This must be a candidate for one of the largest zoo exhibits for beavers in the world. When I was there this summer I actually saw a beaver wedged into the side of the hill (having made a mini-cave for itself), although I'm not sure how many beavers there are in total.
@snowleopard Probably only one or perhaps a pair, that is usually how beavers are kept in zoos unless they have a litter (and also how they usually live in the wild). I personally didn't notice there being any holes/dens in the hill dug out by the beavers, but that probably explains why I didn't see any.
It is a nice exhibit that offers some possibilities, but to me it looked perhaps a bit too open and too... kept, too much like a lawn.
I personally like the beaver exhibit at GaiaZoo, which has a wilder look and feel, a bit better, but I'll agree this one is not bad at all.
I think it is very decent in terms of size and it also offers quite a bit of water for beavers to swim, and apparently place for them to dig dens, but it does in my opinion look too open and barren.
@KevinB The size is impressive, but I'd rather it was half the size and full of logs and running water. I am impressed by the idea that they will big their own den though, that is cool and I retract my earlier statement.
What I really want, and perhaps it's unfair to put this on Pairi Daiza, is a beaver exhibit that actually showcases dam building.
@FunkyGibbon I haven't seen dam building yet actually, the most I've seen is lodge building (at Planckendael, for example, the beavers built their own lodge).
I saw a beaver cutting down a branch (which was clamped vertically), taking it down to the water and swimming with it to the far end of the pool, where there is a bridge for visitors over the outflow. I presume that this is where the beaver(s) will try to construct a dam. I suppose that this enclosure was actually designed to encourage this, because the islands look strangely high above the current water level - but they will look much better if the water rises by 50 cm or so.
