Cologne Zoo - Moorish House (hippo)

Toddy · 3 Dec 2009

The pool of the hippo indoor exhibit inside the Moorish House in Cologne Zoo, Germany. This exhibit is completely inadequate and the most outdated exhibit in the whole zoo. The Moorish House opened in 1863 and is, as far as I have understood, the oldest still functioning animal house in Germany. Inside are stalls for black rhinos, hippos and sitatungas as well as some exhibitions, the most prominent being the 2006 EAZA Rhino Campaign exhibition.

The Moorish House has always functioned as a pachyderm house but the Asian elephants moved to the new Elefantenpark in 2004, the hippos will move to the new Hippodom in 2010 and the last black rhino will also leave soon. After that the Moorish House will be used as a zoo-museum.

July 2009

snowleopard · 3 Dec 2009

@Toddy: Once again I'd like to thank you for your informative descriptions on your photos, and I'm glad to see that the pachyderms will soon be gone from what appears to be an abomination.

kiang · 3 Dec 2009

Good to hear a zoo, hanging on to its heritage, with the inspired use of a defunct animal exhibit as a zoo museum, well done Cologne

Toddy · 4 Dec 2009

Now now snowleopard. Remember, when it's my photos we don't use the a-word

We say "outdated" and/or "inadequate".

I am glad that they are keeping this house as well. It is actually a very beautifull house even though it is not suitable for the pachyderms. Its mere presence is great way of telling visitors have zoos have evolved since the 19th century.

Maguari · 4 Dec 2009

Toddy said:
Now now snowleopard. Remember, when it's my photos we don't use the a-word We say "outdated" and/or "inadequate".

Are we allowed to ban words form our threads now? I'd like to ban 'bulldozer' from mine.

Oh, and 'Harbour Seal' - it's a Common Seal, for zark's sake!

EDIT: Taking off the silly hat for a moment, I'm also glad this house will be kept. I actually didn't realise it was as old as it is - it's still pretty workable (although, as you say, not exactly suitable for Common Hippos and Black Rhinos these days).

Toddy · 4 Dec 2009

Maguari said:
Are we allowed to ban words form our threads now? I'd like to ban 'bulldozer' from mine.

Yes, it is all part of the new rule that I have just made up

Maguari said:
Oh, and 'Harbour Seal' - it's a Common Seal, for zark's sake!

I will try to keep that in mind!

Maguari · 4 Dec 2009

Toddy said:
I will try to keep that in mind!

It's just one that bugs me.

Its one thing to change an animal's English name to make it more accurate - Siberian Tiger to Amur Tiger. It mildly irritates me when people use 'Andean Bear' or 'Painted Dog' because these are attempted PR jobs when the animals have perfectly good common names already, but I can at least see their reasoning.

But 'Harbour Seal' is more wrong than Common Seal. It is common (in animal names the word is used in the sense of 'unremarkable' of course, rather than 'numerous'). It has no particular association with harbours. It makes no sense to change it.

I will now allow this thread to be about Cologne's hippos again!

BjoernN · 4 Dec 2009

The sitatungas will move to the new "Hippodom" too. A zoo keeper is keeping the European Studbook for sitatungas.

Dan · 4 Dec 2009

Toddy said:
Now now snowleopard. Remember, when it's my photos we don't use the a-word We say "outdated" and/or "inadequate". QUOTE]

Does this mean that I can´t use MY favorite a-word?

ATROCITY

Toddy · 4 Dec 2009

Dan said:
Does this mean that I can´t use MY favorite a-word?

ATROCITY

Okay, so from now on abomination and atrocity are officially BANNED from my threads and photos

Cologne Zoo - Moorish House (hippo)

Toddy

snowleopard

kiang

Toddy

Maguari

Toddy

Maguari

BjoernN

Dan

Toddy

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