I visited the Brookfield Zoo two days ago with my daughter and mother, just outside of Chicago. The rampant commercialism did not surprise me, I suppose without corporate buy-ins and sponsorship, the zoo could not maintain itself. But there were two very pleasant surprises: 1) the incorporation of Native American nomenclature and local knowledge into exhibits of North American animals:

Brookfield Zoo June 15th 2010

Brookfield Zoo June 15 2010

Brookfield Zoo June 15, 2010

and 2) the Mbuti-centered Rain Forest area.

placard at Brookfield Zoo "Mbuti"

Demystifying Zoo Collections