Part VIII: Descent From The Summit
We continued to follow the public footpath as it gently made its way uphill, eventually reaching a gate; informational signage along with a list of rules and regulations made it clear that this was the entrance to a walkthrough exhibit for Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex ibex). Given my particular liking for caprines, I was rather interested to see how this exhibit compared to others I had seen for the taxon in question; particularly those which we had viewed at Tierpark Hellabrunn and Wilhelma over the past few days. However, there was another reason why I had been particularly looking forward to seeing this particular exhibit; this enclosure not only represented the highest point of Alpenzoo Innsbruck as a whole - the footpath through the exhibit being located approximately 750 metres above sea level, with the exhibit itself reaching rather further uphill - but also the highest zoological exhibit within any European collection. To my knowledge, it may well be the highest ever such exhibit within Europe. As such, this exhibit is significant on historical and cultural grounds, as well as the more personal significance it held for me as an enclosure for a species I particularly like.
The informational signage on the gate first explained that the walkthrough exhibit allowed the inhabitants to be viewed without a fence between them and the public, and that given the shy and herbivorous nature of the Alpine Ibex this presented no danger to the visitor. It then detailed the various rules regarding access to the exhibit; most importantly the requirement to remain on the footpath, not to feed or touch the Ibex, and not to smoke within the exhibit.
On entering the exhibit, the first thing we saw immediately to our right was a large wooden shed-structure which was open at the front, with a hollow central column containing large quantities of hay; this was quite obviously intended both as a covered shelter for the inhabitants of the exhibit during inclement weather, and as a feeding point for the Ibex. It was not entirely clear, but it struck me as likely that this also represented the interior sleeping area for the inhabitants of this exhibit. It appeared that the upper levels of this structure were accessible to the keeping staff, allowing them to drop hay into the central feeding area without entering the exhibit itself. I felt this was quite an interesting design decision, given that it meant the Alpine Ibex within the exhibit could be left to their own devices without the keeping staff having to enter their exhibit area.
Immediately beyond this structure, we reached the main body of the exhibit; the mountainside above us was covered with a vast number of large boulders and rocks, replicating rather well the bare rocky habitat within which Alpine Ibex can be found in the depths of the Alps. Perhaps thirty metres or so uphill, this gave way to a somewhat flatter area within which we could see several large mature trees and patches of bare earth, along with a second wooden shelter. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the overall exhibit design was the fact that the aforementioned hillside boulder field seemed to come right up to the footpath through the exhibit with only a small wire stand-off barrier at waist level separating the public from the boulders, and the large group of Alpine Ibex present throughout the enclosure. In point of fact, this comprised a very clever illusion; immediately beyond the stand-off barrier the "boulder field" actually comprised a wall of rocks and boulders, beyond which was a haha-ditch and then the Alpine Ibex exhibit itself. I felt that this was a simple and very effective way of giving an immersive feel whilst ensuring that the inhabitants of the exhibit are kept separate from the public; moreover, although I have previously seen exhibits which chose a similar solution to the problem at hand, this was a particularly good-looking example, with the join between the various elements almost seamless to the eye.
Overall, then, I was very impressed with this exhibit; both in design and size it was very well-suited to the inhabitants of the enclosure, which seemed to be making full use of the climbing opportunities and varying levels throughout, and which judging by the large group present - including several juveniles - were breeding freely at the time of our visit.
Beyond the Alpine Ibex exhibit, the path took a dog-leg as it started to make its way downhill once again; however, at the corner there was a small wooden shelter with benches, along with informational signage about the surrounding Tyrol region of the Alps. Given that our pace through the collection had been rather brisk thus far, and we had risen rather early that morning, it struck us that here would be a good place for us to sit awhile and rest; considering the magnificent view which we were able to enjoy whilst seated, and the fact that there was still no sign of the thunderstorms which had been forecast and which had been the primary reason for our rapid pace around the collection thus far, we felt that we could afford to spend a little time here. Moreover, I had a suspicion that this wooden shelter area was one which several individuals on Zoochat had told me about in the months preceding this trip; unless matters had changed since they had last visited Alpenzoo themselves, this area of the collection was quite reliable for wild Edible Dormouse, which apparently were easily visible - and even able to be touched - within the rafters of the shelter and in the recesses behind the wooden seating. As such, I decided to send a text to zoogiraffe - one of the Zoochatters who had told me about this area of the collection - in order to double-check this was indeed the shelter of which he had spoke; soon enough I received a reply in the affirmative. Unfortunately, my resulting search for Edible Dormouse was fruitless - something which was rather disappointing given that this would have represented a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself; however, I contented myself with the knowledge that the animals in question were still present, having found fresh droppings along with tell-tale damage to the beams in the rafters.
