Dream zoo

Wild Canada part 2:


The left path that circles around is the last stop on our Wild Canada journey. You are immediately struck by the attention to detail surrounding you in this path, with wagons and mountain landforms with gold mines that are blocked off. The first area in this section is a large cabin lodge, and it is decked out with information about the wildlife of Canada, plus some cultural details 2. However this is actually an exhibit for animals. In the first glass terrarium is a strange plateau like exhibit for Pacific burrowing wasps. We have a large colony here at the zoo, and their exhibit is just big enough for them, with a slightly rounded viewing dome. More terrariums are in this building for a few more critters. Such as Long-toed Salamander and Coastal giant salamander. They are in adjacent exhibits next to the fireplace, and have very cool underwater viewing areas on both of them. The exhibits are rotational, so they do switch once in a while. Their is also a cool terrarium for an Eastern milk snake, and another one for Bullsnakes. The bullsnakes have a very large terrarium, and it looks like if it is in a barn of some sort. The milk snakes get pretty standard exhibits though, so lets move on. The first outdoor exhibit is very cool, and is netted. It is home to Newfoundland foxes, and they are built on a large mountain above you from all sides. They essentially look down on you, and have some very cool exhibit features. For one, a rocky stream is put their, and for 2.They actually have a very cool rock jet-outing from the side of the exhibit, where they sleep. But they have a truly awesome exhibit, and provides the word predator, stuck in your brain. Going down the path, you meet a really curious carnivore, the Fisher. They a couple have a glass-fronted exhibits, with a very awesome log walkway that they can travel through above you. They essentially have a wooden playground, made of sticks and logs, and the fishers really enjoy the fun enrichment. They also have an appropriate stream in one of the exhibits, with log bridges passing over it. Moving on from that exhibit, you are suddenly walking a considerably larger platform, about the size of the walkways in the Minnesota zoo outdoors section. They give you some pretty cool views of some pretty cool animals, but in the center you will find a tall diamond-shaped native fish tank. You will find these throughout the Wild Canada exhibit, and their are 3 of them. I am modeling them after the main big fish tank at the great lakes aquarium in Duluth, a tank designed that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting there. It offers view of the fish all around, and it is fairly sizable as well. This ones species list is, American Paddlefish, Shortnose sturgeon, Northern pike, and walleye. The first exhibit on your left is a very quaint habitat for some Natives. It is designed like a peaceful connection of duck ponds, with cherry trees surrounding it. It holds Trumpeter swan, do note that this is a very large exhibit, Painted turtles, and Northern bog lemmings. A cute little mix of species, but it might be a little hard to spot the lemmings! On your right however, is a very uniquely shaped exhibit, with multiple curves and tunnels and upward land shaping. This is the home for the bobcat, and to get the bobcat from doing something other than pacing, as they usually always do, I have provided plenty of interestingly shaped exhibits for them to explore in. Past those 2 exhibits, will take you towards a hill-like exhibit for wild turkey with netting, and a pretty snazzy backdrop of a barn design. This is actually a gate for the keepers to go in and out of the exhibit. Next to that exhibit, a Canada skunk lives in glass-fronted exhibit, and has plenty of natural and mock-rock features to decorate the exhibit. Their is a small grass meadow section, with a rocky top with a home for the skunk. A simulated tent and fire pit is also a nice addition. The next area is a long indoor hallway showing some views into outdoor exhibits, and some purely indoor exhibits as well. The first indoor habitat is a small terrarium with a burned out gas lamp as its scenery, for a Funnel web spider. Beyond that is look onto a largely wooded tree area for North american porcupines. Now this exhibit has multiple logs and sticks that can lead up to a higher wooded ledge area in case if the porcupines need to get some privacy. The trees are birch, and a small stream in the center is also a pretty nice addition. Continuing with some more terrarium habitats, the first one is an exhibit for Sea lampreys, a fairly simple exhibit designed with a small upper area with a "DANGER" sign. In the water, the lampreys can get right up to the glass, or choose to swim around in their murky water exhibit. encased in a pillar, is an exhibit for Hudson bay toads. They have a cute little breeding program for these guys, and the tadpoles can be seen in a separate tank across from the main terrarium. More indoor exhibits are spread throughout the walls, one for a Blue crayfish, a pretty animal, now seen in an extensive underwater habitat. You now exit that area, and are met with a beautiful extensive habitat for Canadian lynx. They have a snowing machine in the wintertime, and a simulated frozen-over pond. (not actually). Plenty of cold-aired ledges for Canadian lynx are surrounding the observers eyes, and you may occasionally spot one sleeping their, but they blend in well. This exhibit is huge, and provides not only ample cover for the animals, but immersive viewing opportunities for the little ones, as the can take a little so-called bubble passage and get a view at these lynxes. Very cool. I should mention that the exhibit is built in a circular fashion, so the walking path stretches around the raise mountain exhibit a full 280 degrees. Through an abandoned sulfur mine you go, and just exiting that area will bring you towards another diamond-shaped fish tank. This one holding a few different species, such as Black crappie, Lake sturgeon, and Arctic cisco, along with the walleye and pike seen before. Not much to say their, but more to say after as you are met with the largest exhibit in the entire Wild Canada exhibit. This one is a vast temperate semi-wooded prairie for Moose. The exhibit almost looks like it has the look like it lasts forever, and is modeled off something like the African Savanna at the Columbus zoo, except a lot more wooded and with a pond for the moose to wade in. The viewing opportunities are truly spectacular, as you can walk along level with the ground of the Moose exhibit, or you can take a glass elevator up to a bubble that lets you view the Moose habitat in its entirety. Truly a magnificent habitat, with colorful and informative signs everywhere, and a moose exhibit that almost looks like heaven. Past the moose exhibit is a comparatively small netted barn exhibit for Virginia opossum, sort of like the one at the Oklahoma City zoo, except outdoors. A tree is also there for the opossum to climb up and look at the people. The next exhibit actually has 2 parts. It is also a drive through safari from the east entrance, and you can view the Wapti elk through your car. The elk actually have a mountain exhibit in the center of their habitat, where if they climb up they can actually get some heads turning as this habitat so close to the edge of human activity, that they can view the cars passing by, and so can the Humans. A pretty beautiful exhibit with large grassy meadows, but with some mountainous inclines as well. And the last large animal of the exhibit is actually neighbor-to-neighbor with the elk, except theirs is almost always rocky and mountainous. It is home to Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep, and it perfectly blends with the elk exhibit. Except this time more trees were added, and a pretty waterfall connecting to a stream was also added. These 2 might be in an exhibit together someday......
But moving on from those we reach are last couple stops at Wild Canada. You enter a final log cabin, except this one with a deck. Inside, you will find a terrarium for the curious little Mink frog, a species that I don't think I've seen at any other zoo. The porch area actually serves as a walk-through aviary, with Pileated woodpeckers, Common loons, More Trumpeter swans, and many others. Before you exit, one more outdoor tank. This one holding Starry skate, Muskellunge, and Paddlefish.

