Another thread about a new zoo...

I wouldn't trust porcupines with visitors, but possibly there could be a part of the enclosure where visitors can't enter, where the porcipines are housed.

I believe this is exactly how the enclosure at Longleat is set out, with the porcupines kept behind a low iron fence in the meerkat walkthrough.
 
Mixing raided tortoises with the lemurs doesn't seem like too crazy of an idea. Also, you mentioned that the majority of this place will only be open through guided tour. Is this still the plan and are the meerkats and lemurs the only species that will be featured in that section?
 
I've often stated that I hate species lists and I've been rambling about how pointless I think they are as I believe exhibits, presentation and information is much more important then what species is in the exhibit. Also, I feel a bit reluctant to share the species because as I've stated before, they are all common, easy to obtain crowd pleasers, but what the heck.

Current species are:

1.4.1 Miniature Donkeys

1.4 Anglo Nubian Goats

1.1 Severe Macaws

0.3 Ponies, larger type

0.1.1 rabbits

Before the opening of the park we will breed more donkeys and Anglo Nubians. We will also get:

A small heard of miniature ponies.

Sheep, possibly ouessants or hand reared mouflons.

More rabbits.

Guinea Pigs

Red Jungle Fowl

Poitou Donkeys

Ringtailed Lemurs

Meerkats.

Both meerkats and lemurs will be housed in walk-through exhbits, densly forested for the lemurs and "Kalahari-Style" desert for the meerkats. Lemur enclosure will be around 1 hectare and meerkat exhibit just a little smaller then that. I'm thinking about the possibility of having Kirk's Dik Dik with the meerkats. Other suggestions for mixed exhibits are welcome.
Other parrot species could probably be mixed with the macaws (cockatoos, other macaw species, ect.). Ruffed lemurs of either species would mix well with Ring-tailed.
 
Expanding upon your reptile/amphibian collection wouldn't be a bad idea, possibly adding a smaller building to serve as a Herpetology Education Center? You could add some temperature-sensitive mammals and birds as well.
 
Mixing raided tortoises with the lemurs doesn't seem like too crazy of an idea. Also, you mentioned that the majority of this place will only be open through guided tour. Is this still the plan and are the meerkats and lemurs the only species that will be featured in that section?

It might change, there will definitely be keepers present at all times in these enclosures.
 
The Guided Tours is a great idea. It allows you to charge more, but it makes the interactions attention-grabbers for the public.

Have you ever considered "Zoo Camps" and "Keeper for a Day"?
 
I just found this thread today and I’ve been reading it at work and I just wanted to say that I’m happy your dreams of starting a zoo are coming true @nicholas
 
Nicholas, just wondering here

what would be the 1 Animal that you really want that would realistically fit in your budget at this time?
 
Things are still happening. I decided to build most of the enclosures myself and it will obviously take longer, much longer then if I were to hire a construction company. But it will be much, much cheaper. I think I've said before that I'm not in any rush and doing things myself will actually be quite nice once things are finished.
 
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