After sitting awhile longer, we made our way downhill to a viewing area for a large mixed exhibit for Central European Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax erythroramphos), Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota marmota), Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus barbatus) and Common Rock-thrush.
I was extremely pleased to see this combination of species; as noted already, until viewing one in the Waldrapp aviary elsewhere at Alpenzoo I had never been fortunate enough to see a Common Rock-thrush, and to my satisfaction I was able to enjoy significantly better views of this taxon within this aviary than I had managed earlier in the day. Moreover, as I have discussed elsewhere I had never seen an Alpine Marmot until this trip, having seen the species for the first time at Tierpark Hellabrunn a few days previously, and have a particular fondness for the Lammergeier and Red-billed Chough. The aviary was able to be viewed both from above, as we were doing, and from below at a point further along the footpath through the collection; I always rather like it when this is possible, as it allows an exhibit to be evaluated on a number of levels, and had noticed that this particular design choice seemed to be a commonplace one at Alpenzoo Innsbruck - no doubt due to the constraints of space inherent to a mountainside collection. The upper levels of the aviary were defined by a series of artificial rock cliff-faces, supplemented by genuine rockwork and boulders, with the ground level sloping downhill away from us, the scree and boulders giving way to areas of grass and alpine shrubs before the base of the aviary - next to the lower viewing area - was partially occupied by a large pond.
Throughout the exhibit, perching opportunities for the avian inhabitants of the enclosure were available due to the provision of several large logs and branches scattered on the ground, along with the aforementioned crags and boulders. As one would imagine, the Alpine Marmot restricted themselves to the lower levels of the aviary, where the ground allowed them to dig and burrow, whilst the Lammergeier - all of which seemed to be subadults, something which given the fact I knew the collection bred the species regularly suggested the adult breeding pair was held off-display elsewhere - seemed to remain at the highest points of the aviary. The Rock-thrush and Red-billed Chough, however, were making full use of all parts of the aviary.
Within the viewing area where we were standing, there were significant amounts of informational signage - as I had grown to expect of such material at Alpenzoo, this was excellent and covered not only the species present within the exhibit but wider issues relevant to some aspect of the display. In this case, due to the presence of Alpine Marmot within the exhibit, there was a series of displays discussing hibernation and winter torpor in a variety of Alpine taxa, including various invertebrates and amphibians along with more obvious choices such as Alpine Marmot and Brown Bear. Nearby, there was a bronze statue of an Alpine Marmot next to the footpath as it followed the border of the aviary downhill. Overall, then, I felt this was a very good exhibit, and one which was as well-suited for the inhabitants as it was for the viewing and educational needs of the visitor.
A little further down the hill, before we had quite reached the base of the preceding aviary, a dead-end path took us to the upper viewing area for a mid-size European Elk (Alces alces alces) exhibit; although we naturally did not have access to the interior housing for the inhabitants of the exhibit, the viewing point was situated above the large wooden shed which served this purpose. This exhibit struck me as perhaps the first we had viewed which struck me as not reaching the standards which the collection as a whole had set thus far; much of the floor of the exhibit was bare earth where the grass on the ground had died - presumably where the inhabitants had paced and churned up mud during the winter months - and as such, given the fact there was very little other vegetation present, the exhibit seemed rather stark and empty.
Moreover, given how large European Elk are I felt that, although by no means small per se, the exhibit was nowhere near large enough to adequately serve the needs of the inhabitants. On continuing downhill along the main footpath, and viewing the exhibit from another angle, this conclusion was strengthened in my mind; although the lower reaches of the exhibit were better-looking, with dry-stone terraces employed to stabilise the hillside and allow the inhabitants to move around with a little more ease, even here the exhibit looked quite bare.
