Design An Exhibit

World Safari

My exhibit would be called World Safari, with a train ride being the only way to see the animals, similar to the animals in the back of Erie Zoo in PA, only visible by riding the Safariland Train.
North America-
The train would first go by the North America section. A large herd of bison would be the first animal seen, followed by pronghorn sharing the bison paddock. The train would go by a prairie dog town, and exhibits for moose and white-tailed deer, as well as a pond "stocked" with North American turtles and frogs, such as painted turtles and bullfrogs. There would also be enclosures for river otters and beavers, as well as California sea lions, gray and red wolves, coyotes, and various bear exhibits. Before veering south into the Central and South America area, there would be aviaries with netting for hawks, owls (including snowy and burrowing), and bald eagles, as well as a desert aviary for roadrunners, quails and more.
Central and South America-
The train would go by a Mexican wolf enclosure before going past aviaries for birds of the rainforests of Central and South America, including cock-of-the-rock, Toco toucans, scarlet macaws, king vultures, and Amazon parrots. The train would then pass an outdoor glass enclosure for boa constrictors, as well as paddocks for guanacos, rheas, anteaters, capybaras, tapirs, and two naturalistic exhibits for jaguars and Andean bears. The train would then cross a bridge over a small river meant to represent the Atlantic Ocean before crossing into "Africa".
Africa-
The first part would be the African Rainforest, with chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, followed by exhibits for red river hog, colobus monkey, pygmy hippo, leopard, okapi, and mandrill. The animals would be kept in naturalistic, forested enclosures. The African Rainforest would be similar to the Expedition Congo: African Forest exhibit at Columbus Zoo. The next part would be the African Aviary, with birds such as turacos, crowned cranes and gray parrots, a cross between the aviary at Cleveland's African Elephant Crossing and Columbus's African Forest Aviary. East African Plains would start with a mountainous enclosure for mountain gorillas, before changing into savanna. The train would slowly go through paddocks for Masai giraffes, Grant's zebras, and many antelope- gemsbok, kudu, gerenuk, bontebok, impala, and sitatunga. Ostriches would also be in the paddock, similar to the African Plains paddock at Cleveland but with more acreage and more antelope. The train would go past a river for Nile hippo, Nile crocodile, and Cape buffalo. The river would become a small lake for African water birds, such as herons and egrets. Black rhinos and African elephants would have paddocks and an off-exhibit building. The river for the hippos/crocodiles/buffaloes would reappear after the pachyderms, and be crossed on a bridge representing the Nile River. Dromedary camels would be seen before the train crossed a brief desert (representing Sinai) and then a lake representing the Mediterranean Sea.
Europe would be the next area. The first exhibit would be for red fox, followed by two exhibits in a fake "tree" for European hare and hedgehogs. The train would go past exhibits for capercaillie, red squirrel, and European otter before entering an area dedicated to animals from Iberia (Spain and Portugal). The animals would be small-spotted genet and Iberian lynx. The train would then enter a cliff beach area for harbor seal before crossing another lake meant to represent the North Sea before entering an area for animals from England. The train would move toward a large exhibit for natterjack toads, followed by exhibits for common adders and red deer. Badgers and pine martens would be the last enclosures of the England area. The same lake representing the North Sea would be crossed again by the train into a Scandinavian area- basically a large paddock for reindeer. The train would travel toward the next "continent".
Asia would start with an enclosure for Baikal seal, followed by paddocks for rhesus monkeys, blackbuck antelope, and Indian rhinos. Asia would continue into an area representing central Asia and Russia. The animals would be markhor and red crowned crane. Golden monkeys and giant pandas would be in China, as well as Sika deer. The Himalaya area would be two exhibits for mammals- one for red pandas and one for snow leopards (not an exhibit for the Abbotsford area). Southeast Asia would have saola, langur monkeys, and sun bears. The next area would be Australia.
Australia-
Australia would start with enclosures for echidna, cassowary and Goodfellow's tree kangaroos. A duck-billed platypus enclosure would be next, followed by a lake crossing and an island to represent Tasmania, with Tasmanian devils. Another lake crossing would reveal dingoes, sulphur-crested cockatoos, and various macropods. Koalas would be right next to an Australian aviary for birds such as emu and Mallee fowl. Dingoes and frilled lizards would be visible before the train traveled toward another island- New Zealand.
New Zealand would be a small island, with a large glass-fronted enclosure in semidarkness for kiwi. Sheep would also have a large paddock, due to the importance of the sheep in New Zealand. A long bridge would lead to the next area- Madagascar.
A long bridge over a lake would be the way to get to Madagascar, with an exhibit for radiated tortoises as well as a nocturnal tunnel with train tracks. The train would go through the tunnel, where mouse lemurs and aye-ayes would be exhibited. Ring-tailed, black-and-white, and ruffed lemurs would be exhibited. The bridge would curve southwest to an Antarctica enclosure.
Antarctica would be small, with enclosures for rockhopper, macaroni, king, and emperor penguins as well as a skua enclosure. Air conditioners would be on high in the Antarctica enclosure.
The train would continue on a bridge over the lake all the way to the end, right near where it had first started.
Note: This is a fantasy zoo and that is why saola is listed.
 
