Looks like a nice complex. However, for the amount they spent I wish they could have figured out a way to have realistic looking trees and vines (even if they are fake) instead of these metal poles with ropes.
The conceptual goals of this exhibit are quite different from those of say Madagascar! at the Bronx Zoo. The latter was designed to showcase the beauty and biodiversity of Madagascar. Land of Lemurs was designed as an interactive experience that connects people to lemurs and in turn gets guests to care about issues like deforestation in Madagascar because of how that issue impacts lemurs. Exhibits are built around concepts, so it is not surprising that there is a different emphasis on details in Land of lemurs and Madagascar!. Artful simulation of Madagascar was more important for the Bronx Zoo, so it is no surprise that they invested more in realistic artificial trees.
I love the artistry of realistic vines and trees, but many zoo exhibits have poor simulations. It takes a lot of skill and experience to craft them well. Perhaps, it is easier to recruit individuals with these talents in the US than Canada because Canada is such a smaller market.
Projects always have constraints, so it is possible that they would have liked realistic artificial trees in this exhibit, but other priorities came up.
If they had wanted to show deforestation, they could have used to greater effect even in only a small area, dead trees that had been chared or burnt out and stood them around with black ropes and a totally cleared blackened area around them.
They could then have "untouched forest" bordering the deforested area and let them see which areas the lemurs preferred. -helped by feeding in the forested area- if need be. I think that would bring the deforestatoion and threat to the wildlife message home.
If the zoo shows that lemurs do not need real trees but can do just as well on metal poles, how does that make visitors care about deforestation? IMO it has the opposite effect - we can just put up a bunch of metal poles in Madagascar where the forest used to be and the animals will be fine.
Dean, They do have a small section outside of the actual animal exhibits with burnt tree trunks, although I still think that that interpretive message could have been conveyed even more strongly.
Arizona Docent, I agree that deforestation concepts would have been more strongly conveyed with living trees in place of the metal pole structures here. It's possible that they used the metal poles because they could better support the weight of heating pods, feeding platforms, and other features. Large, more mature trees could have supported more weight, but are hard to source, transplant, and establish successfully.
@DevinL Thanks for the further comments DL, I wasn't being critical of the exhibit, just putting forward a possibly more intense vision of deforestation.
I wonder how many people notice, remember or even equate what is outside an exhibit than what is inside?
