Mr Gharial's zoo design

[Mr Gharial]

After walking through the Awa Puru aviary, we enter a small walkthrough island. It doesn't look nearly as humid as the New Zealand region, with more tall grasses and less ferns and mosses.
A group of road signs welcomes us to the Tasmanian region:



This island is home to six new mammals, almost all of which are endemic (at least, by subspecies) to Tasmania. As well as multiple bird species in an indoor area. Winding paths on the forested grassland island mean you can take multiple routes, and different routes show different animals.



Edit: Due to the multiple routes, this post gets confusing. So here's a map of the route we'll be taking:


At the top is the exit shack from Awa Puru. From here, there are two main routes. If we turn left, we enter Wombat territory. A wooden platform provides viewing into the first separated enclosure. In here, we can see our first Oceanian mammal: The Tasmanian wombat!

A combination of small trees and some Australian plants decorate the habitat, along with small climbing structures. Not for the Wombats in this case, but for one of the free-roaming inhabitants, all of which can freely enter the Wombat habitat. With some luck, you could see the one of the Brushtail possums in one of the sleeping boxes nearby.

Wombat habitat:


After this viewing point, we continue into the forested island. In this open spot we might be able to see a few of the Tasmanian Red-necked wallabies that call the island home.


After this first region of the island, we come into this route's indoor section:


Immediately to our right, we get a large viewing window into the Wallaby indoor habitat. Along with the hay-covered flooring, there are a few wooden plant boxes. Not only are these decorative, but they're also home to various birds.

Bronzewings, Rosellas, Frogmouths and Firetails are able to perch in the bushes and small trees. They can also fly over the visitor tunnel and into the small greenhouse on our left side.
Speaking of: Let's head through the glass sliding doors and into the little greenhouse.
Stepping into the not-quite-tropical greenhouse we first walk under multiple small, wooden archways, providing perches to the Green rosellas and Tawny frogmouths. Surrounded by the screeching of the Rosellas and the colourful fluttering of the swarming Firetails, we walk over a short boardwalk, looking at the hill at the back of the little greenhouse. On the hillside, we might be able to see a small flock of Bronzewing pigeons foraging for food.

Inside this hill are the sleeping dens for the two Wombat enclosures. Continuing over this short boardwalk, we walk into three small covered areas, which have viewing windows into the Wombat's sleeping quarters, so the animals can be seen by visitors even if they're not outside.
Along with the four free-roaming bird species, there's also a pair of Long-nosed potoroos. In this temperature-controlled indoor area, they should hopefully have better luck breeding than the two outdoor groups held on the island.

two outdoor groups?
That's right. This little indoor area is not only pretty, but it also functions as a separator for the two areas of the island. This way we can have more animals (1.1 Brushtail possums on both islands, a species that can't be held in large groups), and more control over the group dynamics of the Potoroos and Wallabies.

Before we continue our route to the second area of the island, let's quickly head back to the start of our route, right after the exit of the Awa Puru aviary, and check out route #2:


Instead of going through the Wombat route, we instead head to our right. If we take a good look around in the foliage, we might be able to see one of the outdoor Long-nosed potoroos. If we're lucky, at least...

Continuing on our way, the semi-forested island makes way to a small marsh, and a boardwalk takes us over a deeper river area.

General look of the Meredith Range islands, with river area:


From this wooden walkway, we can see a second group of islands. Here live a group of Tasmania's most famous residents: The Tasmanian devils. Along with a larger strip of forest, they also have a mini-island at their disposal. Near-invisible electrical wires over the water make sure these ravenous carnivores don't mix with our other marsupials. Since both groups do enjoy the occasional soak.

Walking along the boardwalk, we can see the devils on one side, and the rest of the islands on the other. Smaller mini-islands in the water should block most of the cross-viewing. At the end of the boardwalk we can see the entrance to the indoor area. Although this is technically the same building, we enter into a completely different area:


We now walk into the left half of the building. From this short walkway, we can look into four different enclosures. Let's start on the indoor enclosure. Inside, it's a little dark. Tinted windows in the roof let out enough light to see, but not as much as we'd like. If we're a bit patient, we might see some movement inside this forest habitat. Inside lives an elusive species, namely a small group of Eastern quolls. These nocturnal animals are small relatives of the Tasmanian devils, and one of the few carnivorous Marsupials. They're not nearly as ravenous as their big cousins, but they're just as endangered. A lit-up sign in the enclosure shows education on how islands often provide safe sanctuaries to endangered species.

Along with the nocturnal habitat, we also have a good view of three outdoor habitats from this indoor walkway. The first looks back into the Devil habitat we just walked past, into a more secluded corner of the habitat, where the Devils won't feel as watched, and might be more visible.

The second window looks out into a different enclosure. Although we wouldn't be able to tell, since the netting of this aviary is hidden in plants and by perspective.
Inside this aviary lives a species under threat: The Critically endangered Swift parrot. Accompanied by a second group of Diamond firetails, that could also be found in the greenhouse.
The Diamond firetail is the only species in the Meredith range that doesn't technically occur in Tasmania, as this is a representative for the Beautiful firetail, a species that does occur on the island, but is not held in captivity.

After this, we can step back outside onto a raised, wooden pathway.


Walking over the raised pathway, we get a good look into the enclosure above us. This is the second Tasmanian devil enclosure. The first enclosure was much more forested, based on the Tasmanian lowlands. This enclosure looks much more similar to Beauval's Tassie habitat, with more rocks, replicating the highlands:


After this, we enter the second free-roaming area. We take the first left turn, then looping around to the second Wombat enclosure. Again, we have a wooden viewing platform into the forested enclosure. Even if the Wombats are sleeping inside, we might be able to see the wallabies dozing off in the shade cast by the trees.

Walking off the viewing platform, we get a final stretch of forest. From here, with some luck, we might be able to see the second pair of Brushtail possums up in the trees. We get one final viewing point into the Wombat habitat, before walking onto a large bridge onto the "mainland". Although not exactly barren, the view of our next area is a lot less forested.

Stay tuned folks, we're heading into the Billabong!



With repeat species and animals having access to multiple habitats, I use dotted lines on the species card. But this time there's quite a few of them, so this got a bit messy. So here's a quick overview:

Free-roaming on the islands:
Tasmanian Red-necked wallaby, Brushtail possum, Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo.

Tasmanian wombat habitats:
Tasmanian wombat + The three free-roaming animals also have access to these habitats.

Greenhouse:
Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo, Tawny frogmouth, Green rosella, Diamond firetail.

Boardwalk route:
Tasmanian devil

Nocturnal enclosure:
Eastern quoll

Aviary:
Diamond firetail, Swift parrot

 

[Haliaeetus]

After walking through the Awa Puru aviary, we enter a small walkthrough island. It doesn't look nearly as humid as the New Zealand region, with more tall grasses and less ferns and mosses.
A group of road signs welcomes us to the Tasmanian region:
View attachment 726426


This island is home to six new mammals, almost all of which are endemic (at least, by subspecies) to Tasmania. As well as multiple bird species in an indoor area. Winding paths on the forested grassland island mean you can take multiple routes, and different routes show different animals.
View attachment 726424


Edit: Due to the multiple routes, this post gets confusing. So here's a map of the route we'll be taking:
View attachment 726422

At the top is the exit shack from Awa Puru. From here, there are two main routes. If we turn left, we enter Wombat territory. A wooden platform provides viewing into the first separated enclosure. In here, we can see our first Oceanian mammal: The Tasmanian wombat!

