Thanks for all of the photos of Monsoon Forest and while much of Islands is still incomplete at least another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. There are certainly a lot of macaques in this exhibit but are there enough viewing windows to accommodate the immense crowds that Chester will begin to receive? One complaint I have with many modern exhibits at a variety of zoos is that on a busy summer day the pathways are already jammed and so in 5-10 years the crowds could become overwhelming.
Thanks for all of the photos of Monsoon Forest and while much of Islands is still incomplete at least another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. There are certainly a lot of macaques in this exhibit but are there enough viewing windows to accommodate the immense crowds that Chester will begin to receive? One complaint I have with many modern exhibits at a variety of zoos is that on a busy summer day the pathways are already jammed and so in 5-10 years the crowds could become overwhelming.
The initial phase of Islands is nearly complete. The Monsoon Forest appears to be ready for the birds, although they may not be ready to be moved yet. The outdoor enclosures for these macaques, the babirusa, tigers and orangs seem to be nearly ready too. The only significant missing elements are the chutes to enable the orangs to move between their different enclosures. This should all be sorted within a few weeks.
These windows are large, and there is a smaller set at the other end of the exhibit. There is also a large space where I was standing to take this photo. There was a crowd gathering because it was only 40 minutes after the Monsoon Forest opened for the first time and this was the first exhibit with a group of large animals. When the macaques can go outside I don't think there will be a problem here.
I share your concern about crowded pathways in general, particularly in indoor exhibits; my first impression of the Monsoon Forest was that it is better than some of Chester's other exhibits, but there was a choke point around the crocodiles and there may be others when the orangs arrive. A partial remedy would be to ban pushchairs at busy times, but this would be unpopular with visitors.
Shall we start a 'ban the buggy' campaign (or 'stamp out the stroller' for our US friends!!) I lost count of how many times I was run over by a pushchair. I counted 7 of the things in the gharial cave plus the crowds and it was just carnage!!
I hate the zoo on busy days and usually don't bother to go , but with Islands opening in the school holidays one hasn't got a choice! It has been interesting to see the zoo at its absolute peak period though, and offers a really different experience observing the crowds, their reactions to the exhibits and seeing the challenges faced by the zoo when there are so many crowds.
I have noticed more animals 'escaping' to quiet parts of their exhibit though so am looking forward to visiting on a week day in September when we will get the place to ourselves again!
Buggies and pushchairs (strollers here in North America) are a vital component of the modern zoo as families dominate the landscape. Many of you on this site know me as a zoo enthusiast who has visited and reviewed hundreds of zoos but I'm also a father of 4 young children all currently under the age of 6. A "stroller" is a mandatory piece of equipment for any zoo visit as it holds the youngest member of the family and my wife and I have one that can actually seat a second individual behind the first (none of that nonsense with the double-wide pushchair!). At the bottom and often hanging off the side of the stroller is an assortment of food containers, jackets and at times what appears to be half of our worldly possessions.
Visiting a zoo with my kids is quite the experience as naturally a wild squirrel becomes a source of excitement; we need to stop every 10 seconds for snacks; the notion of squeezing everyone into Woodland Park Zoo's Tropical House is a lost cause and we mainly skip that building; and getting young kids to walk in single file and hold hands is like making a deal with the devil. I often want to proceed to the Maned Wolf/Southern Pudu exhibits while the sprawling Zoomazium (an indoor playground) is where we always end up at some point during the day. At Seattle's famous zoo my kids absolutely LOVE the tiny yet well-designed Bug World building with its dozen or so terrariums.
My frustration stems from the fact that on one hand I would love zoos to build modern jungle exhibits with slender woodchip pathways and a glowering, steamy, atmospheric sense of anticipation as one winds through the misty, humid jungle. On the other hand I want a wide, paved trail that allows multiple strollers to pass by at any point. Sometimes U.S. zoos build grandiose new rainforest complexes but don't seem to consider the fact that in the future the pathways will be choked beyond comprehension with families wishing to experience the zoo. When it seems that on some days 90% of all visitors are accompanied by children then my inner zoo nerd throws his hands up and supports the notion of vast roads through zoos.
Is that your version of "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam"?
Don't forget to mention narrow entrances/exhibits with bad doors and rough/sandy/pebbly uphill visitor pathways (Bratislava, Usti etc.) while pushing said pushchairs/strollers or wheelchairs. Always nice to combine a workout, close -quarters mixed-gender combat practice and anger management with a family zoo visit...
I know! My tongue was in my cheek as I typed that - perhaps we need another emoticon.
Actually the Monsoon House is pretty good, the paths are wide and made of smooth concrete and all the gradients are gentle. The only places that buggies are not allowed are the Lazy River boats (and a couple of them are wheelchair accessible).
The frustration is the number of adults who parallel park their pushchairs across the front of an exhibit and then watch their children sideways blocking over a metre of access each.
