Masterplan of my "absolute" zoo

Haliaeetus

Haliaeetus

Well-Known Member
Hello everybody,

as a new lockdown seems imminent in my country (France) - and as I can't visit zoos since last Autumn - I would spend my time making the masterplan of my own fantasy zoo.
The work is very long (and it's really a very old project for me, that I started to make years and years ago, then I abandoned for a time), so this thread will include a lot of messages.

This very first one will explain the main features of my zoo, and its philosophical principles.

First I show you the general map :

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Then, I explain some fundamental elements that are the base of my project.

The size : it's obviously a large park (ca. 50 ha).
I took an A3 sheet to draw the integrality of the map, every 5x5 mm square equate 100 m².

The place : my zoo is localized in Western/Central France.
It's important for the topography (rather flat, with gentle slopes and sometimes creeks), and the climate (no intense cold nor aridity in summer). A lot of species could live outdoor nearly all the year.

Organization of the zoo :
To understand the zones, I'll show you another map :

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You can see several colored zones with letters.
Each letter corresponds to the great biogeographical realms and sometimes to special themes, as following :

A- Europe
B- North Asia
C- South Asia
D- Oceania
E- Africa
F- Aquarium
G- The Farm
H- North America
I- South America
J- Antarctica
K- Vivarium

There're several subdivisions in each zone, but we'll discover it in the following posts.

The exhibits :
I try to give to my animals the best exhibits, in the purpose to match their needs.
Some of them are fit for only one species, other for a mix of species.

Sometimes I could explain projects for some exhibits.

PS. Can I use the pictures from Zoochat database to show examples of that they should look ?

The species : of course a lot of species live in my zoo.
The collection mixes purposely some common species (well-known from the public), rare species and exceptional (if not unique) species.
It mixes also threatened and non-threatened species. We'll see further the importance of this feature.
I'll try to specify the number of individuals of the different species, indicating the sexes (except for most fish and invertebrates) and the births.

Sometimes I could explain projects for some species.

Pedagogy and teaching : I propose an original approach of the pedagogy in my zoo.
Unlike a lot of Western zoos that make a focus on the threats the species face, I would like to highlight the co-evolution of wildlife and mankind across the ages, and the place of animals in the myths, legends and popular culture. I would also show to the visitors the conservation actions across the world, and how they can make a difference.
Few days ago, when I browsed the Fantasy Zoos topic, I've red a thread about a project of cetacean rehabilitation park in Asia, that explained the differences between the Western and Oriental conceptions of the nature. It seemed inspirating to me, and I think it's important to give an optimistic prospect to the visitors.

Another feature of my zoo is the importance given to conservation in the French-speacking countries (Francophonie), it's a matter of solidarity with regions like Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific islands, that are mostly developing countries with a rich biodiversity important conservation issues.

Evolution of my zoo : I will try to post new topics every year to show the evolution of my zoo in the timeline.

The opening will start soon !!!

Apart from the insulting ones, every comments are welcome.
 
This map and zoo philosophy is very exciting, cannot wait to see more! Just wondering what program you used to make the map and if any zoos served as major inspiration. Keep up the good work! :)
 
lachlanp04 said:
This map and zoo philosophy is very exciting, cannot wait to see more! Just wondering what program you used to make the map and if any zoos served as major inspiration. Keep up the good work! :)
Click to expand...

I used the Inkscape program.
It's free and easy to use.

I'm inspired from the major generalist zoos in the world : San Diego, the 2 zoos of Berlin, Singapore and now Beauval Zoo (nearly on the doorstep for me !). For the rocks I was inspired by the "Grand Rocher" of the Vincennes Zoo in Paris.
The geographical zoning of my zoo is a very old inspiration : I'm fascinated since my childhood by the parks that reproduce the geography (often, they're miniature theme parks, like France Miniature near Paris).
 
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You've seen the general map of my "absolute" fantasy zoo.

So you can start the visit now.

Let's go with the first zone (A on the general map), dedicated to the European fauna.

