Make a profitable exhibit challenge

I think the objective is to make an example which has a limited number of animals which would draw in normal visitors, not just crammed with unrealistic rarities or overloaded with a species list of the area copied and pasted off Wikipedia or eBird. :) Whether the people who undertake the challenge do so fulfilling the criteria is subjective and up to you, but that is the objective of this thread if I am not mistaken.
Just as @amur leopard said, to create something that isn't stupidly over the top in terms of species lists and focus more on the attraction. To create something that will get the visitors coming and get your zoo some profit. This is very different from what is usually on here. The usual fantasy zoos/exhibits are usually just a long list of unrealistic species without taking into consideration what it looks like/how it is for the visitors and if it will actually make money.
So profitability depends on a realistic species list?
Whatever the species list, an expensive-to-build exhibit complex (nocturnal house, hippos and indoor mangrove forests, etc.) is the same and the visitation is the same.
So where is the profitability? I don't see how these exhibits make money in any way that every other fantasy exhibit on Zoochat doesn't. Solar panels are great but reducing the energy load does not a profit make.

In short: Show Me The Money!
 
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So profitability depends on a realistic species list?
Whatever the species list, an expensive-to-build exhibit complex (nocturnal house, hippos and indoor mangrove forests, etc.) is the same and the visitation is the same.
So where is the profitability? I don't see how these exhibits make money in any way that every other fantasy exhibit on Zoochat doesn't. Solar panels are great but reducing the energy load does not a profit make.

In short: Show Me The Money!

Remember, these thought experiments are being done by people outside of the zoo scene. (I am one of those outside of the zoo scene.) If I were actually designing exhibits, I wouldn’t be here posting designs here because it would be just like work and I wouldn’t be doing work during my spare time. Just as you say, ‘show me the money’, I’d say ‘pay me’ if you expected a fully drawn schematic and all the other details like you’d see on an exhibit’s profile on ZooLex. You wouldn’t do so since I’m unqualified to do the work that requires a large amount of effort from a team of experts.

So, if the people submitting in this thread are not inside the zoo scene, they’re going to be thinking about how a (non-representative) guest would go through the area as their basis, which would bias the cost and complexity upwards. I did this a fair amount too, where I drew upon successful exhibits such as my local zoo’s Russia’s Grizzly Coast as well as a small amount from the River’s Edge at Saint Louis. I also decided to think of exhibits with dimensions similar to accredited institutions by following posted designs on ZooLex and using the publicly available AZA animal care manuals. The designs on ZooLex are most likely not a representative sample of all zoo exhibits for a particular species, so there will be some bias (most likely upward) introduced using them. (I also cited the uncertainty at decisions that I included [the indoor mangrove forest] even after the trading off elephants, so it’s not as though I’m entirely unaware [although I may be pretty close] of what I’m proposing.) Is there more that could be done from an outsider in creating an exhibit series that is successful to an insider, sure, but I’d say using ZooLex and the AZA animal care manuals (the constraints to maximizing profit) is a step closer in the directions of profitability that a thread like this encourages.

As a result of the who is on ZooChat and the incentive incompatibility for exhibit-design insiders to contribute for Internet praise, these ideas are going to be a pretty sizeable epsilon away from what an insider knows is profitable. Of course, if profit was the sole goal, I assume it’d be easiest to set up a roadside zoo, pay employees terrible wages, care for the animals poorly, and charge people a fair amount of money to hold a sedated tiger cub. However, I don’t think anyone on ZooChat would want to submit that.

Those are my thoughts.
 
@Sotolo I do see that. But @TheEthiopianWolf03 presented what sounded like a unique Zoochat challenge. I am trying to nudge members to address that challenge as best they can. What ideas will people come up with? What insights will they have?
Writing a narrative of a fascinating zoo exhibit complex is being done on dozens of threads here. This one was presented with a twist.
So challenge yourself? What would be a profitable exhibit? What do you think that phrase means and how will you imagine such an exhibit?
I don't believe Zoolex is looking to publish your results ;)
 
@Sotolo I do see that. But @TheEthiopianWolf03 presented what sounded like a unique Zoochat challenge. I am trying to nudge members to address that challenge as best they can. What ideas will people come up with? What insights will they have?
Writing a narrative of a fascinating zoo exhibit complex is being done on dozens of threads here. This one was presented with a twist.
So challenge yourself? What would be a profitable exhibit? What do you think that phrase means and how will you imagine such an exhibit?
I don't believe Zoolex is looking to publish your results ;)

I think I misinterpreted your initial comments to be a bit more dismissive than you intended. I was angling my submission as a alternate-world River's Edge, so I was a little puzzled when you mentioned that hippos were a bit out there when Saint Louis does have hippos. That's mostly on me for not making that connection as explicit.

I imagine that many of the exhibits on Zoolex are 'profitable' for the zoo which I interpreted as getting people to come to the zoo and having a large proportion of those who come to the zoo spend a reasonable amount of time at the exhibit. If there's a better interpretation of profitability for zoos (since, aside from the Bronx's Gorilla Forest, people are not paying to go to one exhibit), I'd be happy to know.

Hopefully that clears things up on my end.
 
I think I misinterpreted your initial comments to be a bit more dismissive than you intended. I was angling my submission as a alternate-world River's Edge, so I was a little puzzled when you mentioned that hippos were a bit out there when Saint Louis does have hippos. That's mostly on me for not making that connection as explicit.