Given the fact that the European Elk is a species which is naturally resident in boreal forest and thick deciduous woodland, this exhibit was far too stark and lacking in vegetation; something which could have been excused had the exhibit been larger, of course, given the fact that I have seen excellent exhibits for this taxon which are sparsely wooded - if at all - but which provide the inhabitants with vast tracts of land.
Having reached the bottom of the previously-discussed Lammergeier exhibit, we took a moment to view the aviary from the lower viewing point which we had spotted from above before continuing to follow the main path through the collection.
The next exhibit we reached was an enclosure for Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra); at this point we were looking down onto the exhibit from above, although it was apparent that the footpath further along would allow us to view the base of the exhibit. Given my interest in caprine mammals, I was very pleased to see this particular exhibit; having seen the closely related Apennine Chamois some days previously it was rather interesting to view Alpine Chamois once again, and therefore get something of a feel for the differences and similarities between the two taxa. In general design the exhibit was very much akin to the Alpine Ibex enclosure we had viewed shortly beforehand on a smaller scale, comprising hundreds of large rocks and boulders strewn across the hillside in an emulation of the native mountain habitat of the species in question, with a number of large logs and branches dotted throughout the exhibit. At the base of the hillside, a reasonably large wooden hut provided shelter and a feeding area for the inhabitants of the exhibit. Overall, I rather liked this exhibit and felt that it was very well-suited to the welfare needs of the species in question; it provided more than enough space for the inhabitants, along with a large amount of scope for climbing and movement around the enclosure on many levels, and judging by the wide age range visible within the inhabitants of the enclosure the Alpine Chamois were breeding profusely.
A little further along, the footpath took a dogleg as it continued downhill; opposite a lower viewing area for the European Elk exhibit we saw a small portion of the upper levels of an exhibit for Carpathian Lynx (Lynx lynx carpathicus). I have always had a fondness for small cats, as is well-known, and I rather suspect that the Carpathian Lynx is perhaps my favourite subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx; I find them much more active and visible than other subspecies present within European collections, and moreover very appealing to the eye given how richly-marked their pelage tends to be when compared with the somewhat more plain and sandy coat of the Northern Lynx or Siberian Lynx. Due to the gradient of the hillside at this point, we could not view much of the exhibit - however, we could see from the map we were following that we would be able to view this exhibit properly a little further along the footpath, once it took us to the base of the enclosure. This said, from what little we could see of the exhibit it seemed reasonably good - well-vegetated with several large mature trees present within, along with a number of large logs and fallen trees; a pair of Carpathian Lynx lay basking in the sunlight not far from the public footpath at this point, one of which was sprawled along one of the fallen trees in a somewhat elevated position.
Beyond here, we reached the lower viewing area for the Alpine Chamois exhibit which I have already discussed; although there was some degree of a foreshortening effect as a result of the hillside gradient, it was apparent that the enclosure was indeed as large and spacious as I had initially judged. As many of the inhabitants of this exhibit were present at this end of the enclosure, I was able to view them with a little more ease and at closer range; something which I found quite gratifying. Immediately opposite the Alpine Chamois exhibit, there was a small hut containing a pair of mid-size aviaries for Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and Eurasian Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), along with an educational exhibit discussing the development of bird eggs from initial formation, being fertilised and laid, and ultimately the development of the embryo within to the point of hatching. This display was rather well-designed, containing as it did not only models and diagrams discussing the development of eggs but also a range of eggs belonging to several native passerines of the Alps, including redstart, Blackbird, European Cuckoo and Lammergeier, along with an Ostrich egg for scale. As had been the case throughout the collection, I was very pleased with the quality of this educational display.