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Why an European Zone ? First I'm European, I would show the species of my continent.
Then, European species aren't represented a lot even in most European zoos, maybe because they aren't considered "exotic" and worth to be in a zoo. The only exceptions are zoos mainly dedicated to this fauna, as the Parc de Sainte-Croix or the Parc animalier des Pyrénées, that started with the display of European animals.
In my park, I want to show instead the diversity of our fauna, withe representents of the main biogeographic regions of the continent : atlantic, continental, alpine and mediterranean. There are few nordic and steppic elements, but it was quite difficult to display these species, because they live also in Asia and North America, where they're often more abundant.

So we start the visit.

After passing the entrance (A), you can see a shop on your left (B) and a restaurant with a terrace on your right (C). Now you can see the animal exhibits.

The first one is a large aviary for waterbirds (1). It could look like this one :
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(Credits : Vogelcommando)

It's quite large (1.700 m²). There are trees, reedbeds and 2 ponds.
Its dwellers are a lot of waterbirds, typical of European wetlands. Most can be frequently seen in main French wetlands like the Camargue, the Brenne or the Dombes.

The following species live there :
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) : 2.2
- Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) : 4.3
- Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) : 1.0
- White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) : 1.1
- Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) : 4.3
- Mallard (Anas platyhrynchos) : 6.7
- Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) : 0.4
- Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) : 0.1
- Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) : 3.0

Some of these species (Egrets, Storks, Ibises, Avocets) are easy to see, but you must be more patient to see other ones (Purple Herons, Bittern, Snipes...).
The presence of one-sex groups among some species is explained because they're rescued or old-aged birds. For some species (Bittern), we wait the arrival of a partner to try the breeding.

Last year, the Purple Heron pair bred in this aviary, producing 3.2 fledglings.

There's the project to turn this place into a walkthrough aviary.

Finally, there's information about the conservation of wetlands in France and Europe, and about a research and conservation project about these places (ringing and studying of the bird movements in the Marais du Vigueirat and in Charente-Maritime).

Near this first aviary, there's a second one, slightly smaller (1.110 m²) where you can see seashore birds (2).

It could look like this one :
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(Credits : gulogulogulo)

The design of this aviary is different. There's a long pool with shallow and deeper parts, that's surrounded by sand, mudflats and mini-cliffs.

The displayed species are typical from Western European seashores, where they live year-round or only seasonally.

You can see these species now :
- Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) : 3.2
- Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) : 4.5
- Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) : 1.0
- Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) : 0.3
- Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) : 0.1
- Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) : 3.0

You can see at some hours an animation based on Cormorant and Tern feeding, with live fish.
It's the occasion to talk about seabird conservation and about the beliefs on fishing birds.

If you walk near the Seashore aviary, you can see some creations made with refuse found on the beaches, and informative panels about the impact of this kind of pollution for the environment (and especially, the birds) and the ways to reuse this stuff.

Other panels explain the diversity of seabirds along European shores, and their adaptations (feeding, migrations, breeding...).

The next aviary (3) is much smaller (150 m²) and circular. You can see an unusual species in a zoo, the Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) : 3.10.
In this aviary there's a little pond and also a small sandy cliff and perchs for these riverine birds.

You continue the "ornithological" part of the zone, passing in front of 2 quite little aviaries (100 m² each) for different birds.

They are rocky, with few plants, and may look like this one :
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(Credits : lintworm)

In the first (4), you can see birds typical from the open and dry landscapes of Southern countries.

There are 2 species here :
- Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca) : 1.2
- European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) : 1.3

The presence of Stonechats can look strange, as they're very uncommon in zoos (though frequent in the countryside of France), but they're rescued birds.

The second (5) contains some Nordic species, rare in European zoos especially in France.

You can see these birds :
- Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) : 0.1
- Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) : 3.0

After all these birds, you can see the very first mammals of your visit.

Near the Sand Martin aviary, there's a 4 metres high squarish aviary, with several trees, ropes and nest boxes (6).
This aviary is a bit greater than the former ones (200 m²).

It looks like this :
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(Credits : Vogelcommando)

The following species is displayed here :
- Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) : 2.0

These animals are interesting, but they're often quite difficult to see because of the vegetation.

The next exhibit is a very interesting installation : the European mammal house (7).

It would be long to describe it, so I'll do it in next days after the Easter weekend.

Now you can add your comments of the beginning of the visit !
 
Hello,

I stopped last part of the visit in front of the European Vivarium (7), it's time to show you this masterpiece of the European zone.

