I doubt that woud be allowed as it would interfere with the fundamental and 'unique' design which is why they are listed enclosures. Its a real and rather unique problem in so much as they really aren't suitable for any animals in this day and age.
Seeing as they are useless for animals without major renovation, they could be cagedover and made into aviarys, *perhaps*. I've never been to the zoo so I have no idea if that's feasable, but there arn't many other ways that Dudley's ever going to be able to incorporate these eyesores.
I have written elsewhere that I am a big fan of modernistic architecture and therefore I absolutely love these buildings at Dudley - from and architectural and esthetical point of view. I would hate to see them destroyed. I am totally aware of the fact that today they are useless as enclosures for tigers or bears etc, but surely they could be made into practical and good exhibits for smaller animals?
When I look at this particular building, I get the idea to for instance keep red pandas in it. Place some very high tree stumps/logs in the middle so the pandas can climb up and have a 360 degree outlook on theirs surroundings.
Then furnish the rest of the enclosure in an appropriate way for red pandas, with different substrates, bushes, rocks etc and there you have it!
I have written elsewhere that I am a big fan of modernistic architecture and therefore I absolutely love these buildings at Dudley - from and architectural and esthetical point of view. I would hate to see them destroyed. I am totally aware of the fact that today they are useless as enclosures for tigers or bears etc, but surely they could be made into practical and good exhibits for smaller animals?
When I look at this particular building, I get the idea to for instance keep red pandas in it. Place some very high tree stumps/logs in the middle so the pandas can climb up and have a 360 degree outlook on theirs surroundings.
Then furnish the rest of the enclosure in an appropriate way for red pandas, with different substrates, bushes, rocks etc and there you have it!
That is actually a rather sensible and cheap option.
It would need planting and more climbing frames but specialist indoor areas don't realy have to be built as they could use simple nest boxes like Whipsnade does.
Dan,
The floor is solid rock hard concrete, and I don't know if the stupid terms that don't allow the buildings to be pulled down even allow it to be ripped up from the inside, as the concrete would have to be moved to allow planting. If it was just left with a solid floor the panda's would be far better staying where they are.
If it could be converted then panda's would work, so too would capybara and tapir as they would also have a watering hole already built in.
But I think all these ideas although good ain't going to change anything because at the moment nothing is happening which is really so sad.
That's a similar idea to what london did with their Lubetkin Penguin pool(with Porcupines?) for a while but I think its now reverted to being empty again?(or was last year).
so, I agree you can solve the problem of the central circular enclosure- what are your ideas for the two much larger enclosures on each side? Someone suggested bird aviaries but as the visitor can only look down into them thats not really feasible.
Hi Pertinax,
Can you tell me why you don't think the two end pits are not suitable for the animals in them (tigers and Asiatic bears), as you said they are of a fair size and have some cover from trees. I've seen far smaller concrete type enclosures for tigers in other zoos (Berlin Tierpark, and Duisburg's wasn't that big or good from what I saw). So what can the zoo do to improve life for the tigers / bears if they are staying put?
That's a similar idea to what london did with their Lubetkin Penguin pool(with Porcupines?) for a while but I think its now reverted to being empty again?(or was last year).
so, I agree you can solve the problem of the central circular enclosure- what are your ideas for the two much larger enclosures on each side? Someone suggested bird aviaries but as the visitor can only look down into them thats not really feasible.
Maybe they'd be better to continue to use one side for bears (maybe sun bears when the elderly Asian black bears die?) and tiger, and maybe just split this middle enclosure in two and let one specie use each side. That would have the advantage of being a separation facility for these two solitary species.