A combination of small trees and some Australian plants decorate the habitat, along with small climbing structures. Not for the Wombats in this case, but for one of the free-roaming inhabitants, all of which can freely enter the Wombat habitat. With some luck, you could see the one of the Brushtail possums in one of the sleeping boxes nearby.

Wombat habitat:
View attachment 726419

After this viewing point, we continue into the forested island. In this open spot we might be able to see a few of the Tasmanian Red-necked wallabies that call the island home.
View attachment 726418

After this first region of the island, we come into this route's indoor section:
View attachment 726423

Immediately to our right, we get a large viewing window into the Wallaby indoor habitat. Along with the hay-covered flooring, there are a few wooden plant boxes. Not only are these decorative, but they're also home to various birds.

Bronzewings, Rosellas, Frogmouths and Firetails are able to perch in the bushes and small trees. They can also fly over the visitor tunnel and into the small greenhouse on our left side.
Speaking of: Let's head through the glass sliding doors and into the little greenhouse.
Stepping into the not-quite-tropical greenhouse we first walk under multiple small, wooden archways, providing perches to the Green rosellas and Tawny frogmouths. Surrounded by the screeching of the Rosellas and the colourful fluttering of the swarming Firetails, we walk over a short boardwalk, looking at the hill at the back of the little greenhouse. On the hillside, we might be able to see a small flock of Bronzewing pigeons foraging for food.

Inside this hill are the sleeping dens for the two Wombat enclosures. Continuing over this short boardwalk, we walk into three small covered areas, which have viewing windows into the Wombat's sleeping quarters, so the animals can be seen by visitors even if they're not outside.
Along with the four free-roaming bird species, there's also a pair of Long-nosed potoroos. In this temperature-controlled indoor area, they should hopefully have better luck breeding than the two outdoor groups held on the island.

two outdoor groups?
That's right. This little indoor area is not only pretty, but it also functions as a separator for the two areas of the island. This way we can have more animals (1.1 Brushtail possums on both islands, a species that can't be held in large groups), and more control over the group dynamics of the Potoroos and Wallabies.

Before we continue our route to the second area of the island, let's quickly head back to the start of our route, right after the exit of the Awa Puru aviary, and check out route #2:
View attachment 726424

Instead of going through the Wombat route, we instead head to our right. If we take a good look around in the foliage, we might be able to see one of the outdoor Long-nosed potoroos. If we're lucky, at least...

Continuing on our way, the semi-forested island makes way to a small marsh, and a boardwalk takes us over a deeper river area.

General look of the Meredith Range islands, with river area:
View attachment 726420

From this wooden walkway, we can see a second group of islands. Here live a group of Tasmania's most famous residents: The Tasmanian devils. Along with a larger strip of forest, they also have a mini-island at their disposal. Near-invisible electrical wires over the water make sure these ravenous carnivores don't mix with our other marsupials. Since both groups do enjoy the occasional soak.

Walking along the boardwalk, we can see the devils on one side, and the rest of the islands on the other. Smaller mini-islands in the water should block most of the cross-viewing. At the end of the boardwalk we can see the entrance to the indoor area. Although this is technically the same building, we enter into a completely different area:
View attachment 726423

We now walk into the left half of the building. From this short walkway, we can look into four different enclosures. Let's start on the indoor enclosure. Inside, it's a little dark. Tinted windows in the roof let out enough light to see, but not as much as we'd like. If we're a bit patient, we might see some movement inside this forest habitat. Inside lives an elusive species, namely a small group of Eastern quolls. These nocturnal animals are small relatives of the Tasmanian devils, and one of the few carnivorous Marsupials. They're not nearly as ravenous as their big cousins, but they're just as endangered. A lit-up sign in the enclosure shows education on how islands often provide safe sanctuaries to endangered species.

Along with the nocturnal habitat, we also have a good view of three outdoor habitats from this indoor walkway. The first looks back into the Devil habitat we just walked past, into a more secluded corner of the habitat, where the Devils won't feel as watched, and might be more visible.

The second window looks out into a different enclosure. Although we wouldn't be able to tell, since the netting of this aviary is hidden in plants and by perspective.
Inside this aviary lives a species under threat: The Critically endangered Swift parrot. Accompanied by a second group of Diamond firetails, that could also be found in the greenhouse.
The Diamond firetail is the only species in the Meredith range that doesn't technically occur in Tasmania, as this is a representative for the Beautiful firetail, a species that does occur on the island, but is not held in captivity.

After this, we can step back outside onto a raised, wooden pathway.
View attachment 726424

Walking over the raised pathway, we get a good look into the enclosure above us. This is the second Tasmanian devil enclosure. The first enclosure was much more forested, based on the Tasmanian lowlands. This enclosure looks much more similar to Beauval's Tassie habitat, with more rocks, replicating the highlands:
View attachment 726421

After this, we enter the second free-roaming area. We take the first left turn, then looping around to the second Wombat enclosure. Again, we have a wooden viewing platform into the forested enclosure. Even if the Wombats are sleeping inside, we might be able to see the wallabies dozing off in the shade cast by the trees.

Walking off the viewing platform, we get a final stretch of forest. From here, with some luck, we might be able to see the second pair of Brushtail possums up in the trees. We get one final viewing point into the Wombat habitat, before walking onto a large bridge onto the "mainland". Although not exactly barren, the view of our next area is a lot less forested.

Stay tuned folks, we're heading into the Billabong!

View attachment 726425

With repeat species and animals having access to multiple habitats, I use dotted lines on the species card. But this time there's quite a few of them, so this got a bit messy. So here's a quick overview:

Free-roaming on the islands:
Tasmanian Red-necked wallaby, Brushtail possum, Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo.

Tasmanian wombat habitats:
Tasmanian wombat + The three free-roaming animals also have access to these habitats.

Greenhouse:
Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo, Tawny frogmouth, Green rosella, Diamond firetail.

Boardwalk route:
Tasmanian devil

Nocturnal enclosure:
Eastern quoll

Aviary:
Diamond firetail, Swift parrot

A very nice Tasmanian zone !
It's interesting for a temperate cold climate, as most Tasmanian species (except some migrating birds) are very tolerant to cold.
Could you credit me for the picture of the Tassie enclosure ? Thanks.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Could you credit me for the picture of the Tassie enclosure ? Thanks.

My apologies for not crediting you. I go through a LOT of photos to get something similar to what I have envisioned, and often that means I change photos halfway through editing, and not all of them are from ZooChat.
I will do my best to credit ZooChat photos from now on.

Wombat habitat photo by KevinB (Pairi Daiza)
General look of Meredith Range photo by MennoPebesma (Aquazoo Leeuwarden)
Tasmanian highland exhibit photo by Haliaeetus (ZooParc de Beauval)

 

[Paul.Haerle]

After walking through the Awa Puru aviary, we enter a small walkthrough island. It doesn't look nearly as humid as the New Zealand region, with more tall grasses and less ferns and mosses.
A group of road signs welcomes us to the Tasmanian region:
View attachment 726426


This island is home to six new mammals, almost all of which are endemic (at least, by subspecies) to Tasmania. As well as multiple bird species in an indoor area. Winding paths on the forested grassland island mean you can take multiple routes, and different routes show different animals.
View attachment 726424


Edit: Due to the multiple routes, this post gets confusing. So here's a map of the route we'll be taking:
View attachment 726422

At the top is the exit shack from Awa Puru. From here, there are two main routes. If we turn left, we enter Wombat territory. A wooden platform provides viewing into the first separated enclosure. In here, we can see our first Oceanian mammal: The Tasmanian wombat!

