Toronto Zoo If You Bought Toronto Zoo...

Sunny Sahara
The Sunny Sahara is the home to the zoo’s African desert dwellers. Not all animals a specifically from the Sahara but they all have adaptations that allow them to live in Africa’s harshest environments.

Up first on your journey into the desert will be the large mixed field exhibit that sits immediately north of the bull elephants desert themed exhibit. It will be home to Addax, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Gemsbok, Addra Gazelles, Slender Horned Gazelles, Dromedary Camels, Somali Wild Asses, Nubian Bustards and Ostriches. All of the herd animals will for convenience sake be held in groupings with a single male and 5-10 females plus their most recent young. The males will be swapped out every two years for one of the males in the breeding centres bachelor herds. This will provide maximum genetic diversity. Addaxes, oryxes, asses, gazelles ,and secretary birds will be breed in the breeding center as well. The birds will be in different groupings. The bustards will be kept as a breeding pair plus young while the ostriches will be young ostriches from either the red necks or generic ostriches who need to be pulled from their parents while awaiting new homes. Im sure surplus animals will occur.

The exhibit is large and several of the camels will be out at once working the camel ride so everyone should have space. If the elephants are in their scrub yard, the desert yard could be opened up to provide more space. Invisible barriers would separate the exhibits to create that illusion of a single space. The exhibit will be a sand filled exhibit with some grassy patches for grazing. They will get a couple of big old trees just to provide shade. There will be rocks, bushes, and logs to help create hiding spots for calves. To keep with the idea that this is a desert area no water will be visible and a dry moat will keep the animals back from the barrier. Instead watering stations will be hidden behind big rocks so the animals can find them but guests won't see them.

In the northwest corner of the exhibit there will be a small exhibit (well small by the savanna’s standards) for the Secretary Birds. There will be a breeding pair plus their most recent young. Keepers will have to monitor the nest carefully as they do practice of fratricide. Two chicks can be left in the nest and be carefully monitored with plans to pull one if its being bullied or starved. If a third egg is laid it must be removed for hand rearing as third chicks almost always die of starvation. Now the secretary bird isn’t really a desert animal. It lives in the savanna and scrub. I would have put it in the elephants scrub exhibit but I dont want to have to make the holding and everything bull proof. It will work here. They will have a very open exhibit with long grasses, bushes, rocks and logs. There will be a nesting platform for them in a fake tree. The platform will have a cam for keeper convenience. Since they will spend up to 6 months building nests there will be tons of sticks, fur, mud, and hoofstock poop to help them construct the nest which will be removed very time a clutch is reared to encourage them to repeat the behaviour and space out clutches. If a lure like the cheetahs lure would work I would like to try an employ that here too. They are smart birds and since I cant have them naturally hunting this could provide a good alternative. They will have a small barn to the rear and unfortunately will be off display all winter.

In the northeast corner of the exhibit there will be a smaller rocky exhibit that will be home to Klipspringer, Guenther’s Dik Dik and Rock Hyrax. The klipspringer and dik diks will live in single pairs with the most recent young. I would like more but that will just lead to stress. The hyrax will provide the additional liveliness the exhibit needs. A single adult male will watch over 6 females and whatever young we allow to be born. It won't need to be a massive exhibit given the nature of the animals included. Just big enough to house everyone happily. Guests will be able to view the animals through glass so that they can be up close to them. Thats important with such small animals. Due to digging abilities the base will be concrete. The majority of the floor will be dirt with some sand over top just to give the look. If they tunnel I don't want loose sand collapsing and killing anyone. Tunnels will be provided to discourage digging. The tunnels will all lead inside so that babies will hopefully be born inside where keepers can access them. In the center of the exhibit there will be a kopje with tons of climbing and hiding opportunities all over the place. It will give everyone a chance to do what they normally would. A small shallow pool will be close to the visitor's windows to draw them all closer from time to time.

While none of the animals located in the Sunny Sahara are getting a keeper talk I would like to see a klipspringer and a couple of hyrax trained as outreach animals. They have some unique things about them guests would really enjoy. Other zoos use them so I know they have the potential to be trained.

The barn which will be to the east will house all of the desert animals but won't be open to the public. I think enough animals could be out part of the winter to not really make it necessary.

This brings you to the end of Sunny Sahara. Yep pretty short section but still a sizable amount of space. You could head east to Australia but to the north sits the African desert pavilion and still not wanting to miss a thing thats where you head next.

 

Now for your final stop in Africa.

Desert Dwellers
Desert Dwellers is the home of the the predators and smaller desert animals. This pavilion will be very different then most of the others. The focus in it won't be on creating a light airy space. Instead since the vast majority of the animals held here are nocturnal the majority of the pavilion will be a night house. A single large viewing room will be brightly lit but the rest will need a reversed day to ensure the animals are at their most active for guests. Upon entering the pavilion across cross from the klipspringer exhibit you will be surrounded by darkness.

Turning to the left there will be several small raised tanks which will be designed to appear as though they are a single exhibit will be the home to Desert Hedgehogs. Well desert hedgehogs would be ideal but any African hedgehog or cross bred rescued exotic will do. Each exhibit will hold either a single male or a pair of females who get along. What the zoo has will depend on what is available through the amnesty. No breeding will happen so that we can provide a good home to as many rescues as possible. The exhibits will be dressed to appear to be the same space. Various grasses, rocks and a big log running through all of the exhibits. The ground will be a mix of woodchip and sand. Under the exhibit will be tunnels. A glass viewing panel will let guest see into the tunnels.

The hedgehogs northern neighbour will be Jerboas in a large exhibit. Jerboas are solitary most of the time but they can be social so I would like to try a single sexed group of a couple jerboas. If that doesn't work I would do several small exhibits with single animals. Although now thinking about it, perhaps the hedgehogs and jerboas could be mixed. That would be great because the exhibits will be identical. At the very least I suppose keepers could rotate all of the animals around the exhibits.

Across the hallway is the first predator exhibit, Fennec Foxes. There will be a breeding pair plus their two most recent litters. By keeping the older litter they can, if their parents don't reject them first, at least learn how to rear pups which will hopefully make them successful parents themselves down the line. The foxes will be kept behind glass. It would be nice to raise their exhibit up a two feet so that a tunnel can run along the glass and people can see into their tunnels. A proper nesting tunnel would be leading to off exhibit housing so keepers can control things but other tunnels would let them get away from each other if necessary. All of the tunnels would be just under the sand and keepers could access the tunnels through trap doors. The rest of the exhibit flooring would be sand of varying depths. There will be tons of rocks, caves, logs (both solid and hollow) and tree stumps for them to play around, hid in and climb. Since the foxes are small these things can be smaller than with other species and that means keepers can rearrange things to stimulate the foxes more often. The back and side walls will be rock work with crevices and caves in them to make it more interesting for the foxes. While the foxes will be kept in a nocturnal exhibit inside they will also have access to an outdoor exhibit. The outdoor exhibit will be surrounded by glass. The exhibit will be dressed the same as the indoor one but there will be no viewable tunnels. There will be a couple of trees to provide shade. There wouldn't be a webcam or keeper talk but I would love to see some of the young made into educational animals.

Next to the foxes will be the Sand Cats. While the foxes get one big exhibit the sand cats will have to have two smaller exhibits because the male and female lead solitary lives. There will be a male and female plus their most recent young. In the breeding center there will be up to ten other pairs. While they are not endangered yet they are one of the species that reproductive procedures are often tested on to develop techniques for other cat species. With so many other cats at the zoo it's critical we be at the forefront of reproductive technology. Instead of going with a really sandy exhibits they will both be rocky exhibits. On the ground there will be a light sand on the ground but the rest of the exhibit will have tons of rockwork on the walls and rock formations on the exhibit. The rock formations will have lots of ledges, crevices, and caves for the sand cats to explore. There will be two tunnels both leading back to holding. During the summer they will have access to the outdoor exhibit meaning the one staying inside that day can explore both indoor exhibits. They will also be able to rotate exhibits with the foxes when there are less of them. The outdoor exhibit will look a lot like the indoor ones with a couple of well maintained trees providing shade. At anytime the could be rotated with the foxes just to spice up both species days.

Continuing along the corridor there will be a door to the day room to the west but who wants to miss out on the rest of the animals on this side. Along the western wall of will be reptile terrariums. If they work out of husbandry purposed the exhibits will be visible from both sides of the wall meaning you could view them form a nocturnal perspective or the day room. For some species That might mean actually having two terrariums because the males and females will need to be separated. The snakes will include Egg Eating Snakes, Sand Boas, and Horned Vipers. There is a possibility of more if species through amnesties but keepers have the right to add or reject poisonous species. I would consider African Rock Pythons too but they have a nasty temper so keepers can choose. I won't risk keepers lives just to keep cool species. Their exhibits will feature sand floors, light grass, rocks, logs, branches, small pools for cooling off and heat lamps. There will also be a number of lizard exhibits similarly decorated. One exhibit will feature Rainbow Agamas, Kenyan Rock Agamas, Desert Agamas. Another will have Sand Geckos and Giant Ground Geckos. In independent exhibits there will be African Chameleons, Namaqua Chameleons, Long Fringe-fingered Lizard and Saharan Spiny-tailed Lizards.

At the end of the hall would be the northern exit but you notice an alcove to the east just before the exit. Here is actually several species. Lining the northern and southern walls of this area will be the bugs. In a variety of tanks featuring sand, rocks and logs will be Giant African Millipedes, Dung Beetles, Scarab Beetles, Emerald Beetles, Tailless Whip Scorpions, Death Stalker Scorpions, Flat Rock Scorpions, African Cave Crickets, and Baboon Spiders. I would like to add moths and butterflies but I was having trouble finding any which Im sure is just a poor search on my part. I turn that area over to the experts.

