Pages from Aardwolf's Notebook

[Aardwolf]

@Haliaeetus , I actually am based out of North America, where BFF are not an uncommon exhibit animal within AZA. Bison and/or pronghorn would fit thematically quite well, as would coyote or badger to add another potential predator. The reason why I didn't include them is that this exhibit was originally designed in mind for a fairly small zoo where I worked. I liked the idea of having exhibits designed around smaller species that wouldn't be overshadowed by other animals. But yeah, if the space is there, nothing wrong with other species - you could even have a bison exhibit as a living backdrop to the prairie dogs, separated by a concealed moat. And your Nordic complex sounds like a very interesting idea as well

@Neil chace , thank you! I think a zoo that was so-inclined could build a pretty cool North American area with sub-exhibits themed around keystone species that really shape those landscapes. Two species that really stood out in my mind for such exhibits were American beaver and American alligator.

On to the next one. They say one should never discuss religion or politics with strangers. But zoos are about conservation and education, and conservation and educational are inherently political, forcing zoos to tiptoe sometimes around sensitive issues with the public. We see this the most when zoos try to talk about climate change. But what about other, perhaps even more sensitive political topics that also play a major impact on the conservation of species? And how much controversy is acceptable in educating visitors about wildlife issues?

Borderlands

Concept: The US-Mexican border is home to some of the most diverse (and surprising) wildlife in the country, to say nothing of some of the most stunning scenery. It is also, unfortunately, the topic of some of the most vitriolic political discourse imaginable, which came to a head in 2015 when future-President Donald Trump announced his vision for building a continuous wall across the border in order to combat illegal immigration. While the wall was never built in its entirety, the sections that were completed pose significant barriers to wildlife that would naturally cross the border. Borderlands is an attempt to educate zoo visitors about the impact that human made barriers – whether walls, roads, or pipelines – have on animal movements, splitting populations and facilitating extinctions.

Species: Ocelot, Mexican Gray Wolf, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Thick-Billed Parrot, Masked Bobwhite Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Bolson Tortoise, Gila Monster

Spatial Requirement: 3 Acres (approximately 1 acre for the wolves, 1 acre for the pronghorn, 0.5 acres for the bighorn sheep, the rest divided between the ocelot, the aviary, and the public space). No indoor public space. Two keeper buildings, one for aviary and ocelot (with reptile support space), one for the pronghorn and sheep.

Keeper Requirements: 1 Keeper is sufficient to service this exhibit daily

Description: The dominating feature of Borderlands is the Wall. In some places it is concrete, in others a series of black metal vertical slats. It forms an overwhelming presence that is seldom out of view of visitors and divides two of the largest habitats in the exhibit, depicting how real walls and barriers divide animal habitats. Ironically, the wall in some ways facilitates the exhibit’s naturalism by camouflaging holding buildings and other structures.

The trail into Borderlands is made of packed sand, lined with small boulders and winding its way through gardens of cacti. Among the real succulents are towering artificial saguaro cacti, representing one of the most iconic plant species of the American southwest. Also interspersed among the cacti are wild flowers meant to attract birds and butterflies. An official looking government sign on a metal post warns visitors (in English and in Spanish) that they are approaching the Border Crossing. Nearby, Mexican and American flags flutter in the breeze.

The first exhibit is an aviary, built up against the wall, housing thick-billed parrots and masked bobwhite quails. Bolson tortoises plod about on the ground, while an exhibit of Gila monsters is set into the front of the habitat with glass facing out to the visitors. A secondary aviary of greater roadrunner is built alongside the parrot/quail aviary, apparently continuous, but actually divided to prevent predation of quail eggs or chicks. The aviaries are shaded by small, scrubby pine tree, which helps to obscure the edges. Signage nearby emphasizes the point that, even though birds can fly, walls and stretches of unsuitable habitat can hinder their movements, such as with any land animal.

Opposite the aviary is the first half of the pronghorn exhibit. The habitat is open and spacious, fronted by a wide, shallow moat of water, then by a mesh barrier. The visitor viewing is slightly elevated, allowing guests to overlook the mesh and across the water to see the “antelope”. The openness of the habitat makes the presence of the wall, bisecting the yard into two smaller habitats, that much starker. Keepers have the option of managing the pronghorn in either yard or in both opened up as one. Visitors pass through a gate in the wall between the aviary and the pronghorns to find themselves on the other side of the border.

On the opposite side of the wall, the pronghorn habitat continues. Behind it is a second habitat, a rocky hillside inhabited by desert bighorn sheep. The sheep and pronghorn share a barn which is concealed behind a bend of the wall.

Continuing down the path, the visitor finds a pair of side-by-side habitats for ocelots on their left. The two ocelot exhibits are connected by two short paired tunnels, which can be opened up to allow access to both habitats at once for breeding introductions (the presence of two tunnels allows the exhibit to form a circuit, preventing one animal from trapping another in one of the habitats). While most habitats present ocelots in jungle environments, this one presents a brushy, scrubby landscape, with low plants, a boulder-strewn background, and large dead fallen trees. As with the aviary, the back of the habitat is defined by the wall. Signage explains how ocelots were once present throughout much of the southwestern United States, once the northern limit of their range, but are today found only in very small numbers in Texas. Border fences and other barriers limit the ability of dispersing cats to recolonize this part of their range.

Curving around the ocelots, the path passes by an acre-sized habitat for Mexican gray wolves on a wooded hillside. The bighorns, separated by a dry moat, form a backdrop to the first half of the habitat. As with the pronghorns, the wolf exhibit is divided by the border wall into two sections which can either be conjoined or separated as management needs require.

Past the wolves is a small hut, overlooking a small pond, framed with riparian vegetation. There are no exhibit animals here, but it is a pleasant, quiet place for visitors to sit out of the sun and watch turtles, birds, and other animals attracted to the pool. Directly outside the hut is a camera trap mounted to a tree, which takes photos of visitor groups as they walk by, then displays them on a TV monitor inside the hut (visitors to the National Zoo will recognize a similar feature from that zoo’s Asia Trail). Surrounding the monitor are actual camera trap images taken from the real borderlands – depicting both animals and humans (ranchers, rangers, guards, and migrants) that pass through this landscape. Most prominent (and unexpected) of the pictures is a large photo of a jaguar, accompanied by a text bar on jaguars in the United States and their recent (if limited) recolonization of the borderlands.

Visitors pass back across the border wall and return to the main trail.

 

[15399]

@Haliaeetus , I actually am based out of North America, where BFF are not an uncommon exhibit animal within AZA. Bison and/or pronghorn would fit thematically quite well, as would coyote or badger to add another potential predator. The reason why I didn't include them is that this exhibit was originally designed in mind for a fairly small zoo where I worked. I liked the idea of having exhibits designed around smaller species that wouldn't be overshadowed by other animals. But yeah, if the space is there, nothing wrong with other species - you could even have a bison exhibit as a living backdrop to the prairie dogs, separated by a concealed moat. And your Nordic complex sounds like a very interesting idea as well

@Neil chace , thank you! I think a zoo that was so-inclined could build a pretty cool North American area with sub-exhibits themed around keystone species that really shape those landscapes. Two species that really stood out in my mind for such exhibits were American beaver and American alligator.

On to the next one. They say one should never discuss religion or politics with strangers. But zoos are about conservation and education, and conservation and educational are inherently political, forcing zoos to tiptoe sometimes around sensitive issues with the public. We see this the most when zoos try to talk about climate change. But what about other, perhaps even more sensitive political topics that also play a major impact on the conservation of species? And how much controversy is acceptable in educating visitors about wildlife issues?

Borderlands

Concept: The US-Mexican border is home to some of the most diverse (and surprising) wildlife in the country, to say nothing of some of the most stunning scenery. It is also, unfortunately, the topic of some of the most vitriolic political discourse imaginable, which came to a head in 2015 when future-President Donald Trump announced his vision for building a continuous wall across the border in order to combat illegal immigration. While the wall was never built in its entirety, the sections that were completed pose significant barriers to wildlife that would naturally cross the border. Borderlands is an attempt to educate zoo visitors about the impact that human made barriers – whether walls, roads, or pipelines – have on animal movements, splitting populations and facilitating extinctions.

Species: Ocelot, Mexican Gray Wolf, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Thick-Billed Parrot, Masked Bobwhite Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Bolson Tortoise, Gila Monster

Spatial Requirement: 3 Acres (approximately 1 acre for the wolves, 1 acre for the pronghorn, 0.5 acres for the bighorn sheep, the rest divided between the ocelot, the aviary, and the public space). No indoor public space. Two keeper buildings, one for aviary and ocelot (with reptile support space), one for the pronghorn and sheep.

Keeper Requirements: 1 Keeper is sufficient to service this exhibit daily

Description: The dominating feature of Borderlands is the Wall. In some places it is concrete, in others a series of black metal vertical slats. It forms an overwhelming presence that is seldom out of view of visitors and divides two of the largest habitats in the exhibit, depicting how real walls and barriers divide animal habitats. Ironically, the wall in some ways facilitates the exhibit’s naturalism by camouflaging holding buildings and other structures.

The trail into Borderlands is made of packed sand, lined with small boulders and winding its way through gardens of cacti. Among the real succulents are towering artificial saguaro cacti, representing one of the most iconic plant species of the American southwest. Also interspersed among the cacti are wild flowers meant to attract birds and butterflies. An official looking government sign on a metal post warns visitors (in English and in Spanish) that they are approaching the Border Crossing. Nearby, Mexican and American flags flutter in the breeze.

The first exhibit is an aviary, built up against the wall, housing thick-billed parrots and masked bobwhite quails. Bolson tortoises plod about on the ground, while an exhibit of Gila monsters is set into the front of the habitat with glass facing out to the visitors. A secondary aviary of greater roadrunner is built alongside the parrot/quail aviary, apparently continuous, but actually divided to prevent predation of quail eggs or chicks. The aviaries are shaded by small, scrubby pine tree, which helps to obscure the edges. Signage nearby emphasizes the point that, even though birds can fly, walls and stretches of unsuitable habitat can hinder their movements, such as with any land animal.

Opposite the aviary is the first half of the pronghorn exhibit. The habitat is open and spacious, fronted by a wide, shallow moat of water, then by a mesh barrier. The visitor viewing is slightly elevated, allowing guests to overlook the mesh and across the water to see the “antelope”. The openness of the habitat makes the presence of the wall, bisecting the yard into two smaller habitats, that much starker. Keepers have the option of managing the pronghorn in either yard or in both opened up as one. Visitors pass through a gate in the wall between the aviary and the pronghorns to find themselves on the other side of the border.

On the opposite side of the wall, the pronghorn habitat continues. Behind it is a second habitat, a rocky hillside inhabited by desert bighorn sheep. The sheep and pronghorn share a barn which is concealed behind a bend of the wall.

Continuing down the path, the visitor finds a pair of side-by-side habitats for ocelots on their left. The two ocelot exhibits are connected by two short paired tunnels, which can be opened up to allow access to both habitats at once for breeding introductions (the presence of two tunnels allows the exhibit to form a circuit, preventing one animal from trapping another in one of the habitats). While most habitats present ocelots in jungle environments, this one presents a brushy, scrubby landscape, with low plants, a boulder-strewn background, and large dead fallen trees. As with the aviary, the back of the habitat is defined by the wall. Signage explains how ocelots were once present throughout much of the southwestern United States, once the northern limit of their range, but are today found only in very small numbers in Texas. Border fences and other barriers limit the ability of dispersing cats to recolonize this part of their range.

Curving around the ocelots, the path passes by an acre-sized habitat for Mexican gray wolves on a wooded hillside. The bighorns, separated by a dry moat, form a backdrop to the first half of the habitat. As with the pronghorns, the wolf exhibit is divided by the border wall into two sections which can either be conjoined or separated as management needs require.

