Yet another in a long line of award-winning exhibits at the Bronx Zoo. There is nothing to criticize here, as this 3-acre area of the zoo is basically sheer brilliance, and my personal opinion is that perhaps the Minnesota Zoo is the only North American zoo with a more impressive tiger habitat.
@snowleopard. How you can be sure, thats nothing to critisize here, have yu seen the indoor cages ? I don't, but I give you right, I've seen a lot of really poor tiger exhibits in the States, and this is one of the better.
This is a very pertinent point. An exhibit like this is impressive, but the presence of live trees makes me want to know whether the tigers are allowed in the exhibit outside of opening times. I believe many zoos with trees in their outdoor cat compounds lock them in when the keepers go home in case of storms knocking trees over and damaging the perimeter fencing. However, it may be the case that this exhibit has no trees near to the perimeter fence.
Does anyone know if these tigers are shut in outside opening hours?
This is a very pertinent point. An exhibit like this is impressive, but the presence of live trees makes me want to know whether the tigers are allowed in the exhibit outside of opening times. I believe many zoos with trees in their outdoor cat compounds lock them in when the keepers go home in case of storms knocking trees over and damaging the perimeter fencing. However, it may be the case that this exhibit has no trees near to the perimeter fence.
Does anyone know if these tigers are shut in outside opening hours?
Yes, for exactly the reason you suggest. A few years ago a strong windstorm toppled many large trees during the night at the Bronx Zoo: had tigers not been "locked in" it would have been a disaster, as the tiger barrier fence was crushed by fallen trees.
I have never understood why some are against locking up large carnivores during the night; regardless of how many night keepers and night watchment the zoo may have. Having been to the Bronx Zoo and seen its size and how wooden it is and full of hiding places, I shudder to think about what would happen, should one of these escape its exhibit in the middle of the night.