Thats it for now, I will let you guys decide on which exhibit you want next. I am going to do some large ones so do you want
Big cat country? Or Congo basin. (cross river gorillas).
Best wishes, Luke
 
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Congo Basin:


Alright, Its time for one of my favorite areas in Africa, the Congo river Basin. This exhibit is located just across from the birds of prey outpost, in the east entrance. This exhibit really isn't the first one you would see when you enter the zoo, you have to walk a little ways first, and its not the most popular of all the exhibits either. But nevertheless, this exhibit has some beautiful habitats for its animals, and some just as beautiful inhabitants. The front archway for the exhibit is brief, but provides ample cover if its raining outside. I personally think raining adds to this exhibit for than anything. Its not really that hard to get to the first section of the exhibit, since you can see it from the archway. The first animal exhibits start in a very small blue-lit exhibit for some nocturnal jungle critters. The small house is easy to do in around 3 min, and the building is disguised as a large boulder, with a mountain gorilla statue relaxing on the top, (not in the zoo). Its a pretty straight forward building, and has exhibits on each side of the hallway, vaguely reminiscent of the Madagascar indoor portion exhibit at the Omaha Zoo, except a lot darker. The first couple of terrariums are similar, and each have 2 different species of Velvet worm. Lion's hill velvet worm, and White cave velvet worms. They each have a blue-light lit wet cave exhibit, are designed in a very interesting way. Their 2 terrariums are opposite each other on a jetting-out triangle shaped corner of the room. It is actually a bit challenging to find the velvet worms, as part of the terrariums are completely covered by a sharp cave rock surface surrounding the glass tank, to add to the overall jungle cave feel of the enclosure. More terrariums are scattered throughout the small building. A curious little exhibit for a rare critically endangered snail, Lanistes neritoides, is located in a smaller rounded tank near the center of the building. The zoo does have some off-show, and they are trying everything they can to breed this species. The other terrariums located throughout the building are pretty typical, but of course, larger than most other reptile terrariums. Species list: Spotted dagger-tooth snake, Congo palm gecko, Gabon forest tree frog, Red river tree frog, and Smallmouth electric catfish. That last one has a large tank embedded into a wall near the exit gates. Such a cool species! Anyway, exiting that room will bring you towards a more fascinatingly displayed exhibit. This is the Congo Bird park, an exhibit that brings birds from all different types into one conjoined exhibit. It is all netted, and spreads across a very long boardwalk for the visitors to experience the aviary. All these different bird species are usually not kept together, despite all living in Africa. It mixes different habitats from around the world, large acacia trees, puddling wetlands, and deep jungle. I will go through all the components and species in this large aviary one-by-one. The first species is the Landana firefinch, and they have particularly eye-catching area. Hundreds of little finches can flutter towards you, but they mostly like to perch on their large (admittedly fake), Acacia tree. But don't worry, this model looks super realistic and the leaves themselves are real as well. The Dream zoo uses a pretty common technique when It comes to designing trees that they can't actually grow. They do hire trained specialists when it comes to making models, and the important thing is that the firefinches have space to perch whenever they please, and we do have that covered. But we do actually collect real acacia trees, and somewhat mold them into the fake tree, and these are finches were talking about so they don't have much strength to take the leaves out. And for humans, its also pretty difficult, as they are bolted in. But enough about the tree, the exhibit has plenty of natural grass and shrubs, and mossy stones were also added to give the exhibit a little extra elevation. Blue-bellied rollers, are another species that shares this aviary, and they have an adaptation of a dry forest, with large sprinkles of natural red sand covering the floor, but some particularly fruitful flowering trees sprouting among the dirt and substrate. A particularly pretty bird in my opinion, the zoo has multiple on display, and their perfectly dry exhibit connects flawlessly with Tropical green grassland. This exhibit Holds Marabou storks, and their exhibit is supposed to represent the small patches of