Woodland Park Zoo opens up a brand-new exhibit in about 6 months: Visayan warty pigs! I'm really excited about this as the zoo is constantly progressing, and the enclosure is actually just about ready to go. Many years ago there was an Asian Marsh exhibit right next to the elephants, with Reeve's muntjacs and various waterfowl. That enclosure has been mainly hidden from the public, overgrown with plants, and sitting empty for almost a decade but it will be cleaned out, slightly remodelled and will feature warty pigs by next summer. It is literally right next to the visitor walkway, and the pigs will be on one side while the long, winding elephant exhibit will be on the other.
The new announcement got me researching Asian species at Woodland Park. With Tropical Asia: Elephant Forest and Tropical Asia: Trail of Vines that means most of the eastern side of the zoo focuses on Asian animals: elephants, orangutans, lion-tailed macaques, Indian pythons, Malayan tapirs, siamangs and now Visayan warty pigs. Then there is the 2-acre development called Asian Tropical Forest which will have small-clawed otters in 2013 and then Sumatran tigers, sloth bears, sun bears and birds in 2014. Then there is Australasia with snow leopards as a featured animal and a bunch of Aussie critters. Lastly, Temperate Forest has Japanese serows, red pandas, hornbills and various Asian cranes. That will be 5 zones of the zoo (out of 8) that will predominantly feature Asian animals.
I suppose that there is a focus on Asian animals partly due to the climate of Seattle being conducive to such creatures, partly because there is a lot of mega-fauna on the world's largest continent, and also because it works well with visitors in the Pacific Rim area of the world. If the 2-acre Asian Tropical Forest area is half as good as the exhibits for orangutans, siamangs, etc, then the zoo could easily be a contender for one of the top Americans zoos for Asian animals. Perhaps National Zoo would be #1, but Woodland Park will have over 60% of its zones featuring mainly Asian animals. Can you imagine if the zoo ever completes the long-rumored Northern Trail loop? There is supposedly going to be an Asian Highlands zone (many, many years from now!) that will mean even more Asian animals.
Can you imagine if the zoo ever completes the long-rumored Northern Trail loop? There is supposedly going to be an Asian Highlands zone (many, many years from now!) that will mean even more Asian animals.
What major Asian zoo animal species does Seattle NOT have other than rhinos? I'm trying to imagine what species they would build an Asian highlands exhibit around seeing as they already have snow leopards. Dholes? Giant pandas? Golden monkeys? Pandas and golden monkeys seem unlikely given bad relations with China in recent times.
Takins, bactrian camels, and Pzrewalski's horses maybe?
What major Asian zoo animal species does Seattle NOT have other than rhinos? I'm trying to imagine what species they would build an Asian highlands exhibit around seeing as they already have snow leopards. Dholes? Giant pandas? Golden monkeys? Pandas and golden monkeys seem unlikely given bad relations with China in recent times.
Takin, red pandas, snow leopards (new location), gorals, pheasants and cranes were proposed--but the centerpiece of the master plan for Asian highlands was giant pandas. Pretty unrealistic anytime soon.
Do you know where it is gerenuk? I looked all over and couldn't find it. I think that Woodland Park just rebuilt their website so maybe it was removed?
Thanks, even though I have read this already, I am going to be late to my dinner rereading this.
I can say that I really like this version than what has been posted so far. They level of detail here is fantastic. I was a bit worried with the concept images that the WPZ was going to have a more watered down exhibit than what they usually have, but this looks much more promising. So many zoos ignore sightlines and the ideas behind landscape immersion. Anyone know what squiggle sightline arrows mean?
If you look closely in the "Bear Two" exhibit, it says "Bamboo barrier", so it most likely means patrons will see the bears through a disrupted viewing area.
