Theoretical walkthroughs

[Van Beal]

Those birds have been safely together in walkthroughs before, and the manatees won't exactly interact with the guests

Alright wasn’t really planning a guest interaction with the manatee but just thought it would be a cool experience to walk past them and be at the same level as them and then walk on ground that’s above the surface of the water and see them from there as well.

 

[elefante]

I'd love to see an Old World vulture walk through. Marabou storks would be an interesting addition although maybe they're too aggressive.

 

[Mr Gharial]

I'd love to see an Old World vulture walk through. Marabou storks would be an interesting addition although maybe they're too aggressive.

I believe all but Bearded vultures have been in walkthroughs before. Marabou less often but definitely done a few times

 

[MennoPebesma]

I'd love to see an Old World vulture walk through. Marabou storks would be an interesting addition although maybe they're too aggressive.

In Europe, the EAZA advises against keeping marabou storks in walk-through aviaries. The same goes for large birds of prey. Both can be dangerous, for example during the breeding season.

 

[Jurek7]

However, a number of zoos do them, and wild Marabous rub shoulders with people in many villages and cities in Africa.

BTW, a good idea may be to design walkthrough exhibits so that they can be also seen from outside the fence, allowing to close walkthroughs as needed (eg. due to bird flu, animals breeding...).

 

[Mr Gharial]

BTW, a good idea may be to design walkthrough exhibits so that they can be also seen from outside the fence, allowing to close walkthroughs as needed (eg. due to bird flu, animals breeding...).

Bird flu has been going on for a full year now in the Netherlands, meaning aviaries have had to be closed for a long while. A think I've been doing recently in my fantasy zoos is creating a design where the path is lined with poles that can be covered with nets during bird flu, but uncovered to turn it back into a walkthrough

 

[Mickey]

In Europe, the EAZA advises against keeping marabou storks in walk-through aviaries. The same goes for large birds of prey. Both can be dangerous, for example during the breeding season.

Berlin keeps vultures and relatively small owls in its Eagle Canyon, even mixed together, so I'd say it's a safe walkthrough at least with those

 

[Mickey]

Bird flu has been going on for a full year now in the Netherlands, meaning aviaries have had to be closed for a long while. A think I've been doing recently in my fantasy zoos is creating a design where the path is lined with poles that can be covered with nets during bird flu, but uncovered to turn it back into a walkthrough

I'd say with all the new disease outbreaks it would be good for zoos to start incorporate walkthrough habitats that can be seen from outside without any direction contact, would prevent people from not seeing the animals for a long while

 

[dillotest0]

I'd love to see an Old World vulture walk through. Marabou storks would be an interesting addition although maybe they're too aggressive.

I recall when I went to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo [Tisch Family] they had a free-flight aviary for vultures - one one far side was a small path for visitors - essentially a diorama sort of thing. On the other side of the visitors, the vultures had a good amount of space, without large barriers between zoo guests and vultures.

 

[Mr Gharial]

I recall when I went to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo [Tisch Family] they had a free-flight aviary for vultures - one one far side was a small path for visitors - essentially a diorama sort of thing. On the other side of the visitors, the vultures had a good amount of space, without large barriers between zoo guests and vultures.

Amersfoort has Vultures in their walkthrough aviary where the vultures can be regularly found on the path and even among visitors with no issue. This aviary also included Marabou storks, but I believe these were removed because these were considered unsafe for walkthroughs.

Then there's Antwerp with two walkthrough vulture aviaries, Burgers' zoo with vultures in their Desert hall, GaiaZOO and Blijdorp have closed their vulture walkthrough aviaries because of bird flu, but not because of danger to the guests. Then there's Pairi Daiza with five different vulture species in a single large walkthrough. And that's just Belgium and the Netherlands.