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cloudedleopard said:
World Safari

My exhibit would be called World Safari, with a train ride being the only way to see the animals, similar to the animals in the back of Erie Zoo in PA, only visible by riding the Safariland Train.
North America-
The train would first go by the North America section. A large herd of bison would be the first animal seen, followed by pronghorn sharing the bison paddock. The train would go by a prairie dog town, and exhibits for moose and white-tailed deer, as well as a pond "stocked" with North American turtles and frogs, such as painted turtles and bullfrogs. There would also be enclosures for river otters and beavers, as well as California sea lions, gray and red wolves, coyotes, and various bear exhibits. Before veering south into the Central and South America area, there would be aviaries with netting for hawks, owls (including snowy and burrowing), and bald eagles, as well as a desert aviary for roadrunners, quails and more.
Central and South America-
The train would go by a Mexican wolf enclosure before going past aviaries for birds of the rainforests of Central and South America, including cock-of-the-rock, Toco toucans, scarlet macaws, king vultures, and Amazon parrots. The train would then pass an outdoor glass enclosure for boa constrictors, as well as paddocks for guanacos, rheas, anteaters, capybaras, tapirs, and two naturalistic exhibits for jaguars and Andean bears. The train would then cross a bridge over a small river meant to represent the Atlantic Ocean before crossing into "Africa".
Africa-
The first part would be the African Rainforest, with chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, followed by exhibits for red river hog, colobus monkey, pygmy hippo, leopard, okapi, and mandrill. The animals would be kept in naturalistic, forested enclosures. The African Rainforest would be similar to the Expedition Congo: African Forest exhibit at Columbus Zoo. The next part would be the African Aviary, with birds such as turacos, crowned cranes and gray parrots, a cross between the aviary at Cleveland's African Elephant Crossing and Columbus's African Forest Aviary. East African Plains would start with a mountainous enclosure for mountain gorillas, before changing into savanna. The train would slowly go through paddocks for Masai giraffes, Grant's zebras, and many antelope- gemsbok, kudu, gerenuk, bontebok, impala, and sitatunga. Ostriches would also be in the paddock, similar to the African Plains paddock at Cleveland but with more acreage and more antelope. The train would go past a river for Nile hippo, Nile crocodile, and Cape buffalo. The river would become a small lake for African water birds, such as herons and egrets. Black rhinos and African elephants would have paddocks and an off-exhibit building. The river for the hippos/crocodiles/buffaloes would reappear after the pachyderms, and be crossed on a bridge representing the Nile River. Dromedary camels would be seen before the train crossed a brief desert (representing Sinai) and then a lake representing the Mediterranean Sea.
Europe would be the next area. The first exhibit would be for red fox, followed by two exhibits in a fake "tree" for European hare and hedgehogs. The train would go past exhibits for capercaillie, red squirrel, and European otter before entering an area dedicated to animals from Iberia (Spain and Portugal). The animals would be small-spotted genet and Iberian lynx. The train would then enter a cliff beach area for harbor seal before crossing another lake meant to represent the North Sea before entering an area for animals from England. The train would move toward a large exhibit for natterjack toads, followed by exhibits for common adders and red deer. Badgers and pine martens would be the last enclosures of the England area. The same lake representing the North Sea would be crossed again by the train into a Scandinavian area- basically a large paddock for reindeer. The train would travel toward the next "continent".
Asia would start with an enclosure for Baikal seal, followed by paddocks for rhesus monkeys, blackbuck antelope, and Indian rhinos. Asia would continue into an area representing central Asia and Russia. The animals would be markhor and red crowned crane. Golden monkeys and giant pandas would be in China, as well as Sika deer. The Himalaya area would be two exhibits for mammals- one for red pandas and one for snow leopards (not an exhibit for the Abbotsford area). Southeast Asia would have saola, langur monkeys, and sun bears. The next area would be Australia.
Australia-
Australia would start with enclosures for echidna, cassowary and Goodfellow's tree kangaroos. A duck-billed platypus enclosure would be next, followed by a lake crossing and an island to represent Tasmania, with Tasmanian devils. Another lake crossing would reveal dingoes, sulphur-crested cockatoos, and various macropods. Koalas would be right next to an Australian aviary for birds such as emu and Mallee fowl. Dingoes and frilled lizards would be visible before the train traveled toward another island- New Zealand.
New Zealand would be a small island, with a large glass-fronted enclosure in semidarkness for kiwi. Sheep would also have a large paddock, due to the importance of the sheep in New Zealand. A long bridge would lead to the next area- Madagascar.
A long bridge over a lake would be the way to get to Madagascar, with an exhibit for radiated tortoises as well as a nocturnal tunnel with train tracks. The train would go through the tunnel, where mouse lemurs and aye-ayes would be exhibited. Ring-tailed, black-and-white, and ruffed lemurs would be exhibited. The bridge would curve southwest to an Antarctica enclosure.
Antarctica would be small, with enclosures for rockhopper, macaroni, king, and emperor penguins as well as a skua enclosure. Air conditioners would be on high in the Antarctica enclosure.
The train would continue on a bridge over the lake all the way to the end, right near where it had first started.
Note: This is a fantasy zoo and that is why saola is listed.
Click to expand...
This is a whole zoo. I like it! I miss these fun threads on here. The deadlines and other restrictions places on the others are not as much fun. More power to those of you who get into it but these are more fun for me.
 
