Dream zoo

CheeseChameleon1945

CheeseChameleon1945

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hi everyone! I am happy for you to be here. I would like to start this thread with a little bit of an introduction of what this thread is about. In the past year, I have been developing, and have been using a lot of paper, a so called, "Dream zoo" if you will. This project really had multiple redoes and phases that revised a lot of the aspects of the zoo, so this is a really big project. I got the inspiration to create a dream zoo, by looking through one of my several animal encyclopedias, and of course, going to zoos. I love the natural world just as much as any of you, and I am truly grateful for the wonderful biodiversity that has been developed from planet earth. The zoo started with a simple 25 species exhibit for an outdoor jungle, and then turned into a 2500 species marvel that uses animal knowledge and creativity like I have never really expressed before. For starters, this zoo has 38 exhibits in total, most of them having at least one species that has never been held in zoos, some, more than 60. The zoo is massive, and would most likely be in an environment similar to the San Diego zoo, where most of the exhibits are outdoors all year round. This zoo, has some of the strangest animals ever exhibited, some of the most breathtaking and will bring aw to the reader. Sadly, this zoo is a fantasy zoo and probably will never exist.
Before I go on, I would like to give a few disclaimers.
1: This zoo is a very pure fantasy zoo. Most of these species would never have the enclosures or the space as they do in this zoo, and lots of these animals have never been exhibited to the public, and are virtually impossible to keep in zoos or aquariums. You really have to imagine with this one, and let go of the restrictions of real-world zoos. So I will not be regarding diet, space, breeding, or pretty much any of the actual necessities of these animals. Its more about the exhibits themselves and the collection of animals, so pretty much half of these animals will most likely never be kept in captivity. Hence the thread topic, fantasy zoo.
2: This zoo's space is so unrealistic you can laugh at it, but again, this is a fantasy zoo, and virtually is taking away all of the natural restrictions a zoo can have. Most of these exhibits are long trails, that seemingly last forever, and would extend in an unrealistic fashion.

I would like to mention a couple of zoochatters that assisted me with this project, @David Matos Mendes, and @Jungle Man for making this thread possible. They provided me with all the feedback I needed, and helped me to make some executive decisions.

You can also disagree with me as much as I want on these exhibit Ideas, but this is my imaginative zoo, and really the purpose of this thread is to share what I have created. Some noteworthy habitats to get you hyped, would be a walk-through bushbaby exhibit, a salmon dome, a revolutionary deep sea bioluminescence exhibit, and a way you can literally walk into the ocean.
With that my friends, I am going to give you some information about the layout of this thread. I will list the exhibits below, and instead of going the order where all the exhibits are located, I am going to get suggestions from you guys on which exhibit I should do first, and then I will proceed with that exhibit.

Tropical world (no not the brookfield exhibit)
Wild Canada
Rare cats
Javan highlands
Aquatics building
Madagascar safari
Reptile and amphibian house
Indonesian conservation center
Australian adventure
Rare dogs
European journey
Western ghats hitchike
African savannah
Wings of wonder aviary
Nocturnal mansion
Indian subcontinent
Japanese island
Deep sea complex
The everglades trail
Southern south america
Crocodile corner
Big cat country
Bear valley
Land of China
Gibbon ridge
Desert Odyssey
Birds of prey outpost
Marsupial gallery
Arctic trails
Congo basin
Creepy-crawlies
Stomp of the elephant
The smallz
Big ape center
Camel canyon
Monkey reserve

And with this, I leave you to answer which exhibit you would like to do first and then I will get cracking. This is a huge project for me, and I am happy to share it with the wonderful zoochat community.
 
Actually, as a side tidbit I was wondering if any of you guys saw the clues I hid in some of the threads and media that the dream zoo thread would be starting today.
I will probably see if I can start the exhibits tomorrow afternoon or evening.

Also, To be more efficient on when these so-called tours of the exhibits come out, I will make a poll on each of the exhibits to see which ones you want to see first.
EDIT: scrap the poll Idea, It won't allow enough responses for how many exhibits there are, so just post below which you would like to see first.
 
