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devilfish

In with the spiders - Orb web spider in walkthrough, July 2015.

Photo taken on the 6th July 2015.

In with the spiders - Orb web spider in walkthrough, July 2015.
devilfish, 8 Jul 2015
    • devilfish
      Photo taken on the 6th July 2015.
    • DavidBrown
      What did you think of this spider experience? They seem to have copied it from what the natural history museum here in Los Angeles does each fall when they convert their butterfly exhibit in to a spider exhibit.

      Is this exhibit being well received in London?
    • devilfish
      I really liked the exhibit. The concept is brilliant and is carried out very well. Quite a large number of spider taxa are on display (with more to come) and it's a very engaging and interesting series of displays.

      This is in the centre of the BUGS building and opposite the building entrance in what used to be an area which seemed to struggle to appeal to members of the public.
      The exhibit can be split into two areas; one where many spider facts, spiders in terraria, and a 'spider nursery' are displayed, and the small 'walkthrough' area which also has two terraria inside. Outside the first area is a bathtub enclosure for Tegenaria spiders.
      Members of the public were really enjoying this exhibit. A surprising number of people were avoiding going into the walkthrough exhibit (including my little sister, but a financial incentive sorted that out).

      It's a fantastic way of engaging with the public and I overheard other visitors talking about it in other areas of the zoo.

      It's very pleasing to see some of the recent progress at the zoo in the creation of this experience, seeing more of the Clore Pavilion opening up, and now four windowed 'behind-the-scenes' research areas (for endangered freshwater fish, seahorses, caecilians, and other amphibians) are being made more visitor-friendly.

      How well-received is the Los Angeles exhibit?
    • DavidBrown
      Thanks for your review of the spider exhibit area and your thoughts on London Zoo in general, devilfish. I'm glad to hear that you got your sister to enjoy the spiders (or at least visit them).

      The Los Angeles exhibit seems very well attended and loved. The museum has been doing it for several years now and I assume that it is now a permanent event (although obviously things change). The LA set-up is similar to what you describe in London - a room with terraria of tarantulas and other non-orb spiders where the interpretive staff tells people what to expect in the walk-through and to assure the arachnophobic that everything is cool and then the main building where all the orb web spiders are spread out.
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    ZSL London Zoo
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    devilfish
    Date:
    8 Jul 2015
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