Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Which Zoo in the Usa keeping Pygmy Hippos year round only indoors ? I know Brookfield and Lincoln Park Zoo, but I'm sure, there are more.
Mammals in all-indoor exhibits?
- Thread starter Toddy
- Start date
Franklin Park Zoo keeps them all-indoors, but I'm unaware if there are any other zoos that do so. Adventure Aquarium keeps Common Hippos completely indoors.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Qustion-which european zoos except germany are keeping aardvarks in Nocturnal Houses ? As far as I know, all british zoos keep them now in day exhibits, also Arnhem. Antwerp has them in Nocturama, but I have no idea, where ardvarks are kept in russia, spain, hungary, denmark ? I belive, aardvarks are now more kept convetionally than in a nocruranl house.
What about the usa ? I know, Bronx has them in a nocturnal exhibit in the giraffe house,and if I am correct, only Brookfield and Detroit keep them in a day exhibit ?
What about the usa ? I know, Bronx has them in a nocturnal exhibit in the giraffe house,and if I am correct, only Brookfield and Detroit keep them in a day exhibit ?
Wroclaw Zoo keeps common hippo indoors.
I think Henry Doorly Zoo houses them outside.
AverageWalrus
Well-Known Member
I have no problem, except for hippos. Its just the stankiest stank that has ever stank. If you have been to Adventure Aquarium, you'll know what Im talking about.
It is the worst smell ever.
I can remember going in the Hippo house at London Zoo in the 1950's-the smell was awful. I can still remember it to this day. I also remember seeing other people with handerchiefs over their faces...No, they are kept in the Kingdoms of the Night nocturnal exhibit, in the basement of the Desert Dome.
It is the worst smell ever.
Off topic but to add to the comedic stories, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo used to exhibit fishing cats in an indoor exhibit. The cats already have a certain musty smell and the building was very old, but it smelled of death in there. I tried so hard to walk through the exhibit a couple times to see all the animals but it's hard when your eyes are watering from the pungent smell of moist feces and the sound of people gaging as they walked in.
I think it depends on the size/activity/population of the animal, the zoo's climate, the size of the indoor/outdoor enclosure, and the effect on the animal's overall health and well-being. In that case, examining each type of animal individually would yield the best answer to this question.
Does anyone here have an opinion on great apes being kept indoors? I know that Brookfield, Franklin Park, and Toronto keep their gorillas indoors year-round, and their decisions to do that have been criticized before.
Does anyone here have an opinion on great apes being kept indoors? I know that Brookfield, Franklin Park, and Toronto keep their gorillas indoors year-round, and their decisions to do that have been criticized before.
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
If this is your only problem..The wroclaw hippos would say:"My God, was it beautfyul when had an outdoor exhibit with sun, fresh air, natural ground,wind, rain and now look where we have to spend the rest of our life...in a concrete cave...."
By the way-animals smell, and humans smell, too!
But we cover it with parfums....
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Apes all indoors ? My opinion ? See my post above-to say it in one word-thumbs down for that kind of"Animal welfare".
Polar bears? '-'
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Yes, also Polar bears and even walrusses are kept year round in Indoors, mostly in china and Japan, in the Usa you can find also Tigers in Aquariums....
Are there any relatively recent examples of this, in the last 15 yrars? It seems mostly a problem with older buildings in my experience.
I believe all larger mammals deserve access to outdoor enclosures when possible. No question. I'm not sure I would call zoos that don't offer this for some species 'bad zoos', but it's not something I would ever encourage.
It might be important to note Tropic World was constructed to great expense in the early 1980's. That doesn't justify it, no, but that's why the exhibit is the way it is.
Lincoln Park Zoo has a cave-like all-indoor habitat for aardvarks in the African Journey section.
I believe all larger mammals deserve access to outdoor enclosures when possible. No question. I'm not sure I would call zoos that don't offer this for some species 'bad zoos', but it's not something I would ever encourage.
Brookfield has discussed adding an outdoor enclosure for gorillas, as well as other apes, for probably over a decade now, but there's been so little money for renovations in that decade that nothing's come of it.
It might be important to note Tropic World was constructed to great expense in the early 1980's. That doesn't justify it, no, but that's why the exhibit is the way it is.
The aardvarks at Brookfield have access to both indoor and outdoor exhibits, and while the latter is obviously based on the day, the indoor exhibit seems modeled on the traditional concept of a 'nocturnal' exhibit and includes a den. I've never seen them outside.
Lincoln Park Zoo has a cave-like all-indoor habitat for aardvarks in the African Journey section.
I voted on this a while back, but can't remember if I ever commented.
No, no mammals should be kept in all indoor enclosures. But I'm of the opinion that zoos shouldn't be keeping animals that don't normally exist in a similar climate (i.e., the Bronx Zoo's elephants or San Diego's polar bears) as well.
But since gorilla exhibits are on the forefront right now I think San Diego's Gorilla Tropics is an excellent reference point for how they should be developed and built -- outdoor spaces with ample viewing, but no real access for intruders unless you really, really try. And I'm not even sure incursion is actually possible.
No, no mammals should be kept in all indoor enclosures. But I'm of the opinion that zoos shouldn't be keeping animals that don't normally exist in a similar climate (i.e., the Bronx Zoo's elephants or San Diego's polar bears) as well.
But since gorilla exhibits are on the forefront right now I think San Diego's Gorilla Tropics is an excellent reference point for how they should be developed and built -- outdoor spaces with ample viewing, but no real access for intruders unless you really, really try. And I'm not even sure incursion is actually possible.
I struggle with this argument. Yes, climate should be considered during collection planning, but its importance is taxon-specific. Some species (especially temperate ones) have wider physiological tolerances than others, both in terms of spatial distribution and seasonal variation. It also raises the question of where you draw the line. Southern California doesn't have a particularly similar climate to gorilla habitat in Africa, for instance.