I've just...

[James27]

Maybe because a lot of them can't? This is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever heard on here lol.

 

[reduakari]

Maybe because a lot of them can't? This is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever heard on here lol.

"Can't" move beyond being menageries or "stamp collections?" If they can't move on, they shouldn't exist (oh, that brings us full circle back to RSCC doesn't it?).

 

[James27]

No, Bristol zoo is 12 acres in the middle of a city. It's an excellent zoo yet it could never do an Eden project. Or are you not happy because it's not commercial enough?

 

[reduakari]

No, Bristol zoo is 12 acres in the middle of a city. It's an excellent zoo yet it could never do an Eden project. Or are you not happy because it's not commercial enough?

Bristol has plans and is raising money for for a much larger new facility on a different site that will be comprised exclusively of "American-style" or "Eden Project-style" recreated environment immersion habitats. Whether or not this is "more commercial" I can't say, but it will certainly be better for the animals and for delivering the conservation messages the zoo wants to get across.

 

[James27]

But that's a new park, I'm saying every existing zoo should not have to change just to meet these (predominantly) unrealistic ideas you have towards exhibitry. Bristol zoo is a quite, small park, not Disneyland.

 

[zoogiraffe]

Actually, the Eden project is an unbelievably well-done experience about the natural world, which is what zoos can and should be once they've moved beyond being menageries or "stamp collections" of animals in boxes. Far too many haven't even started to make that move, sadly.

It keeps coming back to things looking like the natural world,yet thats not always the best for the animals,take Antwerp when they started breeding Congo Peafowl built a lovely natural exhibit and they never bred put them back in the old exhibit which was little more than a couple of shelves and a heater and they bred them just goes to show natural isn`t always best!

 

[James27]

Was the older exhibit any good, or was it a case of breeding through boredom because it was so bad? I know I usually agree with you, but the lack of breeding could possibly be linked to them having other stuff to do (e.g. exploring plants and that) ?

 

[reduakari]

It keeps coming back to things looking like the natural world,yet thats not always the best for the animals,take Antwerp when they started breeding Congo Peafowl built a lovely natural exhibit and they never bred put them back in the old exhibit which was little more than a couple of shelves and a heater and they bred them just goes to show natural isn`t always best!

So what is the point of the Congo Peacocks being housed like chickens, even if they breed? Are the young going to be returned to the wild? I don't think so. At least in the naturalistic exhibit visitors could appreciate the bird for what it is--a product and integral part of its environment.

 

[James27]

So what is the point of the Congo Peacocks being housed like chickens, even if they breed? Are the young going to be returned to the wild? I don't think so. At least in the naturalistic exhibit visitors could appreciate the bird for what it is--a product and integral part of its environment.

I don't think regular zoo visitors ever think like that though, they either say "oh look at the bird" and walk off, or get annoyed because they can't see it properly due to the number of plants.

 

[zoogiraffe]

Was the older exhibit any good, or was it a case of breeding through boredom because it was so bad? I know I usually agree with you, but the lack of breeding could possibly be linked to them having other stuff to do (e.g. exploring plants and that) ?

It was very basic but the birds did have a substrate to scratch about in and shevles and branches to perch on.

 

[zoogiraffe]

So what is the point of the Congo Peacocks being housed like chickens, even if they breed? Are the young going to be returned to the wild? I don't think so. At least in the naturalistic exhibit visitors could appreciate the bird for what it is--a product and integral part of its environment.

Yes but if they don`t breed when been housed like chickens,whats the point at having a wonderfull all singing and dancing naturalistic exhibit with bugger all in it because they all died out in zoo`s because they wouldn`t breed in the naturalistic exhibit!