A combination of small trees and some Australian plants decorate the habitat, along with small climbing structures. Not for the Wombats in this case, but for one of the free-roaming inhabitants, all of which can freely enter the Wombat habitat. With some luck, you could see the one of the Brushtail possums in one of the sleeping boxes nearby.

Wombat habitat:
View attachment 726419

After this viewing point, we continue into the forested island. In this open spot we might be able to see a few of the Tasmanian Red-necked wallabies that call the island home.
View attachment 726418

After this first region of the island, we come into this route's indoor section:
View attachment 726423

Immediately to our right, we get a large viewing window into the Wallaby indoor habitat. Along with the hay-covered flooring, there are a few wooden plant boxes. Not only are these decorative, but they're also home to various birds.

Bronzewings, Rosellas, Frogmouths and Firetails are able to perch in the bushes and small trees. They can also fly over the visitor tunnel and into the small greenhouse on our left side.
Speaking of: Let's head through the glass sliding doors and into the little greenhouse.
Stepping into the not-quite-tropical greenhouse we first walk under multiple small, wooden archways, providing perches to the Green rosellas and Tawny frogmouths. Surrounded by the screeching of the Rosellas and the colourful fluttering of the swarming Firetails, we walk over a short boardwalk, looking at the hill at the back of the little greenhouse. On the hillside, we might be able to see a small flock of Bronzewing pigeons foraging for food.

Inside this hill are the sleeping dens for the two Wombat enclosures. Continuing over this short boardwalk, we walk into three small covered areas, which have viewing windows into the Wombat's sleeping quarters, so the animals can be seen by visitors even if they're not outside.
Along with the four free-roaming bird species, there's also a pair of Long-nosed potoroos. In this temperature-controlled indoor area, they should hopefully have better luck breeding than the two outdoor groups held on the island.

two outdoor groups?
That's right. This little indoor area is not only pretty, but it also functions as a separator for the two areas of the island. This way we can have more animals (1.1 Brushtail possums on both islands, a species that can't be held in large groups), and more control over the group dynamics of the Potoroos and Wallabies.

Before we continue our route to the second area of the island, let's quickly head back to the start of our route, right after the exit of the Awa Puru aviary, and check out route #2:
View attachment 726424

Instead of going through the Wombat route, we instead head to our right. If we take a good look around in the foliage, we might be able to see one of the outdoor Long-nosed potoroos. If we're lucky, at least...

Continuing on our way, the semi-forested island makes way to a small marsh, and a boardwalk takes us over a deeper river area.

General look of the Meredith Range islands, with river area:
View attachment 726420

From this wooden walkway, we can see a second group of islands. Here live a group of Tasmania's most famous residents: The Tasmanian devils. Along with a larger strip of forest, they also have a mini-island at their disposal. Near-invisible electrical wires over the water make sure these ravenous carnivores don't mix with our other marsupials. Since both groups do enjoy the occasional soak.

Walking along the boardwalk, we can see the devils on one side, and the rest of the islands on the other. Smaller mini-islands in the water should block most of the cross-viewing. At the end of the boardwalk we can see the entrance to the indoor area. Although this is technically the same building, we enter into a completely different area:
View attachment 726423

We now walk into the left half of the building. From this short walkway, we can look into four different enclosures. Let's start on the indoor enclosure. Inside, it's a little dark. Tinted windows in the roof let out enough light to see, but not as much as we'd like. If we're a bit patient, we might see some movement inside this forest habitat. Inside lives an elusive species, namely a small group of Eastern quolls. These nocturnal animals are small relatives of the Tasmanian devils, and one of the few carnivorous Marsupials. They're not nearly as ravenous as their big cousins, but they're just as endangered. A lit-up sign in the enclosure shows education on how islands often provide safe sanctuaries to endangered species.

Along with the nocturnal habitat, we also have a good view of three outdoor habitats from this indoor walkway. The first looks back into the Devil habitat we just walked past, into a more secluded corner of the habitat, where the Devils won't feel as watched, and might be more visible.

The second window looks out into a different enclosure. Although we wouldn't be able to tell, since the netting of this aviary is hidden in plants and by perspective.
Inside this aviary lives a species under threat: The Critically endangered Swift parrot. Accompanied by a second group of Diamond firetails, that could also be found in the greenhouse.
The Diamond firetail is the only species in the Meredith range that doesn't technically occur in Tasmania, as this is a representative for the Beautiful firetail, a species that does occur on the island, but is not held in captivity.

After this, we can step back outside onto a raised, wooden pathway.
View attachment 726424

Walking over the raised pathway, we get a good look into the enclosure above us. This is the second Tasmanian devil enclosure. The first enclosure was much more forested, based on the Tasmanian lowlands. This enclosure looks much more similar to Beauval's Tassie habitat, with more rocks, replicating the highlands:
View attachment 726421

After this, we enter the second free-roaming area. We take the first left turn, then looping around to the second Wombat enclosure. Again, we have a wooden viewing platform into the forested enclosure. Even if the Wombats are sleeping inside, we might be able to see the wallabies dozing off in the shade cast by the trees.

Walking off the viewing platform, we get a final stretch of forest. From here, with some luck, we might be able to see the second pair of Brushtail possums up in the trees. We get one final viewing point into the Wombat habitat, before walking onto a large bridge onto the "mainland". Although not exactly barren, the view of our next area is a lot less forested.

Stay tuned folks, we're heading into the Billabong!

View attachment 726425

With repeat species and animals having access to multiple habitats, I use dotted lines on the species card. But this time there's quite a few of them, so this got a bit messy. So here's a quick overview:

Free-roaming on the islands:
Tasmanian Red-necked wallaby, Brushtail possum, Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo.

Tasmanian wombat habitats:
Tasmanian wombat + The three free-roaming animals also have access to these habitats.

Greenhouse:
Tasmanian Long-nosed potoroo, Tawny frogmouth, Green rosella, Diamond firetail.

Boardwalk route:
Tasmanian devil

Nocturnal enclosure:
Eastern quoll

Aviary:
Diamond firetail, Swift parrot

For their own safety, the Diamond Firetails should only stay with the Swift Parrots.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Alright folks, we're off to the main feature of Wetland Park Europe's Oceanian zone: The Billabong!

Not quite an Outback desert of Central Australia and not quite the humid forests of the Eastern coast, this area showcases an in-between. Themed around the arid forests around Adelaide and Southwestern Victoria, I welcome you to the Billabong:


After exiting Meredith Range, we walk onto the Australian Billabong island. This huge walkthrough area is home to eight different free-roaming species that the visitors can walk between.

The whole island is covered in tall grass and bushes, with occasional groups of trees providing shade to the inhabitants, which we might find lounging around in the sun. We enter on the left side of the island, walking among the shrubland we might come across some of the inhabitants:
A small group of Emus!


Along our path we get to see multiple small ponds and lakes between the foliage. These are the actual Billabongs of the Billabong! As the Billabong is not only a fun name for this region, it's also the Australian name for an oxbow lake. Within the Billabong, there are multiple small billabongs to be found.


Soon enough, we come to a crossroads. To our right, we see see the start of a raised wooden path, similar to the wooden walkway in Pairi Daiza's Southern Cape. From here, we can see the largest part of the Billabong plains that isn't interrupted by paths or Billabongs. Here, we might be able to see some of the many Swamp wallabies lying in the shade. Or, with some luck, the smaller Parma wallabies hiding in the bushes! The Billabong is huge, so most of the macropods are held in quite large groups. The herd of Eastern grey kangaroos counts over 25 animals!


