Copenhagen Zoo - Architecture » Copenhagen Zoo

Answering time
11-06-2008

Now to answer your questions:

snowleopard: I said that the enclosure could be bigger, but now that it was too small. I think it is big enough for a small herd such as the one we have in Copenhagen.

kiang: It will look better when some of the plants start to grow. But you are right, and I would have tried to get more plants in and around the enclosure if it was up to me. And you are right, we do have some world-class enclosures in Europe as well.

Yassa: See my reply to snowleopard.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

Actually, you should have seen the young male Tonsak play in those piles of sand He rolled around in them and tossed himself into them. I woulden't have thought that elephants would enjoy sand so much, but there you have it .

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

What do you mean by this? Can you say more?
Do you mean graphics about elephants or something else?
What did you like about it?

And let me add, it's GREAT to get a first hand review of this important new exhibit the very day it opens!!!!!!

11-06-2008

Do you also have pictures of chieng Mai and the other male Tonask?

greetings

11-06-2008

You can see that a great deal of attention was paid to making this building as invisible as possible, also to provide the best conditions for the animals possible with the space available. This is state of the art design for urban zoos with elephants. Is it sufficient? Will the animals be physically and mentally healthy? I suppose that depends on more than square meters.

11-06-2008

mfabrie: Of course! Here you are. The first one is Chieng Mai and the second is Tonsak enjoying a "sandcastle competetion" ;-).




Zooplantman: The first part of the exhibition shows pictures, videos and figurines, and tells the story of the asian elephant's relation to man. There are exhibitions about things like white elephants, Ganesh, Alexander the Great's battle against war elephants as well the the elephants' history in Copenhagen Zoo and other zoos and circusses.

The second part is an interactive section about the elephant's evolutionary history and behaviour. Here are lots of models featuring the elephant's early ancestors as well as a real elephant skeleton (Coco, died 2002). There are models of elephants that you can touch to get a sense of how an elephant's trunk, ear, teeth etc. feel like. You can also try to give a model of an elephant different types of food to find out it's likes and dislikes (for instance, it will make a happy sound when you feed it leaves, but it will be angry if you feed it fish). It is possible to weigh yourself and compare your result to the weight of an elephant. You can also play a game where you are a ranger trying to protect the elephants. The final segment is a donation box where you can throw in 20 danish kroner (4.26 $) and support one of five elephant projects in the Surin province (Thailand). In return you get a small badge (I already have 7).

While the first part of the exhibiton is mostly suited for adults the second part is great for children to learn about elephants. Here are two pics from the exhibition (not that great though).



The elephants have lived a small, dark enclosure most of their lives. Chieng Mai lived in the old elephant house in 47 years (he turns 50 next year). This is a HUGE change for them and they are loving it! They have never experienced this kind of space before (well, maybe the three young ones from Thailand did. Not sure how they were kept?). The only "mental problem" with some of the females at the moment is that they have been used to free contact with the keepers all their lives. Now the zoo uses protected contact and some of the females really miss the daily contact with the keepers whom they have known for so long.

Yassa: Sorry, it seems I forgot your earlier question: No, the bull's outdoor enclosure is not quite finished, but almost. And yes, all three outdoor enclosures can be connected to each other. Both bulls are on display exhibit. At the moment Tonsak is using the females' indoor enclosure during the day to give both bulls more space until they can get outdoors.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

Look at those lawns and mature trees beyond the moat! Just imagine if they'd extended the outdoor space under the canopy with a little bit of earth/grass. Instead you have the bizarre sight of elephants appearing to be situated on a sandy beach.

The indoor space is fantastic and exactly where temperate zoos with elephants should be heading. Even the best and biggest summer paddocks won't make for a comfortable winter if a zoo holds it's animals in small stalls in cold weather.

But I disagree that the entire space is sufficient for a small group of elephants. Certainly 4,5,6 or more acres should be the acceptable minimum. No elephant at copenhagen can really move very far without encountering a barrier.

11-06-2008

Interesting to contrast the photos of the two elephants: the youngster Tonsak playing with the sand in a fantastic shot by Toddy, and then the much older Chieng Mai standing on a peeling, concrete floor. In the shot of the older elephant there is a hard floor, hard wall, metal posts, metal tips on each tusk, and a chain wrapped around one foot. Not exactly a warm image.

I love zoos but always feel as if certain species get shafted when it comes to exhibits. I have lost count of the number of bear grottos that I've walked past, with bored bruins pacing back and forth on concrete until the day they die. It's wonderful to see many of the new bear exhibits that incorporate grass, rocks, trees, etc into the habitat, but there are still numerous zoos with rows of cement grottos. I suppose that eventually all of those "pits" will be phased out of existence at every zoo.