protected wetland remaining in the Congo. They have a big pond with some large logs sticking out of it, but also plenty of surrounding land area that dips into the pond, and even some large replica trees in the background as well. This is easily the largest area of the aviary, stretching back particularly far, and large birds for a large habitat perfectly suits them. The next area is another wetland, except this one more fitting the name wetland, as most of the surface is water. African Jacanas are displayed here, and their large feet really come in to play here. The wetland is covered with lily pads, and some perching cypress trees are also brought up here. Not entirely accurate, but definitely adding to the exhibit. The zoo does breed this species, so babies are always a thing to look forward too at the dream zoo. The Second to last exhibit connects to the Jacana exhibit, and this one Holds Lady ross's turacos. A very pretty species, this one is built on a large jungle waterfall, with plenty of vegetation and wet stonework used here. This supposed to represent the Gedi ruins of Kenya, with plenty of jungle vines and tropical plants growing on top of the ruins. A pretty immersive exhibit, and definitely shows the whole, "jungle vibe", I was going for.
The final exhibit in the bird park is a pretty standard Ethiopian rock exhibit, almost looking like a coastal penguin exhibit except in Ethiopia. Its home to an African ground hornbill, and has plenty of natural brush and tumbleweed to decorate the rocks. All these different habitat exhibits flow perfectly together in harmony, and really show what you can do in terms of creativity when talking about simple bird exhibits. But I especially like this area and I am personally very proud about it. The last exhibit I am going to show for you today, is probably the one you guys were the most excited about, and it is home for the critically endangered Cross river Gorilla. Leaving the bird park will take you through an educational walk through a planted garden, and talks about what is happening to rainforests at the moment, and what you can do to help them thrive. This is an especially important section of the exhibit, since it focuses all of it on conservation. But passing that area will bring you towards a beautiful outdoor viewing platform. The sounds of running water and trees swaying in the wind waft towards the observer, and you can appreciate the beauty of the natural world fully now. The 3 habitats around you are all connected, and are home to one of the rarest animals on earth, The Cross River gorilla. A true spectacle of a subspecies, this animal could have an entire lengthy book on its own, and the information about the subspecies is limited. Mainly because of the outrageous hunting for bush meat going on right now for this animal is not under control, and attempts to study it is limited. But the dream zoo managed to rescue some from poachers, and are now held in beautiful lush connection of seemingly endless jungle exhibits. And now that they are in captivity, scientists have the opportunity to study this subspecies in more detail than ever before. The first of the three habitats is located on the far left of the viewing platform, and has a waterfall, and some natural rock sediment moss-covered mountainous terrain for the gorillas to explore. On top of the mountain is actually a very large connection of wooden platforms and tree-like log climbing structures for the gorillas, so they can get a good view of the exhibit, and for the occasional zoochatter to take an award-winning photo. in the middle exhibit has a very large connection of trees that seem to last for ever, and are all amazingly accessible by the primates. They all have lots of climbing opportunities on the trees, and can climb across the multiple leaf-laden branches in the center exhibit. A vegetated grassy lounge-style area in front of the trees is also an opportunity for the little one to play, and for the adult ones to relax. The final exhibit as another large running waterfall, and honestly reminds me of the Yavin 4 base in star wars, except with a lot more jungle flowers and vines covering it. It is a very opportunistic play area for the little gorilla, with lots fun jungle logs and vines for the baby to climb on. The exhibit is protected by a moat. There are 3 individual cross river gorillas kept here, an aging grandmother, a middle-aged mother, and a year-old son, who is still learning lots of lessons from mom. The zoo likes to believe that there is still hope for this subspecies, and that is definitely shown here. Who knows, maybe their is still another male gorilla out their who needs saving.

Thats all for part one! I am probably going to update this later today, so stay tuned!
Best wishes,
Luke.
 
