Just imagine an ideal world where you had enough money to buy and build your ultimate zoo here in the UK . A hundred acre site. My questions to you is first location where would you purchase and why? Would you build a super zoo ? Would it be say less species in as big and natural enclosure as possible or would you cram your zoo full of different species.Would you perhaps have a hotel on site like the theme parks do? Would you go down a traditional zoo style or try and do something different.Would you specialise? Would you concentrate on a certain country ? Would the visitors walk round on foot or would you provide transport. Bar less or open ?
I am not from UK But if I must in UK I will choose the southern most areas, like in Dorset (most sunny areas). The zoo will be with less species of animals, and not so big enclosures, but multi-parts enclosures. I will keep around 15 species of mammals, 20 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphbians. They will be all in modern, natural-looking enclosures, even for snakes, bigger enclosures so they to can creep fast, not just to leisure. Multi-parts enclosures are vital for my project. They will be rotating, reserve and stimulating, eg. to allow for the growth of grass The animals will all be from tropical areas, eg. rainforests and savannahs. Including, african bush elephants, masai giraffes, black rhinoceroses, malayan tigers, orangutans, chimpanzees, black howler monkeys, giant anteaters, birds, elapid snakes etc. From Africa, Asia, Americas and Australasia & Oceania There will be 'walk tunnels' for most animals, so they can explore periphery of the zoo, eg. moving in fenced tunnel (with grass, trees, sand, with appropriate widht of 3-10 metres) from their enclosures, to around periphery of the zoo, stimulating their behavior and research abilities'' Barriers of enclosures that will prevent disturbing animals by noises from visitors. Visitors will walk on foots on sandy tracks. Will raise garden with ficus and fig trees for browse-eaters, and raise goats for food for more treathened carnivores, not african lions, but cheetah, tigers, clouded leopards. And will avoid more invasive and stresfull procedures for immobilisation/sedation/anesthesia, like darting, but will trying with oral/mucosal delivery of anestethics/sedatives like opioides or acepromasine. As I am vet.
You should have that printed on t-shirts and sell them to vet students... As you are (a) vet, you probably know that the consumption of Ficus sp. can be toxic for various animals, including herbivors? And good luck with the oral noninvasive anaesthesia of elapids, especially larger ones...if you can find them in the tunnels. But hey, it's your ideal world...
yes Ficus spp. (as the common one with broad leaves in households) can be iritating (to skin and GIT mucosa) because of the white gum (with ficin enzyme) they contain, but I saw many zoos feeding them to their gorillas, guerezas, rhinoceros etc.) Oh no I taught on oral anesthesia for mammals most, elapids in boxes or tubes with inhalant anestethic or injectible ketamine. Tunnels bigger, wider one for mammals, birds (several types of tunnels). Yes for snakes too, but much narrower and well-isolated (eg. width 1 meter, long 15 metres, with fence of plastic panels 10 cm underground, and 1.5 m above ground). But for Elephants for example, width 5 metres long - around half of the periphery of the zoo eg. 200 metres). So are you vet too? Or what you are actualy work? Are you zookeeper? Private breeder of reptiles? Zoo vet? Passionate animal lover? Just informatively? Your age? And forgot to mention that in the tunnels will not be allowed some animals that pose great possibility to bear some herpesviruses (like equine herpesviruses from zebras) who showed ability to infect various animals, including giraffes. Zebras should be well-isolated from other animals. Also I am highly awara of ophidian paramyxovirus (especially in viperids), so great caution too, in addition to millions of other possible infectious diseases. Can you Batto add something about these topics (just informatively, in sarcastic way as you are used to, I'd like to read something additional , about equine herpesviruses and ophidian paramyxovirus? About elephant endoteliotropic herpesviruses? I am serious no offending.
And forgot to mention that in the tunnels will not be allowed some animals that pose great possibility to bear some herpesviruses (like equine herpesviruses from zebras) who showed ability to infect various animals, including giraffes. Zebras should be well-isolated from other animals. Also I am highly aware of ophidian paramyxovirus (especially in viperids), so great caution too, in addition to hundreds of other possible infectious diseases. Can you Batto add something about these topics (just informatively, in sarcastic way as you are used to, I'd like to read something additional , about equine herpesviruses and ophidian paramyxovirus? About elephant endoteliotropic herpesviruses? I am serious no offending.
