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Exhibit Designing Competition

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by Indlovu, 6 Jul 2010.

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  1. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    @ Swedish Zoo Fan: Paix's explanation of semi/fully-aquatic species works for me.

    @ Red Panda: What I meant by that was that I'd rather have people choose one area of the world, for example Indonesia, rather than make a generalized "island" exhibit with animals found on islands from all around the world thrown together. So in this case kangaroos, lemurs, and galapagos tortoises should not all be found in your exhibit.

    Hope this helps
     
  2. redpanda

    redpanda Well-Known Member

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    Ah right, got it now. Cheers.
     
  3. Indlovu

    Indlovu Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Just wondering, how does EST comparer to GMT? ;)
     
  4. siamang27

    siamang27 Well-Known Member

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    I believe it'll be around 10 PM for you at the deadline.
     
  5. Paix

    Paix Well-Known Member

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    Yes it is 10pm 17th July. I checked this morning.
     
  6. Indlovu

    Indlovu Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Right. In that case, I'll take advantage of Saturday and do my 'Lemur World' then :D
     
  7. Kwambeze

    Kwambeze Well-Known Member

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    Hello! If my island will have the name "Borneo" , can I choose some species from island in the area? Not just the Borneo island? Like islands just outside the main land.
     
  8. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Kwambeze, sure, any southeast Asian species would work as long as they're found on some island nation
     
  9. Javan Rhino

    Javan Rhino Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I will end up going for Indonesia, but can this include the Philippines and New Guinea?
     
  10. Paix

    Paix Well-Known Member

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    Wonders of Britian Exhibit!

    As you first enter the “Wonders of Britian” exhibit you pass through an Ancient British Woodland. To your left you see a Red Squirrel jump through the branches, you look again and there are more, all chasing each other in their large aviary, furnished with ferns and ancient oak trees. This is the start of the “Forest Rivers” section of the exhibit. You then enter a small wooden building, this includes many education displays and exhibits for Harvest Mice, Eurasian Water Shrew (A venomous Mammal) and Yellow Necked Mouse. As you leave the building you pass more large exhibits for European Otter, which has a large natural river passing through the exhibit, and Scottish Wild Cat.

    You travel on until you reach a clearing in the forest, which is quite simply called, the “Clearing”. This exhibit includes many animals including Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Short Eared Owl, Pheasent, Capercallie, Cuckoo, Woodlark and a mixed exhibit for Slow Worm, Common Lizard & Great Crested Newts.

    The exhibit carries on, into the third section, named “Wetlands”. This contains two mixed exhibits, one for Barnacle Goose and Egyptian Goose, the other for Widgeon and Pintail. This exhibit also has a small modern building (Sustainable) for Grass Snakes and European Adders.

    As you travel on, the “Meadows and Fields” Section Red Deer, Great Bittern, Grass Snake and A Bee exhibit. This should highlight the importance of Meadows and Bee Conservation! The last sections is a san area, with wooden shelters and a large enclosure for Sand Lizards.

    This is kind of rushed, I hope it ticks all the boxes for the task, I though using Great Britian would give the task a twist.
     
  11. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Yeah Javan Rhino, that's fine.
     
  12. redpanda

    redpanda Well-Known Member

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    Right then, my exhibit is based around the Galapagos archipelago and is called 'Fragile Fragments'. Quite a few of the species are not found in zoos outside the islands but I'm pretty sure they can all be maintained in captivity so I don't think that breaks any rules.

    The exhibit begins with a large exhibition hall called 'The Enchanted Isles'; this features interpretive graphics about the archipelago's location, history, eco-systems and, of course, its wildlife. There are also short videos of interesting animal behaviours as well interactive props such as giant tortoise shells for children to crawl inside and several different shaped beak hand puppets next to objects to manipulate, this is intended to show visitors how Darwin's finches evolved to specialise in different things and is part of a display called ‘Evolution Unchecked’.

