Share your zoo idea that you wish to become a reality.
- Thread starter Evirapo
- Start date
Père Damian's Deer
Well-Known Member
I would like to see more zoos make a siberian area, because there are many species from this area in captivity.
That Barcelona Zoo either...
1- Gets bought out by a private ownership that actually KNOWS what they're doing.
2- Benefits from a complete purge of anti-zoo nutjobs in places of power (never gonna happen)
3- Moves out of the city entirely; I have reached the conclusion that Barcelona doesn't deserve a zoo.
1- Gets bought out by a private ownership that actually KNOWS what they're doing.
2- Benefits from a complete purge of anti-zoo nutjobs in places of power (never gonna happen)
3- Moves out of the city entirely; I have reached the conclusion that Barcelona doesn't deserve a zoo.
Local_Shark
Well-Known Member
I think my biggest pipe dream is for an aquarium to attempt a tank similar to Georgia’s Ocean Voyager, but with temperate water and designed for basking sharks. Tropical tanks are flashiest and feature the most vibrant creatures, it’s true, but I believe one could be designed that’s just as interesting. I’d want the baskings to be rescued like Georgia’s, and frankly I think I’d reduce the size ever so slightly and keep just one or two with that in mind (but still with plenty of room for the slightly smaller sharks in mind, so like 4.5-5 million gal). Maybe someday I’ll do a speculative design for it on here.
The biggest barrier of course is how pelagic these sharks are, but it’s worth noting that despite whale sharks being in the carpet shark order, they’re just as evolved for open water and travel similarly long distances. The ethics would be something I’d be very focused on, and I’d only seek to bring in an animal that needed the home and the absolute pinnacle of care that could be provided while it was studied. I do think it could be done, and the value for research and education could be immense. We’ll see what the future may hold.
The biggest barrier of course is how pelagic these sharks are, but it’s worth noting that despite whale sharks being in the carpet shark order, they’re just as evolved for open water and travel similarly long distances. The ethics would be something I’d be very focused on, and I’d only seek to bring in an animal that needed the home and the absolute pinnacle of care that could be provided while it was studied. I do think it could be done, and the value for research and education could be immense. We’ll see what the future may hold.
Last edited:
King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
That the AZA would fight against homogenization and push for exemptions for importing restricted species. More cooperation with foreign zoos(Europe, Asia, Australia, Mexico and Central/South America) and be more cooperative with private breeders to bring in new blood and help create more stable populations of herps, fish, inverts, birds, and small mammals. See AZA zoos push for a increase in establishing small mammal diversity, even half of what Europe has would be nice. Seeing zoos biteback against phase outs and anti-zoo nutjobs and build world class facilities for cetaceans are just a few things I'd love to see but will likely never occur.
My last point might be the most controversial, but I wish that zoos could bring in animals from the wild with the specific goal being to help establish a species in captivity or to bring in new bloodlines to a species that would be at risk of becoming inbred. Of course I want this to be highly regulated and not done for species where individuals can easily be acquired by working with the private sector or foreign zoos if none are available domestically.
I also think that taxonomic based exhibits or even zoos are not "outdated" and can serve a purpose, an entire exhibit dedicated to monitor lizards, birds-of-paradise, crocodilians, cats, or rodents can exist and benefit breeding programs by having dedicated space to hold multiple individuals of multiple species, serve as consortiums for breeding specific groups that supports the broader breeding population as a whole
My last point might be the most controversial, but I wish that zoos could bring in animals from the wild with the specific goal being to help establish a species in captivity or to bring in new bloodlines to a species that would be at risk of becoming inbred. Of course I want this to be highly regulated and not done for species where individuals can easily be acquired by working with the private sector or foreign zoos if none are available domestically.
I also think that taxonomic based exhibits or even zoos are not "outdated" and can serve a purpose, an entire exhibit dedicated to monitor lizards, birds-of-paradise, crocodilians, cats, or rodents can exist and benefit breeding programs by having dedicated space to hold multiple individuals of multiple species, serve as consortiums for breeding specific groups that supports the broader breeding population as a whole
Frankie_number_1_fan
Well-Known Member
Absolutely agree. I think this would also encourage more global cooperation with captive populations as well, and might even allow for more re-wilding efforts for species that don't typically have those programs in zoos.
I'd love to see a "Small Animal Area" in a zoo somewhere in Malaysia, with the following species:
Hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana)
Banded linsang (Prionodon linsang)
Spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor)
Otter civet (Cynogale bennettii)
Large indian civet (Viverra zibetha)
Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga)
Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica)
Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)
Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica)
Gursky`s spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae)
Hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana)
Banded linsang (Prionodon linsang)
Spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor)
Otter civet (Cynogale bennettii)
Large indian civet (Viverra zibetha)
Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga)
Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica)
Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)
Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica)
Gursky`s spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae)
MOG2012
Well-Known Member
There is space in hoofstock yards and behind the bird house where can be more exhibit
NNM.
Well-Known Member
That’s really only it, though. There was also the patch of land in front of Serengeti Crossing, but they’re actually making use of that.
