Anyone have any high concept exhibit ideas?

Most chameleons are prone to being stressed out by noisy & "palpable" humans (which a certain number of zoo visitors unfortunately are). A walk-through chameleon exhibit on a large scale (such as Zürich's Masola rainforest complex) might work, but even there I have observed visitors harassing chameleons.

 

I would design it in such a way that the visitors couldn't interact with them. Perhaps I should just go for the normal reptile house style instead, with glass in front of each habitat.

 

Or maybe a glass dome (like in some tanks).

 

I'm pretty surprised the dome design (along with tunnels) doesn't really get used much beyond aquariums. I bet it would look pretty awesome for tropical exhibits.

 

If I am right about what you are thinking, it wouldn't be big enough to give the chameleons proper arboreal space. Again, ventilation would be an issue.

 

I think you got it wrong. Chameleons will not be inside a dome, the guest will be inside a dome watching the chameleons outside.

 

Oh, that's a great idea. However, since the chameleons would be high in the air, it'd have to be an odd dome.

 

It would be nice a lot of branches above the dome.

 

What about a zoo with an eighteen-acre Elephant Sanctuary?

 

That would be nice in a zoo. A spot for elderly elephants maybe.

 

Okay, so how about this: Real Amazon. The entire zoo is designed to resemble the Amazon Rainforest and give guests the feel of actually walking in the rainforest. All of the plants would be kinds you could find in the Amazon. Barriers (obviously you don't want guests approaching a caiman, or jaguars to have the chance to snack on the macaws, ha ha) would be kept as invisible as possible to maintain this feel. There would even be a full river running through the zoo, containing Amazon river dolphins and Amazonian manatees swimming freely through it. (of course, the river would not go through any areas containing animals that would be a threat to the dolphins and manatees) Most of the pathways would be dirt, to further the natural feel. Bridges all guests to cross over the river, and elevated pathways would take them high into the canopies.

 

A exhibit divided into three parts. Bison and Horses on either side of a central enclosure exhibiting Lions. The exhibit is U-shaped. A central plaza with a life sized sculpture of a four Mammoths...including a calf...facing off against two short-faced bears. One bear on all fours, the other standing upright. A second U-shaped exhibit on the other side of the plaza. In the center is an aviary complex exhibiting Golden Eagles and Condors. On either side of the aviary is an enclosure for Brown Bears and another divided between Spotted Hyenas and Dholes. Beringia!

 

I have two ideas

One is a 'Gliding House' containing large enclosures where gliding snakes, frogs, lizards, possums, scaly-tails and squirrels would have enough space to glide between branches. I don't think I've ever seen a gliding animal glide.

The other idea is similar to the Bronx Zoos 'House of Birds', but it would be a massive aquarium tank where visitors would enter to see animals that live at the surface of the sea and would then go along a sloping path to see animals at different levels, ending up with deep sea animals. As this is a Fantasy Zoo, I can dream.

 

Falconry display done on high tower or a top of the hill, so that the birds would fly around and below visitors.

 

Exhibit where chimpanzees can pick yogurt from a cup held by a visitor using sticks - though the holes in the viewing window. Under supervision, during feeding presentations, naturally.

One American zoo has something similar, where gorillas can stick their hands through the glass into visitors area and pick sunflower seeds from the cache. Anybody knows which zoo?

Bear exhibit where viewing window has a row of tiny holes. They are normally blocked by a panel of glass. During feeding time, they are open. Bears can stick tongues through the holes, and lick raisins or popcorn from visitors hands.

 

You could also add Ethiopian Wolves...

 

I always thought an ocean exhibit like that would be pretty cool. And yeah, this thread is for high concept exhibits, go as crazy as you want!

 

A bit like what the New England Aquarium hoped for with their Giant Ocean Tank 47 years ago but done on a massive scale
Giant Ocean Tank

 

Have you seen this? I'm going to guess you'll love it; Jurassica

 

The specimens from the museum at Emmen Zoo were auctioned off on Tuesday. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/summers-place-auctions/catalogue-id-srsum10025 has the details of the lots.