Different ways to divide zoos into sections
- Thread starter Bisonfan
- Start date
I guess you could have sections for different taxonomic groups? Like a section for primates, a section for elasmobranchs, a section for ungulates, a section for anurans, a section for teleosts.
Alternatively themed exhibits could be interesting, like some aquariums have exhibits dedicated to electric fish species.
Alternatively themed exhibits could be interesting, like some aquariums have exhibits dedicated to electric fish species.
I mean the two that make most sense is geographically and by taxonomic groups. I'd say most zoo stick to these 2, but you can always be creative and do a "elephant odyssey".
It’d be good to see a zoo arranged as a timeline on when it’s species were first scientifically described. Here’s a few examples:
Agile gibbon (1821)
Red panda (1825)
Giant panda (1869)
Japanese macaque (1875)
Okapi (1901)
Malayan tiger (2004)
To make it easier - the zones could be divided into 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century etc.
Agile gibbon (1821)
Red panda (1825)
Giant panda (1869)
Japanese macaque (1875)
Okapi (1901)
Malayan tiger (2004)
To make it easier - the zones could be divided into 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century etc.
The most used, as being stated by Aardvark and DaLilfishie, are taxonomic and geographical criteria, but some others include, to my knowledge:
Eco-regions, biomes, ancestry, size and night-cycle activity, but also frequency of a geographical features (The River's Edge at Saint Louis), national parks (Teton Trek at Memphis) and even themed around a single animal, but cover some neighbors, either evolutionary or geographically, of the star-animal (Panda Garden at Berlin Zoo for geographic criteria and another one of which name I can't remember for evolutionary criteria)
Eco-regions, biomes, ancestry, size and night-cycle activity, but also frequency of a geographical features (The River's Edge at Saint Louis), national parks (Teton Trek at Memphis) and even themed around a single animal, but cover some neighbors, either evolutionary or geographically, of the star-animal (Panda Garden at Berlin Zoo for geographic criteria and another one of which name I can't remember for evolutionary criteria)
No, it doesn't. The only area of DAK that is related to a particular movie the the Avatar themed area, and that doesn't have any live animals. The park is organized geographically (for the most part).
Oh I see, guess it's just funny coincidences then that particular animals from movies are displayed.
I mean, movies like Lion King and Jungle Book already have the species in them organized geographically.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Sort of? The Lion King is well represented because it used a lot of ABC species and their Africa section has a great collection. Jungle Book is probably their closest to a Southeast Asia movie and that section of the park doesn’t have orangs, bears, or cobras iirc.
They do have elephants for Dumbo, I guess, but outside of Dinoland USA and The World of Pandora IP is minimal. A miracle in modern Disney. We’ll see if it holds now that its designer has retired.
I think that the Akron Zoo in Akron, Ohio has one of the most unique sections out there- "Legends of the Wild," displaying jaguars, bats, lemurs and several other species based on legends and myths featuring those species from different cultures. I love how it doesn't focus on geography or taxonomy and gets animals from around the world together without it being haphazard.
This could actually be a really interesting approach, organizing animals by dietary niche would allow for surprisingly diverse species but a theme that remains educational in nature.
It's definitely not the same as what is being discussed but I recall being impressed with Predator Ridge at Denver Zoo managing to be both biogeographic but also focusing on predators specifically. It made me think about familiar species in a different way.
I think this could be an interesting approach in some ways, actually. I remember after reading about the various expeditions to Antarctica, I was craving the chance to see penguins and pinnipeds again and spent more time than typical by both of those animals on my next zoo trip. Discussing when animals first encountered and described these animals is a way to take a fresh approach to them and connecting with visitors in a different way.
Jerusalem Biblical Zoo originally showed animals from the Bible. Now however it even has armadillos.
Old Emmen Zoo in the past, and now Rostock Zoo have a building showing history of the life on Earth. So sea invertebrates, reptiles, echidnas as first mammals etc. And there was a dinosaur model, of course.
