How is this exhibit, my Texan friend? It appears to be a renovated grotto, but there is a nice stream running through the enclosure, plenty of shade from the Dallas heatwave that is probably ever-present in the summer, climbing areas on the rocky ledges...thumbs up?
How is this exhibit, my Texan friend? It appears to be a renovated grotto, but there is a nice stream running through the enclosure, plenty of shade from the Dallas heatwave that is probably ever-present in the summer, climbing areas on the rocky ledges...thumbs up?
It's actually a purpose-built grotto, made for mandrills and opened in the early 90s with the rest of the African section of Dallas. Although the barriers are too obvious and "grotto-like," I think it's one of the better mandrill habitats around.
I think reduakari pretty much sums it up. There are a couple of viewing windows as well off to the left. They are not visible in the picture but you can see one of the depressions in the rocks along the left hand side wall. I quite like the exhibit, just wish we had a male.
It looks ok, although it doesn't appear to have any climbing frames? Are there some out of shot? Also, I don't think the trees are hotwired around the trunks which is good as it wouldn't interfere with the mandrill's floor space.
Not much in the way of climbing, except for the back wall which has lots of ledges and that's where you see the mandrills most of the time. None of the tree bases in Dallas are hotwired. I've been reading through the Howletts discussion and have been baffled why there are plants that are hot wired, none of ours are. Just the tops of the trees are blocked off to keep the mandrills/chimps/gorillas from climbing out.
I really do like this exhibit except it could use a little more shade. I always forget that Mandrills aren't arboreal. An excellent primate exhibit without climbing structures? Now that's unheard of.
