My Fantasy Zoo

ajmcwhipsnade

ajmcwhipsnade

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Seeing as I spend a lot of time (maybe too much?) on my 'fantasy' zoo I was wondering if anyone would be interested in me posting a walkthrough or something like that to do with my zoo? Its not too fantasy as its a typical british/irish zoo but I have got a few 'unusual' animals in it...or at least animals I haven't actually seen!

I was also wondering could I ask for advice with the zoo? like is it crucial that certain animals have two separate enclosures and/or inside/outside enclosures?
 
Sure peoples ideas are always interesting so walk away.
Many animals will require indoor and outdoor enclosures, whether or not
they are open for public viewing is of course your fantasy. :)
 
The first part of my Zoo walkthrough, its only short. If you have any questions or ideas then please let me know!

My Zoo

(An unspecific hillside Zoo located in the United Kingdom/Ireland)

After a drive down the long driveway into the Zoo and past the hilly car park it is on into the main entrance (for anyone who has visited Paignton Zoo it has a similar pick up area in front of the entrance). Once through the entrance you walkout out into the Zoo. A large Zoo map sign stands in the middle of the pathway with a pair of tropical bird aviaries off to the right of the entrance ‘plaza’. The entrance plaza is surrounded by trees and has benches down each side.

Heading down the path you come to an open air enclosure for Squirrel Monkeys & White Faced Saki Monkeys. This enclosure forms part of the first major exhibit called ‘Fragile Forest’ home to South American primates. Just past the Squirrel/Saki Monkey enclosure is a ramp (off the side of the main path) that leads up to a bamboo cladded building, the main ‘Fragile Forest’ building. The building is bring inside due to a large skylight and is decorated inside by South American plants. The building houses inside enclosures for Squirrel Monkeys, Saki Monkeys, Geoffroy’s Marmoset (visible if you carried on down the main zoo path), Golden Headed Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Two Toed Sloth & Goeldi's Monkey. Heading out a door to the far right from the entrance to the exhibit, you head up a ramp that leads you up through a netted walkthrough enclosure which holds the Golden Headed Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin & Two Toed Sloth. Coming to the end of the walkthrough enclosure, you exit out past the outdoor enclosure for Goeldi’s Monkeys and past a higher up viewing area for the original Squirrel/Saki Monkey enclosure.
 
They will need indoor enclosures -yes?
Also will there be additional species-such as ground dwellars? brocket deer, agouti? tortoises or turtles? But a nice start
 
Daktari JG said:
They will need indoor enclosures -yes?
Also will there be additional species-such as ground dwellars? brocket deer, agouti? tortoises or turtles? But a nice start
Click to expand...

I realised I didn't really word it correctly, i meant to enquire about animals that possibly could be fine only having inside enclosures.

There are more mixed exhibits in the zoo, I'm not sure there would be room for additional species. I had an idea for agouti to be able to access all the enclosures but that could allow other animals to get into the wrong enclosures!
 
Heading up the path from the Squirrel Monkey enclosure you to a right turn that takes you across a wide path that also acts as an access road that leads further into the Zoo. Crossing the access road you come across a medium sized walkthrough aviary as the Zoo starts to head up the hill. The wooden walkway leads up through the aviary that is home to Waldrapp Ibis, Little Egret, Hamerkop & Abyssinian Blue Winged Geese. The aviary is well planted and gives as natural as possible feel to the aviary. The path leads out of the aviary and starts to run along the base of the steep hill (Remember the car park was on a slope, this current path pretty much runs along the top of the car park). On the left of the path you come to a covered cage structure home to Columbian Spider Monkeys. The front of the enclosure is cladded in wood and has two large glass viewing windows. At the end of the enclosure is the house for the Spider Monkeys which also has a viewing window. The path starts to wind to the left and back again as you head down towards another glass fronted enclosure home to Fishing Cats. The enclosure is covered and is full of rocks, climbing structures and a pool. On your right, opposite the Fishing Cats is a steep open top enclosure for Lion Tailed Macaques which forms one part of the ‘Sun Bear Falls’ exhibit. Viewing for the enclosure is at the bottom of the steep hill and the glass front gives good views up into the Macaque enclosure. The path curves further around to the left through some trees as you come to the second and final enclosure of ‘Sun Bear Falls’. Again it is a steep enclosure, but much larger than the Macaque enclosure and is home to a pair of Sun Bears & a pair of Binturong. Going along with the name of the exhibit the enclosure features a waterfall and plenty of climbing structures on the steep hillside. Viewing again is from large glass viewing windows with the front of the enclosure again cladded in wood and featuring loads of information signs. Directly opposite ‘Sun Bear Falls’ is a tall aviary for Egyptian Vultures. The aviary is netted but also has glass windows at the front, however this aviary is not cladded in wood.
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
The first part of my Zoo walkthrough, its only short. If you have any questions or ideas then please let me know!

