If your home zoo acquired two acres, how would you use it?

Kalaw said:
If London Zoo had a limitless budget, then I would use those two acres either to build an Arctic-themed complex with underwater viewing, cold-climate fish and multiple species of pinnipeds (somewhat like Hagenbeck’s Eismeer) or a world-class, spacious, densely vegetate tropical house (akin to Bush and Masoala).
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I love this idea. Fish and pinnipeds would be a fantastic addition. Polar bears could also be a great fit for such a complex while filling another big hole in the zoo collection. Marvelous idea.

On a more realistic budget, I would opt for something more simple - an African Savannah-type exhibit. Two acres isn’t enough to create anything world-beating, but it would offer the giraffes, zebras and ostriches a substantially better home than what is currently offered on the Cotton Terraces, while also allowing for the addition of some interesting antelope (wildebeest would be wonderful) and a rhinoceros, a much-needed crowd-pleaser. The onshow stables could, in Colchester or Magdeburg style, feature some additional displays of their own. This would be an excellent chance to bring back Aardvarks, add more aquatic displays (it seems as though a single devoted aquarium is not on the cards, but a selection of smaller ones throughout the zoo, such as the one that already exists in Tiny Giants, would be a good way to bring back fish in large numbers), and bring in some entirely new additions - hyrax and weavers, for example, are both species that I would love to see at London, and would fit in well in such an exhibit.
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This is smart and very practical thinking though. A mixed savanna for giraffe, zebra, ostrich and antelope or gazelle, and the reintroduction of rhinoceros, would be a worthwhile addition to the zoo by itself, and adding some small species displays to them would be smart. Maybe the former Cotton Terraces could be redeveloped for a forest species to go with the nearby okapi/duiker and pygmy hippo enclosures? If warthog were integrated into the savanna development, you could move red river hog to the current warthog enclosure as well, transforming almost all of Into Africa for forest species, save the painted dogs.

Is there any specific known reason aardvark haven't returned to their former space? In terms of the exhibit itself I mean. I know they went out in tragic circumstance.

I certainly hope London can negotiate an expansion into the surrounding, currently unused areas, of Regent’s Park. Perhaps if it is more accessible, expand across the Outer Circle into Primrose Hill, although that would require another series of tunnels or bridges. Either one is unlikely, but you never truly know.
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I would love to see this happen. Regent's Park seemed absolutely massive, they could absolutely spare a little more space for the zoo without losing out on a ton of green space for guests and local wildlife to enjoy.
 
JVM said:
I would love to see this happen. Regent's Park seemed absolutely massive, they could absolutely spare a little more space for the zoo without losing out on a ton of green space for guests and local wildlife to enjoy.
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A few decades ago, London Zoo planned to acquire 10 acres of Regen's Park alongside the Cassons. There was a big backlash by local residents who didn't want to pay to walk in that area of park.
 
Dassie rat said:
A few decades ago, London Zoo planned to acquire 10 acres of Regen's Park alongside the Cassons. There was a big backlash by local residents who didn't want to pay to walk in that area of park.
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Fascinating! Was this more to do with the specific area chosen or general distaste with the zoo?
 
JVM said:
This is smart and very practical thinking though. A mixed savanna for giraffe, zebra, ostrich and antelope or gazelle, and the reintroduction of rhinoceros, would be a worthwhile addition to the zoo by itself, and adding some small species displays to them would be smart. Maybe the former Cotton Terraces could be redeveloped for a forest species to go with the nearby okapi/duiker and pygmy hippo enclosures? If warthog were integrated into the savanna development, you could move red river hog to the current warthog enclosure as well, transforming almost all of Into Africa for forest species, save the painted dogs.
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That's a very good idea - personally, if this were to happen, I would then move the Babirusa into the current Red River Hog enclosure and use the current Babirusa enclosure to bring back Malayan Tapir, a species that is, as lovely as their replacements are, very much missed.

