This photo shows perhaps 50% of the badly outdated elephant exhibit, but the good news is that the entire zoo will more than double in size (18 acres to 39 acres) in the next few years and there are plans for a large-scale elephant exhibit in the expansion. Does anyone know what the plan is for this enclosure?
This photo shows perhaps 50% of the badly outdated elephant exhibit, but the good news is that the entire zoo will more than double in size (18 acres to 39 acres) in the next few years and there are plans for a large-scale elephant exhibit in the expansion. Does anyone know what the plan is for this enclosure?
Not only will there be a new elephant exhibit, but the zoo will switch over to African elephants. My understanding is that the will be building an exhibit large enough for a whole family herd of African elephants in their new Africa section.
The new Africa section is scheduled to open in 2014 according to what the zoo has announced. At that time I don't know what the plans for the Asian elephants, or this exhibit are. The elephants here are two elderly former circus elephants so this is essentially a retirement facility. When the eles pass I would imagine that this exhibit might get converted to a rhino exhibit or something similar, although white rhinos are coming to the zoo as part of the new Africa exhibit too so there will a new rhino exhibit.
The master plan is quite vague about several things and actually assumes that the current Asian elephant exhibit would be expanded to modern size standards. They obviously made the decision to skip over that and just start anew, and with a different elephant species. It may well be that they don't know what their plans are for this exhibit yet, other than it will eventually no longer be their elephant exhibit.
I say either enlarge the pool, remove the structures, plant some grass and maybe a couple of trees, and add tapirs, or trash it. Not big enough for rhinos in my opinion.
