Although this exhibit has a few faults, I don't really think that it qualifies as a "poor exhibit". They need a bigger land-part yes, but they have lots of water available for swimming, And the glass domes lets in a lot of natural light. This matters a lot to the animals that are indoor during the winter. Yes, animals can suffer from winter depressions too, if not exposed to enough sunlight.
I wouldn't call it a poor exhibit also, really poor exhibits for hippos are at Frankfurt,Kronberg or especially Stuttgart, and this new house is really much better than the old house from the fiftis, but it is an impressive example that mostly the architects have the last word in zoos...The hippos in Hannover have during the day in winter NO landpart, they have to spend the whole day in the water, ( so the vistors can see them ) and in the night, its not allowed the hippos to use the pool. I don't know, if they hippos at Berlin can use the pool in the night.
Interesting points from all af you. The layout of the Copenhagen house is the same, just a small concrete island in the middle of the indoor pool. I Copenhagen there are 3 adults and (lately) one newly born. What you can´t see in Copenhagen is if the animals have access to the night dens in the daytime too? That would expand the land area. Can you answer that, Toddy?
Where Berlin is MUCH better than Copenhegen is the outddoos enclosure - much bigger!
@Dan: The three night boxes for the hippoes in Copenhagen are not pure luxury, but they are spacious and light, and allows for all three hippoes to be seperated from each other. The animals have access to their night dens for a large period of time during the day (whenever the keepers aren't working/feeding in the dens).
About the outdoor enclosures, are Berlin's really that much bigger than Copenhagen's? Neither of them seem to be adequate to me, though Berlin's is the better of the two.
BTW Dan, have you been behind-the-scenes in the Hippo House in Copenhagen? And have you seen the Hippo House in Berlin?
Berlin's exhibit and holding areas are better than most. Disney and Werribee lead the way (big pools, large land areas, ability to house large social groups. But Berlin's is better than the much-touted exhibits at San Diego, Busch Gardens, St. Louis and Toledo. Berlin's outdoor area includes grass for grazing and the occasional nyala (should be sitatunga) for added multi-species enrichment.
Hey, Toddy! Yes I have seen the Berlin Hippo house, some 4 or 5 years ago I think it was. I absolutely remember the outdoor enclosure to be considerally bigger than the one in Copenhagen. Maybe the outside pools aren´t that much different in size, that I don´t remember. I am above all referring to the grass areas - those are much bigger in Berlin, right?
No, I haven´t been behind-the-scenes in Copenhagen. Must be a very interesting experience. I don´t think you have showed us any pictures? Please do, if you have any!
