Exactly
(however they didn't manage to import the animals as they originally hoped or so I heard, so they will have most-likely "just" Europe-sourced animals...they may try in future though)Europe's 100 must see exhibits
- Thread starter lintworm
- Start date
Exactly
(however they didn't manage to import the animals as they originally hoped or so I heard, so they will have most-likely "just" Europe-sourced animals...they may try in future though)
I believe none of the jaguars in Europe are subspecific, except for the old one in Barcelona.
But I don't see how importing a couple or even more is going to create a reliable subspecific population in Europe
I am oriented towards different species so I can't tell if there is or isn't a dire need of a new bloodline, but it can't really hurt, can it? I think Zlin explored that option due to their connections in South America
27. Slender-tailed meerkats
Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany
Opened: 2013
Size: 200 square metres
Inhabitants: Slender-tailed meerkat, yellow mongoose
It might be hearsay for some on zoochat, but meerkats make excellent display animals and if well displayed can be a real asset for any zoo. This case is clearly made in Nuremberg, where a large group of meerkats is kept in a spacious enclosure. In addition to its size, the enclosure is well landscaped, with beautiful planting in and around the enclosure. Due to the enclosure size the planting is also not completely destroyed. This exhibit also shows that meerkats do not necessarily live in sandy boulder landscapes, so typical of other zoos. With such an varied enclosure, their large group of meerkats really is a joy to watch, with yellow mongoose adding some more life to the mix, so don’t ignore them as you use to here
@lintworm
@twilighter
@zooman
Similar exhibits: Not only meerkats profit from being kept in a spacious enclosure in a large group, as the dwarf mongoose in Bioparc Doué la Fontaine, France, show.
@lintworm
@Antoine
Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany
Opened: 2013
Size: 200 square metres
Inhabitants: Slender-tailed meerkat, yellow mongoose
It might be hearsay for some on zoochat, but meerkats make excellent display animals and if well displayed can be a real asset for any zoo. This case is clearly made in Nuremberg, where a large group of meerkats is kept in a spacious enclosure. In addition to its size, the enclosure is well landscaped, with beautiful planting in and around the enclosure. Due to the enclosure size the planting is also not completely destroyed. This exhibit also shows that meerkats do not necessarily live in sandy boulder landscapes, so typical of other zoos. With such an varied enclosure, their large group of meerkats really is a joy to watch, with yellow mongoose adding some more life to the mix, so don’t ignore them as you use to here
@lintworm
@twilighter
@zooman
Similar exhibits: Not only meerkats profit from being kept in a spacious enclosure in a large group, as the dwarf mongoose in Bioparc Doué la Fontaine, France, show.
@lintworm
@Antoine
27. Slender-tailed meerkats
Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany
Opened: 2013
Size: 200 square metres
Inhabitants: Slender-tailed meerkat, yellow mongoose
It might be hearsay for some on zoochat, but meerkats make excellent display animals and if well displayed can be a real asset for any zoo. This case is clearly made in Nuremberg, where a large group of meerkats is kept in a spacious enclosure. In addition to its size, the enclosure is well landscaped, with beautiful planting in and around the enclosure. Due to the enclosure size the planting is also not completely destroyed. This exhibit also shows that meerkats do not necessarily live in sandy boulder landscapes, so typical of other zoos. With such an varied enclosure, their large group of meerkats really is a joy to watch, with yellow mongoose adding some more life to the mix, so don’t ignore them as you use to here
@lintworm
@twilighter
@zooman
Similar exhibits: Not only meerkats profit from being kept in a spacious enclosure in a large group, as the dwarf mongoose in Bioparc Doué la Fontaine, France, show.
@lintworm
@Antoine
I’m sorry, but I can’t bear myself to add a meerkat exhibit in a Must-See list. For me, a Must-See exhibit is something odd, smart, remarkable and I struggle to feel those things with any meerkat exhibit, beautiful it may be.