Although these plans will likely never happen, Into Africa in general seems to be receiving a lot of much-needed care in recent times. Two new species (Ostrich and Kirk's Dik-dik) and renovations to the indoor area for the Pygmy Hippos, with long-term plans to improve viewing for the hunting dogs and warthogs (not exactly sure how, but hopefully it entails the reopening of one of the old pathways beneath the bridge to the left of the dog enclosure, along which you can find an open-topped pond for native wildlife) and for the giraffes, zebras and ostrich to all be mixed together. It is looking better than ever, although I still don't quite understand the reasoning for demolishing the raised boardwalk viewing for the giraffes, which you could once find outside the hippo house for some memorable views of the animals.
 
Kalaw said:
That's a very good idea - personally, if this were to happen, I would then move the Babirusa into the current Red River Hog enclosure and use the current Babirusa enclosure to bring back Malayan Tapir, a species that is, as lovely as their replacements are, very much missed.

Although these plans will likely never happen, Into Africa in general seems to be receiving a lot of much-needed care in recent times. Two new species (Ostrich and Kirk's Dik-dik) and renovations to the indoor area for the Pygmy Hippos, with long-term plans to improve viewing for the hunting dogs and warthogs (not exactly sure how, but hopefully it entails the reopening of one of the old pathways beneath the bridge to the left of the dog enclosure, along which you can find an open-topped pond for native wildlife) and for the giraffes, zebras and ostrich to all be mixed together. It is looking better than ever, although I still don't quite understand the reasoning for demolishing the raised boardwalk viewing for the giraffes, which you could once find outside the hippo house for some memorable views of the animals.
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I was thinking the same thing about how to rotate the Asian species. I had no clue about the raised boardwalk viewing but I did notice ostrich and dik-dik were recent additions and hearing about the potential for mixing. I do think it's pretty amazing that the zoo hasn't had to move the giraffes or abandon the area for another project. Reopening those pathways and improving viewing for warthog and hunting dog would be fantastic.

PossumRoach said:
I take it has to fencing off a chunk of the park making it inaccessible for people who just want to go to the park.
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I could assume that much from the quoted post, but I'd really be curious if there was more context. It's a four hundred plus acre park, some of which is wide open grass and some of which is more wooded and natural, and only ten acres were in question. I should hope there is more to it than sheer resentment.
 
JVM said:
I was thinking the same thing about how to rotate the Asian species. I had no clue about the raised boardwalk viewing but I did notice ostrich and dik-dik were recent additions and hearing about the potential for mixing. I do think it's pretty amazing that the zoo hasn't had to move the giraffes or abandon the area for another project. Reopening those pathways and improving viewing for warthog and hunting dog would be fantastic.


I could assume that much from the quoted post, but I'd really be curious if there was more context. It's a four hundred plus acre park, some of which is wide open grass and some of which is more wooded and natural, and only ten acres were in question. I should hope there is more to it than sheer resentment.
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Never underestimate the power of the British NIMBY (not in my back-yard).
 
JVM said:
Fascinating! Was this more to do with the specific area chosen or general distaste with the zoo?
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I think it was due to being expected to pay for an area of the park that they'd been able to walk in free of charge
 
My home zoo has 287 hectares of land, so the area is more than good enough, I don't think two more acres would bring much change to my home zoo, as it keeps cutting down species due to insufficient budget.
 
For Franklin Park Zoo, I would use it to create a separate exhibit for pygmy hippos and move them there because they shouldn’t be inside the Tropical Forest 24/7. According to my calculations, the pygmy hippos at the GaiaPark Kerkrade Zoo have an exhibit that is 0.196 acres, and judging by the photos on this site, it looks solid. An exhibit that is almost 2 acres would work, it seems.

If the exhibit is understocked, maybe move the DeBrazza’s monkeys there with them. I know pygmy hippos go decently with various primates. Would the saddle-billed storks work in there, or would that have to be in its own exhibit?

I’m not sure what would go in the current exhibits, though.
 
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