My Zoo

(An unspecific hillside Zoo located in the United Kingdom/Ireland)

After a drive down the long driveway into the Zoo and past the hilly car park it is on into the main entrance (for anyone who has visited Paignton Zoo it has a similar pick up area in front of the entrance). Once through the entrance you walkout out into the Zoo. A large Zoo map sign stands in the middle of the pathway with a pair of tropical bird aviaries off to the right of the entrance ‘plaza’. The entrance plaza is surrounded by trees and has benches down each side.

Heading down the path you come to an open air enclosure for Squirrel Monkeys & White Faced Saki Monkeys. This enclosure forms part of the first major exhibit called ‘Fragile Forest’ home to South American primates. Just past the Squirrel/Saki Monkey enclosure is a ramp (off the side of the main path) that leads up to a bamboo cladded building, the main ‘Fragile Forest’ building. The building is bring inside due to a large skylight and is decorated inside by South American plants. The building houses inside enclosures for Squirrel Monkeys, Saki Monkeys, Geoffroy’s Marmoset (visible if you carried on down the main zoo path), Golden Headed Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Two Toed Sloth & Goeldi's Monkey. Heading out a door to the far right from the entrance to the exhibit, you head up a ramp that leads you up through a netted walkthrough enclosure which holds the Golden Headed Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin & Two Toed Sloth. Coming to the end of the walkthrough enclosure, you exit out past the outdoor enclosure for Goeldi’s Monkeys and past a higher up viewing area for the original Squirrel/Saki Monkey enclosure.
Click to expand...
All those species, except maybe the sloth, will thrive much better with outside access.
 
FBBird said:
All those species, except maybe the sloth, will thrive much better with outside access.
Click to expand...

Of course :) All the species have accsess to outside enclosures. The open top Squirrel monkey enclosure, the walkthrough and the marmosets have outside enclosures as well as the indoor. Sorry Im not very good at writing it clearly!
 
Along the path through the woods and beside the Egyptian Vulture aviary is a long, tall enclosure for Agile Gibbons. The top of the enclosure is covered by a caged roof allowing the Gibbons to take advantage of more opportunities for swinging and climbing. The front of the enclosure is covered but for two large viewing windows. Either side of the viewing windows are large signs with information about Agile Gibbons and the work the Zoo is doing in the wild. At the far end of the enclosure is the Gibbon house which has a large indoor area for the Agile Gibbons and the viewing area is again planted well and made bright by a sky light. Opposite the first viewing window for the Gibbons is a raised viewing area (accessed via some steps) that brings you the first view of the large and steep enclosure for Lowland Gorillas and Black & White Colobus. The raised viewing area is fronted by enclosure wall high glass panels and leads into the main Ape building ‘Ape World’. The Gorilla enclosure continues up the steep hill to a viewing area that is reachable later in the Zoo. Once inside the ‘Ape World’ building there are three show areas, two large indoor areas with floor to ceiling glass panels and a narrower one in-between also with floor to ceiling panels. The indoor area as you walk in is for the Lowland Gorillas, the middle narrower one is for the Colobus and the furthest larger indoor area is for Bornean Orang Utans. Within the ‘Ape World’ building, opposite the Gorllia indoor area is a small vivarium home to Yellow Headed Day Gecko. Walking out of the front of ‘Ape World’ (through automatic doors) which is directly in front of all three indoor areas you have the Agile Gibbon house in front of you and to the right you have a large Meerkat enclosure. The enclosure is fronted by chest high glass windows which are punctuated by fake rock boulders.
 
Opposite the Meerkat enclosure is the first glass window viewing areas into the Orang Utan enclosure. The enclosure carries on up the steep hill which we will come back to later. Running down the side of the larger Meekat enclosure is a wide path that takes you into the African section of the Zoo. On the right of the wide path is an enclosure for Warthogs. The enclosure is lined with wooden poles, decorated in typical African artwork. As the enclosure and path curves around you come to the Warthog house designed as a typical African mud hut. Opposite the Warthog house is a small café, again designed in African stylings. The Zoo is now making its way down one side of the hilly car park that was mentioned at the start. The café has a glass front and an outside sitting area that looks over a grass enclosure home to Gelada’s which marks the start of the ‘Into Africa’ exhibit. The front of the enclosure is surrounded by a dry moat that is hidden by rocks in front of the public viewing areas. The enclosure has a rocky mound and climbing structures. Carrying on around the Gelada enclosure you come to a path that leads across an access road. Above the path is a sign reading ‘Welkom in Afrika’. To the rightside of the path is an aviary for Secretary Birds. The enclosure is netted allowing natural behaviour and the enclosure floor is covered with branches and rocks. Heading under the ‘Welkom in Afrika’ sign and across the acsess road (which leads to some indoor housing) you are met by the Okapi house which has viewing windows. Much like the cafe mentioned earlier it is the building is African themed and is cladded in bark. At the Okapi house you have the option to go left towards a large walkthrough aviary or right which leads towards large enclosures for Okapi, Bongo and an aviary for Hooded Vultures. Heading right into the walkthrough aviary. The aviary is acsessed via self locking doors, and once through you are into a large netted aviary. The aviary is well planted, has a stream running through it and is home to African Spoonbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Sacred Ibis, Cattle Egret, Black Crowned Night Heron, Fischer's Turaco & Blue Bellied Roller. The path snakes through the aviary and reaches the other side of the aviary, where through another pair of self-locking doors you are met with more of ‘Into Africa’ to explore.
 
