ZSL London Zoo Personal vision of London zoo - Part 2

C

Cat-Man

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
i was going to post this in the old thread, but i though it was a bit clogged up:) so i've decided too post a new thread for this.

i've seriously been thinking about my plan,and if im honest, its pretty similar to the 2007 masterplan, but anyways, here i go

The North Bank, Cotton Terraces + the 'Clore' Area:
The Snowdon aviary becomes a walk through for african birds and group of 2.6 colobus monkey, nearby is a enclosure for a flock of flamingo. along to north bank is themed as a northern forest exhibit, with the main exhibit for 1.2 eurasian wolf, aswell as 1.1 artic fox, and some smaller aviary's for owls + northern birds.

The cotton terrace:
The Upper levels of the terrace become one, long paddock and is handed over too 1.2 hybrid giraffe, 1.2 southern white rhino, 2.6 blesbok, 2.4 hartmans mountain zebra, 1.3 white tailed gnu, and 1.3 Giant Eland. The too small enclosures either side of the giraffe house, will be netted over + turned into aviaries. 1 to African Savannah birds, and the other too 1.1 Cape Griffon Vulture. Along the lower/canal part of the zone. All of it, apart from a small area along the left hand side, becomes one long enclosure for the parks current pack of African Wild Dogs. The small part that i mentioned becomes home to a breading pair of 1.1 warthog.

The Meerkats take residence in the former small mammal. The Staff car park is scrapped for a Cheetah Enclosure, which contains a breeding pair of 1.1. The woody part along the canal two new paddocks are built(i know this is brief, but its the best way i can describe it, it will become a bit clearer when i post a map) one of these enclosure will be a mixed enclosure for 2.4 Greater Kudu, and 3.6 Lowland Nyala. The other would contain the 2.4 Eastern Bongo, and 2.2 redforest duiker.

im not sure what i would do with the clore, so im open to suggestions, and the zone around the roundhouse will have a madagascar theme, possibly more details to come later.

Next i will be doing The Main Gardens which will possibly me unrecognisable:D but another time;)

Thoughts + opinions please?, i've never been to London Zoo, so i hope these are realistic?, i really do treasure your constructive criticism

Yours, Dan:)
 
Can I suggest you VISIT the place before you critique it?

I thought we'd seen the back of these 'dream zoo' things-they are pretty tedious as they ain't ever gonna happen. You might as well want a Yeti enclosure or a Dragon Aviary.

I have no problem with people suggesting exhibits for their local zoos when they have a good working and often personal knowledge of what could actually happen, but this sort of thing-why not just play that zoo game on facebook or something?

Or build up a collection of zoo models and literally build your own zoo exactly as you want it?
 
I would agree its always best to go to a zoo at least one before redesigning it so you get an understanding of the space and logistics, I don't actually think this was a critique but hey ho.

Having been to london a few times Ill indulge you with my opinions.

Firstly this isn't the end I would focus on, its actually the better part of the zoo as it is the area where most of the charasmatic species are housed. I would of sorted out the Casson and the Mappin first .

I don't know how well the Snowdon lends its self to monkeys, it always seemed to me to be a bit flimsy and I think it would require a lot of maintanace housing anything other than non-destructive birds.

I think the colobus would freak the birds out and the birds would freak out the colobus monkeys and you would have to do something re: heated indoor housing and I'm not sure if colobus are walkthrough friendly from a H and S perspective.

You would be hard pushed to squeeze in 3 southern white rhino. Perhaps just one animal (probably male as they are more solitary) and this would provide ZSL an opportunity to work on AI techniques with this animal and the rest at ZSL Whipsnade.

I don't think you can scrap the staff car park. Firstly how are they going to get to work secondly you would have to tear up the road surfacing, re-topsoil, ladscape and plant.

I think the cape griffon vulture enclosure would be a bit small and difficult to provide indoor housing for them.

