Being right at the edge of the developed site, and alongside an area that won't be developed (the wetlands) I wonder if they're more conscious of excluding foxes? Or maybe they're worried about flooding affecting the electric tape? Dunno - maybe they just had some fence left over and wanted to use it up!
That's poor... and ironically the enclosure is right alongside a marshy area. A pity they didn't include some of that and dig out a deeper area for water to collect too). At Cricket they used to wade freely in the shallow river running through their enclosure.
In fairness, most British sitatunga exhibits I can think of have no pool. Only Blackbrook springs to mind as having a good one (though I'm sure I've forgotten some). Even Chester only has a dry mat that collects water due to poor drainage!
In fairness, most British sitatunga exhibits I can think of have no pool. Only Blackbrook springs to mind as having a good one (though I'm sure I've forgotten some). Even Chester only has a dry mat that collects water due to poor drainage!
I agree. I think if zoos observed Sitatunga in the wild they might think twice about how they housed them. Pools in their exhibits would make them a more interesting display too as they really are designed for a marsh/semi-aquatic existence. That said, so is Pere Davids deer(probably) and they don't get any special treatment in most places either.
It just just struck me that here the enclosure is right by a marshland area but the antelope can't use it. They seem to be congregated in the tiny area of marshy grasses in the corner of the enclosure.
They are treating the wetland area as a nature reserve though, so I suspect they are unwilling to encroach any further on it (it's potentially a very interesting nature reserve too - I understand they've had otters passing through, for one).
Appreciate that. But I feel sorry for the poor Sitatunga denied access to their(more) natural habitat- especially when its right there in front of them!
A decent-sized pool in the flatter part of the exhibit would be a simple solution though and provide them with their own personal 'marsh'. I do hate seeing animals forced to live in unnatural surroundings like this.