Congo Basin part 2:



You leave that remarkable gorilla area by walking down a left side path that takes you slightly downward on a different lower-to-the-ground area. The next animals to see are a group of freshwater fish in an open topped tank. The tank has plenty of sticks and logs poking out of it, and the tank goes down actually a lot deeper than some might think, as your feet are not actually level with the bottom of the tank. Species include little frisky Dja Barbs, and large swarms of Nile perch that swim past right up the glass. Also Yellow marbled synodontis share the tank as well. A very pretty species of catfish in my opinion. Past the outdoor fish tanks Takes you towards another glass-fronted exhibit, this time showing Spectral pygmy Chameleons. Their exhibit has loads sticks and branches that conjoin together and mix in all different directions, giving plenty of places to rest or stroll along for the little chameleons. The exhibit's background is a nice peaceful rocky stream setup, that just provides a little life to the exhibit. Across from that is the fun, and imaginative Colobus crossing, an exhibit that holds Mantled gurezea. The Colobus monkeys can jump around in their main netted exhibit, or pass through the netted walkways overhead the human walking space, a practice actually used in a number of zoos. The netting walkways above you pass in a zigzag pattern through their netted exhibits, giving them plenty of range and space to run in. The main exhibit for the Colobus monkeys is pretty good as well, with plenty of large wooden climbing structures and trees, and lots of raised rocky platforms that have naturalistic grassy vibes as well. It also has a stream in the center, with lots of rounded grassy boulders surrounding it. The whole exhibit is pretty jungle-canyon like in general, so that's the Idea. But pass that exhibit, you would find another open-topped herp exhibit. This one displaying Marani Turtles, and Angola toads. Its a pretty substandard exhibit, with a coastal water section for the turtles and toads to jump in, with some brush-like land area as well. The exhibit is viewed from the top, and the keepers occasionally take the turtles and toads out to show the guests. But across that exhibit, is a level glass-fronted habitat for African forest weasels, a species that I don't think many zoos have. The weasel's glass-fronted habitat actually stretches up pretty high, and has more grassy-ledges for the convenience of the weasels. Lots of turned-over log archways are also present, in case if the weasel is a little bit shy to the visitors. The next exhibit is a truly marvelous one. It is laden with marsh-like habitat but also mixes with moist wet cave plateaus. This is a truly revolutionary exhibit for the Marshbuck, an antelope that prefers to spend a lot of its time in-well, marshes! The water portion is huge, and has just enough deep water for the Marshbuck to wade in. The interesting thing about their exhibit however, is the connection between 2 different water climates. A wet-cave opening is not accessible by the Marshbuck, but spews out water from a waterfall, providing a lot more antiscience of sedimentation in the cave itself, as it has many different types of rock simulated here. The whole wet-cave section is open on one side to the visitors to see, and it essentially takes up half of the exhibit. The land portion is a bit dirt-like, but has lots of jungle-looking attributes that help the exhibit look more like its from the Congo, than Disneyland. Passing through more lush jungle pathways and educational signage will take you towards a cloud forest exhibit. Mist-like air hangs over you as you look over the habitat, and very small fog machines in the trees help this overall feel. This is an exhibit for Crested Mona monkeys. Their exhibit is full of vine-laden trees, and lots of simulated aged wood everywhere makes you feel you jumped back in time before any of this area was thoroughly explored. The trees themselves are pretty magnificent, and have lots of jungle ropes and vines circling it, and connecting the multiple trees together. The highlight of this one for me is elevated land formations, as they are full of vines and logs that help the Mona monkeys get moving. The area for the mona monkeys is really complex in and of itself, and well the exhibit doesn't really go far back that much, it prides itself in innovation and elevation.
