My Ideal Medium Zoo

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Previously, I have talked on here about my ideal small and large zoos, and in this thread I will discuss my ideal zoo of a zoo in between these sizes- a medium-sized urban zoo of approximately 40 acres. This zoo will diverge a lot from ideas I've discussed in the past, and also diverge a lot from what zoo exhibits at current zoos look like. Instead, this will be a completely new take on a zoo, with a primary mission of enabling people to access the outdoors and appreciate nature. With this as a goal, the zoo will be entirely outdoors and comprised of four, biome-themed sections: Life in the Deserts, Life in the Forests, Life in Freshwater, and Life on the Rocks, each of which will feature wildlife from at least four continents.

As this is a medium-sized zoo, and since I'd much prefer a collection displaying biodiversity than a limited collection of megafauna, it is worth noting that there will be very few large animals in this zoo. The only pachyderms will be pygmy hippos and tapirs, there aren't any large African savannas with giraffes (okapi and zebra are the largest ungulates in the collection), the largest cat species are snow leopards, and only one species of ape will be on exhibit. Instead, the zoo will focus on dedicating space to numerous smaller animals in spacious, outdoor exhibits- including outdoor exhibits for species not typically displayed outdoors (e.g. reptiles and amphibians).

With access to nature and the outdoors often being inaccessible to urban populations, I feel as though it is incredibly important for zoos to find a way to incorporate as many naturalistic elements, nature play, etc. into it's campus. While many zoos do a great job at this, my ideal zoo will take it a step further and provide as immersive an experience as possible. While it would be impossible to completely eliminate artificial features from this zoo, my goal is to make as few artificial features as possible, and instead focus on displaying animals in as naturalistic of ways as possible. This naturalism will stretch beyond the exhibits as well, with paths and visitor areas designed to put people into as naturalistic of areas as possible. In terms of exhibits, they will not be designed in a way to make it as easy as possible to see the animals, and instead the goal of the zoo's exhibit design will be to simulate the visitors being on an actual trip to the wild, where effort may need to be put into seeing animals. In many ways, a visit to this zoo would be more reminiscent of a hike past some incredible animals than a visit to a traditional zoo.

Each section of the zoo will also feature different trails for people of differing abilities. For example, each section will have rather simple paths designed for people of all ability levels, and these paths will pass by every different exhibit, additional paths may be more strenuous, such as a much rockier path in the Life on the Rocks section, that would provide different, though not better, views of the exhibits. One result of this is a much more individual-focused experience, as zoo visitors can choose the different trails that best suit their abilities and comfort levels, and then come away with vastly different experiences as a result. This much more personal experience will hopefully engage visitors and inspire them to become more in tune with the natural world.

This naturalism goal will also be expressed through the zoo's unique alternatives to signage. Instead of traditional signs, zoo visitors will be given a "field guide" of the zoo upon entry, allowing them to reference it and see what species are present in the different sections of the zoo, as well as information about these species. This will hopefully be a more interactive and engaging way for visitors to learn about animals, as it would be much more of an active way of learning than merely glancing at a sign. If visitors want a second way to learn, the zoo will also have an inaturalist-esque app, with information about both the animals in the collection and the native wildlife that frequents zoo grounds, as well as the ability for visitors to input observations of the animals. These observations will then be placed onto a map of the zoo, showing where different visitors observed each species.

The next post in this thread will be an outline for the first of these four sections: Life on the Forests.

 

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The first of four sections in the zoo is the Life in the Forests exhibit. This area focus on a variety of forests around the world, everything from temperate forests from North America to the Tropical Rainforests of Africa, Asia, and South America. One major feature of this area, however, will be that the exhibits will, whenever possible, be built around mature trees, allowing animals to climb in this naturalistic setting and allowing visitors the experience of trying to find animals in the naturalistic exhibit. I came across this idea after a recent visit to Rosamond Gifford Zoo, which has a few mature trees in their red panda exhibit, and one of the pandas was resting high up in a tree. It was a really unique experience to see the panda way up in a tree like that, and I thought it'd be great to replicate that on a much greater scale and for more species. This will also be the largest area in the zoo, comprising 20 of the zoo's 40 acres, and contains most of the zoo's large animals. While some human elements are going to be necessary (e.g. there's no getting around putting a roof on an aviary), as much as possible is going to be achieved through naturalistic barriers and/or fenceless exhibits. The animals in this area can be seen from four different paths:

