So many low-budget, poor-quality U.S. zoos have these corn-crib cages that are rarely ever decent zoo exhibits. One can see the two Mara in this photo and it gives a good example of how small the ground area actually is, and I can scarcely imagine a Bobcat in there now...even though I've seen many small cat species in such corn-crib monstrosities.
And it's not like Patagonian maras are the hardest or most challenging species to create a decent exhibit for. And this is what they can think of? Bobcats are probably a little harder but still it's not unfeasible, even for smaller places, to do so.
As far as these corn cribs go... they might be able to be decent exhibits for some birds depending on the accommodation inside, but I don't think you could ever make them aesthetically pleasing.
And judging from most of the examples in the gallery I've seen with a variety of species, these corn cribs aren't even really about being cheap or using easily available and affordable materials, but often rather about not having a good understanding of animals' housing needs.
