ZSL London Zoo Your ideas for spare land at London Zoo

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Shirokuma

Well-Known Member
I'm not always that keen on personal vision threads as they often become completely unrealistic but there's a little piece of land at London Zoo which has intrigued me.

I think it is the site of the old insect house, just next to the otters and to your right as you walk down towards the East Tunnel. It's not massive but not at all tiny and I'm curious to know what you would build there given the chance.

I can try to add an overview from google earth later if that would help.
 
Funnily enough. I was wondering about this question as I was walking into the Zoo last Sunday. The site is more or less square and slightly elevated compared to the meerkat enclosure and the path in front of the otters, and also to the pavement on the Outer Circle on the other side of the fence.
I think a hardy small mammal such as raccoon or striped skunk (currently in the Casson) or tree porcupine would be most appropriate for such this fairly small and fairly exposed site.
A related question: what should they do with the old beaver enclosure, between the Clore and the tapirs? It is quite small and has been empty for a while, but I think there is enough space for a medium sized exhibit to be constructed.

Alan
 
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I posted elsewhere a long time ago that i would like to see the otter enclosure enlarged, netted over and use it as a mixed enclosure for Asian small clawed otter, Francois langur and Malayan tapir.
Whether there is the room, i don't really know, but could make for an interesting mix.
 
I think the land you are referring to is directly above the east tunnel, and therefore may be limited in terms of construction on its site. I am sure there was a row of aviaries further down from this facing the ZSL offices, right at the perimeter, until the mid 1980s, am I imagining this?

Unless ZSL are planning to allow dog walking or ball games anytime soon, I don't really see what the large stretch of parkland in the middle of the zoo is used for. I have never seen families having picnics on it. I'm referring to the two large grassed areas under trees near the bird display lawn. Although I am glad the elephants and rhinos have left, I am sure that if this land in the centre had been used to extend the black rhino paddocks ten years ago, then London might still today hold a rhino species. I was surprised when the plans for Gorilla Kingdom didn't use any of this land.
 
I don't think it's above the tunnel, it's to the right of it as you look towards Barclay Court.

I agree entirely about the lawns and trees, I've often thought about rhinos or gorilla accommodation being extended into this area. The zoo, unlike Antwerp for example is surrounded by extensive parkland and there is no need for it. I'm sure I heard something about donors having plaques by the trees which can't be disturbed or something similar.
 
I would like to see any lawns currently at London Zoo, stay as lawns! Breathing space is needed in my opinion! :o
 
Oh yes absolutely! The lawns are lovely and it means you have a clear view across the centre of what is quite a crowded zoo. And families use them for picnicing and running about all the time (they can't leave the zoo, run about in Regent's Park and come back again when they've had enough!). They are also frequently used for marquees for special functions (like the four late nights currently running on Fridays).
 
Shirokuma said:
I'm not always that keen on personal vision threads as they often become completely unrealistic but there's a little piece of land at London Zoo which has intrigued me.

I think it is the site of the old insect house, just next to the otters and to your right as you walk down towards the East Tunnel. It's not massive but not at all tiny and I'm curious to know what you would build there given the chance.

I can try to add an overview from google earth later if that would help.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is the site of the old insect house, and is not sited above the tunnel. If memory serves me corectly for a while I think they had a small enclosure for field crickets on there, does anyone else remember that?

The old beaver enclosure at one time was used for rhino iguanas, and I think it may have had skunks in there at some point too.
 
It is not quite on the site of the old insect house, I think some of the current otter exhibit, including their indoor quarters, covers that site. The grass area you are referring to that held field crickets for a time was previously a prairie dog enclosure, which was adjacent to the insect house until it became used for crickets. There may also have been some british moths cages in this area around the time the crickets were exhibited here.
 
johnstoni said:
I think the land you are referring to is directly above the east tunnel, and therefore may be limited in terms of construction on its site. I am sure there was a row of aviaries further down from this facing the ZSL offices, right at the perimeter, until the mid 1980s, am I imagining this?
Click to expand...

Yes , I remember the row of aviaries which housed various parrots - Macaws and Cockatoos I think . They were of heavy mesh painted black , as was the style of all the older aviaries .
 
Bele said:
Yes , I remember the row of aviaries which housed various parrots - Macaws and Cockatoos I think . They were of heavy mesh painted black , as was the style of all the older aviaries .
Click to expand...

And before they were used as parrot aviaries they were the outside cages of the old Central Mammal House.......
 
Too small but maybe something like snowy owl and arctic fox or even wolverine. Would fit into the general theme of the area which seems to be cute and cuddly.
 
How about wallabies and emus, free up the Mappin terrace for the Asian lions, then you have the large 2 enclosures on the cat terraces to fill up.
 
I think an Australian area based on the woodland by the canal and maybe looping up to the land behind the otters would be a good idea.

I think it would be quite effective and popular with visitors, could use the exisiting animals from the Mappin Terraces and have a couple of additions such as some simple aviaries with Australian birds. It would also be a more authentic habitat for the wallaby.

I think a small but well designed koala house (something architecturally similar to the Komodo building) would be a nice addition and a good draw for the public. Visitor circulation could go up behind the otter house and down round the back of the otters on the little used path which comes out at te end of the otter enclosure.

A New Zealand themed kiwi and tuatara house would be the same, relatively simple but attractive to visitors and most importantly: small.
 
Would the round house still be suitable for koalas? That's nearby and could save a fair bit of cost on building a new exhibit.
 
It probably would be suitable assuming the aye aye are in the Clore offshow areas but I don't think it would be particularly attractive as a visitor attraction featuring a high profile species even though they have been kept there in the past. I would keep the lemurs or have it as a kea aviary. As it's unlikely that the otters, meerkats and red panda would be moved I guess the lemurs could stay.
 
Paix said:
I would like to see any lawns currently at London Zoo, stay as lawns! Breathing space is needed in my opinion! :o
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I ‘m astounded that anyone would want to preserve the large areas of lawn within the zoo, why would a family want to pay to look at grass when there are over 400 acres of parkland outside the zoo that they can look at for free?
 
I agree with Ned, London Zoo is surrounded by vast areas of parkland in Regents Park and Primrose Hill, there are areas for children to play in the zoo and plenty space for events without having marquees on these lawns. It's not like they are constantly crowded with picnicking families either. Sure it's nice to have space in a zoo but London Zoo is very small and I would much prefer it to take full advantage of what space it has.
 
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