You would have to loose a couple species from the cotton terrace, and or reduce heard size, you would definately need somewhere to put the zebras if they kicked up a fuss with the giraffes.
 
thankyou for the help:), the idea of the the snowdon came from the zoo's current masterplan, which states it would mix the colobus with touraco there. yes, with your advice i've come to re-think some of my plans, i think i will reduce the rhino number down to either a pair or a single male (prehaps 2 male instead of a pair?) and the remove the zebra, prehaps holding any surplace from whipsnade, and that the cheetah enclosure will not happen. please continue to place your opinions on my plans, they are very helpful:)
do you have any idea's for the clore that would fit into my plan?
Now on to the main gardens:D

on a lighter note, the zoo's entrance would be re-located to the boardwalk as planned. There would be large zoo gates, and a zoo bistro as planned. Then onto the large entrance building. This would be connected to the gift shop, and would contain paintings from the zoo on its walls, with toilet facilities, Pizzaria and a Candy store. There would be a 'pick nick' style store where one could purchase there pick nick food, such as sandwiches etc, as well as an indoor seating area:). Visitors would purchase there tickets from here then go on into the main gardens. In barcaly court there would be a new ZSL icon (however guy the gorilla would be relocated, more on that later;)). Now, on to the Animals!

Gorilla Kingdom would be heavily planted to replecate the African Rainforest. Where the Current entrance is located, and slightly to the left, would become home too the Zoo's Pair of Pygmy Hippo. if there is space, they would share there enclosure with 1.2 Allen's Swamp monkeys. If possible the enclosure would have the only underwater viewing for Hippo in the U.K. The current Aviary + the Service Area behind it becomes one large area for 1.1 Okapi and 1.2 Blue Duiker.

thats all for now, because im getting tired so thoughts and opinions everyone? do i have some good idea's here?:)

more coming soon
Yours, Cat-man
 
I stand corrected on the snowdon, but from a display point of veiw I think too much attention would get paid to the colobus rather than the birds and the monkeys could be housed somewhere with in the zoo.

I think there are space issues with anything above a single male rhino to be honest.

Id like to see gorilla kindom planted up and landscaped.

Possibly bears on the mappin, Single species and related species in a mixed species enclosure. Although they had issues with the Sloth bears.
 
Yes, I agree with the attention on the monkey, so prehaps make the snowdon a mized african bird enclosure, then allow the colobus access to gorilla kingdom? And I'll take the advice on the rhino, we could have an education exhibit on artificial insemination, and it could make referance to how chia-chia, the former zoo panda used a.I to produce cubs at madrid zoo:D, I'm beginning to like this game;)
 
You would give the colobus and the gorrilas areas where they can be seperate from each other they don't always have a good mixing history.

Yeah AI is increasingly important in zoos and use on the pachyderms is still relatively new.

Possibly change B.U.G.S into an exhibition on Evolution, you could so stuff on adaptive radiation with a big aquarium of Malawi cichilids, use the giant tortoises for island gigantism, stuff on divergant evolution of the pentadactyl limb using a few mammal species galagos, bats, giant anteaters.
Mullerian mimicracy with Heliconius butterflies and Batsian mimicricy using dendrobate frogs and coral/kingsnakes.
 
Yes, and it could show how A.I can be used to save species whilst not forcing zoo's to give up on there indervidual animals. I really like your idea for the bugs building, I would be including the Giant Anteater in the south american trail, however since the exhibit would be nearby, there would be sinage showing the connection:), thanks for the insperation:), I'll take your idea's on board:)
 
on the mappins possibly split it in half hagenbeck style with sun bears on one side and orangs and gibbons on the other It wold require a lot of planting. A walk through aviary with SE Asian parrots near bye.
 
I was thinking the terrace should be renovated for The Asiatic Lions, because I have plans for the bears and Orang-utan in another part of the Zoo. I would be intrested to see what you would do with the lion terrace?:)
 
The lion house could be feasibly turned into a new zealand house.
Youd need to gut it inside have housing for tuatura, brown kiwi in reversed circadian rythm habitat and a colony of weta.
In the outside plant it up with trees and have keas, kakarikis and australian grebes.
 
That's a nice idea, tho I'm not sure it would fill up all of the area which the lions, tigers and formerly leopards currently recide. However, I really do like that idea and I'd be keen to include it in another part of the zoo:)
 
In that case do similar but slightly larger with Australia.
featuring kangaroos, emu, greater sulphur crested cockatoos, blue tounged skinks, frilled lizards, koala possibly echidna.
 
Yes, I understand:), I think I'll post the rest of my vision tomorrow, goodnight for now:)
 
Hello all:), I thought I would continue my Plan tonight (sorry for any spelling mistakes as I am typing this via my Blackberry)

So, let's get down too buisness.

