@Jarne
Of course you are right. They have done an excellent job of building enclosure that are excellent while still piling on theming. To some extent, the theming here could be counted as educational because it gives people more of an idea of where the animals are from. The theming is also quite well done. The mock rock isn't bad at all. In addition, theming can have several advantages. It can act as an interactive feature of the exhibit (eg. a derelict fishing boat next to a Humboldt penguin exhibit can act as a fun toy for young children, give rise to interesting viewing opportunities and remind visitors of the violence of the ocean around the Southern South American coastline.). It can also make the exhibit more realistic (eg. perhaps a rat exhibit consisting of a kitchen, or an Indian leopard exhibit that includes an urban-like area with creative viewing opportunities, perhaps from the top of buildings etc.).
This is why I am all for theming, even when excessive, when the animals are put first (or at least catered to well). However, when the theming gets in the way of animal welfare as is the case in some of Pairi's exhibit, it becomes more questionable and I would much rather have rid of it so that more money and space is spent on the animals.
Emmen's new Zoo is excellent in a number of areas - the elephant indoor exhibit is really nice, the penguin exhibit is superb, the above exhibit for baboons is not half bad either. In my opinion, they have done a better job of achieving that all-essential balance between theming and animal welfare that Pairi hasn't got yet. The one issue with such extravagant theming when a zoo is on the scale of Emmen currently is that it can look really out of place and odd, especially when you can see Timbuktu in the background of the Chilean coasts exhibits. it can also be a nuisance when the zoo expands and wants to move around the different areas.
Nevertheless, it is an excellent new zoo and has some great theming with consistently great enclosures, something which, as you note, Pairi cannot claim.