Map of the European Vivarium :
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This building isn't very large (500 m²) but it's a really original exhibit.

It's divided in 2 parts.

The first is properly the European Mammal House, with different species of small-sized mammals, mostly (I insist about it) from Europe. (sorry for CrashMegaraptor, there aren't any hedgehogs yet, maybe later)

At your left you can see 3 terrariums designed for small rodents. Their surface is 4 m² each, they're 2 m high to give enough space to their dwellers, there's vegetation and nest boxes too.

They should look like that :
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(Credits : Vogelcommando)

The first (A) hosts Eurasian Harvest Mice Micromys minutus (8.8). The interesting behaviour of these minuscule rodents can be seen in this exhibit, their unique nests can especially be seen in the grasses and reeds that are planted in the terrarium.

In the second (B), there's a species that could look exotic, the Japanese Dormouse Glirulus japonicus (2.1).
The choice of this species seems strange, but it's explained because there isn't any exhibit dedicated to small mammals of cold or temperate Asian countries. So the display of other small mammals from these countries (often closely related to European species) would be continued in this place for next years.
Additionnally, this species, albeit not rare nor threatened, seems unknown in European collections formerly and now (no occurrence in Zootierliste).

The last one (C) is an exhibit where live European Garden Dormice Eliomys quercinus (4.5).
These animals seem the more difficult to see now because of their shyness.

At your right, the three terrariums (D-E-F) are slightly larger (6 m² each).
They host colonies of Common Hamsters Cricetus cricetus (7.3), in grassy exhibits.
The visitors can see also their burrows behind the windows.

This species is especially interesting because it's a quickly declining species, and even one of the rare species whose global status deteriorated from LC to CR in only one assessment, mostly because of declines in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In France its situation is comparatively a bit better : even if it lives only in Alsace (extreme North-East of the country), some conservation measures managed to stabilize its population in the last decade. Though, conservation measures need to be inforced, and Common Hamsters are purposely bred in centers, and it's the case here.

In 2020 4.0 Common Hamsters were born in the Zoo, they'll be transfered in a facility in Alsace to be acclimatized, their offspring could be released in the wild.

It's also interesting to know that pet hamsters don't belong to this species (that was never domesticated), but to the Middle-Eastern Golden Hamster and more marginally to several Russian and Central Asian species. This curiosity is explained in this exhibit.

The Hamster terrariums could look like this :
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(Credits : KevinB)

In the next part of the Mammal House, there aren't any rodents, but 2 species of small carnivores.

At your left, there are two 8 m² enclosures (G-H) with earth, rocks, tube-like shelters and burrows (that cannot be seen by the visitors). Sometimes the enclosures could be linked with a tube.

What the Polecat enclosures look like :
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(Credits : Maguari)

This unit is an exhibit for European Polecats Mustela putorius (10.5).
The number could look important, but this place hosts now 2 breeding pairs of Polecats, plus their offspring.
Last year 11 Polecats from 2 litters were born in this exhibit (8.3) and they still live now with heir parents, although it's planned to transfer them in a releasing centre, considering the status of the species is now NT in France.

In the last enclosure (I) at your right (8 m², like for the Polecats), you can see a Stone Marten Martes foina (1.0).
This species is common and not threatened, although it's often considered as a pest species because of its damages to poultry.

Now there's information about the relationship between the small Mustelids and Man (in Europe and Western World). You can learn that most of these species have a quite bad status in public opinion (as pests for game and poultry), some of them were heavily trapped for the fur (and that huge industrial fur farms remain for valuable species as American Mink, also considered as an invasive species for several years).
You can learn also that these species were often kept as pets by the Romans, and that is still the case for one species, the Domestic Ferret, that were used to hunt rabbits and inspired child rhymes too (the popular French song "Il court, il court, le furet"). An analogy can be done with the Cormorants seen in Shorebirds aviary (n°2 of European Zone), that have got commonly a status of "pests" but that were used as auxiliaries by fishers in Japan (it's explained in the talks in front of their aviary).
You can learn finally about the plans to protect some species as Eurasian Otter (now removed from threatened species list in France) and more recently European Mink.

Now it's the end of the European Mammal House.

You come now in a much more strange and eerie part of the Vivarium.

This part mimics a cave with pools and terrariums.