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Alright. Stay tuned for this afternoon/evening as I will be giving an introduction with my first exhibit. Since no one has really replied yet I'll actually start with the exhibit, monkey reserve. Sounds kinda boring, but wait. You'll see that it is not what it sounds like. ;)
 
The Monkey reserve:




This exhibit is almost a spectacle from the outside, like a massive diamond glistening in the sunlight. It is one of the tallest exhibits in the zoo, and is located on the rear entrance. Believe it or not, the dream zoo itself has actually 4 entrances, ENS&W. The largest entrance in terms of plaza space is actually the rear entrance, while the front entrance still looks amazing but is a little more compressed. The large building kind of looks like a very large cruise ship, just with no upper deck or port. On the top of the building are highly efficient solar panels, which helps with the Eco-friendliness of the zoo. The building strangely enough doesn't have windows on one of the sides, but the other one does, and a marvelous one at that. But we'll get to that later. To actually start your journey to the building, you have to take very easy path that progresses downwards. The path is brick, and all around you are trees that were planted by the zoo staff itself, and I think really add to the overall look of the building, since it has sort of a kingdom of trees surrounding it. But when you reach the building you really get to see how tall it is. With the strange shape it has, you would think this would be some sort of sculpture, but it isn't. My envisioning and estimation on how tall this exact building would be 75 meters tall, a pretty nice size for one building that holds very little species. But lets get to the species, shall we?

The main entrance is a rotating door that brings you on to a staircase landing. There is wheelchair access of course, so a ramp is next to it. But climbing the small wooden staircase will bring to a very intricate doorway design. It is built from multiple types of wood that can actually be found in the walk through exhibit, and has a design of a half of a sun on each door, and a plethora of birds surrounding it. Some you may recognize as golden pheasants and wattled curassows. But enough about that. When you first enter the doorway a blast of humidity and waterfall noise hits you like a speaker. There is a lot to take in here, so lets do it in sections. I say sections, because there are actually 3 suspended platforms and bridges that you can take. You are suspended about halfway up in the exhibit, and it immediately hits you that this place is inspired by many indoor jungles. Their are built in realistic mossy boulders surrounding the area, and vines hanging down from the ceiling. The right path and the left path are fairly symmetrical, and basically take you around the foliage laden wet rocks that make up most of the background and atmosphere of the walls, rather than having a painted background like so many indoor jungles do. The left path has some bamboo guardrails on the side but that's pretty much it, all the rest is just looking onto one of the main trees for, Goeldi's monkeys. The trees are actually laden with leaves, and have some additional climbing structures built onto it. The structures honestly look like jungle gyms, and supply the Marmosets with as much occupying fun that they can have. The very bottom of the exhibit has a flowing stream that covers most of the ground, so it encourages the primates to get off the ground as much as they can. The far left path is the exact same, except with a slightly bigger tree that is simulated to look like it was falling down at one point, and rests on the side boulders above the walkway. The middle pathway is a rigidity bridge only recommended for those who are not riding in wheelchair, as it has much less structural integrity than the adjacent paths. But you do really get a treat with this one, as the Goeldi's monkeys have an opportunity to get right up to you on the side of the bridge, and can actually walk on some of the climbing structures that connect the 2 trees together. Surprisingly, this is the smallest room in the entire