Past the wolves is a small hut, overlooking a small pond, framed with riparian vegetation. There are no exhibit animals here, but it is a pleasant, quiet place for visitors to sit out of the sun and watch turtles, birds, and other animals attracted to the pool. Directly outside the hut is a camera trap mounted to a tree, which takes photos of visitor groups as they walk by, then displays them on a TV monitor inside the hut (visitors to the National Zoo will recognize a similar feature from that zoo’s Asia Trail). Surrounding the monitor are actual camera trap images taken from the real borderlands – depicting both animals and humans (ranchers, rangers, guards, and migrants) that pass through this landscape. Most prominent (and unexpected) of the pictures is a large photo of a jaguar, accompanied by a text bar on jaguars in the United States and their recent (if limited) recolonization of the borderlands.

Visitors pass back across the border wall and return to the main trail.

I appreciate the focus on wolves, pronghorn, and other species from this area- and not a focus on jaguars. It seems every article talking about how the border impacts wild animals focuses on the jaguars, and not acknowledging that so many other species are impacted as well.

 

[Haliaeetus]

I appreciate the focus on wolves, pronghorn, and other species from this area- and not a focus on jaguars. It seems every article talking about how the border impacts wild animals focuses on the jaguars, and not acknowledging that so many other species are impacted as well.

I'm not from the American continent, but I emit the hypothesis that the controversy upon Jaguars results mainly on the Latino trait of this animal. Of course many other species are impacted (Bison, Pronghorn, Black Bear...) but as they are plentiful north to the Rio Grande, they aren't perceived as stranger and "migrant" species.
Maybe I would add to the Jaguar a handful of other species (Ocelot, Jaguarundi), that belong singularly to the cat family, mainly present in Central/South America and marginal in the Southern borders of USA. But none of them is as prominent and iconic as the Jaguar that represents a kind of Latino spirit.

 

[Haliaeetus]

I add that border regions are interesting for their historical/cultural implications and may be good themes for zoological exhibits ; in one of my past spec zoo projects I created a Balkan-themed aviary with Vultures, Kites, Falcons and Black Storks, and a Slavic-type layout (with a focus on transboundary conservation efforts and rewilding projects led in Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece).
Other parts of the world may be very interesting too : what about a DMZ Korean exhibit, as this sector has became an unusual "refuge" protected from industrial development projects ? Such an exhibit would host, among others, Water Deer, Red-crowned / White-necked Crane, Swan Goose, plenty of other water birds (perhaps difficult to get out of East Asia), Asiatic Black Bear, Sable and maybe Siberian Tiger/Amur Leopard.

 

[Aardwolf]

@Neil chace , ironically, jaguars gave me the first inspiration for this exhibit. I was a jaguar keeper at a zoo, and loved to share the story of borderlands jaguars with visitors, which got me interested in the concept. The other part of inspiration would be a week I spent hiking in Big Bend National Park years ago (I actually waded into what I thought was a pretty modest stream to get a better look at a bird while I was there, only to later be told that the stream was the Rio Grande, and I was halfway to Mexico - it's a surprisingly small river in some places).

@Haliaeetus , I agree, a DMZ exhibit would be very interesting.

Next exhibit, fairly modest in scope...

Caribbean Coast

Concept: For many American vacationers, the islands of the Caribbean Sea are the most popular travel destinations. What many visitors may not realize is that these islands are more than white sands and beachfront resorts – they represent a series of unique ecosystems in which species have evolved in isolation, resulting in tremendous diversity. This diversity has become increasingly imperiled through the specters of habitat loss and invasive species – many forms of Caribbean wildlife have already gone extinct, while many others are critically endangered. Caribbean Coast is a celebration of some of the unique species which still remain in the islands, as well as a call to arms to save what is left.

Species: Jamaican Fruit Bat, American Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Ibis, Cuban Amazon, Black-Necked Stilt, West Indian Whistling Duck, White-Cheeked Pintail, Jamaican Iguana, Haitian Giant Galliwasp, Smallwood's Anole, Jamaican Boa, Aruba Island Rattlesnake, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Mountain Chicken, Haitian Brown Tarantula

Spatial Requirements: 0.2 Acres. The majority of the exhibit space is dominated by the walk-through aviary, with a small section on the side for the reptile and bat exhibits and the associated keeper areas.

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area). Secondary keeper is required for servicing the rattlesnakes in accordance with safety protocols for working with venomous animals.

Description: Caribbean Coast is a primarily outdoor exhibit, a sprawling, low-slung aviary (about twenty feet tall at its highest point) held up by a series of poles textured to resemble the trunks of palm trees. During extreme weather, the mesh can be lowered after the birds are brought inside to protect it from heavy snowfall or hurricane winds.

Painted prominently over the entrance on a piece of drift wood is a sign reading “Welcome to the Islands!” Visitors enter through a double-door system, with heavy knotted ropes forming a screen to deter birds from entering the entry vestibule. Inside the double-doors is a large, colorful map of the Caribbean Sea and its various islands. The educational message here is simple – the Caribbean is a warm, beautiful place that has drawn people to the islands for centuries, but humans and wildlife have always had an uneasy relationship that has resulted in wildlife losing out on living space.

Most of the exhibit is dominated by the walk-through aviary, inhabited by the large, noisy breeding colony of American flamingos. The boardwalk leads over the edge of the pool, opposite the sandy, muddy shoreline where the flamingos nest. Studded around the beach front are trees – real and artificial – in which scarlet ibises, roseate spoonbills, and Cuban amazons perch, while in the waters below West Indian whistling ducks and white-cheeked pintails paddle. Black-necked stilts join the flamingos and ibises in wading on the shoreline. The exhibit is also able to accommodate the occasional non-releasable native water bird, up to the size of pelicans. Tucked away in the two back corners of the exhibit are two holding buildings, each twenty feet by thirty feet and masked to resemble ramshackle Caribbean beach huts. These buildings – each equipped with a pool and overhead heaters – serve as emergency or winter holding. Directly behind each building is a small, enclosed aviary, providing some outdoor holding space for birds which must be kept off-exhibit or otherwise confined.

Opposite the flamingos, the visitors find themselves walking alongside what appears to be a crumbling cliff front, into which are set exhibits of various size for Caribbean reptiles and amphibians. The smallest of these is five foot long, three feet deep, and two feet wide for Haitian galliwasps. The largest is twenty foot long by twenty feet deep by 10 feet tall for Jamaican iguanas. Other exhibit occupants are Aruba Island rattlesnakes, Jamaican boa, Smallwood's anole, mountain chicken frogs, Puerto Rican crested toad, and Haitian brown tarantulas. The cliff facade actually fronts the indoor support area for the exhibit, from which the smaller exhibits are serviced. It includes holding spaces, a small kitchen, an office, and a small refrigerator, in which the antivenin for the rattlesnakes is stored.

Built into the cliff face is a small, dilapidated-looking shack, which visitors walk through (or may walk around, following the boardwalk in a loop that circles around it). Visitors who enter find themselves in a dark room, taking a baffle on either side to block light from the central main chamber. Here, backlit exhibits on the back wall tell the story of the Caribbean’s vanishing small mammals, such as hutias and solenodons, which are not represented in the zoo collection, as well as the now-extinct species of those islands, such as ground sloths. The main attraction, however, is the glass wall of the shack (designed to look as though part of the cabin wall had just rotted away – actually looking into a room within the indoor reptile holding building) which looks out into a habitat of Jamaican fruit bats.

Visitors exit the bat viewing building and walk past the remaining exhibits of Caribbean herps, the ever-present flamingos on their left-hand side, until they exit the exhibit through another set of double doors.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

@Neil chace , ironically, jaguars gave me the first inspiration for this exhibit. I was a jaguar keeper at a zoo, and loved to share the story of borderlands jaguars with visitors, which got me interested in the concept. The other part of inspiration would be a week I spent hiking in Big Bend National Park years ago (I actually waded into what I thought was a pretty modest stream to get a better look at a bird while I was there, only to later be told that the stream was the Rio Grande, and I was halfway to Mexico - it's a surprisingly small river in some places).

@Haliaeetus , I agree, a DMZ exhibit would be very interesting.

Next exhibit, fairly modest in scope...

Caribbean Coast

Concept: For many American vacationers, the islands of the Caribbean Sea are the most popular travel destinations. What many visitors may not realize is that these islands are more than white sands and beachfront resorts – they represent a series of unique ecosystems in which species have evolved in isolation, resulting in tremendous diversity. This diversity has become increasingly imperiled through the specters of habitat loss and invasive species – many forms of Caribbean wildlife have already gone extinct, while many others are critically endangered. Caribbean Coast is a celebration of some of the unique species which still remain in the islands, as well as a call to arms to save what is left.

Species: Jamaican Fruit Bat, American Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Ibis, Cuban Amazon, Black-Necked Stilt, West Indian Whistling Duck, White-Cheeked Pintail, Jamaican Iguana, Haitian Giant Galliwasp, Smallwood's Anole, Jamaican Boa, Aruba Island Rattlesnake, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Mountain Chicken, Haitian Brown Tarantula

Spatial Requirements: 0.2 Acres. The majority of the exhibit space is dominated by the walk-through aviary, with a small section on the side for the reptile and bat exhibits and the associated keeper areas.

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area). Secondary keeper is required for servicing the rattlesnakes in accordance with safety protocols for working with venomous animals.

Description: Caribbean Coast is a primarily outdoor exhibit, a sprawling, low-slung aviary (about twenty feet tall at its highest point) held up by a series of poles textured to resemble the trunks of palm trees. During extreme weather, the mesh can be lowered after the birds are brought inside to protect it from heavy snowfall or hurricane winds.

Painted prominently over the entrance on a piece of drift wood is a sign reading “Welcome to the Islands!” Visitors enter through a double-door system, with heavy knotted ropes forming a screen to deter birds from entering the entry vestibule. Inside the double-doors is a large, colorful map of the Caribbean Sea and its various islands. The educational message here is simple – the Caribbean is a warm, beautiful place that has drawn people to the islands for centuries, but humans and wildlife have always had an uneasy relationship that has resulted in wildlife losing out on living space.

Most of the exhibit is dominated by the walk-through aviary, inhabited by the large, noisy breeding colony of American flamingos. The boardwalk leads over the edge of the pool, opposite the sandy, muddy shoreline where the flamingos nest. Studded around the beach front are trees – real and artificial – in which scarlet ibises, roseate spoonbills, and Cuban amazons perch, while in the waters below West Indian whistling ducks and white-cheeked pintails paddle. Black-necked stilts join the flamingos and ibises in wading on the shoreline. The exhibit is also able to accommodate the occasional non-releasable native water bird, up to the size of pelicans. Tucked away in the two back corners of the exhibit are two holding buildings, each twenty feet by thirty feet and masked to resemble ramshackle Caribbean beach huts. These buildings – each equipped with a pool and overhead heaters – serve as emergency or winter holding. Directly behind each building is a small, enclosed aviary, providing some outdoor holding space for birds which must be kept off-exhibit or otherwise confined.

Opposite the flamingos, the visitors find themselves walking alongside what appears to be a crumbling cliff front, into which are set exhibits of various size for Caribbean reptiles and amphibians. The smallest of these is five foot long, three feet deep, and two feet wide for Haitian galliwasps. The largest is twenty foot long by twenty feet deep by 10 feet tall for Jamaican iguanas. Other exhibit occupants are Aruba Island rattlesnakes, Jamaican boa, Smallwood's anole, mountain chicken frogs, Puerto Rican crested toad, and Haitian brown tarantulas. The cliff facade actually fronts the indoor support area for the exhibit, from which the smaller exhibits are serviced. It includes holding spaces, a small kitchen, an office, and a small refrigerator, in which the antivenin for the rattlesnakes is stored.

Built into the cliff face is a small, dilapidated-looking shack, which visitors walk through (or may walk around, following the boardwalk in a loop that circles around it). Visitors who enter find themselves in a dark room, taking a baffle on either side to block light from the central main chamber. Here, backlit exhibits on the back wall tell the story of the Caribbean’s vanishing small mammals, such as hutias and solenodons, which are not represented in the zoo collection, as well as the now-extinct species of those islands, such as ground sloths. The main attraction, however, is the glass wall of the shack (designed to look as though part of the cabin wall had just rotted away – actually looking into a room within the indoor reptile holding building) which looks out into a habitat of Jamaican fruit bats.

