The Buffalo Zoo

I may sound like a broken record… but just a little news to back me up!
The elephants at The Buffalo Zoo are in atrocious and completely inadequate conditions! It is sickening how small the space is. And also, it’s a flat out lie that this is the first time The Buffalo Zoo has heard anything about this. I have seen the elephant exhibit rated poorly for a long time and I myself have been someone that has said it for years and on many occasions… these poor elephants deserve better! Buffalo Zoo President, Dr. Donna Fernandes, said the elephants Jothi and Surapa have plenty of room in their home. «They can move back and forth. They can turn around. It’s a lot of space,» Fernandes said. Is that something to be proud of? The buffalo zoo is selfish to keep them here! (I know they will be missed. And I’m sure they are treated well as can be but let’s face it even with doubling the square feet in the elephant exhibit… ITS NOT ENOUGH) Many zoos including The Buffalo Zoo, are squandering millions of dollars to increase the size of their elephant exhibits only slightly, but elephants in captivity don’t need a few more square feet – they need, at minimum, squaremiles. Jothi and Surapa deserve better! They deserve a sanctuary!
Please repost this… please share love for these elephants!

First time here in several years. Happily surprised by how great this zoo is now. Smaller zoo with lots of nice, close up exhibits. Good variety of animals in nice habitats. Only takes a few hours to take it all in and worth the visit.

Things don’t change much in Buffalo, now do they?
Last time I went to this zoo, it was around 10 years ago and I was getting married here. It was a marriage that went down in flames very quickly (tip: if you start going to marriage counseling before you even get married, do not get married). But my poor choices are not the zoo’s fault. I was a little cat crazy, so I had a cat themed wedding and we got married next to fountain near the lions and tigers. We had our reception inside the event room, we walked in to «Welcome to the Jungle». I cringe at the memories and occasionally throw up a little in my mouth.
Today, I returned to the scene of the crime. It was «Breakfast with Santa» with my toddler (and my much better 2^nd marriage husband). My son is animal obsessed. I knew he would love coming to see the animals. Last year when he was 1, we went to see Santa and he cried his face off and ran away from him so I wasn’t going to push it this year. I figured he could see Santa and if he wanted to approach him, he could. Plus there was food and it’s a zoo, so animals.
First, the Santa: we did not go up to sit on his lap but my son could not even tell it was «Santa». He had a sorta white beard but it was more salt and pepper. Had a lot of dark still in there. As far as my son was concerned, he was some weirdo in a red suit. They really should have invested in a more Santa-​like Santa. I want a jolly fat man with a WHITE beard.
Second, the food: The food was a meh but it was a buffet so you can expect that. They had potatoes (that I did not care for), «scrambled» eggs, pancakes, sausage, fruit and yogurt. The eggs were edible, the pancakes were burnt and not great, the fruit was not really that ripe. The one rave is the sausage… the sausage they had was actually really tasty. My son ate some yogurt and some sausage so I was pleased with that. They had coffee, OJ, and apple juice to drink. The line moved well but two hiccups, they have the drink station to close to the buffet and it’s hard for people to get drinks and get to buffet. Also, they only have one thing for syrup and that got the biggest line for it since most kids will eat pancakes. I would still get this again because you aren’t really paying $ 17 per adult for the food, it’s for your child’s experience.
Third: the animals. They had some people walking around with some animals for the children to pet. My son enjoyed petting the bunny and the snake. We went to the morning event and the zoo was not officially open yet so after we had some food and my son rejected salt and pepper Santa, we went around the zoo to see if any animals were out. We saw a few. The reindeer (I told my son Santa parked them at the zoo for the event), a polar bear, the wolves, the eagles (which need better names. I suggest «Freedom» and «Uncle Sam». Those are good eagle names), the long horn sheep and lots and lots of squirrels but those aren’t on exhibit. My son is OBSESSED with elephants so we went to the Elephant house so he could look through the glass to see them. He loved them but I couldn’t help but notice both of them were doing that sway dance elephants do when they are agitated. Not happy elephants :(
I was surprised that even though I hadn’t been to the zoo in 10 years, it largely looked exactly the same. The animal area look so small compared to other zoos. It’s nice to have zoos to see the animals but not the best life for the animal itself in a lot of cases. I think next summer I’d rather take my son to the Toronto zoo than this one. We went to the Syracuse zoo this summer and even that one was nicer than this one. And it’s in SYRACUSE. C’mon Buffalo, get your Sh– together. Are we gonna let Syracuse have a better zoo than us?!?
The workers in the Santa brunch area were nice but we did have one negative experience with a worker on our way out. We were about the exit when I used the ladies room real fast. My son and husband waited near the entrance/​exit because they have an inflatable Santa there and my son was drawn to it. A woman came out and snapped, «are you trying to get in?» at us and I said, «No, we finished at the Santa breakfast and are leaving» and she was sorta nasty in her response. Told us we were «confusing the staff because we are near the entrance». WHICH IS ALSO AN EXIT. Don’t get shitty with people leaving out the exit.

