I didn't get to see the animals do it, but note the C-shaped bas eof the yellow poles. It would seem that if a big enough animal came along on the ropes, these poles would bounce or sway
I didn\'t get to see the animals do it, but note the C-shaped bas eof the yellow poles. It would seem that if a big enough animal came along on the ropes, these poles would bounce or sway
It looks like that is what they are designed to do. I guess the boulder area on the ground near the glass viewing window is perhaps to discourage the animals from coming too close to the glass?
@Zooplantman: as someone who works in the field and specializes in immersive zoo environments, what is your opinion of the somewhat-maligned orangutan exhibit at Phoenix Zoo? Are you allowed to comment on this forum or would that be unfair to your compatriots in the business? The enclosure in the photo is functional for the orangs and there are lots of climbing opportunities, but the second outdoor exhibit is something that one would never suspect holds arboreal apes. The air-conditioned visitor area is excellent but overall I personally feel that the $4 million complex is not as impressive as it could have been. Alas, that seems to be the case with just about every orangutan habitat.
I have seen great animal exhibits for all sorts of species, but never an orangutan exhibit that I loved. Many have very good qualities, like these climbing structures at Phoenix, but none quite "gets" orangs. I believe them among the most challenging species to design a terrific exhibit for. If you create suitable climbing, you lose immersion. If you focus on immersion, they will be sitting on little lawn areas surrounded by hotwire. If the site had existing huge trees then some good things become possible though.
And in today's North American zoo, a $4million exhibit doesn't get you much. Phoenix packed a lot into a smallish budget
I think Zooplantsman has summed up the situation very well: my personal feeling is that the health and welfare of the animals must be paramount; visitors can be immersed in the world of an orang by watching one climb and travel by swaying or swinging (ideally both). Cosmetic immersion in a 'forest environment' would be a bonus, but it is very difficult to achieve, particularly as orangs will work with so much skill and determination to deconstruct their surroundings.
The new accommodation for Sumatran orangs at Chester, currently awaiting planning permission, is due to feature swaypoles and I hope it will also have more hanging ropes or straps for swinging than this enclosure has.
Nor have I. The nearest to it is probably the outside area at Paignton Zoo UK which has a grove of mature Willow(and Alder) trees in it. The current Orangutans look almost wild when using them. But their indoor area, though modern, is pretty traditional (ropes, firehose etc, no swaypoles.))