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Off the coast of Germany exists an underwater gondola, so you can see wild fishes in the sea. Though in practice it is turbid too often. In an aquarium it would work with partition into shallow and deep reefs made easier by the poor penetration of artificial light. It would be an expensive exhibit though...?
 
Path of dragons
As you enter the building you are greeted to the sights and sounds of Komodo island and the first exhibit you see are vivariums for the zoos hatchling and juvenile Komodo dragons. Further along you see the enclosure for the females with flat rocks for the dragons to climb and rest on,trees to provide shade,pools to allow the dragons to cool off and swim,Indonesian bird song playing to stimulate the dragons senses.Moving onto the male dragons enclosure he has large palm trees and bushes plus a miniature beach which the keepers occasionally hide food to encourage him to forage as well as the large rocks that the females get.Finally you look back at the dragons evolutionary path with a complete skeleton of Megalania Prisca and a dwarf Stegodon skeleton.
 
Chacma Baboon Abyss

This exhibit is inspired by a documentary I saw recently about Chacma baboons sleeping underground in caves during the night, as protection from predators and the cold.

The main entrance for visitors is at the mouth of a large underground cave, based on the Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The cave provides a heated night den for the troop within its dimly lit interior, though access is given throughout the day. Stalactite formations drip from the ceilings with rock piles lining the floor space intermittently. Separated by glass walls is the visitor area, also dimly lit, with the only natural light source originating from the entrance - a wooden staircase descending into the abyss. Benches for visitors line the viewing area with an adjoining room built as a small cinema (capacity 50 people), where a 30 minute documentary about the exhibit’s creation and occupants is screened on the hour. A underground food court comprises the final compartment of the visitor complex and has a large seating area, surrounded by food stalls reminiscent of a South African market.

