@reduakari I thought it came out well, just could have been more and you handicapped themselves a bit by building it in a way that doesn't allow for further expansion.
But does RWPZ need to have its faith restored anyway? I think it's a pretty great little zoo as it is.
@reduakari This is what you get for $14 million...a monkey exhibit that could have been built 30 years ago and the nation's smallest Giant Otter pool. I know that sounds harsh, but I was expecting far more from this whole project.
@snowleopard I understand that this looks ugly, but is it bad? The animals have a good amount of space and plenty of climbing opportunities.
What makes this the smallest Giant Otter pool? The pool goes deeper than the floor, making it quite deep. The main pool alone is a real good size and then there's a small water slide leading into a smaller, shallower pool. DWA's pool is significantly smaller than the main pool here. Just because DWA's is more natural-looking it's suddenly better?
@ThylacineAlive I don't like the DWA Giant Otter pool at all and I was extremely critical of it in 2010 after my first visit to that facility. In fact, there's a lengthy list of DWA exhibits that are all too tiny for their inhabitants.
I think that it's probably a coin toss as to which is smaller, the DWA otter exhibit or the RWPZ version. Both appear to be FAR too small and each enclosure has zero access to the outdoors as well. That last part isn't essential but an all-indoor exhibit for such a large species is not ideal.
As for the primate enclosure in this photo, we agree that it looks ugly but I will admit that doesn't necessarily make it a bad enclosure. When I see the zoo's Director talking about a "world-class addition" and learn that the whole rainforest thing cost $14 million...and then it dawns on me that a photo such as the one above could easily have been taken in 1988! I was expecting a modern, innovative jungle building and from photos it seems incredibly underwhelming and nothing special at all. I'm simply disappointed.
@snowleopard Fair enough then on the otter pool point, though having seen both enclosures in person this year I will insist that this pool is much larger, deeper, and generally better with the inclusion of the slide and small waterfall.
I do agree that the director calling it a world-class exhibit is a big more than an exaggeration. I don't know if there's an online video on the opening ceremony but I was there for it (accidentally tbh I thought it had already opened a couple hours earlier) and he went on for quite some time about how fantastic the new addition was. This did leave me a bit disappointed as well, and I agree more could have been done. On review, though, this is still a good exhibit and better than their previous house and I think it's a solid, but not excellent, kick off to their 20 year master plan.
Again I have to agree with @snowleopard. This enclosure is ugly in my opinion. It needs WAY more vegetation and natural features in my opinion. Although I don’t think the otter exhibit is that bad. The one in Philadelphia and at DWA are more ugly than RWPZ. Although I do wish the otters had an outdoor exhibit.
