Dallas Zoo

I hope Mitch had the opportunity to visit the Wilds of Africa at the Dallas Zoo. This newer part of the Zoo features naturalistic habitats for all of its inhabitats. The gorilla and chimpanzee exhibits are landscaped with plants the animals can enjoy -- whether they are exploring or snacking. I work for the Zoo and know that all exhibit areas meet or exceed recommendations by the Association for Zoos & Aquariums. Also, Claire4somethingnew should note that the Zoo has not had lions since spring 2008 and we only feature very small cats, like endangered ocelots, bobcats, and fishing cats in a space that was originally designed for lions and tigers. The Sumatran tigers have a habitat that is more than an acre and it is landscaped to look like a forest that has regrown after logging. It features a pool for swimming and heated rocks for lounging in the winter. Also, the Dallas Zoo has been nationally recognized for the quality of its bird program. We expanded the exhibit areas for birds of prey and scavengers -- raising their nesting boxes, adding water features, building new perches and increasing the height and width of exhibits. The Dallas Zoo also has accomplished many "firsts" in breeding birds and we make significant contributions to the body of scientific knowledge about birds. Finally, the Galapagos tortoises have a yard that allows them plenty of space to roam and several sources of water -- and they eat like crazy. They can cross the path to their climate-controlled holding area when weather is chilly, and where they also have plenty of food and water. Although sea turtles and some species swim for many miles, Galapagos tortoises do very well on land and within a controlled area. I hope Clair and Mitch come see the Giants of the Savanna, which opens Memorial Day weekend. This 11-acre habitat will be home to elephants and giraffes -- who will move out of a home that was state-of-the art when it was built in the 1950s. We agree it was outdated and we are very proud of the new habitat that the citizens of Dallas have created for them. It also will feature new lions (which have yet to arrive in Dallas as of late January) and cheetahs in the Predator exhibit, too. The lush landscaping will have a mix of "tasty" and "not-so-tasty" grasses so that the animals do not graze it bare. There also will be pools and "mudholes" for the elephants to enjoy and close-to-native plants for shade and browse. We're using a special soil that will withstand compacting by elephants and the other heavy residents. Giants of the Savanna will be one of the finest savanna habitats in any zoo in the world. The mixed species habitats also will feature impala, ostriches, warthogs, red river hogs, vulturine guineafowl and so much more. I sincerely hope Mitch and Claire will visit us again and take a new look at the new Dallas Zoo.

This zoo need a major overhall, cages are to small for alot of animals. The cage have no grass just a bunch of dirt,some have alot weeds. Just piss pour....They need to closed move somewhere else with new building/cages everything....this place is sad....Fort worth is ten times better!!!

We enjoyed the zoo. It was 85F when we arrived there. Unlike some other zoos i've been in, the Dallas zoo has several air conditioned building that you can look at the animals yet escape the heat. It is a large zoo, and is spread out. My two kids, 4 and 1, enjoyed what they saw, but were wiped out by the heat after about 3 hours.

This is the worst zoo that I have ever been too. This is not a habitat zoo where the animals are equipped with surroundings similar to their habitat. The birds are kept in cages which is similar to keeping humans in boxes. The tortoises, who are migratory animals that swim hundreds of miles were kept in enclosed areas with not much water, the continent aminals (Lions, tigers, etc. from Africa, Asia, etc. ) were kept in small areas where they could not roam unaware of their human spectators. The ASPCA and PETA have placed all zoos but in particular zoos sush as this on their list of places to avoid mainly because its not catered towards keeping the animals in places similar to their native habitat. I have gone to many zoos and this is the first one where the animals literally looked sad. I had three other companions with me all who agreed wholeheartedly that this place is not good for any of the animals there. I would not patronize this zoo again, and asked the ASPCA if it would be shut down, but unfortunately Texas and federal law don't give much credence to the rights of animals. If you want to support zoos visit habitat zoos like the Fortworth zoo which is about one hour away but 100 times better than Dallas.

I enjoyed all of the new additions the zoo has made the past few years. There are a lot of indoor exhibits now that are really great. The Bug U and Birds of Wonder building are both really cool. They are also building another giant section to the zoo which is going to be an African Safari. The Dallas zoo is a LOT better than it used to be, and is getting better. I would absolutely recommend it!

I have never seen such a wonderful place. All the animals were great and the lion looked justfine to me. I recomend this zoo to all of my friends.

We've been to this zoo many times when we used to live in the Dallas area. We like it much better than the Atlanta Zoo because they are not full of themselves. A public zoo is not a place that should cost a fortune to visit but a place to spend the afternoon with the family. We have hundreds of family memories at this particular zoo. We love it so much. Every time we come back to Dallas, visiting family and friends, we at least make the effort to come back. Flying in to visit for Christmas, we will make it a priority to visit the Dallas Zoo.

No, it's not flashy like the Ft Worth Zoo, but it is very impressive. We had the privilege of spending a night in the Zoo and meeting the zoo keepers. We were very impressed. The Dallas Zoo is very similar to the San Diego zoo in terms of care for animals. The Ft Worth Zoo is privately owned and is only out to make money. It's obvious. The Dallas Zoo is funded by grants and is more concerned for the well being of the animals, than flashy displays. We are members of the Dallas Zoo and will continue to be members. We rarely visit the Ft Worth zoo as we are not impressed. We recommend the Dallas Zoo as it is trying to make the homes for the animals based on government granted money. They care deeply about the animals and would love to have private donors help them help the animals.

We are in Dallas due to Hurricane Ike. We were very impressed with the quality of exhibits. The monorail was very nice. People were friendly and prices were reasonable. I'd recommend this zoo.

I have been to the Dallas Zoo several times simply because it was closer to Plano than Ft. Worth. I can tell you that after my last trip I will never go again. I am ashamed of the way that these majestic animals are caged and mistreated. I can't stand to watch the lions pace back and forth over and over again.. day after day after day. Why not just put them in a dog kennel? It would essentially be the same thing!! Dallas Zoo in my opinion has made unnoticeable changes if any and it is definitely worth the extra gas money to go to Ft. Worth! I am truly shocked that nothing has been done to rescue these animals.