How is this exhibit? My friend sent me renderings of it and said it was really cool. It looks like a cave to me... Anyone who's seen this have input on it?
This is definitely not one of my best photos, but I can say without a doubt that the entire Madagascar house at the Bronx Zoo is utterly amazing. Sure there can be the argument put forward that the animals deserve access to the outdoors, but the transformation of a building that was about 100 years old into what it is now is nothing short of startling. The nile crocodile habitat is one of many excellent exhibits inside the building.
But does this argument hold up with animals that would never see the outdoors in the wild? This exhibit is based on the Croc Cave in the Ankarana Special Reserve in Madagascar, the only place in the world where these so called "cave crocodiles" can be found. They are still nile crocodiles (crocodylus niloticus) but they spend their entire lives inside a cave in the tsingy limstone formations.
But does this argument hold up with animals that would never see the outdoors in the wild? This exhibit is based on the Croc Cave in the Ankarana Special Reserve in Madagascar, the only place in the world where these so called "cave crocodiles" can be found. They are still nile crocodiles (crocodylus niloticus) but they spend their entire lives inside a cave in the tsingy limstone formations.
I don't really know - this exhibit was designed and opened after my tenure there. But I'll bet that there is no barrier and that the crocs very rarely harm the fish.
