Was this photo taken from the visitor walkway? The mountain lion exhibit seems to be more than adequate and it allows the cats some height, but a major zoo like San Diego should have had the funding and foresight to obscure the "behind-the-scenes" holding area from the public to make the area impressive in terms of aesthetics.
I think this photo is taken from the entrance to EO, probably don't have a lot of room there to block things we a three way intersection at that point. Perhaps the off-exhibit area could have been sited elsewhere?
It is not the "normal visitor" walkway. It is taken from the beginning of the bus road that goes around Elephant Odyssey. There is a small polinator garden that is open to the public and I was standing next to that when I took it.