Funny that you mention Dou’s dwarf mongoose as a similar exhibit, because we went through Doué together even and I have a hard time remembering that exhibit at all! The only reason I do now, is because of that glass cabinet at the front, which served as an indoor space for them and I thought it looked plain odd at the time.
The first thing that popped in my mind was Doué’s souslik exhibit, which I considered for my list. The exact same reasons why you included this meerkat exhibit, but with a very interesting species of conservation value. I loved how at first glance I thought that exhibit was empty, only to find when you started staring at it, the whole ground seemed to move of sousliks!
So if you haven’t included that exhibit in your list, that would be my replacement
No criticism! You’re doing a lovely job, jeep it up
Just think of it as a Yellow Mongoose exhibit then.
This being one of the few exhibits you've mentioned on the thread that I have seen in real life, I fully agree with its inclusion. It's right by the entrance so you already get a sense of Nürnberg's quality when you stumble upon it and it's both aesthetically pleasing from an exhibit standpoint (as you pointed out very nice foliage in a big spacious enclosure) and an animal standpoint (meerkats and yellow mongooses were both very active during my visit even if it rained all day long).
That is exactly the reason for including it
. On a zoo forum someone proclaiming any positive feelings towards meerkats is remarkable 
Personally I am much more found of sousliks than of meerkats and I find it a shame that souslik are comparatively so uncommon in Europe, especially in NW Europe. They make extraordinary display animals, are European and endangered... As an alternative entry I have pondered the inclusion of an exhibit just up the road from Nuremberg's meerkats: the Mediterraneum:
@lintworm
@twilighter
Which does hold souslik, together with several larger European reptile species like marginated tortoise, ocellated lizard, scheltopusik and European pond turtle. This is a lovely exhibit too and came very close to being included and if you were to highlight as souslik enclosure, this would be it.
It is only comparable in terms of size imo, lot more barren as you say with these weird umbrellas it is not a very pretty sight either, though it is works well.
In that case it’s still a very commonly kept species of low conservation value. And it’s a shame that it’s combined with such a common species as meerkat
That is exactly the reason for including it
Oh I agree, and if there ever is a list of top 20 must-see ZooChatters, you would be high on the list
That looks like a stonking souslik exhibit btw! That’d be my pick
Well we don't even have them in any zoo on this side of the pond!In that case it’s still a very commonly kept species of low conservation value. And it’s a shame that it’s combined with such a common species as meerkat
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
To be honest, I love meerkats, and despite them being common, I still enjoy seeing them as they are usually active, and are always fun for me to see.
Well part of it is that the US has nowhere near as many zoos with Meerkats as Europe does.
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
Interesting, I didn’t know that, though I still would enjoy seeing meerkats nonetheless.
Each to their own. I enjoy - or don't - animals on their own merits, regardless of how common they are, and meerkats are fun. Lintworm's list isn't 100 must-see rare species, it's 100 must-see exhibits, and the best in class of a classic zoo exhibit like meerkats is a natural choice.
This thread has made Nürnberg one of my desired-to-visit European zoos. The profiles for the meerkat/mongoose enclosure and the Desert House have been excellent. The latter is particular has been my favorite pick thus far. I have appreciation for exhibits that focus on underappreciated and usual species and having a building that has dung beetles and Lybrian striped weasels as the main attraction fits the bill. I had no idea it existed until this thread and I can't wait to see what else I'll discover as we go forward.
You will see more of Nürnberg in this thread, there are 6 more exhibits which could easily be considered part of this list (though not all of them made the final cut). What started as a smaller hilly version of Tierpark Berlin (lot of walking, lot of ungulates) has in recent years transformed itself into an extremely interesting zoo. Smaller animals are still underrepresented, but with each new development something is done about that. Their botanical department is also improving steadily, so certainly one to watch!
There will off-course be more surprises along the way, which hardly anyone will have heard about