This last post of yours illustrates that you neither understand the difference between a private fancier's collection and a zoo open to the public nor how to run a business, Nikola. And you are wrong again: facilities only showcasing domestic animals, such as Haustierpark Lelkendorf or Arche Warder, are considered zoos. Unlike your various "super-spectacular" zoos in the air, they actually exist. Just like my facility, which you so nicely devalued. Furthermore, nicolas actually mentioned that his concept is not limited to pet species.
I'm honestly at a loss of words, Nikola. A grain of respect for the zoochatters attempting to follow their dreams would be welcome. I'd love to read more about this park, @nicholas, and don't let people living in their own absurd fantasy world change your vision; if I'm ever in the neighbourhood, it seems like a wonderful place to spend a couple hours, and you've only just mentioned a few of your species!
I deliberately chose not to mention wild species in my first post for two reasons; first, I don't think it matters to the average visitors, and second because I find those lists SO boring, personally. Funny to see that it's been the "not mentioning species" that seamed to elicitate the most responses. Not that I don't understand the interest, but I was hoping more people would share my view that it is the enclosure that matters and not the animal. Never mind, I'll describe the enclosures for the wild species in more detail when I have more time, and I will even write the scientific names of the species I hope to have there.
Thank you. Thinking about it, for further diversity I would add Plumhead Parrakeets, showy, good mixers and less damaging to vegetation than many parrot species.
I would certainly agree that the enclosures matter, as a frame for the animal, to show its natural setting and promote natural behaviour. Certainly this is as relevant to domestic as it is to wild species.
My general experience is that both the enclosures and the animals themselves are important. Having great animals in very boring enclosures is just as bad as having splendid enclosures without any visible animals (or with nearly identical animals over and over again). I do like your overall concept, but I can garantee you that you can't make it completely perfect. You will always have animals or staff members that have a bad day. You will always have visitors (or ZooChatters ) that don't appreciate the concept. And animals will always find creative ways to work against you .
But immagine, If I was opening a zoo, and presented that on zoochat, probably I would be ''mauled'' or criticized a lot; you don't have experience, you don't know this, you don't know that, that is not correct, etc., as with many fantasy threads in the past.
The last part of your statement says it all really. What you posted was fantasy, Batto has actually opened a zoo and nicholas is in the process of opening one. There is a major difference so you should at least be supportive as you all have the same goals. I won't comment on the deleted parts of your post other than I do feel that you were extremely rude!
I've started reading this thread and I have full faith that Nicholas will build a zoo. His plans are realistic and also interactive. I wish you the best of luck!
Nikola, what I have been noticing over a couple of threads about you're zoo ideas or in other threads (Batto's how to start a zoo, Shattered glass reptile exhibit, etc) You seem to have a slight misunderstanding on the advice people give to you on zoochat. Please note that I am not trying to hijack the thread. If I am in any way please tell the staff of zoochat to delete this post. I'm also not trying to attack Nikola in any way. When someone tells you that something is wrong with you're ideas, you listen and make those ideas better. You don't respond to defend yourself. I noticed it when you came up with your shattered glass reptile exhibit. Many of the enclosures were too small or too large. When people questioned you on this, not only you were stubborn and kept the design relatively the same, you then come on this thread and brag about how you're zoo will be better than Batto's. You also say that Nicholas' zoo is not a real zoo. (If I'm misinterpreting what you are saying please discuss with me privately and not on this thread) I understand you have vet experience and you have an understanding on how the whole zoo business works, but if you can't take criticism, you're not ready to build a zoo. I know I sound pretty ridiculous. I can imagine people rolling their eyes after my "building a zoo" phase. But what I'm saying is just pure truth. Until then... TheEthiopianWolf
So am I the only one really liking these ideas? An owner of 0.2 guinea pigs myself, I have a slight bias, but it always brings me joy in the morning to feed them. So opening it up to other visitors, gets a thumbs up from me . However, you mentioned a petting pen. I remember back when the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Or Wild Animal park) had young hand raised exotic hoofstock for petting. Having that at your zoo would interest both the general public and us zoo nerds.