You already mentioned that-twice...Funny enough, you seem to ignore the informative bits again and again. You want to read something about EHV, OPV and EEHV? Well, most certainly! Let me google that for you Let me google that for you Let me google that for you There you go; you're welcome. Why should I answer any of these questions to a person who openly stated that he dislikes me? So you know you shouldn't feed Ficus spp. to each and every "browse-eaters"? Then why not mention the preselection in the beginning? As for additional info regarding your tunnel "vision" (which is just an exaggerated fantasy version of Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo360 idea Animal Trails - Philadelphia Zoo), I wouldn't worry that much about infectious diseases, insofar your whole dimensions, location (think climate, and due to that, necessary technology), involved species etc. (not to speak of your strange adversion against snake hooks...^^) don't hold water in real life to begin with. And do you really think that any responsible local authority in the UK (or any insurance companies) would allow you an outdoor tunnel system for large dangerous snakes? What you generally seem to neglect in your concepts is that if (individual) animals don't want to use your tunnels, boxes etc., you will have a hard time with your non-invasive methods to do anything about that. Medical training can be an option, but is time-, cost- and labour-intensive. If you really want to learn more about EHV, EEHV, OPV etc., come to Atlanta this year. zoovet-conference Atlanta 2016 If you have money to offer flight tickets to strangers, then attending this joint conference shouldn't be a problem for you. If your budget is not that big after all, then this might suit you better to get started with the basics: http://www.esavs.net/en/artikel.php?a=1461 Otherwise: Events : WAZA : World Association of Zoos and Aquariums EVENTS EAZA
Well thank you again. Tunnels for venomous snakes, hm will that be problem, if they are fenced with plastic panels and covered with mesh and folia? With fence going underground about 10 cm? and well pressed-substrate? I don't have budget either to offer airplane ticket or to go to USA right know, I wrote like if I eventualy open small zoo when I will got the opportunity - I will pay ticket for some experienced to came and show me. But I can go in places in Europe for such seminars and training courses, this year. Now I do not dislike you, that was on the first reply because of your offendive answers (as I saw them), now I see that you are more like sarcastic in your comments. Can you please tell me more about your proffesion and experience, and age if don't mind to you. Thank you I certantly will never open zoo in UK because there are so much zoos there, even if I could. But in my region yes I would open. And laws can be different here from those in UK. It is not strange aversion to snake hooks, but I would not prefer them for my safety, as I do not have experience, at least till know. About ficus leaves, I never heard that they shoud not be given to some browse-eaters, Yes they are slight toxic-irritable, but can you tell me examples of browse-eaters who should not be fed with them. Probably you think that those who don't poses prae-stomach fermentation chambers or who are not rumminants, should not be fed with ficus (eg. black rhino, tapirs) (because the bacteria and other organisms in prae-stomach chambers would digest the toxic supstances). After all, many plants species in wilderness, and cultivated, contain toxis substances and animals eat them. I will research about those viruses, and lot of more, more deeply, when I will need that, now I am working on some other, so hence I asked you can you give some selected information for them from your eventual personal experience.
To return to the topic: I would look very carefully for a location near a town which is popular with visitors and not far from a major city, but which does not have a zoo already. Chester meets the first two criteria beautifully as it's quite close to two major cities - but it fails the third . Hastings or Brighton might be good, but I don't know much about that area: planning restrictions in the South Downs National Park and the High Weald AoNB might cause problems. The ideal site would be in a gently sloping, south-facing location with some mature trees but generally poor soil; it would also be fairly close to a main road. I would try to have a few large species to pull in the punters, perhaps one of the big cats and a couple of large ungulates, but I would concentrate on the medium sized mammals and a range of birds. The first structures I would build would be housing for the large mammals, a large walk through aviary for selected ducks, gamebirds and softbills plus a range of parrot aviaries and some barless enclosures for small mammals, such as agouti and kusimanse (and I might have to have meerkats too). Alan
I would use a large wooded area to create a historic British wildlife centre, focusing on animals that once lived wild in Britain; Brown Bear Eurasian Lynx Eurasian Wolf Wild boar Eurasian Beaver Aswell as over native species; Otter Badger Polecat Red fox Wildcat Red squirrel Adder Sand Lizard I would offer basic camping facilities with the opportunity of a night tour to catch a glimpse of any nocturnal activities. I would also offer photography experiences with the chance to go deeper into the large enclosure in a ranger driven and supervised jeep. I would like visitors to walk around the site on paths with a small wall on the pedestrian side and a ha-ha dry moat utilised to keep animals within their enclosures. I would also like to participate in reintroduction programs.