    Leaving 'The Enchanted Isles', visitors emerge outside into a dense green forest with low trees and numerous ferns similar to the uplands of islands such as Santa Cruz and Isabella. The curving pathway consists of exposed dirt and is flanked by thick vegetation on both sides. A short way down the trail is an Invisi-net aviary containing a few small bird species such as the vermillion fly-catcher and Galapagos mockingbird which live in this fertile environment. After passing the aviary, visitors notice a large shell amongst the vegetation – a Galapagos giant tortoise. The tortoise pen appears inter-connected with the visitor area, the barriers consisting of fallen logs, rocks and tree-stumps which match others in both the tortoise enclosure and visitor area. Around a corner, visitors emerge into a glade surrounded by forest. The grass is long and dotted amongst it are several more tortoises. The animals can nibble on the low shrubs or take a bath in their heated pool fed by a small stream running through the enclosure.

    The path then descends into the ground and visitors find themselves in a lava tube several metres in diameter, this hints at the volcanic origin of the islands. Near to the cave mouth are several glass-covered “cracks” looking into the tortoise exhibit, but as visitors descend further, they are plunged into darkness. Eventually, a large cavern is entered with a small opening, covered with Invisi-net, far above. The path goes around the cavern walls with fibre-glass tortoise shells and bones in the centre demonstrating how these animals often fall into pits and die. Around the heads of visitors flit hoary and Galapagos red bats (not generally found in lava tubes, but never mind), they are confined to the cavern by rubber strips over the entrance and exit.

    Visitors leave the cavern through a small tunnel before emerging in a long, rectangular hall. The landscape is arid with cacti and prickly pears growing in the sandy ground, and there is a path travelling along one of the longer edges with the boulder-strewn land sloping upwards away from it to form a hillside. There are numerous bird species such as the galapagos dove, hood mockingbird, dark-billed cuckoo, smooth-billed ani and various finches in addition to several galapagos land iguanas which are encouraged to come close with heated rocks near viewing areas. All of the animals are separated from visitors by a wall of Invisi-net running parallel to the path. Outside of the main area are several small, open enclosures for species like lava lizards and Galapagos snakes which have a low glass partition separating them from the visitors.

    To leave the hall, visitors enter a rustic building of Spanish style within which is information about the people of the archipelago. They are encouraged to open cupboards in the kitchen, and on one side is a colony of Galapagos rice rats whilst on the other are Fernandina Rice Rats separated from visitors with glass, there are graphics explaining the differences between these species. Meanwhile, the veranda (again covered with Invisi-net and on the opposite side to the building’s entrance) acts as a viewing area for an interior exhibit for the giant tortoises seen earlier and a pair of Galapagos hawks which are known to rest on the tortoises in the wild. This is done in much the same style as the desert hall but has patches of vegetation which the tortoises cannot access in order to give the hawks perching/hiding opportunities. The pair also have their own tree with hidden feeders and a mister near the veranda to encourage them to remain in view.

    From here, visitors leave the building through a small cave and emerge outside onto a sloping sand dune, strewn with rocks (some of which are heated) and tussocks of pampas grass, which is surrounded by cliffs. The path follows one of these cliffs with a rustic wooden railing separating visitors from the enclosure’s inhabitants: pairs of brown pelican, flightless cormorant and lava heron in addition to small colonies of Galapagos penguin and marine iguana. The path then leads inside to an underwater viewing gallery called ‘On The Edge’ with water coming up to around head-height. As with the sand dune, the pool is surrounded by cliffs including a pinnacle jutting into the water similar to the Pinnacle Rock on Isla Bartolome. There are also rocky islands within the pool, one of which contains a simulated blow-hole (actually just a powerful fountain spraying water into the air at random intervals). Other enrichment includes a wave machine, driftwood floating on the pool’s surface, underwater air jets and live fish dispensers.

    Moving on, visitors leave ‘On The Edge’ and emerge onto a trail which curves round large exhibits for Galapagos sealion and Galapagos fur seal which are frequently rotated. These both feature pools flanked by sandy beaches as well as artificial rockwork on which the animals can bask. In addition, there is a small grandstand built into the rockwork from where visitors can watch frequent behaviour demonstrations in each exhibit. Adjacent to the penguin pool, there is also a large pool which both the seals/sealions and penguins can access to provide enrichment for these species. At the end of the path, visitor’s enter another underwater viewing gallery looking into the seal and sealion pools. There is also glass viewing into a sea bird aviary themed like a coastal forest of black mangrove trees. Birds such as the magnificent frigate, lava gull, and blue-footed booby reside here. Finally, there are several exhibits for small, shore-dwelling creatures like the sally lightfoot crab.

