Triangle Zoo

[redpanda756]

In continuing with my ongoing Triangle Zoo project, I am going to be posting a masterplan-esque thread inspired by @Haliaeetus.

Introduction:
The zoo is in Durham County, North Carolina. It sits on a plot of ~500 acres. In summer, temperatures get well into the 90s, and in winter, temperatures sit around the 30-40 degree range. It is a member of the AZA as well as the WAZA and has partnerships with groups and zoos around the world.

These are the exhibits: (the names are from foundations and funds in North Carolina and corporate philanthropists)

• Amphibian Conservation Center - works in partnership with the National Amphibian Conservation Center in Detroit
• Ape Atoll
• Arctic Plunge
• Arthur G. Rice, Sr. Island Aviary
• Bamboo Odyssey
• Bank of America Mayan Temple
• BB&T African Aviary
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina Asian Aviary
• Buster Mashburn Old World Desert
• Central Asian Rocks
• Cloud Forest
• The Duke Energy Foundation's Madagascar Dome
• East Nguvu Reserve
• Eucalyptus Woodlands
• European Meadow
• First Citizens Bank Urban Jungle
• Gilead Sciences Tropical India
• GlaxoSmithKline Moonlight Building
• Great Plains
• Hunting Grounds
• The J.O. and Ruth Barbour North Carolina Native Wildlife Center - also has a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center
• The Joseph M. Bryan New World Desert
• Mangrove Swamp
• Mary Duke Biddle Avian Plaza
• The Mary Jane Winston Children's Zoo
• National Insectarium - the United States National Insectarium
• Orinoco Wetlands
• Paradise Islands
• RiverLand
• Rocky Mountains
• South Nguvu Reserve
• Victor Boone Herpetarium
• Wells Fargo Amazonian Aviary
• Woodward Mammal Mountain
• Z. Smith Reynolds Manatee Center - works with the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership

FOCUS: The Triangle Zoo is an action-oriented approach to wildlife education and conservation. We educate visitors about global conservation success stories while also bringing them the magic of a zoo and inspiring them to take action to help stop extinction.

 

[Austin the Sengi]

In my opinion, this seems to be quite a promising thread indeed, and already I cannot wait for what the future has in store. (Even though there is a chance that it might become dead after quite a while, but still)

~ @Austin the Sengi

 

[redpanda756]

Tomorrow I will be posting the first exhibit, so stay tuned!

 

[redpanda756]

First Exhibit: CENTRAL ASIAN ROCKS

Visitors park in a large parking lot, and as they approach the ticketing booth, there is a clearing in the bushes that reveals a viewing deck for the first exhibit, housing:

• 2.4.0 Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)
• 2.3.0 Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)
• 3.4.0 Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)
• 1.2.0 Persian onager (Equus hemionus onager)

After the ticketing booth, visitors can walk on a wooden bridge over the exhibit. This exhibit is enclosed by large red rock formations. There is a small outcrop on the other side with a panel about the conservation success story of the Arabian oryx.

Normally, I would include pictures for reference but I couldn't find any that I liked or that matched my vision.

Moving forward, there is the large Fishmonger Exhibit complete with fake boats, buildings, and docks. This area houses:

• 2.4.0 Baikal teal (Sibirionetta formosa)*
• 2.2.0 Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus)*
• 2.2.0 Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus)*
• 1.1.0 Eurasian teal (Anas crecca)*
• 3.3.0 Gadwall (Mareca strepera)*
• 11.9.0 Marbled teal (Marmaronetta angusirostris)*
• 2.3.0 Northern pintail (Anas acuta)*
• 2.2.0 Red-crested pochard (Netta rufina)*
• 5.5.0 Smew (Mergellus albellus)*

*Pinioned
Inspiration for the wharf comes from the following images: (credit: Dreamstime)

The buildings off to the side similar to those seen in the first picture will be an interconnected series of gift shops. There will also be many more wooden platforms and docks, etc. for the waterfowl to perch on.


Following the harbor, on the other side of the exhibit and back to the red rock theme will be the first of several mesh exhibits housing 1.1.0 caracal (Caracal caracal). The exhibit would be more heavily planted than the ungulate exhibit, some sort of combination of the following images:

Credit: @FunkyGibbon

Credit: @snowleopard

Credit: @geomorph


Next, a mesh aviary for 1.2.0 Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus). It would look like the images above, with many perching opportunities and continuing with the red rock theme.


Across the path is a series of stone steps (with a ramp for handicapped people). This leads to a spacious yurt. The first tank in the yurt houses 1.1.0 Central Asian cobra (Naja oxiana). It looks like this (except with the cobra, not the monitor):

Credit: @HungarianBison


The next tank houses 1.1.0 Armenian viper (Montivipera raddei) and 4.4.0 Wagner’s viper (Montivipera wagneri). It looks like this, except with a themed background.