I imagine that many of the exhibits on Zoolex are 'profitable' for the zoo which I interpreted as getting people to come to the zoo and having a large proportion of those who come to the zoo spend a reasonable amount of time at the exhibit. If there's a better interpretation of profitability for zoos (since, aside from the Bronx's Gorilla Forest, people are not paying to go to one exhibit), I'd be happy to know.

Hopefully that clears things up on my end.
I can't deny I am not one to sugar coat my statements. But that can misdirect people, I know

A decent exhibit (with great marketing) will give a zoo an attendance bump for a season. Sometimes a bit longer. It usually is either a charismatic animal new to the facility (We have elephants!), a terrific immersive experience (Explore the southeast Asia forest and its wonders!), or an interactive experience (Swim with the stingrays!). To be profitable it probably has a new much needed restaurant, souvenir shop, etc. (In addition to time spent at an exhibit the zoo needs visitors to spend more money at the zoo) Even so, if one counts the cost of the exhibit then one wonders how long it takes to be profitable (in an investment sense). But is it fair to evaluate zoo exhibits on ROI alone?
If the zoo is only partially developed and the new exhibit expands the zoo then the attendance bump will be more durable than if one poor exhibit is replaced with a decent exhibit.
So if we are to accept this challenge we might think about these issues and see where that thinking leaves us.
Since so many Zoochatters want to own or run or work in zoos in their dream job this is really a great exercise.
 
One time I spoke to a zoo director who said that the most "profitable" enclosure in their entire zoo was the rabbit enclosure. It was designed and build by the zoo itself from mainly surplus materials in a few days, the rabbits were all local adoptions, the food was very cheap and the care took little time from the keepers (if not done by the volunteers). However, it was extremely popular with children who just loved to pet the rabbits. The cost:benefit ratio was, to his estimation, the best of all the zoo's enclosures.

Yet if you build a zoo with only this type of enclosure I doubt it will do very well. A zoo is more than the sum of its parts, and that makes it difficult to really know how "profitable" one single exhibit is. The rabbit enclosure may well have the best cost:benefit ratio, but without the bears and camels and monkeys in the rest of the zoo, no-one would pay to see it.
 
So profitability depends on a realistic species list?
Whatever the species list, an expensive-to-build exhibit complex (nocturnal house, hippos and indoor mangrove forests, etc.) is the same and the visitation is the same.
So where is the profitability? I don't see how these exhibits make money in any way that every other fantasy exhibit on Zoochat doesn't. Solar panels are great but reducing the energy load does not a profit make.

In short: Show Me The Money!

So while I have been giving out themes and such I have been trying to read into trends that new exhibits have and I am currently trying to grasp what makes a exhibit profitable. Realistically while I think many of these concepts are well thought out I don't have a full conceptual grasp on what "profitable" means to a zoo other than my interpretation which is an exhibit that has the following:

1.) Recognizable animals (That are also profitable through plushies, toys, etc)
2.) Interactive exhibits (Marketed towards kids that utilize the senses like touch and hearing)
3.) Some other aspects to it that make it fun for families (Playground structures, etc)


So when I imagine a profitable exhibit I think of California Trail at Oakland zoo. There aren't many animals and the majority of the animals chosen for the exhibit are easily recognizable (Bears, Wolves, Jaguar) and even with the inclusion of an oddity (Californian condor) the exhibit maintains a strict conservation method that is expressed through interactive exhibits like the California Conservation Habitarium or the signage that lets you measure your arm span in comparison to a condor. With the added inclusion of the playground structure, gondola system, giant restaurant, and campsite I think every element in this exhibit is the reason why Oakland zoo saw a rise of attendance that rivaled every year prior to the opening of the exhibit. That is the kind of concept I would consider profitable. In any case I did this to have many zoochaters who love zoos to try to make their own exhibit that would be profitable I give themes, the zoo's association, and a rule set to limit the crazy ideas that I know many zoochatters have to reflect on the limitations many other zoos have when trying to make profitable exhibits. Those were my thoughts when making this thread.
 
If I may chip in with my understanding of what makes a profitable exhibit to me - I would take it literaly. Each exhibit complex presented should include a very brief calculation of costs and revenues with at least slight profit at the end. Under costs I would put annual running costs (expected wages, food, electricity, water, maintenance and depreciation equal to 1/20 of construction costs). Under revenue an expected boost of footfall multiplied by average ticket price, plus corresponding revenue from food and souvenirs or adoptions. How about that?
 
Wild Indonesia: Sumatra

This would likely be an add on to an already, fairly rich zoo in northern, tropical Australia, or perhaps along the Sunshine Coast. Either way, the zoo will have been a part of the ZAA. Most of these species are readily available in Australian, or Southeast Asian zoos.

This exhibit would start out as an archway flanked by bamboo groves on each side forming a sort of natural barrier. From there the path would wind uphill flanked by bamboo with waterfalls trickling down beneath bridged sections of the pathway. At the very top the bamboo would clear out into a spectacular view of a crater-like lake flanked by mud banks.

The first exhibit is a series of small foliage heavy islands with tall wooden structures towering about 35 feet above the island each. These are each connected by ropes and are home to Lar Gibbon 1:1. These ropes eventually connect up to a large Southeast Asian style structure.

