Walk-through exhibits

I visited the English school of falconry on Wednesday and they had a walkthrough barn owl aviary. Designed as a open barn with farm equiptment, it worked quite well, apart from the fact the 8 barn owls didn't have anywhere to hide!
 
stubeanz said:
I visited the English school of falconry on Wednesday and they had a walkthrough barn owl aviary. Designed as a open barn with farm equiptment, it worked quite well, apart from the fact the 8 barn owls didn't have anywhere to hide!
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Could they not fly up very high? This seems like a neat exhibit provided the birds had some flying space and could at least get out of reach of visitors.
 
With wallaby and kangaroo walk throughs, what about one for tree kangaroos and/or koalas? Although I would plant their trees/bases in the center of the area where guests don't have access to visitors are not encouraged to pet them. Doesn't the Kansas City Zoo in the U.S. have a walk through tree kangaroo exhibit?
 
Don't think anyone has mentioned the capuchin walk-through in La Vallee des Singes, Romagne. Just females and juveniles.

With all primates, and I've worked with many, it depends a lot on the individuals. Someone said they would count rhesus as less aggressive. I've known about 60 rhesus macaques. Maybe 55 of those were "safe" to work with side by side, the rest you couldn't even get within arms reach from, even with a fence between. Same with sulawesi macaques. Many are a delight, some are impossible to even enter the enclosure with.

Almost all zoos working with walk-through enclosures have the experience that some species are easier, but there are always individuals which have to be removed because they don't work in that setting.
 
elefante said:
Could they not fly up very high? This seems like a neat exhibit provided the birds had some flying space and could at least get out of reach of visitors.
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Yes, it was a large flight aviary and the owls could get high and away from peoples reach. My worry was that there were no nestboxes or even dark corners for them to roost in (there was a platform but it was still quite bright underneath it.

I know its common in falconry to have birds on bow perches without hides etc and exhibit was very good from human point of view, i would have just personaly liked to have seen some more shade in it.
 
Kyabram Fauna Park has walk-through aviaries for three species of native Australian owl and tawny frogmouths. In the photo that I've attached below you enter through double doors on the left hand side and walk-through the far end of two separate aviaries. Then you exit out the far side and there is another identical set next door. Each aviary holds its on species.

http://www.zoochat.com/383/owl-aviaries-kyabram-fauna-park-57356/
 
I could not find one. I searched under shuttleworth falconry centre and English school of falconry. They are apparently self titled 'the UK's largest falconry centre' so I would expected something on them here?
 
London Zoo have tamandua in their rainforest walkthrough. They tend to be very inquisitive though, getting very close to the public, so they have to be watched very closely. As for other anteaters, giant anteaters would be far too dangerous to be kept in a walkthrough. Pygmy anteaters might be OK, but not sure if anywhere keeps them?
 
Having watched some prat trying to pulp one of Chester's butterflies (and - what was worse - his mother just stood by and let him get on with it) we also need to protect the exhibit as much (more?) than the visitor.
 
SHAVINGTONZOO said:
Having watched some prat trying to pulp one of Chester's butterflies (and - what was worse - his mother just stood by and let him get on with it) we also need to protect the exhibit as much (more?) than the visitor.
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Some **** let his kid throw Skittles to the ruffed lemurs in Howletts' walk-through on Saturday. I went nuts.

Unfortunately a lot of people also seem to mistake walk-throughs for petting zoos.
 
London Zoo has added a thick perspex barrier to the inside of the glass all round the walkway in the rainforest to prevent the tamanduas getting out – they can no longer squeeze through the gap under the glass and mingle with the visitors. It's a shame as visitors loved it but the tamanduas were just too inquisitive and long-clawed to be sensible amongst legs and buggies. The tamarins and monkeys can still get out so it's still a walkthrough in that sense.

All London's walkthroughs – squirrel monkeys, lemurs, butterflies, spiders and rainforest – are always patrolled by volunteers and/or staff to inform and keep an eye on things... animals and humans!
 
Whipsnade also have a lemur walk through. My daughter was eating raisins (didn't see the sign of no food allowed) and one jumped on her shoulder.
 
Some ideas I have for walk through exhibits; not sure if any of these would work but still worth mentioning.

- Walk-through quokka exhibit
I know they’re rare in captivity, but would be a really nice exhibit, especially with how friendly and approachable their natural demeanor is. Of course have staff monitor as people pass by and don’t allow feeding so they don’t get too close to guests.

- Walk-through Tasmanian devil exhibit
Have nice rock structures for the tassies to climb on either side of the enclosure. I know they wouldn’t be active often but would be a really nice exhibit especially for such a rare species.

- Tree kangaroo walk-through
Same idea as regular wallaby or kangaroo walk-throughs but with tree kangaroos! I’m wondering if they can be paired alongside wallabies or kangaroos for a mixed species walk-through exhibit.

- Koala walk-through exhibit
I know sometimes koalas can be a bit dangerous with their sharp teeth and claws, but have their trees off the path (combined with their 20 hour a day sleep schedule) and I’m more confident that such an exhibit could work.

I’m also curious if an walk through with coatis, pademelons, numbats, or quolls could work (not in the same exhibit of course).
 
BenFoxster said:
Some ideas I have for walk through exhibits; not sure if any of these would work but still worth mentioning.

- Walk-through quokka exhibit
I know they’re rare in captivity, but would be a really nice exhibit, especially with how friendly and approachable their natural demeanor is. Of course have staff monitor as people pass by and don’t allow feeding so they don’t get too close to guests.

- Walk-through Tasmanian devil exhibit
Have nice rock structures for the tassies to climb on either side of the enclosure. I know they wouldn’t be active often but would be a really nice exhibit especially for such a rare species.

- Tree kangaroo walk-through
Same idea as regular wallaby or kangaroo walk-throughs but with tree kangaroos! I’m wondering if they can be paired alongside wallabies or kangaroos for a mixed species walk-through exhibit.

- Koala walk-through exhibit
I know sometimes koalas can be a bit dangerous with their sharp teeth and claws, but have their trees off the path (combined with their 20 hour a day sleep schedule) and I’m more confident that such an exhibit could work.

I’m also curious if a walk through with coatis, pademelons, numbats, or quolls could work (not in the same exhibit of course).
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Coatis can be dangerous, so that’s a ‘no’. I somehow doubt the Tasmanian Devils too…..
 
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