You're welcomed by strange panels in Slovenian language, then you see a long pool of 25 m² (J) with very rare Amphibians, the OIms Proteus anguinus (0.6). This species lives only in Western Balkans, from the Extreme North-East of Italy (in Friuli, near Trieste) to Bosnia-Herzegovina and probably Montenegro, even if it's presence isn't proven in this last country. The most known stations for this species remain in Slovenia, in the Postojna region. It's interesting to know that there're stations of Olms in Southern France, where semi-captive animals live in karstic caves (like in their native countries).

Some panels explain the strange biology of these animals : they live in integrality in caves, their skin isn't pigmented (even if there are entirely black individuals), and they can live for over a century.
Moreover, some populations don't seem to be described yet, especially in the South of their range, and may live in totally landlocked underground places !

Other panels explain the legends about these animals. In the Slovenian folklore, Olms (somtimes seen released in the water after big storms) were supposed to be the larvae of big dragons that would live under the ground. More recently, they featured on the Slovenian coins, and they inspired even some monsters of the saga Pokemon.
The other European legends about worm-like creatures, as the Tatzelwurm in the Alps, are exposed too in this place.

A possible view of Olms' pool :
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(Credits : LegoOwl)

Hic sunt dragones

At your right, a discreet terrarium of 7 m² (K) shows some individuals of the rare cave beetle (Carabidae) Aphaenops cerberus (0.0.9) from the Pyrenean mountains. These cave beetles are very small and difficult to see.

At the end of the gallery, there's a last pool of 25 m² (L). Like the first pool, you can see another group of Olms Proteus anguinus (0.5).

The visit of European Vivarium is now over.

Near the Vivarium you can see a grassy enclosure of 450 m² (n° 8 in the European Zone map) where you can see European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (8.7).

In this enclosure there'a hill (Bunny Hill???) and burrows for these animals, and the top of the enclosure is covered with a net to avoid the attacks of crows, birds of prey and foxes.

Of course, these rabbits are wild ones, and there's information about their conservation near their exhibit.

The topic is important, because although Wild Rabbits are perceived as common animals (and even as pests !) in temperate Europe, not to talk about the Australian continent, they're animals of conservation concern in their native range in Iberia.
Their decline, prompted by diseases as myxomatosis and VHD, led recently to the upgradation of their status to EN and threatens the survival of species like the Spanish Lynx and Spanish Imperial Eagle.
It's the reason the Zoo supports a project of rabbit restocking in Spain, in an area of concern for other species of wildlife and notably Lynxes.
This information about the importance of Rabbits in the food chain and about the conservation issues linked with this species is fully explained in this place.

Panels and talks explain also the tradition of rearing domestic and pet Rabbits, and about the importance of these animals (both wild and domestic) in European folklore, as they're often associated with fertility and spring time (and there isn't any best moment to explain this than the Easter weekend!). You can learn also about the place of the Rabbits in the litterature and cartoons, and about all the strange superstitions linked to the Rabbits, for example among the sailors (that were used to be suspicious about these animals, maybe because they proliferate and ate everything on the boats), until the recent comic occurences, as in the Monty Python sketches !

Possible view of the Rabbit enclosure :
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(Credits : KevinB)

If you go away, you'll see other enclosures, that are dedicated to the husbandry and breeding of rare species of birds (9-10-11-12-13).

I'll explain more about this zone in next episode (planned in the coming days).

Now you can post your comments about this part of the visit.
 
@redpanda756, first I drew the map on a A3 sheet with graduations (5 mm ont the sheet mean 10 m in the "real" zoo dimensions).

Then I used Inkscape for the colors, and Paint for the numbers and letters.
 
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After the European Vivarium and the nearby Wild Rabbit Enclosure, this is the next sequence of the European Zone.

I talked you about a rare birds' breeding centre.

It is now dedicated to 2 species that became rare in our continent, even if it hosts an important part of their populations.

