The main tiger enclosure; this was take o rather a bleak day, during a very wet spring. After a bit of sunshine, the enclosure is looking a great deal more verdant.
The main tiger enclosure; this was take o rather a bleak day, during a very wet spring. After a bit of sunshine, the enclosure is looking a great deal more verdant.
It is very impressive, actually. My only complaint would be that there is quite a lot of space taken up by just two animals; inevitably, visitors are peering into a lot of empty space for a lot of the time that they are walking through the exhibit.
I would have liked to see further 'supporting' displays of living animals - I think it would have been quite easy to include a walk-through aviary, and perhaps an enclosure or two for some appropriate small mammals. As it is, alongside the tigers are just the external enclosure for anoa and tapir (and the latter animals are, at London, from the rarely-seen invisible subspecies).
It is very impressive, actually. My only complaint would be that there is quite a lot of space taken up by just two animals; inevitably, visitors are peering into a lot of empty space for a lot of the time that they are walking through the exhibit.
I would have liked to see further 'supporting' displays of living animals - I think it would have been quite easy to include a walk-through aviary, and perhaps an enclosure or two for some appropriate small mammals. As it is, alongside the tigers are just the external enclosure for anoa and tapir (and the latter animals are, at London, from the rarely-seen invisible subspecies).
Have to agree that for London it is a very impressive exhibit, despite my previous reservations. The inclusion of the casson outdoor paddocks is a good idea , in theory, if the animals are ever visible! I felt they could have put an enclosure at the back of the platform, where the ancient cages remain, an aviary, primate or other mammal enclosure. In time there is room to build something at the exit where the shop is, once they can't cash in on the new exhibit any longer!
I think it was mentioned somewhere on here that the next major project is the redevelopment of the big cat terraces to have an Indian themed area centring on the Asian lions. This area is currently something of a mishmash with pygmy hippos, serval, various primates including gibbons, sulawesi macaques and francois langurs alongside the lions and the concrete is really showing its age.
The zoo has begun to focus on iconic, hugely popular animals during the past few years, as first the penguins received a spectacular new exhibit, then the tigers, and up next the lions! I'm curious to know if attendance has continued to increase as once again London Zoo has broken the one-million barrier for annual visitors in recent memory.
I think it was mentioned somewhere on here that the next major project is the redevelopment of the big cat terraces to have an Indian themed area centring on the Asian lions. This area is currently something of a mishmash with pygmy hippos, serval, various primates including gibbons, sulawesi macaques and francois langurs alongside the lions and the concrete is really showing its age.
It only looks a mishmash because the Zoo chose to re-house non-African primates in that area! Before that it was unmistakeably an area for carnivores, with Amur Leopards, Arabian Sand Cats and Red Pandas - all taxa that any zoo worth its salt would like.
As I have said elsewhere, for my money the Lion Terraces need a revamp, not demolition. ZSL really needs to get out of the habit of flattening structurally sound buildings. By all means rehouse the Lions - the Mappin Terraces are doing very little, and Indian theming might be done very well there. As a suggestion, how about meshing over the Goat Hills for Long-billed and/or Oriental White-backed Vultures -arguably the most important overseas project that ZSL is involved with - with Lions lower down and maybe adjacent areas for Mugger and Great Hornbill?