Continuing to the east there would be a good sized Aardvark exhibit. It will be home to a breeding pair of aardvarks and their most recent cub. Their exhibit would jut out beside the sand cats outdoor exhibit. This will give them tons of indoor space. Since aardvarks are normally solitary the exhibit will feature just one of the adults at a time. In the winter they will just have to rotate exhibit time but in the summer while the zoo’s meerkats are outside the aardvark could get some exhibit time there. Meerkats and aardvarks can get along so during the winter if keepers want they can try them together. Its also possible to give them outside time in the sand cat, fox or meerkat outdoor exhibits. Their normal exhibit will be set in a rocky area with rock walls and at least one cave. The ground will be a mix of sand and dirt allowing them to dig their own tunnels to keep them in shape. Keepers will break up the tunnels when necessary to ensure they are getting lots of stimulation from digging. In two or three places in the exhibit there will be termite mounds. It would be cool if the mounds were destroy-able so they can forage somewhat naturally (I don't want termites on the loose so its not a real termite mound). If the mound can't be a replaceable destroy-able one then several concrete ones will be employed. There will also be a trees or two, some grass and other plants, logs, ect. There will be a man made burrow or two leading back to rear holdings to encourage a mother to give birth behind scenes but if it happens on exhibit so be it. The male would just have to exhibit share with someone else for a little. The male will also be trained for outreach to help fill his days while the female is rearing the cub.

Not wanting to miss the rest of the pavilion you will head off to the day room. This room will be bright and spacious. I would like to see a dome of some sort thats all glass as the roof. It would let the light stream in year round and help to heat the pavilion like a greenhouse. A cool feature to the day room will be elevated runaways for the mongooses and meerkats. About nine feet up (mostly so people can't reach them. There will be enclosed tunnels running around the room. For guests the animals will look like they are running along ledges in the rock face. In reality they are exercise runs and shifting shoots. It allows keepers to put the mongooses and meerkats in each others exhibits and also allows the dwarf mongooses who don't have access to an outdoor exhibit of their own to move across the width of the pavilion to access the outside world. It will be big enough for them to stand and multiple animals to bypass each other. If it works for the animals it opens up so many more options.

Along the southern wall will be a medium exhibit housing a pack of dwarf Dwarf Mongooses and a pair of Eastern Yellow Billed Hornbills. There will be a dominant pair of mongooses and their young. Males will stay with the group until their father ousts them. Females will be allowed to stay on until they are ousted or are needed elsewhere. The young males could form a second bachelor group if necessary until they are rehomed. The group would probably consist of about 10 animals. The hornbills will simply be a non breeding pair. They are being included because in the wild the mongooses and the hornbills have a special mutualistic relationship that I would like to see replicated in the exhibit. Unfortunately this means that the exhibit will have glass walls to a certain height then mesh higher up for the birds to fly if they wish. I would have preferred lower walls. Keeper areas will be in the back of the exhibit but they won't need the height the building will probably end up being. At 8 feet the southern wall of the exhibit will be glass and integrated with the rest of the roof. This will let in even more light and give the birds a cliff area where they could perch and nests without the mongooses being able to get at the nest. Below the walls will help create that rocky area feel. On the ground there will be sand and wood chip which will prevent the mongooses from tunneling themselves. Man made tunnels will be provided and inside of them will be multiple nest boxes, escape hatches, and a cams for keepers. The cams will just be for supervision of breeding and social interactions. Above ground there will be a couple of trees for the hornbills to perch in, bushes, rock plies, log piles and tree stumps for the mongooses to climb on and at the center of the exhibit a good size termite mound with a cavity in it for the mongooses to nest if like they naturally would.

Across the pathway to the north would be the main showcase exhibit of the pavilion as far as I’m concerned. In a massive exhibit guests will find Meerkats, African Crested Porcupines, Banded Mongoose, African Spurred Tortoise, Egyptian Tortoises, and Radiated Tortoises. The meerkats will live in a mob consisting of a dominant breeding pair, the alpha males brothers, and then any young born and not yet rejected. That could mean 5 to 10 meerkats. Breeding wouldn't be happening all of the time because I don't need tons of meerkats. Just enough to make the exhibit full. Some of the young, a brother group likely, would be trained to be outreach animals. The porcupines will be an adult pair (breeding, nonbreeding I don't care) or non breeding sibling set. The mongooses will live in a groups with 6 adults (the male female ratio doesn't matter, compatibility does) and then any pups born. A single female will be allowed to breed at at time to prevent more babies than adults to care for them. When tit comes to the tortoises the zoo will have a couple of each plus more in the breeding center if needed by the AZA.

The exhibit will be huge, the biggest in here. They will have glass walls about 5 feet surrounding it on three sides. The back wall will feature a rock formation with tons of little ledges, crevices and caves for the mongooses and meerkats. Down near the bottom of the rock pile will be a couple of big caves for the porcupines. There will be several more rocky piles with hiding places and caves. There will be tree stumps, logs, big bushes, and large branches all over the exhibit. They will provide other look out points. A large termite mound will also be in the exhibit to provide the mongooses a natural nesting site. With bigger animals in the exhibit the meerkats and mongooses cannot be allowed to tunnel on their own. Sand will be all over the exhibit with woodchip piles around for foraging in. Man made tunnels will be built. There will be smaller tunnels exclusively for the mongooses and meerkats to use…. maybe smaller tortoises… and larger ones intended for porcupine use. There will be rotting logs for insect foraging and hollowed out logs for hiding and climbing. To help the tortoises there will be several heat lamps and a couple small shallow pools to cool off in. Temperature adjusted rocks will also be placed around to help them regulate their temperatures. They will have access to an outdoor exhibit as well. The outdoor exhibit will be very similar to their indoor. The tortoises will be kept inside. And to prevent digging in this exhibit they will have pebbles with the sand. Providing shade in the exhibit will be two or three small trees. The exhibit will be completely enclosed in mesh to keep the meerkats and mongooses safe from predatory birds who might want to snack on them. Speaking of eating them… In both the indoor and outdoor exhibits I would like to have predator silhouettes that could be employed to force natural behaviours. Above head would be mini zip lines where bird silhouettes could fly overhead keeping the sentry on guard above. Along the sides of the exhibits could be tracks where jackals can run by. It would also be interesting to see if fake puff adders or cape cobras can be placed in the exhibit from time to time to get the meerkats to mob the snake. Its about provoking natural behaviours and keeping the meerkats and mongooses on their toes. Keepers could control all of those things.

Along the day rooms western wall there will be a big touch screen. The touch screen could play videos about the desert but I have a feeling most people will like to watch Meerkat TV. Live feeds will play on the screens from several cameras in the exhibits and underground in the tunnels. Guests can pick which camera to watch and they could follow the meerkats around their exhibit. It would give cool insights into the lives of the exhibits inhabitants and ensures that they will be visible all of the time.

Heading to the west you will leave the world of sunlight and enter the darkness again. No real purpose for breaking up the nocturnal animals. I kind of laid out the pavilion then thought about adding nocturnal exhibits and this is how the pavilion worked out.

Heading south first along the western wall you will find the zoos colony of Naked Mole Rats. I cant even guess how big the colony will be. Considering the very long lives they can live something will have to be done to regulate breeding. Only so many are needed to establish new colonies and 1-28 babies could be born every 80 days. Perhaps the dominant breeding males will need to be neutered. I dont know. What I do know is their exhibit will be pretty unique. The bulk of the exhibit will be clear plastic boxes and pipes This would be the basis of the colony’s tunnels. From behind glass guests could watch natural behaviours like food storage, cleaning and digging, using latrines, nursery care, ect. This would give an overview of their lives. The keepers will have a duplicate of the exhibit so they can easily switch out pieces as necessary to clean. Making the space more interesting though will be cut outs from the rock wall where guests will get other slices of the exhibit to investigate. The small windows will either be tunnels, or various rooms. This will provide the naked mole rats with more space but more importantly these areas can look more like natural tunnels giving a better sneak peak inside their lives. By offering the big picture in the main space and sneak peaks in other spots guests will get a better experience.

Across the hall from the mole rats will be the zoo’s Striped Hyenas in a big indoor exhibit with access to an equally big outdoor exhibit. The zoo will keep either a pair or sibling set. Striped Hyenas are less common in zoos than the Spotted Hyenas so I don't know what the demand would be for cubs. Breeding would be nice on occasion but a sibling set is just as good. Like many of my other predators they will be viewed from behind glass both inside and out. Their exhibit will feature a big sandy exhibit with rock walls and rock formations for the hyenas to climb on and rest under. In terms of plantings there would be long wispy grasses in clumps, a couple of bushes and a small tree. Just enough to make things a little greener but not so much as to ruin the desert effect. There will be some logs laying around with one or two with a big hollow center offering another spot to hide or rest. Branches will be strewn about because they like to chew. They will be given animal skins and hoofstock poop to help encourage activity. Big man made tunnels will run under the flooring and lead back to rear quarters. Outside they will enjoy similar furnishings but the exhibit will have a little more of a scrub feel. They will have a fair bit of grass in the yard with dirt patches and wood chip. There will be bushes and a couple of nice big trees to provide shade. A cave will provide another retreat from the sun while a small pool will give them a chance to cool off or just play. Due to the fact they enjoy digging the bottom of the exhibit will have to be concrete or mesh.

North of the hyenas will be the zoo’s Aardwolves. Now the AZA has recommended they be phased out and its nearly complete so getting a breeding pair might not be wise. What do I do with offspring who are not wanted? However what I get will depend on the compatibility of the animals I import. A sibling set would be ideal but a breeding pair would be brought in. The breeding pair would be put on contraceptives to prevent unwanted cubs but have the potential to breed should another zoo ask for cubs. I’m not opposed to breeding. I just don’t want cubs unless homes for them are already agreed upon before we even think of taking the female off birth control. I want them despite the phase out because they are very interesting creatures. Their exhibit will be slightly smaller then the hyenas simply because they are smaller animals allowing the hyenas to have a little more space. Their exhibits both in and out will be almost identical in furnishings to the hyenas. The differences will be small but very much needed by the aardwolves because they have a very different diet and lifestyle. Their exhibits will be a little more lush then the hyenas because they are more of a scrub land and savanna animal than the desert. It just worked out better to have them in with the desert animals so it could be in a nocturnal holding area. They will have far more tunnels running under their exhibit because they like to have lots of dens. Another added feature to the exhibit will be a number of termite mounds. Being their main food source they will be able to forage more if they have the termite mounds. Naturally not live termites but it will be a good place to stick food. A termite mound will be up against the glass so that the aardwolves are more likely to come right up to guests. This will allow guests to get a better idea of what an aardwolf eats. Outside they would have an exhibit which is largely the same with a pool and some trees.