The first enclosures (9-10-11) are grassy and covered with a net.
They're dedicated to a "steppic" element of our avifauna, the Great Bustard Otis tarda.
It's quite difficult to include steppic species in the European part, because most of them live also in Asia (and even in North America, Africa...) where they're often more abundant. Additionnally, few steppic zones remain in most European countries (for example, in France, there are the Plaine de Crau and scattered small zones, mainly owned by the Army and thus not reclaimed by agriculture or development).
The Great Bustard deserves to be in the European Zone because its main strongholds are localized in Spain, Hungary and probably other Eastern countries of the continent. It disappeared from most of Western and even Central Europe countries, even if its futurs reintroduction is thinkable.
So its breeding has got a large importance for conservation ; this centre has acquired young birds from Moscow Zoo, and Spanish and Hungarian institutions, in the purpose to release them in the Plaine de Crau and Champagne.
And it's a real flagship species, because it's the most prominent representent of a poorly known biotope, and also because it counts among the heaviest flying birds in the world.

The surfaces of the enclosures are : 720 m² for the enclosure n°9, 415 m² for the enclosure n°10 and 750 m² for the enclosure n°11.
Only the enclosure n°11 can be fully seen by the visitors, that can only catch furtive glimpses on the other ones that stay behind.

The Bustard Enclosures could look like this :
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(Credits : Zambar)

Now the enclosures host the following numbers of individuals :
- n°9 : 3.4 birds
- n°10 : 3.3 birds
- n°11 : 7.5 birds

The second unit of enclosures (12-13) are designed for waterfowl. Now they host an unique species, rather present in the Eastern part of the continent, the Ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca.
This bird is rare in France, even if it's probable that small numbers breed regularly in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country.
The Zoo takes part to a reintroduction project of Ferruginous ducks in the Dombes (near Lyon) and in Lorraine, so they've built this breeding centre (that could later be useful for other waterfowl species). It supports a monitoring program in the Danube Delta in Romania.

They're smaller, but they include shallow ponds and they're planted with reeds to allow the breeding of the birds. The ducks could be quite difficult to see, even in the nearest enclosure. Obviously it's very difficult to see them in the other one, that's out of the sight of the visitors.

The surfaces of the enclosures are : 300 m² for both enclosures.

Possible aspect of the enclosures :
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(Credits : Akasha)

They host the following numbers of individuals :
- n°12 : 2.1 birds
- n°13 : 2.3 birds

Now you quit the rare birds' breeding centre, to come in the Birds of Prey Valley.

It's an unit of aviaries designed for owls, eagles and other birds of prey.

There's a lot of trees and shrubs in most of them.

At the beginning (near the Partridge and Stonechat aviary, n°4 of the map), there's a triangular aviary (14), that's one of the smallest of the complex (150 m²).
You can see Eurasian Tawny Owls Strix aluco (3.0) there. The owls can be hard to see because of the numerous shrubs that hide the birds to the sight.

Possible aspect of the Tawny Owl Aviary :
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(Credits : KevinB)

The next aviary (15) is a bit larger (250 m²).
In this place you can see Great Grey Owls Strix nebulosa (1.1). These birds are easier to see than the Tawny Owls, because they like to perch on the trunks and nest boxes of the aviary.

Look of the Great Grey Owls' aviary :
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(Credits : KevinB)

The third aviary is the last to be dedicated to owls. It's also the largest (350 m²) and you can see Eurasian Eagle-Owls Bubo bubo (1.1) there. These owls have got an artificial cliff to perch and to hide, the breeding of the pair is expected.

Look ot the Eagle-Owls' aviary :
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(Credits : KevinB)

In this zone, there's information on panels and periodic talks about the ecological importance and the protected status of the Owls, but only about the place of these night birds in the European imaginary, from the Ancient Greeks (the Little Owl was the symbol of Athens, where it was abundant, and it's still represented on the modern Greek coins) to Harry Potter, including the rural superstitions often linked to the evil (the "Dame blanche", a female ghost that waits the drivers along the roads at night - inspired by the shape of the Barn Owl -, and it was frequent to nail down Owls on the barns in France until the end of last century, to drive out the evil spirits!).

You continue your journey with a row of aviaries where you can see a lot of Hawks, Eagles and Falcons.

The first (18) is the smallest (100 m²), but its dwellers can be incredibly difficult to see because of the lush vegetation. They're Eurasian Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus (1.1), a species common in our countryside but very furtive.

