Underrepresented Habitats
- Thread starter JVM
- Start date
Australian heathland could be fine since it can display Kangaroos, Wallabies, Emu, but the UK heathland theme....might be considered as "boring" by most visitors who are not zoo nerds.
Maryland Zoo of Baltimore, Tierpark Hagenbeck, Aqua Terra Zoo and Singapore Night Safari have cave-themed exhibits. Although most species held by Maryland's Cave are not true cave-dwelling species. Pairi Daiza also has "Crypt" that displays Bats, Naked Mole-rats, Mouse Lemurs and some Amphibians.
Implementing a Japanese-themed exhibit poses a challenge, as many of Japan's endemic species—such as the Japanese serow, Japanese raccoon dog, Japanese badger, Japanese marten—are either extremely rare or entirely absent outside the country. For instance, Pairi Daiza's "Island of the Rising Sun" showcases six animal species, yet half of them are not native to Japan. Asian black bear, Wild boars, Red fox, Steller sea eagle, Hooded crane, White-naped crane, Eurasian eagle-owl, Ural owl and several ducks can also be added to Japanese theme, but they are not endemic to Japan and often displayed in other themes
Velas
Well-Known Member
The habitats I'll mention were previously mentioned in this thread, but I'd love to see more themed exhibits of the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes. Both of these biomes are quite overshadowed in South American areas, which basically just are composed of the Amazon rainforest and the Pampas, the latter of which annoys me the most, not only due to redundancy, but also because a zoos consider the Cerrado to be a part of the Pampas, making what could've been a much more unique and rich exhibit into a innacurate depiction.
The Caating is also a very unique (and quite large) biome of SA that I've only seen represented once at Rákos' House in Prague, which only features two species. The most accesible species that could be utilised to represent it would overlap with another biomes, such as the Cerrado, Amazon and Mata Atlantica, but it could work out with some of these, such as the Three-banded armadillo and Jaguarundi, alongside some of the endemic species, like the Lear's macaw.
I also would very much apreciate some more representation of Manchuria and Arabian wildlife, like some people said in this thread before, as well as the Páramo, a quite interesting ecossystem of the Andes that I believe is rarely or even absen from zoo exhibits and areas.
The Caating is also a very unique (and quite large) biome of SA that I've only seen represented once at Rákos' House in Prague, which only features two species. The most accesible species that could be utilised to represent it would overlap with another biomes, such as the Cerrado, Amazon and Mata Atlantica, but it could work out with some of these, such as the Three-banded armadillo and Jaguarundi, alongside some of the endemic species, like the Lear's macaw.
I also would very much apreciate some more representation of Manchuria and Arabian wildlife, like some people said in this thread before, as well as the Páramo, a quite interesting ecossystem of the Andes that I believe is rarely or even absen from zoo exhibits and areas.
Depends how it’s presented. All those species are seen in zoos anyway, and context with appropriate graphics can only enhance that. If we fight shy of ‘different’ stuff we’ll never move forward. Australian desert could be good, with Dingos and appropriate parrot/pigeon/finch species
ContraryPython
Active Member
The Indian subcontinent. Most of the animals from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in zoos get lumped into Asia themed exhibits.
Local_Shark
Well-Known Member
For me and the aquarium side of things, I personally think that true open ocean/pelagic environments are really poorly represented in North American aquaria especially. From what I've seen of many Asian facilities, such as Tokyo Sea Life Park, they are more willing to make exhibits based on this part of the ocean. It may be the oceanic version of a "desert" in a way, with very few patches of life and activity, but that's never stopped zoos from making desert exhibits lol! I know that it's a bit of a boring exhibit to have, just a big tank with blue backdrop full of free swimming fish, but Monterey Bay Aquarium's version is incredible and I wish other facilities like it would crop up around the US. My two favorites besides MBA are probably Birch Aquarium's new (but vastly smaller) version in The Living Seas, and South Carolina Aquarium's Ocean Tank (though that one does feature a continental shelf replica, it's a bit more of a pelagic environment than most others). I would have really loved to see Aquarium of the Pacific go with a true open ocean tank rather than what ultimately became of their Pacific Visions remodel...but alas, it wasn't to be.
I think the reason why Indian or South Asian themes are underrepresented is the lack of pure Bengal tigers in Western facilities. Since tigers are "must-have" for Asian themes, zoos often prefer broader Asian or tropical Asian themes instead. I agree that South Asian theme shouldn't be underrepresented b/c a lot of popular species can be covered including Asian elephants, GOH rhino, Sloth bear, Asian lion (not for AZA zoos), even Snow leopard, Red panda
Yeah, pelagic zones are severely underrepresented - and many famous exhibits that people think of as 'pelagic', like Osaka Aquarium's and Georgia Aquarium's really aren't - besides the Whale Sharks, the species kept in them are overwhelmingly reef-associated or otherwise coastal.
Temperate/coldwater fish species, both marine and freshwater, are also very underrepresented (except for species local to where the aquarium is situated). Polar species (fish and invertebrates I mean, not mammals) are also underrepresented, but that's understandable I think - aquaria may not be willing to go to the (often considerable) length to obtain these species, and maintain the water-chilling systems to maintain them, when the majority would be considered dull and uninteresting by the average visitor.
At least in Australian zoos, desert/arid zone exhibits are relatively common, but in my opinion rarely done well. Usually they consist of a standard macropod + emu paddock, and maybe an aviary with pet-shop birds like budgerigars, cockatiels, gouldian finches and zebra finches. I'd like to see more focus on smaller desert/arid zone mammals and reptiles - there are a plethora of interesting species that shouldn't be too hard to obtain like dunnarts and hopping-mice.
How about Tokyo Sea Life Park?
Most of the species Tokyo Sea Life Park keeps in its pelagic displays are true pelagic fish, but not all of them - Blacktip Reef Sharks, Javanese Cownose Rays and Bowmouth Guitarfish aren't pelagic.
Speaking of Tokyo Sea Life Park, it does a great job of representing various temperate/coldwater regions that aren't local Japanese species - their Seas of the World exhibit has tanks representing everything from California, west coast of Canada, to southern Australia, South Africa, Chile, the North Sea and the Mediterranean (as well as displays for tropical zones like northwest Australia, the Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef, and the Red Sea.
Just call it a mainland tiger and nobody is the wiser.
Not sure if I'm the first to say it, but... The Atlas Mountains can make for a really cool zoo area, ESPECIALLY if you "include" recently extinct animals via living analogues; European brown bears, Somali wild ass, Heck cattle... And rarer stock like Barbary leopards, striped hyenas, honey badgers and red deer can be represented by more commonly found subspecies.
Even without analogues there's plenty of species there.
Barbary macaque, Gundi, Striped hyena, Cuvier's gazelle, Barbary sheep, quite a few reptiles
SkyHighScenes
Member
Osedax
Well-Known Member
While the Amazon rainforest is certainly an underrepresented habitat here in Australia, it is quite a common theme overseas.
Velas
Well-Known Member
Amazon rainforest exhibits and areas are actually quite common (if not the most common South American biome represented in the world), with even whole zoos dedicated to exclusively show animals found there. Since you're from Australia, I believe that you've never seen one because they're not really common there, due to the limited species available and the IRA's, with only new world monkeys (except the Golden lion tamarin, of course), some birds and reptiles and now the tapir in Melbourne being native species from there. This leaves Southeast Asia and Central Africa the to-go tropical species and areas.
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SkyHighScenes
Member
Really? Well I can't wait to see one then!