@Nikola Chavkosk Listen, Batto, Brum, Vision and Ethiopian Wolf already said it so there is no point in repeating it, but you have got to draw that line between Fantasy and Reality! Nicholas is working hard to get to make a dream of his a reality. The least you could do is congratulate him for it or compliment his admiration. I get it, if you want to give your thoughts and constructive criticism, which is completely fine. However, don't say that you don't like the idea and then brag about your overly ambitious fantasy zoo. I'm not trying to mean, I'm not. None of us are. The only reason why we keep criticizing you and giving you advice, is because you cant seem to get it! I know this is off topic and this post will most likely get deleted, but I just had to say it because you just won't listen. We are just trying to help!
I'm sure that would be a wonderful experience for visitors, but I really hope all young will be feed by their parents.
Given how dangerous for the staff adult male hoofstock can be when handraised and how easily visitors can overfeed, stress or infect your livestock by accident, I don't think that this is a good idea...even if SD Zoo is doing it.
Thanks to everyone offering encouraging words and scepticism about my plans. I try to analyse everything I read. My plans are not only something I've worked up in my head on my own, but actually my own experience from working in zoos. Watching visitors and giving guided tours. Too many visitors run from enclosure to enclosure, barely staying long enough to remember what colour the animal had. I my view, that's neither the visitors fault, nor the animals (not being interesting enough). It all comes down to how it's presented. If the average visitor gets to see an animal close enough, and the animal is expressing a natural behaviour, then it won't matter the slightest if it's rednecked wallaby or a pademelon. My zoo will be aimed at average visitors (but zoo-nerds will be welcome and zoochatters will have free entry ) and it will aim at pleasing everyone. I know it won't please everyone. I'm not that naive. Some people will think the guided tour is too long. Some will think it's too short. There will be endless things that someone might complain on, and at the planning stage here, there will be endless things that you could do differently (please though, continue with your suggestions for changes, I truly appreciate the feedback and your thoughts). But, my point about pleasing everyone is about the attention to detail. Enough about that, I'm gonna describe the enclosure for the first wild animal, which will be Macaca sylvanus. You'll enter the forest which is made up of large pines and some deciduous trees, ferns and a few large rocks. It's not too far from how the cedar and oak forests in northern Morocco look. You will walk among the macaques and the guide will talk about them, their behaviour and their plight in the wild. To make the exhibit even more interesting, I will have some dreaded domestics there too. The visitors will of course not be able to touch the macaques, but I hope their wish to pet something will be fulfilled by having goats and miniature donkeys there. If it works well the young barbary macaques and the young goats might play together, and if it doesn't work with babies I still think this mixed exhibit will be very popular. From here you will walk into the next walk-though exhibit. It will be almost entirely made up of deciduous trees of all sizes, with some tropical looking plants planted to make the experience more jungle like. There will be little or no undergrowth, just leaf litter and sand, again to simulate the appearance of a rainforest, or tropical forest. There will be a few more open places, where sun allows the radiated tortoises to bask. I'll also try to put heat lambs underneath logs in thicker forest to allow them to have more choices. They will only be exhibited outdoors, and then of course only when the weather allows it. There will be a group of lemurs, which species will have to be decided later, depending on what is available and in need of holders. I would also like to investigate the possibility of having ringtailed vontsira or narrow-striped boky as part of this mixed exhibit. More exhibits to follow.
I wholeheartedly agree; this coincides with my personal experiences and observations as well as the related literature. You have to guide the interested (sic) visitor to allow for a better individual experience, a better educational effect and last but not least, a more respectful attitude & behaviour towards the animals. I do think that this is a solid alternative to the "mass processing" in major zoos. You might be taken up on that in the future, given that you might not live too far away from me...