    Leaving the underwater viewing gallery, visitors enter my mixed exhibit of three or more species, a large open ocean tank (I don’t know whether this is cheating, but there are so few species of mammals/reptiles/amphibians that it was really my only option). The viewing window curves over visitors’ heads to make the experience more immersive and depicts a shelf, just before the window, behind which the sea floor drops sharply into deep ocean, the back wall of the tank is painted black so it seems to go on indefinitely. There are numerous small fish in addition to larger species such as the Galapagos and white-tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays and green sea turtles. Lighting shines upwards into the tank, eerily illuminating the sharks’ teeth as they materialise out of the darkness.

    Next is a room about the threats facing the marine environments of the Galapagos with a corny name like ‘Sinking Feeling’ or ‘Something Fishy Going On’ before visitors emerge into a huge hall similar to ‘The Enchanted Isles’ through which they entered. However, this is called ‘The Endangered Isles’ and features displays on threats to the Galapagos and its wildlife such as ‘Alien Invaders’ which consists of a rabbit pen surrounded by graphics on the damage these animals can do to island environments. There are several presenters on hand to talk to visitors in addition to donation boxes, with all funds generated going to the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

    And that’s it, sorry about the length and I hope I kept to all the rules.
     
  13. LizardInsanity

    LizardInsanity Well-Known Member

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    A house full of animals
    Can I do all of SE Asia
     
  14. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    All of Southeast Asia is fine LizardInsanity
     
  15. LizardInsanity

    LizardInsanity Well-Known Member

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    Okay :)

    Journey through Asia

    Entrance:

    When you enter the building you find yourself in a temple.Murals display elephants,deer,tigers,and peacocks.A row of vivariums display 1.0 Borneo Short Tailed Pythons,1.1 Tokay Geckos,0.0.1 Asian Tiger Centipedes,and 1.1 Indonesian White's Tree Frogs.Informative signs are placed under the vivariums to educate guests.

    Sumatra:
    The first section you come to is Sumatra.Towering figs,bamboo,and other rainforest plants trace the sides of the dirt path (which appears to have rhinoceros tracks across it).The first exhibit you come to displays 1.3 Sumatran Orangutans and 1.4 Siamangs.Climbing towers replicating trees and cables meant to look like vines (similar to the National Zoo's O-Line) zig-zag through the forest leading into a second enclosure with a waterfall and creek.Bamboo and other vegetables are hidden in fake logs and rocks for enrichment.In a small garden houses a Raffelesia.The smell is disgusting and bugs are attracted to the stench.You move on to an enclosure that houses 1.0 Malayan Tapir and 1.2 Asian Small Clawed Otters in a river side habitat.A mesh enclosure surrounding a rock formation exhibits 1.1 Bintaroung .A smell box gives out the popcorn smell these animals emit.A keeper outside of the exhibit holds one every 4 hours to allow guests to see one up close and pet it.Another enclosure displays 1.1 Sumatran Tigers and next door 1.0 Sun Bears.They are displayed in a canyon setting populated with tall stands of bamboo.An aviary in this area holds 1.0 Greater Horn bills.Before exiting you finally see the creator of the tracks at the beginning of your trek through Sumatra.1.2 Sumatran Rhinoceros are displayed in a grassy paddock with shade trees and a pond.

    Borneo

    The first enclosure you come to in this area displays 2.6 Large Flying Foxes and 1.4 Island Flying Foxes.They can be seen hanging up side down or feeding on fruit during the day.Next is a mesh enclosure for 0.1 Bornean Clouded Leopards that live in a abandoned hindu temple ruin.A grassy paddock across the root covered path holds 1.4 Sambar Deer and 1.5 Javan Deer.A small Flock of Peafowl is seen darting around in the tall grass looking for insects.Lastly an aviary goes over your head displaying 1.1 of the following:
    Crimson-headed Partridge
    Black-breasted Fruithunter
    Mountain Blackeye
    Pygmy White-eye
    Dulit Frogmouth
    Borneo Island Thrush
    Black-sided Flowerpecker
    Eyebrowed Jungle-flycatcher
    Bare-headed Laughingthrush
    Hose's Broadbill