That brings us to the end of the pavilion. You will head outside via the northwest door by the aardwolves. Heading east you will pass by the meerkat outdoor exhibit and baboon exhibit stopping briefly at a look out tower. It will be a rustic wooden tower. You would climb a set of stairs to reach the observation deck which would provide you with impressive views of the Africa and possibly some of Australia. Rounding the pavilion and heading south you will pass by the sand cat and fennec fox outdoor exhibits and then by the Sahara barn before turning east yet again and arriving in Australia.

Australian installments will come at as slightly slower pace. I just realized I have to totally redesign because I didnt take nocturnal needs into account...

 

Great plans! It seems like your deserts section includes a good selection of popular and unique animals.

I have been very busy with school work the past week so I haven't had much time to work on my Great Lakes area. The species list is almost done. I just need a couple more kinds of fish and one or two reptiles/amphibians. I've also been doing a lot of thinking about my other zoo regions, and I am extremely excited for you to see some of the other ideas that I've come up with!

 

As always Im glad you liked my plans. I really liked my elevated runway for the meerkats and mongooses. Thought that was a unique feature.

Feel free to poach some species from my wetland area. I can say with certainty what I picked was based off of the Ontario governments species at risk site. Helped to add a couple fish but mostly the reptiles and amphibians. I think I took almost all of the animals there. I can send you my list for that area so you dont have to go back and find everything if you would like.

I figured once you got back to school you would be slowed down even more. School as always should come first.

Im halfway through my redesigned pavilion. Once thats done I will start Australia. It will still be slow but I dont think I have to redesign the main pavilion (thankfully I too nocturnal animals into account) so it should go quickly. Now that I have looked at the lists again I know there will be a lot of species you will love Arcticwolf.

 

I agree that your meerkat and mongoose runway idea was very unique and would be very interesting to see in real life.

I should almost be ready to start typing up my next section. I'm hoping that this weekend I'll be able to find some time to work on it.

I can't wait to see how your Australian area turns out.

 

I like to think of my Australian section as fantasy land because to get anything not already in North America would be pure fantasy the why the Australians deal with the export of their wildlife.

 

Australia
When considering what to do in Australia their wildlife laws posed a problem. There are so many animals that they won't allow out of the country that I had really limited selection if I chose to be realistic about what I could get. That didn't sound like much fun to me. If I'm going to invest in the best zoo in the world how could I have a limited Australian selection? So unlike all of the other areas where I tried to be reasonable this time I'm going to go nuts and get whatever I want. Australia will be my fantasy land.

Pretending its possible I would import almost everything in this area in order to bring in fresh genetics. To get cool species I would be willing to buy or rent them. If my zoo is the only zoo in North America that can house certain species and all offspring need to be returned so be it. Not a bad option to be the only place in North America where you can see certain species. However if I can wrangle a deal to bring in whole founder populations of various species I would love to do that too. I would own them all but the other zoo would be given breeding groups on loan. Its more about conservation then being able to brag about the unique species in the collection but bragging is cool too.

Naturally the section will feature the animals of Australia, particularly the outback and eucalyptus forests, Tasmania but also surrounding islands like New Guinea and New Zealand. The animals will be divided up between several big outdoor exhibits and two pavilions. This area is a little more chopped up because the animals need to be kept indoors all winter, so bare with me.

Wandering Walkabout
Now that you have arrived in Australia the first area you will encounter is Wandering Walkabout. It is the outdoor exhibits for the animals of the outback. As you enter the area there will be hill in the pathway to allow the animals to shift from their homes in the pavilion to the outdoor space.

The first of the two exhibits here… yes just two… is the walkthrough exhibit featuring Red Kangaroos, Western Grey Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos, Agile Wallabies, Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies and Emus. It’s a big space so I would like to see about 10 breeding animals of each species plus young, with the exception of the Emus. Ideally the zoo will be able larger group of emus like they do on emu farms but if keepers think its better to have less then that is what will be done.

Upon entering the exhibit on its north western side guest will walk along a red concrete pathway, textured to look like dirt, which will loop through the exhibit to the very back and then winding back to the north east corner. Ideally guests will stay on my pathway and will head the signs telling them to do so as well as signs forbidding them from touching the animals. If people refuse to obey then a low rope barrier will be installed so the animals still have freedom of movement but guests will have to make the conscious decision to disobey the rules. Security cams will be installed to cover the exhibit to ensure compliance. Its important people obey the rules when they are able to be in the exhibit with the animals. Its a privilege not a right for guests to enter and anyone who doesn't want to stay on the clearly marked path will be asked to leave the zoo.

Now to the exhibit design itself. The entire exhibit will have grass. There will be dirt and sand patches here and there for resting or dusting in. I could make it more realistic and do all sand but it will let everyone graze like they naturally would do. A couple of large trees will be planted to provide shade while bushes will give a little cover. Logs and rocks will be strewn about as well to give cover. A couple of big rock structures will provide shade and cover from the rain. An interesting feature will be a shallow pond up close to the front of the exhibit. Hopefully this will pull everyone closer to the main pathway so guests who dont want to go in will still get to see them well. I think a keeper talk in here would work. They will hold the talk towards the back of the exhibit where they can also cover the inhabitants of the rear exhibit. Inside the pavilion the emus, roos, wallabies and wallaroos will have a massive exhibit but more on that when you head inside.

Behind the kangaroo’s walk through exhibit there will be the Dingo exhibit. The zoo will house a breeding pair and their two most recent litters. The dingos the zoo get will need to be checked to make sure they are pure blooded dingos. The exhibit will only be viewable by walking through the walkabout. A product of me running out of space but I think it will work well. Dingos are the primary predator of all of the walkthrough exhibits species… well that isn’t an introduced species that is. Being able to view them as part of the same exhibit space would be idea. Their exhibit will have invisible fencing if possible, if not then glass will have to do. During the winter when the walkabout is closed on good days the dingos will be given full run of the kangaroo exhibit. They will probably do ok outside in the winter like other big predators. Their barn will be in the back and off exhibit. The exhibit will feature a mostly dirt filled exhibit with small tall grassy patches with a few shade trees and bushes. There will be logs and rocks providing visual barriers if conflicts break out. Fallen branches will give a little decoration and chewing objects. In the center of the exhibit will be a rock formation. Not too tall but will various steps the dingos can climb and rest upon to get a better view of their neighbours. There will be caves under the rocks to provide an escape from the sun and a place for pups to sleep. Underground there will be a couple of tunnels leading to the barn. A lure might do well in the exhibit too to add a little life to the exhibit and fun for the dingos.

Shot section I know but I figured most things will need to be in a climate controlled pavilion.

 

That's a good start to your Australian area. I think it's ok for you to have one section with lots of animals that would be almost impossible to have in captivity. So far, I like how you have a nice mix of kangaroo, wallaby and wallaroo species. I have the next two sections of my North American Pavilion done and will be posting them in the next few minutes.

 

North American Pavilion Part 2: Great Lakes and the Conservation Area

The Great Lakes section in the North American Pavilion would cover the area that is now occupied by the primate exhibits (indoor and outdoor), the prehensile tailed porcupine exhibit and the aquariums home to species such as the giant Pacific octopus, river stingrays and piranhas. The golden frog and other amphibian exhibits would additionally be home to Great Lakes species, although they would also connect to the next section of the pavilion too.

First, visitors would enter the old primate loop, which would include the American beaver and northern river otter enclosures. Each species would have outdoor exhibits that would feature large pools with underwater viewing. The exhibits would include land areas with tall trees, grass, dirt, rocks and bushes. Their pools would also have some rocks and logs in them. Largemouth bass, brook trout and bluegill sunfish would be allowed to live in the beaver’s pool during the warmer months of the year. A special feature of the beaver exhibit would be a lodge area that would have a glass window in it for visitors to see the beavers when they’re not in their main exhibit. The otters would have a separate indoor enclosure that would mostly be comprised of a rocky land area with a medium sized pool.

After exiting the beaver and otter loop, visitors would be in the reptile, amphibian and fish area. Common snapping turtles and Midland painted turtles would be mixed in a fairly large enclosure that would have lots of water to swim in and a small land area covered with dirt, logs and rocks. Next would be two aquariums for Great Lakes fish. The first aquarium would be the larger one and would be home to species like smallmouth bass, rock bass, black crappies, pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow perch and white suckers. Smaller fish, including creek chubs and golden shiners would live in the next aquarium. Both aquariums would have rocky floors and a few logs and possibly other water plants on the ground. A nearby exhibit would be home to northern leopard frogs, and eastern massasauga rattlesnakes would inhabit the enclosure next to them. Both exhibits would have dirt floors with rocks, logs and small plants in them.

The final part of the Great Lakes section would also be connected to the Conservation Area, which is the next section of the pavilion. It would be home to fish species that the zoo trying to save in the wild through captive breeding programs. The first aquarium would be the largest and would be home to Atlantic salmon. Like the other aquariums in the Great Lakes section, its floor would be covered with rocks and there may also be a few aquatic plants in it. The next two aquariums would have redside dace and American eels. Both would be similar to the salmon aquarium, but the eels would have more large rocks in theirs’ so they could hide in the crevices if they want to. The next exhibits visitors would see would be home to other endangered species from different parts of North America.

In addition to the Great Lakes exhibits for salmon, eels and redside dace, the Conservation Area would take up the space that now has exhibits for prairie dogs, black footed ferrets, river otters (indoors) and the amphibian conservation centre. All of the animals here would be part of the zoo’s breeding programs, with large populations of each species behind the scenes. Only a few of each type of animal would actually be on exhibit. This area would have lots of signs with information about the work that the zoo is doing to save these animals in the wild.

The first exhibit in this section would be for black-footed ferrets. Their exhibit would have the lights turned off, because in the wild, black-footed ferrets are nocturnal. The exhibit would include large rocks, small plants and a mostly sandy floor. There would also be a small burrow section (the current black footed ferret exhibit) that would include a window for visitors to see in.

Vancouver Island marmots would live in the next enclosure, which would have a mostly rocky ground area with a few small plants and dirt. Like the ferrets, they would also have a burrow area that visitors would be allowed to look into.

The final two exhibits in the Conservation Area would be home to very rare amphibians. The first exhibit would have Wyoming toads, which are extinct in the wild. This exhibit would have a large pool and a land area with grass, dirt and rocks. Axolotls would live in the next exhibit, which would be fully covered in water, with rocks and small logs on the bottom. Visitors would next enter the Southern Swamps section.

