I did just that.
The weather was fairly cool and some of the more tropical animals were not outside. That was a small manner in most cases as the majority of the more cold intolerant beasts were inside and viewable. This would include many of the primates and the giraffes for example.
Many of the animals were outside. As mentioned I have not been to the zoo in years. One of the major changes has been the creation of "Predator Ridge". This is a large exhibit for lions, hyenas, and wild dogs. It has a large elevated position in the lion's portion of the paddock. This is a favorite spot for the males. In fact the photos I submitted shows a pair of individuals that were enjoying the perch to get the warmth of the sun and to watch the crowds watch them.
A separate paddock is shared between wild dogs and hyenas on an alternating basis. One set of canines reside for a time, then rotate out and the other species is let in. All the scents left behind by the preceding occupants provide stimulation for the new residents. As the zoo points out, in the wild these two groups share habitats. The same stimulations are in play there, why not here?
As the photographs submitted could indicate I have a fondness for the big cats, so I spent a lot of time with them. However I continued on down the path eventually and visited the polar bears, then went to see what was going on at Tropical Discovery. This exhibit has all manner of tropical residents. There are huge constricting snakes. Piranhas swim in a pool. There were crocodiles and several types of fish.
It is a good time to point out that this exhibit and a few others are maintained for the comfort of the animals, not necessarily the accommodation of digital photography. Bear that in mind if visiting in cooler or cold weather. The lenses will fog up and need time to adjust to the rapid changes in temperature. The facility was also darker than outside, adjustments will be needed.
The other challenge on this day was the brightness of the day and the ground covering of snow. This will also present the photographer with a challenge.
After the visit to the tropical discovery I stopped by some of the hoofed animals then it was off to the exhibit known as Bird World. This is a large building with large free flying exhibits separated by walls. The first is again a tropical forest with high humidity. It has special misters that make it feel like a "steaming" jungle. Now while I was not able to shoot photos because of lighting conditions it was very enjoyable for me. For several minutes at a time I was alone in each of the rooms. This will not be possible in the summer months as this is one of the most popular exhibits at the zoo. I was able to sit and wait for the birds to move or sing. It was great to watch the birds move among the vegetation or fly very near me. However I had to remind myself to pay heed with the flying versions so as to avoid any incidental "bombing" accidents that could occur. There were shore birds, hornbills and others in fact there are nearly 200 species attached to this building alone. There is a section of the building that contains the kitchen where all the residents have their meals prepared while the human guests can watch if they choose to do so.
After the fogging problems with the camera in two of the indoor exhibits I decided not to visit the primates (they were indoors) or the great apes but moved on to the bears. They live on Bear Mountain which was built in 1918 as a leading edge naturalistic habitat. It was the first of its type ever built. It currently is home to Grizzly Bears and Asian Black Bears.
There was a lot more to see but time was becoming an issue. The Denver Zoo also offers a number of different programs for improvements to the conditions of animals. They support many projects in the field. There is also is a program called "Bunk with the Beasts". This is an overnight featuring exploration of the zoo with experienced guides away from the crowds, use of night vision scopes and other features.
The Denver Zoo is an interesting and varied attraction with lots of different areas to focus on and enjoy. It offers many other programs not covered here. It is well worth a visit any time of year.
Denver Zoo10
Ratings
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Accessibility
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"Must See"-Factor
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Budget Friendliness
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Catering
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Suitable for Children
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Diversity of Species
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The Denver Zoo was very easy to get to and use. It is basically all four lane highway until one gets to 23rd Avenue which is a two lane major street. The zoo was up the street west (toward the mountains) from Colorado Boulevard only about 2 km on the left side of the street.
It was pretty inexpensive to get into the zoo. I paid $9 to roam the 80 acre facility for as long as I was prepared to stay up until it closes at 5:00 pm. A very fair rate I felt.
The zoo is in winter operations. This means that not all the concessions stands are open that will be in a few months (this is being written in February). By the same token there were plenty of opportunities for eating should I have elected to pursue that option. A large facility is right by the main entrance. However I was not here for the cuisine but to view the critters.
The Denver Zoo is set up for all manner of children. While I was there it was stroller central. There were strollers all over the park. The zoo also offers the rental of strollers, wagons and one other four wheeled conveyance of which I was not sure of the name but was the largest offering of the three choices. These devices were asked to be parked outside in two of the zoos venues. This is due to the tight navigation in these two building when the crowds are larger. Ramps are everywhere which will allow wheel chair access as well as for strollers. There was also some kind of class of school age children getting a tour while I was visiting.
As for "must see" and Diversity of species, they go hand in hand. What is one of the driving forces to see the zoo is the large number of animals that are at the zoo. On order of 5000 individuals representing some 700 species are present at the Denver Zoo. It covers a broad range of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. All manner of habits are there, arctic, Antarctic, tropical rainforest, savanna, desert, mountain and ocean are the ones that come to mind right off for me.
