Zoo Aesthetics: Fencing

[Sarus Crane]

As someone who enjoys the exhibit design aspect regarding zoo exhibits, I wonder how many Zoochatters have a preference for fence type for certain species. While certain species are limited due to the challenges of keeping them safely contained (primates, big cats, pachyderms) most others are able to be kept with a number of different materials for enclosure design. What are your preferences?

For cervid and bovid hoofstock, I like the idea of a gentle sloping moat in front with a brick wall/iron fence at the rear of the exhibit like this:

For large pachyderms such as rhinos and elephants, I like moats with nice green hedges like this:

For big cats and primates, I enjoy the grotto look with rock walls, but with much more space and plants inside the habitat:

Lion Exhibit 1966

• Sarus Crane
• 28 Apr 2020
• 2

From an old family photo album. Taken in July 1966.

What are your thoughts as to favorite materials for enclosure designs for different species?

 

[Coelacanth18]

This is an interesting topic, and one that is brought up in one way or another on this site a lot. Here is a general breakdown of my opinions on barriers:

Moats: While I like that moats offer an unobstructed view of the animals (great for photography), I find that I like it better with some animals than others. I think it works really well with hoofstock: as @Sarus Crane suggested, I like the design of having a low fence/wall, a gently sloping moat, followed by a hoofstock enclosure with either an opaque barrier or another viewing area on the opposite side. This is how Red Rocks at Saint Louis and the hoofstock yards at Lincoln Park are designed and it seems to work really well. Even better - plant the inside of the moat so that it blends better.

However, for carnivores or apes the moat is often made so wide and deep that the animals can be at a far distance and the moat itself can distract from the animals and enclosure. It can also be a potential safety concern, as people (especially children) have accidentally fallen into them before. For these species I prefer viewing windows dispersed among an opaque barrier (stone, mock-rock, etc) or fencing concealed with foliage - or alternatively, elevated platforms like are common for giraffes.

Glass: Some people don't like glass viewing windows, but if they are angled properly to prevent glare and cleaned regularly to prevent smudging they are my favorite viewing method for carnivores and primates. They allow an unobstructed view of an animal at almost the closest distance possible - connecting people with nature in ways that even nature can't always safely replicate.

Mesh: The finer the better. Some species do pretty well with mesh - primates often use them for climbing - and it's a little more aesthetically pleasing than cages for close-topped outdoor enclosures. I think it works better when combined with one or two glass viewing windows.

Chain-Link: Functionally useful, but aesthetically I'm not a fan - it's very industrial-looking and distracts from what might otherwise be a very naturalistic setting. I think for cash-strapped facilities it's fine, but zoos with more resources should consider better materials. My feelings about iron bars are the same - if either are going to be used I think concealing them behind vegetation is preferable.

Piano Wire: Not as often discussed, but this barrier is used a lot in bird houses and personally I really like it. It's a good compromise between photography (easier to photograph through than mesh or glass), sound (bird songs travel past it really well), and containment (for birds that don't work in free-flight aviaries). However, I wouldn't recommend it for species with grasp (ex. primates) without an additional barrier.