Best zoo enclosures
- Thread starter Jabiru96
- Start date
taun
Well-Known Member
Howletts gorilla cages, "they do exactly what is says on the tin" Without wasting space for the occupants.
*High fives Tuan then joins Zambar*
Seriously though, they are awesome enclosures. Awesome for the gorillas and a fantastic visitor experience, despite an obvious lack of pretty shiny stuff.
Taking the bait:
There's plenty of "shiny stuff" in the Howlett's enclosures: enough steel to re-build the World Trade Center!
Fine enclosure; terrible exhibit. The words are not synonymous
How many times must you be told? I don't care how young you are, either think before you post or don't post at all.
EDIT: Just to say I agree with taun, this leopard obviously can't change its spots so can someone please put he, and the rest of us, out of his misery.
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Oh dear... as Cat-Man is young, a serious prep-talk about sensibility by one of the members should be given by another member first. If it continues, then I agree with taun as it was a seriously innappropiate without realisation that some members may have been affected far more seriously than others as a result of the event.
Now, steering away from such subjects, I'll say that I like a good balance between fuctional and natural where possible (though I prove an acception in the Aspinall Parks, as expensive immersion just wouldn't work there). Sorry if I sound biast, but Marwell is a good example of this, with plenty of fuctional enclosures for the animal's benefit yet with several impressive exhibits like Roof of the World, Life in the Trees and the African Valley.
I also love basic enclosures that are natural without spending £££. The lynx and soon-to-open wolf enclosures at the New Forest Wildlife Park as great examples, just fenced in conifer woodland that are large, stimulating, private and natural homes for the animals.
Now, steering away from such subjects, I'll say that I like a good balance between fuctional and natural where possible (though I prove an acception in the Aspinall Parks, as expensive immersion just wouldn't work there). Sorry if I sound biast, but Marwell is a good example of this, with plenty of fuctional enclosures for the animal's benefit yet with several impressive exhibits like Roof of the World, Life in the Trees and the African Valley.
I also love basic enclosures that are natural without spending £££. The lynx and soon-to-open wolf enclosures at the New Forest Wildlife Park as great examples, just fenced in conifer woodland that are large, stimulating, private and natural homes for the animals.
Javelina exhibit at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, hands down, my favorite exhibit anywhere.
ZooLex Exhibit
ZooLex Exhibit
The Orangutan exhibit at the Singapore Zoo is one of few that has kept me breathless and speechless; even if it is not naturalistic, the design and the ability of the apes to climb high up and around was the key to my heart. Orangutans tied to the ground are almost as sad a sight as big cats in small cages or bears in concrete pits.
There have been threads before that have asked this question, just phrased differently. However, this subject touches the zoo enthusiast's heart like a beautiful girl touches the womaniser's heart, so I would be surprised if replies to this thread will be fewer than 200!
There have been threads before that have asked this question, just phrased differently. However, this subject touches the zoo enthusiast's heart like a beautiful girl touches the womaniser's heart, so I would be surprised if replies to this thread will be fewer than 200!
I might add that the exhibits for Goral, Serow, Chamois, Ibex and such in several European zoos have fascinated me as well; for instance those in Prague and Salzburg. They are often built up against or into natural rocks and are practically vertical in shape. For instance the West Caucasian Ibex exhibit in Prague is something for the eye to see; almost to the point that the rare inhabitants almost become a bonus!
Burgers Bush(rainforest, 13.000 m2), Desert(7.500 m2) and Ocean, one complex but the best in the world. Still the biggest indoor rainforest and desert in the world. The ocean with the second largest living corral bassin and at the sharks a viewing window 20X5 metres (35 cm thick).
I love this exhibit too, but I've heard a terrible rumor that much of the "invisible fencing" has been replaced by heavy chain link after an incident where a wild javelina "broke into" the exhibit and caused havoc. Any truth to this? I hope not, as the entire Desert Trail (with coyotes, lizards and more recently Life on the Rocks) is as good as it gets in the zoo/aquarium genre.
Let a local Tucsonan clear this up. For a while, they cut the exhibit in half (closing off the entire section north of the path) and put up a disgusting chain link fence. This was a temporary measure. They have since reopened the entire exhibit and have replaced the fence with a heavier gauge mesh than what was originally there. So it is much better now than the temporary fix, but still not quite as good as the original design, where the mesh was literally invisible. (Thankfully, they still have this invisinet which they designed themeselves around the coyote exhibit).
They have also had to redo the prairie dog exhibit, which is now worse. They covered it with mesh and put glass walls in front. Had to do this because all of the inhabitants disappeared (I presume taken by a nocturnal predator). At least they are willing to try new approaches to exhibit design, even if it sometimes doesn't work out.