    Indonesia:The Final Destination
    The final and smallest area is Indonesia.A sandy enclosure holds 1.2 Komodo Dragons.They can bask in real sun light all day long here,or hide in the shade of one of the many small palm trees.A pond with a waterfall also has 2.2 Indonesian Side Necked Turtles in the same enclosure.Guests can buy turtle pellets to feed them.The komodos do not bother them because the water is to deep for their liking and they are lazy and get feed everyday.2 vivariums next door hold 1.1 Timor Monitors and 1.0 Timor Pythons
     
  16. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Hi. Here’s my entry, hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed designing it.

    Secret Wildlife of the Gulf of Guinea

    This series of habitats is based upon the small island nations of Sao Tome and Principe in the Gulf of Guinea, with a dazzling range of endemic and rarely kept species. Visitors start their journey inside the hull of a storm-driven old ship, where visitors can look out through the glass viewing portholes into a large aquarium home to a school of flying gurnard. The aquarium has a rocky 'headland' at either end that seemingly contains the fish, and interactive displays around the portholes allow visitors to watch films of these fish in the wild, digging in the sand with the hands on their wings. Above the waterline, the ship contains more residents, with two large enclosures housing black rats and house mice. Both species are seperated from the visitors by glass, and there is plenty of enrichment in the form of ropes, crates and barrels where food can be hidden to ensure for an active display.

    Upon leaving the ship, visitors walk down a sandy coastal rainforest trail, passing a pair of aviaries. The first houses a group of Congo African grey parrots and the second is home to a breeding pair of the well camouflaged African scops owl. Heading through the forest, visitors then come across a third spacious aviary home to a small group of red-necked francolins and a pair of fork-tailed drongos. Viewing hides at the aviaries enable visitors to get unobstructed views and amazing photographic opportunities of all the bird species on display in these outdoor habitats. Following on from this, there is the largest and most spacious enclosure for any animal in the complex. A well-planted 'island', separated from the public by what is made to resemble a slow-moving riber, with emergent vegetation to make the river appear smaller. Living on this island are a troop of ten Mona monkeys that are encouraged to fully utilise their enclosure by providing naturalistic enrichments, such as hollow logs containing food for them to gain access to. A viewing hide with free binoculars (chained down to prevent stealing) ensures visitors can get excellent views of these primates. Having observed the monkeys in their outdoor state, you continue onwards.

    Coming up next is the indoor area, based upon a cave and a hollow tree, and this is where the majority of the animals live. Upon entering, visitors get a view into a tall aviary, where African green pigeons and endemic maroon pigeons live side-by-side. There is also contained within the cave a small restaurant, the Principe Overlook, where visitors can sit by a large viewing window and observe the swamp habitat, that is made to appear outdoors. Living in this habitat are four bird species, namely the long-tailed cormorant, Sao Tome kingfisher, Allen's gallinule and a group of cattle egrets. If visitors continue on, they pass another forest aviary, this one home to Eurasian golden orioles and Red-bellied paradise-flycatchers. Interactive displays show that the orioles are not year-round natives, and migrate to the islands during the winter, and these boards also briefly explain the concept of migration. Another part of the cave is both indoor and outdoor viewing areas for a pair of African civets that rotate between two indoor caves and the outdoor habitat. The civets also have a view over to the Mona monkey island, so sometimes both species can be observed at the same time. One of the main attractions of the cave is the bat habitat. This enclosure houses over thirty Egyptian fruit bats and twenty straw-coloured fruit bats that swoop about in their huge indoor cave chamber, regularly alighting on their feeding tables before returning to their roosts with a piece of fruit. A final part of the cave is the underwater viewing for the waterbirds, where cormorants and kingfishers dive for food regularly.