In this place some panels and talks explain the tradition of falconry, and its implications in the perception and conservation of the birds of prey in Europe (also in other parts of the world like Central Asia and Middle East) ; these implications are ambivalent, with negative and positive aspects. The Sparrowhawk was among the most frequently used bird by falconers in Middle Ages.

The second one (19) is a bit larger (150 m²). There are Eurasian Hobbies Falco subbuteo (1.1) in this place.
This species isn't very rare in France and Middle Europe but hard to see, due to its forest habitat and its furtive behaviour (not as much as the Sparrowhawk) ; additionnally it's a long distance migrant that spends usually the winter in Tropical Africa.

The third (20) aviary (175 m²) hosts an Eastern element, the Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus (2.1).
They're closely related of our Common Buzzards, with a more Eastern range (they breed from Scandinavia, Eastern Poland and Ukraine to Central Asia) ; they're also more migrant birds, going to Central and Southern Africa in winter, because of the colder climate in their breeding range.

The fourth aviary (21) is larger (300 m²) and hosts another Eastern species, the Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina (1.1). The Zoo tries to breed this species, that's mainly known in Eastern Europe, but seems to breed irregularly in Eastern France (Jura) since the beginning of the century.
It supports a project to monitor the behaviour and the dynamics of the population of this small eagle.

Look of the Lesser Spotted Eagle aviary :
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(Credits : KevinB)

The 360 m² of the fifth aviary (22) host a very charismatic species of eagle, the White-tailed Sea Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (2.2) that breed on the big trees of this exhibit. The nest is really impressive.
In 2020, two birds (1.1) were born there, they still can be seen with their parents until their departure towards other zoos or even reintroduction facilities in Europe if possible.

The last aviary (23) is quite large (325 m²) but it's the only without a lot of vegetation, except a few shrubs and one or two trunks. Instead, there's a rocky landscape with a cliff and nesting cavities, where you can see Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos (1.1).

Possible look of the Golden Eagle Aviary :
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(Credits : snowleopard)

This species ends the journey in the Birds of Prey Valley, and introduces also the Alpine part of the Zoo, that we'll see next week.

Obviously, in the last part of the section, dedicated to several eagle species, there's plenty of information about the symbolic place of these "kings of birds" in the European folklores, especially in the heraldry and in modern flags and coats of arms of several countries. Their current role as drivers of nature conservation is also explained.

Now you can comment this post and ask me some questions.
 
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Now let's go towards the next part of the zoo, dedicated to Alpine species.

If we except the Golden Eagle aviary described earlier (n°23 on the European Zone map), it starts with a large walkthrough aviary (24).
It's a large aviary (1.900 m²) that was conceived as for a presentation mixing eagles and vultures (so you can understand a recent thread on this forum...), but the display of eagles has been abandoned, in favour of more peaceful birds.
The interior of the aviary is rocky and grassy, with slopes and crossed by a path ; there's also a cliff for breeding and roosting ; in the centre of the aviary, a little amphitheatre is used as a "restaurant" for the vultures and a space for talks about these birds. The talks are mainly focused about the historical perscution of these birds in modern times and subsequent efforts done to protect and reintroduce them, first in South-Western Europe (Spain, Southern France...) then in more Eastern countries (as in the Balkans) where public interest for conservation has been more recent.
It's interesting to know that the Zoo supports a reintroduction project of 3 species of vultures (Griffon, Cinereous and Egyptian) in Bulgaria and Albania for several years.

The Vulture Aviary (possible look) :
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(Credits : Shirokuma)

List of species displayed in this aviary :
- Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus 2.2
- Cinereous vulture Aegypius monachus 1.1
- Black Kite Milvus migrans 5.2
- Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1.0

Although the Kites aren't typically alpine birds (they live rather in the plain forests and near the rivers and lakes), they live in this aviary because of their tame behaviour that allows a species diversity in this place.

An Eurasian Griffon Vulture :
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(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Cinereous Vulture :
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(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Black Kites :
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(Credits : Haliaeetus)

When you leave this aviary, you can carry on your trip in the Alpine area crossing another walkthrough exhibit, in a quite steep and rocky enclosure (25).

This enclosure is large (4.600 m²) and it hosts two iconic mammals from the Alps : the Alpine ibex Capra ibex (2.4) and the Alpine Marmot Marmota marmota (8.10).
The colony of Marmots can mainly be seen around its burrows (and only in summer), although the Ibexes roam freely across the enclosure.
To avoid the accidents between visitors and animals, the path for visitors is rimmed with ropes.