 

Sorry about the delay in commenting on your section. I like how you were clever and came up with a conservation area to house stock that didnt fit in any of your other sections. Great idea to group them together and promote your breeding programs that are actually seeing animals returned to the wild. I look forward to the swamp.

 

Tasmanian Trails
A brief interruption in the outback is necessary if your going to avoid a ton of back tracking. You will continue on your journey eastward avoiding the main Australian pavilion to the north. Instead you will head into the slightly smaller Tasmanian Trails pavilion to the south.

So whats in Tasmanian Trails? It will be the home to a wide variety of animals which can be found on the island of Tasmania, obviously. Granted most of the animals can be found on the mainland. I simply wanted a place for two featured animals where if privacy is needed for breeding purposes the zoo can close off the areas without affecting access to a whole pavilion. Plus for the most part this pavilion will be nocturnal. Like my other pavilions it will be filled with native plant species inside the building, sprinklers will give the animals some nice rainfall, and a Tasmanian soundtrack will play on speakers.

As you pass by the front the building you will see the several outdoor exhibits which will display animals through the summer. The first of which will be a larger outdoor aviary. I would like the aviary to actually have huge glass sliding panels which will slide and lock into place in the winter and at night so that the birds are actually snug and secure in the building. It would be a unique little feature for this aviary if its possible. The birds will get nice outside time while being afforded the warmth and safety they also need. If this isnt possible some inside space will need to be converted for them. What lives in this aviary you ask? A variety of birds many of which are considered at risk in Tasmania including, Green Rosella, Dusky Robin, Yellow Throated Honeyeater, Black Throated Honeyeater, Strong Billed Honeyeater, Superb Fairy Wren, Orange-Billed Parrot, Swift Parrot, Cape Barren Goose, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Shoveller, and Little Pied Cormorant. We will be running a breeding facility for all of the at risk species should Tasmania wish us to. The exhibit will be lush but unfortunately if I build the indoor/outdoor type exhibit I want it won't be done with native plants. Again my fear of introducing an invasive species. If there needs to be a separate indoor exhibit then it will be planted with native species. There will be a variety of trees, ferns, lush grasses, flowers, fallen branches, logs, tree stumps, fake trees with nesting cavities, rocks,and a nice deep pond for the waterfowl. I wanted a walk through exhibit initially but if its going to be open to the outside world I don't want anyone escaping.

At this point there is a pathway leading into the pavilion. Two more outdoor exhibits lay to the east and they will house the animal you couldn't do a Tasmanian pavilion without, the Tasmanian Devil. An additional two exhibits would be inside along the pavilions eastern wall. Naturally I do plan on a lot of breeding. The pavilion will house at least two males and two females, plus the most recent young. It all depends on the personalities of the devils. Ideally two or three will be kept together except when joeys enter the picture but if an animal prefers isolation that will be provided to them. In the summer all four exhibits will have devils. In the winter two groups will be rotated out to the breeding center (most likely males). In the breeding center I will have as many more imported devils as I can get my hands on. My goal would be to establish a self sustaining North American population free of the facial tumor that is threatening their survival in the wild. Yes the Aussies are building a safeguard population but I think it would be wise to have reserve populations in North America and Europe too just in case. The more insurance the better for such an iconic animal. I would happily share my stock with any zoos that meet my standards.

Since you have encountered the outdoor exhibits first lets deal with them before heading inside. The devils will have two large exhibits, for animals of their size that is. Guest viewing will be through glass to keep the guests safe from themselves. Inside the grassed exhibit the most striking feature will be a large rock pile at the center of the exhibit. The rocks will provide a lookout which devils love but also hide away places below. Some of the rocks will actually be heating and cooling pads. To provide the climbing opportunities there will also be a fallen branch climbing structure, fallen logs, tree stumps, wood piles, bushes (more so for joeys) and well manicured trees. Up near the guest viewing areas will be ponds about a foot deep for the devils to enjoy cooling off in and heat lamps to help keep them warm on cooler days. Man made tunnels will stretch back into the holding. I could let them dig their own tunnels but I dont want to risk tunnel collapses with such important animals. The exhibit will still be escape proofed below ground but keepers will try to destroy their tunnels whenever possible.

Heading inside the darkness of the pavilion for the first time you will first come across the information station. Here there will be a touch table but more importantly there will be a display on threats to the animals on the island of Tasmania. The biggest display would be on the devils and the threat the facial tumor poses to their survival. Its a great opportunity to show people how important the work of zoos can be when wild populations come under threat. Also covered here can be a discussion on the Thylacine and its extinction. It would highlight the impact people can have on delicate ecosystems.

Beyond the information station along the pavilions eastern wall will be the two indoor devil exhibits. They will be very much like their outdoor counterparts but because the devils will be inside and more active in their nocturnal environment things will have to keep them busier. Yes they will have all of the same dressings but there will also be bones and skins to work their jaw muscles with. Outside that would probably just invite more bugs then I want around such valuable creatures. There will also be birds nests hidden about the exhibit with eggs in them to encourage foraging and climbing. Another interesting feature in these exhibits will be howdy doors so that two groups of devils can interact safely and if a big carcass is brought in for enrichment the howdy door could be opened and everyone share the meal like they would in the wild. But that would have to be keeper approved. At least they could safely visit with each other and keep the males and females in contact with each other so breeding season goes smoothly because of familiarity. Adding more stimulation to the exhibit will the the calls of other devils playing on speakers. This should provoke different reactions. The calls of the other devils will actually be coming in from the devils in the breeding center and the exhibit devils will also play at the center. This should give them a larger sense of community and possibly help with introductions of the devils for mating purposes if they are deemed matches. Just a theory I would like to test. They will get a keeper talk and feeding.

South of the information station will be an Eastern Barred Bandicoot exhibit. A breeding pair will rotate on exhibit. The male by himself unless its breeding season and the female either alone or with her most recent joeys. The zoo would happily establish a breeding program to help with the reintroduction efforts in parts of Australia if the Aussies would like. Joeys born in Toronto could end up in the wilds of Australia which is what conservation is all about. A small breeding colony may be needed anyway do to their short lifespan. Id need a lot of options for breeding to maximize genetic diversity in subsequent generations… that is if other zoos don't adopt their own bandicoots. Due to the shy nature of the bandicoots their exhibit will have to be very carefully designed. Firstly they will have one way glass separating them from guests. This is done purely so the bandicoots can feel like they are all alone which should decrease stress and encourage more natural behaviours. Also being sensitive to sounds guests will find themselves kept back from the exhibit itself by a secondary boundary to prevent tapping on the glass. We all know just putting up the sign saying, “Please do not tap,” does absolutely nothing. Inside the exhibit the bandicoots will have a forest like exhibit. Leaf litter, wood chip and long grasses will cover the floor of the exhibit. rocks fallen branches and logs will create a simple climbing structure for the bandicoots to exercise on. Rotted out tree stumps could provide hiding sites and wonderful places to forage for food. The back wall of the exhibit will have a mural on it.

The bandicoots neighbour will be Eastern Quoll. Like the bandicoots the quolls are solitary animals so while the zoo will exhibit a breeding pair the animals will be kept separately. However I’m not opposed to a single sexed sibling set if they can then be displayed together. Sitting on the corner of the pavilions center block of exhibits there will be two large one way glass viewing panels. This way people will get great views but the quolls will feel secure. They aren’t a shy as the bandicoots but they would probably benefit from the privacy. The exhibit should look like a Tasmanian rainforest to ensure a full array of natural behaviours. It wouldn’t hurt to have a nice mural on the back wall. It will feature a grass and wood chip floor, with bushes, ferns, flowers and a couple of small trees. In both northern and the southeastern corners of the exhibit there would be fake trees with hollow cavities where the quolls can sleep with small one way glass viewing windows. That give them 3 denning options. There will be a rock pile with a small cave underneath providing another shelter. There will also be fallen branches and logs all over to provide climbing structures. Since they hunt mostly in the trees food will be hidden up there including nests with eggs like the devils. Running through the center of the exhibit would be a small stream just deep enough to make them forage for crayfish which would be added for enrichment purposes.

To the south of the quolls and bandicoots will be the one major misplaced animal in this pavilion, the Brown Kiwis. Yes they belong in New Zealand but I just couldn’t come up with enough New Zealand based animals to make a pavilion or even barn focused on them. With the more tropical feel of the pavilion the kiwis will look ok in here. It will be clearly marked on the signage that they are not from Tasmania. I want a ton of kiwis. Ideally I would have space here for at least three exhibits. Each of the exhibits will feature a breeding pair however one pair will be rotated off exhibit if there are chicks that hatch. The chicks will be on display in the center exhibit after being artificially incubated. The chicks will be carefully cared for by keepers but will go on display once they are a couple of weeks old. There will be other pairs, as many as we can get our hands on, in the breeding center. As perhaps one of the most sensitive breeders at the zoo the kiwis exhibit will have to be the most carefully designed exhibits. Special considerations will be total soundproofing of the habitats, specialty one way glass that is sound resistant, a secondary boundary to keep guest from touching the glass, sound resistant flooring such a cork throughout the pavilion (except maybe the main entry which will need to be designed with melting snow in mind), a raised exhibit and location. So why did I put them where I did? I have moved them away from the entrance reducing outside noise, behind the pavilion will be heavy trees marking the boundary of the zoo serving as another sound barrier, they are across the pathway from reptiles and amphibians so less likely to have shouting kids and they are in a nocturnal environment. Lots to consider with them. Inside the exhibits there will be a dirt floor covered by woodchip and leaf litter. Lots of tall grasses, bushes and flowers but no trees. Not like they can fly. To help give them privacy there will be a pair of hollowed out tree stumps to serve as nesting boxes. They will be at the back of the exhibits so keepers can also access them. Underneath the exhibit will be man made tunnels, not visible to guests, leading back to the keepers quarters so keepers can access eggs to be incubated. Rocks and logs can also give them a break from each other. Lastly there would be a small zero entry pool in each exhibit. Just enough they can get wet if they want but more importantly drink easily. Some of the chicks will be trained as educational animals so they can meet and greet with the gusts.