The outside area is comprised of a large grassed enclosure with a stream running through its centre, with strategically placed logs forming a natural bridge for the baboons. Native botanics including Kigelia Africana (Sausage Tree) and Acacia tortillis (Umbrella Thorn) provide natural shade areas with food laid out across the enclosure to encourage natural foraging behaviour. The outdoor area can be viewed from a boardwalk on one side of the enclosure or from a swing bridge, which traverses the enclosure and provides a bird’s eye view.

The founding members of the troop will be 6 young female Chacma baboons born 2014. They will be named with an African name beginning with A, K, N, M, S and Z respectively. Two to three related males will be loaned for breeding and remain with the troop until the beginning of 2021. Given that females have their first offspring at 4-5 years and can produce offspring every 12-24 months on average, the females should give birth to 2-3 offspring each between 2018 and 2021. Each offspring will be given an African name starting with the same letter as their mother’s name eg. A, K, N, M, S and Z. Each female will be allowed to retain two offspring. If any of the females have three surviving offspring, one will be exported, with preference given to whatever ever gender is required to balance out the ratio in the troop to an approximate 50:50 gender ratio. This would result in a final troop size of 18 baboons all of similar ages (born between 2014 and 2021). All females in the troop will be contracepted from 2022 onwards to prevent further breeding and the troop allowed to phase out as the baboons die of old age in 25-30 years’ time. Chacma baboons seem to be poorly supported in most regions, if this is still the case then the zoo has the option of holding Hamadryas baboons in the same enclosure.
 
Peacock Park
Species List:
  • Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
  • Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus)
  • Grey junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii)
  • Great argus (Argusianus argus)
  • Crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata)
  • Green peafowl (Pavo muticus)
  • African peafowl (Afropavo congensis)
Walkthrough: The exhibit begins and ends with a large walkthrough exhibit home to indian peafowl as well as red and gray junglefowl, themed as an eastern indian dry forest. The exhibit complex itself is entered through a fibreglass arch with a peacock on it. Interpretives themed as scattered ruins and artifacts would explain the courtship behavior of peafowls, as well as its role in the cultures and ecology of the indian subcontinent. To a lesser extent, the junglefowl’s nature as the ancestor of the chicken would also be explained. Occasionally, zookeepers would let small lizards and mice loose and let the peafowl hunt them down, demonstrating a lesser-known side of what is normally thought of as a tranquil bird. Staff would make sure these animals don’t escape the exhibit, as well as keep the birds themselves from getting loose.

Immediately after exiting the enclosure is a building which would further explain the peafowl’s role in various cultures, from to the peacock angel Melek Taus of the Yazidi people, to a symbol of immortality in ancient greece, to NBC’s famous logo. Continuing on with the indian theme, it would be themed as a temple dedicated to the war god Kartikeya, whom had a peacock as a mount. Special exhibits would also display fossils of various extinct peafowl species as well as their taxonomy compared to other gamebirds. The building would be bordered on its right side by a rotating aviary for great and crested arguses, which are the peafowl tribe’s closest relatives.

Visitors then exit into the next section, where the occasional buddhist statue and jar hints this section is in Indochina. It leads to an outdoor exhibit for green peafowl, a highly endangered and obscure species. The exhibit is small and heavily forested, designed to reduce noise, with a stream flowing out. A viewing shelter themed as a pagoda provides several other interpretives, such as a chart comparing physical differences between the two species of peafowl as well as differences in the three subspecies. Japanese and myanmarese artwork of these peacocks would be featured here. Tucked away in the back would be the barn where the peafowls and the junglefowl roost. It is also here that a breeding program for the green peacocks takes place, with the hopes of reintroducing them to much their former range.

As the path curves, the terrain shifts ever so slightly as the sound of drums can be heard via noisemakers. Visitors are now immersed in the Congo Basin of central Africa. The dense forest opens up into a small clearing where the final peafowl visitors will see: the congo peafowl. In an adjacent building themed as a congo hut, signage themed as journal entries would explain how the only pheasant native to the African continent was only up until recently unknown to the outside world until 1936 when James Chapin found that natives’ headdresses contained long reddish-brown feathers from them. Replicas of these headdresses are on display in the hut, as well as skulls of two other african animals only discovered recently: the okapi and the bonobo.

