Unusual Zoo Lay-out/shape
- Thread starter Shirokuma
- Start date
Zoogoer2000
Well-Known Member
Toronto Zoo is pretty much just a big circle with side paths
Marwell is a very wide zoo covering a roughly square area of 140 acres, though about 45 of those makes up just one of the animal enclosures, the African Valley. Most of the zoo has a very open feel, with many large, grassy paddocks surrounded by bits of woodland in a landscape bowl, with the medieval Marwell Hall standing roughly in the centre. This creates a very pleasent setting of rolling green pastures, and is a testimony to rural zoos in my opinion. The more 'compact' areas are few, mainly around the hall, entrance area and Northern corner of the zoo.
European Fauna
Well-Known Member
Dublin Zoo has become a peanut since the incorporation of the former Presidential lands.Each lobe of the peanut incorporates a great lake.I could write a book about this zoo, but for the moment I will just add that it continues to be a masterpiece of the finest horticultural landscaping.
Monarto Zoo is so big you can literally get lost out there. They send staff out on four wheel motorbikes checking all the paths for visitors before they close up for the night.
It can take over an hour to walk from one end of the zoo to the other - and much of that walking is through dense mallee scrub where you won't see another person or zoo vehicle.
It can take over an hour to walk from one end of the zoo to the other - and much of that walking is through dense mallee scrub where you won't see another person or zoo vehicle.
Another interesting zoo is Zoológico Nacional in Santiago, Chile (aka Santiago Zoo).
Like Taronga Zoo, it is built on the side of a hill with great views. Unlike Taronga Zoo, this hill is extremely steep! It was a little disconcerting in places - I almost felt I had to slide down the footpath on my backside to keep from slipping it was that steep.
The walk-in-aviary is effectively built on the side of a cliff (it's not quite vertical, but it's close!), you enter at ground level near the top - and the platform is up to 10m above the floor of the aviary, but it feels like more because the mountain keeps dropping away on the outside of the aviary. If you are scared of heights, you'd want to stay out of this aviary!
I do have some photos to upload - once I've finished my uni assignments this week I'll get on to that.
Like Taronga Zoo, it is built on the side of a hill with great views. Unlike Taronga Zoo, this hill is extremely steep! It was a little disconcerting in places - I almost felt I had to slide down the footpath on my backside to keep from slipping it was that steep.
The walk-in-aviary is effectively built on the side of a cliff (it's not quite vertical, but it's close!), you enter at ground level near the top - and the platform is up to 10m above the floor of the aviary, but it feels like more because the mountain keeps dropping away on the outside of the aviary. If you are scared of heights, you'd want to stay out of this aviary!
I do have some photos to upload - once I've finished my uni assignments this week I'll get on to that.
CiaranDUK
Well-Known Member
for me the weirdest shape is Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens. Thrigby Hall
Dudley Zoo is the only one I know of that is literally a hill. Many zoos are built on the side of a hill but Dudley is a hill. It also has a castle in the centre of it which must be unique. On the subject of roads going through zoos, I think Rome has a road through it.
Two U.S. zoos with a road going through are Columbus and Dallas. (You cross underneath in a pedestrian tunnel, just like at London).
San Diego Zoo is somewhat unique because of the mesas and valleys throughout - and their innovative moving sidewalks to take you up to the mesas from the valley floors. These very old contraptions still work great!
San Diego Zoo is somewhat unique because of the mesas and valleys throughout - and their innovative moving sidewalks to take you up to the mesas from the valley floors. These very old contraptions still work great!
