Hoofstock Feeding and Walk-Thru Exhibits

[Jurek7]

they feel guilty every time they pass through the exhibit

Strange, I never met a visitor thinking so. Maybe local Spanish belief?

Anyway, non-breeding is typically a result of interference between animal species, plenty of non-walkthru mixed-species aviaries don't have breeding birds.

Anyway, thanks all for feedback, i see there is a lot of disbelief in these exhibits!

 

[Jurek7]

Hi.

To bring up this thread - snowleopard just posted pics of walk-through Sitatunga exhibit at Mesker Park Zoo.

I still think most ungulates size of Fallow Deer and smaller will work in walk-through exhibit - if they have no less space to withdraw than in normal moated exhibit, and if they are not humanized (that is they keep to themselves and don't beg visitors for food).

 

[sealion]

Longleat have a deer one with the pellets.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Zoos with walk-through aviaries, supposedly popular with visitors, are often surprised when countless visitors complain that these conditions must make breeding almost impossible for the birds and that they feel guilty every time they pass through the exhibit!It´s reminiscent of the snake-handling sessions held in many collections supposedly for the benefit of the visitors - many zoos were startled when these same visitors became indignant over unnecessary disturbance of the herps.Walk-through lemur areas are now a huge source of visitor complaints in certain collections and have lost such goodwill that there have been sponsorship cancellations over the issue.

Spain must be a very different country to the rest of the world!

In Australia, walk-through aviaries are wasted on many visitors who just won't take the time to slow down and enjoy what's going on around them. I've never yet met anyone who has felt guilty after the experience!

The opportunity for supervised tactile contact with a reptile is eagerly sought by our visitors and can be a valuable learning experience.

My only concern about a walk-through for lemurs would be the risk of the animals nibbling at the human enrichment visiting their enclosure. Such enclosures tend to be quite expensive to operate as a sufficient number of staff must be on hand to supervise the visitors at all times. In Australia though, such a walk-through would be a very attractive proposition for sponsors.