Off exhibit animals
- Thread starter elefante
- Start date
It varies widely, depending on the species and the situation. Usually they're more basic, since they aren't in public view and don't need to have the same visual appeal. If the animals in question are being held bts for breeding purposes, those exhibits are often fairly complex.
Wellington Zoo had a maternity annex to their Malayan sun bear exhibit that was around half the size of the main exhibit. If memory serves me correctly, the story was that they were renovated from three old bear pits - with two comprising the main exhibit; and the third, the maternity annex. Either way, an old bear pit was renovated and gave the female the privacy she needed to successfully rear cubs (she had previously cannibalised them), so was hugely beneficial to the zoo’s breeding programme.
Melbourne Zoo had a series of off display exhibits which was essential to their Temminck’s golden cat breeding programme. Many litters were successfully bred, with the mother returning to the on display exhibit once her offspring were three months old in order to socialise what was otherwise a reclusive species the best they could.
Auckland Zoo currently have an off display Nepalese red panda exhibit. The exhibit is a renovated 1922 bear pit and red pandas have lived in it (on display) for decades. For some reason they screened it off a few years ago - possibly until they decide whether to integrate it with the South East Asia precinct or demolish it.
Jambi
Well-Known Member
Edinburgh Zoo unfortunately has a lot of currently off-show animals. Their entire reptile, amphibian and invertebrate collection is off-show now, and has been for a long time. A few years ago Edinburgh starred a captive breeding program for critically endangered Partula snails, as far as I know these have never been on show to the public, or if they ever were, it must have been quite limited.
Every North American zoo with pangolins (there's 5 of them) has them off-exhibit. Brookfield and Memphis had their pangolins on-exhibit within the last few years but currently only have them bts, the other zoos have never put their pangolins on exhibit.
Saint Louis and Detroit are among the only US zoos that breed Partula snails, and they are all kept off-exhibit.
International Crane Foundation has a Sandhill x Whooping Crane hybrid named Whoopsie that has never been on exhibit.
Brookfield has the only Togo Slippery Frogs outside Africa and has never put them on exhibit.
Dallas World Aquarium has the only captive Resplendent Quetzals and they have been on exhibit for quite some time now, despite still being in the collection.
Several zoos breed the Critically Endangered American Burying Beetle but none of those zoos exhibit theirs.
Saint Louis and Detroit are among the only US zoos that breed Partula snails, and they are all kept off-exhibit.
International Crane Foundation has a Sandhill x Whooping Crane hybrid named Whoopsie that has never been on exhibit.
Brookfield has the only Togo Slippery Frogs outside Africa and has never put them on exhibit.
Dallas World Aquarium has the only captive Resplendent Quetzals and they have been on exhibit for quite some time now, despite still being in the collection.
Several zoos breed the Critically Endangered American Burying Beetle but none of those zoos exhibit theirs.
I thought there was only one left if any.
Minnesota Zoo has a colony of Dakota Skippers off-exhibit where the butterfly garden once was, along with various raptor & parrot species kept behind the bid show amphitheater.
Usually, off-exhibit holding areas are more-so function over aesthetic, guests aren't often going to be looking at the quarters (unless viewing is obviously provided), and some off-exhibit enclosures may be accustomed to whatever fits the animals' needs (ex. birthing, new arrivals, veterinary reasons, etc.). If it's however for rehabilitation or rewilding purposes, enclosures will often be similar to their natural habitats to allow animals to prepare for whatever's out in the wild.
Some of the general public seems to get a false notion that an animal is being "abused" simply because the areas often don't look naturalistic; thing is, the animals aren't going to care as long as their needs are satisfied. On many social media accounts that pertain to posts of animals in these areas, there is always that chance that someone is going to complain about "subpar" living conditions when in fact, it's just part of the area in itself. Some animals even prefer hanging out in off-exhibit areas over being on display.
Some of the general public seems to get a false notion that an animal is being "abused" simply because the areas often don't look naturalistic; thing is, the animals aren't going to care as long as their needs are satisfied. On many social media accounts that pertain to posts of animals in these areas, there is always that chance that someone is going to complain about "subpar" living conditions when in fact, it's just part of the area in itself. Some animals even prefer hanging out in off-exhibit areas over being on display.