    The hollow tree section of the display houses the indoor area for the Mona monkeys, and offers another view into the African civet habitat. The overriding theme in this area is the detrimental effect that these two introduced species, as well as other animals such as the rats and mice, are having on the Gulf of Guinea environment. The indoor area for the monkeys offers the very best in environmental enrichment, with live plants and large rotten logs to play on, a stream for drinking from and playing in during hot weather, and a deep natural substrate that contains natural bioregulators such as hissing cockroaches, woodlice and earthworms, that provide ample foraging opportunities for the monkeys. Also in the hollow tree area is a large display for a pair of common birds in the region, namely the black-headed weaver bird and the pin-tailed whydah, both popular in the exotic bird trade, and another interactive board demonstrates the risk that capturing wild animals plays with their populations. Finally, there is the hollow log, based on a truly gigantic tree that has fallen and started to rot down. The first displays house exotic Gulf of Guinea fungi, that grow in a rotting wood mulch. The walkway through the tree is tall enough to stand up in, and the walls are damp to mimic the feel of the rotting tree trunk. Six large terrariums house a variety of species that enjoy living inside these habitats, and there is also a second enclosure for the final species. Sao Tome whip-scorpions, African giant land snails, endemic species such as the Principe golden burrowing snake and the Sao Tome golden caecilian and the introduced Vietnamese giant centipede all occupy the first five completely indoor habitats, while the sixth enclosure has an access hole to a large vivarium that enables the Sao Tome house snake to bask if it wishes to.

    Finally, there is the conservation section, home to the rarest animals in the display, all of which are listed as threatened of extinction by the IUCN. The display enclosures house non-breeding individuals, or animals that are on a break from breeding, while behind the scenes several other breeding pairs of various species are kept. First, visitors pass a habitat for giant sunbirds, the world's largest species and classified as vulnerable in the wild due to habitat loss and predation by introduced rats and monkeys. Then there is a hollow tree display for Sao Tome giant treefrogs, that presents an excellent example of 'island gigantism' and sadly classified as endangered due to habitat clearence. The next enclosure is a surprisingly large well-planted enclosure for the endangered Sao Tome shrew, one of the rarest native mammals on the island, again threatened by habitat loss, as well as a restricted range and predation by introduced weasels, civets and giant centipedes. The final two enclosures both house the most important breeding programmes in the entire collection. The first enclosure houses a female pair of the critically endangered Sao Tome fiscal, a long-tailed forest shrike that was thought extinct for the best part of the 20th century. Now, as well as the female pair, there are six breeding pairs off display, to help breed this bird, threatened by habitat loss and the effects of introduced rats, civets, weasels and monkeys. The final habitat is a huge netted aviary, filled with dense undergrowth, so that the lone male dwarf olive ibis contained within this enclosure can be a bit of a challenge to finally spot. Historial land clearence and mammalian predators are again, the main risks facing this species. At the end of the conservation area, there is information about the conservation work the zoo does with the region, and a chance for visitors to donate to help save the islands and their species.

    Hope this is all correct.
     
    Last edited: 16 Jul 2010
  17. Fossa dude

    Fossa dude Well-Known Member

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    can they cross over the visitors path way?
     
  18. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It depends on how you design it, remember no free-flight aviaries though! Somebody used a tunnel, that works.
     