• The most accessible path is the long, winding "Forest Trail". While not paved, this will be a carefully maintained dirt path with no obstacles, and allows viewing to all the exhibits. The path will contain a number of twists and turns however to give the illusion of a real hiking trail and not a path through a zoo past animals. This path will be built at a slight elevation from the surrounding area, allowing the elevation difference to act as a barrier for many of the exhibits. As a safety measure, both sides of this path will include a railing to prevent anyone from veering off the path (or for individuals to use as necessary), but this railing will be built using natural sticks and rope to give a much more rustic/natural vibe than a metal or concrete barrier. Some rocks and other obstacles will be located near the sides of the trail, to allow children (and adults, if they want to) to climb and experience a more playful side of nature while their grown-ups can stay on flat ground.
• The "Wolf Trail" and "Bear Trail" will run on opposite sides of the Fogrest Trail. These two paths are both less managed, and contain rocks and roots for visitors to climb over and experience a much more natural, uncontrolled experience. All of the larger exhibits (and some of the smaller ones) can be seen from one of these two trails, depending on which side of the Forest Trail they were on.
• The most adventurous opportunity for visitors to traverse this area is the "Orangutan Trail", named as such because it is a walk through the trees, much like a high ropes course in a sense. This trail will be comprised of a series of bridges and walkways 50 feet in the air, and passes by habitats for many of the arboreal species, allowing an eye-level look as they climb in the trees. Unlike many zoos that charge extra for ropes courses and these types of experiences, this trail will be included with the cost of admission, although does require extra time in that a safety briefing and harnessing is required.

For our journey through the forests today, we will be taking the "Forest Trail". Know that many of the same exhibits are visible from other trails, but I figured in our visit to my ideal zoo it'd be best to describe the trail in which all the exhibits can be seen. The first exhibit that visitors encounter can be seen through a bird blind, through which visitors can peer through a number of openings into a large, mesh aviary for a breeding pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills. This 2,000 square foot aviary contains multiple mature trees, and a number of other plants, to provide a forested environment for these impressive birds. One artificial tree (designed to be as realistic as possible) will be incorporated into the center of the aviary to act as a main support for the mesh top, and will also contain a tree cavity that doubles as a hornbill nest box. This artificial tree will, however, also include a hollow trunk, incorporating a ladder on the inside for zoo staff to access higher branches and place fruit and other food items into the tree, hopefully simulating the natural foraging behavior of these hornbills. Across from this bird blind, visitors can encounter the first open-topped exhibit of this trail, a 3,000 square foot home for a pair of Canada Lynx. This exhibit is another to incorporate natural vegetation, including a few trees to maximize climbing opportunities for the lynx. This, like some other exhibits on the trail, are going to be easy to miss, however hopefully the zoo's naturalist app will be able to alert visitors of where there have been lynx sightings. Carefully placed docents and volunteers (which the zoo will call "nature guides" will also be present to help point out animals to visitors and ensure that exhibits don't go unnoticed.

Passing by the lynx, the path takes visitors around a bend and towards the first of five large habitats on this trail, a half-acre paddock for the zoo's Okapi and Yellow-Backed Duikers. The okapi will be fed through the careful placing of browse within the exhibit's mature trees, providing as close to a naturalistic foraging experience as possible for these incredible animals, who happen to be the largest residents of this trail (if not the whole zoo). Opposite the okapi exhibit is a muddy clearing of the forest, providing a 10,000 square foot exhibit for the Northern Sulawesi Babirusa. This exhibit will include both the muddy clearing, designed to resemble a dried up river bed, and the surrounding trees- providing the babirusas the opportunity to choose which habitat they'd like to spend time in. While crossing the dried river bed, the visitor path will change to a small bridge, just like how many hiking trails contain bridges and/or boardwalks to traverse wetter terrain.