Regarding the inhabitants of the aviaries within this area, I have been fortunate enough to see both of these species in the wild on a number of occasions, although never from such a close range; at the time of our visit the Ptarmigan had only just started to lose their white winter plumage, with flecks of gold and black visible throughout the white plumage of the hen whilst the cock had larger black patches with only subtle golden highlights. In a curious way, I felt that this made the individuals on-display look even more attractive than they would have in their pure winter or summer plumage. Similarly, I found the opportunity to view the very-attractive plumage of the hen Black Grouse particularly satisfying; unfortunately the cock held within the exhibit was not visible at the time. Each of the two aviaries was broadly-speaking similar in general design, comprising a collection of boulders and concrete slabs dotted with small evergreen bushes and trees; this was obviously intended to replicate the mountainside habitat of the taxa displayed within, an aim which I felt was met quite effectively.
Both aviaries were relatively large considering the size of the inhabitants, and gave them plenty of scope to move around and hide from the view of the public when they so desired, due to the large amount of boulders, ledges and overhangs present throughout. Overall, then, I rather liked this area of Innsbruck Alpenzoo, given the quality both of the exhibit design and the education displays within.
A little further downhill, on the corner formed by yet another dog-leg in the footpath, there was a relatively large area fenced off and signposted as the site for a future exterior aviary for Black Grouse; judging by the information and diagrams displayed here, the intention is to ultimately replicate the look and feel of those areas where cocks of the species perform their lekking activities. Immediately next to here, there were windows into a set of empty interior exhibits positioned underneath portions of the Carpathian Lynx enclosure; these were presumably the interior areas for whichever species had previously been displayed within the preceding exhibit before it was demolished for redevelopment as a Black Grouse aviary. Given how empty and old they appeared, my inclination is to suspect they had been vacant for some time; given the fact I know the species was held at Alpenzoo in recent years - recently enough to be featured within the current edition of the guidebook, in point of fact - it is possible they were formerly the sleeping areas for Stoat.
We next reached the lower viewing area for the Carpathian Lynx exhibit discussed previously; as already discussed, this exhibit was well-vegetated with mature trees and bushes, and now we were at the foot of the exhibit and could see the entirety of the enclosure without the steep slope presenting problems we could tell this was supplemented by many logs and branches dotted around the ground, along with a number of sleeping areas built into the hillside itself. It also appeared that some level of reinforcement work had taken place within this enclosure in order to shore up the hillside, with wooden logs and poles lining some of the steepest portions of ground.
The educational signposting at the exhibit was pretty good, if a little dated in parts; it appeared from the condition and appearance of the signposting that this was perhaps some of the oldest such material within the collection, indicating that this exhibit may well have held the species in question for a long time. It certainly struck me as a rather good exhibit for the taxon concerned, providing plenty of space and scope for the inhabitants to hide from the view of the public, and with the south-facing position of the enclosure ensuring they had plenty of sunlight in which to bask. As such I rather liked this exhibit; although it was not as attractive as some of the other enclosures we had seen thus far, it did a very good job of making the most of the space available given the steep gradient of the land, whilst also ensuring the welfare needs of the inhabitants were met.
Before continuing along the footpath downhill, we continued past the Carpathian Lynx exhibit to view a small cul-de-sac, at the end of which was an access gate for keepers to enter the European Wolf exhibit which we had viewed an hour or so previously. As such, this allowed us to view the upper reaches of aforementioned exhibit somewhat more readily than we had been able to beforehand; this area was well-vegetated and with several tree stumps and logs providing some level of climbing opportunity for the inhabitants of the exhibit - several of whom were watching us with some interest!
Having viewed this area, the footpath took us to a large aviary complex, with doors leading into upper and lower viewing areas for these aviaries; however, before entering we took a moment to view a very well-designed and attractive "insect hotel" comprising a wooden framework containing bundles of sticks, larger logs with holes drilled into them, bamboo canes and rows of bricks, all of which were intended to provide nesting areas for bees, beetles and other such microfauna. As was obvious from the Sand Lizards and Wall Lizards basking on the top of the framework, it also provided both a home and hunting ground for more of the herpetofauna present at Alpenzoo! Given how often invertebrate diversity is ignored at more mainstream collections, I am always pleased when I see a display such as this, which is intended much more for the inhabitants than it is the visiting public.
