Trail Exhibits For Improved Animal Welfare?

Zooplantman

Zooplantman

Well-Known Member
In recent years there has been a bit of a trend (largely propelled by Jon Coe's old firm, CLRDesign) to create exhibits that encourage animals to move through many spaces, offering new opportunities for exploration and stimulation. Some are better than others, some work better than others. But it is a developing trend and we all have much to study and learn.

New article in Designing Zoos sums it up rather nicely:
Tales of Trails | Designing Zoos
 
I think that blog post generalizes trail exhibits too much. The list provided were mostly rotational exhibits. Rotational exhibits give animals opportunities to spend time in different environments with constant new smells. Trail exhibits on the other hand can provide the same experience, however they allow animals to move a fair distance to see and experience what is going on away from a "traditional enclosure". The only true trail exhibits in the US are at National, Philly, and soon Jacksonville.

Trail exhibits will certainly provide new opportunities for zoos to increase animals' well-being and even allow small zoos to exhibit large animals without needing large tracts of land.
 
At John Ball Zoo are new Trail of the Tiger exhibit opening in 2014 will also feature a trail connecting the two tiger exhibits. One exhibit will be halfway down the end of the trail from the main tiger enclosure.
 
Not sure about the date of the overhead cable system that connects the National Zoo in Washington's orang facility to their research lab that allows the animals to move between the very separate buildings, but the UK may possibly have been first with this trail idea, although we have never called it that. The overhead mesh tunnels for the wildcats and pine martens at the Highland Wildlife Park, seen here http://www.zoochat.com/201/scottish-wildcat-walkway-highland-wildlife-park-38124/ , and the long smaller version for the Prevost's squirrels at Shaldon, which may still exist, are possibly the earliest examples of such an innovation. If anyone has construction dates for either of the UK examples, or for the National Zoo's orang overhead, I would be very interested to hear.
 
gerenuk said:
I think that blog post generalizes trail exhibits too much. The list provided were mostly rotational exhibits. Rotational exhibits give animals opportunities to spend time in different environments with constant new smells. Trail exhibits on the other hand can provide the same experience, however they allow animals to move a fair distance to see and experience what is going on away from a "traditional enclosure". The only true trail exhibits in the US are at National, Philly, and soon Jacksonville.
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Perhaps, but there is a progression of design and ideas shown and whether one considers rotational exhibits as precursors of these new Trail exhibits or merely another branch of the evolutionary tree, it seems appropriate to look at them together. I doubt there would be a Philadelphia Zoo trail had there not been a Louisville Zoo rotational exhibit. A trail exhibit might be considered a rotation exhibit "stretched out."
I believe the author was trying to start a conversation by taking a first look at this relatively new approach to zoo exhibits.
 
The idea is very interesting. I also like the idea of rotational exhibits, which as others have said, is not a new concept.
 
You said there were only 3 trail exhibits, so you would consider Trails of Africa at Birmingham just a rotational exhibit?
 
for uk zoochatters, i couldn't see why twycross can't link up opposite monkey enclosure. the ceo is very keen on animal welfare and it could be more useful than the other trail exhibit penguin crossing
 
Unless your going to start to discuss the size of natural home ranges for both males & females & then include flight distances & how much space animals need to run or "escape" before they start to calm down again, how can we discuss animal welfare in the context of an exhibits design.

Stimulatiion??? Just make enclosures larger.

Cheers Khakibob
 
On a much smaller scale the chipmunks at hamerton zoo in Cambridgeshire had this sort of set up about 8 years ago they could run through wire tunnels out over the shed and into other cages dotted around as satellite cages. It worked very well and didn't need to use up space as the satellites could be in any odd corner as long as they connected back to base.
I have often wonderd if you could keep orangs in this sort of set up on good strong ropes across asian elephant and tiger enclosures say. Rather high up I suppose, but visible if they chose to cross from one area to another and back. It would be good exercise for the apes and stimulation for the other animals as well as the public. Anyone know if if has been done even on atrial bases?
 
dean said:
On a much smaller scale the chipmunks at hamerton zoo in Cambridgeshire had this sort of set up about 8 years ago they could run through wire tunnels out over the shed and into other cages dotted around as satellite cages. It worked very well and didn't need to use up space as the satellites could be in any odd corner as long as they connected back to base.
I have often wonderd if you could keep orangs in this sort of set up on good strong ropes across asian elephant and tiger enclosures say. Rather high up I suppose, but visible if they chose to cross from one area to another and back. It would be good exercise for the apes and stimulation for the other animals as well as the public. Anyone know if if has been done even on atrial bases?
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This would be an amazing exhibit idea. Same thing with a South American exhibit having tapirs and ropes for different monkey species to travel on. I'm getting some ideas for my next Design a Zoo.
 
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