"Mount Dorado" - Denver Zoo

[Gulopithecus]

Since the Denver Zoo's outdated Bear Mountain is no longer occupied by any bears , I had this idea regarding what it can be turned into, and it hit me; the coatis that are still part of that area.

With a bit of inspiration from both the Louisville Zoo's impressive Glacier Run and the ever-famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad present at various Disney parks, I present to you an idea for a fictional yet potentially feasible Denver Zoo master plan; Mount Dorado.

Phase One

Phase one of this part of the master plan's re-theming of this outdated bear habitat has the mountain itself become accessible to guests. The mountain serves as a backdrop for a large nocturnal house/herpetarium home to many recognizable creatures that inhabit the deserts of the American Southwest.

Partially made to capitalize on Colorado's affinity for cowboy culture, the backstory of the mountain is that it is the titular Mount Dorado, which once hosted a profitable gold mining business, leading to a boom town being built just behind it. Unfortunately, after a decade of prosperity from mining the gold reserves nestled within the mountain, an earthquake hit the town and the mountain, causing the mine and town to collapse and become abandoned. With the humans who initially settled here no longer present, nature reclaimed the area, the mine and town becoming home to various animals.

When guests enter this part of the zoo, to the right of the outdoor home for the aforementioned coatis is a rusted sign that says "Property of the El Dorado Mining Company", but it’s crossed out and a smaller sign hanging from it says in bold letters "Condemned". Passing under this sign, the guests walk across a railroad track over a quarry that serves as part of a habitat for Collared Peccaries into a cavern (with the words "Keep Out" written above). The first thing guests would see once their eyes adjust to the darkness is a large habitat on the right home to whichever species of bats native to the American Southwest could tolerate captivity the best. Running into their exhibit is a continuation of the track, with a few mine carts strewn about. The railroad track is then elevated onto a shelf inaccessible to guests (who follow a stone path to the left), in which guests can look at a collection of terrariums disguised as mine carts. The terrariums would contain various reptiles and arthropods (such as snakes, lizards, tarantulas, scorpions, and millipedes) that make their home in the American Great Desert Basin. To the left of the path though is a much larger terrarium resembling a crate of TNT that is large enough to contain both Desert Tortoises and Gopher Snakes. Old oil lamps are your only source of light as you walk through the dark cavern. When you notice the faux mine carts beginning to stop, you are flanked on both sides by two exhibits; the indoor accommodations for the aforementioned coatis (which are part of the zoo's collection in real life) and a habitat for Ringtails which includes an old canary cage that’s used as a food container (pieces of chicken are put inside and the clever mammals are encouraged to get it out) the worn-out, rusted engine of a mine train inside (the curious procyonids using this engine as a hiding place. You then notice that part of the ringtail habitat is located above your path, allowing the creatures to walk above you and into another section that is just behind the bat exhibit (a classic predator/prey illusion). Just before you exit the cave, to your right is a door (for employees to enter) and to the left is a medium-sized tank meant to house Devil’s Hole Pupfish (if Denver can get their hands on Lake Titicaca Frogs, surely they can breed some of these).

When you exit the cave, you have two options; go left and get back on the main zoo path, or go straight ahead into phase 2 of this expansion; the abandoned ghost town of Dorado, Arizona.

Phase 2 coming soon...

 

[Bisonblake]

Since the Denver Zoo's outdated Bear Mountain is no longer occupied by any bears , I had this idea regarding what it can be turned into, and it hit me; the coatis that are still part of that area.

With a bit of inspiration from both the Louisville Zoo's impressive Glacier Run and the ever-famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad present at various Disney parks, I present to you an idea for a fictional yet potentially feasible Denver Zoo master plan; Mount Dorado.

Phase One

Phase one of this part of the master plan's re-theming of this outdated bear habitat has the mountain itself become accessible to guests. The mountain serves as a backdrop for a large nocturnal house/herpetarium home to many recognizable creatures that inhabit the deserts of the American Southwest.

Partially made to capitalize on Colorado's affinity for cowboy culture, the backstory of the mountain is that it is the titular Mount Dorado, which once hosted a profitable gold mining business, leading to a boom town being built just behind it. Unfortunately, after a decade of prosperity from mining the gold reserves nestled within the mountain, an earthquake hit the town and the mountain, causing the mine and town to collapse and become abandoned. With the humans who initially settled here no longer present, nature reclaimed the area, the mine and town becoming home to various animals.

