I don't want to seem like I'm just bashing Philadelphia Zoo, I find old zoos fascinating and love old buildings but this is ridiculous, highland cattle next to hippos and okapi?! I saw it on a map I downloaded and thought I must be mistaken but here it is...
Probably filling in the "hole" left when Philly moved their elephants out. More creative than other zoos that have replaced their elephants with camels (Bronx, Lincoln Park)
I live in Scotland, please don't bash the magnificent highland cattle, one of our many national treasures, just wish i could see them in a field near me next to hippo and okapi.
I love highland cattle, I just don't think a serious zoo should keep them alongside hippos, rhino and okapi. It's totally out of context and is little different to a dalmation being exhibited in a Chinese zoo.
Sorry are you saying that they should not keep them, or that they should be somewhere else in the zoo?
I think it's fine to keep them but a farm yard/domestic animals area would be more appropriate. Why not make this another okapi yard or extend the rhino accommodation? (I'm not familiar with the exact sequence of yards in this area). I just feel uncomfortable having domestic animals alongside animals of genuine conservation concern and think it undermines the conservation and education mission of a serious zoo.
I have a gut feeling that this was originally a rhino exhibit (maybe Tony's old yard before he was moved to the African Plains exhibit) and much like Philly filled their old elephant exhibit with poitou donkeys, they could have done the same with Tony and these Scottish highland cattle.
