For several years prior to the announcement of Madagascar, the Lion House was supposed to become a flooded forest exhibit. I'm not sure how far the planning for that exhibit progressed (anyone else know?), but using some of the same ideas in the similarly sized Monkey House might work well.
Yes, on the old Lion House throughout the 1990's there were postings discussing the upcoming Flooded Forest. It never started construction; however I remember clearly it was supposed to have housed anaconda, caiman, piranha, jaguarundi, bush dog and giant otter, among others. I never saw any plans so I don't know details; but ultimately maybe it was good this wasn't built because I don't know if giant otters and bush dogs would do well in an all indoor exhibit. I would have loved bush dogs and a greatly expanded and upgraded otter exhibit for giant otters in the current Children's Zoo.
I had always imagined that the Flooded Forest would be part indoor and part outdoor - I remember many of those species listed, and I agree that it would have been sad if giant otters and bushdogs were relegated to all-indoor exhibits. I don't remember when the signs came down - I know they were still up in 1996, but after that, I didn't make it back to the zoo until 2001, and I don't recall when Madagascar was announced. Anyone know anything more about the timeline? Was there ever any reason given as to the change in plans?
I know up until at least 1999 (when CGF opened) that the Flooded Forest plan was on the Lion House. As a kid I assumed that would be the next big exhibit. However; at least by 2003-2004 Madagascar was announced as the next big exhibit and construction actually began. I do not know why the exhibit changed. It could have been because the original plan came from the late 1980's-early 1990's. They might have realized it might not be feasible to put large species like giant otters indoors. Or what I think is likely; Madagascar is a conservation and biodiversity hot spot that the WCS does a lot of work in that has been highlighted. And at the time for US zoos, there was no comprehensive Madagascar exhibit other than lemur displays. So it allowed the zoo to have another unique and World Class exhibit. I agree that a Flooded Forest type exhibit should have indoor and outdoor elements unless only small species are being displayed.
It's fantasy. If the ABB was rethemed as Australian the kiwis would stay. If not; my ultimate Bronx Zoo renovation ideas would try to fit them in a possible new World of Darkness or into the World of Birds in a dedicated and nocturnal exhibit. I somehow in the last day actually wrote out several ideas for the future of the zoo, both ideas of areas I think the zoo will renovate next and just areas I'd like to see refurbished.
I think WOB needs a face lift I love being with the birds but the aesthetic is very dated. Also, I'm gonna preach to the choir by saying that something needs to be done with the monorail. My dream would be a world class-elephant-rhino habitat that stil incorporates the handsome hoof-stock collection.
... The question I ask myself is: Has something been planned? The orangutan was more of a reminder of my profile picture and a species that might be of interest to the Bronx and not something I read somewhere ...
I think it was according to William Conway or someone else (one of the higher-ups) that orangutans were originally planned for JungleWorld but were cut because they didn't want apes in an all indoor space (or something like that).
It was a financial decision at the time, not a concern about all-indoor living (which of course has not been a problem for the gibbons, other primates and tapirs for 35 years).
Could a new wing for orangs work with the existing JungleWorld complex with modified blueprints based off of the original concept? (along with an "O-Line" among the trees in the Wild Asia Plaza akin to Singapore's free-ranging orangutan habitat? in terms of crowns of hotwire)
No, the site of the planned wing is now occupied by a major Cogeneration plant. If Bronx were ever to tackle a new orangutan exhibit, they would almost certainly not use a 40 year old concept plan as a starting point.
Well, technically anything is possible, given time, space, and money, but Asia is covered largely by the monorail, with excellent hoofstock meadows, and exhibits featuring a single elephant, Amur tiger, and rhino. As it is, one can only spend the 1" it takes to pass each of these last three observing them, which is a major limitation. I've come to think the best way to adapt this system to one that allows people to spend unlimited time with the signature species is to build new, expansive habitats for the elephants and rhinos (perhaps with a combined barn) and tigers and perhaps orangutans right on the shoreline over the river, reachable either by a pedestrian bridge or a monorail stop, with stairs/ramps leading down to the exhibits. Then people could spend as much time as they wish seeing and observing these species and then board the monorail for the rest of the trip. The opposite shore where Asia exists is quite expansive and should have more than enough room for this with some rearranging of areas and possibly the monorail route. Asia is SO heavily hoofstock now that bigger exhibits of elephants, rhinos, tigers, and orangutans would make for a more balanced representation of Asia's fauna.