At the entrance of this enclosure, there are information panels about the near-extirpation of Ibexes in the Alps a century ago (because of the hunting for the "sport" and the pseudo-medicinal properties of its body), followed by a staggering recovery in recent decades, a path that's strongly similar with the vultures's one.
There's information about the conservation of Marmots, that weren't really threatened in Europe as a whole, but that were recently reintroduced in the Pyrénées after having disappeared of these mountains in Prehistoric times.

Possible look of the Ibex and Marmot enclosure :
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(Credits : Lintworm)

Alpine Ibex :
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(Credits : Maguari)

Alpine Marmot :
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(Credits : Robreintjes)

This is the end of Alpine area.

You can go now towards the African and North Asian zones (the Ibexes make purposely a kind of transition, because very close species live in Asia, Middle East and even North-Eastern Africa : Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia ; we can even assume that the entire biotopes of Alps and Southern European mountains are intertwined with similar ecosystems in North Africa, West Asia and even in the Himalayas, I'll talk about it later...), or stay in the European one.

If you want to remain in the European zone you can head towards a large enclosure (3.900 m²) themed about the continental wetlands of the Central and Eastern part of the continent (26).
In this enclosure there's a lake surrounded by reedbeds, then a plain and trees ; in the middle of the lake there're 2 islands designed for the breeding of birds (especially Pelicans) ; the numerous ducks have also got nest boxes to allow their breeding.

You can see there these species :
- Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus 8.9
- Great White Egret Ardea alba 0.2
- White Stork Ciconia ciconia 1.1
- Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 3.2
- Greylag Goose Anser anser 1.5
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 8.0
- Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope 0.4
- Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina 5.2
- Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 1.5

The Zoo is involved in bird conservation in the Danube Delta (Romania, Moldova and Ukraine) and in Bulgaria. In this place there are information and talks about the conservation and rewilding projects in this part of Europe, very interesting but poorly known by the Western European people.

The Continental Wetland enclosure (possible view) :
full

(Credits : Daniel Sörensen)

Dalmatian Pelicans :
full

(Credits : KevinB)

Pair of White Storks :
full

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Greylag Goose :
full

(Credits : KevinB)

Mallard :
full

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Eurasian Wigeon (female) :
full

(Credits : Vogelcommando)

Red-crested Pochards :
full

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Ferruginous Duck :
full

(Credits : Vogelcommando)

After these 3 large exhibits, I'll show you during the coming week the next parts of the European zone, especially designed for ungulates and mediterranean fauna.

Now you can comment this reply !
 
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Don't mean to be that guy, but you appear to have missed an exhibit. In the birds of prey section, it starts at 14, then discusses two more exhibits (so 15 and 16), then jumps straight to 18.
 
CrashMegaraptor said:
Don't mean to be that guy, but you appear to have missed an exhibit. In the birds of prey section, it starts at 14, then discusses two more exhibits (so 15 and 16), then jumps straight to 18.
Click to expand...
Yes I missed an exhibit, I realized it too late so I couldn't edit my post. So I consider this aviary is empty now ; in the next update there will be a bird of prey species, most probably an eagle.
 
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It's now the moment to continue the visit of my zoo !

You've just passed the Continental Wetland enclosure. At your right there's a large, forested enclosure (7.265 m²) dedicated the the (currently) only lowland ungulate species of the zone (27), the Red Deer Cervus elaphus (1.5). Even if it's a common and not-threatened species, this animal is iconic in the European culture. Some panels explain the importance of deer in the European folklore, myths and legends. The deer can be quite difficult to see among the trees and bushes, but an observation tower offers views towards a clearing where they often stay.
This enclosure may harbor rarer species in the future, for example Wisent.

The Red Deer enclosure (possible view) :
full

(Credits : Paul Kalisch)

A herd of Red Deer :
full

(Credits : Chlidonias)

Now you can go towards the last parts of the European Zone, mainly dedicated to the Mediterranean species.