building, but a special one at that. Once you finish this room, you get the idea. You are basically going through different rooms that represent different climates or places in the world. The next room is noticeably bigger, and has a lot more interesting things in it. You are basically taken across an S shaped path that brings you through the entire room. The animal in this exhibit is the Tufted Capuchin, and they have a pretty marvelous exhibit. It is a lot dryer, and has a lot more cliff side atmosphere to it. On the bottom are multiple fake boulders and rock substrate that was brought in, and some tumbleweed and brush, making this feel like a mountainous landscape on which these animals live. All the monkeys can move throughout the ground, and up the amazing rocky land forms that are a lot flatter but a lot taller and offer some great viewing opportunities for these animals. A very cool practice seen from these monkeys at the zoo is banging stones on top of their food to crush it up, a pretty remarkable thing to see in my opinion. On the left side is another waterfall with multiple rocky landscaping in front of it. so the Tufted Capuchin can get a good lick or a look at the water! On the left side of the walkway their is a real live fig tree, that actually is able to be picked by the keepers or the monkeys, another cool thing to see. The plant gets plenty of sunlight through the sunroof on the top of this room, so no worries. Past this room will bring you towards an adaptation of the mountainous cloud forests of the Congo, with a very cool mix of mock rock and vegetation, so the Angolan colobus's That are kept in this exhibit have plenty to do. This ones room is actually just a straight platform through the exhibits, except this one actually having waterfalls suspended on the sides, with a natural cavern like entrance in between the 2 waterfalls suspending the wooden naturalistic bridge. Waterfalls deck the surrounding area and do look pretty lush and nice with the foliage growing around it. Other than that, plenty of logs and sticks that can get the Angolan colobus's active, and that's pretty much it. A very nice and amazing exhibit, just not as unique as some of the others. But that's OK, because the next exhibit is surely the best in the Building. This room has the amazing stained glass window I told you about at the beginning, and it is very cool. One of the noticeable sounds and atmospheric look of the place is that it really feels like dawn. The light is only illuminated by a cornflower blue, and cricket sounds play in the background. Its like you were transported by a magic portal that leads you into the early mornings of Africa. This rooms walkways are pretty straight, with some additional dead end viewing possibilities near the start of the bridge that will lead you into the next room. This Room is holding a small troop of Tana River red Mangabey. This is one of my favorite African monkeys since I was a child, and I am very glad to have them in my dream zoo. The exhibits design is supposed to evoke the bridge between the Savanna and the Rainforest, with the rainforest side of the exhibit being the one on the right. The right side of the bath has a stained glass window design of a sleeping Baby Mangabey cradled in its mothers arms. The stained glass is mostly blue and red, with some green sections as well. I think the beautiful art design really adds to the overall look and feel of this room, While still having the accommodations and needs the monkeys would have. Do note that the stained window design is floor to ceiling, and at the very bottom of the Managbey's feet is a large Congo river stream with plenty of stepping stones and climbing structures poking out of the water. For the land portion, it is very lush and has to large natural looking trees (even though they are fake but realistic-looking), laden with vines and climbing branches. On the left side, their are much thinner trees with less leaves, and not quite as tall as the jungle trees. Still looks marvelous though, and has simulated termite mounds on the ground, and rock work and climbing areas on the side. I am very disappointed to have to leave this room, but I'm sorry to say, we have to move on.

