I like AnaheimZoo's idea for an Indonesian exhibit, moving from Asian to Australasian animals, many of which are endangered and rarely kept in zoos. As the parameters include any animal that has been in existence for the last 30 years, why can't a zoo enthusiast use a bit of imagination?
When I went to Strasbourg Zoo, I was surprised to see Tonkean macaques. Apart from a couple of moor macaques, the only Sulawesi macaques I'd seen were Sulawesi crested macaques. My 'zoo' would have a group of Tonkean macaques in the Indonesian area, as well as several species of leaf monkey, including proboscis monkeys and pig-tailed langurs. There would also be tarsiers and flying lemurs and several species of bats, including naked bats and tube-nosed fruit bats.
I like the idea of bear cuscuses, even if it's only to refute people who mention about marsupials in the USA and ignore those in Asia. As well as other cuscuses, I'd like to have various tree kangaroos (such as the dingiso) and forest wallabies, as well as other small mammals, such as moon rats, woolly tree rats, Sumatran rabbits and long-beaked echidnas.
Other mammals would include the Bornean civet seen a few years ago, Javan and Sumatran rhinos and Bawean deer. An aquatic area would include dugongs
Birds would include various birds of paradise, the Bornean bristlehead and mallee fowl.
I'll try and think of other animals, but the list above includes many species I've never seen before and some that haven't been kept in zoos for years, if at all. As this project is a figment of my imagination, rather than a practical proposal, I thought I'd make the zoo different from any other in existence.
Keep faith with the bear cuscus, Anaheim Zoo
Haha! Thanks for the compliment, I feel a lot of Indonesian animals are underrated, particularly the primates, the birds-of-paradise, and any animals from Sulawesi, Java or Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands (aside from the Komodo Dragon of course!
).
An exhibit like this would promote these rarely seen species, (rarely seen in the wild
and in captivity, for that matter and now that I think about it) educate people about their habitats, their status (endangered, low risk, etc) and highlight some key and current conservation efforts going on in Indonesia.
While I still cannot give great descriptions of the exhibits, I
can tell you some of the species in the exhibit areas.
Exhibit:
INDONESIAN EXCURSION
Area #1: I am still debating this, but I've decided for now to include a
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA exhibit. While Malaysia is not part of Indonesia, it would give you the sense of traveling into the heart of the ocean by way of the peninsula, making a great entry exhibit. It would include tapirs, binturongs, and a variety of other hoofstock including both species of mouse-deer (greater and lesser).
Area #2: Instead of being in a certain order, the exhibits would line up among one another similar to the islands of Indonesia, with Sumatra on the far left, Borneo in the center, Java down below, etc, etc. So up next is
SUMATRA. Sumatran rhinos, hornbills and other exotic birds would be housed in a steamy jungle containing waterfalls, giant rock formations and dense exhibits that conceal their inhabitants well.
Area #3:
BORNEO would contain orangutans, siamangs, tarsiers, and more birds
. Sorry this isn't specific I'm in a bit of a rush, going on a cruise tomorrow and need to get to bed... practically falling asleep here.
Area #4:
SULAWESI would contain a multispecies exhibit featuring babirusas and lowland anoas, plus two other connected exhibits exclusively for the babirusa and anoa, in case they needed to escape for solitude. Celebes crested macaques, bear cuscuses, and sulawesi red-knobbed hornbills would be among a large variety of species here.
Sorry, I think I'll write about the remaining parts, and possibly expand on these here later on in the week. Now I'm off to Canada for 5 days! See you (or talk to you) later!
AND YES! FAITH FOR THE BEAR CUSCUS!
