There have been numerous threads on zoo chat discussing species that people wish were more common in zoos, and about the homogenization of zoos/species being phased out. One topic that I haven't seen discussed nearly as often is exhibit themes/design features that people wish were more common, even if the species aren't anything unique. It's, in my opinion, a worthwhile idea to discuss, as zoos have two ways to distinguish themselves from each other: collection and exhibits. While I'm sure most people on here want zoos to not all be identical clones of each other, and I generally agree that homogenization is a bad thing. In an age in which sustainable populations are of increasing priority, and it may not be possible for zoos to use collection as a means of distinguishing themselves, zoos should consider using exhibitry and exhibit theming as means of distinguishing themselves from each other. Personally, as someone who really enjoys visiting zoos, I find that the exhibitry is often just as interesting as the animals themselves, and often lends itself to different thematic and educational opportunities, as well as highlighting different natural behaviors (ex. you'd get a different experience viewing hippos from underwater viewing versus from an elevated or ground-level pathway). These ideas of using exhibitry to distinguish zoos can be on both large scale (multi-acre/multimillion dollar projects, or it could be on the level of the individual exhibit. So my question is: what styles of exhibitry do you wish more zoos utilized? Consider these exhibitry styles within the context of the species already readily available, not exhibits that rely on rare species/not in captivity species (and this is not me saying there's anything wrong with these species or zoos exhibiting them).
For me, one of the biggest types of exhibits I wish were more common are Desert-themed exhibits. While there are certainly examples of zoos building very respectable desert exhibits (Omaha and North Carolina come to mind), as a whole these kinds of exhibits are not especially common in zoos, at least in the United States. Building desert domes would be a great investment for those zoos in colder regions, as it allows an immersive, indoor experience displaying species that couldn't be displayed year-round outdoors. Furthermore, there are many smaller, popular species found in deserts that are common in zoos, meaning that a zoo could build a unique, dynamic experience for guests even if none of the species are rare in their own right. Some of these species that could be used include meerkats, fennec foxes, ocelots, and a number of different reptile and invertebrate species.
Some other types of exhibits I wish were more common include:
- Lemurs in Spiny Forest themed exhibits (ring-tailed lemurs are not from the Rainforest, and yet zoos continue to consider it naturalistic to display them as such!)
- Flamingos in netted aviaries (ideally large enough the birds can fly), rather than flight-restricted in open-topped ponds.
- Primate-Ungulate Mixed Species exhibits- since most primates tend to be arboreal, there is a lot of potential in mixing primates with ground-dwelling ungulates, such as tapirs, suids, okapi, etc. There are a number of possible ungulate species, from various different biomes and continents.
- Exhibits Taking Advantage of Topography- most zoos are not naturally located on flat pieces of land, so it's really great to see zoos that use topography to their advantage, by using particularly rocky/steep areas to display caprids, snow leopards, or other animals that naturally take advantage of uneven terrain.
For me, one of the biggest types of exhibits I wish were more common are Desert-themed exhibits. While there are certainly examples of zoos building very respectable desert exhibits (Omaha and North Carolina come to mind), as a whole these kinds of exhibits are not especially common in zoos, at least in the United States. Building desert domes would be a great investment for those zoos in colder regions, as it allows an immersive, indoor experience displaying species that couldn't be displayed year-round outdoors. Furthermore, there are many smaller, popular species found in deserts that are common in zoos, meaning that a zoo could build a unique, dynamic experience for guests even if none of the species are rare in their own right. Some of these species that could be used include meerkats, fennec foxes, ocelots, and a number of different reptile and invertebrate species.
Some other types of exhibits I wish were more common include:
- Lemurs in Spiny Forest themed exhibits (ring-tailed lemurs are not from the Rainforest, and yet zoos continue to consider it naturalistic to display them as such!)
- Flamingos in netted aviaries (ideally large enough the birds can fly), rather than flight-restricted in open-topped ponds.
- Primate-Ungulate Mixed Species exhibits- since most primates tend to be arboreal, there is a lot of potential in mixing primates with ground-dwelling ungulates, such as tapirs, suids, okapi, etc. There are a number of possible ungulate species, from various different biomes and continents.
- Exhibits Taking Advantage of Topography- most zoos are not naturally located on flat pieces of land, so it's really great to see zoos that use topography to their advantage, by using particularly rocky/steep areas to display caprids, snow leopards, or other animals that naturally take advantage of uneven terrain.