The next 2 exhibits are located in a very small jungle-like tunnel, and holds 2 terrariums. One for Cape grass lizards, and one for Owen's chameleon. Nothing too special about these, so lets move on. The next habitat is a small jungle forested meadow, and holds the rare and elusive Dwarf antelope. Only a few are held here, but their exhibit is top-notch for such a small species. Lots of little puddles of water are here, and 2 very large trees being the towering part of the exhibit. The final 2 main sections are coming up, so lets look at the first one. This is a small nocturnal house, and has some truly remarkable species. An interesting species mix is located in the first exhibit, and it holds Upside-down catfish and River frogs. Yes, a real species.The Upside-down catfish have it good, with some nice aquatic plants decorating its exhibit, with the river frogs in the larger jungle-branch exhibit above. Lots of nice branches sticking out here, plenty for the multiple frogs to rest on. Their is also some moist waterfall ledges located here, in case the frogs want to enjoy the shower. More interesting nocturnal species are located here, such as Prince demidoff's Bushbabies. The exhibit itself is only illuminated by red light, so the Bushbabies aren't bothered by lights that they can see. They have lots of little jungle branches and trees decorating their exhibit, so they can hop around and be active to their hearts content. Some of the branches are located right up at the glass, so some photographers might get a good shot. Located right next to their exhibit is another nocturnal Prosimian, The Golden Angwantibo. A favorite of mine. They have lots of hollowed-out tree hideouts to sleep in, so you might not see them all of the time, but that's okay. As there are many more smaller primates located throughout the zoo. The final indoor exhibit I was debating should be indoor at all, but I decided it was best for the visitors to see it indoors. This holds the well-loved among zoochatters, the African Golden cat. The important thing about their exhibit, is its size and I think we have captured it here. Their exhibit is low-lit of course, but also seems to last forever. And to be honest with you, it does go way back. Lots of winding logs were brought in to enhance the cats environment here, and make it not be stressed out. A very narrow stream is located towards the back exhibit, but stretches forward to the glass a ways. A very cool prop in this exhibit is supposedly an abandoned jungle hut, that is now home to the African golden cat. You can actually view the cat in the hut from a special glass viewing area from the back, and indeed it is clear the the hut was originally made for human inhabitants. A straw bed is located near the door, and lots of African artifacts are hung up on the walls. This is all purely for aesthetically purposes. Exiting through the 2 doors from the nocturnal house will take you to our last exhibit in the Congo basin, and surely, the largest. There is actually more gorillas in the zoo, as the cross river gorillas aren't the only inhabitants, and sadly, there are only a few. Originally I was going to put Eastern lowland gorillas in this exhibit, but I decided I had enough rare species in my zoo already, and I didn't need any more. And limited success with that species has occurred, so I decided I would take the easy rout and Hold Western lowland gorillas. Their exhibit is just overwhelming. It is one of the largest gorilla troops in North America, and all the residents are on display currently. Gorillas and their exhibits are just surrounding the walkway, and it honestly looks like something out of a Disney movie in how pitch-perfect it is. I really needed a lot of time to think this exhibit out, and I am probably not as happy with the result as I should be, but I'll take it. The exhibit has multiple interesting components. The first thing would be a mountainous half-arched shaped land mass, and the river/stream below it. The mountain itself is green as it could be, with plenty of of wooden climbing structures for the gorillas, including a vine-like passageway for the gorillas that really makes use of space well. Below the archway, is a pebble-covered rocky stream for the gorillas to wade in. They cross this river to get to another jungle ridge exhibit extending along the whole length of the exhibit. Lots of jungle trees and vines hang from the grassy plateau, and lots of waterfalls under the plateau really looks like it is held up by the water. This plateau stretches into a rounded jungle tree-covered sandwhiching of different levels and sections for the gorillas. I like to call this area the grooming station, as this is where most of the gorillas hang out in groups and groom themselves. The final largest area is the big tree forest, using the basic jungle tree template I demonstrated earlier. Lots of wooden crossings and passageways through the trees really show the entire density of this exhibit, and the gorillas can go far back as the please.
With that, I leave you.
Tomorrow I am going to take a well-deserve break from exhibits, but I will still ask you guys which exhibit you want to see first. Since cat-country isn't really taking the cake (we'll come back to it later), I am going to let you decide which exhibit you want first. Both indoors, and both with some unique species. Would you rather do Extreme caves, or the Deep sea?
Best wishes,
Luke.
 