When guests enter this part of the zoo, to the right of the outdoor home for the aforementioned coatis is a rusted sign that says "Property of the El Dorado Mining Company", but it’s crossed out and a smaller sign hanging from it says in bold letters "Condemned". Passing under this sign, the guests walk across a railroad track over a quarry that serves as part of a habitat for Collared Peccaries into a cavern (with the words "Keep Out" written above). The first thing guests would see once their eyes adjust to the darkness is a large habitat on the right home to whichever species of bats native to the American Southwest could tolerate captivity the best. Running into their exhibit is a continuation of the track, with a few mine carts strewn about. The railroad track is then elevated onto a shelf inaccessible to guests (who follow a stone path to the left), in which guests can look at a collection of terrariums disguised as mine carts. The terrariums would contain various reptiles and arthropods (such as snakes, lizards, tarantulas, scorpions, and millipedes) that make their home in the American Great Desert Basin. To the left of the path though is a much larger terrarium resembling a crate of TNT that is large enough to contain both Desert Tortoises and Gopher Snakes. Old oil lamps are your only source of light as you walk through the dark cavern. When you notice the faux mine carts beginning to stop, you are flanked on both sides by two exhibits; the indoor accommodations for the aforementioned coatis (which are part of the zoo's collection in real life) and a habitat for Ringtails which includes an old canary cage that’s used as a food container (pieces of chicken are put inside and the clever mammals are encouraged to get it out) the worn-out, rusted engine of a mine train inside (the curious procyonids using this engine as a hiding place. You then notice that part of the ringtail habitat is located above your path, allowing the creatures to walk above you and into another section that is just behind the bat exhibit (a classic predator/prey illusion). Just before you exit the cave, to your right is a door (for employees to enter) and to the left is a medium-sized tank meant to house Devil’s Hole Pupfish (if Denver can get their hands on Lake Titicaca Frogs, surely they can breed some of these).

When you exit the cave, you have two options; go left and get back on the main zoo path, or go straight ahead into phase 2 of this expansion; the abandoned ghost town of Dorado, Arizona.

Phase 2 coming soon...

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a zoo themed like this. Very interesting idea

 

[Gulopithecus]

Since the Denver Zoo's outdated Bear Mountain is no longer occupied by any bears , I had this idea regarding what it can be turned into, and it hit me; the coatis that are still part of that area.

With a bit of inspiration from both the Louisville Zoo's impressive Glacier Run and the ever-famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad present at various Disney parks, I present to you an idea for a fictional yet potentially feasible Denver Zoo master plan; Mount Dorado.

Phase One

Phase one of this part of the master plan's re-theming of this outdated bear habitat has the mountain itself become accessible to guests. The mountain serves as a backdrop for a large nocturnal house/herpetarium home to many recognizable creatures that inhabit the deserts of the American Southwest.

Partially made to capitalize on Colorado's affinity for cowboy culture, the backstory of the mountain is that it is the titular Mount Dorado, which once hosted a profitable gold mining business, leading to a boom town being built just behind it. Unfortunately, after a decade of prosperity from mining the gold reserves nestled within the mountain, an earthquake hit the town and the mountain, causing the mine and town to collapse and become abandoned. With the humans who initially settled here no longer present, nature reclaimed the area, the mine and town becoming home to various animals.

When guests enter this part of the zoo, to the right of the outdoor home for the aforementioned coatis is a rusted sign that says "Property of the El Dorado Mining Company", but it’s crossed out and a smaller sign hanging from it says in bold letters "Condemned". Passing under this sign, the guests walk across a railroad track over a quarry that serves as part of a habitat for Collared Peccaries into a cavern (with the words "Keep Out" written above). The first thing guests would see once their eyes adjust to the darkness is a large habitat on the right home to whichever species of bats native to the American Southwest could tolerate captivity the best. Running into their exhibit is a continuation of the track, with a few mine carts strewn about. The railroad track is then elevated onto a shelf inaccessible to guests (who follow a stone path to the left), in which guests can look at a collection of terrariums disguised as mine carts. The terrariums would contain various reptiles and arthropods (such as snakes, lizards, tarantulas, scorpions, and millipedes) that make their home in the American Great Desert Basin. To the left of the path though is a much larger terrarium resembling a crate of TNT that is large enough to contain both Desert Tortoises and Gopher Snakes. Old oil lamps are your only source of light as you walk through the dark cavern. When you notice the faux mine carts beginning to stop, you are flanked on both sides by two exhibits; the indoor accommodations for the aforementioned coatis (which are part of the zoo's collection in real life) and a habitat for Ringtails which includes an old canary cage that’s used as a food container (pieces of chicken are put inside and the clever mammals are encouraged to get it out) the worn-out, rusted engine of a mine train inside (the curious procyonids using this engine as a hiding place. You then notice that part of the ringtail habitat is located above your path, allowing the creatures to walk above you and into another section that is just behind the bat exhibit (a classic predator/prey illusion). Just before you exit the cave, to your right is a door (for employees to enter) and to the left is a medium-sized tank meant to house Devil’s Hole Pupfish (if Denver can get their hands on Lake Titicaca Frogs, surely they can breed some of these).