We continued to follow the public footpath as it gently made its way uphill, eventually reaching a gate; informational signage along with a list of rules and regulations made it clear that this was the entrance to a walkthrough exhibit for Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex ibex). Given my particular liking for caprines, I was rather interested to see how this exhibit compared to others I had seen for the taxon in question; particularly those which we had viewed at Tierpark Hellabrunn and Wilhelma over the past few days. However, there was another reason why I had been particularly looking forward to seeing this particular exhibit; this enclosure not only represented the highest point of Alpenzoo Innsbruck as a whole - the footpath through the exhibit being located approximately 750 metres above sea level, with the exhibit itself reaching rather further uphill - but also the highest zoological exhibit within any European collection. To my knowledge, it may well be the highest ever such exhibit within Europe. As such, this exhibit is significant on historical and cultural grounds, as well as the more personal significance it held for me as an enclosure for a species I particularly like.
The informational signage on the gate first explained that the walkthrough exhibit allowed the inhabitants to be viewed without a fence between them and the public, and that given the shy and herbivorous nature of the Alpine Ibex this presented no danger to the visitor. It then detailed the various rules regarding access to the exhibit; most importantly the requirement to remain on the footpath, not to feed or touch the Ibex, and not to smoke within the exhibit.
On entering the exhibit, the first thing we saw immediately to our right was a large wooden shed-structure which was open at the front, with a hollow central column containing large quantities of hay; this was quite obviously intended both as a covered shelter for the inhabitants of the exhibit during inclement weather, and as a feeding point for the Ibex. It was not entirely clear, but it struck me as likely that this also represented the interior sleeping area for the inhabitants of this exhibit. It appeared that the upper levels of this structure were accessible to the keeping staff, allowing them to drop hay into the central feeding area without entering the exhibit itself. I felt this was quite an interesting design decision, given that it meant the Alpine Ibex within the exhibit could be left to their own devices without the keeping staff having to enter their exhibit area.
Immediately beyond this structure, we reached the main body of the exhibit; the mountainside above us was covered with a vast number of large boulders and rocks, replicating rather well the bare rocky habitat within which Alpine Ibex can be found in the depths of the Alps. Perhaps thirty metres or so uphill, this gave way to a somewhat flatter area within which we could see several large mature trees and patches of bare earth, along with a second wooden shelter. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the overall exhibit design was the fact that the aforementioned hillside boulder field seemed to come right up to the footpath through the exhibit with only a small wire stand-off barrier at waist level separating the public from the boulders, and the large group of Alpine Ibex present throughout the enclosure. In point of fact, this comprised a very clever illusion; immediately beyond the stand-off barrier the "boulder field" actually comprised a wall of rocks and boulders, beyond which was a haha-ditch and then the Alpine Ibex exhibit itself. I felt that this was a simple and very effective way of giving an immersive feel whilst ensuring that the inhabitants of the exhibit are kept separate from the public; moreover, although I have previously seen exhibits which chose a similar solution to the problem at hand, this was a particularly good-looking example, with the join between the various elements almost seamless to the eye.
Overall, then, I was very impressed with this exhibit; both in design and size it was very well-suited to the inhabitants of the enclosure, which seemed to be making full use of the climbing opportunities and varying levels throughout, and which judging by the large group present - including several juveniles - were breeding freely at the time of our visit.
Beyond the Alpine Ibex exhibit, the path took a dog-leg as it started to make its way downhill once again; however, at the corner there was a small wooden shelter with benches, along with informational signage about the surrounding Tyrol region of the Alps. Given that our pace through the collection had been rather brisk thus far, and we had risen rather early that morning, it struck us that here would be a good place for us to sit awhile and rest; considering the magnificent view which we were able to enjoy whilst seated, and the fact that there was still no sign of the thunderstorms which had been forecast and which had been the primary reason for our rapid pace around the collection thus far, we felt that we could afford to spend a little time here. Moreover, I had a suspicion that this wooden shelter area was one which several individuals on Zoochat had told me about in the months preceding this trip; unless matters had changed since they had last visited Alpenzoo themselves, this area of the collection was quite reliable for wild Edible Dormouse, which apparently were easily visible - and even able to be touched - within the rafters of the shelter and in the recesses behind the wooden seating. As such, I decided to send a text to zoogiraffe - one of the Zoochatters who had told me about this area of the collection - in order to double-check this was indeed the shelter of which he had spoke; soon enough I received a reply in the affirmative. Unfortunately, my resulting search for Edible Dormouse was fruitless - something which was rather disappointing given that this would have represented a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself; however, I contented myself with the knowledge that the animals in question were still present, having found fresh droppings along with tell-tale damage to the beams in the rafters.
