Just wondering if there is a book or collection of information that outline for example how high a tiger fence must be or how far a monkey island should be from the shore to prevent escapes or which monkeys would simply swim off the island? Or is it a case of researching each species individually?
WAZA - World Association of Zoos and Aquariums - Virtual Zoo map If you click on each animal on the 'virtual zoo' it gives information about that animal and as well as that a few guidelines as to how they should be kept
have you looked at it properly? The tiger pages says how high the fence should be (4m) and how much the overhang should be (1m at 45 degrees) etc, which is one of the things you mentioned. I don't mean to sound patronising at all but if you scroll down on each page it gives fairly detailed guidelines
It is an awesome website, and I am a huge fan. There is a wealth of information on many animals at zoos around the world.
To snowleopard Yes, very interesting and informative but I was appalled by some of the minimum recommendations for enclosure sizes. 300 square meters for bears?!
@Dan: you are correct in being shocked by the minimum enclosure requirements of many of the animal species on that site, and it seems as the square meters being quoted were set down in the 1930's...haha. Most zoos have gradually eased away from the shocking standards set by their predecessors, and I only wish that many nations would outline minimum habitat areas that are far larger than current standards.
The AZA also has guidelines, some of which are published. But they are available only to members (you have to be able to log in to their site)
Animal Welfare | NSW Department of Primary Industries I believe these are some of the best and toughest standard's in the world. . . I could be wrong. There is also a lot more involved then just meeting the standards when trying to obtain permission to exhibit these animals.
In all honesty, I have only taken a quick glance. But still - my "main obsession" being the size of zoo enclosures, I was yet again disappointed. Again 300 square meters for bears as well as for lions and tigers?!
These are absolute minimum standards. facilities are encouraged to make them as large as possible. Also in some enclosures climbing striuctures and other items can add to the available exhibit space. There are loads of other standards in place other than just the size of the enclosure that are in place to ensure animals get the most out of the available exhibit space.
Yeah, don´t get me wrong, Jarkari. I am sure that many of these standards are very good and well thought thru. But those minimum sizes still apalls me. THEY ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTS ME! I cannot believe that a bear or a tiger can live a good life confined to 300 square meters, whatever refined enrichment practices etc.
The minimum requirements are nothing but a joke, and it's amazing that in some nations decades have gone by without any changes to the various wildlife acts. Thankfully the vast majority of zoos have many enclosures that go above and beyond the puny limits that are set by law.
Just in case. I can remember only two zoos which keep lions and tigers in close to minimum areas (Antwerp and Amsterdam) and both plan to rebuild their exhibits.
The laws, I believe, are not meant to show what a good life or how animals should be enclosed...but more of a definition of humane. I hate to use this comparison, but in prisons, inmates are kept at minimal or above humane standards...these guidlines or rules are just that...any less is considered abuse. In the US, the USDA's Animal Welfare Act requires that an animal can stand up, turn around, and lie down...these are the legal minimums in the US for all animals.
Yes I think they are just minimum guidelines. Its not really what i was looking for I was more intereted in how high and how far a tiger can jump so for example if I were designing a tiger exhibit I would know how wide the moat should be or how far a monkey island should be from the viewers or can a raccoon jump or can mink climb a walled enclosure etc surely there are som eguide lines I know Hagenbeck did a lot of work with starving animals and meat on strings to work out jumping hights etc. it must be documented somewhere
Very interesting, if true, but a bit unpleasant, to put it mildly: "I know Hagenbeck did a lot of work with starving animals and meat on strings to work out jumping hights etc"
Well, all barriers are weakened when animals are in a heighten state of excitement (ie hunger, fear, etc.). This needs to be in mind when designing barriers.
If you look at the standards NSW StandardI posted you will find it does say how wide a moat should be, how deep it should be and if my memory is correct even the angles banks of moats should be at. This, I believe is also in the standards for Carnivores, everything from minimum hieghts of smooth surfaced walls for carnivorous marsupials to the thickness of wire to be used to safely contain the species.