Extreme Caves:



The first thing I should say about this exhibit, is that it makes an impression on the visitors. It almost looks like a ride at Disneyland, but it is indeed an animal exhibit. It towers over the rest of the zoo, being the tallest building in the park. It is located in the dead center square of the zoo, which will also take you to other exhibits like the Prairies or Indonesian conservation center. On the outside it is a pretty bright looking exhibit, with obviously fake dark orange mock rock making up the final outer layer of the exhibit. It almost looks like a cartooned version of a volcano. It definitely draws visitors eyes, so lets take a look in it ourselves. I should first acknowledge the layout of the building. The interior of the building itself actually spans and travels up four floors, each floor being a different section of the cave. The whole building is nocturnally lit, so their won't be many lights coming from anything else but the exhibits, except maybe some natural light. And to access these 4 floors, you can take the zigzagging staircase, or an elevator for wheelchair access. But on with the exhibit, shall we? The only 2 access doors are located at the very bottom of the structure, in 2 double doors for the visitors. So you can only go outside of the building by backtracking where you started outside. It is encouraged to be a little quieter in the building, since as in a real cave, your voice can be significantly amplified. The first level is the largest, and is known as, the underwater section. The use of molding and sculpting to create the faux simulated stalactites and rock rigging is very impressive, and we really tried to make the exhibit look as a natural as it could be, with small puddles of water located in the corners, and sharp edged ceiling and walls that really gives you the fact that you are indeed underground. It is also pretty cold, so a sweatshirt might be a good idea, but obviously not that cold. The first line of exhibits can be accessed by walking or rolling down a depression or a ramp in the center of the exhibit, that has some very marvelous fish tanks. Mixes of turquoise and sea green are the main 2 color palettes here, a very cool underwater cave replication is used here to good affect. Their is actually 3 large tanks here, all with natural winding sharp-edged passageways for the fish to explore. But All the exhibits are located side by side from each other, so it looks like they are all Connected as one. The first tank is home to a large swarm of Mexican tetras, slowly lumbering Alabama cavefish, and Mexican blind brotula. So a pretty interesting mix of species here. Their exhibit has plenty space for these blind fish, and plenty of individuals of each species. But the true star of the tank is one of the most interesting mixes in the zoo. A lone Sand tiger shark. I initally had the Idea by learning about their normal schedule during the day, as they normally stay in reef cave crevices during the day. This isn't a coral reef, but I decided since it's a dream zoo it would be pretty awesome to have them mixed in with freshwater cave species. So I did just that, and As far as I know I don't think they will eat any of the smaller fish. But again, it's a dream zoo. The middle tank holds Madagascar cavefish, a true marvel of a species, and interestingly enough, a small group of Cave angelfish as well. In order for the Cave angelfish to cling to wet walls and eat passing food particles, the exhibit is specially designed to have a towering cave waterfall section as well to accommodate the angelfish. The final exhibit actually holds a plethora of cave crustaceans and Mexican tetras for a second time. This holds Bristly cave crayfish, Calem cave crayfish, Madison cave isopods, and Kau'i cave amphipods. Lots of curious little critters all in the same tank here, and If I was here I would try to spot them all. These Crustaceans do differ in size, but thats all part of the challenge to find all of them. Besides these main 3 tanks, a few more tanks are located here in the strange depths of an underwater cave. A terrarium on the right side of the entrance holds Texas blind Salamanders. And they have a pretty sub-standard exhibit, with limestone rocks, and rocky crevices in the background that seem to last forever. Multiples are kept in here, but most of the time they will just be sitting under a rock, except when it's feeding time. On the left, a couple more fish species are held. One tank holds a Banded knifefish, a strange animal that uses electric charges to find their prey. Their exhibit is pretty eerie-looking, with only faint blue light illuminating the wet rocky surface of the knifefishes surroundings. Another large tank on the wall just before the stairs holds a large collection of Hoosier cavefish. Taking the elevator upwards will transport you to the second level, known as the lake. This exhibit is truly magnificent, and the most defining feature is the overhead exhibit. These exhibit real Cave glow worms, illuminating blue spread out overhead. It looks like if jewels were shining above in the cave crevices, and is truly a sight to see. Other than the glow worms, this exhibit shows animals that you would most likely find near the surface of a large puddle of water in a deep cave. Smaller tanks deck out this area, with mostly smaller creatures. Going from left to right, these are the exhibits. The first one holds Tumbling creek cavesnails, a small endangered species from Tumbling creek cave in Missouri, U.S. The small little snails can be viewed from a round viewing portal on the side of the wall. More smaller tanks hold species such as Illinois cave amphipods, another endangered species, and Bermuda cave amphipods and Oklahoma cave amphipods. So yeah, a lot of cave Amphipods in this small lake gallery. Plenty of educational and anatomic drawings are pasted on the walls for guests or academics to see. Naturalistic small cave waterfalls are also present in all of these Amphipod's exhibits. A conservation awareness sign is located next to a very rare cave species, the Squirrel chimney Cave shrimp. This animal is critically endangered, and not much is known about it. On the right side of the wall Holds Kentucky cave shrimps, and More Mexican tetras. (We have a lot of these). Another peculiar animal is held here, the European cave Loach. A semi-recently discovered species, and the first cave fish of Europe. A final tank for Mexican blind catfish finishes this area. I apologize for the shorter list today, but I am pretty busy So I might not do a part 2 immediately after this one comes out, maybe this evening.
 
Alright.
Extreme caves part 2:



