Anyone have any high concept exhibit ideas?

Here's an idea: an Okavango Delta exhibit that is sometimes flooded and sometimes not.

 

A massive seagrass exhibit with Hawksbill, green and Loggerhead sea turtles as well as Tiger sharks

 

An exhibit for giraffes where there is a tunnel which goes directly under the exhibit. In one spot, there would be a medium-sized pool on the ceiling opening out. Here giraffes could get a drink, and visitors could see them do so with the giraffes right above them.

 

Prairie Dog Town
a large 40 acre plot. its surrounded by a buried barrier 3-4 feet deep (whatever it is that keeps the dogs inside. Small herds of Bison , pronghorn and mule deer wander freely in the dog town.
Education emphasizes that cattle and other grazers prefer to graze around the burrows
A path meanders around the border showcasing the 130+ other species animals that depend/utilize upon prairie dogs -coyotes , blackfooted ferrets, burrowing owls, snakes lizards toads etc etc.
A small plot will be for prairie vegetation showcasing a native prairie.

 

Amazonia
Gigantic geodesic dome with free flying parrots, macaws, etc. Monkeys and iguanas also free range. River for caimans,fish, turtles, and capybara. Another river for river dolphins. Enclosures for tapirs, ocelots, jaguars (nets for cats). A river boat tour going through the exhibit on the river (no animals harmed; motor is in cage) with a part that goes underground so people in the boat can see fish and dolphins underwater.

 

Something along these lines perhaps?

 

YES! Something just like that!

 

One idea I have always thought would be cool if possible would be to exhibit an underground species such as golden moles in an artificial transparent substrate. The substrate would have to be regularly replaced obviously, and other problems such as light reflection would have to be figured out, but it is a tantalizing prospect to exhibit a plethora of species zoos have thus far largely ignored.

Examples of what it might look like from plant experiments using a type of transparent gell. Whether this would be safe for fauna im not sure but it gives you an idea of what it could look like:

 

There are gel ant farms.

 

I read in HMW that moles were observed in a tank full of glass beads, to describe how exactly they dig.

But I think that it is not a long-term solution, because no element will mimic air exchange and compactness of soil.

I think optimal for keeping ground-living animals would be a network of horizontal semi-transparent tubes, with red light, and some shallow digging chambers filled with soil about as deep as the height of the animal..

 

A crescent-shaped exhibit around two-metres deep which is divided into two exhibits, with one half home to marsh rabbits Sylvilagus palustris and other for swamp rabbits Sylvilagus aquaticus, complete with underwater viewing and dense vegetation. Graphics and resin models help vistors show the physical difference between the two species.

You could also do the same setup for other species, like allligator snapping turtle vs. common snapping turtles or with certain anatids.

 

From Cloud Forests to Shores
An enclosure about the Andean fauna

The enclosure starts at the top of a mountain, from which point visitors will descend the mountain through various ecosystems until they reach coasts. The first area would be the Cloud Forest which would include a walk-through aviary with various flowers for hummingbirds and other birds, a large waterfall, enclosures for spectacled bears, mountain tapirs and some Amazonian animals such as jaguars, macaws, giant otters, monkeys, caimans, among others. .
Visitors would enter a large tunnel that would simulate the rainforest at night, in which sloths, agoutis, night monkeys, tinamous, pacas, armadillos, bats and potoos would live free.
As they exit the tunnel, visitors encounter an arid and rocky environment. The first enclosure would be a walk-through aviary for condors and possibly other Andean birds of prey. Like hummingbird aviary, visitors would walk through this aviary as if they were descending the mountain. When leaving the aviary there is a large pond for flamingoes, enclosures for vicuñas, viscachas, chinchillas, guinea pigs, culpeos, andean cats, among others. Visitors enter another tunnel that simulates Lake Titicaca's ecosystem with fishes and amphibians. On leaving, visitors will find the Gran Chaco, a tropical savannah area that would have enclosures for peccaries, anteaters, maned wolves, greater rheas, pampas deers, armadillos, several birds of prey and an aviary for blue-throated macaws. Visitors descend further and arrive at the Patagonian fields where they would live maras, lesser rheas and guanacos. There would be a cougar and gray fox enclosures and three outdoors enclosures with several underground burrows. Visitors could see the underground life of skunks, armadillos and viscachas as they descended through a tunnel. When they leave, the visitors see an enclosure for sea lions and fur seals and enter a large aviary (MASSIVE), on one side the walls of the aviary would be rocks, on the other would be railings that would give access to the sea (causing salt water to enter the aviary). The soil would be composed of stones and gravel, in this aviary would live terns, geese, ducks, pelicans, gulls, oystercatchers, boobies, penguins and other seabirds. In the aviary there was also a marine otter enclosure (The enclosure is separated from the penguins for safety reasons.The animals willbe fed with live fish. Visitors enter a cave that gives access to a tunnel in the sea where they could see several species of Patagonian fish.

 

Chitwan Trek
Based on Chitwan National Park in Nepal.
It is a huge walkthrough enclosure (technically an aviary). The main attraction will be a mix of Indian rhino, nilgai antelope, chital deer, gaur, peafowl, cinereous vultures, great egrets, lesser adjutant storks, wreathed hornbills, and rose-ringed parakeets. There are plenty of high areas for birds to live and hide and space for them in which to fly. Several small lakes will be a space where the mammals and birds can mingle, drink, or swim as they do in the wild. There are also separate enclosures for a male rhinoceros, rhesus monkeys, tigers (outside of, but adjacent to and able to be viewed from, the whole large mesh area), honey badger and striped hyena that rotate every day, and a mix of muntjac and Indian crested porcupine. Then the path takes you into the rhino barn. Inside is a dayroom for the rhinos and exhibits for herptiles like elongated tortoises, gavials, and king cobras. Guests exit the barn and the exhibit as a whole through the gift shop.

 

About how many acres or hectares do you imagine are covered by this huge aviary?

 

We priced out a smaller version of building a mountain for a series of exhibits. It came in at USD180,000,000

 

Ants breathe differently from mammals. Gel mammal exhibits may be short-lived.

 

At least five acres would be the most practical amount of land to be under the mesh.

 

Some truly innovative designs presented on this thread thus far.

I have an idea for an Antarctic Dome. The premise is rather simple. A gargantuan geodesic dome with chilled temperatures. The main attractions would be a set of three massive beachside enclosures. One for southern elephant seals, and the other for a large group of antarctic penguins (emperor, gentoo, chinstrap, macaroni), and one with room for over 100 king penguins, to emulate the natural wild groupings. The dome would double as a sea bird aviary, as dozens of species can have free flight access to through the building. Any species that wouldn't interact well with the rest can have their own dedicated aviaries. Underneath the dome would be an equally large (in square footage) room themed around being underneath the surface. The big draw here would be underwater viewing for the penguins and seals via large windows and tunnels. Similar to the polar bear and seal predator and prey set up at Detroit, the penguins and seals can see one another and create the illusion they are sharing the same space. A variety of fish and crustaceans would also be featured in several large aquariums in the same area. Lastly, several large models of toothed whales can be added to fully represent the wildlife of Antarctica.

 

Sounds chilly

 

Yeah, I think the cold temperature would scare off visitors. And I can't think of too many free-flying Antarctic birds that wouldn't try to eat penguin eggs and chicks. The few that I can think of are all tubenoses that probably wouldn't do well in captivity.