Walking out of the walkthrough aviary you next come to an African themed hut which acts as the viewing area onto the large African Hunting Dog enclosure. The front of the hut is glass panels giving you a great view onto the enclosure. The enclosure is well planted, features rocks, a drinking pond and a rock cave. The Hunting Dog enclosure is adjacent to the driveway that leads up to the hilly car park. Coming out of the viewing hut you have one of the two Okapi enclosures in front of you. It is situated down one side of the walkthrough aviary. This is the smaller of the two Okapi enclosures and both this one and the larger one (which is later on the Into Africa exhibit) is home to Red Forest Duikers as well as the Okapi. The enclosure has a shelter in the middle as the trees and plants have yet to grow to give shade for the Okapi. Heading around the smaller Okapi enclosure you come to another viewing African hut, this time open, with a wattle fence separating the visitors from the Red River Hog enclosure. The Red River Hog enclosure is also adjacent to the Zoo driveway and is a natural looking enclosure surrounded by rocks. On down from the viewing hut is the indoor house for the Hogs which again is themed as an African hut and has a large glass viewing window allowing you to look on into the house. Walking down past the Hog enclosure, through a small open plaza you come to the end of the path that then heads either right of left. Heading left, down the other side of the Hog enclosure you eventually come to a viewing hut (much like the one for the Hunting Dogs) that gives you a view into the first of two Cheetah enclosures. The Cheetah complex is situated adjacent to the Zoo driveway and to the main road that the driveway leads off from. The enclosure is surrounded by trees and is well planted again, much like the Hunting Dog enclosure. Walking back to where the path originally went right or left, you head straight ahead (turning right when walking down past the Hogs) you walkthrough a covered area that acts as the indoor viewing for the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs have one on show den, with the floor being covered in substrates. Opposite the show den is a small open air, glass fronted enclosure for Cape Ground Squirrels. The enclosure is surrounded by high rocks and has indoor viewing around the back of the exhibit. Walking out through the other side of the covered area you head down a path with the second Cheetah enclosure on your left. The path then bends around to the left leading to an identical viewing hut for the second Cheetah enclosure. The enclosure again is well planted, with rocks and a cave. On the right hand side of the path that leads you out of the covered indoor den viewing area is an open air enclosure for Cherry Crowned Mangabeys. The enclosure has a large wooden climbing frame, ropes, nets and allows visitors great views of the Mangabeys.
 
Heading back up to the small open plaza with the Red River Hog house on your right you have another viewing area for the Cherry Crowned Mangabeys and to the left of the viewing area is a viewing window into the indoor area for the Cape Ground Squirrels. The indoor area is disguised by fake rock. Heading out of the small plaza (with the Mangabeys on your left) you come to two separate viewing areas for the second and larger Okapi paddock. This paddock has unopposed views due to the ha-ha that surrounds the whole enclosure. The ha-ha is well hidden by planting and grasses. The enclosure has a large structure to provide extra shade and has new trees protected by netting. As the path rounds the enclosure you have another short path on the left that leads to the viewing area into the Mangabey house. Re-joining the path around the far end of the Okapi paddock, on your left you have a long thin aviary for a pair of Hooded Vultures. The far end of the enclosure is modelled with fake rock and the aviary has fine stone on the ground. It is well planted, with perching opportunities and a fake skull of an antelope on the ground. As the path turns right down the other side of the Okapi paddock you come to a small African themed viewing hut with glass viewing windows into the Hooded Vulture aviary. Walking down the path with the Okapi paddock on your right, again separated via the ha-ha you have the Striped Hyena enclosure. The path follows the front of the enclosure and much like the Hunting Dog and Cheetah enclosures is again well planted, has a drinking pool, a mound with a cave and some fake rock. As you carry on the path past the Hyenas you are back at the Okapi House where you cross back over the access road and past the Geladas on your right.
 
So do you have a definite plan of everything or is this just what you are creating as you go along?
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
I get pretty involved, I have it all worked out on my computer. I probably spend way too much time on it but I love it :)
Click to expand...
No, I get it, I have my own fantasy zoo, I try to not make it boring by making it pretty interactive. It's called the Overpriced Zoo if you want to check it out. It went through a lot and still isn't finished.
 
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