Aren't the current bear grottoes the original Hagenbeck enclosures? Across from the excellent Jungle Trails set of habitats are four ancient bear grottoes that are now basically three bear grottoes. American black bear in the first one, spectacled bear in the second, and then two grottoes have been combined to create the "Lords of the Arctic" polar bear enclosure, which in my mind is just two crappy pits added together.
All true. (Although for detail, the grottoes were designed not by the famous Karl Hagenbeck, but by the zoo design branch of the family business run by one of his sons).
But just next to those are (were?) 1875 exhibits - once strong cages and stonework - where a variety of lemur species were kept for many years. They are adjacent to the Hagenbeck designed African Veldt.
(The history of the Cincinnati Zoo and the Hagenbecks was a very long one, started in the 1890s and continuing into at least the 1940s.)
All true. (Although for detail, the grottoes were designed not by the famous Karl Hagenbeck, but by the zoo design branch of the family business run by one of his sons).
But just next to those are (were?) 1875 exhibits - once strong cages and stonework - where a variety of lemur species were kept for many years. They are adjacent to the Hagenbeck designed African Veldt.
(The history of the Cincinnati Zoo and the Hagenbecks was a very long one, started in the 1890s and continuing into at least the 1940s.)
They also kept a large jungle-gym cage for baby gorillas in front of the lemur exhibits. That whole section is gone and has been since Lords of the Arctic was built. The ones you're talking about are the ancient brick and mesh ones, no? Not terribly impressive in the animal sense, but a kind of look into the past.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when zoos persist in maintaining outdated bear grottoes while improving the rest of the zoo. Cincinnati, and many others, have spent millions upon millions on new exhibits...yet almost 100 years later the bears have the identical enclosure that they've born and died in all their lives. Bears require enrichment and natural substrate, and so all the zoos that have grottoes should put something smaller in them and renovate the pits so that they appear much more natural. Raccoons, coatimundis, porcupines, etc.
I know Bronx is my example for everything and anything on these forums but that's all I could think of when reading this. It's infinitely true and sad.
Surprisingly, the two bear exhibits at the Bronx were actually built in 1967/68, and replaced a long row of much smaller barred bear pens built on the same site in the very early days of the zoo. At both times these bear enclosures were the height of progressive zoo design--which says a lot about the evolution of our thinking about what is appropriate. And in some ways the Kodiak bear exhibit is not terrible--it is much bigger than most, has lots of natural rock topography and nice deep pools. But is largely hard surfaced and surrounded by ugly concrete walls. The polar bear exhibit is an abomination.
@redukari I would agree--the Grizzly bear exhibit isn't *that* bad on some levels. I'd say the number one problem with the exhibit is that there's not enough enrichment for the animals and it is the. worst. viewing. for. visitors. ever. (the periods used to emphasize this). Out of every 50 times I see this exhibit....I probably see the bear....4 or 5 times, tops.
I don't think there is any excuse for not burning the polar bear exhibit (when the bear is safely removed, of course).
These type of grottoes are so badly outdated that I literally shake my head each time I come across another photo of one on ZooChat. With Zoo Montana having a 2-acre grizzly yard, the Greater Vancouver Zoo having a 1.5-acre grizzly enclosure, the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park having a 1-acre grizzly exhibit, San Francisco having a 1-acre grizzly enclosure, and Woodland Park, Oklahoma City, Minnesota and other zoos all creating modern, naturalistic environments for their grizzlies and other bears then why is it that there are still North American zoos (such as Cincinnati, Detroit, Pittsburgh and many, many others) that persist in opening new exhibits but yet continue to ignore their bears? Some of the very best zoo habitats in all of North America are for bears, but the number of old-style grottoes are still far too many.