After sitting awhile longer, we made our way downhill to a viewing area for a large mixed exhibit for Central European Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax erythroramphos), Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota marmota), Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus barbatus) and Common Rock-thrush.
I was extremely pleased to see this combination of species; as noted already, until viewing one in the Waldrapp aviary elsewhere at Alpenzoo I had never been fortunate enough to see a Common Rock-thrush, and to my satisfaction I was able to enjoy significantly better views of this taxon within this aviary than I had managed earlier in the day. Moreover, as I have discussed elsewhere I had never seen an Alpine Marmot until this trip, having seen the species for the first time at Tierpark Hellabrunn a few days previously, and have a particular fondness for the Lammergeier and Red-billed Chough. The aviary was able to be viewed both from above, as we were doing, and from below at a point further along the footpath through the collection; I always rather like it when this is possible, as it allows an exhibit to be evaluated on a number of levels, and had noticed that this particular design choice seemed to be a commonplace one at Alpenzoo Innsbruck - no doubt due to the constraints of space inherent to a mountainside collection. The upper levels of the aviary were defined by a series of artificial rock cliff-faces, supplemented by genuine rockwork and boulders, with the ground level sloping downhill away from us, the scree and boulders giving way to areas of grass and alpine shrubs before the base of the aviary - next to the lower viewing area - was partially occupied by a large pond.
Throughout the exhibit, perching opportunities for the avian inhabitants of the enclosure were available due to the provision of several large logs and branches scattered on the ground, along with the aforementioned crags and boulders. As one would imagine, the Alpine Marmot restricted themselves to the lower levels of the aviary, where the ground allowed them to dig and burrow, whilst the Lammergeier - all of which seemed to be subadults, something which given the fact I knew the collection bred the species regularly suggested the adult breeding pair was held off-display elsewhere - seemed to remain at the highest points of the aviary. The Rock-thrush and Red-billed Chough, however, were making full use of all parts of the aviary.
Within the viewing area where we were standing, there were significant amounts of informational signage - as I had grown to expect of such material at Alpenzoo, this was excellent and covered not only the species present within the exhibit but wider issues relevant to some aspect of the display. In this case, due to the presence of Alpine Marmot within the exhibit, there was a series of displays discussing hibernation and winter torpor in a variety of Alpine taxa, including various invertebrates and amphibians along with more obvious choices such as Alpine Marmot and Brown Bear. Nearby, there was a bronze statue of an Alpine Marmot next to the footpath as it followed the border of the aviary downhill. Overall, then, I felt this was a very good exhibit, and one which was as well-suited for the inhabitants as it was for the viewing and educational needs of the visitor.
A little further down the hill, before we had quite reached the base of the preceding aviary, a dead-end path took us to the upper viewing area for a mid-size European Elk (Alces alces alces) exhibit; although we naturally did not have access to the interior housing for the inhabitants of the exhibit, the viewing point was situated above the large wooden shed which served this purpose. This exhibit struck me as perhaps the first we had viewed which struck me as not reaching the standards which the collection as a whole had set thus far; much of the floor of the exhibit was bare earth where the grass on the ground had died - presumably where the inhabitants had paced and churned up mud during the winter months - and as such, given the fact there was very little other vegetation present, the exhibit seemed rather stark and empty.
Moreover, given how large European Elk are I felt that, although by no means small per se, the exhibit was nowhere near large enough to adequately serve the needs of the inhabitants. On continuing downhill along the main footpath, and viewing the exhibit from another angle, this conclusion was strengthened in my mind; although the lower reaches of the exhibit were better-looking, with dry-stone terraces employed to stabilise the hillside and allow the inhabitants to move around with a little more ease, even here the exhibit looked quite bare.
