In the recent history of Berlin Zoo, Through The Lion Gate by Gary Bruce, it is reported that the totem poles in this enclosure date from the days of ethnographic displays at Berlin.
@sooty mangabey Funnily enough my memory of these yards from 2015 was extremely off; I had them as small, cramped bits of hard standing rather than these not-exactly-expansive spaces. Hopefully they'll still be there for another hundred years!
@sooty mangabey You beat me to the punch as I was going to basically say the exact same thing. That Berlin Zoo book is a real treasure, even with its few flaws, and a must-own for any zoo nerd!
@FunkyGibbon: It's my sentimental side – both exhibits were pictured in a zoo book I read repeatedly as a kid. The unifying conservation message is also neatly done.
@Giant Panda I feel very similar about the Casson Pavilion. I read about it in Durrell's The Overloaded Arc without knowing, then found a picture of it in a book I think was called Zoos of the World and made the connection.
