Humble small zoo

You must either be extremely rich or greatly overestimating the popularity of penguins. They are just not worth the effort and especially costs involved in buying them in Japan and transporting them to your zoo.

 

In a temperate climate, being open in winter is largely an advertisement for summer. I know many places that don't make any profit during winter. You ask how they survive. Similar to squirrels and jays, they hoard money and stash it.

 

Well which species are 1) draws to punters and 2) cost effective for that purpose. Large carnivores are a must for that but what else? Chimps are rare, difficult and dangerous. Gibbons, like penguins, seem rare now.

Social mongoose, small platyrrhines and lemurs are easy and hold crowds, but not draw them in.

 

I'm not sure whether you don't know what a leitmotif is or whether I don't get your humor...

For the bureaucratic and financial investment to get penguins from Japan, you could get a lot more popular and affordable animals, building elements etc. instead. Maybe the most relevant species for your "humble" fantasy zoo should be cash cows and geese laying golden eggs.

 

Which popular and affordable animals do you suggest?

The standard ones I have in mind: meerkats, short clawed otters, foxes, rock hyraxes, crested porcupines, small monkeys, lemurids. squirrels, owls, parrots, hornbills. And even more often overlooked such as hutias, grisons and tayras that are active and should appeal to children as much as zoo nerds. These keep people watching but people don't go to the zoo just to meet ringtail lemurs, they want to see charismatic zoo fauna like large primates and felids.

The problem is the ABC animals suited to a small zoo. Elephants and polar bears for example are out of the question whereas lions and tigers are not.

 

That is something I would like to see, an active hutia. In my experience a geriatric 95 year old shows a higher activity level, even at dinner time.

 

They are active in social groups and were so at Rotterdam Oceanium and are now entering the pet trade. They are at least as active as lemurs which are active enough to amuse visitors especially children.

 

That you mean you have seen them active at some point doesn't mean they are that regularly, the hutia groups I have seen (Munich, Prague, Rheine & also the ones in Rotterdam) were slow at best and they will never be as active as lemurs. And lemurs are also charismatic, were most people will only see an oversized rat when looking at a hutia....

 

Most people won't even know or care what a hutia is.

 

Well suggest me more fauna. And tell me how to best do the reptile house and aquarium, in your views.

 

I can only refer to previous entries on the questionableness of animal species lists by Chlidonias and others, including myself:
List of Zoochat Members Wanting to Found a Zoo
Once you get everything set and your network to work, obtaining animals isn't so much an issue; keeping your animals and the associated business alive, healthy and prospering is.
I still fail to see a coherent (business) concept in your ideas and suggestions.

 

You must be strong SealPup to withstand all these suggestions or critics, don't give up from your plan for zoo or intentions to reply. Many zoochatters had passed a similar experience while presenting their ideas about a fantasy or a planed zoo. At one time, I have been told that every thread about opening a zoo that I will post, it will be deleted.
Batto on the other side, had always seemed like it is against opening a personal zoo, until he revealed to us his project for his zoo a few months ago.

 

The business plan is to sustain the collection after the initial investment. Isnt that obvious? How difficult is that, location permitting?

 

I think you are missing the point, as the suggestions can be critical, that means not that you should withstand them, but you should take them seriously. People that are taking their time to read one's ideas and respond to them have invested energy to give helpful feedback. When the feedback is not so positive, take it seriously and learn from it.

Batto and many others here are not against anyone who wishes to open a personal zoo, as long they trust that the idea is sound and the zoo is viable (which includes more than just a species list....). People are however critical, with good reason, to plans that are not good. Does it mean that it is impossible to open a zoo, no. But it does means that it takes some good effort before it will find approval....

 

Please do not depict this and similar discussions as the modern equivalent of a pillory and yourself as (a) martyr(s); this would be both detractive and incorrect. Just read what lintworm wrote and think it through.

Maybe because you spammed the whole forum with a flood of such threads?

Do you want to reproach me for that?

Apparently, no, it isn't. Is that your complete business plan or is there more to it?

 

We might also have a different definition of a business plan.

 

I honestly do not mind the criticism: I do think I am talking at cross purposes with some ppl here as something seems amiss with the conversation that I don't get.

It is fairly easy to construct a greenhouse for animals and I have experience doing this: also with aquaria of various sizes, arachnids, reptiles including hot herps etc. I think the criticisms are 1) lack of a business plan, 2) initial outlay on buildings. Correct?

The house could be converted if necessary.

 

How feasible is it, to simply open an animal collection to the public, to pay the bills in tourist season - and hopefully earn ahead for the cold season?

 

Very feasible if your animal collection is of high quality in has a good location. Like any other business, if you deliver quality, you have a chance of becoming successful. There are guarantees though.