Replacement exhibits

[Tim May]

Land of the Lions at London Zoo anyone? The lion area improved, but apart from that the less said the better!!

I have mixed feelings about Land of the Lions.

I think that the alterations to the lion enclosure are a definite improvement; there is more space for the lions and better viewing opportunities for the visitors.

However I have no enthusiasm whatsoever for the peripheral displays; the Indian street market, barber shop and railway station leave me cold....In my opinion, the space they occupy could be more usefully converted into animal exhibits.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

I have mixed feelings about Land of the Lions.

I think that the alterations to the lion enclosure are a definite improvement; there is more space for the lions and better viewing opportunities for the visitors.

However I have no enthusiasm whatsoever for the peripheral displays; the Indian street market, barber shop and railway station leave me cold....In my opinion, the space they occupy could be more usefully converted into animal exhibits.

I agree, I have no time for this sort of thing, infact I tend to hurry past it

 

[Panthera1981]

Land of the Lions at London Zoo anyone? The lion area improved, but apart from that the less said the better!!

I did wonder when this would make an appearance! I’ve always wondered if the zoo realised that ,upon abbreviating the title, you get “LOL”

However, the langurs are a welcome addition

 

[Dassie rat]

I liked the Rodent House at Berlin Tierpark. It got knocked down and was replaced by nothing, as far as I know

 

[Kalaw]

However, the langurs are a welcome addition

As are, more recently, Europe’s only Small Indian Mongoose.

 

[Pertinax]

I have mixed feelings about Land of the Lions.

I think that the alterations to the lion enclosure are a definite improvement; there is more space for the lions and better viewing opportunities for the visitors.

However I have no enthusiasm whatsoever for the peripheral displays; the Indian street market, barber shop and railway station leave me cold....In my opinion, the space they occupy could be more usefully converted into animal exhibits.

Agree and it was strange coming after the Tiger enclosure, which I think is very good and has no 'theming' at all- it doesn't need it..

 

[DesertRhino150]

Just thought of what must be one of the worst replacement exhibits at Colchester Zoo:

In around 2012, the Familiar Friends barn was renovated. While most of the Familiar Friends barn was home to domestic animals, it did include several displays for small mammals - in the year of its closing it was home to groups of tailless tenrecs and feathertail gliders (the latter the only ones of their kind in a UK zoo).

It was replaced by an indoor display for koi carp. Not only has it lost some interesting animals, but the exhibit doesn't seem to work well for the koi either. The tank floor is tiled, so the carp cannot grub around as they normally would, and over the years the tank has become increasingly stained with algae. Just about the only reason I go in there is to try and spot the Taiwan bitterling (which are, in all fairness, rather special - they are the only ones of their species in a European zoo), but I cannot help but think how much better it would have been had the building remained either for small mammals or taken on some of the rare birds from Raymond Sawyer (the private keeper who posthumously donated the koi and giant tortoises to the zoo).

 

[Panthera1981]

Agree and it was strange coming after the Tiger enclosure, which I think is very good and has no 'theming' at all- it doesn't need it..

Clearly someone was given free reign to go bonkers with being overly thematic but, personally, I don’t think it’s helped either by it retaining some of the old lion terrace structure (cost-cutting?). In parts it just looks like a messy amalgamation of new and old.

One of the previous proposals I remember seeing was to flatten the entire area and have it forested, akin to the Gir, and solely housing the lions. But it felt like an age to get the project going after the success of Tiger Territory

 

[Jennings]

However I have no enthusiasm whatsoever for the peripheral displays; the Indian street market, barber shop and railway station leave me cold....In my opinion, the space they occupy could be more usefully converted into animal exhibits.

As a railway enthusiast the railway gimmick also annoys me, because the signal is at the wrong angle. How is a semaphore signal going to be visible to train crews when mounted parallel to the track?

 

[Kalaw]

Just thought of what must be one of the worst replacement exhibits at Colchester Zoo:

In around 2012, the Familiar Friends barn was renovated. While most of the Familiar Friends barn was home to domestic animals, it did include several displays for small mammals - in the year of its closing it was home to groups of tailless tenrecs and feathertail gliders (the latter the only ones of their kind in a UK zoo).

It was replaced by an indoor display for koi carp. Not only has it lost some interesting animals, but the exhibit doesn't seem to work well for the koi either. The tank floor is tiled, so the carp cannot grub around as they normally would, and over the years the tank has become increasingly stained with algae. Just about the only reason I go in there is to try and spot the Taiwan bitterling (which are, in all fairness, rather special - they are the only ones of their species in a European zoo), but I cannot help but think how much better it would have been had the building remained either for small mammals or taken on some of the rare birds from Raymond Sawyer (the private keeper who posthumously donated the koi and giant tortoises to the zoo).

I guiltily admit to really liking this enclosure, as it was where I first saw koi carp performing their signature leaping out of the water, and of course the bitterling, although very difficult to see, are lovely. However, from your description, the downgrade over the years seems incredible, and very unfortunate…

Regarding Land of the Lions, it is entirely down to personal taste, but I really admire the decision to maintain the original Lion Terraces structure, as it is that mix of new and old which brings charm to the exhibit and proves how much the zoo has changed over the years. It is the same reason that I loved the aesthetics of, say, Zurich’s Exotarium, although this is another enclosure that a lot of people aren’t so fond of, I gather.

 

[dillotest0]

The primate enclosure in Marwell's Into Africa being converted into a lemur walkthrough.

The last occupants prior to the conversion were king colobuses. It was a decent enough enclosure for mid sized primates but not big enough to be a walkthrough. The paths mean a large proportion of the enclosure is dead space that can't have climbing/enrichment opportunities for the lemurs. To make matters worse it hasn't re-opened as a walkthrough since the pandemic, meaning the paths are even more a waste of space.

And now that Life Among the Trees has merged with World of Lemurs, which isn't entirely a bad thing... it means that the lemurs that are in the giraffe house are destined to remain there for the forseeable future.
And what's funny is that there are still ruffed lemurs in the old lemur area.....an enclosure which I think is a good size for another species or few, assuming Marwell only has bachelor lemurs. Or they could move the ruffed lemurs over the other way...
Though saying that there is a decent amount of woodchip [as of my last visit] at what was the marabou area... so it will remain to be seen what will be done with that

 

[Pertinax]

One of the previous proposals I remember seeing was to flatten the entire area and have it forested, akin to the Gir, and solely housing the lions. But
it felt like an age to get the project going after the success of Tiger Territory

That would have been far preferable...

 

[Dassie rat]

As a railway enthusiast the railway gimmick also annoys me, because the signal is at the wrong angle. How is a semaphore signal going to be visible to train crews when mounted parallel to the track?

This is a strange reply. I've had negative comments when I've mentioned taxonomic or zoogeographic mistakes at zoos. I didn't expect someone to make a comment about semaphore signals

 

[ZooNut23]

As a railway enthusiast the railway gimmick also annoys me, because the signal is at the wrong angle. How is a semaphore signal going to be visible to train crews when mounted parallel to the track?

This gave me an idea for another thread. Best non animal related zoo exhibit.

 

[Jennings]

This is a strange reply. I've had negative comments when I've mentioned taxonomic or zoogeographic mistakes at zoos. I didn't expect someone to make a comment about semaphore signals

Put it this way: it's a bit like mocking up a kitchen in which the sink faces the wall.