Along the southern wall of the pavilion will be all of the reptiles, amphibians and bugs. I would love to mix and match as many species as possible together but if necessary they can be displayed separately. Species included would be Green and Gold Frog, Brown Tree Frog, Eastern Banjo Frog, Tasmanian Froglet, Tasmanian Tree Frog, Mountain Dragon, Jewelled Gecko, Eastern Three-lined Skink, She-oak Skink, Delicate Skink, and Metallic Skink. There are two other possible additions would be the Tasmanian Tiger Snake and the Fiji Banded Iguana. The tiger snake is highly venomous so its keepers choice. The iguana I just want and figure I will tuck it in here. Another little misplace but they are too cool looking to pass up. All of the tanks and terrariums will feature grasses, rocks logs, branches and ponds of various sizes. Beside them will also be Tasmanian Cave Spiders, Cave Harvestmen, and Mole Creek Cave Pseudo-scorpians. In a lit butterfly aviary (sadly not walk through) you will see Macleays Swallowtails, Small Grass Yellow, Blotched Blues, Pea Blues, Common Grass Blues, Hobart Browns, Leprea Browns, Ptunarra Brown Butterflies, Bright Coppers, Tasmanian Hairstreaks, Australian Painted Lady, Pandani Moths and Pencil Pine Moths.

Back in the center block, to the west of the kiwis and bandicoots will be a mixed exhibit with Tasmanian Pademelons, Common Wombats, Tasmanian Bettongs, and Tawny Frogmouths. The zoo will keep a pair of pademelons, wombats and frogmouths plus their most recent young. Due to the more social though sometimes rough nature of the bettongs there will be 2 males and 6 females, plus young kept in two separate groups. The females for the most part get along and while the male can be a pest with the females having three of them with him should give them each a break from him. The males will be removed when breeding isn’t desired and placed in alternative space. Possibly two smaller exhibits along the reptile wall, possibly just moved to the rear holding somewhere. Keepers choice.

To suit the social needs of the pademelons and wombats there will be two exhibit spaces so everyone can be on exhibit at once. Both exhibits will be extremely similar. Guests will be able to view everyone through half walls angled in and mesh above. This will prevent escapes but let people feel closer to the animals. The two exhibits will only be separated on the ground to the height of the half wall. The frogmouths could easily move between both spaces without trouble so why go to the expense of extra mesh. Another critical feature will be an escape proof base to the exhibit to prevent the wombats from destroying barriers. The exhibit will have clay as its primary base so the wombats can tunnel if they want but man made tunnels will also run under the exhibit too. On top of the clay will be mostly leaf litter, as it is the easiest on bettongs delicate paws, and spots with sand to allow everyone a chance at a dust bath if they want. Plantings in the exhibit would be dense grasses (which the wombats will rip up from time to time but thats fine), shrubs and several good sized trees for the frogmouths to nest in. Hollowed out logs and tree stumps of various sizes will give everyone a chance to hide away from each other. Fallen branches will create a bit of a climbing structure for the bettongs to enjoy if they want. Keepers will need to hand feed the frogmouths for the most part but I would like to try encouraging light hunting behaviours using slugs and snails.

Finally in its own private room will be the one species which I know will astound all guests… the Platypus. Ideally the zoo will get as many breeding pairs of Platypi as the Aussies will let us have and a huge state of the art platypus habitat will be built in the breeding center to work on the mysteries of breeding the worlds most unusual creature. If they are difficult I would take a single breeding pair as my next option with a same sex group being the last option. I would love the zoo to get the world wide recognition that would come with breeding platypi. They will be joined by two pairs Azure Kingfishers who will add a little more life to the exhibit. The kingfishers can show how their species benefits from coexisting with the platypus. I considered cormorants in here but they are exploit the platypus so they would just add stress to the species I desperately want to breed. Also joining them in the water will be Yellow Tiger Yabbies, Red Clawed Yabbies, Mountain Shrimp, Tasmanian Whitebait, Tasmanian Smelt, Tasmanian Mudfish, and others the platypi will be willing to eat. Nothing endangered though. Bigger species of fish could also be added but thats up to the fish curator and platypi keepers to sort out. If the fish are hard to get in any quantity then feeder fish of any variety will do.
Before even discussing the exhibit great care will be needed outside their viewing area. By isolating the exhibit from the rest of the building I hope it will drastically cut down on outside noise. Further reducing noise will be soundproofing all around the exhibits, including rear areas and the walls of the pavilion itself. The visitor area will have the same cork flooring as the rest of the building. Their glass will be sound and vibration resistant. And gusts will be kept back by a secondary boundary. Along the western wall will be the information section including multi camera views of the burrows.

So to give myself the best possibilities of that outside of the breeding center I will need huge exhibits relative to body size. The space I'm talking about is comparable to the whole outdoor kangaroo exhibit. There will be two exhibits with a gate which could open both exhibits to provide maximum space until babies arrive when it would be closed. A chunk of the space will be lost to rear holding but still they will be they will impressive exhibits. Mesh will also separate the flight spaces of the kingfishers so the pairs won't have to fight each other. It wouldn't impact the platypi since they can simply use the underwater gate to travel. The tank will give guests a split level view of the platypi. Part of the viewing window will be underwater while the rest will give a view of the bank.
Underwater the base of the exhibit will be rockwork, fish tank gravel for digging in and rocks with artificial trees, fallen logs and branches to provide obstacles for the platypi to swim around. The water will go below the visitor walkway but just so they have more room. High power filtration should keep the water as close to crystal clean as possible to provide guests with impressive views no matter where in the water the platypi are. They will be given a current machine, waterfall and live prey to spice up their days. This should give them a wide variety of natural behaviours and plenty of stimulation.

Above the waters edge there will be the bank and land area. Part of the bank will be built out over the water providing the platypi their favourite natural spot to eat their meals. It will also double as a place to put kingfisher burrows. They like riverbank burrows to build their nests. A nesting box with trap door lid will allow keepers to clean the nests out at the end of breeding season. There will be a shallow bank in other parts allowing them up on land where there will be man made tunnels for the platypi. The can make their own using the clay soil but I would prefer to encourage them to use any of the man made tunnels so that the burrow can be cleaned and checked on a regular basis. Plantings will include grasses, shrubs, ferns, vines, flowers, and small trees.

Now because I have paired a nocturnal animal with a diurnal animal the light shifting in the exhibit will need to be slightly off the straight reverse. The day will start out as late afternoon and shifting to nightfall around the center of the day. This will hopefully will encourage enough activity. However if the platypi that arrive are willing to be sufficiently active during the day then the lighting will represent a normal day. Another good reason to seal them off from the rest of the pavilion. Since these are perhaps the oddest creatures Im keeping at the zoo its clearly necessary that they get a keeper talk and webcam.

Heading out of the pavilion you will pass by the aviary and mixed exhibit again.

Alien Invaders
Once outside of the pavilion you will notice a small ranch style set up where guests will learn about the alien species which Europeans have introduced to Australia and the devastating impact that they have had on the natural flora and fauna. Naturally we will have to educate people on why the animals came. There would be a display on domesticated animals that have been allowed to become feral or just arent being watched by their owners as closely as needed. These species would include Dromedary Camels, Water Buffalo, Brumbies, pigs, dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, and deer. Then there would be the purposely introduced species such as Cane Toads, European Rabbits, Red Foxes, Indian Mynah, the Common Starling, Rock Pigeon, Carp, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Redfin Perch, Mosquitofish, Weather Loach, Spotted Tilapia Red Imported Fire Ants, Yellow Crazy Ants, Black Portuguese Millipede, Western Honey Bees, and European Wasps. It would be worthwhile to have exhibits for the toads, birds, fish and insects. Just small ones for the animals easy to house and control. Dont need to let them become our own invasive species. Special focus animals will be the foxes, mynah and cane toads which are having devastating impacts on native species. Another good lesson had.

Might tuck a small picnic area in this space.

 

I love some of your species choices for this area. The platypus area seems like it would be excellent, and I also like your plans for the Tasmanian Devil exhibit. I don't think regular zoo visitors would mind that not all of the species in this section are from Tasmania, and zoo nerds who would normally complain about it would probably be too excited about all of the rare species to even care.

 

Ya I dont mind indulging wild fantasies in one place. I did a great job reining myself in all over the zoo so one fun place is fair. Not like I decided to have Unicorns, dragons and bigfoot.

With misplacing some things I think even 90% of zoo nerds wouldnt complain about the few misplaced animals. Your right they would be too busy drooling over many of the rare species. Plus even zoo nerds know that sometimes it just makes more sense to make compromises so the animals can be fit in rather then excluded all together. And the most finicky would just say it was a dumb place to put it but not much else.

Here is the next installment.

Astounding Australia
The main building for all of Australia's wildlife will be Astounding Australia. Many of the animals need to be kept inside over the winter and outdoor exhibits while nice could be hazardous to some like the birds. A year round pavilion works best.

Normally I would have built a structure for each area of Australia but reality is I just don't have room for that… Not the way I have laid things out. The pavilion will be divided up into four main areas. The first will be a small nocturnal space designed solely to meet the needs of nocturnal animals not found on Tasmania. The other three areas are based on regions, the eucalyptus forests, the outback and New Guinea.

In front of the pavilion will be a small gift shop selling all kinds of Australian themed items from stuffed platypi to boomerangs and everything in between.

Edge of the Night
I always loved this exhibit back at the old zoo. Still a shame it had to go to make room for the Great Barrier Reef exhibit. Hence the name. It is the area for the Australian mainland’s nocturnal creatures. It’s hard to appreciate animals who are naturally inclined to sleep all day unless you gear an area to their needs. This is the one section I dont care where in Australia the animals are from they are all getting tucked in together for convenience.

First up upon entering the Edge will be the zoo’s Tiger Quolls along the eastern wall. Yes I already have Eastern quolls in Tasmania but I like quolls so I will take two species. The zoo will house a breeding pair who will rotate on exhibit. Since they are just as sensitive and shy as Eastern Quolls they too will be viewed through one way glass windows. A rock wall in the rear will feature a couple of modest ledges and serve as the base for a nice rock pile with caves tucked in for nesting. The flooring will be a grass, leaf litter, and wood chip base, with bushes, ferns, flowers and a couple of small trees for climbing. A climbing structure will be built out of fallen branches. Since they hunt mostly in the trees food will be hidden up there including nests with eggs Running through the center of the exhibit would be a small stream just deep enough to make them forage for crayfish which would be added for enrichment purposes.