Visitors exit the bat viewing building and walk past the remaining exhibits of Caribbean herps, the ever-present flamingos on their left-hand side, until they exit the exhibit through another set of double doors.

This exhibit concept reminds me of the Caribbean Coast at the Stone Zoo, which has a walkthrough aviary for flamingos, parrots, and waterfowl; an outdoor habitat for Jamaican Iguanas; and a bat cave nearby. Stone Zoo’s complex also has bush dogs, but has less creative educational opportunities than you suggested. Your idea for the immersive cliff-face with inset terrariums was also a nice touch.

 

[Aardwolf]

This exhibit concept reminds me of the Caribbean Coast at the Stone Zoo, which has a walkthrough aviary for flamingos, parrots, and waterfowl; an outdoor habitat for Jamaican Iguanas; and a bat cave nearby. Stone Zoo’s complex also has bush dogs, but has less creative educational opportunities than you suggested. Your idea for the immersive cliff-face with inset terrariums was also a nice touch.

Too funny, I actually hadn't been to Stone Zoo since they opened that exhibit. I guess there really are only so many Caribbean species available for US zoos, and, like me, many zoo directors are a sucker for alliteration. I'd sketched this idea out years ago while working at a small zoo that already had the flamingos and was planning a new reptile house nearby. The reptile house would have to be fairly small - too small for most large species, which got me thinking of interesting smaller species (there was also a nearby alligator exhibit that I had hoped to flip to Cuban crocs).

Well, to compensate for that less-than-original addition, here's a second offering for today. It's an attempt to offer a new take on a predator-prey exhibit.

Kings of the Canopy

Concept: Ever since the unveiling of Carl Hagenbeck’s revolutionary zoo outside of Hamburg, Germany in 1907, predator-prey exhibits have been a popular feature of zoos. These exhibits most often feature ungulates displayed in close proximity to big cats, with a hidden moat suggesting that the two exhibits are actually one and offering the illusion of being in the wild. Kings of the Canopy is an attempt to offer a new take on a zoo classic, this time depicting a very different predator-and-prey pairing – harpy eagles and black-handed spider monkeys.

Species: Black-Handed Spider Monkey, Harpy Eagle

Spatial Requirements: Approximately 0.25 Acres. Almost all of this is outdoors, except the top-floor viewing area, the elevator, and the holding building.

Keeper Requirement: A single keeper is sufficient to provide care for the exhibit, while still being able to take responsibility for additional exhibits.

Description: Kings of the Canopy is built in the shape of a large, mesh-enclosed donut, wrapped around a central core, from which the visitors view the animals. The surrounding area is planted with tall deciduous trees, which not only provides a forested backdrop for the exhibits, but also screens this tall structure from viewing on all sides.

The heart of the exhibit is an elevator, which links the ground floor of the exhibit with the third-story viewing deck. Visitors approach the elevator by entering a Plexiglas-enclosed tunnel through the spider monkey habitat. They may then decide to either ride the elevator to the top floor or take a series of ramps and platforms around the elevator shaft up towards the top viewing area. The elevator shaft is disguised on the outside like a giant tree, with fake bark and branching limbs, which serve as supports for some of the ramps that wrap around it. Built into the tree are small “nature clues”, such as fake termite nests, bromeliads, and cavities, from within which the light-up eyes of nocturnal animals may be glimpsed. The ramps and platforms are built of planks with rope netting for the sides. The effect is of being in a tree house, clambering one’s way up to the top.

Surrounding the visitor area are two habitats. The first is of black-handed spider monkeys. This habitat has a grassy floor with patches of bare earth and mulch, with a few nontoxic (but not especially edible) shrubs growing in small patches and a few boulders on the ground. Several large dead trees are stationed around the exhibit, connected with a matrix of ropes and firehoses (disguised to look like vines) and wooden cross-beams to form one large, interconnected climbing structure. Some of the “vines” are anchored only on one end, allowing the animals to swing from tree to tree. The exhibit is fronted with Plexiglas in areas in which visitors are close to the monkeys to protect the animals from both disease transmission and from unauthorized feedings. In all other areas, the exhibit is enclosed with mesh, which provides additional climbing opportunities. Small feeding stations are built into the trees to encourage arboreal feeding – many of the trees have ladders built into the backs of them to facilitate keeper access to higher parts of the enclosure. Water is provided in a small (5 gallon) trough that is located directly under a low-hanging branch, which allows the monkeys to drink while still in the trees. The curved, semi-circular nature of the habitat makes it possible for monkeys to get out of direct sight of one another at opposite ends of the habitat.

The opposite habitat is for harpy eagles. This exhibit is much more open than the monkey habitat, with a few large perches stationed across the exhibit at different heights. This provides maximum flight space and requires the eagles to exercise whenever they wish to go from one perch to another. The exhibit floor is grassy with more planted areas than the spider monkey habitat, with a large flat rock in the center which serves as a “dining room table” for when the birds are fed. There is a small (15 gallon) pool for bathing. A hidden mister is fixed above one prominent perch; when it is turned on, a fine drizzle will come out, encouraging the eagles to preen while also helping them keep cool during warm weather. The exhibit is entirely mesh-enclosed, with the exception of a few Plexiglas viewing portals.

At the top of the exhibit, accessible either by the ramp or by the elevator, is the viewing deck, an enclosed cabin from which the visitors may view the eagles on one side, the spider monkeys on the other. The cabin is full of interactive displays, such as handprints (and footprints) of spider monkeys, which allows visitors to compare their hands to those of the monkeys (noting the lack of thumbs, among other features), harpy eagle talons, a replica eagle nest for visitors to sit in, and a display on prehensile tails and their occurrence in the animal kingdom. Ample perching is provided in both exhibits by the viewing windows to encourage close-up views of the animals. Visitors may return of the ground floor by using either the ramps or the elevator.

On the opposite side of the exhibit as the viewing cabin is the two-story holding building. The ground floor houses the spider monkey holding, the upper floor the holding for the eagles. Attached to the ground floor is a small outdoor enclosure to provide off-exhibit housing for spider monkeys.

 

[Aardwolf]

I've always had a special fondness for Andean bears (they were called spectacled bears when I was younger), and wanted to see them in a flagship exhibit. Years ago, I had that in mind when I drew up this plan. Since then, Nashville opened its Expedition Peru, which I thought was a good bar exhibit, but not an especially great Andean exhibit, in terms of the other species it highlighted. Several other zoos either have recently opened or are planning new Andean bear exhibits, but as far as I know, no one is going all-in to create a heavily-themed Andean exhibit.

Mirador de los Andes

Concept: The Andes Mountains of South America are one of the most ecologically diverse and endangered, yet underrepresented, habitats in zoos. This is especially surprising given the number of charismatic species found there, including large carnivores in the form of the Andean bear and puma. Mirador de los Andes is an exploration of the role of these and other animals in the history and culture of the peoples of the Andes, as well as describing the challenges of ensuring the survival of these animals alongside people in the modern world.

Species: Andean Bear, White-Nosed Coati, Puma, Domestic Chinchilla, Domestic Guinea Pig, Llama, Alpaca, Andean Condor, Andean Tinamou, Andean Goose, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Spatial Requirements: Approximately 3 Acres, including two 0.75 acre bear yards and the 0.5 acre llama/alpaca yard.

Keeper Requirement: The exhibit is serviced by one keeper daily – when two keepers are available, one takes care of the llamas/alpacas, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and coatis, while the other takes the bears, pumas, condors, and aviary. The domestic animal exhibits located off of the plaza may be serviced by volunteers under keeper supervision.

Description: Creating a mountain-themed exhibit in a zoo can be challenging. Apart from the logistical concerns about constructing large mountain exhibits, an architect also runs into difficulties with maintain ADA-compliance. Mountains, by definition, are steep, but if a zoo environment tries to recreate this landscape, they will run into issues of having walkways that are inaccessible to many visitors. The Mirador seeks to compensate for this challenge by having winding, narrow pathways, flanked with gunite walls in many places, to create the impression that visitors are trekking uphill. All visitor traffic is one-way to prevent collisions and bottlenecks.

Visitors enter the Mirador at the bottom of the exhibit, a flat meadow surrounded by a simple wood-and-wire fence. The meadow is framed with pine trees on three sides. A small stream meanders through it. Visitors approach on a dirt path that branches off from the main zoo path. This path widens into a small, bare plaza, at the end of which is a low cottage, about twenty feet by twenty feet. This, a sign informs them, is an Andean shepherd’s camp, on the edge of the paramo, or alpine grassland. This is a cross-road between the highlands of the Andes and the lowlands of the forest. In this landscape, the shepherd, their absent host, is trying to eke out a living. A challenge that he is facing is raising his livestock in the presence of two of South America’s largest carnivores – the Andean bear and the puma.

The cabin is a simple living space, but windows in the walls open up to habitats for two small South American domestic animals. In one (about eight feet by eight feet), domestic chinchillas scurry up and down a rocky backdrop, coming to the ground to roll in fine dust or disappearing in and out of the network of little crevices and tunnels that pocket the back of the habitat. In the second, guinea pigs root through a bed of shavings or clamber across climbing structures that resemble the interior of an unlocked feed shed. Both the guinea pigs and the chinchillas are in climate-controlled indoor habitats, serviced from a small hallway between them. The animals in both enclosures double-function as educational ambassadors, and are brought out by docents at certain times for meet-and-greets.

Outside the cabin, the meadow is home to a small herd of llamas and alpacas. The camelids graze a half-acre field, which also includes an open-faced barn and a catch-pen, useful for when the alpacas need to be shorn. At the front of the pen is a small corral, not for animals but for people – during keeper talks, small numbers of visitors are allowed into this pen and offered romaine lettuce leaves, which they may hand-feed to the camelids. Signage at the front of the pen describes the importance of llamas and alpacas in the lives of the people of the Andes (including a display about shearing alpacas and utilizing their wool), while also highlighting the relationship of these animals to their wild ancestors, the guanaco and vicuna.

Also on the plaza is a mesh-enclosed habitat of white-nosed coati. The habitat of these raccoon-like carnivores is fifty feet long by twenty feet deep, consisting of a deep soil substrate over the buried wire floor, several large pieces of deadfall, a few live shrubs (which have to be routinely replaced), and a series of boulders. The backdrop of the coati exhibit is a screen of mesh, overlooking the main habitat of the Mirador, creating an illusion of continuity and open space.

The mountain trek beings alongside the coatis, winding up the hill towards the top of the exhibit. The trail isn’t really that steep, but the narrow, winding path with the sloping rock walls on either side create the impression that it is. All of the exhibits featured have signage that explores the social and cultural history of the animals featured, as well as their natural history. In particular, the signage explains how the animals played a role in traditional culture, as well as their relations to humans in the modern world. Most of the trail’s focus is on the center of the exhibit, the Andean bear habitats.

There are two Andean bear yards, each about three quarters of an acre in size. The exhibit is based on the plan that “less is more” – the yards are each relatively open meadows with a few large trees scattered about. The trees have metal collars at thirty feet up to discourage bears from climbing beyond that point. At lower heights, they are connected with a series of sawn logs and beams, forming jungle gyms. Built into these climbing structures are elevated platforms to serve as nesting sites, as well as a series of small nooks and crannies in which keepers may hide small food items. Some of these climbing structures are taller than the visitor trail, allowing the bears to get higher than guests and look down on them and the surrounding landscape. The substrate of the exhibit is a managed mixture of grass, dirt, leaf litter, and sand; each exhibit contains a small pool. The two yards are divided by a smooth concrete wall with a gate which may be opened to allow the two to be joined as one large habitat.

