ZSL - Childrens Zoo Concept » London Zoo

11-09-2008

Things go round in circles. The zoo had a nocturnal house in the children's zoo before the Moonlight World was built as part of the Clore. The aardvarks did better there than in the Moonlight World, so they were kept in the chlidren's zoo through the 1970s.

Alan

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11-09-2008

If nothing else, I think the coati exhibit will be quite good. It seems to be going in the area in front of the old camel house. Should be a good space for them.

12-09-2008

aardvarks sound good, i think overall its a good mix

13-09-2008

Obviously something that Blackpool is trying to recreate...

13-09-2008

I would say that coatis would be an excellent species for the 'childrens-themed' zoo. They are a robust species, very active, uses the exhibit both horizontally and vertically and lives in large groups. Not sure why more zoos don't have them. They should be a synomous as ringtails and meerkats... Now those two species would work well too.

13-09-2008

i was hoping that the lemurs in the roundhouse would be part of the exhibit as the round house should be preserved

15-09-2008

It will be an interesting use of space. Kind of battering the competition a little, though, as battersea park might struggle a bit. Funny as they used to have prairie dogs up behind the current otter pool and as people have said the aardvarks were in the nocturnal house in the old childrens zoo with a few douracouli. I had thought for a while that it is difficult to justify keeping even domestic ungulates like cattle and reindeer in small pens at ZSL.....especially when there are so many city farms dotted about the capital. The concept of showing animal species that we farm for food/clothing in entirely decontextualised settings presented to children as accessible and 'tame' really is out of date now. So it will be good to see a more diverse approach to their 'children's zoo' area.
It really reminds me of Drusillas from the drawings......someone else made a valid point that it is slightly strange to equate 'unthreatening' or 'cute' species with children, certainly to see Drusillas park now is to view a very unrepresentative section of the animal kingdom (compared to many other zoos), and one wonders whether you really should encourage kids to get more from an encounter with something small and furry with endearing qualities as opposed to learning to relate to and appreciate more diverse life forms. But overall, this project looks to be a major improvement on the current incarnation. I wonder what the family who paid for the current children's zoo think about it's redevelopment? I thought the current space was built in memory of somebody from that family?

18-09-2008

With all the thought, planning and investment that goes into modern zoo exhibits to make them interactive, educational, even exciting why do we still have a need to label a new exhibit "children's"?
I looked at the plan for London's new area and straight away thought "fantastic, but why is it only aimed at children?" Is there really nothing else in the "grown ups" area's of London zoo for children to discover, interact with and be amazed and excited at, that they need their own displays? Of course not.
These plans look thrilling, but don't just call it a childrens zoo. They should run a competition on the web site and get young people to come up with a suitable name for the area or zone.
We're not the only ones though. Bronx and Lincoln Park's "childrens" zoos are far too good for just kids!

19-09-2008

its a more general term for it not saying its for "children" i myself might visit once its open, if i take my younger cousin with me i might be allowed

i do understand what you mean though

28-09-2008

I walked past the zoo this afternoon and noticed that the children's zoo is now empty of animals and that side of the zoo is closed off right down from the Komodo house. The llamas and alpacas were in with the camels.

28-09-2008

wow the camels must be a bit cramped! and what is the large house next to the childrens zoo originally for?

28-09-2008

You mean the one closest to B.U.G.S.?

That used to be the camel house and held kangaroos on my visit last year.

28-09-2008

thanks alot jimmy! my dad reconed it was a giraffe house

01-10-2008

The area marked for redevelopment is actually quite a large section of land. As already mentioned, the water saving garden area by the komodos (the site of the former stork/ 'southern' aviary) is cordoned off, with signs advertising the children's zoo redevelopment, suggesting a path or corridor along the perimeter into the existing children's zoo site. Interestingly, the old canid area, now the show animal cages, at the back of the old sealion viewing gallery, is also off limits, and although this may essential due to lack of alternative access, I would expect these animals to be incorporated into the children's zoo area, just as the seriema and vulture were housed in recent years at the end of the stables.

02-10-2008

sounds interesting, and yes it is a very large area