Given the fact that the European Elk is a species which is naturally resident in boreal forest and thick deciduous woodland, this exhibit was far too stark and lacking in vegetation; something which could have been excused had the exhibit been larger, of course, given the fact that I have seen excellent exhibits for this taxon which are sparsely wooded - if at all - but which provide the inhabitants with vast tracts of land.
Having reached the bottom of the previously-discussed Lammergeier exhibit, we took a moment to view the aviary from the lower viewing point which we had spotted from above before continuing to follow the main path through the collection.
The next exhibit we reached was an enclosure for Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra); at this point we were looking down onto the exhibit from above, although it was apparent that the footpath further along would allow us to view the base of the exhibit. Given my interest in caprine mammals, I was very pleased to see this particular exhibit; having seen the closely related Apennine Chamois some days previously it was rather interesting to view Alpine Chamois once again, and therefore get something of a feel for the differences and similarities between the two taxa. In general design the exhibit was very much akin to the Alpine Ibex enclosure we had viewed shortly beforehand on a smaller scale, comprising hundreds of large rocks and boulders strewn across the hillside in an emulation of the native mountain habitat of the species in question, with a number of large logs and branches dotted throughout the exhibit. At the base of the hillside, a reasonably large wooden hut provided shelter and a feeding area for the inhabitants of the exhibit. Overall, I rather liked this exhibit and felt that it was very well-suited to the welfare needs of the species in question; it provided more than enough space for the inhabitants, along with a large amount of scope for climbing and movement around the enclosure on many levels, and judging by the wide age range visible within the inhabitants of the enclosure the Alpine Chamois were breeding profusely.
A little further along, the footpath took a dogleg as it continued downhill; opposite a lower viewing area for the European Elk exhibit we saw a small portion of the upper levels of an exhibit for Carpathian Lynx (Lynx lynx carpathicus). I have always had a fondness for small cats, as is well-known, and I rather suspect that the Carpathian Lynx is perhaps my favourite subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx; I find them much more active and visible than other subspecies present within European collections, and moreover very appealing to the eye given how richly-marked their pelage tends to be when compared with the somewhat more plain and sandy coat of the Northern Lynx or Siberian Lynx. Due to the gradient of the hillside at this point, we could not view much of the exhibit - however, we could see from the map we were following that we would be able to view this exhibit properly a little further along the footpath, once it took us to the base of the enclosure. This said, from what little we could see of the exhibit it seemed reasonably good - well-vegetated with several large mature trees present within, along with a number of large logs and fallen trees; a pair of Carpathian Lynx lay basking in the sunlight not far from the public footpath at this point, one of which was sprawled along one of the fallen trees in a somewhat elevated position.
Beyond here, we reached the lower viewing area for the Alpine Chamois exhibit which I have already discussed; although there was some degree of a foreshortening effect as a result of the hillside gradient, it was apparent that the enclosure was indeed as large and spacious as I had initially judged. As many of the inhabitants of this exhibit were present at this end of the enclosure, I was able to view them with a little more ease and at closer range; something which I found quite gratifying. Immediately opposite the Alpine Chamois exhibit, there was a small hut containing a pair of mid-size aviaries for Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and Eurasian Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), along with an educational exhibit discussing the development of bird eggs from initial formation, being fertilised and laid, and ultimately the development of the embryo within to the point of hatching. This display was rather well-designed, containing as it did not only models and diagrams discussing the development of eggs but also a range of eggs belonging to several native passerines of the Alps, including redstart, Blackbird, European Cuckoo and Lammergeier, along with an Ostrich egg for scale. As had been the case throughout the collection, I was very pleased with the quality of this educational display.
Regarding the inhabitants of the aviaries within this area, I have been fortunate enough to see both of these species in the wild on a number of occasions, although never from such a close range; at the time of our visit the Ptarmigan had only just started to lose their white winter plumage, with flecks of gold and black visible throughout the white plumage of the hen whilst the cock had larger black patches with only subtle golden highlights. In a curious way, I felt that this made the individuals on-display look even more attractive than they would have in their pure winter or summer plumage. Similarly, I found the opportunity to view the very-attractive plumage of the hen Black Grouse particularly satisfying; unfortunately the cock held within the exhibit was not visible at the time. Each of the two aviaries was broadly-speaking similar in general design, comprising a collection of boulders and concrete slabs dotted with small evergreen bushes and trees; this was obviously intended to replicate the mountainside habitat of the taxa displayed within, an aim which I felt was met quite effectively.