When you exit the cave, you have two options; go left and get back on the main zoo path, or go straight ahead into phase 2 of this expansion; the abandoned ghost town of Dorado, Arizona.

Phase 2 coming soon...

Phase 2

As you step out of the cave, you have two options; turn left to return to the main zoo path or keep going straight to enter the next portion of the complex (a pathway to the right does exist leading to a mine office, but that’s just a disguised employee entrance). If you continue straight you’ll be able to see the rest of the aforementioned peccary exhibit (which is approximately quite large), its theme being that of an abandoned quarry that was ravaged by the earthquake). Cacti and other desert plants are also found in this exhibit, providing the bristly-furred creatures with healthy snacks they’d find out in the wild to supplement their usual captive diet. Likewise, an old shed acts as indoor accommodations for the peccaries.

As you continue down the railroad tracks, you’ll see that they briefly turn left and stop at a large boulder that blocks the path. Said boulder is part of an exhibit for Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, which have a "town" just outside the town once lived in by humans.

After that brief detour, you’ll come across a stretch of asphalt road, mimicking a modern desert highway. The left is blocked off by a walled tunnel (another employee entrance), but if you go right, you’ll get where you need to be (more of the prairie dog exhibit can be seen along this lonely stretch of the highway). You’ll eventually find another fork, the part where it transitions into a cobblestone path will take you into the ghost town of Dorado, while the right takes you further along the asphalt road (for phase 2, we’ll continue down the highway, but the third and final phase will be about the town itself).

If you continue right, you’ll see the fruits of the second phase's labor. You’ll end up coming across a strangely wooded area, purposed to mimic the scattered woodlands that can be found around the US/Mexican border. Only one exhibit (if you don’t count the prairie dogs) is part of this phase of the Mount Dorado expansion; a large, heavily planted exhibit for one of the rarest species found in the Great Desert Basin; the Jaguar. This jaguar habitat comes with plenty of foliage to hide in, a large pool with underwater viewing, structures resembling abandoned buildings and mining equipment for the cats to climb on, and an indoor part of the enclosure that resembles an old barn.

However, the cherry on top of the phase 2 expansion is the authentic Mexican restaurant that sits opposite of the majority of the jaguar habitat (though there is a chute transfer that allows the cats to walk above your head and into a neighboring yard, allowing guests to eat on the deck of the restaurant while viewing these beautiful predators. This restaurant serves many purposes: serving authentic Mexican cuisine (showcasing the modern day cultural aspects of the region being mimicked), serving as a way to block the nearby Humboldt Penguin habitat from public view, and selling food to provide additional funds for the zoo (some of which will go into the third and final phase of this expansion; the ghost town itself).

Stay tuned for phase 3...

 

[Gulopithecus]

Phase 2

As you step out of the cave, you have two options; turn left to return to the main zoo path or keep going straight to enter the next portion of the complex (a pathway to the right does exist leading to a mine office, but that’s just a disguised employee entrance). If you continue straight you’ll be able to see the rest of the aforementioned peccary exhibit (which is approximately quite large), its theme being that of an abandoned quarry that was ravaged by the earthquake). Cacti and other desert plants are also found in this exhibit, providing the bristly-furred creatures with healthy snacks they’d find out in the wild to supplement their usual captive diet. Likewise, an old shed acts as indoor accommodations for the peccaries.

As you continue down the railroad tracks, you’ll see that they briefly turn left and stop at a large boulder that blocks the path. Said boulder is part of an exhibit for Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, which have a "town" just outside the town once lived in by humans.

After that brief detour, you’ll come across a stretch of asphalt road, mimicking a modern desert highway. The left is blocked off by a walled tunnel (another employee entrance), but if you go right, you’ll get where you need to be (more of the prairie dog exhibit can be seen along this lonely stretch of the highway). You’ll eventually find another fork, the part where it transitions into a cobblestone path will take you into the ghost town of Dorado, while the right takes you further along the asphalt road (for phase 2, we’ll continue down the highway, but the third and final phase will be about the town itself).