The path winds over the lake as a long bridge finally connecting up to the large red roofed, green engraved building. Inside is a large hall with three main sets of windows. To the left showcases the aforementioned Lar Gibbons. To the right is a very large atrium filled with climbing structures, nets, straw, and tire swings. This large atrium is home to Sumatran Orangutans 1:3.
Finally, at the far end of the plaza is a very size able terrarium placed near the exit. It comprised mainly of water with a bit of land lining the back wall. This land is planted sparsely. The bottom of the water is made up of large river stones and a bit of sand. This aquarium is home to the critically endangered Painted River Terrapin 1:2.
As the building ends, the path winds to a large forested area with a massive exhibit with tall trees and tall nets connected to the building. This is the outdoors area for the orangutans, again complete with climbing structures and varied enrichment items.
The path moves into extremely dense forest where the sun hardly reaches the floor. Once again, however, the forest opens up into a large clearing simulating a forest spring. The exhibit here is marshy and barriers seem to be non existent except for the path side, however it is a simple optical illusion with dry moats. This exhibit is home to Malayan Tapir 1:1.
Back into the forest the path winds coming across a large temple. The entrance is shaped as a large tiger and the entirety of it is made of mossy, long forgotten rock brick. The eyes of the Tiger are green as emerald. Inside are once again two glass panels each for a different species. On one side is the Sumatran Tiger 1:1. This exhibit displays only one Tiger at a time due to aggression although the hope is to one day breed the pair. The exhibit is sizeable and densely vegetated with trees and bushes to make for a tougher time spotting the animals, allowing a more authentic guest experience.
Opposite the tigers is a smaller exhibit home to Clouded Leopard 0:1. This exhibit, though smaller at a ground level, goes far taller than the Tiger exhibit allowing plenty of climbing opportunities for the small felines. The path once again moves on into the forest, but this time things are different.
The forests are uniform, geometric, in fact this is no forest at all. The stretch of path is occupied by palm oils. This plantation has been encroaching upon the natural habitat of these species, leaving less and less wild place for the magnificent species of Sumatra to go.
The plantation gives way to an expansive fishing village. The stilt-buildings are highly ornamental with vibrant greens reds and yellows. The village is located on yet another lake, and is bustling with activity. Props of marketplaces, baskets, and nets line the boardwalk streets. Within the buildings are a restaurant, a restroom, and a small gift shop. However, town hall is by far the most important, as well as largest building here.
Within the town hall are four indoors exhibits all of equal size. Each are planted throughout, two with a focus on climbing space, the other two with a focus on water. The vertically oriented exhibits contain Binturong 1:0 and Malayan Flying Fox 3:4. The water oriented exhibits contain Fishing Cat 1:0, and Asian Water Monitor 0:1.
After exiting the fishing village the path returns to the wilds with a view of a large pond surrounded by forest.
As the boardwalk becomes path once more, the two final exhibits come within sight. On the left side of the path is a massive netted exhibit planted with low to the ground foliage as well as a massive tree in the center. This exhibit is home to Sun Bear 1:0.
To the right hand side is a large plains type exhibit with several trees and bushes, but most importantly a large cave/ den. This exhibit is home to Dholes 2:3.
The path takes its final turn as it rejoins the main zoo pathway, concluding Wild Indonesia: Sumatra.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone, a massive open air nocturnal house featuring open-topped exhibits for some amazing nocturnal species and free flying bats. This isn’t your typical nocturnal house with a few glass-fronted exhibits, this is something different. The whole area feels like you are truly in the Australian country, during the night. Featuring several fake buildings, fake trees and mock rock to really give you the feeling that you're outdoors, except your not.


You start your journey into the dark inside a dimly lit cavern. This cavern features fake stalactites and the sound of dripping water played through hidden speakers. On the walls of this cavern you can see incredible examples of aboriginal cave paintings. About half way along the cave, there is a single, large terrarium with reverse lighting for an Coastal Taipan. This exhibit is quite large for a snake and features a strip of concrete down the middle with a heat lamp above. This simulates the roads of the outback that the taipans will bask on during the morning and evening. Either side of the ‘road’ there are two banks featuring sandy dirt and long grass, simulating the natural environment of the snakes. This species will bring the ‘cool’ factor to children and adults alike with several standout signs explaining the potent venom of both the coastal and the more dangerous inland taipan.


You now exit the cave and get your first view of something spectacular, the sound of an owl hooting over speakers and the amazing fluttering of bats over your heads. At this point you are standing on a balcony overlooking the whole indoor section, you can see all of the exhibits and theming below you and you are excited to see what’s to come. The path veers of to the left and a small ramp takes you to the ground level of the house. The first exhibit in here will be on your left, a medium-sized aviary for the cute Boobook Owl. This exhibit will feature a large ‘eucalyptus’ tree in the centre of the aviary, holding it up. There are several perches extending off here. The exhibit also features a much smaller tree and a rock formation with a small hole at the top where the owls can hide.


The path continues and you now hear the sound of splashing water. You round the corner and see a large glass panel providing underwater viewing for this exhibit. The exhibit itself has a large, quite deep pool and a smaller land area featuring rocks and small plants. The inhabitants of this exhibit is a group of Freshwater Crocodiles. At the back of this exhibit there is a raised fishing hut on stilts that visitors can enter and have an overview of the exhibit. There is lots of theming around the viewing area, with yellow warning signs saying things such as ‘Warning Crocodiles’.


The path continues on to an open area with a few big trees on the left of the path. This isn’t an exhibit but this is where the huge group of free-flying Black Flying Foxes hang out. The fake trees have lots of perches and areas where fresh fruit is placed to encourage the bats to come closer to the visitors.