  19. Fossa dude

    Fossa dude Well-Known Member

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    Sulawesi's Diversity


    As you drive up to the tropical entrance, you see a old dock with many spice trade sailboats. These boats will sail you to the lush mock Sulawesi Island. As you sail for a couple of minutes, you see the tops of a lot of lush palm trees. As you get closer to the island, you see a building were there is a large food court and gift shop. Once you get out of the building, you follow a dirt and forest floor trail that leads you to a large hut where you can learn about Sulawesi's wildlife, divercity, and many other subjects that actully catch your eye. As you walk out of the building, you see another dock with many canoes. You are then in charge of your journey as you paddle your canoe to the next attraction. If you feel like leisurely paddeling you can easily stop your boat in the shallow river to let the others go by. It doesn't take but a couple of minutes to see the first animal. This is where you can ditch your canoe for someone else to walk the trail or you can keep paddling to the Babirusa. As you skip the walking trail, you drift under a sign that says Pig Islands. The first exhibit you see is right in front of you. It is the Sulawesi Babirusa. The exhibit is much smaller than the rest because this is the newcomers or young adult exhibit. It is surrounded by water with a hot wire fence around the shore. If you don't see them, there is one more exhibit for Sulawesi Babirusa. The next exhibit you see is very close to the shore but still an island. This exhibit is a breeding cage with many parents and young. Three different families share this exhibit on a rotating system. Once you paddle up to the larger exhibit you notice a rock barrier in the water. This is to make it so the pigs can have water to swim in and you always see them very clearly. If you paddle to the side, you can see many mud wallows close to the fence so you are sure to see them. Both of the Babirusa exhibits have an off area for privacy. After the Sulawesi Babirusa, you see three other islands. One is on the left, one is on the right, and the next is farther away in the middle of the river. These first two exhibits are home to the Endangered Togian Islands Babirusa. The exhibits are very lush with a tropical grassland appearance. Each exhibit has a breeding family of this endangered pig. The farther exhibit in the middle of the river is a home to the Buru Bairusa. After the Babirusa Islands, you come upon a larger mountainous island with a sink hole at the front of the exhibit. The sink hole is connected with the mountain, so the Celebes Warty Pig and Endangered Mountain Anoa have access to the mountain. This also provides privacy. The island has a rock barrier fence that you can easily look over into the ditch. As you paddle down the river, the mountains are starting to squeeze in. Waterfalls are all over the steep rocky mountains. As you follow the slow current, you see a cave. Once you drift in you hear many sounds of squeeling Sulawesi Fruit Bats. As you look up, you see hundreds of bats all over the top of the cave. The glass fence on the top of the cave is pointed so the guana falls down into the sides where nets are taken out every week. After you get out of the cave, there is a sign that says stay under the wooden bridge. As you think about what you just read, you see long, tall nets surrounding you as far as your eye can see. You then notice bat guana is falling everywhere. You see the bridge connected to the bottom of the net, so this is where you go to keep from getting droppings on you. This also provides a perfect look into their tropical lush environment. This exhibit grows many fruit trees so the bats can forage like they would in the wild. A tall mountain and waterfall on the right side of the cage serves as a wall and mister. After you get out of the bat orchard, you start to make many large turns. Each turn is an exhibit for many macaque exhibits. The exhibits are very mountianous with a tropical rainforest look. Most of these exhibits have temple ruins spred out all over. The first macaque is the Heck's Macaque, and the second is the Moor Macaque. The current gets swifter as you pass through the Gorontalo, Booted, and Tunkean Macaques. The last Macaque exhibit is a large Sulawesi temple ruin. Visitors from land and canoe can see this exhibit. As the canoe passes through the temple, you see a large family of Celebes Crested Macaques. The temple ruin serves as a bridge so they may cross to two different sides. The walking visitors can look at the temple from the inside and also get a closer view through a larger glass wall. The canoe side lets you see where the troop sleeps at night as well as the other tropical jungle side. This temple also has many artifacts, a Sulawesi ritual dance, and a Sulawesi Market. Once you have explored every nook and cranny of the temple, you