John Ball Zoo Exhibit Ideas? What would you display next to Amur Tigers?

J

JBZvolunteer

Well-Known Member
As we get ready to hopefully open a new tiger exhibit and breeding center at the zoo, I am stuck wondering what exhibits will be near it? With it being near the funicular landing It will be the first major exhibit up there. I am afraid that if we do that, that it will be rather disappointing to zoo visitors. So if it were up to you what species you exhibit?

I think it would be cool if the exhibit was flanked with a red panda on one side and asian small clawed otters mixed with a species of gibbons on the others side. It would be nice if it was an open window viewing into the red panda exhibit like what they did with bongo viewing from the lion hut.:D

So though, what species would you exhibit?
 
I have viewed it multiple times but after spending my summer almost living at the zoo when possible I have discovered the economy screwed the original plan up. The new grizzly bear exhibit that was suppose to be up where the alligator/ waterfowl ponds are but is now going to be a renovation of the existing exhibit which this year was expanded to include old dall sheep exhibit. So instead they are going to flatten the terrain, plant grass and expand backwards. They have also stopped basically all talk of a polar bear exhibit.

Thankfully though the only two major changes I know that have effected the most recent versions are we are know recommended to be a breeding facility and that the zoo society director wants to have tiger tug of war like Bush Gardens.

It would nice if we could go back to the original master plan we had from the early 2000's. We still have all the models and plans. They even included an elephant exhibit which someone was already willing to sponsor.
 
What about expanding Russian Far East theme (amur leopards, brown bears, red-crowned or white-naped cranes, wolves, wolverines...) or adding one more big cat species?
 
It would be cool if they did do some sort of Russian far east theme because that would give them an excuse to bring back to bring back wolverines after we took them of exhibit last summer. We also don't have many bird species so it would be nice to bring in cranes,I wonder if they could even keep the lakes theme going by highlight lake Baikal in Russia. If they did an exhibit like that they could try to get Baikal seals but I don't know if anyone out there exhibits them.
 
It would be great to see some Asian hoofed stock next to the tigers. Pere david's deer, barashinga, nilgai, etc would be great.
 
do like what akron zoo did. they have there snow leopard next to the himalayan tahr. the jaguar by the capybara and the sumatran tiger with the sloth bear. so next to the amur tiger put what would be there pray out in the wild. such as goral, roe deer, sika deer, wild boar, red deer, manchurian moose and my favorite the musk deer. correct me if im wrong but i don't think any US zoo has a musk deer. so that might be a plus.
 
Since the zoos tiger exhibit will be in a forested area I think that the exhibit right next to it should have Asian forested animals. What do you think about a Reeves' muntjac/Temminck's tragopan/Japanese crane exhibit? :)
 
JBZBongo said:
Since the zoos tiger exhibit will be in a forested area I think that the exhibit right next to it should have Asian forested animals. What do you think about a Reeves' muntjac/Temminck's tragopan/Japanese crane exhibit? :)
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That no one will ever see the muntjac and certainly not the tragopan :D
 
Zooplantman said:
That no one will ever see the muntjac and certainly not the tragopan :D
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True, but that would be alot less expensive I thought. In the Velt exhibit at the zoo (next to the lions) no one can ever see the duiker, guinea fowl, and vultures (sometimes the bongos, hornbills, and geese too.) I think its fun to find them in the exhibit, and usally there is no crowed at the exhibit (unless the bongos are running around.)
 
JBZBongo said:
True, but that would be alot less expensive I thought. In the Velt exhibit at the zoo (next to the lions) no one can ever see the duiker, guinea fowl, and vultures (sometimes the bongos, hornbills, and geese too.) I think its fun to find them in the exhibit, and usally there is no crowed at the exhibit (unless the bongos are running around.)
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Yeah but, with the duiker it's only out half the time and we don't have as many guinea fowl anymore. Though my dream would have been for the african veldt is instead of getting our latest warthog we would have sent the female away. After this we could connect the two exhibits and deepen the pool to add the addition of...... drumroll please......... pygmy hippos!!!
 
JBZvolunteer said:
Yeah but, with the duiker it's only out half the time and we don't have as many guinea fowl anymore. Though my dream would have been for the african veldt is instead of getting our latest warthog we would have sent the female away. After this we could connect the two exhibits and deepen the pool to add the addition of...... drumroll please......... pygmy hippos!!!
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Haha! For a sec I thought all of the guinea fowl were dead. Then I saw 2 one day! Do you know the duikers name? Roxie? Rocky? I forgot, but he/she's my second favorite animal at the zoo (after the 2 bongos.) I think that the zoo should keep the Velt and bring the camels down near the Red Barn then turn the "camel ring" into the....... Pygmy Hippos!!!m:):):)
 
I posted a picture of the finale tiger exhibit. Their will be 2 yards for the tigers and a small avairy in the middle of them. I don't know what bird species will be held in the aviary.
 
Being an Akron Zoo fan, I would do what Akron Zoo does. I would do a Siberian Hoofstock area next to the tiger- a row of glass-fronted outdoor enclosures in a roundabout sort of (not like the ugly LA Zoo roundabouts). I would have the tigers, and then Manchurian sika deer, Ussuri brown bear, goral, and Manchurian elk. I would call this Siberian Woods, similar to Minnesota Zoo's Russia's Grizzly Coast. I have never been to John Ball Zoo but I have been to Detroit Zoo, which is #6!
 
Zoo rumors are that red pandas, wolves, or elk maybe will have a new exhibit by the tigers. I would love the snow leopards to come up there and call the section "Asian Cats". Then open up the exhibit for the pumas and double their space.
 
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