To be honest the same might be said for humans living in citys I think when we're saying "fresh air" we might actually mean the feel of the wind on their skins, obviously they get actual fresh air coming in via the ventilation system...
I think it depends on the mammal. For example at Africa Alive they have Straw Coloured Fruit Bats and Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats in the same enclosure which is completely indoors. Obviously Bats can't really be let outdoors as they're nocturnal and the nights can get very cold here...
I went to Bristol with a friend who said that they were so impressed with the bat enclosure and seeing them outside in daylight gave them a whole new perspective on bats, contrasting with their previous experiences of nocturnal houses.
I made the same experience with aardvarks and aardwolfes, both species doing MUCH better in outdoor exhibits with sunlight, natural ground, wind, rain and fresh, natural Oxygen...Fortuantely, some british zoos recognzied that fact and do not keeping them anymore indoors in nocturnal houses.
Tarsius - Of Course. Just for the record today is 09 / December / 2011. This is obvious to you and I & the elite coming forward.Nevertheless, in a few years´ time ( six or seven depending on licence renovations / political cycles) we will be the privileged few who are holding the reins of European Zoos and who will look back and say "We already knew this".
Not that i don't agree with you that mammals could do with an open enclosure (allthough a roomy indoor enclosure ain't all that bad imo), but the best Aardvark breeder in Europe (Burgers) holds them indoors? And as far as I've seen the aardwolf enclosures in the UK on pictures, all of them have at least an outdoor part, don't they? Are there examples of aardwolf enclosures that are all indoors?
As opposed to what, fake oxygen? I still can't help but feeling that the animals living free-range in exhibits like Burgers Bush and Masoala have far more interesting and enriching lives than their counterparts in exhibits that, even though they aren't small, still only take up a fraction of the space that the latter two does, even if they don't have access to the outside.
Why not try it out by yourself, @Toddy? For the next coming months (or maybe even years), stay as long as you can indoors, and as little as possible (if at all) outdoors. See how long you can do before developing cabin fever...
@Sun Wukong: Are you implying that all mammals species are identical on this subject? There is a great difference in mentality from a great ape to a lemur or tenrec, etc. But sure! Book me some months in the Masoala hall and you've got yourself a deal. I will even bring my own tent
My two cents on the issue is that most if not all mammals benefit from outside enclosures. Of course it depends on the individuals and their prior experiences. If they've never been outside they might have less of a problem staying inside all the time. Also a large house with living plants and natural light might have the same effect as an outside enclosure for some species or individuals. My personal experience is somewhat limited to primates, but out of the 40 species and close to 500 individuals I've worked with, most have chosen to be outside when given the opportunity. Even those living in large rainforest halls.
@Toddy: Why should it be "identical"? Even humans differ greatly from one another; what is comfortable for one, might be horrible for another. One could even question the term "mentality" here, too. How to judge the "mentality" of a lemur fairly? I think that there are certain analogies among many mammals (and other vertebrates) in this regard, based on their adaptions (and thereby resulting needs) to their original natural habitat. Personal factual observations, like the one of @nicholas above, only confirm this assumption of mine. Judging from my recent visit of the Masoala hall (behind the scenes), I doubt you'd stand to stay several months there-and that not just because of the exorbitant living costs in Zurich...
Damn, your right! I forgot how much a steak costs in Switzerland Boy, was that ever an expensive holiday... "Identical" was probably a poor choice of words. I simply meant that just beacuse me (a great ape) woulden't do well indoors all the time doesn't nescessarily mean that another type of mammal woulden't. And I am not trying to judge the mentality of a lemur. My point exactly is that we don't know. I am not claiming to know the answer to this particular problem, but rather that we shoulden't rule either option (indoors or not) out that readily.
I wasn't going to comment on this, but I agree it depends on the mammal. I mean, yes most species should have outdoor accomodation as much as possible, particularly primates, carnivores, hoofstock etc (in my opinion) - but what about when we get down to some of the smaller things. Hamsters, mice, gerbils, shrews - all of that can be happy in an indoor habitat I think.
Would anyone consider the massive indoor habitats in places like Henry Doorly Zoo (Lied Jungle), Bronx Zoo (Jungleworld), or Minnesota Zoo (Tropics) trail as exceptions to the rule given their extreme size and the seasonal climates those locations endure?
@Toddy: And not just steaks. 25 € for a schnitzel ?!? Saperlot! @Duckbill: Take a look at the enclosure size & design of the big mammal (as well as other critters') exhibits of the examples you mentioned, in particular of that species "stamp collection" called Lied Jungle, and then reconsider your question...
