Are the wattled cranes named?
The hogs are annoying as they already had an enclosure and now they've destroyed all the vegetation in the previously very green African Plains yard. To be fair, though, it never really held grassland species. The penguins are in Bear Country temporarily since the alternative was them going out of penguins.
~Thylo
Yeah, now that you've put things in perspective it does certainly make sense. Still, the new "entrance" into Penguin Point does seem permanent, unless that gets converted into a training wall should the Zoo get any new polar bears.
I'm pretty sure they're planning on building a new penguin exhibit eventually, although knowing Philly they may very well be in the old Polar Bear enclosure for quite some time.
~Thylo
Do they even need a new one? The retrofit they have now looks pretty good to me.
Only downside is, it's quite distracting thematically as it was a former polar bear facility. It is quite good functionally, but aesthetically it leaves something to desire. Honestly I'd build a new aviary for the penguins complete with a glass trail system built into the path (kinda like Calgary with their penguin setup) and bring in the inca terns, steamer ducks and other bird species endemic to thag region.) That'd be located near the entrance on the hypothetically soon to be former Impala Lawn. I would then retrofit the bear enclosures to have more realistic rockwork, more timeless architecture and even some elements of the old bear pits (wrought iron fences). Plus the opportunity to rotate and use overhead trails. (Polar bears would have an enclosure themed after a steep shingle storm beach in Alaska, sloth bears would have a dry forest environment mixed with axis deer (possible expansion?) and the Andean bears would have a cloud forest/montane environment complete with coati and side enclosures for viscacha and guinea pig).Maybe not. I would imagine that enclosure would work well for them.
~Thylo
Only downside is, it's quite distracting thematically as it was a former polar bear facility. It is quite good functionally, but aesthetically it leaves something to desire. Honestly I'd build a new aviary for the penguins complete with a glass trail system built into the path (kinda like Calgary with their penguin setup) and bring in the inca terns, steamer ducks and other bird species endemic to thag region.) That'd be located near the entrance on the hypothetically soon to be former Impala Lawn. I would then retrofit the bear enclosures to have more realistic rockwork, more timeless architecture and even some elements of the old bear pits (wrought iron fences). Plus the opportunity to rotate and use overhead trails. (Polar bears would have an enclosure themed after a steep shingle storm beach in Alaska, sloth bears would have a dry forest environment mixed with axis deer (possible expansion?) and the Andean bears would have a cloud forest/montane environment complete with coati and side enclosures for viscacha and guinea pig).