A large exhibit housing a large (16 animals) group of Chinese dholes (Cuon alpinus lepturus). These animals were one of the highlights during my visit to Zie-Zoo.
@Arizona Docent I too have yet too understand why exhibit designers use abandoned vehicles as theming or to create some kind of atmosphere inside or around exhibits. I don't like them much either but it's not something that makes me upset either.
All I could really come up with is some kind of reference to the human influence on or management of nature (for example, in this case the vehicle has stickers on it referencing a national park and a wild dhole conservation project).
That said, the Chinese dholes at Zie-Zoo did seem to like the vehicle to lay down or sit on or to stand on to get an overview of their surroundings, so it did kind of function as an enrichment item for them and in that respect it didn't disturb me that much. That said, something more natural like a rock structure, a wooden contraption or even a larger mound of dirt would still have been better.