The bear holding building is located on the far side of the yard (about 40 x 36 feet). It features a series of four small rooms, each approximately 8 feet by 8 feet, which bears may use for sleeping or resting, with interconnecting slide doors between each den. This gives keepers options of managing four small dens, one large space of 32 feet by 8 feet, or any combination thereof. All doorways between the dens are configured so that a transport crate can be securely attached for purposes of crate training and transport. Each den is equipped with a concrete water trough (which can be filled and drained from the keeper area outside) as well as an elevated sleeping platform. Two dens have direct outdoor access to one of the two outdoor yards, two dens have direct access to the other. The building also contains a separate maternity den, an indoor day room for when bears must be kept inside, and a small keeper office and kitchen space. The building is also equipped with rooftop access via an outdoor staircase. This allows staff to observe the bears from an elevated vantage point, while also providing space for donor tours and special events, providing a panoramic overview of the Mirador.

At the top of the exhibit loop is the Mirador (Spanish for “overlook”) itself, a view of the entire Andean bear exhibit sweeping down to the llamas and coatis below. A balcony juts out over the bears, with mounted binoculars providing extra-close looks at the animals. Towering over even this high vantage point is the highest point in the zoo, is the Andean condor aviary, a sprawling, mesh-enclosed hillside with crags and branches for the giant birds to perch on and overlook the exhibit. Adjacent to the condors is a second, walk-through aviary, home to various Andean birds. Andean geese splash around in a shallow pool, while Andean tinamous scurry in and out from the low shrubs. Andean cock-of-the-rocks are the stars of the aviary – a small building attached to the aviary supports breeding and nesting efforts, as well as provides winter housing.

Looping back down the hill towards the plaza, visitors pass the final exhibit, the rambling puma habitat. The puma exhibit is located opposite the trail from the Andean bear holding building – an overhead enclosed tunnel allows the pumas to have occasional access to the day room in the bear building for enrichment/extra space. The puma exhibit is a mesh-enclosed hillside, with several small trees and large pieces of deadfall. What appears to be a mineshaft sunk into the back of the hill actually is the entrance to the pumas’ holding building and off-exhibit space.

From the pumas, the trail ends back up in the plaza, from which visitors may return to the main path.

 

[Tigeanderson]

I've always had a special fondness for Andean bears (they were called spectacled bears when I was younger), and wanted to see them in a flagship exhibit. Years ago, I had that in mind when I drew up this plan. Since then, Nashville opened its Expedition Peru, which I thought was a good bar exhibit, but not an especially great Andean exhibit, in terms of the other species it highlighted. Several other zoos either have recently opened or are planning new Andean bear exhibits, but as far as I know, no one is going all-in to create a heavily-themed Andean exhibit.

Mirador de los Andes

Concept: The Andes Mountains of South America are one of the most ecologically diverse and endangered, yet underrepresented, habitats in zoos. This is especially surprising given the number of charismatic species found there, including large carnivores in the form of the Andean bear and puma. Mirador de los Andes is an exploration of the role of these and other animals in the history and culture of the peoples of the Andes, as well as describing the challenges of ensuring the survival of these animals alongside people in the modern world.

Species: Andean Bear, White-Nosed Coati, Puma, Domestic Chinchilla, Domestic Guinea Pig, Llama, Alpaca, Andean Condor, Andean Tinamou, Andean Goose, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Spatial Requirements: Approximately 3 Acres, including two 0.75 acre bear yards and the 0.5 acre llama/alpaca yard.

Keeper Requirement: The exhibit is serviced by one keeper daily – when two keepers are available, one takes care of the llamas/alpacas, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and coatis, while the other takes the bears, pumas, condors, and aviary. The domestic animal exhibits located off of the plaza may be serviced by volunteers under keeper supervision.

Description: Creating a mountain-themed exhibit in a zoo can be challenging. Apart from the logistical concerns about constructing large mountain exhibits, an architect also runs into difficulties with maintain ADA-compliance. Mountains, by definition, are steep, but if a zoo environment tries to recreate this landscape, they will run into issues of having walkways that are inaccessible to many visitors. The Mirador seeks to compensate for this challenge by having winding, narrow pathways, flanked with gunite walls in many places, to create the impression that visitors are trekking uphill. All visitor traffic is one-way to prevent collisions and bottlenecks.

Visitors enter the Mirador at the bottom of the exhibit, a flat meadow surrounded by a simple wood-and-wire fence. The meadow is framed with pine trees on three sides. A small stream meanders through it. Visitors approach on a dirt path that branches off from the main zoo path. This path widens into a small, bare plaza, at the end of which is a low cottage, about twenty feet by twenty feet. This, a sign informs them, is an Andean shepherd’s camp, on the edge of the paramo, or alpine grassland. This is a cross-road between the highlands of the Andes and the lowlands of the forest. In this landscape, the shepherd, their absent host, is trying to eke out a living. A challenge that he is facing is raising his livestock in the presence of two of South America’s largest carnivores – the Andean bear and the puma.

The cabin is a simple living space, but windows in the walls open up to habitats for two small South American domestic animals. In one (about eight feet by eight feet), domestic chinchillas scurry up and down a rocky backdrop, coming to the ground to roll in fine dust or disappearing in and out of the network of little crevices and tunnels that pocket the back of the habitat. In the second, guinea pigs root through a bed of shavings or clamber across climbing structures that resemble the interior of an unlocked feed shed. Both the guinea pigs and the chinchillas are in climate-controlled indoor habitats, serviced from a small hallway between them. The animals in both enclosures double-function as educational ambassadors, and are brought out by docents at certain times for meet-and-greets.

Outside the cabin, the meadow is home to a small herd of llamas and alpacas. The camelids graze a half-acre field, which also includes an open-faced barn and a catch-pen, useful for when the alpacas need to be shorn. At the front of the pen is a small corral, not for animals but for people – during keeper talks, small numbers of visitors are allowed into this pen and offered romaine lettuce leaves, which they may hand-feed to the camelids. Signage at the front of the pen describes the importance of llamas and alpacas in the lives of the people of the Andes (including a display about shearing alpacas and utilizing their wool), while also highlighting the relationship of these animals to their wild ancestors, the guanaco and vicuna.

Also on the plaza is a mesh-enclosed habitat of white-nosed coati. The habitat of these raccoon-like carnivores is fifty feet long by twenty feet deep, consisting of a deep soil substrate over the buried wire floor, several large pieces of deadfall, a few live shrubs (which have to be routinely replaced), and a series of boulders. The backdrop of the coati exhibit is a screen of mesh, overlooking the main habitat of the Mirador, creating an illusion of continuity and open space.

The mountain trek beings alongside the coatis, winding up the hill towards the top of the exhibit. The trail isn’t really that steep, but the narrow, winding path with the sloping rock walls on either side create the impression that it is. All of the exhibits featured have signage that explores the social and cultural history of the animals featured, as well as their natural history. In particular, the signage explains how the animals played a role in traditional culture, as well as their relations to humans in the modern world. Most of the trail’s focus is on the center of the exhibit, the Andean bear habitats.

There are two Andean bear yards, each about three quarters of an acre in size. The exhibit is based on the plan that “less is more” – the yards are each relatively open meadows with a few large trees scattered about. The trees have metal collars at thirty feet up to discourage bears from climbing beyond that point. At lower heights, they are connected with a series of sawn logs and beams, forming jungle gyms. Built into these climbing structures are elevated platforms to serve as nesting sites, as well as a series of small nooks and crannies in which keepers may hide small food items. Some of these climbing structures are taller than the visitor trail, allowing the bears to get higher than guests and look down on them and the surrounding landscape. The substrate of the exhibit is a managed mixture of grass, dirt, leaf litter, and sand; each exhibit contains a small pool. The two yards are divided by a smooth concrete wall with a gate which may be opened to allow the two to be joined as one large habitat.

The bear holding building is located on the far side of the yard (about 40 x 36 feet). It features a series of four small rooms, each approximately 8 feet by 8 feet, which bears may use for sleeping or resting, with interconnecting slide doors between each den. This gives keepers options of managing four small dens, one large space of 32 feet by 8 feet, or any combination thereof. All doorways between the dens are configured so that a transport crate can be securely attached for purposes of crate training and transport. Each den is equipped with a concrete water trough (which can be filled and drained from the keeper area outside) as well as an elevated sleeping platform. Two dens have direct outdoor access to one of the two outdoor yards, two dens have direct access to the other. The building also contains a separate maternity den, an indoor day room for when bears must be kept inside, and a small keeper office and kitchen space. The building is also equipped with rooftop access via an outdoor staircase. This allows staff to observe the bears from an elevated vantage point, while also providing space for donor tours and special events, providing a panoramic overview of the Mirador.

At the top of the exhibit loop is the Mirador (Spanish for “overlook”) itself, a view of the entire Andean bear exhibit sweeping down to the llamas and coatis below. A balcony juts out over the bears, with mounted binoculars providing extra-close looks at the animals. Towering over even this high vantage point is the highest point in the zoo, is the Andean condor aviary, a sprawling, mesh-enclosed hillside with crags and branches for the giant birds to perch on and overlook the exhibit. Adjacent to the condors is a second, walk-through aviary, home to various Andean birds. Andean geese splash around in a shallow pool, while Andean tinamous scurry in and out from the low shrubs. Andean cock-of-the-rocks are the stars of the aviary – a small building attached to the aviary supports breeding and nesting efforts, as well as provides winter housing.

Looping back down the hill towards the plaza, visitors pass the final exhibit, the rambling puma habitat. The puma exhibit is located opposite the trail from the Andean bear holding building – an overhead enclosed tunnel allows the pumas to have occasional access to the day room in the bear building for enrichment/extra space. The puma exhibit is a mesh-enclosed hillside, with several small trees and large pieces of deadfall. What appears to be a mineshaft sunk into the back of the hill actually is the entrance to the pumas’ holding building and off-exhibit space.

From the pumas, the trail ends back up in the plaza, from which visitors may return to the main path.

I really like this exhibit idea but If I did something like this I would add in 4 kinds of herbivores and these herbivores are 4 Kinds of deer can be found in the Andes and these deer are The Southern and Northern Pudus, The Huemul and the Taruca and I would add in the pudus because they are the smallest deer in the world and I would add the Taruca and Huemul to show that besides pudu there are other deer that live in the Andes mountains and The Taruca And Huemul can be found in the Andes mountains and the Taruca can be found at a higher elevation than the Huemul and the Huemul along with the Andean condor are the national animals of Chile and it can be found on the cold mountainsides and valleys while the Taruca can be found at altitudes ranging from 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft).

 

[Aardwolf]

Hi @Tigeanderson , unfortunately, of the four species that you listed, only the southern pudu is available in North American collections. It's for that reason (and for wanting to keep things at a reasonable size) that I opted not to include mountain tapir, which is present in small numbers in the US, but is not likely to be here for that much longer. Imports of Andean deer would theoretically be possible, but many states have pretty stringent regulations about the movement of cervids due to concerns about CWD, and that's for deer that are coming from one state over, not from abroad. So, southern pudu would be a possibility (as Nashville incorporates into their exhibit area), but not the others.

Skipping ahead to Oceania... I never did try my hand at a kangaroo walkabout. In fact, neither of the two Oceania exhibits I designed even touch Australia itself. The first is a very small, modest affair, but one which highlights species and stories that I wish zoos would be more vocal about.

Camp Koko

Concept: Among the most critical zoo conservation challenges of the late twentieth century was the Mariana Island avifauna extinction crisis. The introduced brown tree snake, arriving on Guam in the aftermath of World War II, proved to be devastating for the naïve birds of the island, none of which had evolved in association with such a threat. Soon, some of Guam’s birds were extinct, while others survived only in captive breeding programs, while the snake continued to run (slither?) rampant over the island. This exhibit is intended to tell the story of the extinction event on Guam and how zoos and aquariums are working to save its imperiled remaining species.

Species: Guam Rail, Mariana Fruit Dove, Micronesian Kingfisher, Bridled White Eye, Brown Tree Snake

Spatial Requirements: This building and the associated grounds occupy one-tenth of an acre

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area).