The path rounds a corner and a large, steep rocky hillside comes into view. The exhibit appears to have no barriers, but it is actually separated from the public by a hidden dry moat. This exhibit features lots of rocky ledges and caves that go into the rock. This exhibit holds several Black-Footed Rock Wallabies. These animals will appeal to children as of the ‘cute factor’.


Directly across from this exhibit, on the left side of the path, is another, smaller one. This one has two small trees with lots of branches and climbing structures in between. The exhibit is glass-fronted but open-topped. It holds Common Brushtail Possums. The back of the exhibit is one of the walls of the largest structure in the Twilight Zone, a tall house which visitors can enter, we will get to this area later.


Now, we come to a small, low-fenced exhibit. The exhibit is covered in logs, rocks and tall grass to provide hiding space for the Short-Beaked Echidna.



Now we get to the stars of the Twilight Zone. Firstly there is another set of trees for the Flying Foxes. Then we get to an exhibit similar to the one for echidnas but a little larger. Visitors can get right up to the fence and view Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombats up close. These animals will also bring the cute factor for the children. Now we enter the house we talked about earlier. Inside this house, there are two indoor areas for two previously mentioned animals along with a small viewing opportunity into the final, and most popular, exhibit in this area. The fist indoor exhibit is for the wombats, it is quite small but features lots of hiding places amongst the house theming. Their exhibit is based around a table and a few chairs as well as several cupboards at the back, some of which are opened up with lots of bedding inside, providing the animals with a place to sleep. Above the cupboards there is a worktop with lots of pots and pans to continue the theming. This indoor area is glass-fronted.


The next indoor area is for the Possums. Their area is similar in size to the wombat one but features lots of climbing opportunities in the form of branches and poles. These climbing areas are centres around a bed. This bed continues the house theming and is also where their food is placed. This exhibit is also glass fronted. Finally, in this house, visitors can look out of the window to get a glimpse into the next habitat.



As the visitors leave the house, they are greeted immediately by the most popular exhibit in the Twilight Zone. A long but narrow habitat for Queensland Koalas. Their habitat features two fake eucalyptus trees interconnected by lots of branches and poles providing lots of climbing opportunities for the koalas. These animals can be viewed over a fence so small it looks like you are in their exhibit. There are lots of benches behind the path so visitors can sit down and enjoy watching these adorable animals.


The last habitat in the Twilight Zone, is something that probably wouldn’t be expected. It is a medium sized area surrounded by a fence that holds a group of European Rabbits. This symbolises the rabbits invading the natural territories of these Australian-native animals and destroying their habitats. There is a big display with several signs that explains this in detail as well as a smaller one explaining it simply in a cartoon-style for the children.


You exit the Twilight Zone through a cave similar to the one you entered in, except this one opens out into a gift shop where you can buy cuddly toys of some of the animals you have just seen as well as other things. This brings more income to the exhibit as children and families will likely want a souvenir.

Interesting concepts! @ThatOneZooGuy your next theme is for a zoo in EAZA that wants an exhibit with the theme of "Urbanization" and its affects on the wildlife of Europe. This might be a bit of a hard one but I'll let you figure out how to make this work. @Gibbon05 your next theme is a AZA zoo with a theme of "Coastal wildlife" and the message of pollution.

I would like a theme

Your zoo is a ZAA zoo with a focus on the "Forests of Australia". Try to incorporate the risks these forest face.

I want to have a theme, too. Why not? :D And Zooplantman as a critic. ;)
Your zoo is a CAZA zoo with the theme of "Northern Asia". I know pretty simple but try to create a message with your exhibit.

Don't forget with all that as been recently discussed, try to incorporate concepts that make the exhibit profitable.
 
This one is going to be a little different.

Your goal is to make an exhibit that will bring money and visitors to a zoo. This means you will need to follow a certain criteria.

1.) The exhibit needs to have at least 1-2 ABC animals (Like something that is marketable, cute, well known, etc). You can include no more than 10 other species with your chosen ABC animal(s) but don't get something that would be unrealistic. Each animal should be chosen with a purpose in mind and not just to fit a theme but to also tell a story. I'll explain more in #3

2.) To make this a bit more challenging, I will be the one who will give you a random theme. It is up to you what you will do with that theme and it can be anything from geographic to being based on taxonomy. For an extra layer of challenge I will randomly select the following associations (AZA, ZAA, EAZA, and CAZA) that the zoo that you are designing this exhibit for is located. This means you really have to think about your selection of animals and what is more realistic or not. I won't choose a theme that will be impossible for the association you are designing it for but realistically speaking it should be possible. The themes will be easy to follow at first but I will start doing some more unique ones down the line to get more creativity from you.

3.) Your designs should talk about stuff other than the typical species list and exhibits. What conservation message is being said in this exhibit? How will this exhibit be educational for kids? Why is this specific animal being exhibited? What will make this exhibit profitable?

This might be a lot to take in but Zoochat has some smart people in it so I am sure that you guys can create something interesting. Think of me as a "Shark Tank" investor (except I won't judge :D) and pitch the designs to me as if they are being pitched to a zoo. If you are up for the challenge just comment on the thread and I will get to you as soon as possible. Hopefully this will be a fun distraction with everything going on in the world right now. Happy brainstorming!
Hmm, interesting challenge. I'll give this a go.
 
Your zoo is a CAZA zoo with the theme of "Northern Asia". I know pretty simple but try to create a message with your exhibit.