then paddle under what you think is the same bat aviary but is now three large birds of prey aviaries. These aviaries are again right over you and on each side of you, netted. The first is the Sulawesi Masked Owl, second is the Sulawesi Hawk Eagle and the third is the Sulawesi Serpent Eagle. On the canoe you can see them flying over you and also at feeding time. On the walking view you are on an elevated path where you can see the canopy and them in full flight. These aviaries are large enough that the birds can fly for long distances. As you make your way out of the aviaries, you notice a barrier in the river and that a sign says paddle boat into the dock. As you get out onto the dock, you see a wooden hut. As you enter, you see many pools, each connected with a small waterfall. These pools are very large with a river current and have glass walls for children to see into the river pools. This exhibit is home to Clown Rasbora, Peaceful Beta, Horsefaced Loach,Bumblebee Goby, Thread-fin Rainbowfish, Celebes Rainbowfish, Rice fish, and Sail Fin Silver Sides. The last pool is secluded from any other fish. This exhibit is home to the Fire Eel. Next you go through the second door. This will lead you to seven tropical vivarium type cages. These cages have the Critically Endangered Sulawesi Forest Turtle, Sulawesi Toad, Four Lined Tree Frog, Banded Bullfrog, and Sulawesi Forest Skink. The other exhibits are home to the Sulawesi Lined Gliding Lizard and Matanna Water Snake. The Gliding Lizard's exhibit is made up of two. One is outside where you can see the gliding in action and the second is a longer inside exhibit. The Matanna Water Snake has an exhibit somewhat like the fish but has land, and is fenced off with glass. The third and final room is a insectarium. This room is a glass bio dome full of plants, butterflies, and moths. For example the Geometrid Moth, Owlet Moth, and the Plume Moth. As you make your way through the bio dome you see many aquariums where other insects live such as Coconut Palm Beetle, Tortoise Beetle, Superb Lynx Spider, and Sulawesi Black Tarantula. Once you make your way out of the Bio Dome, you see many aviaries with a diverse collection. The first exhibit has a barren grassland habitat. The animals that live here are the endangered Maleo and Sula Megapode. These animals also have an off breeding area. The second exhibit has many trees and is home to the Sulawesi Woodpecker and Sulawesi Hornbill. The third is home to the Purple Winged Rollers and the endangered Togian White Eye. After these netted exhibits, you see a glass wall with water on the other side. This exhibit has Sulawesi Kingfisher and Green Backed Kingfisher. There is also a feeding time that the visitors can watch. Once you have seen the Kingfishers catch their food, you go over to a large mound surrounded by netting. This exhibit has hundreds of Purple Bearded Bee Eaters and a Sulawesi Myna couple. Since the zoo cannot harvest bees, they feed them other insects and also have a feeding time where visitors see them catch their food in mid air. As you make your way through the tropical trail, you see one other large aviary. This aviary is home to several species of pigeons and doves all on a rotating system through four exhibits. The birds that you might see are Sombre pigeon, White Imperial Pigeon, Pink Headed Imperial Pigeon, Green Ipierial Pigeon, Maroon Chined Fruit Dove, Sulawesi Ground Dove, and Sulawesi Black Pigeon. After that you focus on the biggest attraction, in the middle of the zoo there is a giant tree with many vines growing all over it. This tree is netted off until it starts branching. The ground also has many plants and vines. This large exhibit is home to the Dian's Tarsier, Pygmy Tarsier, and Spectral Tarsier. The tarsiers come out in the day and night but you are most likely to see them sleeping or not moving in the day. That is why the exhibit is connected to an indoor nocturnal room. Visitors can have access to this nocturnal room. Once you go in, you see six exhibits for the tarsiers, Sulawesi Nightjar, and Sulawesi Shrew. The nocturnal house also has a documentary about the new tarsiers discoveries. After the Nocturnal Room, you start on the dirt trail back to the dock. On your way you see the birds of prey aviaries and the elevated path. As you walk on the high wooden path, you see a pair of knobbed hornbills in a huge rainforest biome. The last exhibits are the Lowland Anoa and Sulawesi Giant Rats. These animals are in a farm environment to show what a sulawesi farm looks like. The next exhibit is netted for the Sulawesi Giant Squirrel to jump around in. On the other side of the exhibit is a mixed species exhibit for Sulawesi Palm Civet, Sulawesi Dwarf Cuscus, and Sulawesi Bear Cuscus. Each animal has its own behind the scenes exhibit if it wants to have some privacy. It also serves as a breeding facility. Then you exit the Sulawesi Zoo Island on the Spice Tribe Sailboat.
     