Credit: @Ituri


The third exhibit to the left houses a large group of Kaiser’s mountain newts (Neurergus kaiseri). It looks something like this but without that flowerpot toward the right hand side:

Credit: @vogelcommando


The largest exhibit indoors houses 0.0.5 Greek tortoises (Testudo graeca), 1.2.35 Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni), and 1.1.1 Marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata), as well as an unknown amount of secret toadhead agamas (Phrynocephalus mystaceus). The animals also have outdoor access in summer. The indoor part looks like this, except much larger.

Credit: @Moebelle


The outdoor portion looks like this:

Credit: @TheoV


The next smaller tank holds 0.0.1 veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). The exhibit will look somewhat like this, with a humid tank designed to look dryer:

Credit: Wikimedia


The fifth tank exhibits 0.0.7 saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus). It looks similar to the Central Asian cobra exhibit.


The final small tank on the houses 0.1.1 Sheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus). It looks a little like this:

Credit: @vogelcommando


The next outdoor exhibit across from the outdoor tortoise habitat houses 1.1.0 Pallas cat (Otocolobus manul) It looks like Columbus’s exhibit (below) but outdoors.

Credit: @Moebelle


Moving onto a section of the exhibit called The Valley, the trees get larger and visitors can see large rocks towering above them. Turning off the main path, visitors can see 1.1.0 Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica). It looks like this except the fence is a rock wall and there is more of an elevation change. The viewing window is also not glass. It is just a clearing in the trees that allows the visitors to see the tigers.

Credit: @StellarChaser


The largest exhibit in this area holds 4.6.0 Bukharan markhor (Capra falconeri heptneri), 1.2.0 Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus), 1.4.0 Transcaspian urial (Ovis orientalis arkal), 1.2.0 West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica), 2.4.0 Armenian mouflon (Ovis gmelini gmelini), and 1.1.0 Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor). It looks something like this, except much, much larger:


Credit: @snowleopard


The final exhibit in the valley takes visitors even farther off of the path. This exhibit, full of greenery, is based on the ancient ruins in the Caucasus mountains. Rather than occupying a very large area, this exhibit stretches 40 feet vertically. Visitors standing at the viewing area can look up and down and still see the 1.2.0 snow leopards (Panthera uncia) that inhabit this enclosure. There is also a set of stairs/ramp that lead down to a lower viewing area.


The lower area looks like this, except it extends farther upward:

Credit: @KevinB


The slopes look like this:

Credit for both: @twilighter


After visitors backtrack out of The Valley, there are several aviaries themed like a village:

• 2.0.0 Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo)
• 3.2.0 White stork (Ciconia ciconia) and 5.8.0 ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
• 2.2.0 Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Credit for both: @HOMIN96


Finally, there is one large field exhibit that holds 2.6.0 Przewalski’s wild horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). It looks like this, except a little more naturalistic:

Credit: @KevinB

 

[redpanda756]

I'm sorry for the images that won't show. I don't know what's going on but the descriptions are pretty thorough.

 

[redpanda756]

Second Exhibit: THE J.O. AND RUTH BARBOUR NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE WILDLIFE CENTER

Outdoor Portion

After leaving the Central Asian Rocks exhibit and walking down the path a little, visitors walk through a door (similar to a door you might walk through going into a kangaroo walkthrough). The second door opens onto a boardwalk over a wetlands area. The first exhibit is covered by a mesh net (not only to keep the animals from getting out, but also to keep outside animals from getting in) because the residents are 1.3.4 American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). It looks like this with a net over it.:

Credit: @snowleopard

There is another set of doors after the alligator exhibit that leads into the Waterbird Aviary (also covered by a net). The aviary has a similar layout to the alligator exhibit, but with "islands", and houses:

• 1.0.0 rescued American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
• 0.0.1 rescued American woodcock (Scolopax minor)
• 9.4.0 American wood duck (Aix sponsa)
• 1.0.0 rescued black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
• 0.0.5 blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
• 1.0.0 rescued fish crow (Corvus ossifragus)
• 1.1.0 rescued great blue heron (Ardea herodias)
• 4.4.0 hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
• 0.0.5 rescued laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
• 2.0.0 lesser scaup (Aythya affinis)
• 4.4.0 North American ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis jamaicensis)
• 0.0.1 rescued piping plover (Charadrius melodus)
• 0.0.2 sora (Porzana carolina)

Credit: @Rafiaan

Next, visitors approach the larger exhibits. The first is an outdoor exhibit housing a rescued male bobcat (Lynx rufus).

Credit: @snowleopard

Following that, there is a very large exhibit for 1.2.2 rescued North American black bears (Ursus americanus).

