Detroit Zoo A lot of questions, a lot of feelings

[PassingTime88]

Hello! I am a brand new member to ZooChat but found this website recently and someone could help me answer some questions about the Detroit zoo.

I have lived in the Detroit area my entire life (36 years) and have loved the Detroit zoo since I was a kid. However, over the last few years as I travel to other zoos around the county and world I feel that the Detroit zoo is really lacking behind on guest/animal experiences. Now I have heard over the years that "The Detroit zoo is for animals not people, that why they often can't be seen, they are given space to hide and act as wild as possible." But there has to be a middle ground somewhere?

Okay, I'll get right to my questions, maybe someone out there has some answers for me.

1) Why have an aardvark exhibit the way they do? Every other zoo I have seen aardvarks in they are in a nocturnal room/space with red lights, so guests can see them. Feels like the Detroit zoo could use the current aardvark exhibit to display a non nocturnal animal. I'll even give the zoo, beavers, because they can be seen on nights when the zoo is open later.

2) Why have large exhibits with 3-4 birds in them, including the "new" rhea exhibit AND the pelican exhibit, again seems like a waste of space that could be used for more exciting animals. I would even be okay with just one of those kind of exhibits.

3) Why does it feel like the apes are often inside. They have so much beautiful outdoor space however I feel that they are often locked inside.

4) Why have a special mousebird exhibit? It already seems like mousebirds are taking over the bird house. Why give them an additional exhibit near the lemurs?

5) What is up with the fruit bat/ sloth exhibit? Who thought that was a good idea to put those animals in a place you would never see them? The ceiling is too high. There has to be a solution for that?

6) It also feels to me there are some missed opportunities in the polar bear exhibit. When was the last time someone saw a bear swimming? It often feels like the bears are off exhibit or only walking on the land.

I'm sorry if this all sounds to whiny I just love this zoo and wish it would get its act together to help more people feel the same. I often take friends, I'm a member, and they often leave feeling less inspired then I would like.

Just to end on a positive note. The lions, penguins, amphibians, otters, macaques, and bird aviary are still amazing!

 

[Terry Thomas]

Welcome. I hope all your questions are answered!

 

[PassingTime88]

@USZOOfan42 do you have any thoughts on this. You seem to have a lot of knowledge on the Detroit zoo and I’m interested in your opinion.

 

[USZOOfan42]

Thanks, I didn’t know this thread existed. Will try to answer as many as possible.

1) Why have an aardvark exhibit the way they do? Every other zoo I have seen aardvarks in they are in a nocturnal room/space with red lights, so guests can see them. Feels like the Detroit zoo could use the current aardvark exhibit to display a non nocturnal animal. I'll even give the zoo, beavers, because they can be seen on nights when the zoo is open later.

Likely money and space. The zoo needed something for that exhibit; the zoo has had aardvarks since 2005. Why acquire new animals when you can just move a species you already have? Ron Kagan also liked the idea of large natural habitats.

2) Why have large exhibits with 3-4 birds in them, including the "new" rhea exhibit AND the pelican exhibit, again seems like a waste of space that could be used for more exciting animals. I would even be okay with just one of those kind of exhibits.

It’s a way to remove dead space, that’s also why there’s so many picnic sites. The zoo also needed places for the pelicans, tortoises, cranes and rheas to go. I don’t love the idea; but it’s better than before.

3) Why does it feel like the apes are often inside. They have so much beautiful outdoor space however I feel that they are often locked inside

Id guess temperatures? The apes go inside at 2-3 daily. The door is open up until the too. Sometimes they don’t want to go out; and some zoos like Lincoln Park it’s rare to even see them outside.

4) Why have a special mousebird exhibit? It already seems like mousebirds are taking over the bird house. Why give them an additional exhibit near the lemurs?

likely spare space or to have more controlled breeding. Seems like they have hundreds of them; but I think the exhibit should be swapped for another species.

5) What is up with the fruit bat/ sloth exhibit? Who thought that was a good idea to put those animals in a place you would never see them? The ceiling is too high. There has to be a solution for that?

Good question. Even volunteers and keepers hate it. I think it’s a waste of space; especially since you don’t see anything. Again, likely to fill space and the sloth needed somewhere to go. I’ve heard they plan to renovate the area soon; and move those species.

6) It also feels to me there are some missed opportunities in the polar bear exhibit. When was the last time someone saw a bear swimming? It often feels like the bears are off exhibit or only walking on the land.

I think it’s pure luck! I saw them on my past few visits in the water. The bears don’t like the heat of the summer; and the females are off exhibit in the winter; so it’s easiest to see them in the spring and early fall. The exhibit was poorly designed to be fair; and it’s rare to see them in general.

I'm sorry if this all sounds to whiny I just love this zoo and wish it would get its act together to help more people feel the same. I often take friends, I'm a member, and they often leave feeling less inspired then I would like.

I couldn’t agree more with your takes. The zoo has many flaws; and I don’t see them being fixed any time soon. Hopefully I answered your questions; if you need more just ask!

 

[PassingTime88]

Thank you for taking the time to answer! I think you answered all my questions as best you could. I appreciate that. If I think of more I’ll let you know!

 

[Jambo]

3) Why does it feel like the apes are often inside. They have so much beautiful outdoor space however I feel that they are often locked inside.

Indeed it can often be due to weather, however in most zoos the apes are given the selection of being indoors or outdoors. A lot of individuals are very adverse to strong weather conditions (rain/wind ect.), so prefer to spend time indoors.

The only times they would be kept inside strictly is if the weathers too harsh for them outside, or if the keepers are doing routine cleaning/maintenance on the enclosure.

 

[PassingTime88]

Okay thank you.

 

[JVM]

1) Why have an aardvark exhibit the way they do? Every other zoo I have seen aardvarks in they are in a nocturnal room/space with red lights, so guests can see them. Feels like the Detroit zoo could use the current aardvark exhibit to display a non nocturnal animal. I'll even give the zoo, beavers, because they can be seen on nights when the zoo is open later.

2) Why have large exhibits with 3-4 birds in them, including the "new" rhea exhibit AND the pelican exhibit, again seems like a waste of space that could be used for more exciting animals. I would even be okay with just one of those kind of exhibits.

My understanding is the current aardvark exhibit originally held hippopotamus twenty plus or so years ago and when it was judged to be too small for a hippopotamus bloat, they changed to aardvark and turned the swimming pool into a digging area.

3) Why does it feel like the apes are often inside. They have so much beautiful outdoor space however I feel that they are often locked inside.

Someone has already mentioned this is common at zoos. To elaborate, as Lincoln Park Zoo was mentioned before -- on any day where the animals can be outside, Lincoln Park leaves the doors open for the animals, and many days they still prefer to stay inside, and when I have seen outdoor activity several times, it's just one or two apes at a time going out alone for a period - such as a chimpanzee gathering nesting material or a bachelor gorilla playing with a blanket. The animals are only locked inside when it is too cold for them to be outside safely. In addition, there are interviews from the opening of the current ape enclosure where the zoo openly states the outdoor exhibits are somewhat more for guests than animals, as they even knew twenty years ago the apes preferred to be indoors.