North of the quolls will be the Common Brush Tailed Possums and Common Spotted Cuscuses. A male and female of each species will be kept separately as they are solitary animals. Breeding isn’t necessary so it will be one sparingly. Ideally both species will be exhibited together but if necessary the zoo will have to separate the exhibits. Being a mostly arboreal species they like to be high up in the tree. To enable good viewing the floor of the exhibit will be dropped a couple of feet. Just enough to make the tree canopy lower to an acceptable level while not impeding the view of the possums and cuscuses as they forage on the ground. One way glass will give the cuscuses the privacy they need being exceptionally shy. They will get eucalyptus trees of varying sizes, grasses, shrubs, flowers and other plants. Rocks and fallen logs will serve as obstacles. Tree branch climbers will also help to get them moving. Under a rock pile there will be a cave and on the exhibit corners there will be fake trees with hollows for nests viewable through one way glass.

Crossing the pathway there will be a northern exhibit space for reptiles and bugs. Many of these species wont be nocturnal and will have lit exhibits but I kind of ran out of spots for them that made sense to me.

First up would be two exhibits for the snakes. There will be White Lipped Pythons and Green Tree Pythons. As neither species is threatened and common in the pet trade I don’t feel there is need for more than one or two of both species. They should be rescues. Both species could be uses as outreach animals as well. I considered some of the other species there but I as you already know I don’t want to add too many venomous species and Australia is home to some of the deadliest. If keepers wanted to take the risk and get some of them then fine. I’m describing both of them together because they will be pretty similar, different lay out same furnishings. Their exhibits will be the largests of the reptiles and raised two feet off the ground bringing the exhibit up but not out of view of the small people in strollers. The floor of the exhibit will feature leaf litter, a rock pile, heading pad rocks, a small pool, grasses and flowers. Each exhibit will have a branch climber with keepers adding leafy branches every couple of days to the top to create the look of a tree. Misters will be in the exhibits to create humidity.

To the south of the pythons will be a mixed exhibit with Blue Tongued Skinks, Prehensile Tailed Skinks, Eyelash Leaf Frog, White’s Tree Frog, and Iridescent Litter Skinks. There will be two to ten of each type of animal and those on display will be a single gender to prevent excessive breeding. More will be kept behind scenes if breeding is needed. Its unlikely much breeding would be done with the skinks as they could be acquired through the amnesty. The frogs might need to be bred occasionally to keep the zoo’s population up. The exhibit will be a longer tank with both land and underwater viewing. On land there would be ample space for the skinks to move about in their leaf litter, woodchip and dirt. Heat rocks would be provided and rocky caves, fallen logs and hollow logs would provide shelter. Flowers, grasses, and other smaller plants would give them more cover. A number of larger fallen branches would give the skinks something to climb on. The pool where the frogs will happily swim will have a very gradual and shallow entry so the skinks can cool off. Under water adding complexity would be aquatic plants, fallen branches, tree roots and rocks would add complexity. If the fish curator wants to add some smaller fish the tanks size can be beefed up. Thats up to them.

In the corner of the reptile and bug block will be the smaller terrariums for the bugs. Here you will find in various sized exhibits for Macleay’s Spectres, Thorny Devil Walking Sticks, Bark Mimicking Grasshoppers,Big Headed Stick Insects, Elephant Weevils, and Lesson's Snout-noses. These exhibits would have grasses, flowers and leaf litter flooring. Very basic. If the invertibert curator wants to add more thats fine. For the smaller species magnified glass will be installed so they can be viewed better.

Rounding that corner to the west you will come across the more scrub and desert like exhibits for the Frilled Lizards, Thorny Devils, and Bearded Dragons. The zoo would keep as many as can be safely held in the same exhibit as none are threatened and all may be acquired through the amnesty. Each of them will have their own independant exhibit designed to look like it is part of the same single exhibit. The divide will be glass between. The rear walls of all of the exhibits will be rockwork with lots of ledges for the lizards to enjoy basking on under their heat lamps. All of the ledges will provide heat as well. In the first exhibit the frilled lizards will get a sandy floor with mulch thrown in, a bush or two and a large tree with the leaves well pruned so the lizards can be seen. West of them the bearded dragons who will have a similar set up to the lizards with a little less plant life and more rocks and fallen logs tossed in. Lastly will be the devils who will have the most rocky exhibit with even less plantlife and no trees.

South of the reptiles and bugs there is a pathway leading west which you will follow leading to two small exhibits for Sugar Gliders and Feather Tailed Gliders. Currently the zoo has both species so that is the reason for both. The feather tails are newer to the zoo but once they pass or can be transferred out I would prefer the sugar gliders. This way the zoo can offer good homes to sugar gliders who are turned in during the exotic animal amnesty. Males and females would be kept separate to prevent breeding thus maximizing the number of homeless animals we can take in. While their exhibits are small thats really just in comparison to some of the massive exhibits elsewhere in the zoo. THere will be tons of space for a group of 10 or so gliders per exhibit. Ensuring tons of space they will have a floor to ceiling glass. This is being done so they are more likely to actually glide. Leaf litter will cover the floor for easy cleaning with some grasses and other plants around the edges. The exhibit will feature several trees for them to climb in. Some will be fake others real. The fake ones would be closer to the glass with no live foilage blocking the views. Fallen branches and logs will add other climbing objects. On the corners of the exhibit will be false trees with one way glass windows looking into several nesting cavities. The cavities will be at several heights so adults and kids alike can get a good view if anyone is home.

That leaves you with the rest of Edge of the Night. There will be two good sized exhibits on either side of the pathway which will house the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats, Brush Tailed Bettongs, Quokkas, and Bilbies. There will be a male and a female wombats, a male and two female bettongs, a male and ten female quokkas and a male and two female bilbies, plus the most recent young of all. All of the species will be found in larger numbers in the breeding center. Breeding of bettongs, bilbies and quokkas could help wild populations. The wombats on the other hand would just be bred to help build the North American population into a self sustaining population. Just prior to breeding season an additional male wombat will be introduced to stimulate competition between the males and increase the odds of breeding success. Additional male quokkas and bilbies will be trained to be outreach animals as both species are very people friendly and ideal candidates for public interaction.

In all of the species the females and males will be kept separate from each other unless breeding is being done to prevent over breeding. Males of one species may be kept with the females of another. A mix and match to make more diverse groupings which can be rotated between the exhibits so that one day the male wombat might be with the female quokkas and the next the female wombat will be with them. Each day will be different adding another layer of social interaction to their days. The exhibit barrier will be a four foot high glass barrier (higher if needed). I would like people to feel like they are part of the exhibits space and because these are all ground dwellers guests should get good views of them. The glass will also allow the different groups to have visual access to each other making introductions for breeding easier down the line. The back walls will be unclimbable rock work to prevent bettong escapes. The flooring of the exhibit will be hard clay enabling the wombats, bettongs and bilbies to dig tunnels if they choose. Man made tunnels of various widths will also be available for them to lessen the desire to dig. Those tunnels will end in off exhibit areas where keepers can check on them and block access to the exhibit whenever they need to. When necessary the exhibit will be tilled to destroy the old tunnels and give them a chance to start again. No leaf litter or wood chips will be added and rain won't be added to this exhibit to prevent too much moisture which might lead to fungal infections for the wombats. Scattered throughout the exhibit will be logs, grassy areas, fallen branches, flowers, bushes, and rocks. The plantings will be on slightly raised levels made to look like they are tucked behind rocks but really in rock planters. This will prevent the wombats from ripping up the plants while allowing the jumpers and climbers to get in and enjoy the plant life. A couple of nice heated rocks will give everyone a nice warm basking place. Several places in the exhibit will have sandy patches so everyone can have dust baths.

That brings us to the end of Edge of the Night. You will continue through the doors to the west and enter the outback.

Outstanding Outback
The Outstanding Outback is essentially the indoor home of the roos, wallabies, wallaroos and emus during the winter months. It can also serve as male housing for surplus males the rest of the year. There will also be a couple of small additions of smaller creatures who I couldn't have in the walkabout.

The first exhibit you will see upon exiting the Edge of the Night will be the zoo’s Short Beaked Echidnas. The zoo will keep two pairs in two exhibits flanking the exit from Edge of the Nights exit. If breeding happens great but if not thats fine. Should any puggles arrive the male in that exhibit will be pulled until the young are grown. Their exhibits will be raised off the ground two or three feet to bring the echidnas up to better height for guests. The exhibit will feature clay flooring so that the echidnas can dig their own burrows but man made tunnels will also be provided. On top of the clay will be a mix of leaf litter and wood chip that will help force the echidnas to forage for food. Hollow logs, rocks,grasses, flowers, bushes and a very small extremely shallow pool (more like puddle) will be in the exhibits. A couple of false ant hills and termite mounds will give the zoo an opportunity to feed them in a natural way. Under the main viewing of the echidnas will be the man made tunnels which will allow them to explore up close to one way glass cutaways where guests can view them as they travel and nest.

Across the pathway will be the Numbats. The zoo will house two males and six females, plus young and as many others in the breeding center as we can get our hands on. As endangered species with only a handful of places they now exists I want to breed as many in a healthy reserve stock as possible. There will be six exhibits for the numbats, two on exhibit and four off exhibit, plus holding. A female will occupy each exhibit and the males will visit with various females as the keepers see fit. These accidental encounters would be like what happens in the wild. Ideally the males will spend a majority of their time in the on exhibit so that there is more activity for guests to enjoy but they will be rotated. The females will also rotate through the six exhibits until they have joeys who will eventually need to be deposited in a nest. At that time rotation will stop and males will be pulled or paired with any females who have not reproduced. By rotating them through the various exhibits it will give the numbats a sense of more space being available to them which should increase natural behaviours.

The six exhibits will be similarly designed even the off exhibit ones so that the animals stay stimulated. Each exhibit will be divided by rock features. Throughout the exhibit there will be wood chip, short grasses, small bushes, and a tree or two. Rock piles, hollow logs, hollow tree stumps and man made burrows will provide nesting sites. The nests will all have hatches so keepers can check on joeys and change bedding. The exhibit will be filled with grass clumps, flowers, bushes, a tree or two, a number branches and other things to crawl around and climb over. To help keep the numbats warm there will be heated rocks and heat lamps. A big feature in the exhibits will be termite mounds which will naturally be free of live termites. Dead termites will be scattered around in the wood chip and buried to encourage natural foraging behaviours.