After the congo peafowl, the terrain shifts back to mimic the forests of India as visitors enter the big walkthrough peacock pen again to exit. More astute visitors may notice the large enclosure used for when any of the peafowl get stressed or need to be quarantined off, such as males during the mating season (it should be noted breeding would be generally discouraged). Visitors exit through a similar gate as the entrance, only without the big peacock on top.
 

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Yi Qi said:
Peacock Park
Species List:
  • Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
  • Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus)
  • Grey junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii)
  • Great argus (Argusianus argus)
  • Crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata)
  • Green peafowl (Pavo muticus)
  • African peafowl (Afropavo congensis)
Walkthrough: The exhibit begins and ends with a large walkthrough exhibit home to indian peafowl as well as red and gray junglefowl, themed as an eastern indian dry forest. The exhibit complex itself is entered through a fibreglass arch with a peacock on it. Interpretives themed as scattered ruins and artifacts would explain the courtship behavior of peafowls, as well as its role in the cultures and ecology of the indian subcontinent. To a lesser extent, the junglefowl’s nature as the ancestor of the chicken would also be explained. Occasionally, zookeepers would let small lizards and mice loose and let the peafowl hunt them down, demonstrating a lesser-known side of what is normally thought of as a tranquil bird. Staff would make sure these animals don’t escape the exhibit, as well as keep the birds themselves from getting loose.

Immediately after exiting the enclosure is a building which would further explain the peafowl’s role in various cultures, from to the peacock angel Melek Taus of the Yazidi people, to a symbol of immortality in ancient greece, to NBC’s famous logo. Continuing on with the indian theme, it would be themed as a temple dedicated to the war god Kartikeya, whom had a peacock as a mount. Special exhibits would also display fossils of various extinct peafowl species as well as their taxonomy compared to other gamebirds. The building would be bordered on its right side by a rotating aviary for great and crested arguses, which are the peafowl tribe’s closest relatives.

Visitors then exit into the next section, where the occasional buddhist statue and jar hints this section is in Indochina. It leads to an outdoor exhibit for green peafowl, a highly endangered and obscure species. The exhibit is small and heavily forested, designed to reduce noise, with a stream flowing out. A viewing shelter themed as a pagoda provides several other interpretives, such as a chart comparing physical differences between the two species of peafowl as well as differences in the three subspecies. Japanese and myanmarese artwork of these peacocks would be featured here. Tucked away in the back would be the barn where the peafowls and the junglefowl roost. It is also here that a breeding program for the green peacocks takes place, with the hopes of reintroducing them to much their former range.

As the path curves, the terrain shifts ever so slightly as the sound of drums can be heard via noisemakers. Visitors are now immersed in the Congo Basin of central Africa. The dense forest opens up into a small clearing where the final peafowl visitors will see: the congo peafowl. In an adjacent building themed as a congo hut, signage themed as journal entries would explain how the only pheasant native to the African continent was only up until recently unknown to the outside world until 1936 when James Chapin found that natives’ headdresses contained long reddish-brown feathers from them. Replicas of these headdresses are on display in the hut, as well as skulls of two other african animals only discovered recently: the okapi and the bonobo.

After the congo peafowl, the terrain shifts back to mimic the forests of India as visitors enter the big walkthrough peacock pen again to exit. More astute visitors may notice the large enclosure used for when any of the peafowl get stressed or need to be quarantined off, such as males during the mating season (it should be noted breeding would be generally discouraged). Visitors exit through a similar gate as the entrance, only without the big peacock on top.
Click to expand...
No space for Ceylon junglefowl?
 
I'll add my own exhibit. It is part of a larger zoo that I thought up when I was bored and I just joined.
I am 13, so go easy on it, it may be pure fantasy crap.

