Old TV reports on Zoo de Beauval

[Antoine]

A member who I know of the french forum has shared some links to Youtube video reports on Beauval at early stage. I thought it would interest some Zoochatters (for those few who understand french or if you want to see some nice images of these old times) !

Here a link to a video of 1981, just after the opening, when it was just a bird park :

Another in 1992, three years after they started as a zoo :

And the last one in 1997 just before the opening of the tropical house for gorillas and manatees :

 

[Valentin]

Thanks to this member then.
These images really show how the zoo has grown in a relatively short time. It's impressive.

Just a little note: during the installation of gorillas Rodolphe Delord says that their installation will become obsolete in 5 years and that it will be necessary to shave everything and rebuild a new one in 10 years ...

 

[amur leopard]

Thanks for posting these and thanks to the member on … Les zoos dans le monde?

They're really good and useful and I like especially how in the first video they are talking about how it will be a bird park and how they also want the visitors to observe the landscape. This kind of ethos has continued up to now, since a lot of their enclosures are aesthetically very pleasing.

 

[Valentin]

Not all spaces are aesthetically beautiful:
- the Asian plain contains almost no trees, whereas a few plantations would be enough to make it a little more visually attractive.
- the small parrot cages are not beautiful but as it will be enlarged it is fine.
- the enclosure of the ouandérous macaques is not very beautiful either.

The zoo is improving and will continue to move and redevelop, but a few plantations in some enclosures would be enough to make them much more pleasant.

 

[amur leopard]

Not all spaces are aesthetically beautiful:
- the Asian plain contains almost no trees, whereas a few plantations would be enough to make it a little more visually attractive.
- the small parrot cages are not beautiful but as it will be enlarged it is fine.
- the enclosure of the ouandérous macaques is not very beautiful either.

The zoo is improving and will continue to move and redevelop, but a few plantations in some enclosures would be enough to make them much more pleasant.

I know, of course these areas are in need of redevelopment, and an area I would add would be the Monkey cages just along from the big cats, but I only said 'a lot' of the zoo is aesthetically pleasing. As for the problem with vegetation, the outdoor enclosures around the Dome are also quite barren, and while they are of course trying to get trees to grow, it will take a while sadly.

 

[Valentin]

Yes yes of course I understood.

I know that the zoo has two big projects that could rehouse many species of the zoo unfortunately I do not think that the entry monkeys are planned in this project especially as their aviaries have been merged and that seems to satisfy them.

Yes around the dome it is still quite empty but it is that it has not yet had time to grow while in the Asian plain it is just that they do not want to plant anything.

 

[amur leopard]

Yes around the dome it is still quite empty but it is that it has not yet had time to grow while in the Asian plain it is just that they do not want to plant anything.

I know, but the exhibit is 15,000 m2. If they were to plant thick or even sparse vegetation over such an area, it would be almost impossible to see the animals. Also, rhinos prefer grasslands (albeit with high grasses but grasslands nonetheless), so it is logical to make it a plains exhibit rather than a dry forest exhibit even though the blackbucks do prefer woodland.

 

[Valentin]

Yes finally there they have no shade. And even some trees would not prevent them from seeing them correctly. There is none ...
And then I think that it is necessary above all to think of the animals, some trees would do them good and would make this plain much more appreciable in the eyes of visitors.