After passing by the babirusa, visitors will encounter some of the zoo's more unique exhibits- terrariums built surrounding real trees. These terrariums are designed to provide a naturalistic exhibit for some of the zoo's smaller reptiles, and will surround an entire mature tree, from the ground to the eight foot mark. Each of these terrariums will include a glass front and sides for visitor visibility, while the back will be a solid wall incorporating additional climbing elements to the exhibits, along with a hidden door for keepers. While non-traditional, hopefully these exhibits will allow visitors the chance to engage with some smaller creatures that are usually overlooked by visitors, including herps and inverts. This also allows the zoo to display some species outdoors that are typically only found in indoor exhibits- allowing the zoo to both stay true to its goals of only outdoor exhibits and displaying a diverse selection of animals. Many of these exhibits I also suspect to include some difficult visibility, as many of the species possess cryptic coloration that will allow them to blend into the tree. These terrariums will hold Amazon Milk Frogs, Grey Tree Frogs, Green Tree Python, Malaysian Stick Insects, Madagascar Tree Boa, Black Rat Snake, Prehensile-tailed Skinks, and Leaf-tailed Geckos. Depending on how many suitable trees are present near the path, other forest-dwelling herps and inverts could also potentially be incorporated into the area as well. Following this row of terrariums, visitors reach a second bird blind, which overlooks a similar 2,000 square foot aviary- these time for a small flock of Blue-Throated Macaws.

Next time I post, we will continue our journey through the forest, including passing by a few more larger exhibits, and a number of other smaller exhibits. Hopefully this has given you all a good sense of the style of exhibitry I am aiming for with this zoo, a style that will continue going forward.

 

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Heading past the macaw aviary, visitors will next encounter the largest exhibit in the zoo, a two-acre habitat for Red Wolves. This exhibit will follow the barrier-less design of many others in this section, and the path will follow alongside the wolf exhibit for a total of 300 feet- allowing visitors multiple opportunities to hopefully see the wolves. Another 300 feet of viewing area can be seen from the "Wolf Trail". Opposite from the wolves are a number of exhibits for smaller, native species. In open-topped exhibits with mature trees and natural hiding spots, Striped Skunks, Virginia Opossums, Bald Eagles, and North American Porcupines live. While four separate habitats, these exhibits will be designed to seem interconnected. The eagles, opossums, and skunks will all be non-releasable, rehabilitation animals, allowing the zoo to provide a permanent home for some native wildlife unable to survive in the wild. Also rescued will be a Great Horned Owl living in a third bird blind style aviary.

After the owl aviary, visitors reach the first of three primate exhibits in the forests area- a 20,000 square foot home for a large troop of Coquerel's Sifaka. To replicate the natural social structure of these animals, each species will be kept in multiple, large matriarchal groups, able to interact with each other and/or avoid each other as they would in the wild. Food will be distributed around the exhibit in a number of locations to allow each group a chance to forage independently from each other and avoid conflict. Next to the lemur exhibit will be another open-topped exhibit for another Madagascar species, the Fossa. A pair of fossa will call a 15,000 square foot exhibit home, in a habitat that incorporates mature trees as climbing opportunities. Both of these exhibits will utilize water as a barrier, with a twenty-foot wide river running alongside this section of visitor path and acting as a barrier for the lemur and fossa habitats.

Opposite from the lemurs, a herd of rescued White-Tailed Deer live in a one-acre large forested section, providing another naturalistic home for non-releasable native wildlife. As visitors continue along the path, the next habitat will be he fourth and final bird blind style exhibit, although in this case it won't house any birds. Instead, this 10,000 square foot mesh-topped exhibit, fully furnished with mature trees, will house a pair of Clouded Leopards.

Next to the clouded leopard exhibits will be a fourth large habitat, a pair of two, one-acre habitats for Sloth Bears. Along with a naturalistic segment of forest, these habitats will also include a replicated termite mound that allows visitors the opportunity to see these bears engage in as naturalistic of foraging behavior as possible. Unlike most zoo bear exhibits, these bear exhibits will also be designed in a way that doesn't discourage digging, and instead provides a safe way for the bears to dig as they please and manipulate their surroundings, providing a much less curated exhibit and more of a means for the bears to do as they choose in an area of natural forest. While these two exhibits are usually connected, they have the ability to be separated so that the zoo is able to breed these incredible bears. While large in size, these bear exhibits will be longer than they are deep, allowing 600 feet of visible area for visitors to observe the bear exhibits from, and an additional 600 feet of viewing from the "Bear Trail".

