Adventure Aquarium Mighty Mike is Coming
- Thread starter jusko88
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that's not much smaller than the alligator was
video of him arriving at Adventure Aquarium. Skip to 2.10 to see the exhibit itself (doesn't look very big but may be hard to judge).
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that's not much smaller than the alligator was
Nope, not at all. The new exhibit is narrow and has angles to allow the visitors to crowd in. Boo! He can't even turn without his straight-out. the water area looks narrow and the haul-out area is ridiculous. Even the Toledo Zoos refurbished area for "Baru", the 5.18m Saltie is atrociously small, too! Reptiles, especially crocs usually get shafted with exhibit space in the U.S. Bronx Zoos Nile Crocs in Madagascar! are a great example. I understand that not every Zoo can build exhibits like Fort Worth's Saltie and Gharial exhibits due to location, but come on! It pisses me off seeing crocs in small exhibits.
I'm interested in what size Mighty Mike's exhibit is at Adventure Aquarium if anyone has been there (apparently it is the same exhibit he was in previously, but it has been re-landscaped and has a glass front now).
The closest I got to finding a size was on their Facebook where someone asked "Can you address that that room seems way too small for him?" and they replied (while not giving any dimensions): "Mighty Mike’s exhibit is, indeed of adequate size. Great care, thought and planning went into constructing this exhibit with Mike’s comfort and best interest in mind. Prior to Mighty Mike’s arrival, our husbandry team consulted with Mike’s caretaker, as well as numerous alligator experts, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (of which we’re an accredited member) to ensure that the exhibit met the requirements set forth for alligator exhibition, including exhibit size, climate and habitat. (i.e. heating the water to 78 degrees; furnishing an exhibit skylight to provide natural light; creating a sandy bank with a basking spot heated to 92 degrees; creating a natural sand bottom for digging/burrowing, etc.). Hope you can come visit him soon!"
The closest I got to finding a size was on their Facebook where someone asked "Can you address that that room seems way too small for him?" and they replied (while not giving any dimensions): "Mighty Mike’s exhibit is, indeed of adequate size. Great care, thought and planning went into constructing this exhibit with Mike’s comfort and best interest in mind. Prior to Mighty Mike’s arrival, our husbandry team consulted with Mike’s caretaker, as well as numerous alligator experts, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (of which we’re an accredited member) to ensure that the exhibit met the requirements set forth for alligator exhibition, including exhibit size, climate and habitat. (i.e. heating the water to 78 degrees; furnishing an exhibit skylight to provide natural light; creating a sandy bank with a basking spot heated to 92 degrees; creating a natural sand bottom for digging/burrowing, etc.). Hope you can come visit him soon!"