I was a bit let down by the Arctic edge exhibit. In comparison to the rainforest exhibit, it honestly didn’t seem worth all the hoopla. Not saying the polar bear, wolves, and bald eagles aren’t beautiful, I just expected a little more.
As always, the Buffalo Zoo left me feeling a little depressed. Compared to places like Toronto, it just doesn’t seem like the animals have enough space and/​or interaction. Plus, no matter when you go, it seems like half the animals aren’t on exhibit.
The otters and the lemurs are the highlight in my book.

Ok so $ 4.00 to park. $ 12.00 adult admission. Much cleaner than I remember. Polar bear exhibitor great. Not bad for a small city zoo. Band eagles elephants hyinas wolves lions and tigers and bears oh my. 30 seconds off the expressway too.

Went to the zoo today it was $ 1.00 day, haven’t been here in years and I now remember why!!! This has to be one of the worst zoo’s in America they have Nothing!!! Really almost no animals and what few they do have the only have one. Almost never a pair and they sleep the whole time take it today it was very hot almost 88 and humid but these things don’t move almost like their on drugs. One elephant and he was locked away in his house you had to stand in the door to look at him s.m.hbAnd renovations everywhere everything is blocked off just horrible glad I went today cause paying anything more then $ 1.00 is robberyThe children enjoyed their selves and that was because they didn’t know better

All the employees were great. Went out of there way and nice to see them involved with the animals. I’ve been going for years and it has been great each and every time.

This is a good place to come for a couple of hours, and we recently went on a field trip for the summer camp I work at. There are a decent amount of animals, but the polar bear exhibit is still being worked on, so it seemed like a huge chunk of the zoo was closed off.
The kids loved the «Bone Zone» where they dig to find dinosaur bones, but caution: they will get very dirty.
My campers seemed to get bored after about an hour of walking around. It didn’t seem like there were enough animals out (which I understand, as it was a very hot day, but the children did not understand that). We were able to make it to the sea lion show which they enjoyed. I am glad that they did not have to cancel that! My campers all said that was their favorite part of the day.
I do wish that there would be more water fountains available throughout the zoo, as well as bigger restrooms.

Went to Wines in the Wild event at the zoo. This was much fun, with great music, friendly, helpful and patient vendors offering tasty treats and delicious libations. However, for a repeat event there are several things that should’ve been done better. A map of the grounds including where to find food vs. wine vs. beer would be very helpful. Also, vendors need to prepare more servings or there should be some sort of «punch card system» b/​c by 7:30 (½ way thru the event) many things were GONE. Unfortunately we didn’t arrive at the beginning, so we missed many vendors completely. It would’ve been helpful if the greeters or perhaps the paper programs had more useful info like the suggested map, where to buy plates, tickets for auction or ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ as well as time deadlines. Overall we had a good time, but pricey if you’re not early.

Not the best zoo but has all your main animals you would want to see. Very reasonable price and decent food at the cafeteria. Seems to always be some new construction and the pilot bears weren’t out today. Worth a trip to take the kids

This zoo is on the small side but that’s perfect for smaller children or short outings. Most of the enclosures are relatively small without seeming inhumane, the positive of this is that you can usually see the animals and they don’t seem too far away. The animals look healthy and they almost all have their babies with them! The arctic exhibit is closed for renovations but everything else was open. The variety of animals was very good and the zoo way very clean. We really liked the rainforest.

I’ve never been to the zoo! Gasp! I know! I didn’t grow up in Buffalo and moved here at 19. With that said, I couldn’t really justify a reason to go to the zoo. I don’t have kids or lots of family w kids.
I went to the BuffaLoveFest with a group of friends. And it was so much fun! Between the food trucks, music tent, and beer tables, it was great! I had such a great time! We didn’t get to see many animals as it was later in the day.
I’ll definitely come back and check it out during the day!

I absolutely love the Buffalo Zoo! It’s such a fun place to visit. My family has had a membership since I was little. I’ve seen so many great improvements, especially over the last five years.
The new-​ish Rainforest Exhibit is beautifully done. The plants, trees, waterfall and climate all feel like an actual rainforest. They have vampire bats, an anteater and an ocelot, as well as many tropical birds and reptiles.
The giraffes are beautiful, as well as the elephants and zebras. My favorite part of the zoo has always been the Reptile House. I love all of the different frogs, snakes and turtles.
They have a gorgeous male and female lion, as well as some tigers. The new baby Polar Bear, Luna, is so adorable.
They have lots of fun events and fundraisers. My favorite is «Wines in the Wild,» a fundraiser held in July. Tickets are $ 35 if you get them ahead of time. Local restaurants and vendors set up stands throughout the zoo. You get unlimited wine tasting and food. It’s such a great deal and it’s for a good cause! It was easily one of my favorite days of the summer last year.