Don't forget with all that as been recently discussed, try to incorporate concepts that make the exhibit profitable.

Here it is. Not surprise what the key animal is. I also thought about polar bears, but this is native animal in Canada..

Siberian Forests

The exhibit shows forest of Siberia, the worlds largest continuous forest, and teaches of forest conservation and predator protection.

Entrance and visitor path
The entrance is through a wooden gate with beautiful Russian ornamental woodwork. The exhibit area is existing forest and preserves the forest feeling. Exhibits are surrounded by simple, unobtrusive chainlink fence partially hidden by with fast growing shrubs planted in front.

Along the visitor path, dead logs and tree stumps are positioned and East Asian shrubs and trees are planted. Education items are positioned along the walkway. They include animal footprints pressed in concrete, asking visitors to guess the species. A storage hut is built on tree trunk, which is traditional Siberian way to protect supplies from bears. On one tree there is a traditional Russian beehive carved high up in a dead standing tree. There are also camera traps, a look-into fake leopard den and a live tiger trap used by researchers.

Enclosure 1.
The exhibits are used by siberian tigers, dhole and amur leopards in rotation. Leopards can use only the two mesh-covered exhibits. First is the biggest, forest exhibit with a dry moat, which uses an existing gully. It is up to 1 hectare in size. The background information tells, among others, that the dhole is the only wild carnivore able to chase tiger off its kill.

Owl aviary
A large aviary with old trees and a pool hosts Blakiston's fish owls. This species is especially worth bringing to Western collections. There is a breeding program in Japan. It is not only attractive and endangered owl, but will forever require an insurance population due to destruction of forests in the Far East. If sourcing the owls is impossible, the aviary can host Steller's sea eagles or eurasian eagle owls.

Enclosure 2.
The second exhibit is covered viewed through glass viewing windows. It has a water pool, allowing underwater view of the tigers if they use the area and choose to swim. There is a broad wire tunnel going over the visitor path which cats can enter. There is a heated pad which encourages big cats to rest directly over the visitor path.

Enclosure 3.
The third carnivore exhibit is also netted. It is viewed from a hut with information on the predator research. The hut extends into the exhibit and has partially glass ceiling. The nearby panel is heated, which encourages predators to sit on the roof. The look at a tiger overhead almost within touching distance is probably the last thing which zoo world did not yet do about tigers. There are fake poacher's traps hidden between trees near the path, and visitors re asked to spot them. Some fake snares are in the tiger exhibit, so visitors can see the tiger almost walking into the trap.

Holding building
Visitors can look into the tiger holding building through the glass. There is a detailed information how zoos care for the tigers. For many people, the zoo by itself is also interesting. There is also a family tree of all carnivores in the exhibit, tracing their ancestors to the wild.

Enclosure 4. and animal demonstration
Nearby, the fourth small exhibit has an amphitheater and is used for presentations and medical training of carnivores. It includes a feeding pole for tigers and leopards to climb. Another leaning tree trunk illustrates the surprising agility and climbing skills of dhole. There is also a metal line pulled over the exhibit, which lets dhole or tigers chase a moving target.
One special event is tug-of-war between children and a tiger. It involves pulling a rope going between the visitor area and the animal area. A pulley system prevents the rope from being pulled too fast. The 'prize' is a cardboard bag with dry food or a whole dead chicken, to avoid the situation that the tiger ingests the rope.
I suspect that the dholes will be more popular than the cats, due to their general activity and sociability.

The restaurant
There is a restaurant themed as East Russia. It serves Russian and Chinese cuisine. It has a terrace overlooking a tiger exhibit, and visitors can also see amphitheatre presentation on the other side of the complex.

The stream aviary near the restaurant
A glass wall opens from the restaurant into an aviary. It shows a rocky forest stream with a small waterfall and split-view above and underwater. It is carefully designed to be beautiful, with a quality of a Japanese garden architecture. It hosts mandarin ducks, scaly-sided mergansers and endangered Amur sturgeon. It illustrates importance of forests for water quality. The sturgeon can be stocked from hatcheries in China or Russia.

Children playground
There is children playground focusing on protecting ancient forests. The children can climb and slide in giant, modeled tree trunks and walk on ropes between trees in a rope park. In the tree trunks are hollows with models of animals which require old trees, like a bear in her den, martens, woodpeckers, owls, mergansers and mandarin ducks. Many other animal pictures and wood sculptures illustrate lives of tigers and other animals without the use of words. A mesh tunnel extends over a visitor path, and lets children climb like big cats climbed in their own tunnel. There is also a number of underground tunnels and passages in rotten trees. They let children go like a dhole or a chipmunk into an underground tunnel which opens in several glass domes and viewing windows inside the tiger exhibit.
Specific topics are illustrated:
*old trees as key resource – a mock nest of Steller's sea eagle on top of a climbing tower. A row of planted and existing trees: from young sapling through a 20, 40, 60 and 200 year old tree trunk; illustrating that planting a young tree in place of an old tree is not enough.
*old hollow trees as an important habitat – treehouse
*dead timber as key habitat element – crawl over old tree logs, open little doors to see models of small animals living in dead wood.
*habitat corridors, ecological corridors – rope walk between trees
*spreading seeds – playing by sliding on a hook attached to the rope
*forests and preservation of freshwater – a drinking water fountain like an a little forest spring
*umbrella species – look into tiger exhibit through the window

Species:
Amur sturgeon
mandarin duck
scaly-sided merganser
Blakiston's fish owl / Steller's sea eagle
amur leopard
siberian tiger
dhole
All species are endangered except the mandarin duck, which is cheap to maintain and very attractive. All illustrate forest protection in some way (sturgeon, merganser, owl, leopard, tiger) or predator protection.