If you continue right, you’ll see the fruits of the second phase's labor. You’ll end up coming across a strangely wooded area, purposed to mimic the scattered woodlands that can be found around the US/Mexican border. Only one exhibit (if you don’t count the prairie dogs) is part of this phase of the Mount Dorado expansion; a large, heavily planted exhibit for one of the rarest species found in the Great Desert Basin; the Jaguar. This jaguar habitat comes with plenty of foliage to hide in, a large pool with underwater viewing, structures resembling abandoned buildings and mining equipment for the cats to climb on, and an indoor part of the enclosure that resembles an old barn.

However, the cherry on top of the phase 2 expansion is the authentic Mexican restaurant that sits opposite of the majority of the jaguar habitat (though there is a chute transfer that allows the cats to walk above your head and into a neighboring yard, allowing guests to eat on the deck of the restaurant while viewing these beautiful predators. This restaurant serves many purposes: serving authentic Mexican cuisine (showcasing the modern day cultural aspects of the region being mimicked), serving as a way to block the nearby Humboldt Penguin habitat from public view, and selling food to provide additional funds for the zoo (some of which will go into the third and final phase of this expansion; the ghost town itself).

Stay tuned for phase 3...

Phase 3

The third and final phase is the town of Dorado, Arizona itself. If you took the non-paved path towards the sign that reads "Welcome to Dorado" with a smaller sign hanging below that reads "Condemned", you’ll enter the town once you pass underneath. Stepping into town, you’ll find that every building is abandoned and in disrepair due to the earthquake that hit back in 1882. Now that the humans have left, it was time for nature to take their place. How this phase will be discussed is that each of the buildings and town commodities will be listed below, which would include what purpose they serve for the zoo.

Saloon: The saloon is distinguished by its caved-in roof, disallowing any guests to access the hypothetical second floor. There are both indoor and outdoor accommodations for Coyotes and American Badgers (the former on the left and the latter on the right. Though the coyote exhibit is fairly standard (with an old crate used as a bed), the badger habitat has them use an old wine barrel as a bed, and their outdoor yard is filled with sand and dirt for digging.
Playhouse: Though the foyer of the playhouse does have an exhibit containing Leafcutter Ants (which can be found occasionally scurrying across the US/Mexican border), the main purpose of this building is not to serve as any kind of permanent exhibit, but to be used for animal/keeper demonstrations.
Blacksmith Shop: This relatively simple exhibit features indoor and outdoor areas that Swift Foxes can frolic in.
Schoolhouse: An old one-room schoolhouse is occupied by Hognose Skunks. Much like the badger, they too have lots of sand to dig in (though their exhibit is entirely indoors).
Mayor's Office: This is the only indoor exhibit complex that has both floors be accessible to guests. A tree has fallen onto the left side of the building's roof, crashing inside. The first floor is dimly-lit, with an exhibit containing Black-Tailed Jackrabbits, Burrowing Owls, and California Quails in the center. Staircases and ramps take guests into the second floor, which has two surprisingly large exhibits on either side. The right side features a habitat for Ocelots, while the left side displays Thick-Billed Parrots (the fallen tree also being a part of their habitat, showcasing how these critically endangered animals rely on abandoned woodpecker nests to thrive).
Cemetery: The cemetery features four rotational enclosed aviaries that are all connected via a mock mausoleum. The lineup of which animals are found in each enclosure changes hourly (think a microcosm of Denver’s already existing Predator Ridge and Toyota Elephant Passage attractions). The four birds featured in the cemetery lineup are Common Ravens, Harris Hawks, Greater Roadrunners, and Turkey Vultures.
Boot Hill: Overlooking the cemetery is a hill that guests can go towards by taking a path leading upwards. This is probably the most lofty part of this phase (and thus the least likely to actually be built), but it’s not entirely unreasonable. A massive enclosed aviary for the critically endangered California Condors serves as the featured exhibit of Boot Hill.
The Ranch: The largest single exhibit of the entire Mount Dorado project. A spacious mixed species yard that’s meant to resemble an abandoned pasture for livestock such as cattle, horses, poultry, and sheep. With the domesticated animals gone, nature has reclaimed the farmland. Native grasses and wildflowers are grown in this area, contrasted with abandoned barns, coops, and stables that now serve as indoor accommodations for the paddock's residents. The animals that live in this massive, immersive habitat include Wild Turkeys, Sandhill Cranes, Sage Grouses, Greater Prairie Chickens, Mule Deer, Pronghorns, and American Bison (which was once a staple animal in Denver’s collection).

This concludes the Mount Dorado project.