Description: The Camp Koko (taking its name for the local name for the Guam rail) building is a low, concrete building, gray, drab, and simple on the outside, resembling an abandoned airfield maintenance shed. This is a nod to the theory that the brown tree snake was first introduced to Guam by hitching a ride on American bombers during or after World War II. Outside, leading up to the building, are wooden crates, pieces of airplane equipment, and other debris, creating the impression of abandonment and disuse (while keeping the walkway clear). Plastered prominently along the walkway are posters warning visitors about the brown tree snake and asking them to report sightings.

The building itself is divided into two chambers. The first is a dark, museum-like gallery that depicts the history of the brown tree snake on Guam. Dominating one wall is a chart depicting the indigenous birds of the island, with some blackened out, denoting that they are extinct, with others grayed out, indicating that they are extinct in the wild. The story of the snake is depicted through signage, maps, graphs depicted population growth and density, photos, and even a series of preserved snakes in jars. Video footage shows snakes climbing on power lines, causing outages, or specially trained dogs sniffing out snakes. Other exhibits show field equipment biologists use to monitor birds in the wild.

The second chamber holds the animal exhibits. In the center of the room is a cylindrical glass display, ten feet in diameter (flattened on one end for the door and entry vestibule) that houses live brown tree snakes. Here, the snakes are presented naturally in a rainforest setting, as they would be seen in Indonesia, New Guinea, or Australia. The underlying message is that every invasive species is native somewhere, and that even the brown tree snake has a natural environment where it is an important part of the ecosystem. The goal is not to villainize snakes, but to understand the danger that invasive species pose when removed from their natural setting.

Surrounding the rest of the room are four aviaries for four Guam birds – the Micronesian kingfisher, Guam rail, Saipan white-eye, and Mariana fruit dove. Each exhibit is densely planted, with sunlight provided from skylights overhead and with a small stream meandering through all four aviaries, giving the impression that they are one habitat. The rail aviary is accessed through the kingfisher aviary, the white-eye through the fruit dove aviary. A keeper room is on either side of the four aviaries. Each exhibit is accompanied by a TV screen overhead that depicts footage (muted but with closed captions) showing the captive breeding and reintroduction work underway with each species. A nearby window looks into a rearing room with an incubator and brooder box, where chicks can be reared if need be.

A door on the side of the building is opened seasonally, allowing visitors behind the building to an outdoor aviary. Each of the four aviaries has a shift door leading to the outside. During clement weather, keepers can let the birds outside, either a single species or multiple in combination. During inclement weather when no birds are outside, the door is kept locked.

 

[15399]

Hi @Tigeanderson , unfortunately, of the four species that you listed, only the southern pudu is available in North American collections. It's for that reason (and for wanting to keep things at a reasonable size) that I opted not to include mountain tapir, which is present in small numbers in the US, but is not likely to be here for that much longer. Imports of Andean deer would theoretically be possible, but many states have pretty stringent regulations about the movement of cervids due to concerns about CWD, and that's for deer that are coming from one state over, not from abroad. So, southern pudu would be a possibility (as Nashville incorporates into their exhibit area), but not the others.

Skipping ahead to Oceania... I never did try my hand at a kangaroo walkabout. In fact, neither of the two Oceania exhibits I designed even touch Australia itself. The first is a very small, modest affair, but one which highlights species and stories that I wish zoos would be more vocal about.

Camp Koko

Concept: Among the most critical zoo conservation challenges of the late twentieth century was the Mariana Island avifauna extinction crisis. The introduced brown tree snake, arriving on Guam in the aftermath of World War II, proved to be devastating for the naïve birds of the island, none of which had evolved in association with such a threat. Soon, some of Guam’s birds were extinct, while others survived only in captive breeding programs, while the snake continued to run (slither?) rampant over the island. This exhibit is intended to tell the story of the extinction event on Guam and how zoos and aquariums are working to save its imperiled remaining species.

Species: Guam Rail, Mariana Fruit Dove, Micronesian Kingfisher, Bridled White Eye, Brown Tree Snake

Spatial Requirements: This building and the associated grounds occupy one-tenth of an acre

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area).

Description: The Camp Koko (taking its name for the local name for the Guam rail) building is a low, concrete building, gray, drab, and simple on the outside, resembling an abandoned airfield maintenance shed. This is a nod to the theory that the brown tree snake was first introduced to Guam by hitching a ride on American bombers during or after World War II. Outside, leading up to the building, are wooden crates, pieces of airplane equipment, and other debris, creating the impression of abandonment and disuse (while keeping the walkway clear). Plastered prominently along the walkway are posters warning visitors about the brown tree snake and asking them to report sightings.

The building itself is divided into two chambers. The first is a dark, museum-like gallery that depicts the history of the brown tree snake on Guam. Dominating one wall is a chart depicting the indigenous birds of the island, with some blackened out, denoting that they are extinct, with others grayed out, indicating that they are extinct in the wild. The story of the snake is depicted through signage, maps, graphs depicted population growth and density, photos, and even a series of preserved snakes in jars. Video footage shows snakes climbing on power lines, causing outages, or specially trained dogs sniffing out snakes. Other exhibits show field equipment biologists use to monitor birds in the wild.

The second chamber holds the animal exhibits. In the center of the room is a cylindrical glass display, ten feet in diameter (flattened on one end for the door and entry vestibule) that houses live brown tree snakes. Here, the snakes are presented naturally in a rainforest setting, as they would be seen in Indonesia, New Guinea, or Australia. The underlying message is that every invasive species is native somewhere, and that even the brown tree snake has a natural environment where it is an important part of the ecosystem. The goal is not to villainize snakes, but to understand the danger that invasive species pose when removed from their natural setting.

Surrounding the rest of the room are four aviaries for four Guam birds – the Micronesian kingfisher, Guam rail, Saipan white-eye, and Mariana fruit dove. Each exhibit is densely planted, with sunlight provided from skylights overhead and with a small stream meandering through all four aviaries, giving the impression that they are one habitat. The rail aviary is accessed through the kingfisher aviary, the white-eye through the fruit dove aviary. A keeper room is on either side of the four aviaries. Each exhibit is accompanied by a TV screen overhead that depicts footage (muted but with closed captions) showing the captive breeding and reintroduction work underway with each species. A nearby window looks into a rearing room with an incubator and brooder box, where chicks can be reared if need be.

A door on the side of the building is opened seasonally, allowing visitors behind the building to an outdoor aviary. Each of the four aviaries has a shift door leading to the outside. During clement weather, keepers can let the birds outside, either a single species or multiple in combination. During inclement weather when no birds are outside, the door is kept locked.

I think this is a unique exhibit, and I'd love to see it happen in real life, however I think I'd add two additional species to the aviary line-up: Guam Kingfisher and Golden White-Eye. Out of curiosity, is there a reason you limited the species line-up to the four birds you mentioned? Furthermore, I'm curious as to the lack of mixed-species components in the aviaries. I understand this may be to get the best chances of breeding success, however especially with the Guam Rails, a ground bird, I suspect you'd be able to successfully breed them in a mix with a tree-dwelling species (e.g. Guam Kingfisher). Obviously it's your exhibit, and I think it is a great, unique complex, however I'm curious as to why you didn't decide to make these two modifications.

 

[Tigeanderson]

Hi @Tigeanderson , unfortunately, of the four species that you listed, only the southern pudu is available in North American collections. It's for that reason (and for wanting to keep things at a reasonable size) that I opted not to include mountain tapir, which is present in small numbers in the US, but is not likely to be here for that much longer. Imports of Andean deer would theoretically be possible, but many states have pretty stringent regulations about the movement of cervids due to concerns about CWD, and that's for deer that are coming from one state over, not from abroad. So, southern pudu would be a possibility (as Nashville incorporates into their exhibit area), but not the others.

Skipping ahead to Oceania... I never did try my hand at a kangaroo walkabout. In fact, neither of the two Oceania exhibits I designed even touch Australia itself. The first is a very small, modest affair, but one which highlights species and stories that I wish zoos would be more vocal about.

Camp Koko

Concept: Among the most critical zoo conservation challenges of the late twentieth century was the Mariana Island avifauna extinction crisis. The introduced brown tree snake, arriving on Guam in the aftermath of World War II, proved to be devastating for the naïve birds of the island, none of which had evolved in association with such a threat. Soon, some of Guam’s birds were extinct, while others survived only in captive breeding programs, while the snake continued to run (slither?) rampant over the island. This exhibit is intended to tell the story of the extinction event on Guam and how zoos and aquariums are working to save its imperiled remaining species.

Species: Guam Rail, Mariana Fruit Dove, Micronesian Kingfisher, Bridled White Eye, Brown Tree Snake

Spatial Requirements: This building and the associated grounds occupy one-tenth of an acre

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area).

Description: The Camp Koko (taking its name for the local name for the Guam rail) building is a low, concrete building, gray, drab, and simple on the outside, resembling an abandoned airfield maintenance shed. This is a nod to the theory that the brown tree snake was first introduced to Guam by hitching a ride on American bombers during or after World War II. Outside, leading up to the building, are wooden crates, pieces of airplane equipment, and other debris, creating the impression of abandonment and disuse (while keeping the walkway clear). Plastered prominently along the walkway are posters warning visitors about the brown tree snake and asking them to report sightings.

The building itself is divided into two chambers. The first is a dark, museum-like gallery that depicts the history of the brown tree snake on Guam. Dominating one wall is a chart depicting the indigenous birds of the island, with some blackened out, denoting that they are extinct, with others grayed out, indicating that they are extinct in the wild. The story of the snake is depicted through signage, maps, graphs depicted population growth and density, photos, and even a series of preserved snakes in jars. Video footage shows snakes climbing on power lines, causing outages, or specially trained dogs sniffing out snakes. Other exhibits show field equipment biologists use to monitor birds in the wild.

The second chamber holds the animal exhibits. In the center of the room is a cylindrical glass display, ten feet in diameter (flattened on one end for the door and entry vestibule) that houses live brown tree snakes. Here, the snakes are presented naturally in a rainforest setting, as they would be seen in Indonesia, New Guinea, or Australia. The underlying message is that every invasive species is native somewhere, and that even the brown tree snake has a natural environment where it is an important part of the ecosystem. The goal is not to villainize snakes, but to understand the danger that invasive species pose when removed from their natural setting.

Surrounding the rest of the room are four aviaries for four Guam birds – the Micronesian kingfisher, Guam rail, Saipan white-eye, and Mariana fruit dove. Each exhibit is densely planted, with sunlight provided from skylights overhead and with a small stream meandering through all four aviaries, giving the impression that they are one habitat. The rail aviary is accessed through the kingfisher aviary, the white-eye through the fruit dove aviary. A keeper room is on either side of the four aviaries. Each exhibit is accompanied by a TV screen overhead that depicts footage (muted but with closed captions) showing the captive breeding and reintroduction work underway with each species. A nearby window looks into a rearing room with an incubator and brooder box, where chicks can be reared if need be.

A door on the side of the building is opened seasonally, allowing visitors behind the building to an outdoor aviary. Each of the four aviaries has a shift door leading to the outside. During clement weather, keepers can let the birds outside, either a single species or multiple in combination. During inclement weather when no birds are outside, the door is kept locked.

Hi @Tigeanderson , unfortunately, of the four species that you listed, only the southern pudu is available in North American collections. It's for that reason (and for wanting to keep things at a reasonable size) that I opted not to include mountain tapir, which is present in small numbers in the US, but is not likely to be here for that much longer. Imports of Andean deer would theoretically be possible, but many states have pretty stringent regulations about the movement of cervids due to concerns about CWD, and that's for deer that are coming from one state over, not from abroad. So, southern pudu would be a possibility (as Nashville incorporates into their exhibit area), but not the others.

Skipping ahead to Oceania... I never did try my hand at a kangaroo walkabout. In fact, neither of the two Oceania exhibits I designed even touch Australia itself. The first is a very small, modest affair, but one which highlights species and stories that I wish zoos would be more vocal about.