Reasons why the exhibit should be profitable:
The place uses the existing forest and requires no heated animal building or large pools or rocks. There is a number of attractions: children playground, carnivore demonstrations, a hut with tigers resting on a glass roof, walk-over wire tunnels which big cats can enter. There is a restaurant which can be accessed from outside the zoo and can be rented for events.
 
The Sea of Life

A brand-new expansion to a top aquarium, this exhibit features things for the kids as well as an overlaid deep conservation message. Let's begin our journey. We exit the main aquarium building into an outdoor section. This area features two large exhibits along with a restaurant and a wet play area. As we begin, two mock rock walls run alongside the pathway, blocking anything else from view. These walls are ‘decorated’ with fishing lines, ropes and other objects, thus beginning the pollution theme. We round the corner and an open plaza comes into view. At the centre is a large cafe with sea views. To the right of this is the ‘Splash Zone’ a large wet play area with fountains, slides and more. The first of the two exhibits here is shaped like a circle, enclosed by a rock border. Visitors can see several Harbour Seals here. The majority of the exhibit is a large, deep pool with small land areas consisting of rocky outcrops. Visitors can view the exhibit from above and walk down a ramp to a large underwater viewing window. The back of the exhibit is made up of a large mock rock wall. On this wall is a half destroyed boat, half of the top is missing and the skeleton is visible. There is a fishing net hanging from the boat (not quite touching the water as not to harm the animals).


The next exhibit is half outdoors and half indoors. The outdoors section is almost exactly the same as the seal’s exhibit, however it is a bit larger. This exhibit holds Californian Sea Lions. The indoor section of this exhibit is even larger than the outdoor section. It is a large semi-circle up against the wall that connects the two sections. The round edge of the circle is a complete, uninterrupted curved glass panel that allows an amazing view into the pool. The majority of this section is one large pool, with a small rocky land section on the back wall. The two sections are connected by two holes in the wall to each side of the land section. Visitors can sit on a large amphitheatre-style seating area and see over the whole exhibit. There are daily shows that take place here. The lighting around this area is bright blue to give an authentic look. To the right of the sea lion exhibit is another pool, only separated by a low and thin rocky wall so visitors can see both pools at the same time. Nothing lives here, it is used as a static display. There is a sandy beach section which is littered with lots of plastic and rubbish as well several oil barrels, some of them upturned. The water section in this display is stained black to look like there has been an oil spill. Signs on the back edge of the path give information about the dangers of oil spills for animals. On these signs are several flaps that have a warning sign on the front. If visitors open these flaps, there are pictures of animals that have been trapped in oil spills.


To the right side of this display is another exhibit. This one, again, is only separated from the ‘oil spill’ by a low rocky wall. This exhibit has a large pool with a very small land section. Here lives a pair of Sea Otters. Their exhibit can be viewed via a low glass panel with above and underwater viewing. The next area includes another static display. It is a tall rocky wall up against the wall of the building. On this wall are loads of plastic items and rubbish. A sign explains that all of this was found in the sea around the aquarium. There is a similar setup to the oil spill pictures, this time with pictures of animals trapped in plastic behind the flaps. Next the path takes you to a seating area with small stools in front of a large TV screen that plays a looped cartoon video for kids about pollution in the sea.


The path continues on and it comes to a small open topped tank for Epaulette Sharks and Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks.


The next area is a large sandy beach with a deep pool for a large colony of Humboldt Penguins. Their exhibit can be viewed by a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window that provides above and underwater viewing. At the back of their exhibit, on the beach, is an overturned boat with several holes in its hull that the penguins can walk into. The idea is that the penguins will nest in there, and if they do, there is a camera in each one. These cameras feed a live video to several screens in the visitor area. There is more seating here for the visitors to sit and watch the penguins.


The final exhibit is a touch pool for Cownose Rays along with other smaller rays and fish. Their pool is separated by the same low barrier from another pool. This pool is full to the brim with plastic and rubbish, so much so you can hardly see the water. Finally as you exit this exhibit, there is a gift shop where you can purchase soft toys of the animals found here such as the penguins, sea lions and otters.
 
Hmm, interesting challenge. I'll give this a go.

Your zoo is located in France as a member of EAZA. The zoo wants to do an exhibit that revolved around it's partnership with the Sahara Conservation Fund to educate people of the work they do.

Here it is. Not surprise what the key animal is. I also thought about polar bears, but this is native animal in Canada..

Siberian Forests

The exhibit shows forest of Siberia, the worlds largest continuous forest, and teaches of forest conservation and predator protection.

Entrance and visitor path
The entrance is through a wooden gate with beautiful Russian ornamental woodwork. The exhibit area is existing forest and preserves the forest feeling. Exhibits are surrounded by simple, unobtrusive chainlink fence partially hidden by with fast growing shrubs planted in front.

Along the visitor path, dead logs and tree stumps are positioned and East Asian shrubs and trees are planted. Education items are positioned along the walkway. They include animal footprints pressed in concrete, asking visitors to guess the species. A storage hut is built on tree trunk, which is traditional Siberian way to protect supplies from bears. On one tree there is a traditional Russian beehive carved high up in a dead standing tree. There are also camera traps, a look-into fake leopard den and a live tiger trap used by researchers.

