My dad took me to Hagenbeck in the summer of 1991 when I was ten and that visit no doubt is the main reason for my ever-since love for zoos and interest in zoo history.
My dad took me to Hagenbeck in the summer of 1991 when I was ten and that visit no doubt is the main reason for my ever-since love for zoos and interest in zoo history.
Free-ranging, that is really cool. It brings up an interesting point, why don't more zoos have free-ranging animals (besides indian peafowl, which seem almost mandatory). Of course here in the U.S. I am afraid I already know the answer: fear of lawsuits.
I know in the US is a great fear of lawsuits but a Mara will not hurt anyone. Come to think of it, I cannot remember if I have seen Maras loose in other zoos.
Whipsnade has free-roaming Mara, Red-necked Wallabies, Reeves' Muntjac, Chinese Water Deer, Black-tailed Prairie Marmots... and Blue Peafowl. And this in a zoo visitors take their cars into! Dodging the baby Mara can be quite an art!
I remember the Mara at Hagenbecks being particularly friendly.
I would suppose that US zoos are concerned with escapees (for instance maras are illegal to own in Idaho, for biosecurity reasons), and also another factor would be concern for the safety of the free-ranging animals.
*Disclaimer - This post is based purely on my opinion and guesses. Do not take it as fact.