Filling the rest of the western side of the pavilion will be the indoor exhibit for the walk about animals. They will be joined by Black Swans. I meant to add them to the walkabout but forgot. It would be a single pair. The indoor exhibit is massive. Im not sure how to create a boundary that will keep the roos in. Someone else can figure that out. The exhibit will feature grassy areas intermixed with sand and dirt patches, large logs, rocks, bushes, trees, and a good sized pond in the middle for the swans. Around the pond will be reeds and flowers. In the pond fallen logs, and aquatic plants. A large well done mural will be along the back wall.

At the north end of the exhibit there will be an exit leading out into the New Guinea outdoor exhibits. Around here there will also a door leading to the eastern New Guinea exhibits inside the pavilion. The door and possible wall separating that section of the pavilion will be installed to help create the right level of humidity in the outback as well as the forested exhibits.

North of the echidnas and east of the roos will be an outback focused walkthrough aviary. In the aviary there will be Crested Pigeons, Spinifex Pigeons, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos, Rose-breasted Cockatoos, and Scarlet-chested Parrots. Both pigeons species will get a small flock of 6-10 while the cocaktoos and parrots will be in groups of whatever is collected during the amnesty. Ideally at least a pair of each. None need to breed.

Before even entering the exhibit guests can view the birds through a giant wall of netting. This will allow guests to see the birds fairly well, allow for good air circulation and let people hear their calls while viewing the other exhibits. The other three walls of the exhibit though will have to be solid to create the right humidity for the other exhibits in the pavilion. These walls will be rock work with planters tucked into the walls so that flowers and other plants can be added making things greener. Guests will walk along a winding dirt path with a small wooden rail signaling to guests to stay on the path. The route will lead guests from the western entrance to the eastern exit which would lead people off into the next eucalyptus forest based aviary. My goal if for all of the species to be together in an open space however if that won't work they could be converted to smaller groupings. And if space is shorter than I think in the pavilion they could be thrown in with the roos and the whole span of the space would be netted leaving the space I have set aside for them here for the expansion of other exhibits.

The exhibit will be large and have tons of vertical space for the birds to enjoy. In the exhibit the flooring will be woodchip for easy cleaning. Plantings will include grasses, shrubs, flowers, and tons of trees both fake and real. The fake trees will have hollows in them to provide nesting sites for the cockatoos and parrots. Littering the floor will be sticks, dried grasses, fur and other nesting materials to encourage nest building. Fallen branches and trees will provide climbing and perching opportunities. Clearings will give them a chance to forage on the ground. A small pool will be added to provide the birds with a place to drink. Lastly in order to ensure the birds get to stretch their wings the parrots and cockatoos could be taken out for part of the day and allowed to fly around the roo exhibit under the supervision of keepers. This would add to their enrichment program and make the roo exhibit more interesting during the summer months when the majority of the stock is outside. All of the cockatoos at least will be trained as outreach animals to explain to people why they might not want them as pets.

This is just half of the pavilion. Dividing the pavilion in half is for your reading convenience. Since I have the next two zones done I will post again soon.

 

I'm really loving your Australian area so far. As I'm sure you know by now, I enjoy seeing all of the species you plan on putting in each area including reptiles, birds and invertebrates. It makes everything seem so much more real and easier to visualize. I like that you have a large nocturnal section because that was one of my favourite regions of the zoo when I was a kid. I can't wait to see your Eucalyptus forest and New Guinea sections.

I haven't had any time to work on my plans recently and I'm not sure when I'll be able to post my next section. I've had a lot of tests recently, but in the next few weeks I have a couple days off and I hope to use them to work on my zoo.

 

Dont worry about your pace of posting. Its fine. School should always come first.

I dont know that either of the other sections are that impressive. Species are but its just 10 exhibits and your out of Australia. I wanted to do something in the eucalyptus forests to show how urban development in that area was hurting the various species but idea exhibit design for the species in them overrode that desire. I wont ruin the surprise for you.

 

Koala Kingdom
Koala Kingdom as one might expect will be the home of the koalas but also the home of various species that depend upon the very same eucalyptus forests the koalas depend on to survive. This section will feature just 4 exhibits but lots of great species.

Continuing through the eastern doors of the outback aviary you will enter the kingdoms aviary. Here you will find Green Winged Doves, Budgies, Cockatiels, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, Blue Faced Honeyeaters, Noisy Miners and Satin Bowerbirds. The doves, honeyeaters and miners will be kept in groups of ten. The cockatoos, budgies and cockatoos will be in groups depending on what comes in from the amnesty. The bowerbirds will be a single pair. Breeding will be allowed based on recommendations. Their exhibit will essentially be a flip of the outback exhibit with a couple more clearing and a variety of other nesting materials to encourage the bowerbird males to build their elaborate nests. The cockatoos will be given time to explore the koala exhibit as well to stimulate them more.

After exiting the aviary there will be another smaller exhibit across the pathway for Regent Bowerbirds. They are getting a separate exhibit solely because multiple species of bowerbirds should not be held together to prevent cross breeding which can happen between the two species I have chosen. The exhibit will be a reasonable size for a bird their size. They will have lots of trees, bushes, flowers (particularly brightly coloured ones), fallen branches, twigs, grasses, all kinds of shiny stones and interesting objects. The bowers will be knocked down prior to the breeding season so that guests will be able to appreciate the intricacy of the bower.

Filling up the majority of the remaining space along the eastern side of the pavilion will be the mixed exhibit for Koalas, Bennett’s Wallabies, Swamp Wallabies, Parma Wallabies. The koala colony will consist of ten males and ten females. Some of the males will be kept off exhibit at the breeding center or sent to other zoos on loan. By bringing in 20 completely unrelated koalas there will be a real boost to the North American koala population’s genetic diversity. As the koalas start breeding their offspring will be in demand and more zoos will be interested in taking on koalas. The zoo will also be home to three males and three females of each wallaby species plus their most recent young. Breeding will be done based on recommendations.

There will be two exhibit spaces so that the males and females can be kept separately, plus in the summer there will be a massive outdoor yard. I could have kept the wallabies and koalas in separate enclosures but lets face facts the koalas sleep most of the time so they are pretty boring. By keeping them with the wallabies there will always be something interesting going on even when the koalas are sleeping, especially with 3 different wallaby species. During the summer months one group can be outside enjoying double their normal space and the second group can have access to both exhibits. Inside the exhibits will feature woodchip flooring for easy keeper cleaning and grass for the wallabies to much on. There will be a few fallen logs, rocks, shrubs and flowers but the key thing in the exhibit will be tons of eucalyptus trees because what good would a koala exhibit be without them. Naturally Im not expecting the exhibit trees to provide all their food, the greenhouse should do that, but it will give people a good look at the habitat the koalas live. Outside the exhibit will be totally grassed, which I’m sure will be immensely annoying to the horticulture crew who will need to trim the grass around all of the trees. Im not sure I would plant any real trees in the exhibit. I wouldnt want the koalas to think they can eat Canadian tree species so tha would probably mean I should go with fake trees. Where there would be leaves put in metal leaves to provide shade and shelter for the koalas. Im less conserned about the wallabies who will be happy with most things. A few different sized rock shelters will give the wallabies a place to hide from the sun other then under the trees. They will also get a small pond up near the glass to encourage them to come near guests. The zoo will have a koala and wallaby keeper talk every day as well as training of surplus males to be outreach animals. People would die to be able to take a photo with but never touching the koalas.

Tucked into the northeastern corner of the exhibit will be a nice sized exhibit for the Laughing Kookaburras. The kookaburras will be kept as a breeding pair with their two most recent clutches. The older clutch will act as helpers to their parents hopefully teaching them to be better parents in turn. However if they need to be removed early due to aggression thats fine too. I wanted them to be free flying yet kept out of the aviaries where they would likely kill smaller birds. That left me with few other options than to give them their own meshed exhibit. I can live with that. The exhibit will have tons of eucalyptus trees (can use the trimmed branches for the koalas), bushes, and fallen branches for perches. In the southwest corner of the exhibit will be a fake eucalyptus tree with a one way glass panel looking into what I hope will be their main nesting cavity. It would be cool to watch the chicks grow in there. There will be other nesting sites throughout the exhibit with cams in them. This is mostly so keepers can monitor the chicks but if they use any of the other nests a monitor could be set up in the unused cavity where people can watch the chicks.

Should you choose to head north at this time you would head outside to the outdoor New Guinea exhibits but why miss out on the indoor exhibits to the west?

Natural New Guinea
Natural New Guinea is the home of the animals from Northern Australia and New Guinea. These exhibits will be the most rainforest like in all of Australia. Replicating their homes will be key to their happiness.

Along the northern wall of the pavilion will be two exhibits for the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroos. The zoo will keep a male, two females and their young. Since the tree kangaroos breed so poorly in captivity or North America at least I am more then willing to import additional animals to breed in the breeding center if the AZA would like. I wouldn't want the population to suffer if I have space and a super quiet space where they can breed in enclosures that are built solely for the purpose of making them feel as though they are wild. On exhibit the kangaroos will be separated by sex. The male will live alone except during breeding and the females will stay together. By keeping two females hopefully that will give each female a bit of a break from the male during breeding attempts. That should reduce breeding stress on the girls. I’d keep a second male if they wouldn't go to war with each other but they will.

Guests will be kept back from the kangaroos by a half wall of glass and minor pantsing and rocks. Just enough to make it impossible to touch them without clearly breaking rules. I really like how the exhibit now has the big windows in the back so I would repeat that here. Nice plantings in the background giving them the feel of more space, let in light but also provide shade to prevent overheating. Misters will keep the area continually humid. Their flooring will be wood chip with tall grasses, some tropical ground plants, flowers, several big trees, rock piles (secured), branch and fallen tree climbers, cargo nets made to look like vines, and hammocks. More wood chip would be added around the time when the joey would emerge from the pouch so that it has more cushioning should it fall. A very small very shallow pool will offer water. As tree kangaroos have drowned in pools and moats I would want their water to be extremely shallow. The rock base of the pool will be painted to look like theres more water. A tree kangaroo talk would follow the koala talk.

South of the tree kangaroos will be two walk through aviaries. There will be a northern entrance to one exhibit. Guests will wander along a clearly marker and bordered path through the exhibit to the west, passing through double doors leading to the adjoining avary with an exit to its north.