This larger area, and the Billabong in general, will look very similar to Parc Des Oiseaux's Australian Bush area, with patches of red sand and rocks decorating the grassy areas.

Visible from the raised path is the first half of a pair that no Australian is complete without: the good ol' Rusty water tower and Windmill! These are represented by the two purple blocks on the map. From the wooden path we can see the water tower, as the windmill is on the other side of the Billabong.


As some of you may have noticed, there are also a group of three enclosures to our left. Due to ZooChat's image limit, however, I can't fully fit the layout of these in with the rest of the Billabong. At least, not with all the other images I've got in here. The building in the middle of the Billabong, and the four enclosures attached to it, will be discussed later .

The boardwalk over the Billabong continues all the way to the end of the island, where we walk over the moat around the island. On the shoreline and in the water will probably be the best part of the Billabong to view the Pelicans. The Billabong is home to a small flock of Australian pelicans, these animals are wing-clipped and can also be housed in an aviary on the other side of the boardwalk (next to the spoilerwall), during bird flu or molting periods.

From this boardwalk we get a nice panorama view of the island over the water:


Let's quickly head back to the crossroads, before the boardwalk and take the other route instead. Taking the ground path takes us through a slightly more forested area. Besides the views into the larger habitat the path loops around, this area might also be a good spot to view the Australian brush-turkeys that call the island home, hiding between the bushes and trees.


From this path we get a good view of a larger, uninterrupted area of the Billabong, where we can also find more billabongs! In this more open area, we might find the last two free-roamers we haven't seen yet: A larger group of Cape barren geese, and a smaller group of Yellow-footed rock wallabies!

We head through the Billabong's indoor area (which, again, I'll discuss in the next post). After this, we quickly re-enter the boardwalk, and exit the Billabong island.

Two more posts after this one to finish up Oceania, folks! I'll do my best to get these out a little quicker than the others. Before the species list here's a quick view of the actual size of the Billabong:


I'll see you guys next time when we head North toward the second largest island of Oceania in the Kerasu Jungle!

Species list Billabong:

 

[Mr Gharial]

Aaaaaand we're back in the Billabong!

Now that we've discovered all the free-roamers on the island, it's about time we head into the shack in the middle of the Billabong. This run-down cabin covered in a rusty tin roof is home to some iconic Australian inhabitants, let's take a look!



Let us start at the wooden path and work our way back from there.

From the raised wooden walkway we could see the multiple free-roamers on the plains, but if we turn around we can also get a look at two large outdoor habitats. Both of these still have the same arid forest look as the rest of the Billabong, and they both also have a small pool partially underneath the boardwalk. These two habitats are built in the same style as many Australian zoos build their outdoor reptile habitats, with corrugated steel walls, giving off a look of repurposed sea containers.


These large, open-topped habitats are home to Lace monitors. The larger one holds a group of around 4 or 5 large Lace monitors, while the smaller habitat holds smaller animals. Walking from the boardwalk back to the forest area of the Billabong, we see a second viewing point into the monitor habitat. From the raised viewing point, the enclosure is fully open to the visitor's view. On this side, however, the enclosure is closed, and we view the monitors through large windows. This is because the Kangaroos aren't able to get onto the bridge, so they can't jump in from that side. This side, on the other hand, doesn't have as much protection. And we want the monitors to maintain a diet of Rats and Rabbits, not Wallabies.


Further along our route, the path loops around a larger habitat, with multiple glass viewing points into it, although the barriers aren't too high to look over for most adults. With a similar style to the Monitor habitat, this enclosure is home to a larger group of mixed reptiles.
Between fallen logs, bushes, small rock piles and even a few abandoned car tires, you'll need a good eye to find the inhabitants. You might find the Frilled lizards and Cunningham skinks sunning on a rock pile in the morning, or the Blue-tongued skinks hiding underneath a log or in the tall grass. Along the water's edge, there are multiple turtle species, as well as a larger amount of Australian water dragons!

Now, it can get cold in Southern Australia, where most of these reptiles live, but they're not nearly tolerant enough to stay outdoor year-round in the Dutch climate, so of course these species also have larger indoor enclosures. Some of the steel panels forming the reptile outdoor habitats can be removed fully. So during the winter months, these enclosures are accessible to the kangaroos.

The monitor lizards can typically stay outside a little longer than the inhabitants of the mixed habitat.


Let's head into the shack to discover the reptile's indoor quarters.

Inside the Billabong shack we are immediately greeted by a giant paludarium. This is the indoor home for the mixed reptile habitat. Alongside the six reptilian inhabitants, there are also a number of fish species in the water. There are three larger windows into the habitat. The first looks into the land area of the paludarium, where we might be able to see the skinks agian.

The other two windows look into the water. Besides the turtles, there are also a number of fish inhabiting the water. Some smaller fish like Rainbowfish and Gudgeons hide between the artificial tree roots and fallen logs, and some imposing Queensland lungfish float dormantly at the bottom of the tank. Occasionally, this tank gets live insect feedings with crickets and non-flying flies being released onto some of the artificial branches hanging over the water. These aren't specifically for the lizards in the exhibit (although they're free to snack...), as these are to showcase the fascinating natural behaviour of the banded archerfish in the water!

Look of the Mixed reptile indoor habitat (although it would have a lot more land area):



After walking past the multiple viewing windows into this habitat, we walk around the corner and come across three more indoor habitats. These are home to three groups of Lace monitors, all of which have outdoor access. These large indoor habitats, just like their outdoor counterparts, have a wonderful forested interior, as well as a small water area. Unlike the outdoor pools, the indoor pools are actually inhabited by small fish. Joining the Lace monitors in the water are more Gudgeons, Hardyheads and some Galaxias...es... Wait, what's the plural for Galaxias?

Look of the Monitor lizard indoor habitats (although the ones in the Billabong would also have underwater viewing):


The interesting thing about Lace monitors is that they come in multiple variations. And along with the regular Lace monitors, the Billabong also houses some Bell's phase Lace monitors, which have wonderful stripes along their body.

Both in the indoor and outdoor enclosures for the monitors there are multiple dead trees for the monitors to lounge on:


After the multiple viewing points into the Lace monitor enclosures, there is another paludarium. This time for Diamond pythons, the nominate subspecies of the Carpet python. Just like Lace monitors, Carpet pythons have multiple colour variations. Diamond pythons, being the South/Eastern variant, have a wonderful grey colour with white speckles. They are joined in the water by Purple-spotted gudgeons.

In the wall next to the python paludarium there are multiple small viewing points. Some of the uneven planks in the wall are removed, offering a view into a large, nocturnal enclosure. Through dim lighting we might be able to see the fast and erratic movement of a large group of Feathertail gliders, jumping between branches and bushes in the enclosure. On the ground, these small marsupials are joined by a second nocturnal marsupial, these being Rufous bettongs, or rat kangaroos.

As we walk past this wall we see the final terrarium in the shack, this being inhabited only by insects. This very large terrarium holds multiple live bushes and artificial trees, and you'll need good eyes to find the three inhabitants. The first, and possibly the easiest to find, is the beautiful Golden stag beetle, as the iridescent sheen of their elytras will catch the eye of most visitors.

The second inhabitant is the Giant burrowing cockroach, which visitors might be able to see if they decide to come out of hiding. There are multiple hollow logs stood against the window, as well as some underground dens to hopefully make the Cockroaches a little more visible, but visibility is not guaranteed.