I once played with the concept of a zoo building showing animal behaviours. A swarm of sardines or other fish which are anonymous flock. Eusocial societies like ants and naked mole rats. Colonies of birds like lovebirds, which are aggregations of pairs. Herds of monkeys or chimpanzees which are complex multi-level societies.
But almost every animal features in some myth or story in some culture.
Old Emmen Zoo in the past, and now Rostock Zoo have a building showing history of the life on Earth. So sea invertebrates, reptiles, echidnas as first mammals etc. And there was a dinosaur model, of course.
I once played with the concept of a zoo building showing animal behaviours. A swarm of sardines or other fish which are anonymous flock. Eusocial societies like ants and naked mole rats. Colonies of birds like lovebirds, which are aggregations of pairs. Herds of monkeys or chimpanzees which are complex multi-level societies.
But almost every animal features in some myth or story in some culture.
cloudedleopard611
Well-Known Member
I have two ideas that I personally think are really cool. The first is an exhibit called Living Fossils. It would feature, as the name suggests, animals considered to living fossils. I'd like the headlining species to be a crocodilian. I think it would be really cool to have a state of the art exhibit for them so you can see them at different angles. I think the best species to represent them would be the Cuban crocodile, because they are the best runners of the extant crocodilians, and some prehistoric crocodilians were more ground-based and had impressive running abilities. I think it could be complimented by using living fossil plants in the landscaping as well. As for the theming, I think it would be cool to have it look like an archeological site with mock fossils of recognizable extinct species on the ground or on rock walls.
My other idea doesn't really have an exhibit name yet but its based on animals once thought to be cryptids, mythical, or hoaxes. Platypuses are kind of the poster child for this, so it would be cool for them to be the headliner. I understand that they are a very difficult species in captivity though. I think okapis could also make a great headliner if that didn't work out. As for the theming, I'm not quite sure the direction I want to go in overall. Some things I definitely think would be cool is signage about each animal's history of discovery and why they were thought not to be real (along with the normal stuff zoos would put on their signage). I really like doing the signage in the style of a bestiary. It would also be cool to have statues of well known mythical creatures, like dragons, unicorns, griffins, etc, Elephant Odyssey style.
My other idea doesn't really have an exhibit name yet but its based on animals once thought to be cryptids, mythical, or hoaxes. Platypuses are kind of the poster child for this, so it would be cool for them to be the headliner. I understand that they are a very difficult species in captivity though. I think okapis could also make a great headliner if that didn't work out. As for the theming, I'm not quite sure the direction I want to go in overall. Some things I definitely think would be cool is signage about each animal's history of discovery and why they were thought not to be real (along with the normal stuff zoos would put on their signage). I really like doing the signage in the style of a bestiary. It would also be cool to have statues of well known mythical creatures, like dragons, unicorns, griffins, etc, Elephant Odyssey style.
I think we're straying from the original 'dividing a zoo' purpose of the thread as we're now just talking about unique ideas for exhibits.
I’ve always thought that a section for black and white animals would look really cool - especially with dark green foliage. Black and white animals are usually really striking. So how about:
1. Giant Panda
2. Black and White Colobus
3. Ruffed Lemur
4. Zebra
5. Malayan Tapir
6. Eurasian Badger
7. Skunk
And the same theme with red animals (against snow or desolate cold weather foliage):
1. Red Panda
2. Dhole
3. Any red species of monkey
4. Red River Hog
5. Orangutan
6. Red Fox
7. Red Squirrel
1. Giant Panda
2. Black and White Colobus
3. Ruffed Lemur
4. Zebra
5. Malayan Tapir
6. Eurasian Badger
7. Skunk
And the same theme with red animals (against snow or desolate cold weather foliage):
1. Red Panda
2. Dhole
3. Any red species of monkey
4. Red River Hog
5. Orangutan
6. Red Fox
7. Red Squirrel
I like these ideas except orangutans and red river hogs are tropical.