Leaving the second level, will take you up into probably what you guys were all thinking of when I said, "caves". This section is arid and is a lot more dry with a lot more natural light coming in from the ceiling. This section is called the Bat cave, and holds some of my favorite species of bats, and hopefully the guests will enjoy some bats for a little bit too. Most of the exhibits up here are netted like the Omaha zoo, but a few bat species have glass-fronted enclosures, purely for the sake of switching things up a bit. But before we look at the bats, a small row of gallery-like terrariums line the walls. The first couple hold crustaceans, Blind albino cave crabs, and Nick's cave crab. Some curious little crustaceans that you would usually never get to see. Their exhibits are lit with red light, so the crabs can behave naturally in the dark rocky cave crevices. 3 other herp Terrariums hold the very small but interesting, Cave-dwelling frog, a typical enclosure for multiple Cave rat snakes, and since I am a Caecillian fanboy, I also put the fun-to-watch worm like Cooper's blue caecillians. The important thing about this dream zoo, is I can put animals that I would enjoy, but put them under public eyes, so they can appreciate these little-known cave animals. I also ensure a better experience for the guests of the zoo, so they can aspire a little wonder to animals such as a Caecillians, which sometimes might just be mistaken for Wet worms. A final Cave terrarium holds Cave racer snakes, in a very cool exhibit that has a very intricate shelving platform system for the cave to sleep on. The exhibit is glass-fronted, and can be admired from the guests below of its sheer size. Also, this species is brought out by hand on special occasions from zookeepers, so they can explain its fascinating lifestyle in the caves. Now we move on to the bats. The first bat exhibit is huge, and stretches an entire side of this specific level of the building. This is home to very plentiful Egyptian fruit bats, and they have an exhibit that is interestingly enough, half netted and half glass fronted. You see, the floor to ceiling section is the typical area where visitors can view the fluttering bats among their multiple carved-in dry cave crevice homes. But the netted are only spans the very top area, and is a actually an experience for the observers to hear the noises the bats make. Its a very complex array of noises from the bats, but some might call them annoying. I'm not sure what to make of it if some people are bothered by the sheer amount of sound coming from these animals, but again, its a fantasy zoo. Before the next bat exhibit is a lengthy terrarium illuminated by green light, and holds a frightening (in some eyes) Great Malaysian cave centipede. These guys are pretty massive, and there is only one in the tank named, "manylegs". The next bat exhibit is not the biggest, but one of the most impressive. It holds the most plentiful bat on earth, the Mexican free-tailed bat. Lots of natural-looking dry rocky structures protruding from the ceiling and from the walls are present to add a lot of atmospheric cave vibes, and also some ledges for the bats to hang upside down. This exhibit can actually be partially seen from viewing the outside of the building. If you look up high enough, very small natural-light glass viewing areas are only just barely see able. There actually here for the bats, not the people. See I thought since these bats don't always live in the deepest of caves, and actually prefer to roost near the open-air cave entrance, I thought it would be a little more realistic for the bats. But for us humans to see these fluttering little beauties through the windows is also a treat. A few more pockets contain Nelson cave spiders, a small colony of Herald moths, and the always delightful New Zealand cave wetas. A pretty ancient animal in terms of evolutionary history, but also a pretty massive one as well. The final bat located on this section is one of my favorites. The Japanese long-eared bat. I think their appearance is utterly fascinating, and anatomical depictions of these bats wings and faces is also present. I think the one of the most important things for guests to experience about bats, is education. I think their biology has some pretty remarkable "superpowers" if you will. I think their use of echolocation is pretty well known, but things like the way they hunt their food and some of the hunting tactics used for each species of bat is pretty clever, and might astound a few guests. Of course at a zoo that is a little hard, but a few screen around showing some of the natural behaviors are located in selective spots throughout the zoo. So that's all good. The final Terrarium on this section is home to the (adorable in my opinion) Chinese cave geckos. Their exhibit is dimly lit and they kinda blend in with their surroundings, so good like finding them that's for sure!
The final level either taken via wheelchair access or the winding staircase, is just known as the outside, and has more natural light than any of the previous levels. I gotta be honest with you some species I wanted to include I couldn't really find a place for so I decided to place them here. The good thing is, is that this place is pretty open, so plenty of space for each guest. Some birds are showcased here in netted exhibits, Such as a couple of Barn owls, who have a a simulated abandoned mine, with wooden ledges where sulfur used to be mined supposedly. The exhibit extends all the way back to the face of the mine, where more protruding wooden ledges are located. These two individuals are flightless however, so that's the main reason why these majestic birds of prey are kept here. Vertical facing exhibits are home to Cave swiftlets. This is a breeding species, so babies are not unknown here. Small nests are located throughout the back of the cave exhibit, and part of the cave rock is blocking the view for the visitors, just partially though. The swifts have free range to fly right up to the guests if they choose, so you may get some nice camera shots here. A few more bat aviaries are spread throughout this section, usually located higher up. Copper-winged bats are here, and so are Finlayson's cave bats, a pair of species I don't think I've heard of being captivity anywhere. Some interesting smaller critters are also placed on this level as always, such as Jumping cricket spiders, and multiple Tailless whip scorpions. A couple of lesser-known arachnids. The final component of this extreme caves journey is something that I intentionally did not mention earlier. Around the entire mock-rock landscape aesthetic around this building, is actually a free-flight aviary, for Lammergiers. Hopefully I spelled that right. These raptors are very pretty creations of nature, and do some pretty astounding things. They drop heavy rocks on their recently scavenge carcass, and then break the bones to get the apparently tasty bone-marrow inside. It really is their favorite meal. The fun thing is, a very small elevator takes you up into a sort of spherical glass bubble, where you can view the birds either flying or walking around you. This is a great example of use-of-space in this zoo. The outside looks fairly natural of this building, so what better way then to add an animal onto it! Their are so many interesting creations of the natural world out their, and It was really hard to decide the species list for the zoo, usually the second thing I do to set up blueprints for a zoo.

Thanks for reading, I haven't been that active recently mainly because its been a very busy week, so I haven't really had the enthusiasm to start up this thread again. I think I will do a second exhibit today, as sort of a make up. It will be The Deep sea complex, so I hope some of you are interested.
Thanks,

Luke.
 
The deep sea complex:


