Melbourne Zoo's new orangutan exhibit has been heavily criticized due to the fact that it has loads of sway poles for the great apes to brachiate across their large outdoor area. This orang exhibit in Munich has lots of metal poles, but it doesn't appear that there are really that many areas for the apes to sit and rest. The ugly, alien-like poles must be cold in a German winter, and this enclosure certainly bears zero resemblance to either Borneo or Sumatra. A disaster in my opinion.
@PAT: I meant that Melbourne Zoo's orang exhibit has been heavily criticized here at ZooChat, while I agree with you in that some people love it and have applauded it. I think that orang exhibits need to have real trees in them (like Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle) so that the habitat appears to be naturalistic. I think Melbourne's and Munich's could be much better if they actually looked more like the orangutan's natural environment rather than having fake poles and metal rods sticking up everywhere.
@PAT: I meant that Melbourne Zoo's orang exhibit has been heavily criticized here at ZooChat, while I agree with you in that some people love it and have applauded it. I think that orang exhibits need to have real trees in them (like Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle) so that the habitat appears to be naturalistic. I think Melbourne's and Munich's could be much better if they actually looked more like the orangutan's natural environment rather than having fake poles and metal rods sticking up everywhere.
Snowleopard, surely if the fake poles allow the Orang-Utans to demonstrate their natural ability then aesthetics shouldn't be too much of a problem seeing as the Orangs would be content and visitors would get to see Orangs doing what Orangs do (so long as the exhibit is planted as well to ensure browsing and shelter).
(i'm talking about the Melbourne one, rather than the munich one)
I see what you mean. There are plants (ferns ect.) all over the ground that are doing great because the orangs don't need to go down there> There are a few young, immature trees that i doubt the orang-utans have access to but even fully mature they wouldn't make it look natural.
