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Bristol Zoo

Actually, all you need to do is go on Microsoft live maps and the ariel view of Bristol was taken when it was still the elephant paddock. Then switch to birds eye and you can compare the size difference as it 'morphs' into the present okapi paddock.
 
Then switch to birds eye and you can compare the size difference as it 'morphs' into the present okapi paddock.

Interesting that the Okapis now live where their relatives the Giraffes used to. The inside enclosures are the same areas, though much modernised of course. The Giraffe outside was a semicircular gravelled enclosure- smaller than the existing okapi paddocks.
 
Wendy was very old (in captive terms) and arthritic when her last paddock was purpose-built for her, I was surprised when I saw it how green it remained despite being quite small in size. I think it was very much a retirement enclosure for an animal Bristol knew they weren't going to replace. She was still walked in the grounds regularly after moving there.
 
Here:

www.flickr.com/photos/crayzy_ray/115755054/

One thing I wasn't aware of was that she was shut inside the house until May 2002, I'm assuming from sometime in 2001, during the foot and mouth crisis, before dying in September 2002. I guess this would actually be the case for the whole of the UK, it would be interesting to know if there were any exceptions to this.

The floor doesn't look so hot when you consider the age of this animal when she was moved into the new enclosure, I wonder if rubber flooring was added during the crisis, or if other parts of the indoor quarters not photographed here had soft flooring added:

www.flickr.com/photos/joanne_lummy/4368371839/

anyone remember Wendy's indoor quarters when she was moved here?
 
Wow, thanks for the link. Wish I'd seen her out & about, but each time I visited the zoo she was in her padock....
 
There's also a postcard published of her 'out and about' in the grounds, on the main path at the top of the zoo.

And that blue 'Bar' sign above her head in the Flickr photo has been there since at least the 1950's, maybe even earlier!!
 

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