Enclosure 1.
The exhibits are used by siberian tigers, dhole and amur leopards in rotation. Leopards can use only the two mesh-covered exhibits. First is the biggest, forest exhibit with a dry moat, which uses an existing gully. It is up to 1 hectare in size. The background information tells, among others, that the dhole is the only wild carnivore able to chase tiger off its kill.

Owl aviary
A large aviary with old trees and a pool hosts Blakiston's fish owls. This species is especially worth bringing to Western collections. There is a breeding program in Japan. It is not only attractive and endangered owl, but will forever require an insurance population due to destruction of forests in the Far East. If sourcing the owls is impossible, the aviary can host Steller's sea eagles or eurasian eagle owls.

Enclosure 2.
The second exhibit is covered viewed through glass viewing windows. It has a water pool, allowing underwater view of the tigers if they use the area and choose to swim. There is a broad wire tunnel going over the visitor path which cats can enter. There is a heated pad which encourages big cats to rest directly over the visitor path.

Enclosure 3.
The third carnivore exhibit is also netted. It is viewed from a hut with information on the predator research. The hut extends into the exhibit and has partially glass ceiling. The nearby panel is heated, which encourages predators to sit on the roof. The look at a tiger overhead almost within touching distance is probably the last thing which zoo world did not yet do about tigers. There are fake poacher's traps hidden between trees near the path, and visitors re asked to spot them. Some fake snares are in the tiger exhibit, so visitors can see the tiger almost walking into the trap.

Holding building
Visitors can look into the tiger holding building through the glass. There is a detailed information how zoos care for the tigers. For many people, the zoo by itself is also interesting. There is also a family tree of all carnivores in the exhibit, tracing their ancestors to the wild.

Enclosure 4. and animal demonstration
Nearby, the fourth small exhibit has an amphitheater and is used for presentations and medical training of carnivores. It includes a feeding pole for tigers and leopards to climb. Another leaning tree trunk illustrates the surprising agility and climbing skills of dhole. There is also a metal line pulled over the exhibit, which lets dhole or tigers chase a moving target.
One special event is tug-of-war between children and a tiger. It involves pulling a rope going between the visitor area and the animal area. A pulley system prevents the rope from being pulled too fast. The 'prize' is a cardboard bag with dry food or a whole dead chicken, to avoid the situation that the tiger ingests the rope.
I suspect that the dholes will be more popular than the cats, due to their general activity and sociability.

The restaurant
There is a restaurant themed as East Russia. It serves Russian and Chinese cuisine. It has a terrace overlooking a tiger exhibit, and visitors can also see amphitheatre presentation on the other side of the complex.

The stream aviary near the restaurant
A glass wall opens from the restaurant into an aviary. It shows a rocky forest stream with a small waterfall and split-view above and underwater. It is carefully designed to be beautiful, with a quality of a Japanese garden architecture. It hosts mandarin ducks, scaly-sided mergansers and endangered Amur sturgeon. It illustrates importance of forests for water quality. The sturgeon can be stocked from hatcheries in China or Russia.

Children playground
There is children playground focusing on protecting ancient forests. The children can climb and slide in giant, modeled tree trunks and walk on ropes between trees in a rope park. In the tree trunks are hollows with models of animals which require old trees, like a bear in her den, martens, woodpeckers, owls, mergansers and mandarin ducks. Many other animal pictures and wood sculptures illustrate lives of tigers and other animals without the use of words. A mesh tunnel extends over a visitor path, and lets children climb like big cats climbed in their own tunnel. There is also a number of underground tunnels and passages in rotten trees. They let children go like a dhole or a chipmunk into an underground tunnel which opens in several glass domes and viewing windows inside the tiger exhibit.
Specific topics are illustrated:
*old trees as key resource – a mock nest of Steller's sea eagle on top of a climbing tower. A row of planted and existing trees: from young sapling through a 20, 40, 60 and 200 year old tree trunk; illustrating that planting a young tree in place of an old tree is not enough.
*old hollow trees as an important habitat – treehouse
*dead timber as key habitat element – crawl over old tree logs, open little doors to see models of small animals living in dead wood.
*habitat corridors, ecological corridors – rope walk between trees
*spreading seeds – playing by sliding on a hook attached to the rope
*forests and preservation of freshwater – a drinking water fountain like an a little forest spring
*umbrella species – look into tiger exhibit through the window

Species:
Amur sturgeon
mandarin duck
scaly-sided merganser
Blakiston's fish owl / Steller's sea eagle
amur leopard
siberian tiger
dhole
All species are endangered except the mandarin duck, which is cheap to maintain and very attractive. All illustrate forest protection in some way (sturgeon, merganser, owl, leopard, tiger) or predator protection.

Reasons why the exhibit should be profitable:
The place uses the existing forest and requires no heated animal building or large pools or rocks. There is a number of attractions: children playground, carnivore demonstrations, a hut with tigers resting on a glass roof, walk-over wire tunnels which big cats can enter. There is a restaurant which can be accessed from outside the zoo and can be rented for events.

Your next zoo is an AZA zoo that wants to build a South American exhibit with a message of wildlife trafficking.