The final inhabitant of the insect terrarium is also difficult to see, as these are masters of disguise. Growing up to almost 30 cm, the Titan stick insect is the second largest stick insect on the continent. Looking very similar to the branches of the bushes and trees in the terrarium, you might only be able to spot these giants when they're moving

Look of the stick insect terrarium:


After this final terrarium we exit the Billabong shack and go back outside to the walkthrough island. Walking around the corner we see one final outdoor habitat, this being the final and smallest Lace monitor habitat. Unlike the other enclosures, this one is not open-topped. With much taller walls, as well as a mesh roof and viewing points, the monitors in this habitat are free to go outside year-round. In colder months, the mesh can simply be removed from this habitat and be replaced with glass at the windows, and simple tarp at the top. During colder months, their outdoor habitat is heated to around a minimum of 10 degrees Celcius. The indoor enclosures are between 10 and 15 degrees in colder months.

Look of the third outdoor monitor habitat:


Species list Billabong shack:


Species list mixed habitat:

 

[Mr Gharial]

Well it's a good thing I don't have a terrible memory and nearly forgot I still had to upload the final part...

We're here, folks! The final part of the Oceanian boardwalk region, I welcome you to the New Guinea region: The Kesaru Jungle!



After exiting the Billabong boardwalk, we continue back onto land. We walk past the pelican aviary, besides housing the pelicans, geese and brush-turkeys during bird flu season, it also houses a few species of waterfowl year-round, to make sure there's always something to see in here. Along with the Magpie geese and three duck species, there are also a pair of Blue-winged kookaburras, as well as a small group of Bin chickens, better known as Australian white ibises.

Walking along the route, we quickly come across the first New Guinean habitats. We walk past low barriers and look into a forested habitat with multiple climbing structures. In truth, there are two enclosures here, with the middle barrier being well-hidden. Both enclosures are inhabited by a pair of Goodfellow's tree kangaroos and Dusky pademelons.

The barriers to this habitat are similar to the barriers or GaiaZOO's red panda enclosure; short enough for adults to look over, and with a few glass panels for kids to look through:


The climbing structures extend over the path, allowing the Tree kangaroos access to their indoor enclosure. The Pademelons also have access to the indoor habitat, of course. Although they have a tunnel underneath the visitor path, since they have some trouble with climbing .

After these two habitats we enter the indoor section of the Kesaru jungle. Almost immediately to our left there are two viewing windows into the Macropod indoor habitat. Decorated with fallen logs and small trees, as well as quite a few live plants, this heated indoor enclosure, along with the Tree kangaroos and Pademelons, is also home to New Guinea short-beaked echidnas.

After turning the corner and getting another view into the indoor habitat, we are greeted by a very large room with three colossal paludariums. These paludariums are based on the Papuan lowlands, with marshy foliage, Mangroves, lots of fallen logs, and a lot of underwater plants:


The first paludarium we walk past, which is also the smallest, is home to multiple White-lipped pythons. These beautiful irridescent serpents can be found in the trees, on the ground, or bathing in the water section of their huge enclosure, where they are joined by White-lipped tree frogs and multiple fish species in the water.

The second, much larger paludarium, is another mixed habitat. The largest inhabitant being the very prehistoric-looking Sail-finned lizard, which can be found lounging in the large logs over the water. Two smaller lizard species, those being the equally prehistoric-looking Indonesian forest dragon, and the beautiful Blue-spotted tree monitor, can also be seen in the arboreal section of the paludarium. In the aquatic area of this enclosure, along with the fish species, we can find both Snake-necked turtles and Pig-nosed turtles. A third turtle species, the Red-bellied short-necked turtle, can probably be found along the water's edge or on the land area.

The third and final paludarium is home to a reptilian giant. Although technically not the largest lizard species, it is the longest: this paludarium holds an enormous Crocodile monitor. Crocodile monitors can grow up to over 3 meters long, although most of this length is in their tail.
In multiple reptile species, Wetlands Park Europe attempts to have the largest individual of this species, through genetics, diets and of course, sufficient habitat space.

This Crocodile monitor isn't alone though, as multiple small Emerald skinks and Mourning geckos can also be seen occasionally inside this paludarium, these are also free to get into the mixed Lizard/Turtle habitat nextdoors.

In the water of these giant paludariums, there are, of course, multiple fish species, which are able to get to all three paludariums freely. Underwater grids prevent the reptiles from getting to each other, while allowing most of the fish to come and go as they please. Along with large groups of four different rainbowfish species, all of different colours, there are also Peacock gudgeons and Spotted archerfish, as well as a huge amount of very small blue-eyes.

This grid system doesn't work perfectly, of course. Due to their size, the Archerfish are completely separate for every paludarium, with about six to ten animals in every habitat. Since an archer-fish sized grid would also allow the smaller monitors and pythons to swim through it.

After we've had a good look at the giant paludarium room, we continue into a hallway. One side of the hallway is glass, and provides view into the outdoor habitat next to it. On the other side, there are two more paludariums.


Unlike the giant paludariums, these are based more on the higlands, with much denser foliage, a hilly environment, and a gravelly aquatic section, rather than a marshy one.

The first paludarium we come across has a lot of height to it, with the logs and rocks giving a lot of perching spaces for the inhabitants. With Blue-tongued skinks on the ground and Common sun skinks on the lower ledges, as well as the fascinating Red-eyed crocodile skink lounging on the logs and plants on the higher levels. Along with these, there are also small tree frogs and White-striped geckos that can be found sticking to the rocks or even the glass. Well-hidden in the foliage, there are also a number of tiny Emerald skinks inhabiting this large habitat.

The second paludarium of this hallway is the second place where we can see Crocodile monitors, this time much smaller than the three meter monster we saw earlier. These are average-sized, only being about a meter long.

These habitats, too, have a shared aquatic area. With a beautiful gravelly theme and constantly slow-moving water, this aquatic habitat is home to Forktail blue-eyes, Dwarf rainbowfish and Peacock gudgeons, which can all be found swimming about in the middle level of the water. Along with these, there are also beautiful Cobalt blue gobies, sitting on the gravel bed. A few holes and hiding spots between logs and larger rocks provide hiding spots for the shy but colourful zebra crayfish.

After these two paludariums, we walk into a broader part of the hallway. We can still look into the outdoor habitat from here, but along the wall is the main show: a large, moving projection of the Papuan rainforest. Roughly every 5 minutes, the projection slowly transitions to a different educational theme. The projection always shows the same rainforest, and for every different educational theme, something walks or flies into the scene, accompanied by a sound of the rainforest.

The first of the animals to show up is the Southern cassowary. Educational text about this giant bird tells visitors on how this is considered the most dangerous bird in the world, which is a big overstatement. Although the Cassowary is listed Least concern, they are endangered on mainland Australia, and threatened by deforestation. A lot of animals, including the cassowary, are hunted only due to their status of being considered "dangerous", some of them being hunted into near-extinction. Their status of being "the world's most dangerous bird" is only because of very rare incidents of Cassowaries lashing out after being attacked or harassed, and they won't attack unprovoked. More people die each year because of vending machine incidents than shark attacks. The educational texts show other examples of this, as well as some general education around the lifestyle of the most beautiful of the ratites (in my opinion).
The projection of the cassowary is paired with its booming call playing through hidden speakers.

After the cassowary walks off, and the educational text on cassowaries dissipates, a beautiful song can be heard. New text appears, this time about the culture of New Guinea. Off in the distance of the rainforest projection, the silhouettes of tribal people can be seen walking along a hill. The song playing is the song of the Mamuna tribe, also known as the Korowai. Educational signage explains a bit about their culture, and about how the New Guinea tribes were some of the last ones to come into contact with the Western world, only being discovered by the west in the 1970's.

