I hate this - a fairly new and no doubt expensive polar bear enclosure that is simply a slightly more aesthetically pleasing version of the concrete monstrosities of the past. At least they have a view out and will be able to smell the wind.
Polar bears should be able to dig, roll in the dirt, smell plants and experience different substrates. This is just a rock prison.
I visited this zoo in 2012, The focus of the design of this exhbit was definatley on the underwater viewing.
Keeping the water and polar bears clean required no dirt in exhbit. I also wonder how hot all that concrete gets in summer?
Interestingly one of the polar bears that had previosly had not show sterotyped behaviour started showing STB not long afeter being introduced to this new! Exhbit.
That says it all to me, animals as props - never mind their welfare, the water must be clean in the swimming pool. Why not just replace them with animatronic robots?
I hate this - a fairly new and no doubt expensive polar bear enclosure that is simply a slightly more aesthetically pleasing version of the concrete monstrosities of the past.
Your quote sounds like something that I would write! I agree with you completely, and while if you zoom in there is a pile of what seems to be hay in the exhibit...for the most part it is all mock-rock madness. The looming glass structure in the background is an excellent aquarium that was built in 2000 and it is arguably the best thing about a disappointing zoo. Check out the "Tropical Forest" primate house at this zoo and you'd be even more shocked at how the enclosures are geared far more towards visitors than the inhabitants.
We don't get it?Natural substrate does not automatically equal dirty water!Detroit,Columbus,Louisiville and Chicago (Brookfield) all have grass and dirt and not one of them throughout many visits has ever had a problem with dirty water.I 'm not going to pretend to know the physics of the filtration systems but I'm sure they are something along the lines of a Hippoquarium.
One of the bears has a repeated stereotype of "dancing" at the zoo of the exhibit. However, to most zoo visitors they find this funny and think the silly bear is dancing! I am hoping Sjenza, the new polar bear doesn't develop a stereotypical behavior? But maybe it's a step up for her from Sea World San Diego?
