Was this at one time a moated enclosure? It appears that the foreground, full of natural substrate, clashes with the outdated concrete in the background.
The following is from wikipedia---The zoo was started when a circus lion cub ended up on a farmer's farm around 1900, and was eventually given to the city of Bloomington. The lion, later named "Big Jim" died on March 26, 1912. After Big Jim's death, funds were raised to construct the Koetthoefer Animal Building by Bloomington architect A. L. Pillsbury. Ground was broken in 1913, and the building was opened to the public in 1914.
I'm well aware of how terrible this exhibit is, and i agree that no tigers should be housed in it. However, tigers are a large part of the zoo's master plan.
