Elephant Odyssey - Opening Day

It is finally open, today we got to see the $45 million Elephant Odyssey exhibit at the San Diego Zoo.

Okay how about a description from someone who knows, about the enrichment this utilitree delivers???

Satellite TV? Good phone reception? Helicoptor landing pad?

You can read all about how the utili-trees work at this link I have posted:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/images/090125elephant.pdf

Right on mark77! Perhaps elephants are so smart that TV and cell phones counts as enrichment these days?

Apparently these structures are simply labor-saving devices for zoo management. They don't do anything for animals that isn't already done by keepers elsewhere.
Can keeper staff be reduced thanks to these structures?
Can keepers use their new-found free time to do other helpful tasks?

Lots is left to learn before we can know whether these things are helpful.

Will they justify the enormous cost to design and build?
Will better elephant behavior result from them?
Will they inspire visitors to support in situ conservation efforts?
Will they help school children and others understand the ecosystems elephants inhabit and shape?

Now, whether or not they are beautiful doesn't require time and testing. That much is clear to see.

Do I smell a mild sense of sarcasm here, Zooplantman....

I am all for enrichment and improving the keeping of elephants in zoos but I refuse to believe that these butt-ugly satelites are the best or the only way to go. Surely a more naturalistic approach is preferable.

Maybe. I have surprised myself with things I hated on first sight and learned to appreciate. Zoos desperately need new approaches . We'll have to live with some odd things for awhile.

Obviously I prefer realistic looking immersion exhibits, but what if ...somehow ...this herd of elephants and their structures become the most active, interesting, natural behaving herd anywhere? I'd forgive the aesthetics if the activity were good enough. And IF the planted roof of the thing fills in then the structure won't look as...it does.

On the other hand, I don't see why there can't be both aesthetics and functionality!
So...we'll see.

Actually, I don´t have any problem with these contructions. They are in my honest opinion extremely ugly, but they may well work very good and be contructive from all possible points of other views than the question of aesthetics. Animal welfare is always my main point when writing here on ZooChat. I understand that the size of the elephant enclosure is now much bigger than it used to be. On the other hand, animals have been transferred here from The Wild Park - I hope the animals transfered now don´t find themselves confined to a much smaller space than they have been used to live in?

I like the concept of other animals having the possibility of coming into the elephant´s space - hopefully this is enriching for all parties.

Judging by the plans earlier showed here on ZooChat for some of the other animals in this combined exhibit - the jaguars for example - I am disappointed, but would be very interested in seeing pictures.

As others have written: a big thanks to forumster washaw for showing us these pictures!