Opposite from the bear exhibit is another reptile exhibit, though instead of being a vertically-oriented terrarium, it will instead be a mesh-topped, 200-square foot exhibit shared between Timber Rattlesnakes and Eastern Box Turtles. This exhibit will highlight the turtle's terrestrial lifestyle, and provide much more of a wooded area for them to live rather than a pool (although a small pool will be present). This exhibit will be visible through a series of glass viewing windows, and the exhibit will be elevated off the ground to prevent the snakes from digging an escape path. While this may include the most man-made elements out of any of these exhibits, between glass viewing, a mesh top, and a mock-rock base the exhibit is built with, it still provides a unique, naturalistic experience by displaying these reptiles in a large, outdoor habitat instead of in traditional terrariums. Next to this reptile habitat will be row of four 1,000-square foot, open-topped exhibits for popular forest species from around the globe. All four of these exhibits will feature mature trees to allow the animals to exhibit naturalistic climbing behaviors, and will all be prominently featured from the zoo's "Orangutan Trail", which provides canopy-level looks at a number of arboreal species. These four exhibits house Red Pandas, Queensland Koalas, Matschie's Tree Kangaroos, and, in a mixed-species setting, Red-footed Tortoises, Southern Tamandua, Red-Rumped Agouti, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Pied Tamarin, and Pale-faced Saki.

Across from these four exhibits, visitors can see into the two-acre, penultimate exhibit of this forest trail, a mixed-species home for Malayan Tapir and Bornean Orangutan. To accomodate the semi-aquatic nature of the tapir, the front quarter of the exhibit will be designed to resemble a river, allowing plenty of space to swim. Mature trees will be kept intact in this exhibit, to allow the orangutans the ability to fully climb and express natural behaviors. To encourage arboreal behaviors, a number of the trees will have a ladder system built into the back sides which allows keepers access to arboreal feeding locations, meaning that in order to forage the orangutans would be required to climb through these mature trees. A family troop of orangutans will call this exhibit home, and enough space is provided through this exhibit to allow the orangutans to either interact as a social unit or live a more solitary lifestyle, or alternate between the two.

The final exhibit on the trail will be a large, half-acre walk-through aviary, home to a number of tropical bird species (as well as a few mammals). A large pond will be situated on one side of the visitor path, providing a swimming opportunity for two waterfowl species- Madagascar Teals and African Pygmy Geese. Due to this aviary's large size, it is able to accommodate a number of ground-dwelling species, and will house Blue Duiker, Green-Naped Pheasant Pigeons, Luzon Bleeding Heart-Doves, Crested Wood Partridges, Blue-Throated Piping Guans, Great Argus, and Sunbittern. Climbing above in the trees will be a pair of Linne's Two-toed Sloths, while a large colony of Rodrigues Fruit Bats will also call this aviary home. Many of the tree-dwelling bird species will be kept in large flocks, most notably large breeding flocks will be kept of Pink-Necked Fruit Doves, Nicobar Pigeons, Metallic Starlings, and Taveta Golden Weavers, to replicate the large flocks these species use in the wild. In smaller numbers will be a handful of other bird species; Red-Crested Turaco, Yellow-Rumped Cacique, Venezuelan Troupial, Crested Coua, Green-Backed Trogon, and Red-Crested Cardinal.

Next post I will quickly overview the other paths through the forests section of the zoo, before moving on to the second of four regions: Life in the Deserts. As with any of my zoo design projects, feel free to comment with any suggestions, critiques, and/or compliments!

 

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Heading on either side of the "Forest Trail", visitors can traverse either the "Bear Trail" or "Wolf Trail" for a more adventurous zoo experience. These trails are more or less undisturbed, with rocks and roots not removed from the unpaved path. These two paths both showcase backsides of many exhibits seen from the "Forest Trail", including some of the same styles of viewing (bird blinds and barrierless exhibits).

