What i think zoos should do

[jusko88]

Im new to zoochat and enjoying every moment when i come on this page. I like reading peoples updated,new and exciting posts about zoos,animals etc... anyways I just wanna throw out this question to everyone and see what you think of this idea. I wish zoos would switch animals more often like in cold weather have cold weather animals and hot weather have hot animals. you get the point. so us as vistors would see a variety of animals instead of the same ones year in and year out. Im not saying i cant travel but for the people that cant give em a chance to see new animals. and i also wish zoos would have less number of species and bigger exhibits for them. I know it's easy to say and hard to do. I understand with the economy it's tough on zoos currently but just wondering what other people think of my idea. I hope people don't think im crazy lol

 

[DavidBrown]

I think that this is an intriguing idea. It seems like more zoos are building spaces for temporary exhibits that would bring in new animals and exhibits. One limiting factor as you suggest is the practicalities of moving around big animals like giraffes, elephants, gorillas, etc. and the resulting stresses on the animals, so it seems like that may be a practical limit. For smaller animals though I have seen zoos do this. Several California zoos have featured temporary visits from white alligators (San Francisco, LA, Sacramento). The Sacramento Zoo had temporary exhibits of penguins, aquatic animals, and insects over the past few years.

It seems like aquariums are way ahead of zoos in the use and design of temporary exhibits and display of new animals.

 

[Terp]

Koalas have bounced around North American zoos on a temporary basis during the warmer months (Toronto, Indy, Omaha, etc). I think Komodos too.

One would think/hope it's low stress on the animal, and I suspect these are compelling enough species to provide enough incentive for the average family (that might not travel from zoo to zoo), to come back and visit their local zoo again. Just not sure how many smaller species there are out there that are that much of a draw to that same average family.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Im not saying i cant travel but for the people that cant give em a chance to see new animals.

If you think it is too hard for some people to travel, think about how hard it would be for animals to be shipped around every season. Not only is it stressful on the animals, it requires an inordinate amount of training (for medium to large mammals anyway) and is prohibitively expensive. Large mammals are transported by companies that specialize in this - a highly specialized field that costs at least a few thousand dollars per shipment.

Nice idea, but totally impractical I am afraid.

What I would prefer to see, as I have said before, is that zoos specialize in their climate - warm animals in the warmer latitudes and cold animals in the colder latitudes. Minnesota Zoo is a great example of a cold weather zoo that has fantastic year round outdoor exhibits for cold weather animals.

 

[Zooplantman]

If you think it is too hard for some people to travel, think about how hard it would be for animals to be shipped around every season. Not only is it stressful on the animals, it requires an inordinate amount of training (for medium to large mammals anyway) and is prohibitively expensive. Large mammals are transported by companies that specialize in this - a highly specialized field that costs at least a few thousand dollars per shipment.

Nice idea, but totally impractical I am afraid.

What I would prefer to see, as I have said before, is that zoos specialize in their climate - warm animals in the warmer latitudes and cold animals in the colder latitudes. Minnesota Zoo is a great example of a cold weather zoo that has fantastic year round outdoor exhibits for cold weather animals.

Minnesota Zoo also ships in African savanna animals for the summer and then ships them out. Sort of rental animals

 

[IanRRobinson]

What I would prefer to see, as I have said before, is that zoos specialize in their climate - warm animals in the warmer latitudes and cold animals in the colder latitudes. Minnesota Zoo is a great example of a cold weather zoo that has fantastic year round outdoor exhibits for cold weather animals.

Sensible comments as always AD. I have heard afficionados of Whipsnade, at an elevation of nearly 800 feet in the Chilterns, argue that it ought to concentrate more on Andean or Central Asian mammals such as Pallas' Cat, Snow Leopard, Spectacled Bear, Kiang, Vicuna, White-lipped Deer, Takin, Markhor, and the like rather than on African species, many of which look distinctly unhappy during the Chiltern winter.

 

[Pertinax]

Sensible comments as always AD. I have heard afficionados of Whipsnade, at an elevation of nearly 800 feet in the Chilterns, argue that it ought to concentrate more on Andean or Central Asian mammals such as Pallas' Cat, Snow Leopard, Spectacled Bear, Kiang, Vicuna, White-lipped Deer, Takin, Markhor, and the like rather than on African species, many of which look distinctly unhappy during the Chiltern winter.

I certainly think the extreme climate at Whipsnade(well comparatively so) could warrant such a display, particularly on the more exposed scarp slope side. They could still have the African animals in the more sheltered half(currently Asian plains) as well.

 

[JBZvolunteer]

Another thing is some animals can adapt to the different climate so you can still keep them even if outside it doesn't perfectly match their climate. A good example of this is lions. In michigan they love the cold weather and are more active.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Minnesota Zoo also ships in African savanna animals for the summer and then ships them out. Sort of rental animals

I was not aware of this. So maybe it is not a completely impractical idea. (Although it still seems a bit harsh on the animals to force them to be transported twice a year.)

 

[elefante]

I've always thought it would be better to concentrate on animals more suited to the climate like the Minnesota Zoo does with their Northern Trail. Those animals do just fine year round. I question the ethics of keeping African animals like elephants indoors for months at a time in colder climates.

 

[Jurek7]

But the idea of a zoo with several temporary exhibits every year is interesting.

Like "Christman animals" in winter and "how animals cope with heat" in summer. At best without bringing any new animals. Zoos might well do it, if their education department is up to it. Possibly zoos near big museums are in best position - museums have many times more specimens then are on view, and could rent interesting artifacts to spice up displays.

As others said - moving animals is stressful to them, it is more circus thing, and naturally cold climate doesn't prevent very good keeping of animals.

 

[Arizona Docent]

...and "how animals cope with heat" in summer. At best without bringing any new animals.

Our zoo in the Arizona desert does this with polar bear, but speaking strictly off the record, I do not buy it (actually not that much off the record because senior staff know very well how I feel).

 

[gfree14]

The Minnesota Zoo only does every few years, I believe when they do it, they only take a few animals and they are on loan from the Milwaukee Zoo.