If you wait long enough the male makes a complete loop and goes under the wooden bridge, which has large enough gaps in it to be able to stand above and watch the tiger walk under your feet.
It is now so dense it will be rather difficult to get a lot of the bamboo out,without really clearing big areas, in time even the tigers won't be able to access much of the enclosure. Better than it was though, I wonder if the pool is still there?
There is still a pool in this enclosure, I looked yesterday by chance, before reading this. Very little of it is visible though and it didn't look like it was full.
I agree that this is now too overgrown really and the other side will be before long. This is still one of the better tiger enclosures in the UK though for visitor and tiger.
I agree that this is now too overgrown really and the other side will be before long. This is still one of the better tiger enclosures in the UK though for visitor and tiger.
Although in my view as a Zoo display this enclosure is now too overgrown, it does certainly offer a pretty unique opportunity to see a Tiger moving through think cover as it would in the wild in e.g. Bamboo or Elephant Grass. Albeit an Indian or Malaysian one rather than a Siberian.
I suppose it is the wrong type of planting for Siberian tigers, but Joe public won't realise that so I can live with it, but it does need thinning, and a raised platform out side would help it has a very sunny aspect and any platforms would be well used. Another concern with so much bamboo is if there is a skirmish and one of the tigers is pushed back into the planting an in jury could occur, dead canes as well as growing ones, can be very sharp.
Compared to most tiger enclosures I have seen and a lot on zoo chat this is a good exhibit, most as we all know are grass -often trimmed-, a few logs and a pool/waterfall and that is it. The label will then tell visitors that tigers live in forests and tall grassy plains which helps to camouflage them. They should add, which bear little if any relation to the enclosure before you.
Personally from memory I liked the one I saw at Taronga in 2001 it was lush with bamboo and had raised platforms and open areas .
I suppose it is the wrong type of planting for Siberian tigers,
Very much so- Pine and Birch is more typical. Its also rather highlighted by the name of the enclosure too- 'Tiger Taiga'-a clever play on words but definately not reflected by the vegetation here. However, that's not my complaint, just that its too overgrown now.