  20. Indlovu

    Indlovu Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    17 May 2009
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    1,198
    Location:
    London
    Islands Exhibit: MADAGASCAR, MAURITIUS, AND SURROUNDING ISLANDS

    Here's my attempt to win back the ability to set the challenge!
    Attached is a map.

    Here is the species list to go with the map's numbers:
    01 ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISE (GEOCHELONE GIGANTEA), 1:1
    02 RADIATED TORTOISE (ASTROCHELYS RADIATA) 2:1
    03 FOSSA (CRYPTOPROCTA FEROX) 1:1
    04 RING-TAILED MONGOOSE (GALIDIA ELEGANS) 1:1
    05 RED RUFFED LEMUR (VARECIA RUBRA) 2:2
    06 BLACK-AND-WHITE RUFFED LEMUR (VARECIA VARIEGATA) 2:2
    07 SCLATER'S LEMUR (EULEMUR FLAVIFRONS) 1:1
    08 VERREAUX'S SIFAKA (PROPITHECUS VERREAUXI) 1:1
    09 BERNIER'S TEAL (ANAS BERNIERI) 2:2
    10 HOTTENTOT TEAL (ANAS HOTTENTOTA) 2:2
    11 MELLER'S DUCK (ANAS MELLERI) 2:2
    12 WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK (DENDROCYGNA VIDUATA) 2:2
    13 PANTHER CHAMELEON (FURCIFER PARDALIS) 1:1
    14 MADAGASCAR DAY GECKO (PHELSUMA MADAGASCARIENSIS MADAGASCARIENSIS) 1:1
    15 MADAGASCAR RED FODY (FOUDIA MADAGASCARIENSIS)
    16 PINK PIGEON (COLUMBA MAYERI)
    17 MALAGASY WHITE-EYE (ZOSTEROPS MADERASPATANUS)
    18 MADAGASCAR CRESTED IBIS (LOPHOTIBIS CRISTATA) 1:1
    19 HAMERKOP (SCOPUS UMBRETTA)
    20 GREY-HEADED LOVEBIRD (AGAPORNIS CANA)
    21 MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGE (MARGAROPERDIX MADAGASCARIENSIS)
    22 CRESTED COUA (COUA CRISTATA)
    23 RING-TAILED LEMUR (LEMUR CATTA) 2:4
    24 RED-FRONTED LEMUR (EULEMUR RUFIFRONS) 2:2
    25 COMMON BROWN LEMUR (EULEMUR FULVUS) 2:2
    26 CROWNED LEMUR (EULEMUR CORONATUS) 1:1
    27 LAC ALAOTRA GENTLE LEMUR (HAPALEMUR ALAOTRENSIS) 1:1
    28 RODRIGUES FLYING FOX (PTEROPUS RODRICENSIS) 4:9
    29 LIVINGSTONE'S FLYING FOX (PTEROPUS LIVINGSTONI) 6:0
    30 AYE-AYE (DAUBENTONIA MADAGASCARIENSIS) 1:1
    31 GIANT LEAF TAILED GECKO (UROPLATUS FIMBRIATUS) 1:1
    32 MADAGASCAR HISSING COCKROACH (GROMPHADORHINA PORTENTOSA)
    33 MAGASCAR TREE BOA (BOA MANDITRA) 1:1
    34 TAIL-LESS TENREC (TENREC ECAUDATUS) 1:3

    So now I describe it...
    As you enter, straight ahead are indoor areas for Radiated Tortoises and Aldabra Giant Tortoises. As you walk to the left of this, you see the outdoor area of the Radiated Tortoises, before finding yourself observing a mixed 'Duck Pond' (species listed above). Carrying on down a path, you see 3 Islands. One features a mixture of Ruffed Lemur species, and the other two contain Sclater's Lemurs and Verreaux's Sifaka. You then reach the Nocturnal House, and as the door closes behind you you are plunged into darkness. After becoming a bit more orientated with your surroundings, you follow a trail, which allows you to view a large Aye-Aye enclosure. Continuing on, you view a vivarium for Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. As you turn the corner, there are more vivaria, one housing Giant Leaf Tailed Geckos, and the other housing Madagascar Tree Boas. As you turn another corner you can view an enclosure for a small group of Tail-less Tenrecs. Then, as you turn right, there are a series of 'peeking holes' which allow you to view an enclosure for a group of Rodrigues Flying Foxes, who share their enclosure with a bachelor group of Livingstone's Fruit Bats.
    As you exit the Nocturnal House, there is an Island for Lac Alaotra Gentle Lemurs, and as you continue along the path, there are two more. The smaller of these houses Crowned Lemurs, and the larger houses a mixture of Common Brown Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemurs and Red-fronted Lemurs. Then you reach the tropical hall (pay no attention to what the map says), which has had plans changed from two floors down to one, making the map incorrect. In the centre of the hall, there are vivaria for Panther Chameleons and Madagascar Day Geckos. Down the sides of the hall there are several single-species aviaries (see 15-22).
    As you leave the Tropical House, you meet our pair of Ring-tailed Mongooses, and as you walk around this enclosure, you come to a larger enclosure for a pair of Fossa. You then reach the outdoor area for the Aldabra Giant Tortoises, before finding yourself back where you started.

    Please do tell me if there are any issues with my (albeit late) entry.
     
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