It is incredible at how bright green and lush both the Nashville and North Carolina elephant exhibits are, and that is part of the reason why I rank them as the #1 and #2 elephant exhibits in North America. North Carolina does have more than double the acreage and more than triple the elephants in their enormous enclosure, plus better graphics and a huge research station with a helicopter...so for many reasons North Carolina is #1 for me.
I only wish the Dallas Zoo's elephant exhibit is going to get as lush as Nashville or NC but from the photos I seen on zoochat the exhibit is more becoming like SDWAP.
I only wish the Dallas Zoo's elephant exhibit is going to get as lush as Nashville or NC but from the photos I seen on zoochat the exhibit is more becoming like SDWAP.
How does a facility keep an elephant exhibit green? Is it a function of size?
Are most zoo elephant exhibits just too small to realistically keep planted, or is it too hard and expensive to maintain a green space in an elephant exhibit for most facilities?
How does a facility keep an elephant exhibit green? Is it a function of size?
Are most zoo elephant exhibits just too small to realistically keep planted, or is it too hard and expensive to maintain a green space in an elephant exhibit for most facilities?
Size? Somewhat. Number and species of animals per acre? Yes. Turf care practices. Location. Proper planning and design at the beginning. I actually spoke on this very topic at the AZH conference in San Diego last September.
Size? Somewhat. Number and species of animals per acre? Yes. Turf care practices. Location. Proper planning and design at the beginning. I actually spoke on this very topic at the AZH conference in San Diego last September.
What is your feeling about why so many brand new elephant exhibits are "dustbowls" as snowleopard calls them? I don't know of any California zoos that have planted elephant exhibits, including the large new exhibits in San Diego and LA.
It does seem like it would be more enriching for the elephants, as well as being more visually pleasing, to have at least some grassy area. I assumed that it was because the animals would burn through grassy area at an unsustainable rate, but it sounds like this may not necessarily be the case?
What is your feeling about why so many brand new elephant exhibits are "dustbowls" as snowleopard calls them? I don't know of any California zoos that have planted elephant exhibits, including the large new exhibits in San Diego and LA.
It does seem like it would be more enriching for the elephants, as well as being more visually pleasing, to have at least some grassy area. I assumed that it was because the animals would burn through grassy area at an unsustainable rate, but it sounds like this may not necessarily be the case?
Well of course African elephants like dust bowls ... but that is not likely the reason (and certainly not for the L.A. exhibit).
Bottom line: more animals per acre than can sustain turf... mixed with the zoo world's assumption that growing grass with elephants is almost impossible. I have consulted on projects where I had to advise that given the space and the number of animals planned for it, I did not expect grass to be possible for long.
In Southern California you may add that the water needs of a grassy elephant exhibit are too much to meet. In SD, I was told, it was a decision early on that they could not commit such water resources to keeping the EO grassy.
And there are many ways to enrich an elephant, of course.