But before you head into the aviaries you will take a few steps to the west where you will find the largest reptile exhibit in Australia. In between the two aviaries there will be Black Tree Monitors, Red Bellied Short Necked Turtles, and Fly River Turtles. The three species will share the same exhibit since they are compatible. There will be a single monitor and single fly river turtle as both species are solitary. The red bellies will have six to eight individuals, all the same gender to prevent breeding. The fly river turtles have been exhibited in this grouping but can also prove to be quite aggressive so if necessary the exhibit will be divided in two under water and just high enough on land to keep the flies and red bellies separate. I think the monitor should be fine if all of its food and enrichment items that need to be on the ground are on the red bellied side. Odds are most of these would come in as rescues.

The enclosures glass viewing panel will start at the floor and rise about seven feet tall. This should give a good pool for the turtles while also giving lots of vertical height for the arboreal monitors. Starting in the pool the depth will be about three feet, maybe four or five if I let it dip below ground a little. The flooring of the pool with be rock coloured aquarium gravel for easier cleaning than sand. Throughout the pool there will be tree roots, fallen branches, logs and rocks to provide obstacles that will add to a diversity of activity. They will also be offered feeder fish, yabbies and mollusks to hunt. At the three foot mark the land area will begin. There will be lots of room for everyone to haul out. Their ground will have wood chips which should let the water drain away. There will be a cople big flat heated rocks, maybe one or two dangling over the water. Heat lamps are a must. Grasses and flowers will give cover and colour. For the remaining 4 or so feet of the exhibit there will be small trees and branch climbers for the monitors. Fake nests will be hidden around the exhibit for the monitors to find and eat the eggs inside. The back wall of the exhibit will have a jungle mural.

Back to the aviaries now. The eastern aviary there will be Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Long Tailed Finches, Masked Finches, Gouldian Finches, Palm Cockatoos, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Lesser Birds of Paradise, and Green Pygmy Geese. All of the species, except the pigeons and finches, will be kept in pairs. The finches will be kept in groups of 10 while the pigeons a group of 3 breeding pairs. Only the gouldian finches and pigeons need to be bred since they are endangered. The rest will breed only if necessary. Again the zoo would take in any unwanted pets and place them here but surplus cockatoos would likely be used in outreach and shows. Like the other aviaries discussed so far this one will have plenty of vertical height allowing the birds to fly more often. They will be netted into their exhibit. Overhead a giant glass dome or something like that will let tons of light flood into the aviaries below. Misters will be all over the exhibit to help provide humidity and general enjoyment of the birds. Flooring will consist of a mix of wood chips, leaf litter and grasses. A large pool would exist to entertain the geese. The pool will be just deep enough for the geese and have zero entry sides so the other birds can wade in a little to take a bath and drink. Feeding the pool with fresh water will be a tall but thin waterfall with at least two tiers pouring into smaller elevated pools. The higher pools will give more options for the birds and lessen the potential aggression from the geese. In and around the pool will be aquatic plants. A few fallen branches and logs will be in and around the water to give perches. To help the pigeons bask there will be a couple of heated flat rocks and clearings where they can stretch out to enjoy the sun. The rest of the exhibit will consist of trees, bushes, flowers and other plants.

Continuing through the aviaries western door guests will enter the lory aviary. In here there will be Red Lories, Black Capped Lories, Rainbow Lorikeets, Blue Crowned Lorikeets, Blue Lorikeets, Olive Headed Lorikeet, Pale Headed Rosellas and Eastern Rosellas. Groupings in here will be anything from a single pair to a flock of 30 depending on the social needs and size. The rosellas who are much bigger than the lorikeets will obviously have less. It will also depend on what the zoo can get their hands on. The exhibit will be identical to the eastern exhibit except for the lack of pool and waterfall. No need with no waterfowl. What will make this exhibit special though is that there will be a keeper led feeding opportunity a couple times a day. Guests will be able to purchase food. There will be a kiosk somewhere just outside the exhibit where guests can pay for a ticket they can then show the keepers to get their portion of the food. They can then interact with the birds. By requiring a ticket keepers can control portions. There might be twenty tickets for the first feeding and once they are gone thats it no one else can buy them until that session is complete. Tickets could also be purchased at the gates or any gift shop. It would all be automated so no more than that feedings allotment of tickets will be sold. I think this system of tickets should be used for the other feeding opportunities throughout the zoo.

Mixed into the various bird exhibits throughout the pavilion will be butterflies. Yes theres a good chance many of them will be eaten by the birds over time but its part of the circle of life. The butterflies are only going to live so long anyway. They can be spread out among the four bird enclosures as the keepers see fit. The species I would like to see add would be Bank’s Brown Butterflies, Australian Painted Ladies, Blue Tigers, Blue Triangles, Chequered Swallowtails, Christmas Swallowtails, Cairns Birdwings, Five-barred Swordtails, Green Spotted Triangles, Imperial Jezebels, Large Grass-yellow Butterflies, Lurcher Butterflies, Macleay's Swallowtails, Meadow Argus, New Guinea Birdwings, Pale Triangles, Red-banded Jezebels, Regent Skippers, Scarlet Jezebel, and Ulysses Swallowtails.

This brings you to the end of the pavilion but not the end of New Gueinea. Heading out the northwestern door by the roos you will be able to view the two outdoor New Guinea exhibits.

Immediately across the pathway will be Double Wattled Cassowaries. Since the zoo is massive it is entirely possible the zoo could keep two breeding pairs. While normally solitary and aggressive pairs can be kept together all of the time provided they have enough space. I would hope we can provide that. However to start I would prefer to get a single set which will have access to two massive exhibits and an off display barn for winter. We would test the compatibility of the pair and if they can be kept together through a breeding season or two then I would consider a second pair to occupy the second exhibit. If they can't get along then perhaps just a second male will be brought in giving the female mate choice but enabling the zoo to keep the female separate from each male and the chicks he may be rearing. The chicks will be left with their father until he pushes them away or a recommended transfers are made.

Considering cassowaries are so dangerous their exhibits will have to be built will keeper and guest safety trumping all other considerations. The boundaries of the exhibit will be three metres high topping the highest recorded escape by over a metre. Between exhibits there will be a chainlink boundary with a good amount of plantings around it to provide privacy while still allowing them some visual access to each other. The outside boundaries will be relatively smooth rock work. A secondary escape boundary will be added around the eastern, western and northern edges. Along the south there will be several thick glass viewing panels surrounded by more rock work. To provide that extra boundary a metre deep but fairly wide moat will be added at the glass which will lessen the chance of escape while providing the birds with water to bathe and swim in which should in turn delight guests. They also enjoy sprinklers and mud baths so sprinklers will be added and dirt patches in the exhibit will occasionally be flooded by keepers. Inside the exhibit there will be trees, logs, bushes, and rocks strewn about the grass covered space. Nothing at all will be allowed to be close to the barriers. Sheltered nesting spots will be provided.

Continuing to the east of the cassowaries there will be a large exhibit for the Saltwater Crocodiles. The salties are no longer a recommended species for display as the AZA feels more endangered crocodiles. Since I have given in with all kinds of other crocs and selected what they wanted I feel like I deserve one croc I want and if you’re going to choose why not go big? The zoo will take in a couple of nuisance salties, an adult male and several females. The male will be separated from the group during breeding season to prevent unwanted hatchlings. If this doesn't work then the eggs will be culled. There is no need for additional animals since the once which we rescue could live a long time. They will be off display once it becomes too cold for them to be outside.

The exhibit will have to be carefully designed. I think viewing will be through a big glass window. The panel will be probably 8 feet tall and super thick. Above that there will be rock work for another couple of feet, followed by a couple more feet of hot wires angled into the exhibit. This is being done because the crocs can leap out of the water quite high and I want to keep things beyond safe. Their exhibit will be surrounded by a double layer of chainlink buried at least a couple of feet into the ground. While the exhibit space will mostly be pool, the land area at the back of the exhibit will feature grasses, dirt, heated flat rocks to bask on, fallen logs and a couple of shade trees. The pool will be a zero entry pool enabling the salties to sun themselves while still in the shallows. Plunging to twenty feet deep the pool will provide lots of stimulation with currents, fish, rocks and fallen trees. But you can’t see under the water? No don’t worry there will be an underwater gallery. Can’t have such a big impressive animal that spends so much time in the water and not let you view them under water. At the western and eastern edge of the exhibit there will be ramps leading down to the viewing room.

Finally you have reached the end of Australia, with one minor exception that will be dealt with shortly. Continuing along the pathway to the east you will enter the domain of the penguins.

Up next kind of Antarctica. Sort of... Well you will see.

Oh and since Im working out my last section South Africa right now, Arcticwolf I will give you a chance to choose any one South America species you want to see in my zoo. I have led you through my zoo and I will give you one chance to definitely see a species you want. Any South American species you desire so long as its not impossible to keep. Rare sure. Hard to source fine. Not recommended by the AZA sure, I ignored them to suit my own desires a number of times. I call it Arcticwolf's choice. Wonder what you will choose.

 

That's a good way to end your Australian area. I agree with you that the koalas should be mixed with wallabies so there is more activity in the exhibit. Also, I really like your bird choices for each section. Even though they are not recommended, I love saltwater crocodiles and am really happy that you chose to include them.

I'm going to have to think about what species I want you to include in your South American area. There are lots of animals that I would want to see, but I'm trying to think of a species that you won't already have.

 

After doing a little bit of research I was able to decide the species I want. It is something that I would never include in one of my zoos because I hate using animals that aren't found in captivity, but since you're ok with it I'm choosing the Darwin's fox! I think you know that canids are my favourite type of animal and the Darwin's fox is a beautiful and very endangered species. If you need help thinking of an idea of where to put it in your zoo I would suggest creating a South American temperate forest region home to the foxes, with maybe pudu and possibly even kodkod (an animal I was about to choose). You don't have to listen to my suggestion though as I'm sure you will have an amazing exhibit for it. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to choose an animal for your zoo and later on in my plans I would love to let you do the same thing.

 

Wow way to throw me a challenge! I need to somehow get my hands on an animal with about 250 animals in the world! Well I guess if I can get Australia to give me all of its unique critters I can find away to get you some Darwin's foxes.

 

I tried to give you a species that was extremely rare to make your zoo even more special than it already is. I don't think acquiring Darwin's foxes would be much harder than the platypus that you already have! Good luck making their exhibit.