You walk onto the central plaza. You are full from your recent lunch and the large mesh structure to the right looks fun, so you decide to go in that direction. You are told by an climber plant-infested sign that this is Congo - Kingdom of the Ape. You peer around the corner. The path seems to twist and turn, meandering into an immense mesh canopy. It is a dirt track, only bordered by foliage spilling onto it from the underbrush. You turn onto it. The first thing you hit are steps. Nearby is a disguised lift. You quickly take the steps two at a time and continue down the path. You can hear the distant but ever-present bird calls, but also some more unknown sounds. A deep bellow, a scream almost like that of a human, and of course the visitors talking up ahead. Suddenly, you realise you are not in the mesh canopy yet, even though the foliage and décor of termite mounds, tree stumps and a small brook are identical inside and out. A signpost tells you what you can and can't do inside the mesh canopy. You look forwards and realise you are approaching a path completely surrounded in thin but dense mesh, in a sort of long cylinder throughout all of the canopy. A wooden walkway settled at the bottom allows you to walk on level ground throughout the exhibit. These cylinders are held by wires from the canopy, 12 inches in diameter but disguised as intertwined creepers.
You walk into the mesh cylinder and into the mesh canopy. Immediately, You realise the cylinders are suspended around 60 feet above an immense lake. In the lake seemingly floats three separated islands, joined in the middle by an immense glass structure. Soon you find that you are above one of the three islands. A nearby signpost tells you that the three islands were home to three different types of primates, mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and Western Lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). They rotate every day, and from the signpost, you figure out that today, the chimpanzees are inhabiting the one immediately below you and that the gorillas can be seen by turning to the left later on.

Spotting a pair of binoculars on a stand further on, you peer down below into the forest. It isn't so leafy that you cannot see, but leafy enough to look realistic and to make every glimpse so much more important. You spot a mother chimpanzee with her baby, and, hearing screams and bellows, quickly swivel and run to the other side of the mesh cylinder and peer downwards through the binoculars. There a large male is side-stepping around a grassy bank, shoulders hunched over to make himself appear larger, shepherding a group of females away from the edge of the lake brutally. Looking in more detail at the island, you spot more interesting details. Termite mounds seem to be the chimps' larder, as they gather around them and reach into them to obtain their food. There are ropes once again disguised as creepers for brachiation and climbing as well as, of course the thickly-trunked trees.

Slowly you move on. The night quarters for the primates (the glass building), doesn't seem to be open to the public. You keep on walking and make a left in order to see the gorillas. You run as you see a large crowd gathered in a single area. It seems a female gorilla has climbed up to the top of a nearby tree and is watching the onlookers curiously. Slowly, you realise that most of these primates are probably not even aware that you are observing them from above. This seems to be a good idea, since it allows relatively natural behaviours ( although in an enclosed space) to take place.

You move on after ten minutes of watching the gorilla reach out to the visitors, and the path descends in a spiral. You do not see the mandrills, since you do not want to turn back. You read on the last signposts, that chimpanzees are in fact omnivorous, since they hunt smaller monkeys in the canopy. You also learn about the threats facing gorillas in their wild state.

You are finally down to ground level. You are on a dirt track surrounded with makeshift barriers made of dark wood logs. On either side are low thickets imitating those surrounding a goat paddock in the Congo. But as you look to the right, the inhabitants of the enclosure are not goats but a strange horse-like animal with stripy legs and velvety horns like a giraffe. The sign tells you that it is an okapi (Okapi johnstoni) and that it is related to giraffes. The enclosure is grassy at the front but well populated with trees at the back. You peer into the shade under a tree and see another okapi, only just visible by its white legs.

After marvelling at the strange appearance of the okapi, you look to the left and see that it holds a different type of animal. In fact, it holds many different species. The first that you see is a large red cow. Its horns are tilted backwards, a bit like a water buffalo's. An smaller antelope stands beside it, and you look for it on the signposts. It seems to be either a sitatunga or a black duiker, but then you look at the sizes and conclude that it is a sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii). The antelope is loitering near a group of Congo buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus), who are hunched over a large fodder dispenser. This enclosure looks a lot like the okapi's only that there are more trees further down and that there is a larger water hole.
The path winds, and at each bend is a glass viewing window which the animals can come right up to, whereas a steep but small ravine separates the visitors and the animals elsewhere.