On the "Wolf Trail", visitors can observe the zoo's:

• Canada Lynx
• Northern Sulawesi Babirusa
• Blue-Throated Macaws
• Red Wolf
• White-Tailed Deer
• Red Panda
• Queensland Koala
• Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
• Neotropical Primates/South American Mixed Exhibit
• Walk-through Aviary (through bird blind)

And on the "Bear Trail":

• Rhinoceros Hornbill
• Okapi/Yellow-backed Duiker
• Bald Eagle
• North American Porcupine
• Coquerel's Sifaka
• Fossa
• Clouded Leopard
• Sloth Bear
• Bornean Orangutan/Malayan Tapir
• Walk-through Aviary (through bird blind)

The "Orangutan Trail" is situated in the trees above the other three trails, and provides a series of bridges and obstacles to traverse tree-to-tree, in a unique high-ropes experience. From the canopy, visitors can get face-to-face with the trail's numerous arboreal species, specifically the orangutans, sifakas, clouded leopards, fossa, porcupine, koalas, tree kangaroos, red pandas, and neotropical primates, as well as the possibility to look down at the ground below to see wolves, deer, tapir, sloth bears, okapi, babirusa, and more.

 

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I think this is a very interesting hypothetical zoo, good work!

 

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The Deserts Trail will be a five-acre exhibit focusing on numerous smaller species native to the Deserts of North and South America, Africa, and Australia. This section will also be designed to be as naturalistic as possible, although unlike Forests there will be only a single pathway through the exhibit- with numerous smaller off-shoots leading to individual habitats and viewing areas, some of which include small rocky crevices to walk through, tunnels into exhibits, and other interactive elements. The first exhibit upon the start of the trail is a 5,000 square foot scrubland-designed habitat for a mob of Tammar Wallabies. The tammar wallaby entry in the zoo's nature guide will highlight their ability to metabolize salt water, an adaptation that allows them to survive in dry conditions. Habitats in the Deserts area, including this one, will also be designed to include desert plants to highlight the ability of desert ecosystems to conserve water.

After the wallabies, a small offshoot path will take visitors towards a 3,000 square foot aviary with Burrowing Owls, Greater Roadrunners, Desert Tortoises, and Nine-Banded Armadillos. This exhibit will be designed elevated off the ground to allow the animals a layer of natural substrate to dig through without escaping. The visitor path will include a slight ramp up to the ground level of the exhibit, such that visitors can get an unimpeded view through glass windows while allowing four feet of natural substrate for the digging and burrowing animals. Also on this trail will be a series of four, small terrariums built into the rockwork, housing invertebrate species native to the American Southwest, specifically Blue Death-Feigning Beetles, Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion, Mexican Red-Knee Tarantulas, and Vinegaroon.

Once back on the main path, visitors can see their first view into the largest exhibit on this trail, a three-quarters of an acre desert habitat for Addax and Addra Gazelles. This exhibit will be visible from multiple different vantage points, and will also serve as a backdrop for the "Addax Trail", a small trail past some habitats for some small African carnivores. Specifically, these habitats will house Fennec Foxes, Sand Cats, and Slender-tailed Meerkats. All three of these Desert species will have 1,000 square foot habitats complete with as natural of rock work as possible, and, similar to the aviary, a layer of natural substrate to allow these animals to dig and build their own burrows. This ability to dig will also lead to an underground entrance to all three species holdings, through a series of holes that allow the animals to dig and burrow into their behind-the-scenes indoor areas. A fourth, larger exhibit at 3,000 square feet, but similarly designed to the three carnivore exhibits, will house Aardvarks.

After passing the aardvarks, the "Addax Trail" reconnects to the main path, which on the opposite side holds a 10,000 square foot home for a group of Chacoan Peccaries, which while visible from the main path, also serves as a backdrop for an offshoot trail, the "Peccary Trail", which has much rockier terrain, including a few crevices off the main path for children to squeeze through, and serves as a reptile exhibit of sorts, with a series of 300 square foot enclosures for various different reptiles. The first three of these exhibits will be home to three different species of rattlesnake- specifically the Western Diamondback, Banded Rock, and Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnakes, in a series of habitats connected under a single mesh covering, to appear as though they are a single exhibit. All three of these exhibits are visible from different angles, making them appear as though they are other sides of the same habitat, rather than distinct exhibits. All three rattlesnake exhibits are visible through glass windows, while there are three additional reptile exhibits that utilize height as a barrier instead. The first of these three will house a Madagascan species, the Radiated Tortoise, followed by a mixed-species reptile exhibit with Chuckwalla and Gila Monster. The final exhibit on the "Peccary Trail" is a mixed-species exhibit for African species, specifically African Pancake Tortoises, Plated Lizards, and Uromastyx.

