If I had my own zoo, I would build ten contrasting habitats:
- Hudson bay tundra,
- Namibian semidesert,
- Gabon rainforest,
- coral reef of Komodo, Indonesia,
- West Himalayan mountains,
- night hall,
- wetland of Assam,
- spiny forest of Madagascar,
- mulga bush of East Australia,
- mangroves of Sumatra.
For example
MADAGASCAR SPINY FOREST
Tropical hall which represents two adjacent ecoregions in
dry south-western Madagascar. This area is remarkable for its very strange specialised succulents, very high proportion of endemic species and very high speed of degradation.
Visitors enter the hall through
Madagascar hut.
They look at the
incredible landscape. On the sandy ground, otherwordly thorny plants grow. They are
didieras known as
"spiny octopus trees", bulbous-trunked pachypodiums and giant aloes. At the distance, giant baobabs grow. Rusty rocks frame the view.
Small plants immediately adjacent to visitors path are authentic, but the big mature plants at distance are models. Small hillocks and gullies ensure that visitors don't see each other, but the exhibit retains semi-open character. Fence topped by electric wire is hidden between plant trunks and rocks, so birds and reptiles have breeding area inaccessible for lemurs.
First inhabitants are
birds, fruit bats, lizards, chameleons, tortoises and
giant aldabran tortoises. They are models of extinct madagascan tortoises. Model
giant egg of extinct elephantbird is buried in the sand near the path.
Visitors pass a waterhole framed by rocks. This is hunting place for
ibis, turtles and
ducks. It is also part of dividing barrier. Then visitors enter a cave. They emerge between
ring-tailed and red-fronted lemurs. Cute
lemurs roaming free are the biggest attraction of the hall. There is a themed
cafe nearby.
Here is another landscape -
maze of sharp, triangular limestone outcrops called "tsingy" or "stone forest". Here vsitors encounter a group of free-roaming
crowned lemurs.
Visitors path enters then a gorge cut between rocks. This part is separated by overhead mesh. They go past
tree boas on their tree and
ring-tailed mongooses in moat-type exhibits. Then they go into the darkness and see a small vertical cave illuminated by light falling from above. This is replica of
natural trap with bones of extinct giant lemur and pygmy hippo.
Then they pass by several glass-fronted exhibits realised as seen through openings in the rock. One has
fossa. Another
narrow-striped mongoose. The last playful
diademed sifakas.
Then they enter
education hall with some
models of extinct animals and terrariums for
ground boas, frogs etc.
Summer
outdoor enclosures are large
walk-thru island for lemurs, meshed enclosure for mongooses and large fossa enclosure separated by electric-topped fence. Many trees and branches give fossas climbing opportunities.
Animal list:
Reptiles and amphibians:
tomato frog, golden mantella, radiated tortoise, ploughshare tortoise, aldabran giant tortoise, spider tortoise, flat-tailed tortoise, madagascan water turtle, standing's day gecko, girdled lizard, three-lined girdled lizard, chameleon - two species, madagascan iguana, malagasy tree boa, malagasy ground boa.
Birds:
malagasy pond heron, malagasy sacred ibis, crested ibis, meller's duck, malagasy teal, madagascan partridge, harlequin quail, madagascan turtle dove, pink pigeon, madagascar blue pigeon, green pigeon, namarqua dove, giant coua, crested coua, red-capped coua, black parrot, vasa parrot, grey-headed lovebird, cuckoo-roller, long-tailed ground roller, madagascan white-eye, madagascan paradise flycatcher, malagasy drongo, sicklebill vanga, red fody.
Mammals:
livingstone's fruit bat, rodriguez fruit bat, ring-tailed lemur, red-fronted lemur, crowned lemur, diademed sifaka, small-toothed mongoose, ring-tailed mongoose, fossa.
***
BTW - If somebody wants to build real exhibit on this idea - contact me!