You walk further along. The okapi enclosure stops on your right but the mixed species exhibit on the left continues. You have another look to your left and see another antelope. This time, it is the black duiker (Cephalophus niger).
But next to it is a tall grey bird, like a crane, but with a hooked beak and a small feathery crest. It is striding around the water hole that the duiker is drinking at. You check the sign- it is a secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius). Interestingly, this bird eats snakes. You remember seeing it in a David Attenborough documentary twenty years ago, trampling on its slippery victim.
In the shadows in the thickly wooded area of the enclosure stand two more species. One is a squat but immense hog, the other is a heavy set, stripy antelope the same size as the sitatunga. They are both mainly red in colour. These animals are the bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) and the red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus). You observe the hog through the glass as it roots up the earth around a large tree. Then, unpredictably it turns and trots towards you and you flinch as it speeds up and turns towards the waterhole.

Somewhat shaken, you turn away and keep on walking. You realise that a new enclosure has appeared on your right. It is thickly wooded and full of trees a talk fence with inset glass allows a view of the animal. You peer into the shadows and around the underbrush. You cannot see a thing. As you turn to look at the sign to give me a clue, a sleek figure leaps down from a tree inside the enclosure and lands silently. Surprised, you turn to watch as an African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) walks across the enclosure next to the glass. Its beautiful fur shines in the sunlight. It retreats into the shadows on the underbrush and you move on.
Ahead is a wooden hut which seems to be greatly extended. You walk in, taking one last glance at the herbivores to the left. All the enclosures are small and include a variety of snakes and frogs. You peer at each of them but don't take any special interest in any except the black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), which is slithering quickly from one end of its spacious and thickly wooded terrarium to another.
After having looked into the seemingly empty enclosures of the African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), the Senegal bushbaby (Galago Senegalensis), the African golden cat (Profelis aurata) and the sleeping honey badger (Mellivora capensis), you look for the White-bellied tree pangolin (Phataginus Tricuspis), but to no avail, although you think to yourselves that you would love to live in such an enclosure if you were a pangolin.
You walk into the final enclosure of the Congo rainforest - a giant aviary. For the sake of my sanity, I will list the birds in the aviary (sorry) instead of going through each thrilling but at the same time mind numbingly boring sighting.

African black duck, Anas sparsa
Coqui francolin, Peliperdix coqui
White-throated francolin, Peliperdix albogularis
Latham's francolin, Peliperdix lathami
Crested francolin, Dendroperdix sephaena
Congo peacock, Afropavo congensis
Black guineafowl, Agelastes niger
Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris
Plumed guineafowl, Guttera plumifera
Crested guineafowl, Guttera pucherani
Great blue turaco, Corythaeola cristata
Guinea turaco, Tauraco persa
Schalow's turaco, Tauraco schalowi
Black-billed turaco, Tauraco schuettii
Shelley's greenbul, Arizelocichla masukuensis
Mountain greenbul, Arizelocichla nigriceps
Golden greenbul, Calyptocichla serinus
Black-collared apalis, Oreolais pulchra
Rwenzori apalis, Oreolais ruwenzori
Black-capped apalis, Apalis nigriceps
Little green sunbird, Anthreptes seimundi
Green sunbird, Anthreptes rectirostris
Collared sunbird, Hedydipna collaris
Pygmy sunbird, Hedydipna platura
Reichenbach's sunbird, Anabathmis reichenbachii
Green-headed sunbird, Cyanomitra verticalis
Blue-throated brown sunbird, Cyanomitra cyanolaema
Blue-headed sunbird, Cyanomitra alinae
Bannerman's sunbird, Cyanomitra bannermani
Eastern olive-sunbird, Cyanomitra olivacea
Western olive-sunbird, Cyanomitra obscura
Carmelite sunbird, Chalcomitra fuliginosa
Green-throated sunbird, Chalcomitra rubescens

If anyone has any inquiries or criticisms, I'd love to hear them so I can improve on it. I think perhaps the fish of the Congo are underrepresented, so I will probably add some bassin in soon. If you think that the mixed species Congo herbivores exhibit wouldn't work, I only thought they might work together because the Congo buffalo are better tempered than their Cape cousins.