This is a small exhibit so don't worry, The second part will come out in a few hours or so. Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying the exhibit so far. It's not quite done yet!
 
Monkey reserve part 2:



Finishing that very cool room, you are led through a couple of generic sliding doors, into an exhibit that is so colorful and so vibrant, your eyes might water. (not actually). This exhibit has noticeably a lot more foliage than any of the other previous exhibits. Lots of real colorful flowers deck the ground and the surrounding area. This exhibit is designed to look like a ruined Mayan temple, with some of the drastically mausoleums decking out the bottom of the exhibit. It holds Rio Acari Marmosets, and Monk sakis. The bridge this time is shaped like an X, and is laden with plenty of vines and foliage and Mayan temple ruin aesthetic. In center of the X, is a fountain where you actually can donate coins this time. An interesting addition in this exhibit is the inter activeness, as the kids (or adults) can play a mini scavenger hunt, trying to find the statues of animals in the same Location as where these animals live. Statues like a Quetzel, and a big tooth river stingray in the river flowing below. For the Marmosets, plenty of hanging fruit stations if you will, hang on the multiple climbing structures that are shaped like a tree has overtaken a Mayan skull statue. The saki's however, get a fancy overgrown safari truck on the ground, and plenty of waterfalls and jungle climbing structures suspend from the river below. I think the Viewing opportunities for this exhibit is pretty spectacular, with the top and lower parts of the x shape connecting to a walkway towards the next section a very cool and efficient way to get some nice photographs of these remarkable animals. The background texture of the exhibit looks comparatively natural, unlike the Mayan ruin aesthetic the rest of the room has. Showing that life will bounce back. Going through the next room, More south american species await us. This exhibit is probably one of the most unique exhibits in the entire building. This room is the largest of all, and holds Northern Muriqui spider monkeys. This exhibit has 5 Massive trees that are the main focus of the Indoor portion;) of this section. The trees are huge, and are laden with leaves. This provides plenty of privacy for these elusive monkeys. This zoo is breeding this species, and has lots of custom-made leaf hammocks for all of the monkeys to sleep in. But you might occasionally see these spider monkeys in action, as climbing structures shaped naturally reach the ceiling, and encourage these monkeys to get their cardio in, hence they are spider monkeys after all. Their are skylights on the ceiling, and multiple extended climbing structures on the side of the exhibit. But the real wonders are at the very entrance of the room. On the side at the beginning of the path, an amazing sight awaits you. You are basically led somewhat out of the room itself, and their is a viewing platform with circular glass windows surrounding it. You are looking out onto the marvelous outdoor area for the Muriquis. They can access this area by a small door at the very top of the exhibit. They are led out onto what looks like a giant netted nest, that not only has all the netting plus multiple climbing structures that go in all different directions. This allows the monkeys to get a view of the entire park, and do note that the netted area on the right side of the building actually stretches down and up pretty far, so they have a lot of free reign over the entire area. Think of it as the large lemur exhibit in Africa rocks of the Columbus zoo, except attached to a wall. The purpose of this area is for the monkeys to get outside somewhat, and get a lot of exercise, As in a lot of zoos I see spider monkeys just sitting on the ground looking board. From my experiences, I wanted to change that and what better to do that with your imagination. Such an amazing room, and my creativity really took over in this exhibit, as I believe that this was one of my more recent additions, but I had planned this exhibit since the beginning. There are 2 more rooms to go, so stay tight! The next room is the second-smallest one the building, and is home to Gabon Talapoins. This one has lots of old-looking fake trees, and I say old-looking as intentionally looking like old real trees, not It's design. Anyway, this exhibit has trees in a dull ash-burned color, and I wanted to design this after what its home range would look like if it had just recovered from a natural fire. There are some very small waterfalls surrounding the base of this exhibit, with very powerful currents though, and some mossy jungle rock surfaces surrounding the top area of the walls. Anyway, the Talapoins have plenty of climbing structures once again, however these ones are made with more realistic fashion in mind, and were sculpted form real wood. The stick-like climbing structures pass right next to the walking bridge, but the monkeys mainly choose not to get close with the visitors. The trees in the exhibit are designed very close together, allowing for the monkey to pass through the trees with ease. The Gabon Talapoins are breeding, and their are some off-show care centers for multiple adult and juvenile monkeys.
The walking bridge for this exhibit is fairly simple, but is a lot more edgy and looks like burnt wood.
The final exhibit is the second-largest, and it is home to a very delightful and active troop of Spectacled Langurs. Getting creative with the walking paths, this one is shaped like an O, with one very large and monkey-laden tree in the center. This room is very lush, and has lots of very cool raised foliage-covered mountains on each side of the O shaped viewing platform. This room has 4 very amazing waterfalls, that once again have climbing pathways for the monkeys to go in front and behind the waterfall. 2 waterfalls on each side, that start out small, with a tiny opening for the water to pass through at the top of the wall, and gradually becomes bigger the farther it goes down. Very cool hanging feeding stations with sweet potatoes for the Langurs to consume. Trees on both sides are very complex in the way they were arranged, and supply plenty of fun for the little langurs straying away from mom, and for the adult ones to relax and eat their food. The 2 trees on the right are slightly at an angle, and ropes and vines that connect 2 both trees are used by the monkeys as well. That is the last room in the Monkey exhibit, and you are led outside by a staircase going down.

That was fun! I think for future exhibits though, I am going to take a little less time going through each habitat. I just went a little slower this time since their was less animals to go through, and I wanted to get you guys a sense of what these tours will be like. I hope you enjoyed!

The next exhibit will most likely be Wild Canada, or big cat country. I'll let you decide.

Thanks for reading!
 
CheeseChameleon2007 said:
Monkey reserve part 2:



Finishing that very cool room, you are led through a couple of generic sliding doors, into an exhibit that is so colorful and so vibrant, your eyes might water. (not actually). This exhibit has noticeably a lot more foliage than any of the other previous exhibits. Lots of real colorful flowers deck the ground and the surrounding area. This exhibit is designed to look like a ruined Mayan temple, with some of the drastically mausoleums decking out the bottom of the exhibit. It holds Rio Acari Marmosets, and Monk sakis. The bridge this time is shaped like an X, and is laden with plenty of vines and foliage and Mayan temple ruin aesthetic. In center of the X, is a fountain where you actually can donate coins this time. An interesting addition in this exhibit is the inter activeness, as the kids (or adults) can play a mini scavenger hunt, trying to find the statues of animals in the same Location as where these animals live. Statues like a Quetzel, and a big tooth river stingray in the river flowing below. For the Marmosets, plenty of hanging fruit stations if you will, hang on the multiple climbing structures that are shaped like a tree has overtaken a Mayan skull statue. The saki's however, get a fancy overgrown safari truck on the ground, and plenty of waterfalls and jungle climbing structures suspend from the river below. I think the Viewing opportunities for this exhibit is pretty spectacular, with the top and lower parts of the x shape connecting to a walkway towards the next section a very cool and efficient way to get some nice photographs of these remarkable animals. The background texture of the exhibit looks comparatively natural, unlike the Mayan ruin aesthetic the rest of the room has. Showing that life will bounce back. Going through the next room, More south american species await us. This exhibit is probably one of the most unique exhibits in the entire building. This room is the largest of all, and holds Northern Muriqui spider monkeys. This exhibit has 5 Massive trees that are the main focus of the Indoor portion;) of this section. The trees are huge, and are laden with leaves. This provides plenty of privacy for these elusive monkeys. This zoo is breeding this species, and has lots of custom-made leaf hammocks for all of the monkeys to sleep in. But you might occasionally see these spider monkeys in action, as climbing structures shaped naturally reach the ceiling, and encourage these monkeys to get their cardio in, hence they are spider monkeys after all. Their are skylights on the ceiling, and multiple extended climbing structures on the side of the exhibit. But the real wonders are at the very entrance of the room. On the side at the beginning of the path, an amazing sight awaits you. You are basically led somewhat out of the room itself, and their is a viewing platform with circular glass windows surrounding it. You are looking out onto the marvelous outdoor area for the Muriquis. They can access this area by a small door at the very top of the exhibit. They are led out onto what looks like a giant netted nest, that not only has all the netting plus multiple climbing structures that go in all different directions. This allows the monkeys to get a view of the entire park, and do note that the netted area on the right side of the building actually stretches down and up pretty far, so they have a lot of free reign over the entire area. Think of it as the large lemur exhibit in Africa rocks of the Columbus zoo, except attached to a wall. The purpose of this area is for the monkeys to get outside somewhat, and get a lot of exercise, As in a lot of zoos I see spider monkeys just sitting on the ground looking board. From my experiences, I wanted to change that and what better to do that with your imagination. Such an amazing room, and my creativity really took over in this exhibit, as I believe that this was one of my more recent additions, but I had planned this exhibit since the beginning. There are 2 more rooms to go, so stay tight! The next room is the second-smallest one the building, and is home to Gabon Talapoins. This one has lots of old-looking fake trees, and I say old-looking as intentionally looking like old real trees, not It's design. Anyway, this exhibit has trees in a dull ash-burned color, and I wanted to design this after what its home range would look like if it had just recovered from a natural fire. There are some very small waterfalls surrounding the base of this exhibit, with very powerful currents though, and some mossy jungle rock surfaces surrounding the top area of the walls. Anyway, the Talapoins have plenty of climbing structures once again, however these ones are made with more realistic fashion in mind, and were sculpted form real wood. The stick-like climbing structures pass right next to the walking bridge, but the monkeys mainly choose not to get close with the visitors. The trees in the exhibit are designed very close together, allowing for the monkey to pass through the trees with ease. The Gabon Talapoins are breeding, and their are some off-show care centers for multiple adult and juvenile monkeys.
The walking bridge for this exhibit is fairly simple, but is a lot more edgy and looks like burnt wood.
The final exhibit is the second-largest, and it is home to a very delightful and active troop of Spectacled Langurs. Getting creative with the walking paths, this one is shaped like an O, with one very large and monkey-laden tree in the center. This room is very lush, and has lots of very cool raised foliage-covered mountains on each side of the O shaped viewing platform. This room has 4 very amazing waterfalls, that once again have climbing pathways for the monkeys to go in front and behind the waterfall. 2 waterfalls on each side, that start out small, with a tiny opening for the water to pass through at the top of the wall, and gradually becomes bigger the farther it goes down. Very cool hanging feeding stations with sweet potatoes for the Langurs to consume. Trees on both sides are very complex in the way they were arranged, and supply plenty of fun for the little langurs straying away from mom, and for the adult ones to relax and eat their food. The 2 trees on the right are slightly at an angle, and ropes and vines that connect 2 both trees are used by the monkeys as well. That is the last room in the Monkey exhibit, and you are led outside by a staircase going down.

That was fun! I think for future exhibits though, I am going to take a little less time going through each habitat. I just went a little slower this time since their was less animals to go through, and I wanted to get you guys a sense of what these tours will be like. I hope you enjoyed!

The next exhibit will most likely be Wild Canada, or big cat country. I'll let you decide.

Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...