This section begins with a long, quite arid aviary of 250 m² (28).
This aviary displays a mix of Mediterranean birds, belonging to the following species :
- Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus (1.3)
- European Roller Coracias garrulus (1.1)
- Common Hoopoe Upupa epops (4.3)
- Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor (9.3).

Last year, the Thick-knees and the Hoopoes bred, raising respectively 0.2 and 3.2 fledglings.

Possible look of the Hoopoe aviary :
full

(Credits : Lintworm)

Eurasian Hoopoe :
full

(Credits : ThylacineAlive)

European Roller :
full

(Credits : KevinB)

Eurasian Thick-Knee :
full

(Credits : ro6ca66)

The next exhibit (29) is much larger (820 m²) and used to house "Mediterranean" birds of prey, that breed in Southern Europe but also widespread in Asia and Africa (and even elsewhere for one of the species) :
- Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus (0.1)
- Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (10.8)

The peculiar situation of these 2 species, thet breed marginally in Southern France, is explained near the aviary.
Moreover, ther are special panels and even talks during a feeding animation, that explain the conservation efforts in favour of Lesser Kestrels in Mediterranean France, that have led to a rebound of their population after a near-extinction in the late 20th century.
The Zoo supports a program of study of their behaviour and migrations, from Souther France to their wintering grounds in Western Africa.

Possible look of the Lesser Kestrel aviary :
full

(Credits : Chlidonias)

Black-winged Kite :
full

(Credits : George_Renard)

Lesser Kestrel :
full

(Credits : Kakapo)

The last aviary (30) is small (50 m²) and is houses a species of birds that's very known as pets, but rarely seen as "wild" birds, and it could look strange to see them in the Zoo : it's the Island Canary Serinus canaria (5.4).

However, this birds is the only representent of the Macaronesian Islands, an ensemble of islands in the middle of the Atlantic, at the extreme limit of Europe (and with African features).
It's explained here that the proper name of the Canary birds comes from the Canary Islands, where it is native, along with some other endemic species and subspecies of birds.

The Canary aviary (possible look) :
full

(Credits : Hvedekorn)

Obviously, this Mediterranean Bird area is close to the limit of African Zone, to recall the proximity of the fauna on both shores of the "Mare Nostrum".

The last exhibits of European Zone are outdoor enclosures dedicated to reptiles :

First, there's a row of three 30 m² dens (31) where you can see (only when the weather is warm enough) the following species :
- 1st den : Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus (0.2)
- 2d den : Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus (2.0)
- 3d den : Ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus (0.1)

The 1st and 2d dens can be connected together, in order to allow the breeding of snakes if needed.

All these enclosures are rocky, with tabular rocks ("mesas") and crevices where the animals can hide.

In this area, there are panels and talks about the imporance of the reptiles in ecology, and also the place of them (and especially the snakes) in the European folklore : they've a quite negative image in the Judeo-Christian symbolics but they were revered by earlier cilivizations, like the Greeks and Romans that associated them to the medicine (and the proper name of the Aesculapian Snake comes from the name of the Roman God of the Medicine !).

Possible look of the native reptiles enclosures :
full

(Credits : Chlidonias)

Aesculapian Snake :
full

(Credits : Javan Rhino)

Ocellated Lizard :
full

(Credits : robreintjes)

The last enclosure (32) is a 300 m² pond designed for European Pond Turtles Emys orbicularis (3.4).
In the middle of it there's a pond surrounded with swampy zones, reed and carex. There're also rocks and stumps where turtles can take sunbathes if the weather allows it.
These turtles have already bred in the Zoo.

In this place, some panels and talks explain 2 conservation projects for native French reptiles supported by the Zoo : the reintroduction of Ocellated Lizard and of the European Pond Turtle in places and regions where they have disappeared.

The Pond Turtle enclosure (possible look) :
full

(Credits : Lintworm)

European Pond Turtle :
full

(Credits : Corby93)

This is the end of the European Zone. I hope you enjoyed the descriptive of this first part of the zoo. Later, we'll discover a fascinating part of the world, entering the North Asian Zone.

Now I let you comment this descriptive, and your impressions about the European fauna displays.
 
Wow what a comprehensive European collection. With such an avian focused section of the zoo interested to see whether the other areas are similar. Can't wait to see more :)
 
Hello,

Before starting the North Asian section next week, I'll show you a surprise in another topic tomorrow...
 
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