Both aviaries were relatively large considering the size of the inhabitants, and gave them plenty of scope to move around and hide from the view of the public when they so desired, due to the large amount of boulders, ledges and overhangs present throughout. Overall, then, I rather liked this area of Innsbruck Alpenzoo, given the quality both of the exhibit design and the education displays within.
A little further downhill, on the corner formed by yet another dog-leg in the footpath, there was a relatively large area fenced off and signposted as the site for a future exterior aviary for Black Grouse; judging by the information and diagrams displayed here, the intention is to ultimately replicate the look and feel of those areas where cocks of the species perform their lekking activities. Immediately next to here, there were windows into a set of empty interior exhibits positioned underneath portions of the Carpathian Lynx enclosure; these were presumably the interior areas for whichever species had previously been displayed within the preceding exhibit before it was demolished for redevelopment as a Black Grouse aviary. Given how empty and old they appeared, my inclination is to suspect they had been vacant for some time; given the fact I know the species was held at Alpenzoo in recent years - recently enough to be featured within the current edition of the guidebook, in point of fact - it is possible they were formerly the sleeping areas for Stoat.
We next reached the lower viewing area for the Carpathian Lynx exhibit discussed previously; as already discussed, this exhibit was well-vegetated with mature trees and bushes, and now we were at the foot of the exhibit and could see the entirety of the enclosure without the steep slope presenting problems we could tell this was supplemented by many logs and branches dotted around the ground, along with a number of sleeping areas built into the hillside itself. It also appeared that some level of reinforcement work had taken place within this enclosure in order to shore up the hillside, with wooden logs and poles lining some of the steepest portions of ground.
The educational signposting at the exhibit was pretty good, if a little dated in parts; it appeared from the condition and appearance of the signposting that this was perhaps some of the oldest such material within the collection, indicating that this exhibit may well have held the species in question for a long time. It certainly struck me as a rather good exhibit for the taxon concerned, providing plenty of space and scope for the inhabitants to hide from the view of the public, and with the south-facing position of the enclosure ensuring they had plenty of sunlight in which to bask. As such I rather liked this exhibit; although it was not as attractive as some of the other enclosures we had seen thus far, it did a very good job of making the most of the space available given the steep gradient of the land, whilst also ensuring the welfare needs of the inhabitants were met.
Before continuing along the footpath downhill, we continued past the Carpathian Lynx exhibit to view a small cul-de-sac, at the end of which was an access gate for keepers to enter the European Wolf exhibit which we had viewed an hour or so previously. As such, this allowed us to view the upper reaches of aforementioned exhibit somewhat more readily than we had been able to beforehand; this area was well-vegetated and with several tree stumps and logs providing some level of climbing opportunity for the inhabitants of the exhibit - several of whom were watching us with some interest!
Having viewed this area, the footpath took us to a large aviary complex, with doors leading into upper and lower viewing areas for these aviaries; however, before entering we took a moment to view a very well-designed and attractive "insect hotel" comprising a wooden framework containing bundles of sticks, larger logs with holes drilled into them, bamboo canes and rows of bricks, all of which were intended to provide nesting areas for bees, beetles and other such microfauna. As was obvious from the Sand Lizards and Wall Lizards basking on the top of the framework, it also provided both a home and hunting ground for more of the herpetofauna present at Alpenzoo! Given how often invertebrate diversity is ignored at more mainstream collections, I am always pleased when I see a display such as this, which is intended much more for the inhabitants than it is the visiting public.
although it is a little far from any other major collections and as such I get the impression most people do it as a daytrip from Frankfurt or Bavaria, rather than staying in the area itself. Of course, staying in Bavaria gives one a perfect opportunity to visit Alpenzoo just over the border, too 
