Győr Zoo(Hungary) has a walk-through paddock with Blackbuck and Chital.
Unusual Walk-Through Exhibits?
- Thread starter Falanouc
- Start date
A few collections the UK have Red Squirrel Walkthroughs. Mainly because those zoos participate in the breeding red squirrel (separate to the walkthroughs), but I'm not too sure how common it is in other countries outside of Europe. So it is interesting hearing that Japan have a squirrel walkthrough!
I came across this picture in the gallery. Are Siamang in Chimelong Safari park kept in a sort of walk-through?
Siamang above the road - ZooChat
Siamang above the road - ZooChat
It was probably mentioned already: Zoo Goldau has walk-through Wildcats. Wildcats have a large open-topped paddock. Visitors can enter an observation hut, which opens into the paddock. The hut is empty inside, except the info tables, so the wildcat has no interest of going in. But it could easily jump over the waist-high barrier. The door is rather heavy, so the wildcat cannot escape.
My old local aquarium (Marineland of the Pacific) had created a very interesting type of walkthrough where you snorkel with fish through a themed river. There could be small sharks or rays and all sorts of fish. The aquarium is gone now but you can still find the attraction at a few waterparks in the US.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Couldn't this represent a risk to visitors ?
Both species are rather skittish, so I doubt it. These species have also been kept in other zoos (Overloon & Pescheray come to mind).
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I see, but still the horns of a blackbuck could really cause a nasty injury in the unlikely situation that a person was attacked I suppose.
So could white-tail antlers, kangaroo fists and tails, even goats... most walk-through animals could seriously injure someone. Blackbuck are really docile; they're used in non-AZA children's zoos. I've never seen a male in one, though.
There aren't any male in Győr Zoo's walkthru, too.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Yes, you are right I guess. I imagine that a ring tailed or ruffed lemur or a squirrel monkey could also deliver a vicious bite if pushed which doesn't stop them being used in walk through enclosures.
I personally would be much more hesitant with a primate walk through. They're faster, can come from above, have different ways of moving (swinging, tails, etc vs just walking), etc. With ungulates, if you're paying a bit of attention you can tell if one is getting upset.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Yes, I agree with you they are more unpredictable than ungulates, that said I do think walkthroughs are a brilliant concept in zoos.
From looking at other photos, there is an actual Siamang exhibit separate from the visitors and then this netted area strung overhead of a visitor path but it is not a shared space as such. It's sort of like how some zoos have cables for Orangutans and Siamang to move overhead of the visitors but they are still separated.
My local/home zoo has multiple walkthrough enclosures:
- African penguins and Flying steamer ducks.
- A petting zoo with Pygmy goats and Silkie chickens.
- Ring-tailed lemurs.
- Red kangaroos, Swamp wallaby and Tammar wallaby.
- Common shelduck, Common pochard, Barnacle goose and Red-crested pochard.
- Humboldt penguin and Flying steamer ducks.
- African penguins and Flying steamer ducks.
- A petting zoo with Pygmy goats and Silkie chickens.
- Ring-tailed lemurs.
- Red kangaroos, Swamp wallaby and Tammar wallaby.
- Common shelduck, Common pochard, Barnacle goose and Red-crested pochard.
- Humboldt penguin and Flying steamer ducks.
I wonder which primates were kept this way? I know of some exhibits with orangutans (Ouwahands, Washington, Singapore) and Black Howlers (Wroclaw).
I wouldn't call these two unusual as they are already established walk-through exhibits in many zoos across the globe.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Spider monkeys are frequently kept this way in a number of Latin American zoos.
Yeah, you're right. Forgot about the unusual part. Just listed all the walkthrough enclosures of my home zoo. My bad.