Credit: @snowleopard

Next, there is a similar-type exhibit for 3.5.0 Red wolves (Canis rufus). It looks a little bit like this:

Credit: @Coelacanth18

Then, there is a smaller exhibit that mixes 2.1.0 striped skunks and 1.1.0 pest raccoons. It looks something like this:

Credit: @KevinB

Finally with the larger exhibits, there is a cougar (Puma concolor) exhibit. It houses 1.2.0 individuals. It looks something like this:

Credit: @Dhole dude

Moving forward to an area called Raptor Run, there are several large aviaries holding the following in this order:

• 1.2.1 rescue Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperi)
  
• 1.0.1 rescue red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus)
  
• 1.0.2 rescue barred owls (Strix varia)
• 0.1.0 rescue golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• 0.0.1 rescue broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus)
• 0.4.5 rescue red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
  
• 3.1.0 rescue great horned owls (Bubo virginianus)
• 0.1.0 Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
• 1.1.0 rescue black vultures (Coragyps atratus) & 0.1.2 rescue turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)

They look something like this:

Credit: @geomorph

Finally, there is an outdoor view of the Songbird Aviary. It houses the following species: Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula), eastern bluebird (Sialis sialis), Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolina), red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea), song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) It looks a little like this:

Credit: @KevinB

 

[redpanda756]

Moving on to the first indoor section: Eastern Battleground

For this section, instead of posting actual zoo exhibits that I'm basing them off of, I will just be showing pictures of civil war ruins that depict the look I'm going for.

This section is themed as a Civil War battlefield that was torn apart but nature has slowly regrown. In the first section, dripping water has created a lush microcosm with a pool for eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) and climbing space for green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea).

Credit: alltrails.com

Moving forward, you can see the songbird aviary from inside using small windows like these (that were used to stick guns through during the civil war)

Credit: civilwarattractions.blogspot.com

Moving forward is a pile of scraps and shrapnel overlooking a simulated swamp, where 1.0.0 eastern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) lives. I couldn't find a picture for this one.

Finally, joining the swamp from the previous exhibit is a pond for 0.0.4 diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) with a land area for a large number of green anoles (Anolis carolinensis).

Moving forward to the Piedmont area, the first tank houses 0.0.5 lesser sirens (Siren intermedia).

Credit: @geomorph

The adjacent semi-aquatic tanks house 0.0.2 eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) and 0.0.3 marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum), and finally 0.0.1 two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means).

Following the aquatic and semi-aquatic tanks are a series of land-based exhibits, housing the following species in the following order:

• 1.1.0 gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides)
• 1.0.0 northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)
• 1.1.0 eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
• Many barking tree frogs (Hyla gratiosa)
• 1.1.0 corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
• 1.1.0 eastern ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)

They look something like this:

Credit: @TinoPup

Or this:

Credit: @Moebelle

Moving on to a larger room, there is a waterfall falling from a rocky crag above the visitors into a pool in the center of the room. The pool is home to black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), brown trout (Salmo trutta), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctulatus), chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia), eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta), eastern river cooter (Pseudemys concinna concinna), false map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), northern red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), redear sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera), spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), stinkpot turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), walleye (Sander vitreus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens).

A small stream draws the attention to several other habitats, with the following species in this order:

• 0.0.1 common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
• 0.0.5 blackbelly salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus)
• 0.0.3 common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
• 0.0.2 eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleghaniensis). The zoo also houses a behind-the-scenes breeding and release program for this species.

The aquatic area is loosely based on The Appalachian Cove Forest at the Tennessee Aquarium, except the lighting is all artificial:

Credit: @Moebelle

The aquatic area leads you to a really big habitat for 1.2.0 North American river otters (Lontra canadensis). It basically looks like this (except the background is more realistic-looking).

Credit: @geomorph

In between the aquatic and next section is a big cross-section view of a hill home to eastern black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) and a tank with 0.0.3 giant stag beetles (Lucanus elaphus), followed by another tank with 0.0.3 eastern Hercules beetles (Dynastes tityus)

Next is a large section with bigger indoor habitats. The first is home to 0.1.1 rescue groundhogs (Marmota monax). I couldn't find a good picture for this.

The next large exhibit houses rescue squirrels. In this exhibit are 1.0.0 eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and 0.1.0 fox squirrel (Sciurus niger).

The largest indoor exhibit is an aviary for 0.1.9 rescued eastern screech owls (Megascops asio).

The central exhibit is for 1.2.0 rescue Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana).

Next, there is an exhibit for 2.1.0 nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus).

The final large indoor exhibit for 5.4.12 eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) and 1.1.3 southern flying squirrels (Diadophis punctatus). The turtles are also a release program species. In the summer, the turtles are moved to an outdoor area that looks like this:

Credit: @TinoPup

The final exhibit is a cave-like room. First, you get opposite-side viewing for the nine-banded armadillos seen previously. Then, you see a massive, almost 360 degree room filled with rocks, crags, crevices, greenery, trees, and the inhabitants. 6.5.16 timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus). The rattlesnakes are also part of release plans in Ohio and Massachusetts.

It looks almost like ZooAtlanta's exhibit:

Credit: @geomorph
But with a rock background. Also it extends almost 20 feet up and 10 more feet back.

After exiting the building, you come across a small glade with 2.6.0 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).