The zoo itself is easily 5 stars at its price point, but parking is a nightmare on a busy day. The lot is unmanned, and once you get in you can’t get out again without purchasing a token, resulting in a continuous stream of newcomers pouring in and circling the parking lot in search of a spot like a shark stalking prey.
I was very relieved when I finally slipped into a spot. The fact that I’m still giving the zoo four stars should give you an idea of how much we enjoyed the zoo itself. Seriously, it had to work its way back up from one.
The first exhibit we saw was the sea lion. It has a large enclosure with a bridge and several viewing areas, including an underwater viewing area with two large windows. I think they could comfortably add at least one more sea lion. The existing sea lion would appreciate the company, and visitors would appreciate more viewing opportunities. The river otters have a really nice sized enclosure as well relative to other zoos and aquariums.
The lion enclosure, and the enclosure occupied by the polar bear in the morning and the tiger in the afternoon have multiple viewing areas, including indoor and outdoor. Most other exhibits similarly allowed the possibility of close, unobstructed views. Even the traditionally maligned hyena received the glass window treatment. He came right up to my son. I’ve never seen one up close before. Very cool.
Other highlights include the gorillas, meercats and rainforest exhibit. You can cross a bridge next to a waterfall and watch capybara swim in the water, or ascend the stairs and get face to face with exotic birds and small primates playing in trees. There’s also an ocelot enclosure, and bats.
We saw the snow leopard Grace when she was a cub at Zoo Boise. Small world!

I’ve always enjoyed myself coming to the zoo. It’s a great place for a date, a friendly get together, and of course for families. There’s just so much to see and so many amazing animals you’ll find yourself spending way too much time staring at the meerkats or marveling at how closely related we are to the gorillas. But the show stopper is the jungle enclosure. Worth the price of entry alone, the sheer amount of wildlife around you, constantly, even in the dead of winter is mesmerizing. I’ve been going every at least once (Oddly enough, in early December.) The only downside is the increasing number of empty enclosures. And that’s not really the zoo’s fault.

It makes me angry when people talk crap about it zoo. It’s apt of work and there is not a lot of funding. In general this buffalo zoo is great! They are building an awesome polar exhibit, the rainforest is breathtaking, and where else can you see giraffes, elephants, gorillas, and hyenas in one day? It’s great and I would recommend this place to anyone! Perfect day trip! Most animals in zoos are there because they would not survive in the wild or are part of a breeding program for endangered animals

Today marked the 22 year I have attended the Breakfast with Santa gathering. In my family it is a tradition that at the age of 3 you are allowed to accompany grandma and all your older cousins to eat breakfast in the conference room at the gorilla house and tell Santa what if is you want for Christmas. The breakfast is tasty and the same friendly Santa greets my family each year.
It has been a fascination of mine to watch the zoo change throughout the years. This year the buffalo zoo will celebrate it’s 125^th anniversary and I loved walking around today admiring the original charming stone buildings and walkways. The zoo itself is small but new additions are being added all the time. Currently there is construction for a new polar bear exhibit. I can’t wait to see it in the upcoming months! If you’re looking for a great place to take the kids to learn about and see wild animals, this is the place.

Maybe it was the weather. Perhaps it’s that I’ve been spoiled by living in both SF and DC, which are home to some world class zoos. The Buffalo Zoo is just not all that impressive. They’re trying, they’re opening a new wing in the future, and maybe that’ll help, but some of the displays here are the old school «animals in a cage» variety (thinking specifically of some of the avian exhibits) and I just wasn’t all that impressed.
It didn’t help that it was bitterly cold outside, and we spent a large chunk in the rainforest exhibit, which was the best part of the zoo, because it was warm.

What’s that quote?
«Comparison is the thief of joy?»
That’s the one.
This zoo is «a-​ok!» It’s compact, easily navigated and doable in an afternoon. We went right after it opened and were able to get a good parking spot. We only waited in line for admission for a few minutes, and we saw all of the park (and ate) within the span of three hours. After reading some reviews, I expected some bare exhibits, but most everything was available and many of the animals were active.
Where this zoo suffers is if you have any «big city» zoo experience to compare it to. Having lived in Philadelphia, I couldn’t help but compare, and many of the exhibits here fall short. However, their excellent «Rainforest Falls» exhibit showcases that they know how to do their newer exhibits right, so I am excited to see what «The Arctic Edge» will offer when it is completed.

This isn’t the Buffalo Crew which is a rowing club. Nor is it the Buffalo Sue which is a girl I know. Nor the Buffalo Sues which is a documentary about how people in Buffalo tend to bring lawsuits against each other. It’s also not the Buffalo Blue which is a type of local cheese. And the Buffalo Gnu, he lives here but he’s not the name of this place. The Buffalo Boo is what you hear from the crowd whenever the Bills lose. And the Buffalo Screw, well, you don’t want to know about that one.
No, this is none of those things. It’s a zoo, people. A zoo.
I don’t like zoos. It is wonderful to see all the exotic and incredible and adorable animals, but it is heartbreaking to know they are in captivity… I have a huge problem with the way humans treat animals in general, and the way we interact with them, enslave them, use them, produce and slaughter them, imprison them for entertainment purposes… and for moneymaking purposes. So the less I say about the concept of zoos, the better.
But let’s just say that as far as zoos goo, this is one of the most compact, cheap, easy to navigate, enjoyable, lovely and fun zoos that I have ever been to and anyone who likes zoos, should come here. I once rode a camel here, and I loved every minute of being in this zoo when I was younger, except for the guilt of participating in a place that keeps animals locked up for entertainment purposes.