AndyJ08
Well-Known Member
Howdy, AndyJ08 here. This is a speculative zoo project for a fictional zoo that I’ve been planning for a year or so: Elkwood Park Zoo. The main idea of Elkwood Park is that it also functions as a native wildlife conservatory in addition to a private zoo, and that the zoo would seek to re-introduce native extirpated species back to parts of their former ranges in the state of Alabama, such as American elk and red wolves. First, a little background and information about Elkwood Park Zoo.
BACKGROUND:
Elkwood Park Zoo has been a project of mine for a while. After a trip to the city of Huntsville, Alabama, I noticed that the area lacked any zoological facilities. Since the city of Huntsville and its surrounding suburbs constitute an area that is quickly growing in population, why not open a zoo there? The young families who are moving in need another source of entertainment for their children, and most of the other major cities in Alabama have a zoo of some sort. Hence the creation of Elkwood Park Zoo.
LOCATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION:
Elkwood Park Zoo is located along the banks of the Elk River, in Limestone County, Alabama. Around 30 miles from the city of Huntsville, the zoo is accessible to residents of the city, as well as folks from the suburban city of Athens to the east, the mid-sized city of Decatur to the south, and the rural areas to the west. The Elkwood Park Zoo was purchased originally as 210 acres of woodlands and pasturelands along the Elk River, much of the original woodland is preserved as a 109-acre nature preserve and series of walking trails within the zoo. The other 101 acres make up the rest of the zoo, with a few unused or awaiting future projects. The prices of admission for the zoo are as follows:
$10.00- for children (3-12)
$15.00- for adults (13-64)
$10.00 for senior citizens (65+
Children under 3 years of age are admitted for free.
THE MASTERPLAN:
Elkwood Park Zoo’s parking lot is situated shortly off a country road, and the parking lot itself is short walk from a stately stone gate that marks the entrance to the zoo. Past the entrance booths, there is a small entrance plaza that contains restrooms, offices, and management buildings, as well as a modest-sized rustic stone-cottage-style building that serves as the main gift shop at Elkwood Park Zoo, called Wild Traders. Wild Traders sells Elkwood Park Zoo memorabilia, toys, snacks, and other goods, in addition to serving as a place to buy tickets for “behind-the-scenes-tours” and seasonal events.
After moving onward through the entry plaza, the path winds and bends through a forested setting with rustic lampposts lining the sides of the path. Several of the first animals that visitors see upon entering the zoo are located on this path. The first exhibit seen is a forest clearing that contains 1.1 Whooping Cranes. The enclosure is around 0.25 acres in size, and it is mostly unchanged from the days before the zoo’s opening, except for the addition of a small stream that runs through the exhibit and a marshy area adjacent the stream. The two cranes have successfully given birth to two chicks (both sent to the International Crane Foundation) over the five years that they’ve been at the Zoo.
Strolling further down the wooded path is another forest clearing exhibit, this one a little larger and a bit more open. At around 0.40 acres in size, this exhibit has a medium-sized pond, plenty of trees and shrubs, and is the source of the small stream flowing through the whooping crane exhibit. All of these features are perfect for the inhabitants, 1.0 Reeve’s Muntjac, 2.2 Red-breasted Geese, and 1.2 Baikal Teals. The muntjac spends most of his time hiding in the forested patch towards the back of the exhibit, while the waterfowl mingle around the pond area. The red-breasted geese have been particularly successful in breeding, as seven chicks have been hatched in two years, while the Baikal teals have successfully hatched three chicks.
Stay tuned for the Part 2 of the Elkwood Park Zoo series!
-Andy-
BACKGROUND:
Elkwood Park Zoo has been a project of mine for a while. After a trip to the city of Huntsville, Alabama, I noticed that the area lacked any zoological facilities. Since the city of Huntsville and its surrounding suburbs constitute an area that is quickly growing in population, why not open a zoo there? The young families who are moving in need another source of entertainment for their children, and most of the other major cities in Alabama have a zoo of some sort. Hence the creation of Elkwood Park Zoo.
LOCATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION:
Elkwood Park Zoo is located along the banks of the Elk River, in Limestone County, Alabama. Around 30 miles from the city of Huntsville, the zoo is accessible to residents of the city, as well as folks from the suburban city of Athens to the east, the mid-sized city of Decatur to the south, and the rural areas to the west. The Elkwood Park Zoo was purchased originally as 210 acres of woodlands and pasturelands along the Elk River, much of the original woodland is preserved as a 109-acre nature preserve and series of walking trails within the zoo. The other 101 acres make up the rest of the zoo, with a few unused or awaiting future projects. The prices of admission for the zoo are as follows:
$10.00- for children (3-12)
$15.00- for adults (13-64)
$10.00 for senior citizens (65+
Children under 3 years of age are admitted for free.
THE MASTERPLAN:
Elkwood Park Zoo’s parking lot is situated shortly off a country road, and the parking lot itself is short walk from a stately stone gate that marks the entrance to the zoo. Past the entrance booths, there is a small entrance plaza that contains restrooms, offices, and management buildings, as well as a modest-sized rustic stone-cottage-style building that serves as the main gift shop at Elkwood Park Zoo, called Wild Traders. Wild Traders sells Elkwood Park Zoo memorabilia, toys, snacks, and other goods, in addition to serving as a place to buy tickets for “behind-the-scenes-tours” and seasonal events.
After moving onward through the entry plaza, the path winds and bends through a forested setting with rustic lampposts lining the sides of the path. Several of the first animals that visitors see upon entering the zoo are located on this path. The first exhibit seen is a forest clearing that contains 1.1 Whooping Cranes. The enclosure is around 0.25 acres in size, and it is mostly unchanged from the days before the zoo’s opening, except for the addition of a small stream that runs through the exhibit and a marshy area adjacent the stream. The two cranes have successfully given birth to two chicks (both sent to the International Crane Foundation) over the five years that they’ve been at the Zoo.
Strolling further down the wooded path is another forest clearing exhibit, this one a little larger and a bit more open. At around 0.40 acres in size, this exhibit has a medium-sized pond, plenty of trees and shrubs, and is the source of the small stream flowing through the whooping crane exhibit. All of these features are perfect for the inhabitants, 1.0 Reeve’s Muntjac, 2.2 Red-breasted Geese, and 1.2 Baikal Teals. The muntjac spends most of his time hiding in the forested patch towards the back of the exhibit, while the waterfowl mingle around the pond area. The red-breasted geese have been particularly successful in breeding, as seven chicks have been hatched in two years, while the Baikal teals have successfully hatched three chicks.
Stay tuned for the Part 2 of the Elkwood Park Zoo series!
-Andy-