As the tribesmen continue their trek to their settlement and the song fades, a brown-greyish bird flies into the scene, and perches on a fallen log. Following this bird is a much more brightly coloured bird. These are the beautiful Birds-of-Paradise endemic to New Guinea, famous not only for their striking colours, but especially for their stunning courting displays. Every bird has its own fascinating dance, and in this educational room, you can see every. single. one of them. That is, if you're very patient. The projection has footage of every recorded Bird-of-Paradise dance, and a different one plays every loop.

The final display is much less wholesome. The birds-of-Paradise quickly fly off as they're startled by loud noises, in the background, the tribesmen and cassowary can also be seen running away. Shouting men with guns and chainsaws start cutting down the rainforest, and education about the illegal wood trade in New Guinea is shown. This is a huge problem in all of New Guinea, as well as Indonesia and, let's face it, the rest of the world's tropics. At some point, after a lot of the forest in the projected mural has been cut down, a group of rangers chase off the wood poachers and start replanting the rainforest.

After the simulated rainforest has regrown, the projection loops again.

At the end of this hallway you can exit the indoor area of the Kesaru jungle on two sides. One side takes us back to the Tree kangaroo habitat, the other takes us into the huge and densely forested New Guinea aviary.

Look of the indoor area from this end of the hallway (although the aviary would be forested rather than desert, of course):


Before we enter the Kesaru aviary, here's another look at the map:


Stepping inside the forested aviary we are immediately greeted by the loud screeching of the birds inhabiting this aviary. A total of seventeen species live here, the loudest of which probably being the various parrots, cockatoos and lorikeets. In the forested section to our left we may be able to see the Black-capped lories.

In the beginning of this aviary we have options for three different paths, one of which being a small adventure path. Instead of going in there, however, we take the path immediately to our right and onto a boardwalk viewing point. On the other side of the water is a small beach, decorated with multiple large boulders. This is the enclosure for the Southern cassowary. There's a good chance you'll also see other birds in this habitat, however. This more open space would be a good spot to see some of the ground-dwelling doves, such as the Victoria crowned-pigeons or the much smaller Cinnamon ground-doves.

Surrounded by reeds, we continue further along the boardwalk. Along the handrail, if it's a calm day at least, we might also see some of the Spotted whistling-ducks perching above the water, this aviary holds a decently sized group of them. As the boardwalk continues, we are greeted with a denser section of the forest, here we might see the resident pair of Lesser birds-of-paradise.

After re-entering the path on dry land, we curve back around. From here, we get a good view of the marsh area of the aviary. On the shores of this marsh, we can spot the Masked lapwings, as well as the Straw-necked ibises that call this aviary home. A small, adventurous boardwalk goes through the reeds, a continuation of the adventure path we saw before.

Continuing around the bend, we get another good view of a cassowary habitat, the second one of the aviary, since they're solitary. Rajah shelducks can be seen in the river area. In the cassowary habitat, there are also multiple dead/fake trees and branches, there provide better perching spots for the various cockatoos, which can be heard from everywhere in the aviary. The two cockatoo species are of very contrasting colours, with the Triton cockatoo being a beautiful white, and the gorgeous Palm cockatoo being very dark blue. Another rather large bird you might be able to see on these perches, are the Papuan hornbills. We'd have to be very lucky to see these, though. As they're shy and will usually stick to the back of the aviary.

Even though the cassowary habitat is a lot less densely forested as the rest of the aviary, there's still quite a lot of foliage inside.
Look of the Cassowary enclosures (although this photo doesn't show the beach):


After the final viewing point to the Cassowary habitat, the path loops around once again and we're greeted by a bridge over the river that connects the aviary to the rest of the Oceanian section. On the other side of the bridge, we get one final forest section. Here we could spot the Beautiful fruit-doves, that being both a description of what I think of them, and the actual name of this species. White-naped pheasant-pigeons can also be seen on the forest floor.

After this, we exit the aviary, conclude the Oceania tour, and walk back onto the big, main path of the park.

Despite having some trouble with designing it, I think the Kesaru jungle has become my favourite area of the Oceanian boardwalk.
I know it took me a while, but I hope you've all enjoyed the Oceanian section of Wetlands park. Unfortunately, this also means I'll be going on hiatus for a while. Since the finishing of Oceania also signals the end of the prepared parts of Wetlands park. Currently, none of the other areas have anything beyond some very basic concepts.

Chances are that the next project you'll be seeing here won't be entirely new, as I might revisit one of the sections of Wetlands park with a radical redesign. Until then, I'll send you all off with the species cards:

Outdoor enclosures Kesaru jungle:


Kesaru paludariums :




Free-roaming in the aviary:

 

[Mr Gharial]

Alright folks, my zoo season for this year is over. It has gotten too cold, too wet and too Christmassy for my tastes so I'm heading into my bunker to hibernate away. No zoo guides from me for another couple months. That means it's zoo design time!

As I mentioned, I'm working on a radical redesign of one of my old regions. I've worked out the species lists, written down the basic concepts and subregions, and now I'm busy with the first sketches of the map.

I know I say this often, but this will be one of my biggest projects in Wetlands Park Europe. I will soon welcome you to a new part of the great boardwalk separated in four parts.

For now I leave you with this sneak preview.

Coming soon...

 

[Mr Gharial]

Well, I'm currently at the point where I'm pretty sure I'm 75% done but in reality I'm probably only halfway there. We're coming up on 300+ different species of animals in this new, giant region of Wetlands Park Europe.

I hope to get it out in January 2025:



My relaunch of the giant Amazon region will include two outdoor regions (separated in Marshland and Forest) and a giant greenhouse with 8 separate regions. As I don't want to give away too much, here's a spoiler-free runthrough:
- Jungle cliff
- Flooded forest
- River town
- Rocky shore
- Treetop tour
- Marshland path
- Sappakara canyon

 

[Haliaeetus]

Well, I'm currently at the point where I'm pretty sure I'm 75% done but in reality I'm probably only halfway there. We're coming up on 300+ different species of animals in this new, giant region of Wetlands Park Europe.

I hope to get it out in January 2025:

View attachment 758099

My relaunch of the giant Amazon region will include two outdoor regions (separated in Marshland and Forest) and a giant greenhouse with 8 separate regions. As I don't want to give away too much, here's a spoiler-free runthrough:
- Jungle cliff
- Flooded forest
- River town
- Rocky shore
- Treetop tour
- Marshland path
- Sappakara canyon

I'm waiting for this description !

 

[Mr Gharial]

I'm sorry y'all these graphics are just way too much fun to make


Note that I'm uploading this on Sunday, so if you're seeing this on Monday it'll be out this week

 

[Mr Gharial]

Eh, screw it. It's technically a two-parter


The gold-and-jungle theme just works so well, so I hope you guys like these little announcement posters. I highly doubt any of the zoo areas outside of O Rio Dourado will be getting this treatment though

 

[Van Beal]

These teases are getting out of hand… I need the tour soon @Mr Gharial

 

[Mr Gharial]

Right then, I loved making the teasers, but it's time for the main course.

I haven't finished the whole project yet, so I've still got some things to do, but I can release the first two parts this week.

Based partially on my visit to tropical South America last year, I welcome you to a reworked version of O Rio Dourado. Formerly a part of the Wetlands House in the middle of Wetlands park, now moved to the Great Boardwalk. Not only did it grow in size, but it now also includes two outdoor sections. The map below showcases the first outdoor area, which is actually parts 1 and 2. We'll be seeing part 1 today, and part 2 later.