The Sea of Life

A brand-new expansion to a top aquarium, this exhibit features things for the kids as well as an overlaid deep conservation message. Let's begin our journey. We exit the main aquarium building into an outdoor section. This area features two large exhibits along with a restaurant and a wet play area. As we begin, two mock rock walls run alongside the pathway, blocking anything else from view. These walls are ‘decorated’ with fishing lines, ropes and other objects, thus beginning the pollution theme. We round the corner and an open plaza comes into view. At the centre is a large cafe with sea views. To the right of this is the ‘Splash Zone’ a large wet play area with fountains, slides and more. The first of the two exhibits here is shaped like a circle, enclosed by a rock border. Visitors can see several Harbour Seals here. The majority of the exhibit is a large, deep pool with small land areas consisting of rocky outcrops. Visitors can view the exhibit from above and walk down a ramp to a large underwater viewing window. The back of the exhibit is made up of a large mock rock wall. On this wall is a half destroyed boat, half of the top is missing and the skeleton is visible. There is a fishing net hanging from the boat (not quite touching the water as not to harm the animals).


The next exhibit is half outdoors and half indoors. The outdoors section is almost exactly the same as the seal’s exhibit, however it is a bit larger. This exhibit holds Californian Sea Lions. The indoor section of this exhibit is even larger than the outdoor section. It is a large semi-circle up against the wall that connects the two sections. The round edge of the circle is a complete, uninterrupted curved glass panel that allows an amazing view into the pool. The majority of this section is one large pool, with a small rocky land section on the back wall. The two sections are connected by two holes in the wall to each side of the land section. Visitors can sit on a large amphitheatre-style seating area and see over the whole exhibit. There are daily shows that take place here. The lighting around this area is bright blue to give an authentic look. To the right of the sea lion exhibit is another pool, only separated by a low and thin rocky wall so visitors can see both pools at the same time. Nothing lives here, it is used as a static display. There is a sandy beach section which is littered with lots of plastic and rubbish as well several oil barrels, some of them upturned. The water section in this display is stained black to look like there has been an oil spill. Signs on the back edge of the path give information about the dangers of oil spills for animals. On these signs are several flaps that have a warning sign on the front. If visitors open these flaps, there are pictures of animals that have been trapped in oil spills.


To the right side of this display is another exhibit. This one, again, is only separated from the ‘oil spill’ by a low rocky wall. This exhibit has a large pool with a very small land section. Here lives a pair of Sea Otters. Their exhibit can be viewed via a low glass panel with above and underwater viewing. The next area includes another static display. It is a tall rocky wall up against the wall of the building. On this wall are loads of plastic items and rubbish. A sign explains that all of this was found in the sea around the aquarium. There is a similar setup to the oil spill pictures, this time with pictures of animals trapped in plastic behind the flaps. Next the path takes you to a seating area with small stools in front of a large TV screen that plays a looped cartoon video for kids about pollution in the sea.


The path continues on and it comes to a small open topped tank for Epaulette Sharks and Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks.


The next area is a large sandy beach with a deep pool for a large colony of Humboldt Penguins. Their exhibit can be viewed by a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window that provides above and underwater viewing. At the back of their exhibit, on the beach, is an overturned boat with several holes in its hull that the penguins can walk into. The idea is that the penguins will nest in there, and if they do, there is a camera in each one. These cameras feed a live video to several screens in the visitor area. There is more seating here for the visitors to sit and watch the penguins.


The final exhibit is a touch pool for Cownose Rays along with other smaller rays and fish. Their pool is separated by the same low barrier from another pool. This pool is full to the brim with plastic and rubbish, so much so you can hardly see the water. Finally as you exit this exhibit, there is a gift shop where you can purchase soft toys of the animals found here such as the penguins, sea lions and otters.

Sorry for the delay. Your next zoo is a ZAA zoo that wants a exhibit dedicated to African wildlife. Nothing crazy but create a conservation message out of it and try not to do the typical tropes seen with many other African exhibits. Be creative.
 
Forests Of The Land Down Under
This is a 2 acre complex focusing on the forests of Australia.
New Guinea
The first section visitors encounter is New Guinea.
This part has two species.
As visitors walk along an elevated boardwalk,they are surrounded by nothing but plants.
The first exhibit you see is 5,000 square feet and has a large tree at the center.
It contains Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos.
Next is a large,lush flight cage.
It contains several Reggina's Birds Of Paradise.
Australia

The largest section is Australia.
The first thing visitors see is an indoor exhibit that connects to a larger outdoor habitat making for a total of 10,000 square feet.
It contains Koalas.
If you look at the mural at the back of the indoor habitat,you will see fire creeping up.
This is ment to replicate the fires that pose a threat to these forests.
Next is a 5,000 square foot habitat that is netted and has a termite mound.
It contains a Short-Beaked Echidna.
The exhibit has some fallen trees to replicate deforestation that also poses a threat to these forests.
Next is a nocturnal building with two displays.
Both are meshed because their residents are birds.
One exhibit has perches while the other is more ground themed.
The first exhibit is the one with the perches and contains a Tawny Frogmouth while the ground themed one a North Island Kiwi.
Next is an exhibit similar to the Echidna's but slightly larger and no termite mound.
It contains Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombats.
The next habitat is the same as the wombat's but this time a Numbat.
Tasmania

The final section,Tasmania,is the smallest and only has one exhibit.
The exhibit is 10,000 square feet,has a den,and has lots of toys.
It contains a Tasmanian Devil.
Once you leave the area,you are met with the ever so common lorikeet aviary containing Rainbow Lorikeets.

Next theme please
 
I have not forgotten this thread! The exhibit will be up sometime this week when I have the time.
 
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