I thought that the developments in Barcelona ended up being much less drastic than they initially seemed? I would be very interested to hear more about it from someone who is well acquainted with the zoo. If this is too off-topic (and you have the time and feel like it of course), you can also send me a private message.
Long story short, things didn't go as badly as they could have thanks to the EAZA and WAZA intervening. But the BCN zoo's progress is stagnant, and still heading un weird directions, because they still have people in power at the zoo who are zoo-haters... And I often realise that the zoo could be amazing, but the city itself is unfit to have it due to how ingrained anti-zoo sentiments are in society.
filovirus
Well-Known Member
I'd love for the Minnesota Zoo to have a proper Africa trail.
In general I'd love more standalone aquariums. Zoos in the US far outnumber aquariums, and the closest aquarium to me is... meh. It's fine, but it's no Shedd, you know? With how important the aquatic world is to humans, I'd love to see more facilities dedicated to displaying, educating, and preserving freshwater and saltwater landscapes.
Just over 70% of the world is water. I think that a 3:7 zoo:aquarium ratio is a little much, but I'd be happy with a little more representation! Right now in the US I think it's roughly 6:1.5. (4:1? if I'm doing my math right?)
In general I'd love more standalone aquariums. Zoos in the US far outnumber aquariums, and the closest aquarium to me is... meh. It's fine, but it's no Shedd, you know? With how important the aquatic world is to humans, I'd love to see more facilities dedicated to displaying, educating, and preserving freshwater and saltwater landscapes.
Just over 70% of the world is water. I think that a 3:7 zoo:aquarium ratio is a little much, but I'd be happy with a little more representation! Right now in the US I think it's roughly 6:1.5. (4:1? if I'm doing my math right?)
Local_Shark
Well-Known Member
Heh...now this, as a complete aquarium specialist on here, is a take I can 100% get behind. To add to it just a little, there are a number of large cities that do not have a proper aquarium anywhere nearby. Portland for example is not serviced by one at all, the largest facility in the whole state is the Oregon Coast Aquarium (2+ hours away by car in Newport). This is the case in a bunch of other places, like Richmond, VA and Nashville, TN (the Aquarium Restaurant in Nashville definitely doesn't count). In fact, there are many entire states that have no aquaria such as Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia. A multitude of other large cities or metro areas are only serviced by small aquaria inside museums, like Milwaukee and, somewhat shockingly, Los Angeles, which does have multiple small institutions in its suburbs or greater metro area but only the California Science Center in its city limits. The largest nearby facility is the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, but that is much closer to me in my little suburb than to the actual city, lol.
Meanwhile almost every major city has a zoo either in its limits or nearby, and sometimes more than one (NYC, Chicago come to mind). To be entirely fair, the zoo as a concept is a little easier to execute than the aquarium, and true public aquaria are also a newer concept as land animal menageries have existed for centuries if not millennia. I feel like this is something that can absolutely be remedied in the future, especially with the advancement of aquarium technology and subsequent expansion to some very water-poor areas like Arizona using closed-system designs.
The Cabrillo Aquarium in San Pedro is actually within the city limits of Los Angeles as well and is operated directly by the city (San Pedro being a neighborhood rather than a municipality), although geographically it sits much closer to Long Beach than most of LA proper.
Interestingly enough, a trends report done by the AZA (Annual Reports) (which has been under discussion in another thread for different findings) speculated that climate change might lead to an increase in aquarium attendance and a decrease in zoo attendance during the summer, since aquariums are mostly indoors and air-conditioned.
Acacia plant
Member
Antarctica species housed that are not simply just penguins in both zoos and aquaria. There are polar bears, caribou, arctic wolf and walrus and other whales (in valencia their local aquarium ive been too has beluga whales) in various zoo and aquaria. But antarctica has many species of birds and invertabrates and fishes that could be used in zoos (sheathbills, shorebirds, imperial shags, icefish and perhaps even antarctic midges) and seals that could be suprisingly charasmatic draws for the least biodiverse continent. Antarctican starfish would be interesting to perhaps see.
MOG2012
Well-Known Member
A lot of those species are hard to keep and/or obtain. Taronga Zoo did have a rescue leopard seal but it's unlikely zoos outside of Australia and New Zealand would be able to get those species. I feel like Japan would be the first though
Local_Shark
Well-Known Member
Yeah I was referring to Cabrillo as one of the smaller institutions, though I guess I had no idea San Pedro wasn’t a city lmfao! It’s so different from LA and from Long Beach that for a local it just feels like its own thing.
Acacia plant
Member
i understand that, sadly it will probably remain a wish. I know that antarctica is the least biodiverse continent, but i think it is way too unrepresented. Even penguin species displayed usually hail from Africa or south America. Thinking about exhibit, ive never seen a south american exhibit in a zoo thats not based off the andes or amazon. I would like some sort of south american desert, temperate rainforest or atlantic forest.
MOG2012
Well-Known Member
I feel like the Chaco, Serrano, pantanal, Patagonia, etc. would be good exhibits. Atlantic Forest would be hard as the only major mammal species is golden Lion tamarin