Vultures are one of the most-practiced animals in Walkthrough exhibits

 

[15399]

I'd say with all the new disease outbreaks it would be good for zoos to start incorporate walkthrough habitats that can be seen from outside without any direction contact, would prevent people from not seeing the animals for a long while

This is also beneficial for visitors who may not want to, or may not be able to, go in the walk-through portion. There's really no harm in incorporating viewing from outside a walk-through portion into the exhibit, and is something that, even without bird flu, I view as for the best.

 

[StoppableSan]

Elephant walkthrough. That is all.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Elephant walkthrough. That is all.

I think there's a standard rule of "if it's bigger than a human, it shouldn't be in a walkthrough"

 

[15399]

I think there's a standard rule of "if it's bigger than a human, it shouldn't be in a walkthrough"

Red kangaroos would violate that rule though and are common in walk-throughs. Similar size to humans, and yes, some red kangaroos are larger than some humans.

 

[MennoPebesma]

I think there's a standard rule of "if it's bigger than a human, it shouldn't be in a walkthrough"

That doesn't quite apply to the the various walkthroughs at Natuurpark Lelystad in the Netherlands . With European bison, Przewalski's horse, Père David's deer, red deer and mouflon.

 

[PossumRoach]

Red kangaroos would violate that rule though and are common in walk-throughs. Similar size to humans, and yes, some red kangaroos are larger than some humans.

In addition to @MennoPebesma ‘s statement, Id like to add that Zoo de Maubeuge has a guanaco walkthrough.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Red kangaroos would violate that rule though and are common in walk-throughs. Similar size to humans, and yes, some red kangaroos are larger than some humans.

True, but I believe that Red kangaroo walkthroughs are usually female-only groups because males are too agressive

That doesn't quite apply to the the various walkthroughs at Natuurpark Lelystad in the Netherlands . With European bison, Przewalski's horse, Père David's deer, red deer and mouflon.

Fair enough, but Lelystad is more of a wildlife park than a fantasy zoo exhibit. The Bison habitat you mention is twice as large as all of Burgers' zoo, bigger than my current hometown, and almost four times the size of your home zoo, Aquazoo Leeuwarden.

Sure I guess technically you could have an elephant walkthrough enclosure, but it'd have to be as big as, well, all of Lelystad

 

[dillotest0]

In addition to @MennoPebesma ‘s statement, Id like to add that Zoo de Maubeuge has a guanaco walkthrough.

mmm.. are guanacos really larger than people to a notable degree?
Taller than a child, sure, but I think most adults at least reach shoulder height of a guanaco. It also helps that the animals are not very agressive - about as much so as domestic llamas.
From what I understand, Lelystad's free-walking enclosures cannot be described as a typical walkthrough - in that typical walkthroughs are far less enclosed than is Lelystad. Visitors at Lelystad observe these large animals from reasonable distance - they don't usually walk within great proximity of the animals.
Elephants on the other hand are, obviously, significantly larger than humans - and so, by merit, a walkthrough would be far less feasible.
So, could an elephant walkthrough, free from supervision work? With bulls certainly it would be a disaster - especially during musth - and so one can forget about much breeding going on at all. Cow elephants are, by rule, easier to train and work with, so I could see a possibility that with cows habituated to human contact, it *might* work - in the absence of small children/irresponsible adults.
If what one supposes is a walkthrough with a sizeable, family oriented herd with cow, bull and calf, then ....

 

[PossumRoach]

It also helps that the animals are not very agressive - about as much so as domestic llamas.

I can’t speak for the individual animals at Mauberge be it their temperament, the sex ratio of their flock, or if they have domestic llama blood in them, but in addition to the spitting/regurgitation I would not feel comfortable being in the same enclosure with an animal that is known to use its teeth to give free orchiectomy to its enemies.

 

[15399]

For elephants, I'd lean towards no. Seeing that there have been keeper deaths from captive elephants, it seems like a really bad scenario to mix elephants with humans in a walk-through. At least the AZA has moved completely towards protected contact, which is by far the safer way to manage elephants.