This exhibit is largely a fully-indoor exhibit, with some true bizarre creations of mother nature being showcased here, and some giants that are rarely seen. The exterior of the building is mostly covered by trees, so the entire exterior isn't viewable by the guest. The front entrance is the only section that looks remotely inviting. Small painted murals on the side depict the sea floor, with Small lobsters feeding, and anemones and polychete worms depicted on the bottom. The first thing you immediately notice while entering the large building, is how dark this building is, and how modern it looks. Not really any realistic looking scenery is depicted just yet, mainly just carpet rugs and wooden benches. Of course with educational signs as well. The first room is a large circular rotunda, with approximately 2 individual habitats, but with 3 species. We'll start on the left. This exhibit is somewhat caved in, with a little more viewing area than at first thought. The animal making up this tank is multiple Red paper lantern jellies. These are some really strange jellyfish species, and I can't wait to tell you about them. Their bell can shape shift into multiple shapes as though it were paper origami, hence the nickname, Origami jelly. The jellyfishes exhibit may look standard at first, with only the dimly lit twilight zone lights hitting the surface of the tank. It has that impression that the exhibit goes on forever, and believe or not, it sort of does. Well, sort of. I spent a long time arranging the mechanics and exhibits for this building, and I have to say I am very proud of my creation. The very back walls of this exhibit and many other seemingly endless twilight-zone exhibits in this building use a very creative method. The red paper lantern jelly can float far, but not that far. So the technique used here is a special motion-sensor wall expansion. When the jellyfish or some other animal proceeds towards the back of the exhibit, the walls will open up and stretch out accordingly to the Jellyfishes content. Except when It finally reaches the back, their is a net, so when the Jellyfish hit that net, it will bounce backward and swim the other way, its bioluminescent organs illuminating. This is also an advantage for the guests, so they can see the jellyfish glow. The opposite exhibit on the right, is a smaller mixed species exhibit with wide windows. It is supposed to depict a deep rocky shoreline, and has realistic-looking muddy and stony ridges for the animals to swim against. The 2 species in this large tank include Ghost nippers, and lumbering Leaf-scaled gulper sharks. The sharks have plenty of space to swim around, and watching them being fed is always a treat. Beyond the rotunda and through double doors you Meet another shark relative, the Bahamian ghost shark. Their lengthy exhibit is floor-to ceiling, and only holds them and brittle stars and sea urchins. The tank is rounded enough the ghost sharks can almost swim above you. The exhibit is lit with dim blue lights once more. The next array of exhibits are all fairly close to each other, and the walking space is limited, with only small detours. Think of it as a plaza section. A very tall exhibit that can be viewed from most angles is only illuminated with red light. This is home to Atlantic footballfish. A true creep from the deep. You can actually watch them once and a will get fed live food, and you can see their bioluminescent lure at work. The largest exhibit in this "plaza section" is actually on the opposite wall facing the Ghost shark exhibit. It is home to the Massive Dana octopus squid. You may see the squid slowly gliding along the glass, its bright red color only slightly illuminated. The exhibit for the octopus squid is a mixture of mostly red light, but blue light near the guests. You can see the squids either way though. With this exhibit and the Footballfish exhibit, that same expanding wall feature is used on both of these exhibits and many exhibits to come, so open twilight-zone style exhibits like this one are the norm for this feature. A special experience is offered with the squid, where you can be lowered in the exhibit with a special glass sub-like vehicle. This is how the Keepers transport the food to the Squids as well. Smaller deep-sea reef exhibits are also spread around this area, holding species such as Red-striped toadfish, and the rarely-seen Northern stargazer. Both of these exhibits are sandy, with small simulated rock backgrounds and crevices. A large tank in the center is home to a plethora of crawling Giant isopods, not my favorite species, but easily the largest. The final tank in this plaza section holds a small deep-sea reef section, and holds fluttering Little dragonfish. The coral in this section is predictably fake however. You can partially view the dragonfish from above, with clear glass steps at the very start of the reef exhibit. A dark hallway past the plaza section is very Eerie looking, but soon you will see a large lit tank home to multiple Mauve stinger jellyfish. It is almost hypnotizing how the jellyfish propel their bells in synchronization. On the opposite side of the hallway is a reef tank for Sarcastic fringehead, and other small gobies and chromises. The stars are the fringeheads however, and their exhibit has natural coral this time, with towering structures of brain coral in the center. Plenty of sand in the same exhibit provides ample cover for Arrowtooth flounders lurking at the tanks bottom. A way to finish part one of this exhibit is to explore the largest and most astounding of all the tanks in the building. Going through a small dimly-lit tunnel doesn't nearly match the colossal enclosure being witnessed above. But leaving that tunnel will take you to a sight to see.....

This exhibit is like no other in the building. The whole tank itself is almost taller than the whole extreme caves structure in its entirety. It is rounded on some angles and almost looks like a giant squiggle of thick glass spanning an over 100 feet carpet walkway. The tank itself is shades of blue and green, and has a misty vibe to it. Its like this is a biodiversity hotspot that no one has seen before. The absolute crow jewels of the tank are the 2 Megamouth sharks! One of my all-time favorite shark species. They may choose to pass right in front of the glass, as you look up at them with amazement, or they might just pas through a school of fish in the back of the tank. The schools themselves are either made up of Short mackeral, or Common market squid. Both species flutter together in schools, passing by the visitors. Another majestic fish being seen here is the Pompano dolphinfish. An utterly stunning-looking fish that I have always wanted to see. They are pretty fast, so photographers might not have the easiest time photographing these guys. Spotted eagle rays, are another fish species to add to the mix here, and may choose to scavenge near the surface, or glide through the currents. A resident Hawksbill sea turtle is another species, and they usually prefer to be swimming near the surface.

Thats it for this one folks, part 2 will come out soon I hope!
 
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