Now, the route of O Rio Dourado starts on the left of the giant greenhouse, but from the perspective of Wetlands Park as a whole, the Wetlands Park main route goes past the greenhouse. So when we get to the "official" start of the O Rio Dourado route, we've technically already seen a few of the animals.

I'm not explaining it well, but you'll see what I mean when we get to the end of this huge project!


For this project I've decided to separate it into many smaller posts, similar in size to the North Lake Passage, each post showcasing about 4-5 enclosures, and releasing them two at a time. The way it's currently looking it'll be a total of 12 posts

Without further ado, let's get into part 1!



We enter O Rio Dourado on a broad boardwalk plaza. Immediately to our right is a small building with a large, glass viewing window. Inside is the indoor holding for two of the animals that have access to the large marsh enclosure that takes up most of the viewing space on the plaza. The enclosure is filled with small climbing structures, branches and ropes, as well as a few live plants, making this function essentially as a mini greenhouse

(The indoor housing would be much better decorated than the one in the picture, but I had trouble finding one that accurately portrayed my vision, most likely this will be a reoccurring issue...)

What animals are inside? Well, at the moment. None. They're all out and about in the giant marsh enclosure, it seems. So let's check there first.

From the boardwalk plaza we get a nice panoramic view of this huge enclosure made of connected, forested islands. Planted with a mix of European tree types, some tropical palms, and a lot of bushes and reeds. Along with that, there are also multiple large dead trees and branches, as well as ropes. This habitat is home to a total of six different animal species, two semi-aquatic, and four arboreal.

Once again, I couldn't find a picture of the exact enclosure I had in mind, so let's just say it's a hybrid of these three:

(yes I know they look very similar shush it it's about the subtle differences)

Between the Beech and Ash trees, we can see the two largest inhabitants, a pair of Brazilian / Lowland tapirs. These animals can freely move between all the islands, and can often be seen swimming or wading in the water, even coming close to the boardwalk if you're lucky. Our second semi-aquatic animals are the Capybaras! These live in a larger group of about 10 animals. Although they also like the water quite a lot, these can probably be seen most often lounging in the sun on one of the small beaches. For my fellow Europeans (and other upper Northern hemisphere inhabitants): Let's all just pretend it's summer for the sake of embracing the Amazonian theme

As you can see on the map, the boardwalk has a pier heading into the middle of this mess of islands. From this viewing platform we can get a good look around the habitat, and it's probably also the best place to see the tapirs swimming.

You've probably already guessed from the island-y nature of the Marsh habitat (and the fact that I said it three paragraphs back), this enclosure is also home to multiple arboreal animals. And what else could that mean but primates!

Now, the average visitor probably wouldn't even notice this, but there are actually two groups of islands that are separate from each other. These are home to different groups of arboreal animals.

To our right, there are five islands, as well as a separated land area. These are home to a large group of Black-capped capuchin monkeys, joined by a handful of South American coatis. This is why there's more fallen trees on this side, to give the coatis more stable climbing structures. We can see the Coatis using some rolling puzzle feeders on the ground, while the Capuchins can be seen high in the treetops, chasing each other.

To our left, there are some larger primates. The critically endangered Colombian brown spider monkeys, gracefully swinging between the ropes that connect their islands. Thanks to the large size of the connected islands, these animals can live in a larger, more natural group of over 15 animals. These are joined by a smaller group of Red howler monkeys. If you're in or near the zoo in the morning (or if you're staying in one of the accommodations of the Wetlands Resort) you can probably hear their loud calls alerting all of their presence.

This pier does lead to a dead end though, so we'll have to turn around and head back to the boardwalk plaza before continuing. After we walk back to the entrance plaza, we take the boardwalk on the left side of the map to continue the O Rio Dourado route. Above the visitor's head, there are multiple ropes and small bridges allowing the Spider monkeys and Howlers to get from the smaller islands to the main area. The two smaller islands to the left of the boardwalk can't be accessed by the Tapirs or Capybaras due to a grate under the path.

After these little private monkey islands, we see a large building... or, buildings? Nope, it's one large building meant to look like multiple buildings. Decorated to look like a grouping of small buildings and market stands, this is the indoor holding for the Spider monkeys and Howlers. The climbing structures on the inside are made mostly of shelves and crates that the monkeys have "knocked over". Similar to the Monkey market indoor holding in Wildlands


We have a final, smaller panorama platform before we set foot off the boardwalk and onto solid ground. The path splits into two from here, one continuing straight ahead and the other looping around the small group of buildings and into a forested section. We'll of course head into the forest, so we won't miss any of the exhibits.

A low glass barrier allows view into a dense forested habitat, inside is an animal species so commonly kept as a pet that I wouldn't blame someone for forgetting they also occur in the wild. This enclosure is home to a large group of Brazilian guinea pigs. These also have indoor holding in the little multi-building. The Guinea pig indoor holding and Spider monkey indoor holding are separated by a glass wall, creating the illusion that they're in there together

Guinea pig outdoor enclosure:


After the Guinea pig habitat we walk into a covered viewing gallery, from here we can see into a medium-sized aviary decorated like a riverbank. With a small beach area, a few dead trees and a forest section in the back. Three predatory bird species call this aviary home. In the open section, there's multiple small burrows. Home to, of course, Burrowing owls. This species is diurnal and mostly terrestrial, so they can often be seen between the herbal ground coverage in the open area, guarding the entrance to their burrows.

The second species in this aviary is a pair of Yellow-headed caracaras. These can most likely be seen near the top of the aviary. Either on the bushes in the back, or on the dead trees in the front of the aviary.

The last species in the aviary will be the hardest to find, these are Tropical screech-owls. Nocturnal and probably hiding in one of the hollow trees or somewhere hidden in the bushes. With a lot of luck, it might decide to perch in the bushes closer to the viewing window.

We get a quick view into the bird's indoor holding (also a likely spot to find the Screech-owls) before exiting the covered viewing platform and heading back onto the main route. The route continues back onto a boardwalk, giving us a last view of the tapir marsh on one side, and a view of the next habitat on the other. Once again there are small hanging bridges over the path, allowing the Capuchins and Coatis access to an enclosure on the other side of the boardwalk. What animals are there, you ask? You'll have to wait for O Rio Dourado Area 2 later this week

I hope you've all enjoyed this short first area, and I'll see you all again hopefully soon for outdoor area 2: riverbank.

Species of area 1:

 

[Mr Gharial]

Alright guys, let's pick up where we left off

Welcome to area 2: Riverbank



Back on the boardwalk between the Tapir marsh habitat and exhibit #4, we look to our left. This beach enclosure is another area accessible to the Capuchin monkeys and Coatis. Looking like a typical South American riverbank, this enclosure has a sandy beach in front, and a lush, bushy section in the back. Once again there are multiple dead trees in between the bushes to provide climbing structures for the Arboreals. Something that happens surprisingly often in the Amazon, since the rivers flood often and the trees closer to the riverbank can sometimes drown.

Coatis and Capuchins aren't the only animals in this exhibit, of course. On the ground, there's a group of about 10 White-lipped peccaries. These animals look similar to pigs but aren't actually that closely related.

South American riverbank (which the Peccary habitat is partially modeled after, although it doesn't look exactly the same):


At the end of this shorter boardwalk, we're greeted with a large, netted-over enclosure with multiple small cliffs. The enclosure it very lush, although mostly with tall herbal plants and smaller bushes (as well as, again, small palm trees), and not too many tall trees. This enclosure is home to the apex predator of the Amazon, and the main "feature species" of O Rio Dourado: the Jaguar.