 
Elephant Oasis
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The exhibit begins with a large boulder covered in traditional bushman rock art of an elephant herd arranged in a circle. Along the path, graphics explain how native tribes and animals of the Kalahari find water, such as elephant herds. Soon visitors come to the centrepiece of the exhibit: the titular Elephant Oasis, a 2.2 hectare enclosure with a nine metre-long watering hole and mud wallow at its front, home to both common eland and african bush elephants. The elephants for the exhibit are intended to be a matriarchal herd which is migrating in search of grazing. Viewing is via a small plaza called the Indlovu Camp, themed as a traditional goatherder's camp. Amenities include small food, restrooms, and a goat petting kraal, with displays on the practices and culture of the san, such as how their creator god |Kaggen often took the form of a bull eland.​

After leaving the plaza is a medium-sized mesh aviary for Namaqua Sandgrouse and Helmeted Guineafowl. A unique feature would be tunnels connecting the aviary to the Oasis enclosure; while the guineafowl could leave and enter as they want, the sandgrouse could only enter at certain times of day for demonstrations on how males gather water through their feathers.

Further down the path is Aardvark Ridge, a mixed-exhibit for rock hyraxes, aardvarks, and elephant shrews which has both outdoor and indoor viewing. Interpretives in the form of fake fossils and signage explain how the three species and other mammals are related to elephants. Like the the soundgrouse and guineafowl, both species can access the main enclosure via underground tunnels.

The exhibit ends with another plaza, which includes an interactive water well and windmill. Interpretives would elaborate on the two and explain how climate change is causing water to become increasingly scarce and is negatively affecting all animals, and the measures being made to conserve water and wildlife in Botswana and Namibia If visitors go right, they can see a viewing deck and get one last glimpse of the elephants, as well as. Visitors leave by the left through a dried riverbed with a fake elephant skeleton sticking out.
Species List
  • 1.5 African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
  • 5.7 Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
  • 4.6 Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)
  • 5.10 Namaqua Sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua)
  • 4.4 Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
  • 3.3 Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
  • 1.1 Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)
  • 1.3 Western Rock Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus rupestris)
 
Here's my idea: Las Yungas de Bolivia
Themed after the Yungas region east of the Andes, this whole exhibit is in a big mesh aviary.

When guests enter, they are greeted by king vultures in their own lush free-flight enclosure. Next, visitors enter the main area. It is huge and full of plants. Free flying birds are Andean cock of the rocks, scarlet macaws, roseate spoonbills, sunbitterns, red and green macaws, helmeted curassows, and blue and gold macaws. Visitors can go down the path to see an exhibit with lowland tapir. They have a large water feature with an island with spider monkeys (Samiri boliviensus) to which the tapirs cannot access. The monkeys can go across strong faux vines to another enclosure-one dedicated to them exclusively- next to the path, giving the monkeys the choice to move around as they please. The last exhibit is the main attraction: a breeding pair of spectacled bears. The birds can fly around and land on paths and railings and in the tapir enclosure. They could land in the bears, but lots of plants will be nearby to which they can fly to escape the bears.
 
iluvwhales said:
The last exhibit is the main attraction: a breeding pair of spectacled bears. The birds can fly around and land on paths and railings and in the tapir enclosure. They could land in the bears, but lots of plants will be nearby to which they can fly to escape the bears.
Click to expand...
A bird and bear exhibit? I like.
 
Celeng Pig Sactuary
The exhibit begins with a plaza themed as a farm in Vietnam. The plaza is home to Kapistahan, a sit down restaurant serving Filipino and Vietnamese cuisine, also home to a 6,487 gallon aquarium. The restaurant is directly next to a 600-square metre enclosure for 5.5 Vietnamese Pot-Bellied and 3.4 Ba Xuyen Pigs LC. The pigs' enclosure is walkthrough, and visitors (at least non-muslims and gentiles) can actually pet them, and zookeepers will have at least one on leashes, serving as ambassadors.

Intimidate across from the plaza is the centrepiece of this exhibit, the titular sanctuary, a 95,000 square metre paddock. One day, visitors might see 3.4 Visayan warty pigs CR in the enclosure. Another it might be 2.3 Bornean bearded pigs VU rooting around the enclosure, and another might have 2.3 North Sulawesi babirusa VU. Graphics and models around the enclosure explain how each species of pig is adapted to their ecosystem, and how evolved when wild boars were isolated from on each island by rising sea levels during the Pleistocene and Holocene. At one end is a blind used by researchers to study pigs in the wild, as well as detailing the threats pigs face in the wild.
 
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