When i was bored i made a list of animals id keep if i had my own zoo. and here is the result. Okapi Giraffe Bongo Red River Hog Black Rhino Sulawesi Crested Macaque Malayan Tapir Golden Lion Tamarin Rhinoceros Hornbill Hyacinth Macaws Red Panda Pied Tamarin Blue Throated Macaw Golden Conure Capybara Clouded Leopard Lar Gibbon Great Indian Hornbill Indian Rhino Congo Peafowl Babirusa African Wild Dog Red Breasted Gesse Red Crowned Crane Lion Tailed Macaque Ring Tailed Lemur Red Ruffed Lemr Black And White Ruffed Lemur Bali Starling Scimitar Horned Oryx Victoria Crowned Pigeon Scarlet Ibis Komodo Dragon Black Lion Tamarin Geoffreys Marmoset Red Bird Of Paradise Sumatran Orangutan Bornean Orangutan Mandrill Carriibean Flamingo Spectacled Bear St Lucia Amazon Parrot Addax Philippine Spotted Deer Pink Pigeon Blue Crane Visayan Warty Pigs Congo Buffalo Javanesse Green Peafowl Elongated Tortoise Coati Javan Langue Chilean Flamingo Asian Elephant Grevys Zebra Aloatran Gentle Lemur White Stork Tuatara Golden Pheasant Bactrian Camel Red Tailed Amazon Parrot Superb Spero Starling Southern Cassowarry Pere David Deer Brazilian Tapir Snow Leopard Palawan Peacock Pheasant Crocodile Monitor Przwalskis Wild Horse Red Vented Cockatoo Blue Poison Arrow Frog Mauritius Kestrel Derbyan Parakeet Azure Winged Magpie Reticulated Python Great Argus Pheasant West African Crowned Crane Golden Headed Lion Tamarin Meerkat Golden Cheeked Gibbon Belangers Tree Shrew Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove Cotton Topped Tamarin Buffy Headed Capuchin Pygmy Hippo RoulRoul Partridge Lowland Anoas Spectacled Owl Persian Onager Writhed Hornbill Wrinkled Hornbill Azaras Agouti Snowy Owl Rodriuges Fruit Bat Red Crested Turaco Great Blue Turaco Kafue Flats Red Lechwe Arabian Oryx Red Tailed Racer Siberian Tiger Diana Monkey Lilac Breasted Roller Rhinoceros Iguana East African Green Mamba Jamaican Boa Blue Bellied Roller Demoiselle Crane Blue Throated Conure Golden Capped Conure Madagascan Tree Boa Griffon Vulture European Black Vulture Warthog Green Tree Python Mindano Bleeding Heart Dove Red Footed Tortoise Green Cheeked Amazon Parrot Ecuadorian Amazon Parrot Nicobar Pigeon Humboldts Pengin Snouted Cobra Red Billed Currasow Sloth Bear Lowland Gorilla Aye-Aye Kea Yellow Backed Chattering Lorry White Faced Scoops Owl Great Grey Owl Green and Black Poison Arrow Frog Bintorung Asian Small Clawed Otter Palm Cockatoos Gabon Viper Gaur Laughing Kookaburra Burmese Brow Antlered Deer Blue Winged Kookaburra Eurasian Spoonbill Green Tree Monitor Dama Gazelle Sitatunga Mandarin Duck Madagascan Teal Red Crested Pochard Indian Sarus Crane Prevost Squirrel Fishcers Turaco Schalows Turaco Livigstone Fruit Bat Red Fronted Macaw Mangrove Monitor Golden Poison Arrow Frog Spiny Turtle Radiated Tortoise Tawny Frogmouth Banteng Mount Apo Lorikeet Papuan Lorikeet Soccoro Dove Visayan Tarictic Hornbill Beaded Lizard Gila Monster White Eared Pheasant Salvadoris Pheasant Malayan Crestless Fireback Pheasant Silvery Marmoset Dhole Red And Blue Lorry Timor Sparrow
As an NZer glad to see Tautara and Kea make your list, but no Kiwi..? Not many Amphibians on that list...
