Sedgwick County Zoo African Plains immersiom
- Thread starter ZYBen
- Start date
MARK
Well-Known Member
Yes it is in the US, Its a great looking exhibit, very well done. I think the idea the WPZ had of a giant African plains exhibit was a good one, and drive though (in zoo vehicles) of some 550 acres, now that would of been worth seeing, I guess now we cant import Antelopes for such an exhibit they had to scrap the idea.
i've seen the exhibit. i appears they have done a great gob of replicating the kopje style rockwork - particuarly important in this case since the climate of this sedgwick area severly limits the plant list that was available to use to landscape the area. there was no african or tropical plants used at all..
werribee's "lions on the edge" was supposed to be a "kopje" style exhibit, and whilst i believe the true definition of the word is any hillock in the african plains, it is usually associated with those large round boulder outcrops that are so icnic of the african savannah. i think its a shame werribee didn't bother to better rock landscape the area like it appeared the original plans, but chances are it was a budgetry thing. zoos victoria usually make good use of a small
budget....
werribee's "lions on the edge" was supposed to be a "kopje" style exhibit, and whilst i believe the true definition of the word is any hillock in the african plains, it is usually associated with those large round boulder outcrops that are so icnic of the african savannah. i think its a shame werribee didn't bother to better rock landscape the area like it appeared the original plans, but chances are it was a budgetry thing. zoos victoria usually make good use of a small
budget....
i saw that exhibit a few weeks ago, it was great.
dubbo had planned a sedwick/werribee, exibit for lions, and an undergroun looking cave full of reptiles and meerkat burrows, on the edge of a brand new 240 acres savannh, and new carpark, bus tour, visitor precint (shpos etc) but of course taronga won over again, and plus on a finacial review or what ever, it was uneconomical to build it, as it woudlnt provide any boost in visitor numbers.
dubbo had planned a sedwick/werribee, exibit for lions, and an undergroun looking cave full of reptiles and meerkat burrows, on the edge of a brand new 240 acres savannh, and new carpark, bus tour, visitor precint (shpos etc) but of course taronga won over again, and plus on a finacial review or what ever, it was uneconomical to build it, as it woudlnt provide any boost in visitor numbers.
Sedgwick Zoo exhibit
I also read the article from Zoolex .
A few years ago , I remember a zoolex article about a zoo in Germany ( I think ) that had a combined animal exhibit -- Lions and meerkats both in the same enclosure .
I dont know what benefit it would have for the lions , but the meerkats will certainly have behavioural enrichment to make sure they duck for cover whenever a lion gets too close for comfort ......
I also read the article from Zoolex .
A few years ago , I remember a zoolex article about a zoo in Germany ( I think ) that had a combined animal exhibit -- Lions and meerkats both in the same enclosure .
I dont know what benefit it would have for the lions , but the meerkats will certainly have behavioural enrichment to make sure they duck for cover whenever a lion gets too close for comfort ......
on this forum before weve thrown around the idea of melbourne losing mor eof its african savannah animals to werribee, so the asian rainforest could be extended. and taronga, too, could afford to lose giraffes and zebras in my mind to make bette us eof space with a dramatic congo forest.
but thats not whats happening, and if they go ahead with the african tropical savannah as planned there is no better model for a city zoo/immersion style african exhibit than perth's.
unlike rainforest exhibits with carefully located vegetation screening obtrusive, man made structures, authentic savannah exhibits clearly present a problem in terms of controlling sight lines.
perths technique is simple. at almost all times you are below ground level, almost waist-level. the main track that winds through the exhibit simulates a dry-creek bed, flanked with high eroded banks. there is alot of attention to detail, with rocks and roots, and aloes growing out. behind or within these banks are many of the service areas.
alot of the times viewing of the animals is restricted to glass-fronted bunkers, which set you at eye level with the animals, roughly the same as taronga's cats of asia. many of the exhibit perimeters cant be seen, obscured by ridges.
the babboons are in a rocky gorge style of exhibit. similarly, hyeanas are on a section of 'riverbank'. real vistas out over the savannah, rhino and hunting dogs look on to the other enclosures, giving the impression of space. the only criticism i have of the enclosure is a chain link fence in the giraffe exhibit, which is being removed, and the lack of authenticity in the rockwork of the new meerkat enclosure.
just to summarise, these are the specie son display...
grants zebra
rothschild's giraffe
hamadryas babboon
lion
cheetah
hyeana
meerkat
hunting dog
rhino
radiated tortoise
in the past oryx ad serval were on display. it wouldnt harm bringing these guys back, both are such beautiful species
but thats not whats happening, and if they go ahead with the african tropical savannah as planned there is no better model for a city zoo/immersion style african exhibit than perth's.
unlike rainforest exhibits with carefully located vegetation screening obtrusive, man made structures, authentic savannah exhibits clearly present a problem in terms of controlling sight lines.
perths technique is simple. at almost all times you are below ground level, almost waist-level. the main track that winds through the exhibit simulates a dry-creek bed, flanked with high eroded banks. there is alot of attention to detail, with rocks and roots, and aloes growing out. behind or within these banks are many of the service areas.
alot of the times viewing of the animals is restricted to glass-fronted bunkers, which set you at eye level with the animals, roughly the same as taronga's cats of asia. many of the exhibit perimeters cant be seen, obscured by ridges.
the babboons are in a rocky gorge style of exhibit. similarly, hyeanas are on a section of 'riverbank'. real vistas out over the savannah, rhino and hunting dogs look on to the other enclosures, giving the impression of space. the only criticism i have of the enclosure is a chain link fence in the giraffe exhibit, which is being removed, and the lack of authenticity in the rockwork of the new meerkat enclosure.
just to summarise, these are the specie son display...
grants zebra
rothschild's giraffe
hamadryas babboon
lion
cheetah
hyeana
meerkat
hunting dog
rhino
radiated tortoise
in the past oryx ad serval were on display. it wouldnt harm bringing these guys back, both are such beautiful species