The muriqui enclosure you describe sounds pretty good, these are a very active primate species and constantly on the move so they do need a lot of climbing structures, ropes and hammocks etc. for their wellbeing in captivity.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
The muriqui enclosure you describe sounds pretty good, these are a very active primate species and constantly on the move so they do need a lot of climbing structures, ropes and hammocks etc. for their wellbeing in captivity.
Click to expand...
Thanks for those comments! yes, I am trying to make my exhibits better than any zoos. Out of interest, did you like the outdoor "nest" if you will. I know its kinda silly, but I think it really adds to the overall enrichment for the Muriquis. Just trying to be creative!
 
CheeseChameleon2007 said:
Thanks for those comments! yes, I am trying to make my exhibits better than any zoos. Out of interest, did you like the outdoor "nest" if you will. I know its kinda silly, but I think it really adds to the overall enrichment for the Muriquis. Just trying to be creative!
Click to expand...

Yes, of course. I haven't seen this kind of enclosure for muriquis in real life but then again netting isn't a typical enclosure design here in Brazil.

I've seen the Southern species have traditional style barred enclosures and open topped enclosures but they really aren't being kept by very many zoos.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Yes, of course. I haven't seen this kind of enclosure for muriquis in real life but then it isn't a typical enclosure design here in Brazil.

I've seen the Southern species have traditional style barred enclosures and open-topped enclosures but then again it isn't kept by very many zoos.
Click to expand...
I think you'll realize soon enough that this zoo is surely not trying to be traditional! I am using my very own noggin to create as much mind-blowing and breathtaking exhibits as I can!
 
CheeseChameleon2007 said:
I think you'll realize soon enough that this zoo is surely not trying to be traditional! I am using my very own noggin to create as much mind-blowing and breathtaking exhibits as I can!
Click to expand...

Great ! :) it is a really good creative exercise in terms of thinking of species captive husbandry and zoochat is a good site to do this kind of thing on and to get feedback and ideas and things like that.
 
CheeseChameleon2007 said:
Looks like Wild Canada is winning! This one has the salmon dome.
Click to expand...
Just letting you know, if you add salmon (I assume you do, given the name 'Salmon Dome'), it will have to be a marine tank. Salmon are found in freshwater, but only as part of their breeding migrations and don't last long in freshwater. AFAIK, pretty much all salmon in captivity are kept in marine tanks.
 
DaLilFishie said:
Just letting you know, if you add salmon (I assume you do, given the name 'Salmon Dome'), it will have to be a marine tank. Salmon are found in freshwater, but only as part of their breeding migrations and don't last long in freshwater. AFAIK, pretty much all salmon in captivity are kept in marine tanks.
Click to expand...
I know. ;)
But just be clear, this is a fantasy zoo, and not all animals (such as pelagic fish) will be included, even though they are hard to keep in captivity. Its all a Dream zoo, and I don't plan on every single species having to be realistic.
 
Wild Canada:

This was my second exhibit ever finished, and I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope you'll enjoy it. The exhibit is located near the front entrance, and its path is right next to Tropical world,(the largest exhibit). Their is a very inviting sign and fountains surrounding the entrance, which I think will be the whole feel of the zoo. It's exhibits are very modern and up to date, but its non-exhibit architecture feels more aged, with red brick paths, and lots of older more historic work on some of the fountains and statues. Anyway, the sign looks pretty nice, and is held up by a couple of poles. Going under the sign, will actually lead you along a 5 minute trail that lets you look around in the perfectly preserved small but quaint wooded area, with a natural pond. This area is actually home to birds/frogs/snakes/turtles that aren't actually part of the zoo, more rather just local visitors that you might spot. But finishing that pathway takes you to the main center plaza area of Wild Canada, that actually has 3 different paths you can take, 2 that have exhibits but end in dead ends, and one that circles around, and something else in the center of the plaza area;). We are going to ignore that for now, and take the first dead end path, which is more of just one exhibit. This exhibit is huge, and has multiple interesting viewing opportunities. It holds Peregrine falcon, the worlds fastest bird. Their exhibit is truly spectacular, so let me give you a little tour. It is a netted exhibit, but a large one at that. It spreads around for about 30 ft near the entrance, but that's not the only viewing opportunities. This exhibit is supposed to be modeled after an abandoned city, that has now been taken over by wildlife. the main path is actually you walking in a replica abandoned skyscraper, and well its not actually that tall it still stands all the way from the bottom of the exhibit. The main path is glass viewing since its a skyscraper, and has plenty of very useful information about Peregrines. That is the main viewing opportunities inside, and the path through the "skyscrapers" ends at the back fenced section of the area. But the main exhibit for the Peregrines is amazing, and they sleep and lay their eggs a small cavern that can be easily viewed by the visitors. They also have plenty of lush forest space to fly in, with multiple real trees, and a small rocky stream on the left. They can essentially park themselves way up high on top of the skyscrapers if they please, and cross over to a simulated house in ruins, as it looks like it had been affected by a tornado. Exiting out of the Falcon aviary, will take you back to the main plaza. This time, we will be checking out the salmon dome. It is essentially a geodesic dome inside a geodesic dome, and is definitely a unique exhibit. The salmon dome-shaped tank almost brushes the ceiling, and is wide enough for a car to park inside it. Going into the dome itself takes you through a shark tunnel, with plenty of simulated coastal rocky shore add-on's. I should probably mention that this exhibit holds Sockeye salmon, and Coho salmon. They can swim freely throughout the dome, and are perpetually swimming gracefully above the viewers eyes. They can look up and see multiple fish swimming around. I should note that this exhibit is supposed to be the coastal region next to the bridge between rivers and oceans, but mostly oceans. The salmon dome is amazing, but we have to move on. Just like The Omaha zoo, the dome has a small downstairs area, but not nearly as big as kingdoms of the night. Downstairs, their is a murky watered tank in the center of a large gallery that holds American lobster. On your right is a curious little exhibit for The Mudpuppy, and their exhibit does hold a breeding pair. They have plenty of algae, and a small land area as well. The final exhibit downstairs is a large half-circular tank for Rainbow trout, Walleye, and Cutthroat trout. The exhibit is marvelous, and has an animal infested prop of a sunken canoe to add to the scenery of the area. The tank is floor-to-ceiling, and has other small rock structures placed throughout the exhibit.
Its finally time to leave that area and do the final dead-end exhibit. This is whats known as the bird walk, and has multiple interesting species around their. The first exhibit on the right of the path holds Duksy grouse, a very interesting species with a pretty exquisitely designed exhibit. The human walkway is above the exhibit which is actually on a hill. The grouse has multiple brush and foliage, and a small simulated beaver dam (with no beavers) in a small stream, that actually has a waterwheel at the face of the man-made stream. Lots of nice grazing space for the grouse is supplied, and a pretty sweet tree in the center of the exhibit. On the left of the path is a glass fronted exhibit, with netting on the top, a common exhibit design for my zoo. Inside the exhibit is a very beautiful Great horned Owl pair, that have some of finest birch trees in the park. They hold up the tent, and give plenty of privacy for the owl. They actually have an abandoned barn shed where they sleep, and it is only accessible by the owls and the keepers. Other than that, its a pretty standard exhibit design. Moving farther down the path will give you a high netted exhibit for American kestrels. The kestrels in the exhibit are rescues that can't fly anymore, and are now kept at the zoo. They have multiple trees in the exhibit, except these ones are thinner, and are slightly at an angle for the little raptors. In the center of the exhibit is a very nice pond, that sometimes brings a little snack for the kestrels, ;). Then on the right is the smallest exhibit in the bird walk, and is home to Yellow rails. Their exhibit is glass fronted, and has plenty of bushes and nests for the rails. Their exhibit is also built on a slight incline, and has a very pretty man-made connection of duck ponds for the rails. Lily pads and lily (flowers) decorate the pond. Their is actually a special experience that the kids get to have in the bird trail, where they can put their sleeping bags next to the rail exhibit or any of the other exhibits in the Bird walk, and stay for the night listening to the birds. The final exhibit is really huge, and is built on a simulated mini bay area. This final one is home to Northern bald eagles, the Canadian subspecies of bald eagle. Of course I couldn't forget them, and their exhibit is truly a masterpiece. The bay area is actually filled with plenty of platforms and water-growing trees. The eagles can hang out on the trees, and their is a nest on one of them. But the land area for the bay is actually even bigger, and has plenty of beautiful trees, and waterfalls and streams that pour into the bay. The eagles have a true haven, and I am very proud of their exhibit.
That's all for now, second part coming very soon later today!
 
Wow, I'll definitely set aide some time to read this! I may even need to take some notes:p. All jokes aside amazing job from what I saw. I think I'll post my own dream zoo soon. Happy, err, zookeeping?
 
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