While the "Peccary trail" has a substantial amount of rock work, the rock work opposite of the peccary exhibit also serves as the backdrop for the next habitat on the trail, a half-acre habitat for a fission-fusion troop of Hamadryas Baboons. This habitat will utilize rock work to provide ample climbing opportunities for these impressive primates, who live in a dynamic social grouping. After the baboon exhibit, two final exhibits remain in the Deserts section of the zoo. A small, off-shoot trail leads visitors down to a small oasis, which serves as an exhibit for Desert Pupfish, living in what is designed to resemble a natural pond. Unlike most typical fish exhibits, this pupfish exhibit will be built into the ground such that above-ground viewing is the only way for visitors to see these incredible and unique fish. Once back to the main trail, visitors can enter the final exhibit on the trail- a 10,000 square foot walk-through aviary, home to a number of African species. These aviary will feature a number of desert trees and other vegetation to provide a naturalistic home for Spotted Dikkop, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, White-fronted Bee-eaters, Carmine Bee-eaters, Golden-breasted Starlings, Violet-backed Starlings, and Blue-bellied Rollers. Following the conclusion of this aviary, the Life in the Deserts section of the zoo is officially concluded, taking visitors back to the central plaza to enter another biome zone- which on our journey through this zoo will be Life in Freshwater.

 

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First off, I'd just like to say that I know that my posts in this thread have been few and far between, but life and college has just been crazy at the moment so I haven't had the time to write out my plans for this zoo. I haven't given up on it, but just haven't had the time to be able to dedicate to it. Today, however, I will be describing the third of the four areas in the zoo, and while I said next would be Life in Freshwater, as a change of plans I will actually first be describing the larger, but less speciose, Life on the Rocks section. This section will be 10 acres large, and contain three separate rocky ecosystems alongside a pair of trails, Shorelines and Cliffs, Caves and Crevices, and Mountains. The trail starts off as a single, cohesive trail through the first two segments, albeit with some rocky outcroppings for those interested in a more climbing, adventurous route, however for the mountains segment the trail diverges into two- with one trail being a boardwalk staying at ground level, looking up the mountains at the various wildlife, and the other trail being the more difficult, "Mountain Trek", which will resemble a hiking trail traveling up the large rock structures that embody this section of the zoo. These structures will actually be the single largest mock-rock structure in any zoo, with the exhibits being built on top of the holding facilities for this section of the zoo, and being designed to look as naturalistic as possible.

After passing a 500-square foot coastal habitat for Cuban Rock Iguanas, visitors can enter the second and final habitat in the Shorelines and Cliffs section of the exhibit, a 10,000 square foot, walk-through aviary for two species of bird: the Southern Rockhopper Penguin and the Inca Tern. Both of these species will be kept in large, breeding colonies that will hopefully create a dynamic display for visitors of this exhibit. While half of this exhibit will be a large water feature, the exhibit's backdrop will be a series of cliffs built into the start of our massive mock-rock structure, which embodies this entire section of the zoo. Exiting this aviary, visitors immediately enter the Caves and Crevices section of the zoo, which consists of a single outdoor exhibit followed by the zoo's only "indoor" exhibit, a large cave featuring various habitats for small animals. This outdoor exhibit, however, will flank both sides of the visitor path, and actually completely encompass the entrance of the cave, which visitors can access via a glass tunnel. This exhibit will house a family group of an incredible, cliff-dwelling primate species, the Francois' Langur. Inside the cave, however, the wall is lined with a series of terrariums for various cave-dwelling herps, fish, and invertebrates. Notable species would include Chinese Cave Geckos, Cave-Dwelling Rat Snake, Blind Cave Fish, Texas Blind Cave Salamander, and Giant Cave Cockroach, however other species could be incorporated into this line of terrariums as well. Ending out this cave, however, is a species that many immediately associate with caves: the Common Vampire Bat, in a large cave crevice that is only separated from visitors by an invisible glass window.