Cool list, some great species!Im afraid i wasnt bored when i wrote mine! those highlighted in red are species im particularly interested in! Lowland Gorilla Spot-nosed guenon Mandrill Drill Golden-bellied mangabey Colobus Gelada Coqueral’s sifaka Belted ruffed lemur Ring-tailed lemur Sclater’s black lemur White-fronted lemur Red-bellied lemur Crowned lemur Mongoose lemur Broad nosed bamboo lemur Western gentle lemur Aye-aye Fat-tailed dwarf lemur Lesser mouse lemur White tiger African lion Cheetah Clouded leopard Marbled cat Rusty spotted cat Amur leopard cat Temminck’s golden cat Black-footed cat Oncilla Maned wolf Bat-eared fox Fennec fox Artic fox Aardwolf Walrus Giant otter Short-clawed otter Red-shanked douc langur Golden-cheeked gibbon Stump-tailed macaque Pygmy slow loris Lesser tree shrew Phillippine tarsier Senegal galago Potto Buffy-headed capuchin Black howler monkey Woolly monkey Red uakari Squirrel monkey Black saki Red titi monkey Bolivian grey titi Collared titi Dourocoulli White-handed tamarin Emperor tamarin White-bellied pygmy marmoset Giant panda Red panda Meerkat Ring-tailed mongoose Narrow-striped mongoose Binturong Masked palm civet Owston’s palm civet Sri Lankan golden palm civet Otter civet Yellow-throated martin Siberian weasel Marbled polecat Kinkajou White-nosed coati Striped skunk Indian rhino Malayan tapir Baird’s tapir Lowland tapir Mountain tapir Asian elephant Manatee Aardvark Rock hyrax Common hippo Pygmy hippo Red-river hog Warthog Visayan warty hog Capybara Pacarana Paca St. Vincent’s agouti Acouchi Prehensile-tailed porcupine North American tree porcupine Siberian chipmunk Red squirrel Prevost’s squirrel Cloud rat Crested rat Desmarest hutia Naked mole rat Gambian mole rat Ground squirrel Giant flying squirrel Striped grass mice Madagascan jumping rat Plains viscacha Echidna Giant anteater Tamandua Silky anteater Fairy armadillo Hairy armadillo Hoffman’s two-toed sloth Rothschild’s giraffe Common zebra Lesser kudu Bontebok Springbok Gerenuk Beira Dik-dik Okapi Eastern bongo Yellow-backed duiker Zebra-backed duiker Jentick’s duiker Golden takin Central Chinese goral Greater mouse deer Lesser mouse deer Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo Red kangaroo Yellow-footed rock wallaby Bridled nail-tailed wallaby Quokka Hairy-nosed wombat Koala Yellow-bellied glider Feather-tailed glider Musky rat kangaroo Spotted cus-cus Long-nosed potoroo Tasmanian devil Spotted quoll Livingstone’s fruit bat Rodrigues fruit bat Straw coloured fruit bat Tear-drop fruit bat Seba fruit bat Tent bats Golden-rumped elephant shrew Giant elephant shrew Darwin’s rhea Cassowary Ostrich Emu Kiwi East African crowned crane Wattled crane Paradise crane White-napped crane Saddle-billed stork Storm’s stork Lesser flamingo Hyacinth macaw Sun conure Leadbeater’s cockatoo Glossy black cocatoo Masked lovebird Grey headed lovebird Double-eyed fig parrot Blue-crowned hanging parrot Rainbow lorikeet Dusky lorikeet Fijian collared lorie Horned parakeet Blue-crowned pigeon Nicobar pigeon Green-naped pheasant pigeon Mindanao bleeding heart dove Fruit pigeon Temminck’s tragopan Cabot’s tragopan Indian peafowl Helmeted guinea fowl Congo peafowl Edward’s pheasant Golden pheasant Palawan peacock pheasant Chinese monal White-bellied bustard King vulture Striated caracara Secretary bird Harpy eagle White-faced scops owl Philippine fish owl Great grey owl Pygmy owl Burrowing owl Kookaburra Micronesian kingfisher Guirra cuckoo Kagu Black-necked swan Black swan Egyptian goose Andean goose Red-breasted goose Emperor goose African pygmy goose Green pygmy geese Indian pygmy geese White-winged wood duck