First jaguar exhibit (again, a combination of three enclosures):


The path goes past the Jaguar exhibit and allows multiple viewing points. You can see the jaguar through mesh in the open points, and through glass windows inside the two viewing huts.

The second viewing hut also leads to the next habitat. A long viewing corridor allows us to see into a large, central aviary. Once again with a riverbank theme, with multiple small streams and beaches. This aviary is home to all sorts of different bird life.

The largest inhabitants can clearly be seen wading in one of the streams. Looking very similar to the native European stork, the Maguari stork can be distinguished by the red marking around the eyes. This aviary holds a pair of them. They're joined in the water by a group of Buff-necked ibises, as well as some Lesser Brazilian teals

In one of the dead trees in the aviary you can find a few Roseate spoonbills, who prefer it up high unless they're feeding in the water.

We continue towards the end of the corridor. Despite being right next to the Peccary habitat, there aren't any viewing windows into this enclosure. This is partially to give the main aviary more of the spotlight, and also to avoid any cross-viewing.

Viewing corridor style:


At the end of the hallway we get to a large, heavy door. This marks the start of the walkthrough section of the aviary. As soon as we enter we can see a Guira cuckoo sitting on the railing, which flies away quite quickly after we enter.

At this end of the aviary there are three large viewing windows into three separate indoor holding areas. The first one for the peccaries, being rather simple in design and having a few raised planters in the back to give it a tropical feel without the Peccaries being able to dig up the roots. The second one is much more densely planted, as well as having a bunch of branches and perching spots. This indoor habitat belongs to the flying birds of this aviary. Inside, we can see the bright bill of a Toco toucan, whose darker body is camouflaged by the shadows.

A sudden noise alerts us all to look up. In the roof structure of the hallway there's a group of macaws looking down on us with curiosity. These are Blue-headed macaws, with a green body and a Turquoise-blue head.

Turning around to look back in the aviary, let's take a moment to see if we can find every species here.

In the multiple dead trees you can find the two other macaw species, perching near the top of the aviary in relatively large groups and squawking occasionally. These are Hyacinth and Scarlet macaws.
On one of the fallen trees over the water, there's a line of Fulvous whistling-ducks, as well as a Boat-billed heron staring into the water, despite there not being any fish.

On the other side of the creek we can see another waterfowl, although this one doesn't swim nearly as much as the other ducks of this aviary. The Orinoco goose prefers to stay on the riverbank, or hidden under the bushes. The same is true for the Southern lapwing, although we can't actually seem to find those at the moment. Probably in the bushes, then. The Striated heron also remains out of sight as we continue to the end of the walkthrough section of the aviary, which is only the back part of it (the corridor against the purple building / indoor holding section on the map).

Right before we go through another set of heavy doors, we quickly get a lucky glimpse of the Jaguar again. If we look all the way from one end of the aviary to the other, you can see the Jaguar from the previous exhibit through the mesh of the aviary.

Exiting the walkthrough section allows us to view outside of the hallway on two sides. With the aviary to the left, and a large lake habitat to the right. A small platform over the water allows a panorama view of this habitat, where we can see another apex predator of the Amazon rainforest: the Giant otter!

The biggest of the mustelids, the Giant otters are some of the most active animals of O Rio Dourado, second only to the various primate species. They're constantly jumping in and out of the water and running around on the land section of their habitat. On the right of their enclosure is a small river and a waterfall, originating from a small cliff coming out of another large, netted-over enclosure.

Giant otter enclosure:

(The Giant otter habitat in O Rio Dourado would be lined with taller cliffs and more forest in the back, rather than being open like this one)

At the back of this viewing platform, against the wall of the aviary, there is actually a staircase leading down. This brings us to a chamber under the viewing platform. Along with education on Giant otter threats (mainly poaching, but also global warming causing droughts, deforestation, and mercury poisoning due to gold mining), there is also underwater viewing into the Giant otter lake.

After we head back up and exit the viewing corridor, we're immediately surrounded by tall, clay riverbanks, also called "Clay licks" because macaws often eat clay off the banks to neutralize toxic seeds they eat. Decorated and hidden by roots sticking out of the clay, there's multiple tall viewing windows looking into our second Jaguar enclosure. This one being the biggest one.

The thing you'll notice almost immediately about this exhibit is the bridge. Between the two halves of this Jaguar enclosure is a bridge over the visitor pathway. With enough luck, you'll be able to see one of the jaguars walking over the visitor's heads.



Inside, the jaguar enclosures are similar to the first. The main difference being the fact that they have a lot more height, and quite a few more cliffs and rocks. They also have longer river sections and a few waterfalls.

(The second Jaguar exhibit is a combination of the first three reference pictures plus this one)


After we walk under the first bridge we can see... a second bridge?! That's right, this Jaguar enclosure consists of three separated areas connected by bridges. The three areas are connected and can be separated at will, this way this enclosure can hold multiple jaguars at a time (for example a breeding pair or a mother with multiple young).

We get multiple more viewing windows into the jaguar exhibit as we walk between the clay cliff walls before encountering a small, wooden hut squished between the cliffs. With bamboo and other dense plant types above the hut, you might not notice it at first. But you can still feel the imposing presence that it brings with it. We're in the shadow of the colossal Rio Dourado greenhouse.

High temperatures and foggy glasses await us in the next part of the O Rio Dourado tour. It will most likely be more than a week, since I still have some detail work to do. Keep your eyes peeled for more teasers, I'll see you later with part 3 and 4 of O Rio Dourado!

 

[Mr Gharial]

(Separate post because of image limit)

Species of area 2:



Macaw aviary:

 

[Paul.Haerle]

(Separate post because of image limit)

Species of area 2:
View attachment 764812


Macaw aviary:
View attachment 764811

The toucan will eat the chicks of the other birds

 

[Mr Gharial]

The toucan will eat the chicks of the other birds

Which is why I chose for mostly Least concern species . With the exception of the Hyacinth and Blue-headed macaws (Both vulnerable), none of the birds in the aviary are threatened. The aviary wasn't made with the intention of breeding the species

 

[Mr Gharial]

Due to the current US situation there's roughly a 50/50 chance I'll either spiral into anxiety and will be forced to watch comfort shows until I calm down or I'll go all-in into the design thing and it'll be out earlier than expected.

Right now though, it looks more like the first option...

On one hand I hate how it's effecting me this much (I don't even live in the US), on the other hand it doesn't surprise me because this is part of my identity and my peoples are threatened...

Don't worry though. No dystopian apocalypse could ever stop me from finishing this project.

Consider it just delayed.

 

[KevinB]

Due to the current US situation there's roughly a 50/50 chance I'll either spiral into anxiety and will be forced to watch comfort shows until I calm down or I'll go all-in into the design thing and it'll be out earlier than expected.

Right now though, it looks more like the first option...

On one hand I hate how it's effecting me this much (I don't even live in the US), on the other hand it doesn't surprise me because this is part of my identity and my peoples are threatened...

Don't worry though. No dystopian apocalypse could ever stop me from finishing this project.

Consider it just delayed.

Somewhat similar/related political influences, forces and thoughts are also present in Europe, and there are factors everywhere that are reasonably concerning to all people who, for whatever reason, whether it be culture, identity, disability or other reasons, don't completely fit into the ideals and models of some fractions of society. The anxiety is very understandable.

Good luck with managing and finding some comfort, and with working on the so far very nice project later on.