Nose to nose with a Capuchin monkey
Written: Jul 31 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bird show, large children’s area
Cons: Many of the habitats are small and outdated
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| saprswife's Full Review: Hogle Park Zoo |
I lived in Salt Lake City as a child and some of my fondest memories revolved around the Hogle Zoo, nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. It has been over 15 years after my last visit, and my family was going to be driving through Salt Lake during a road trip from Oklahoma to Washington. We decided to spend the day exploring my old stomping grounds.
Now the Hogle Zoo is not gigantic by any means so if you are used to the San Diego Zoo, be prepared. It is a nice size, however, especially when you have children. Some areas are a bit hilly, but the paths are well-maintained, and large, mature trees keep the area cool by offering shade.
Many of the exhibit buildings are on the old side, but they are unique. One has a carved stone elephant over the main entrance, but to many they may look plain and outdated by today’s standards.
The primate area is a combination of indoor and outdoor habitats. With the indoor portion you can get right next to the glass. At times the monkeys will sit right along the glass. My son was nose to nose with a Capuchin monkey and several other species. He was never real fond of monkeys, but after that experience they are all he talks about.
A couple of the rooms you also view from higher up, almost looking down into the exhibit. It’s really interesting since many times the monkeys are at the tops of the trees so you are now on their level, not having to look up. There are also two outdoor geodesic dome cages for the ring-tailed lemurs.
Unfortunately many of the other habitats are very small and sparse (made of concrete with very little natural stimulation for the animals). This is especially true for the elephants, bears, rhinos, and giraffes. I was sincerely hoping they had been given larger, more natural homes, but this was not the case. Since I visited last, however, they did move several animals to larger areas. The gorillas were once housed in small indoor cages but have now been moved to more natural, outdoor habitats. It is still smaller than many other gorilla habitats I have seen at other zoos, but it is a vast improvement on the desolate and dismal indoor cages.
Even though some of the habitats are a very small, the zookeepers are big believers in environmental enrichment to help keep the animals stimulated. Things that looked a bit out of place but kept the animals happy were a Fisher Price Busy Box, puzzle cubes to hide food, and even construction cones.
For the kids:
Discovery Land is the children’s area of the zoo. It is designed to look like a desert canyon, complete with caves to “explore.” Many of the animals can be seen in the caves, including bats, tarantulas, vultures, and other animals indigenous to dry/arid climates. In several areas of the caves there are large, plastic domes to poke your head into…you may just catch a glimpse of a prairie dog or marmot.
In addition, Discovery Land has a small train (admission is $1.00 per rider). It is a fairly short ride around the kids’ area but fun nonetheless. There is also a small play area where the kids can run and work off some excess energy.
Bird Show:
The bird show is probably one of the highlights for many at the Hogle Zoo, and if you have a chance don’t miss it! The performances are once a day on weekdays (11:00AM when we visited) and several shows daily on the weekends. It is in an open amphitheater with bleacher seating. You will want to get there early, as there was a huge crowd when we visited with people sitting in the pathways and standing all along the perimeter.
It is an impressive 30-minute show. Several birds are released from very high up (50-70ft) and swoop down into the audience. Many bird shows usually only highlight the birds of prey and/or parrots. This show, however, is a bit different. Yes, you will see the parrots and birds of prey (hawks, owls, and eagles), but they also showcase white pelicans, doves, and more. The doves, as it turns out, are small, feathered TV stars, the same doves that are seen in the weekly series “Touched by an Angel.”
Ammenities:
- Stroller/wheelchair rentals
- ATM
- Refreshments – The Beastro is located towards the entrance of the park and offers hamburgers, pizza, and a variety of snacks. There are two smaller stands located throughout the zoo, but they are only open on the weekends.
Tips:
- Arrive early in the day. In addition to fewer people, the animals are much more active first thing in the morning. Many of the animals were in the process of eating or on the lookout for the zookeepers who were soon to arrive with breakfast.
- Bring your walking shoes and strollers. Although the Hogle Zoo isn’t inordinately large, you will do a great amount of walking. If you have youngsters, you may want to bring or rent a stroller.
- If you plan on visiting in late May (towards the end of the school year) you may want to call ahead. When we visited, our fellow zoo patrons consisted of at least 20 to 25 school groups (and this is a very conservative estimate). At times it was difficult to see the animals, and the atmosphere was very loud, with screams and yells echoing in the indoor exhibits.
Hours:
Gate hours - 9AM to 5PM.
You can remain on the grounds until 6:30PM.
Admission:
Adults $6.00
Seniors $4.00
Children (3-12) $4.00
Children 2 and younger - Free
Family memberships are also available
For more information visit their website or call:
http://www.hoglezoo.org
(801) 582-1631
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
saprswife
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Location: Washington State
Reviews written: 75
Trusted by: 104 members
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