Camp Koko

Concept: Among the most critical zoo conservation challenges of the late twentieth century was the Mariana Island avifauna extinction crisis. The introduced brown tree snake, arriving on Guam in the aftermath of World War II, proved to be devastating for the naïve birds of the island, none of which had evolved in association with such a threat. Soon, some of Guam’s birds were extinct, while others survived only in captive breeding programs, while the snake continued to run (slither?) rampant over the island. This exhibit is intended to tell the story of the extinction event on Guam and how zoos and aquariums are working to save its imperiled remaining species.

Species: Guam Rail, Mariana Fruit Dove, Micronesian Kingfisher, Bridled White Eye, Brown Tree Snake

Spatial Requirements: This building and the associated grounds occupy one-tenth of an acre

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area).

Description: The Camp Koko (taking its name for the local name for the Guam rail) building is a low, concrete building, gray, drab, and simple on the outside, resembling an abandoned airfield maintenance shed. This is a nod to the theory that the brown tree snake was first introduced to Guam by hitching a ride on American bombers during or after World War II. Outside, leading up to the building, are wooden crates, pieces of airplane equipment, and other debris, creating the impression of abandonment and disuse (while keeping the walkway clear). Plastered prominently along the walkway are posters warning visitors about the brown tree snake and asking them to report sightings.

The building itself is divided into two chambers. The first is a dark, museum-like gallery that depicts the history of the brown tree snake on Guam. Dominating one wall is a chart depicting the indigenous birds of the island, with some blackened out, denoting that they are extinct, with others grayed out, indicating that they are extinct in the wild. The story of the snake is depicted through signage, maps, graphs depicted population growth and density, photos, and even a series of preserved snakes in jars. Video footage shows snakes climbing on power lines, causing outages, or specially trained dogs sniffing out snakes. Other exhibits show field equipment biologists use to monitor birds in the wild.

The second chamber holds the animal exhibits. In the center of the room is a cylindrical glass display, ten feet in diameter (flattened on one end for the door and entry vestibule) that houses live brown tree snakes. Here, the snakes are presented naturally in a rainforest setting, as they would be seen in Indonesia, New Guinea, or Australia. The underlying message is that every invasive species is native somewhere, and that even the brown tree snake has a natural environment where it is an important part of the ecosystem. The goal is not to villainize snakes, but to understand the danger that invasive species pose when removed from their natural setting.

Surrounding the rest of the room are four aviaries for four Guam birds – the Micronesian kingfisher, Guam rail, Saipan white-eye, and Mariana fruit dove. Each exhibit is densely planted, with sunlight provided from skylights overhead and with a small stream meandering through all four aviaries, giving the impression that they are one habitat. The rail aviary is accessed through the kingfisher aviary, the white-eye through the fruit dove aviary. A keeper room is on either side of the four aviaries. Each exhibit is accompanied by a TV screen overhead that depicts footage (muted but with closed captions) showing the captive breeding and reintroduction work underway with each species. A nearby window looks into a rearing room with an incubator and brooder box, where chicks can be reared if need be.

A door on the side of the building is opened seasonally, allowing visitors behind the building to an outdoor aviary. Each of the four aviaries has a shift door leading to the outside. During clement weather, keepers can let the birds outside, either a single species or multiple in combination. During inclement weather when no birds are outside, the door is kept locked.

Oh okay well I looked up if the Huemel or Taruca carry Cwd and from what I read it says that they don’t carry cwd but I understand the concerns of the cwd but from what I did read it says that deer, White Tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Sika Deer and reindeer carry it but nothing about Huemel, Taruca, Pudu, Brocketts or other South American deer like marsh and pampas deer carrying Cwd.

 

[dillotest0]

Hi @Tigeanderson , unfortunately, of the four species that you listed, only the southern pudu is available in North American collections. It's for that reason (and for wanting to keep things at a reasonable size) that I opted not to include mountain tapir, which is present in small numbers in the US, but is not likely to be here for that much longer. Imports of Andean deer would theoretically be possible, but many states have pretty stringent regulations about the movement of cervids due to concerns about CWD, and that's for deer that are coming from one state over, not from abroad. So, southern pudu would be a possibility (as Nashville incorporates into their exhibit area), but not the others.

Skipping ahead to Oceania... I never did try my hand at a kangaroo walkabout. In fact, neither of the two Oceania exhibits I designed even touch Australia itself. The first is a very small, modest affair, but one which highlights species and stories that I wish zoos would be more vocal about.

Camp Koko

Concept: Among the most critical zoo conservation challenges of the late twentieth century was the Mariana Island avifauna extinction crisis. The introduced brown tree snake, arriving on Guam in the aftermath of World War II, proved to be devastating for the naïve birds of the island, none of which had evolved in association with such a threat. Soon, some of Guam’s birds were extinct, while others survived only in captive breeding programs, while the snake continued to run (slither?) rampant over the island. This exhibit is intended to tell the story of the extinction event on Guam and how zoos and aquariums are working to save its imperiled remaining species.

Species: Guam Rail, Mariana Fruit Dove, Micronesian Kingfisher, Bridled White Eye, Brown Tree Snake

Spatial Requirements: This building and the associated grounds occupy one-tenth of an acre

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area).

Description: The Camp Koko (taking its name for the local name for the Guam rail) building is a low, concrete building, gray, drab, and simple on the outside, resembling an abandoned airfield maintenance shed. This is a nod to the theory that the brown tree snake was first introduced to Guam by hitching a ride on American bombers during or after World War II. Outside, leading up to the building, are wooden crates, pieces of airplane equipment, and other debris, creating the impression of abandonment and disuse (while keeping the walkway clear). Plastered prominently along the walkway are posters warning visitors about the brown tree snake and asking them to report sightings.

The building itself is divided into two chambers. The first is a dark, museum-like gallery that depicts the history of the brown tree snake on Guam. Dominating one wall is a chart depicting the indigenous birds of the island, with some blackened out, denoting that they are extinct, with others grayed out, indicating that they are extinct in the wild. The story of the snake is depicted through signage, maps, graphs depicted population growth and density, photos, and even a series of preserved snakes in jars. Video footage shows snakes climbing on power lines, causing outages, or specially trained dogs sniffing out snakes. Other exhibits show field equipment biologists use to monitor birds in the wild.

The second chamber holds the animal exhibits. In the center of the room is a cylindrical glass display, ten feet in diameter (flattened on one end for the door and entry vestibule) that houses live brown tree snakes. Here, the snakes are presented naturally in a rainforest setting, as they would be seen in Indonesia, New Guinea, or Australia. The underlying message is that every invasive species is native somewhere, and that even the brown tree snake has a natural environment where it is an important part of the ecosystem. The goal is not to villainize snakes, but to understand the danger that invasive species pose when removed from their natural setting.

Surrounding the rest of the room are four aviaries for four Guam birds – the Micronesian kingfisher, Guam rail, Saipan white-eye, and Mariana fruit dove. Each exhibit is densely planted, with sunlight provided from skylights overhead and with a small stream meandering through all four aviaries, giving the impression that they are one habitat. The rail aviary is accessed through the kingfisher aviary, the white-eye through the fruit dove aviary. A keeper room is on either side of the four aviaries. Each exhibit is accompanied by a TV screen overhead that depicts footage (muted but with closed captions) showing the captive breeding and reintroduction work underway with each species. A nearby window looks into a rearing room with an incubator and brooder box, where chicks can be reared if need be.

A door on the side of the building is opened seasonally, allowing visitors behind the building to an outdoor aviary. Each of the four aviaries has a shift door leading to the outside. During clement weather, keepers can let the birds outside, either a single species or multiple in combination. During inclement weather when no birds are outside, the door is kept locked.

I recall on my personal Nocturne thread this user had a rather extreme idea for an animal exhibit which he posted in the board; so it would not be the first time that he has done such a thing.

 

[Great Argus]

however I think I'd add two additional species to the aviary line-up: Guam Kingfisher

Already here - just using the pre-split name of Micronesian Kingfisher.

Oh okay well I looked up if the Huemel or Taruca carry Cwd and from what I read it says that they don’t carry cwd but I understand the concerns of the cwd but from what I did read it says that deer, White Tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Sika Deer and reindeer carry it but nothing about Huemel, Taruca, Pudu, Brocketts or other South American deer like marsh and pampas deer carrying Cwd.

Even if they don't carry cwd, with regulations they way they are there aren’t going to be imports. Many exotic deer populations here are on their last legs because of restrictions imposed on cwd.
Additionally, why not create a thread with your ideas instead of tacking on to other's with what they could do?

 

[15399]

Already here - just using the pre-split name of Micronesian Kingfisher.

Gotcha, I've heard both before and was under the impression they were different species. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[Great Argus]

Gotcha, I've heard both before and was under the impression they were different species. Thanks for correcting me.

It's a bit muddled in fairness - previously the Guam Kingfisher and two other species were lumped together as "Micronesian Kingfisher." Although now not the preferred name for any of the three, the original name of "Micronesian" is still in fairly regular use for all three species. However, usually people are referring to Guam Kingfisher, as that is the one most people are familiar with.

 

[Aardwolf]

@Neil chace , yes, @Great Argus is correct, we were talking about the same species. What can I say? I'm old. I tend to stick with the names I first know birds by (though these days most bird keepers I know now use the native name "sihek" for the species). In answer to your question about mixed-species, I actually have a fondness for separate exhibits which can be combined into larger spaces (in this case, the birds have an outdoor run which they can share). This provides greater flexibility - for example, you have some kingfishers, they raise their young, and then become hostile towards the chick and can't cohabit? It's ok, it can go live next door with the rails.

@Tigeanderson - to be honest, if I had the financial resources and personnel to mastermind the importation of multiple cervids from South America... I'd probably take those resources and do something else with them. It just wouldn't seem worthwhile for me to bring in huemul or northern pudu - to what end? Would I actually be able to import enough to establish a viable breeding population (and would there be the interest/support within AZA?) Or would it be a vanity project so I could say I had the only members of a certain species? I'd rather work on building sustainable populations and quality exhibits for species that are already here in North America.

Speaking of which...

Straight out of college, I worked as a herp keeper at a large US zoo with a large reptile collection (which shared a building with a good percentage of the bird collection). Learning about the species under my care, I was surprised at how many species came from New Guinea - and how I'd never seen a designated exhibit for New Guinea wildlife. When an animal house in the zoo became empty and opinions were solicited for what to do with it, I drew up this plan and submitted it. Obviously it never went anywhere, but it sparked an interest in me for designing exhibits around geographically under-represented habitats in zoos and highlighting those species.

Forgotten Forest

Concept: The island of New Guinea is home to several taxonomically and evolutionarily unique species which are already well-represented in American zoo collections. These species are rarely all grouped together within the context of New Guinea. Indeed, though it is one of the world’s largest islands with one of its largest tracts of remaining rainforest, many zoo visitors have never heard of the island. This building seeks to introduce the wildlife of this country in the context of exploring a largely forgotten world to the general public, along with its animals.

Species: Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo, Short-Beaked Echidna, Island Flying Fox, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Spotted Whistling Duck, Indian Pygmy Goose, Nicobar Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Straw-Necked Ibis, Blue-Faced Honeyeater, Pesquet’s Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, Southern Cassowary, Brown Tree Snake, Boelen’s Python, Green Tree Python, Crocodile Monitor Lizard, Black Tree Monitor, New Guinea Crocodile Skink, Fly River Turtle, Common Snake-Necked Turtle, White’s Tree Frog, Boseman’s Rainbow Fish

Spatial Requirements: 1 Acre. Includes the main building (0.5 acres) and the outdoor cassowary exhibit (0.25 acres), with the remaining space being used for immersive landscaping and screening.

Keeper Requirement: 2 keepers assigned per day. One on aviary/bat run, the other focusing on the side exhibits. One or both keepers tend to lorikeet feedings, unless volunteers are present. Two-keeper requirement for servicing crocodile monitor or Boelen’s python over 8 feet long; additional backup required if there is a need to enter cassowary exhibit with the birds (though birds are shift trained to reduce likelihood of this).