Rajah shelduck Australian shelduck S.African shelduck Mandarin duck Hartlaub’s duck Baikal teal Ringed teal Madagascan teal Hottentot teal Chiloe wigeon Rosybill King eider Smew Long-tailed duck White-faced whistling duck Red-billed whistling duck Steamer duck Barrow’s golden eye Harlequin duck Hammerkop Night heron Madagascan crested ibis Southern bald ibis Scarlet ibis Pink pelican Australian pelican Brown pelican Fairy blue penguin Yellow-throated laughing thrush Bali starling White-crested turaco Great blue turaco Eygptian plover Ground hornbill Sulawesi hornbill Von der decken’s hornbill African long-tailed hornbill Visayan wrinkled hornbill Toco toucan Keel-billed toucan Southern screamer Grey winged trumpeter Carmine bee-eater Jacana Sun bittern Roul-roul Hummingbird Hooded pitta Phillipine crocodile Chinese alligator Dwarf caiman Tuatara Aldabra giant tortoise Red-footed tortoise Matamata Madagascan day gecko Klemaeri day gecko New Caledonian giant gecko Fijian banded iguana Rhinoceros iguana Green iguana Panther chameleon Prehensile tailed skink Fernando po fire skink New Guinea blue-tongued skink Gila monster Emerald green tree monitor Green anaconda Gaboon viper Eyelash viper Mandarin newt Oriental ire-bellied newt Cane toad Blue poison dart frog Golden poison dart frog Strawberry dart frog Golden mantilla Tomato frog Rainbow burrowing frog Marbled burrowing frog Japanese giant newt Argentine horned frog Vietnamese mossy frog Bird dropping frog Lemon tree frog
Those in red Al are these animals you would like to see at Belfast or Belfast are interested in getting? Excluding those that are there already.
I would have more but my favorites are- Okapi Clouded Leopard Malayan Tapir(Especially) Pygmy Hippo Dwarf Crocadile Giant Otter (Especially) Maned Wolf(Especially Galopagas tortoise Mandarine Ducks Racoon And I don't know if it would be viable but Amazon River Dolphin
I don't think it is... Not sure why myself... I'm pretty sure there is only one in captivity at Duisberg Zoo...
One in Duisburg and 5 somewhere in South America (perhaps a columbian zoo?). I agree it'd be unlikely, but we can always dream.
Maybe a good idea to add to this thread what kind of exhibits, features, enclosures ,attractions etc. you would love to have in your own zoo ? @ chris : I thought it was Venezuela, actually. Boto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia there is stated which zoo it is.
Being from NZ I'd like to see a zoo specialising in NZ and Asian species in one of our smaller centres with animals or batchelor group from ARAZPA SSP's... I stand corrected, also at: Acuario de Valencia...
I'd love to make a zoo specialising in Asian animals. Loads of Pheasants, Hornbills, BoP, Storks, Lories and lorikeets and Pittas! Here's a short list (I'm at school, so I've got to remember as much as possible!): Chinese Monal Sclater's monal Bulwer's pheasant Swinoe's pheasant Siamese fireback Crestless fireback Crested argus Argus All the polyplectron species (palawan,Grey, Bronze tailed, Mountain Germain's, Malayan and Bornean.) Roul Roul Rufous hornbill Writhed hornbill Great hornbill Wreathed hornbil Sulawesi wrinkled hornbill Wrinkled hornbill Sumba Hornbill Narcondam hornbill Mindanao Tarictic Sulawesi Tarictic Mindoro Tarictic Visayan Tarictic Luzon Tarictic Plain pouched hornbill Black hornbill Rhinoceros hornbill White crowned hornbill Bushy crested hornbill Brwon hornbill Red BoP Greater BoP Blue BoP Goldie's BoP Ribbon tailed astrapia Lawes' parotia Wilson's BoP Magnificent BoP King BoP Storm's stork Lesser Adjutanat Oriental white stork Woolly necked stork I'll write more As soon as possible.