The same goes for elephants, as an acre or so is far, far too small of a space for a small herd of elephants. At least at Copenhagen the indoor space is larger than it has been in the past at many other zoos, and there is a soft substrate replacing cold concrete floors. But why spend millions on an outdoor enclosure that is already past its due date? Somewhere between 15-17 North American zoos have shut down their elephant exhibits due to rising costs and the ethics of keeping such far-roaming mammals in tiny spaces. I bet that 80% of all new North American elephant enclosures are 2.5 acres or larger in size, with many now between 3 to 7 acres. So in Europe should the Copenhagen Zoo be applauded for having a fancy new outdoor exhibit that is less than an acre? I agree with both Yassa and Johnstoni and their assessments, even though the elephant house is a gorgeous building.

11-06-2008

johnstoni: Those lawns and mature trees beyond the moat are not but of the zoo, but of the public park "Frederiksberg Gardens". The zoo was already extended into this park when this house was built in the first place. The moat lies just beyond the original border of the zoo. The only reason they were allowed to do this was if the visitors of the oublic park would be able to see the elephants.

But I agree with you that they should have been able to extend much more into the park since this area of it isn't used for anything particular.

snowleopard: There are actually two huge piles of sand just to the left of the shot I took of Chieng Mai. The metal posts are the keepers' access to the indoor enclosures and the metal rings on his tusks are so they won't grow huge again. Last year, he had two huge tusks, but suddenly they just broke off, leaving him to endure some teeth surgery.

About the concrete floor: When the zoo decided that the elephants should have sand in their indoor paddocks, the floor in the males' dome had already been finished. So now the keepers drive in new sand for the males ever day but they can't cover all of the floor. The females have a thick layer of sand allways.

You should know that I agree with you both. While I think that the outdoor enclosure is adequate, I would have atempted to make it bigger. Fortunately such an extension can relatively easily be made, and hopefully the zoo will see that too some time in the near future. In the meantime here are some more pics:

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

Hi Toddy!

Great report!

How males and females enclosures join in if visitor space is in between?
What is this bricked hole in front of some pictures? Moat?
What is this smaller, green pool?

11-06-2008

Thanks Jurek7

I am asuming that the bricked hole you are referring to are the ones that can be seen at the bottom of these pics:




As you can see on the pic below, there is one of these "holes" in both the males' and females' enclosures, oposite each other. The floor of the these moats can be raised and thus connect the elephant's outdoor enclosures. The elephant's will cross the visitor pathway when this is done, and this will naturally be closed for visitors when that happens . The visitors still have access to the house from the other side though.

As you can see on the pic above, the females are to the right and the males to the left. The enclosures can be connected over the pathway.

The smaller green pool as a mudhole which contains different clay and minerals that are good for the elephants. They enjoy this part as much as the large moat itself.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

A little shade wouldn't have gone astray 'cos even their inside area has a glass roof and from the pictures it didn't look like there was any. But apart from the size i think it is a really nice exhibit and the glass domes don't take away from the landscape too much.


How many elephants do they plan on keeping in here?

11-06-2008

Toddy - I think in that respect they have got it right....if, as I suspect, the outdoor space becomes unacceptable to the public within a few years, at least they can extend it perhaps the other way back into the zoo.

Although free contact is extremely hazardous, in this situation I think it is a great shame that the females cannot be walked through the grounds before or after opening, as used to happen in London. It's so important, and I think puts even more pressure on them if they are in that space under protected contact only.

11-06-2008

PAT: I agree with you on the shade in the outdoor enclosure, The walls supporting the glass dome in the house however, is so tall that there will never be direct sun in the whole house at once.

There are no plans to expand the elephant herd further than it is now. The elephants living here will stay, plus potential offspring that will then be send to other zoos.

The bulls
Chieng Mai: Born 1959 in Thailand. Came to Copenhagen in 1962 as a gift to the royal family. One of the most succesfull breeding bulls in Europe, and father of Chang (Chester's old bull) and Irma (Blijdorp's matriarch).
Tonsak: Born 1998 in Thailand. Came to Copenhagen in 2001 as a gift to the royal family. He will succeed Chieng Mai when the time comes, as his genes are valuable in the EPP.
Ghandi: Born 2006 in Copenhagen. The youngest member of the herd, curently living with the females. His mother is Ida.

The cows
Inda: Born 1973. Came to Copenhagen in 1985 from Germany. She is the matriach of the herd, but has never showed any interest in breeding.
Ida: Born in 1970 in India. Came to Copenhagen as a baby in 1971. She is the breeding female. Since her first calf was a stillborn she has been extra carefull with her babies. She is without a doubt one of the best mothers in the elephant world. She is the mother of Chang (Chester's old bull) and Ghandi.
Kungrao: Born 1997 in Thailand. Came to Copenhagen in 2001 as a gift to the royal family. Along with the two other young elephants from Thailand, she will form the core of the future breeding group.
Surin: Born 1998 in Thailand. Came to Copenhagen in 2001 as a gift to the royal family. Along with the two other young elephants from Thailand, she will form the core of the future breeding group.

johnstoni: Don't worry, when I become the zoo-director, I will make it my top-priority to expand their enclosure .

I would have preffered that they kept using contact. We have never lost an elephant keeper in Copenhagen Zoo. Besides, the elephants have been used to free contact their whole lives. This is an enormous change for them.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

11-06-2008

Thanks for that Toddy and i like the little rewiew on each animal.