After passing the vampire bats, visitors have officially reached the end of this cave system, however visitors can then choose which of two exits to use, a large opening designed for people of all ability levels, or a smaller crevice that one can squeeze through. At this point, visitors also decide which pathway through the mountains they'd like to experience, either the easier boardwalk that views the upcoming habitats from ground level, or the rockier, terrain-heavy "Mountain Trek" which gets a more up-close view of the exhibits. For our journey today, it does not matter which trail is taken as both view the same exhibits in the same order, with the big difference being whether visitors are viewing them from above, or from beneath. While all of the carnivore exhibits in this area are netted over, the various ungulate and primate exhibits are barrier-free, instead utilizing the mock rock terrain to create segments that cannot be passed through. The first habitat on this trail is a netted over aviary, however, and is a 10,000 square foot home for a breeding pair of Andean Condors, impressive, large birds, that serve as a great introduction to mountainous life. This habitat can be seen through glass viewing windows from both trails, with windows along the main boardwalk looking up at the exhibit, and smaller glass windows looking at it from the side via the "Mountain Trek". Following the condors, a smaller 2,000 square foot habitat will be home to a pair of Pallas' Cats. These cats will actually have access to two of these habitats, giving each trail their own, identical pallas' cat exhibit that is not visible from the other. These two habitats will both contain secondary mock rock ledges to create great climbing opportunities for these incredible cats. Next to the pallas' cats, a much larger Asian cat species, the Snow Leopard, will reside in two, 10,000 square foot habitats, again with one habitat visible from each trail. These two habitats will contain numerous rocky ledges and outcroppings for these incredibly agile cats to exhibit their jumping ability and overall agility. These two snow leopard exhibits are actually looked up at from both trails, as the "Mountain Trek" will circumnavigate its snow leopard exhibit before continuing its way up the mountain, passing by the next exhibit, a half-acre, mountainous paddock for a herd of the snow leopard's main prey, the Markhor. A large herd of these impressive caprids will reside in this large rocky exhibit, allowing both trails to get undisturbed views of this large exhibit. The "Mountain Trek" will not only see this exhibit from the bottom, but will then walk alongside it while continuing the trek upwards into the mountain, in order to provide a look down into the second ungulate paddock on this trail, a 20,000 square foot exhibit for a small herd of Sichuan Takin, in another large, rocky paddock that allows these impressive large caprids to exhibit their unexpected agility. Overlooking the takin, however, is another exhibit for a large cat species, albeit one from halfway across the world: the Mountain Lion, which will have access to a single, 10,000 square foot habitat, with the "Mountain Trek" getting viewing areas from the top side of it and the regular boardwalk having visibility from beneath.

Rounding out the Life on the Rocks exhibit is a series of three exhibits for African species living in rocky areas, starting off with two exhibits designed to replicate the Ethiopian Highlands. The first of these is a large, one-acre exhibit for Geladas, the largest exhibit on this trail and also the one with the most individual animals, as the zoo will house a large, breeding troop of these incredible primates. The "Mountain Trek" will get multiple up-close views into this gelada exhibit as it descends from the mountain, and meets back up with the boardwalk before passing by this large exhibit, and reaching an exhibit for the smallest residents of the Mountains area- a 3,000 square foot mixed-species exhibit for Klipspringer and Rock Hyrax, followed by the final exhibit on this trail, a large half-acre home for a herd of Hartmann's Mountain Zebras, in an exhibit that both incorporates the rocky terrain in the backdrop, but also a grassy section in the front of the exhibit to allow the zebras a choice of terrain and the ability to graze. Following this zebra exhibit, visitors have officially completed this rocky journey, and the path re-connects with the center of the zoo, from where we will pick up next time and journey through freshwater biomes.

 

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visitors can enter the second and final habitat in the Shorelines and Cliffs section of the exhibit, a 10,000 square foot, walk-through aviary for two species of bird: the Southern Rockhopper Penguin and the Inca Tern. Both of these species will be kept in large, breeding colonies that will hopefully create a dynamic display for visitors of this exhibit

Where would this zoo's ideal location be? Because Southern Rockhopper Penguins are typically recommended to be housed in climate-controlled indoor exhibits.