The Mappins Terrace is one of the Harder area's of the Zoo to Create a sutible Exhibit on. I Share the view with many other Zoo-chatters that it would make a sutible Big-Cat enclosure. So I propose that the Terrace become one large Enclosure for 2.5 Asiatic Lion. This would require a lot of re-development, including a lot of new fencing etc. The substrate would be created to replecate that of the Gir Forest, much like the current African Wild Dog enclosure. There would be large Tree trunks scattered around the enclosure, so the Lions could climb around a bit. There would be large Tree's in leaf all around the enclosure, and so the lions could be kept in view, several heated rocks would be in Place towards the front of the enclosure. Now the next part is Controversial. If possible the lion would be allowed onto the mountains, building paths so the visitors would be able to see them on the mountains. This will not be the end of the Gir forest zone, however, more on that Later;).

South East Asian Forest Zone
The Tiger Enclosure Would go ahead as planned. However, the Sumatran Tiger are send of too Howletts (creating two breading Pairs there) and they are Replaced with a pair of 1.1 Malayan Tiger, making these the only ones of there kind in The U.K. The Tiger Enclosure would be split into two, only introduced to each other during the Breading season. The enclosures would be thickly planted with deep pools in both enclosures, lots of enrichment, and waterfalls + large rocks for the tigers to sleep on. One enclosure if possible would have underwater viewing, the only underwater viewing for Tiger in the United Kingdom. Nearby would be an enclosure for Sun Bear, I'll explain that later when the map is done. The Komodo Dragon would Stay the same, while any left over space is handed over to a javen Gibbon + Oriental otter mixed enclosure, a binteroung open toped encosure, and a caged exhibit for a troup of Javen Langur. Now onto the Casson pavillion, another hard structure!

Now, with the influence of Zambar + other zoochat member, I'd like the turn the Casson into a South east asian enclosure with the name ' The Sir Hugh Casson Pavillion for South East Asian Mammals' (this will be brief as I have to go Soon) the old Elephant yard would be split into 2. Just Over a third would be Given over the 1.1 Malayan Tapir, complete with a pool. The paddock for the tapir would be made up of a woodchipped floor + area for browsing. The other part of the former elephant paddock would be built up with tall Mesh and be home too 1.3 Sumatran Orang-Utan + 1.1 Siamang Gibbon. The enclosure would be tall + full of climing opputunities, and it would be heavily planted. On the left side of the Pavillion, would be a rock backed enclosure for 1.1 Bornean Clouded Leopard!, the only ones in Captivity!:D. The two animals would only be introduced during the breading time. Each enclosure would be tall and heavily planted, with pleanty of hiding spots, + tall bamboo shoots. On the former rhino side, new species are introduced. There would be 1.4 Javan Banteng, and if there was space, a small group of either bornean bearded pigs or vissian warty pigs. Inside(and party outside if there was space) would be a walk through aviary + a phillipine tarsier enclosure. There would also be some vivs + tanks inside for south east asian reptiles, fish + invertabrates, and an educational display explaining ZSL's work with Sumatran + Javan Rhino (if they do not alreaddy, they would start too;) ).

That's all for now Folkes, more to come tomorrow. Thoughts + opinions?:)
 
Oh where to start.

Complete waste of the Mappin terraces and unrealistic
1. Its very genetically inefficient to have that number of lions and you'd be lucky to get a trio anyway.
2. The Mappins naturalism is questionable enough with out it requiring the 5meter high fencing required for big cats.
3. more species could be displayed more effectively on the mappin.

SE Asia

Re: Sumatran tigers Unlikely that howletts would get two breeding pairs they would probably go elsewhere.

I doubt the 8 collections in Europe holding Malayan tigers would part with a breeding pair.

Mesh on the casson around the moats would destroy its aesthetic (its like reinforcing the Snowdon aviary with concrete)

The texture of the concrete on the casson means it is probably easy for orangs and gibbons to climb so you would need to cover some of it in hotwire and place the planting 3 or 4 meters further forward which would cause a foreshortening effect.

I think your cramming too much in the elephant paddock and remember the interior of the house only has 4 stalls.

Your not going to be able to get bornean clouded leopards they have CITES appendix 1 protection and are fully protected across most of there range.
 
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