Description: The entrance to the Forgotten Forest building is a winding dirt path, eight feet wide, which snakes through a bamboo thicket before emptying out before a small tribal hut. Placed outside the hut is a carved Bisj pole, incorporating the shapes of many animals. The hut is a replica of a lowland village house in Indonesian New Guinea, with thatched roof and a wide, open doorway, through which visitors are encouraged to walk (for purposes of accessibility, the hut is not located on stilts and reached by ladders, as many Asmat huts are). On either side of the hut’s entrance are large, leafy trees, their branches meeting and intertwining overhead, which serve to camouflage the actual building behind it.

Inside the hut, visitors can observe replicas of a few native artifacts – masks, weapons – incorporated among the décor of the hut, such as a bed and cooking site. Directly opposite the entrance is an exit, which visitors filter through. The effect is that they have walked through the front door of the home and are now walking out the back, into the forest itself.

In reality, they are entering the Forgotten Forest building, a glass-domed rainforest building roughly one-half of an acre in area. Immediately upon entering the forest, visitors are greeting with a wood-cut, hand-painted sign, which briefly introduces them to the island of New Guinea. Pertinent facts that are conveyed on the sign are: 1) New Guinea is a large island that, through rivers and mountains, is broken up into a wide variety of habitats, promoting tremendous cultural diversity, 2) the island’s unique fauna played an important role in the development of the Theory of Evolution by Alfred Russell Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, and 3) though much of New Guinea’s wilderness remains, it’s wildlife is still potentially imperiled by habitat loss and overexploitation. Crowning the sign is a map of the island, depicting its geographic location between Australia and Asia and its division between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The majority of the interior space consists of a walk-through aviary, through which several species of birds can be observed. Species featured are: Victoria crowned pigeons, spotted whistling duck, Indian pygmy goose, Nicobar pigeon, pied imperial pigeon, straw-necked ibis, blue-faced honeyeater, Pesquet’s parrot, and eclectus parrot. Joining the birds in the trees are island flying foxes. The interior exhibit space is focused around a shallow central lagoon, divided by low, slow-moving cataracts into a series of smaller pools, in which the ducks swim and the ibises probe. Positioned around the pools are large trees – a combination of real and artificial, linked by artificial creepers – which provide perching for the flying birds, while the understory is densely planted.

Designated feeding stations are incorporated into the exhibit – artificial tree stumps sticking out of the pools, into which pans of feed are inserted, bowls which are inserted into specially crafted hollows on the tree branches, and feed pans placed behind fallen logs on the forest floor. The effect is such that the actual bowls are not visible when pans are present, but birds will still be attracted to the area and remain easily viewable by visitors. This also makes birds easier to find for keepers during their morning counts. The bats are fed most of their diet in a holding cage located between the crocodile monitors and rainbow lorikeets (see later), which allows them to be caught up as needed. However, to promote good viewing experiences, skewers of fruit are situated around the enclosure each morning for the bats and parrots to feed on.

Positioned around the forest (and sheltered from the sprinklers that periodically go off) are speakers, which play a montage of New Guinea tropical forest sounds, as well as other natural sounds, such as flowing water, rustling leaves, and distant thunder. These encourage natural behaviors from the birds, as well as help muffle unnatural sounds, such as other visitors. Fragrant spice plants are also situated near the trail, as are strategically placed loads of leaf litter to create an aromatic experience evocative of a tropical rainforest. Although the path around the central lagoon is roughly circular, the positioning of the smaller aviaries on the north side, the lowering of the path to pass by the reptile exhibits on the west side, and a strategic placement of trees in the southeast corner prevent visitors from being able to easily observe other visitors from across the lagoon.

On the right-hand side of the building is a separate enclosure for Matschie’s tree kangaroos and short-beaked echidna. The exhibit is situated so that viewing is possible from two levels – ground level (which facilitates views of the echidna) and a higher vantage point, via two ramps, which provides tree-level viewing of the kangaroos from a platform seven feet higher. Though all viewing of the tree kangaroo/echidna exhibit is indoors, the animals also have access to a small, off-exhibit outdoor holding area, which they are given access at the discretion of the keepers , weather permitting, including overnight access in warm weather.

Adjacent to the tree kangaroos is an exhibit of crocodile monitor lizard, displayed behind a curved glass wall, which can likewise be viewed from ground level or an elevated vantage point. Like the tree kangaroos, the crocodile monitor can also be shifted outside into the holding pen during warm weather.

Tucked behind the kangaroo exhibit is off-exhibit holding, both for the kangaroos as well as for birds. It is not capable of housing all exhibit birds at all times, but it can comfortably accommodate three pairs of the larger species for quarantine, medical management, howdying, or other needs. This area also contains a small kitchen and keeper office space.

Opposite the kangaroos, on the left-hand side of the building, the path around the lagoon seems to dip down until visitors appear to be going under the surface of the water. Here, they discover an exhibit of pig-nosed turtles and Roti Island snake-necked turtles (a stand-in for Papuan snake-necked turtles) with underwater viewing (approximately four feet deep) . The exhibit appears to be a part of the same lagoon as the bird exhibit (facilitated by the fact that the back wall is a glass window into the exhibit two feet above the surface of the water), but the two are separate exhibits. Decorating the background of the turtle habitat is a large, tethered canoe, which camouflages the keeper entry area. Opposite the turtles is a large habitat of Boelen’s python. Positioned alongside the Boelen’s python exhibits are small habitats for smaller New Guinea herpetofauna, such as New Guinea crocodile skink and White’s tree frogs, as well as Boseman’s rainbow fish.

Continuing through the exhibit, visitors will find themselves walking through a series of smaller aviaries dedicated to Papua New Guinea’s national bird, the Raggiana bird of paradise. Four aviaries are situated zig-zagged across the path but in eye shot of each other, each linked with overhead flight passages about 30” in diameter. Males and females are housed separately, males on one side, females on the other, allowing the males to perform for females in a lek-like setting, as they would naturally. At appropriate times of the year, based on cues from the birds, keepers open up access between aviaries, allowing pairs access to one another for mating.

Situated in this section of the building is a small cabin, one wall of which opens into one of the aviaries as if it were a researcher’s blind. Here, in a deviation from the natural theme of the building’s décor, a video screen plays constant loops of the courtship displays of the various bird of paradise species (interspersed with old footage of David Attenborough’s collecting expeditions from ZooQuest), while colorful graphics depicting the different species line the walls. Other graphics, complemented by replica artifacts, depict the usage of the feathers of these birds in traditional New Guinea regalia.

Leaving the birds of paradise, visitors have the option of entering through another set of double doors, which houses a flock of rainbow lorikeets in an interactive feeding aviary. Nectar is available for purchase at certain times of the day; the aviary is open whenever it is manned by staff or volunteers, otherwise it is visible from the outside only.

As a finale, visitors are given a view of southern cassowary, first indoors from a raised path that skirts a shallow, water-filled moat, then outdoors in a boardwalk that encircles the two yards available to the birds (which can be conjoined as needed). Situated between the indoor and outdoor exhibits is the four-stall holding barn with heated stalls, which serves to maximize the time each year in which the birds can be maintained outdoors. As with the entry hut, the cassowary barn is also visible as a link between the indoor and outdoor spaces, and is also represented as a native building. Signage presents cassowaries within the context of being semi-tame livestock kept in some New Guinean cultures, allowed to freely wander the villages until they become too old and dangerous. This will introduce a new side of the cassowary to the public, who may only be familiar with it through its title of “World’s Most Dangerous Bird.”

Upon exiting the building and leaving the cassowaries, the visitor continues along the path to next exhibit. A small but clearly-marked trail serves to link the front and back of the building, in case visitors wish to bypass the exhibit but continue along their journey.

 

[15399]

Obviously it never went anywhere, but it sparked an interest in me for designing exhibits around geographically under-represented habitats in zoos and highlighting those species.

Out of curiosity, what was chosen to fill this building instead of New Guinea? This seems like a better, more compelling exhibit than most zoo buildings of that size!

 

[Tigeanderson]

@Neil chace , yes, @Great Argus is correct, we were talking about the same species. What can I say? I'm old. I tend to stick with the names I first know birds by (though these days most bird keepers I know now use the native name "sihek" for the species). In answer to your question about mixed-species, I actually have a fondness for separate exhibits which can be combined into larger spaces (in this case, the birds have an outdoor run which they can share). This provides greater flexibility - for example, you have some kingfishers, they raise their young, and then become hostile towards the chick and can't cohabit? It's ok, it can go live next door with the rails.

@Tigeanderson - to be honest, if I had the financial resources and personnel to mastermind the importation of multiple cervids from South America... I'd probably take those resources and do something else with them. It just wouldn't seem worthwhile for me to bring in huemul or northern pudu - to what end? Would I actually be able to import enough to establish a viable breeding population (and would there be the interest/support within AZA?) Or would it be a vanity project so I could say I had the only members of a certain species? I'd rather work on building sustainable populations and quality exhibits for species that are already here in North America.

Speaking of which...

Straight out of college, I worked as a herp keeper at a large US zoo with a large reptile collection (which shared a building with a good percentage of the bird collection). Learning about the species under my care, I was surprised at how many species came from New Guinea - and how I'd never seen a designated exhibit for New Guinea wildlife. When an animal house in the zoo became empty and opinions were solicited for what to do with it, I drew up this plan and submitted it. Obviously it never went anywhere, but it sparked an interest in me for designing exhibits around geographically under-represented habitats in zoos and highlighting those species.

Forgotten Forest

Concept: The island of New Guinea is home to several taxonomically and evolutionarily unique species which are already well-represented in American zoo collections. These species are rarely all grouped together within the context of New Guinea. Indeed, though it is one of the world’s largest islands with one of its largest tracts of remaining rainforest, many zoo visitors have never heard of the island. This building seeks to introduce the wildlife of this country in the context of exploring a largely forgotten world to the general public, along with its animals.

Species: Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo, Short-Beaked Echidna, Island Flying Fox, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Spotted Whistling Duck, Indian Pygmy Goose, Nicobar Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Straw-Necked Ibis, Blue-Faced Honeyeater, Pesquet’s Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, Southern Cassowary, Brown Tree Snake, Boelen’s Python, Green Tree Python, Crocodile Monitor Lizard, Black Tree Monitor, New Guinea Crocodile Skink, Fly River Turtle, Common Snake-Necked Turtle, White’s Tree Frog, Boseman’s Rainbow Fish

Spatial Requirements: 1 Acre. Includes the main building (0.5 acres) and the outdoor cassowary exhibit (0.25 acres), with the remaining space being used for immersive landscaping and screening.

Keeper Requirement: 2 keepers assigned per day. One on aviary/bat run, the other focusing on the side exhibits. One or both keepers tend to lorikeet feedings, unless volunteers are present. Two-keeper requirement for servicing crocodile monitor or Boelen’s python over 8 feet long; additional backup required if there is a need to enter cassowary exhibit with the birds (though birds are shift trained to reduce likelihood of this).

Description: The entrance to the Forgotten Forest building is a winding dirt path, eight feet wide, which snakes through a bamboo thicket before emptying out before a small tribal hut. Placed outside the hut is a carved Bisj pole, incorporating the shapes of many animals. The hut is a replica of a lowland village house in Indonesian New Guinea, with thatched roof and a wide, open doorway, through which visitors are encouraged to walk (for purposes of accessibility, the hut is not located on stilts and reached by ladders, as many Asmat huts are). On either side of the hut’s entrance are large, leafy trees, their branches meeting and intertwining overhead, which serve to camouflage the actual building behind it.

Inside the hut, visitors can observe replicas of a few native artifacts – masks, weapons – incorporated among the décor of the hut, such as a bed and cooking site. Directly opposite the entrance is an exit, which visitors filter through. The effect is that they have walked through the front door of the home and are now walking out the back, into the forest itself.

