Best exhibit for each species

FelipeDBKO

FelipeDBKO

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Formerly the zoos had only intended to show animals. In recent times this has been changing more and more: people (mostly we, ZooChatters) began to care if the animal is comfortable, if the exhibit is beautiful, etc...

In your opinion, what are the best exhibits for each animal species in the categories...

1. Comfort for the animal
2. Beautiful and fun design
3. In all the concepts
4. You can use other categories if you want!

OBS¹: if you prefer, you can use more categories, more places, etc...
OBS²: I'll put the opinions in a comment only, to make it easier to indentify.
OBS³: even though I was creating the discussion, I'm not a good candidate to give opinions because I rarely go in zoos.
 
I can write that not always, enclosure that is appealing for human eye - for visitors and zoo stuff, it's also appealing for the animal kept in the enclosure. Many zoo-lovers love appealing-for-human eye enclosures, but wich enclosure, at the same time, can offer very little opportunity for animal to be interested in exploring the enclosure. Like the example of appealing for-human-eye (not for all people) enclosures with a lot of concrete, made of concrete walls, and with concrete hills, for gorillas or for orangutans, but such animals won't be interested a lot in exploring the concrete. They will mostly love to explore trees, forest floor, and forest canopy.
 
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So I can list several crucial things for best enclosures for some zoo animals, in my opinion and what I have read till know:

Apes, monkeys (from tropical rainforests): Enclosure with waste plane forest floor (sand, mud, clay, humus, bark, leaves, shadows), trees, tree canopy (brachiation), pool and high grass.

Grass-eating ungulates: grass, grass and grass, high grass, sand bath, trees or other shelter.

Snakes: various types, depending on species, but also very important, enclosure to offer opportunity for snake to creep fast in the enclosure, at distance at least twice of the snake lenght.

Common hippo: pool, sand/mud/clay bath, open area with grass.


From what I have seen, I love how London zoo or Bronx zoo are creating their enclosures design, they are exactly like pieces taken from the wilderness (not all, but I have seen many).
 
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For California sea lions: pool, pretty big sand beach with rocks, and docks in the pool; vertical long algae in the pool.

Black rhino: enclosure with appropriate size, planted with edible trees, and high grass. Also pool, and sand/mud bath.

Polar bear: I have almost never observed zoo polar bears that are kept in enclosure with low grass. All are based just on concrete, rocks and pools - pretty barren enclosure. It should be included pool, sand bath, area with low grass, ice blocks. - It doesn't mean that enclosures for polar bear must be so barren with just rocks, concrete and pool, coping from the pretty barren environment on the North pole. The polar bears will feel much better if grass, some trees are included in the enclosures, otherwise their enclosures are offering very limited exploring possibilities, poor bears. Some (not two :p ) notiable exceptions to this are Nurnberg zoo & Hanover zoo in Germany, Yorkshire Wildlife park in UK, Winnipeg Assiniboine park zoo in Canada (with wast open, with grass, enclosure for polar bears),
 
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Nikola Chavkosk said:
Two notiable exceptions to this are Nurnberg zoo & Hanover zoo in Germany, Yorkshire Wildlife park in UK, Winnipeg Assiniboine park zoo in Canada (with wast open, with grass, enclosure for polar bears),
Click to expand...

That is four,not two..... Another is Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland, with very large natural substrate(heather/grass etc) enclosures mimicking tundra.
 
All animals:no concrete,iron bars,cage etc.More grass,plants,enrichment for animals
Monkeys and apes:Lots of tree,tall tree,pool,tall grass,dirt(looks like a rainforest)
 
Peccary (javelina): Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Tiger: San Diego Safari Park, Minnesota Zoo
Elephant: North Carolina Zoo
Tropical Birds: San Diego Zoo
Rattlesnake: Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (outdoor exhibits in Life On The Rocks, NOT the old indoor reptile room)
Snow Leopard: Zoo Zurich, Kolmarden Zoo
 
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