In reality, they are entering the Forgotten Forest building, a glass-domed rainforest building roughly one-half of an acre in area. Immediately upon entering the forest, visitors are greeting with a wood-cut, hand-painted sign, which briefly introduces them to the island of New Guinea. Pertinent facts that are conveyed on the sign are: 1) New Guinea is a large island that, through rivers and mountains, is broken up into a wide variety of habitats, promoting tremendous cultural diversity, 2) the island’s unique fauna played an important role in the development of the Theory of Evolution by Alfred Russell Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, and 3) though much of New Guinea’s wilderness remains, it’s wildlife is still potentially imperiled by habitat loss and overexploitation. Crowning the sign is a map of the island, depicting its geographic location between Australia and Asia and its division between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The majority of the interior space consists of a walk-through aviary, through which several species of birds can be observed. Species featured are: Victoria crowned pigeons, spotted whistling duck, Indian pygmy goose, Nicobar pigeon, pied imperial pigeon, straw-necked ibis, blue-faced honeyeater, Pesquet’s parrot, and eclectus parrot. Joining the birds in the trees are island flying foxes. The interior exhibit space is focused around a shallow central lagoon, divided by low, slow-moving cataracts into a series of smaller pools, in which the ducks swim and the ibises probe. Positioned around the pools are large trees – a combination of real and artificial, linked by artificial creepers – which provide perching for the flying birds, while the understory is densely planted.

Designated feeding stations are incorporated into the exhibit – artificial tree stumps sticking out of the pools, into which pans of feed are inserted, bowls which are inserted into specially crafted hollows on the tree branches, and feed pans placed behind fallen logs on the forest floor. The effect is such that the actual bowls are not visible when pans are present, but birds will still be attracted to the area and remain easily viewable by visitors. This also makes birds easier to find for keepers during their morning counts. The bats are fed most of their diet in a holding cage located between the crocodile monitors and rainbow lorikeets (see later), which allows them to be caught up as needed. However, to promote good viewing experiences, skewers of fruit are situated around the enclosure each morning for the bats and parrots to feed on.

Positioned around the forest (and sheltered from the sprinklers that periodically go off) are speakers, which play a montage of New Guinea tropical forest sounds, as well as other natural sounds, such as flowing water, rustling leaves, and distant thunder. These encourage natural behaviors from the birds, as well as help muffle unnatural sounds, such as other visitors. Fragrant spice plants are also situated near the trail, as are strategically placed loads of leaf litter to create an aromatic experience evocative of a tropical rainforest. Although the path around the central lagoon is roughly circular, the positioning of the smaller aviaries on the north side, the lowering of the path to pass by the reptile exhibits on the west side, and a strategic placement of trees in the southeast corner prevent visitors from being able to easily observe other visitors from across the lagoon.

On the right-hand side of the building is a separate enclosure for Matschie’s tree kangaroos and short-beaked echidna. The exhibit is situated so that viewing is possible from two levels – ground level (which facilitates views of the echidna) and a higher vantage point, via two ramps, which provides tree-level viewing of the kangaroos from a platform seven feet higher. Though all viewing of the tree kangaroo/echidna exhibit is indoors, the animals also have access to a small, off-exhibit outdoor holding area, which they are given access at the discretion of the keepers , weather permitting, including overnight access in warm weather.

Adjacent to the tree kangaroos is an exhibit of crocodile monitor lizard, displayed behind a curved glass wall, which can likewise be viewed from ground level or an elevated vantage point. Like the tree kangaroos, the crocodile monitor can also be shifted outside into the holding pen during warm weather.

Tucked behind the kangaroo exhibit is off-exhibit holding, both for the kangaroos as well as for birds. It is not capable of housing all exhibit birds at all times, but it can comfortably accommodate three pairs of the larger species for quarantine, medical management, howdying, or other needs. This area also contains a small kitchen and keeper office space.

Opposite the kangaroos, on the left-hand side of the building, the path around the lagoon seems to dip down until visitors appear to be going under the surface of the water. Here, they discover an exhibit of pig-nosed turtles and Roti Island snake-necked turtles (a stand-in for Papuan snake-necked turtles) with underwater viewing (approximately four feet deep) . The exhibit appears to be a part of the same lagoon as the bird exhibit (facilitated by the fact that the back wall is a glass window into the exhibit two feet above the surface of the water), but the two are separate exhibits. Decorating the background of the turtle habitat is a large, tethered canoe, which camouflages the keeper entry area. Opposite the turtles is a large habitat of Boelen’s python. Positioned alongside the Boelen’s python exhibits are small habitats for smaller New Guinea herpetofauna, such as New Guinea crocodile skink and White’s tree frogs, as well as Boseman’s rainbow fish.

Continuing through the exhibit, visitors will find themselves walking through a series of smaller aviaries dedicated to Papua New Guinea’s national bird, the Raggiana bird of paradise. Four aviaries are situated zig-zagged across the path but in eye shot of each other, each linked with overhead flight passages about 30” in diameter. Males and females are housed separately, males on one side, females on the other, allowing the males to perform for females in a lek-like setting, as they would naturally. At appropriate times of the year, based on cues from the birds, keepers open up access between aviaries, allowing pairs access to one another for mating.

Situated in this section of the building is a small cabin, one wall of which opens into one of the aviaries as if it were a researcher’s blind. Here, in a deviation from the natural theme of the building’s décor, a video screen plays constant loops of the courtship displays of the various bird of paradise species (interspersed with old footage of David Attenborough’s collecting expeditions from ZooQuest), while colorful graphics depicting the different species line the walls. Other graphics, complemented by replica artifacts, depict the usage of the feathers of these birds in traditional New Guinea regalia.

Leaving the birds of paradise, visitors have the option of entering through another set of double doors, which houses a flock of rainbow lorikeets in an interactive feeding aviary. Nectar is available for purchase at certain times of the day; the aviary is open whenever it is manned by staff or volunteers, otherwise it is visible from the outside only.

As a finale, visitors are given a view of southern cassowary, first indoors from a raised path that skirts a shallow, water-filled moat, then outdoors in a boardwalk that encircles the two yards available to the birds (which can be conjoined as needed). Situated between the indoor and outdoor exhibits is the four-stall holding barn with heated stalls, which serves to maximize the time each year in which the birds can be maintained outdoors. As with the entry hut, the cassowary barn is also visible as a link between the indoor and outdoor spaces, and is also represented as a native building. Signage presents cassowaries within the context of being semi-tame livestock kept in some New Guinean cultures, allowed to freely wander the villages until they become too old and dangerous. This will introduce a new side of the cassowary to the public, who may only be familiar with it through its title of “World’s Most Dangerous Bird.”

Upon exiting the building and leaving the cassowaries, the visitor continues along the path to next exhibit. A small but clearly-marked trail serves to link the front and back of the building, in case visitors wish to bypass the exhibit but continue along their journey.

Just saying but If I was at whatever zoo this exhibit would be in I can already tell that this is where I am going to spend the most time because I love tree kangaroos and Victoria Ground pigeons and just saying but I am sorry for tacking on my ideas on to your exhibits.

 

[Aardwolf]

@Neil chace , as is so often the case, the zoo in question did... nothing. Except tear down the old building. I haven't been back to that zoo in years, but it appears to be a picnic area now. Go figure.

@Tigeanderson , no worries, sharing your ideas is fine. I'm just trying to show why some of the species that you seem so excited to see aren't being housed in zoos, or why a zoo might choose not to go with as comprehensive of a collection as you might seem interested in.

My next exhibit is a single-species one - sometimes I like to focus less on large-scale megaprojects and try to do something special to highlight one animal.

Island of Dragons

Concept: As the world’s largest living lizards, Komodo dragons hold tremendous sway in the imaginations of zoo visitors. Often, they are exhibited in zoo reptile houses or as part of generic Asian-themed exhibits. The goal of Island of Dragons is to present this species as a star attraction in its own right, highlighting the Komodo dragon as the apex predator of a unique ecosystem and the ruler of its domain. This exhibit is meant to provide comprehensive exploration of the biology of this species, as well as to offer unique, year-round views of the animals in naturalistic settings.

Species: Komodo Dragon

Spatial Requirements: Approximately 0.4 Acres, including the Indonesian Village Hall, which measures about 40 feet by 80 feet.

Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area). Secondary keeper is required for situations in which keepers must enter the enclosure with adult animals.

Description: The Island of Dragons isn’t really an island, though the zoo attempts to at least suggest at the illusion by having visitors cross water to get there. A creek fronts the exhibit area, but visitors do not cross on a conventional bridge – an entire boat, very similar in size and appearance to those which ferry visitors to the actually island of Komodo, spans the creek from bow to stern. Speakers on the boat play nautical sounds – waves crashing, seabirds calling, boat horns honking – while during the summer, misters may give off a fine mist to resemble sea spray. Visitors walk on board (entering guests steered towards one side, exiting guests towards the other) and walk the length of the moored ship. When they reach the opposite side, they are greeted to the island with a replica of the welcome sign of Komodo National Park and a life-sized statue of an adult Komodo dragon.

Here, behind a curved glass wall, visitors find themselves in the Komodo dragon habitat. The effect presented is that visitors have just landed on the beach, a broad, sandy expanse that gives way to grasses studded by a few large trees, as well as two or three felled trees for deadfall. Strewn around the yard are a series of large, flat boulders, some of which have hollows carved into them to form caves. There is a small pool, about two feet deep and twelve feet in diameter, in which the water level can be raised or lowered by the keepers for variety. Partially embedded in the ground of the exhibit is the (artificial) skeleton of an Asian water buffalo. The exhibit is large by the standards of zoo reptiles – thirty feet deep by one-hundred feet long. A densely planted berm forms the backdrop of the exhibit, making it seem like the beach fades into dense jungle on the slopes of the hills.

One of the most prominent features of the exhibit are a series of hidden shackles, bolted to rocks throughout the enclosure. Keepers will periodically attach whole small carcasses or fragments of larger ones to these shackles to recreate natural feeding behavior (the shackle keeps the dragon from pulling the carcass into a hidden spot to eat, encouraging public feeding).

Visitors may observe the dragons from three vantage points. One is from the ground level through the windows in the main viewing area. The second is down the trail towards the far end of the yard, where the ground gently slopes up to an elevated viewing platform, providing a deep view of the habitat. The third is in the indoor viewing area, located on the opposite side of the habitat.

The indoor area is a recreated Indonesian village hall, with the visitor pathway hugging one wall tightly. Most of the indoor space is taken up by the dragon habitat – three glass-fronted rooms, each about 20 feet by 20 feet, which can be opened up as one large habitat. The enclosures have skylights to allow natural light in, supplemented by plenty of artificial lighting during the winter. Each habitat is floored with sand and furnished with rocks, deadfall, and real and artificial plants. Two have small concrete drinkers installed, while the third has a shallow pool fed by a waterfall. Pens are designed so that animals can have visual and olfactory access with one another as a prelude to introductions. A runway system along the back of the building allows keepers to shift the dragons from one enclosure to another within the building or to the outdoor enclosure.

Also incorporated into this exhibit hall is a small nursery and incubation room, where eggs are incubated and hatchlings reared. This is also where diets are prepared and enrichment objects stored. The room is visible to guests from the exhibit area, though it can be closed off with a curtain or sensitive work.

The opposite wall of the building serves as a small museum of Komodo dragons (called the Auffenberg Hall of Dragons, in commemoration of the herpetologist who led the first formal study of the species). Items featured here include an account of the discovery of the species in the early 1900s, an articulated skeleton, depictions of Komodo attacks on humans, an explanation of parthenogenesis and how it works, a discussion of the debate over Komodo toxicity, and even a TV monitor that depicts the species in pop culture. Perhaps most popular with guests is a life-sized depiction of a Komodo dragon attacking a pygmy elephant, part of a display on Komodo dragons and island gigantism and dwarfism. The path then loops back around the building to the boat, from which visitors may depart.