Updated List Rodriguez Fruit Bat Livingstone’s Fruit Bat Belangers Tree Shrew Aye-Aye Ring Tailed Lemur Red Ruffed Lemur Black And White Ruffed Lemur Aloatran Gentle Lemur Geoffrey’s Marmoset Silvery Marmoset Golden Lion Tamarin Black Lion Tamarin Golden Headed Lion Tamarin Cotton Topped Tamarin Pied Tamarin Buffy Headed Capuchin Mandrill Diana Monkey Sulawesi Crested Macaque Lion Tailed Macaque Javan Langur Lar Gibbon Golden Cheeked Gibbon Sumatran Orangutan Bornean Orangutan Lowland Gorilla Prevost Squirrel Capybara Azaras Agouti African Wild Dog Dhole Spectacled Bear Sloth Bear Red Panda Asian Small Clawed Otter Ring Tailed Coati Binturong Meerkat Banded Mongoose Siberian Tiger Snow Leopard Clouded Leopard Asian Elephant Black Rhinoceros Indian Rhinoceros Malayan Tapir Brazilian Tapir Grevy’s Zebra Persian Onager Przwalskis Wild Horse Philippine Spotted Deer Pere David Deer Burmese Brow Antlered Deer Bactrian Camels Vicuna Pygmy Hippo Red River Hog Visayan Warty Pig Babirusa Warthog Okapi Giraffe Bongo Scimitar Horned Oryx Addax Arabian Oryx Congo Buffalo Gaur Banteng Lowland Anoa Sitatunga Kafue Flats Red Lechwe Dama Gazelle Southern Cassowary Humboldt Penguin Sacred Ibis Scarlet Ibis Waldrapp Ibis Eurasian Spoonbill Hammerkop White Stork Marabou Stork Caribbean Flamingo Chilean Flamingo Dalmatian Pelican Mandarin Duck Madagascan Teal Red Breasted Gesse Red Crested Pochard European Black Vulture Griffon Vulture Mauritius Kestrel Red Billed Curassow Roulroul Partridge Himalayan Monals Congo Peafowl Javanese Green Peafowl Great Argus Pheasant Salvadoris Pheasant Golden Pheasant Edwards Pheasant White Eared Pheasant Malay Crestless Fireback Pheasant Palawan Peacock Pheasant West African Crowned Crane Blue Crane Indian Sarus Crane Demoiselle Crane Red Crowned Crane Wattled Crane Victoria Crowned Pigeon Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon Pink Pigeon Nicobar Pigeon Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove Mindanao Bleeding Heart Dove Socorro Dove Yellow Backed Chattering Lory Red And Blue Lory Mount Apo Lorikeet Papuan Lorikeet Red Vented Cockatoo Palm Cockatoo Kea Derbyan Parakeet Hyacinth Macaw Blue Throated Macaw Illigers Macaw Red Fronted Macaw Golden Conure Blue Throated Conure Golden Capped Conure St Lucia Amazon Parrots Red Tailed Amazon Parrots Green Cheeked Amazon Parrot Ecuadorian Amazon Parrot Red Crested Turaco Fishcers Turaco Schalows Turaco Great Blue Turaco Violet Turaco White Crested Turaco Spectacled Owl Snowy Owl White Faced Scoops Owl Great Grey Owl Tawny Frogmouth Lilac Breasted Roller Blue Bellied Roller Blue Winged Kookaburra Great Indian Hornbill Javan Rhinoceros Hornbill Writhed Hornbill Wrinkled Hornbill Visayan Tarictic Hornbill Von Der Deckens Hornbill Village Weaver Bali Starling Superb Spero Starling Golden Breasted Starling Timor Sparrow Java Sparrows Orange Headed Thrush Chestnut Backed Thrush Red Bird Of Paradise Azure Winged Magpies Red Billed Blue Magpies Red Footed Tortoise Elongated Tortoise Galapagos Tortoise Spiny Turtle Tuatara Philippine Sailfin Lizard Crocodile Monitor Green Tree Monitor Rhinoceros Iguana Komodo Dragons Reticulated Python Red Tailed Racer East African Green Mamba Mangrove Snake Gabon Viper White Lipped Viper Jamaican Boa Madagascan Tree Boa Green Tree Python
Mixed Exhibits at the zoo 1. Elongated Tortoises & Belangers Tree Shrew 2. Lar Gibbon & Sumatran Orangutan 3. Lar Gibbon & Bornean Orangutan 4. Sumatran Orangutan, Golden Cheeked Gibbon & Malayan Tapirs 5. Bornean Orangutan, Lion Tailed Macaque & Golden Cheeked Gibbons 6. Brazilian Tapir, Vicuna & Capybara 7. Spectacled Bear & Coatis 8. Sloth Bear & Javan Langur 9. Red Panda & Asian Small Clawed Otter 10. Mandrills & Diana Monkeys 11. Javanese Green Peafowl, Red Billed Blue Magpie, Red Junglefowl & Azure Winged Magpie 12. Indian Rhinoceros, Gaur, Burmese Brow Antlered Deer, Banteng & Indian Sarus Crane 13. European Black Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Waldrapp, Red Breasted Gesse, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Demoiselle Crane & Red Crested Pochard 14. Red Crowned Crane, Mandarin Duck & Golden Pheasant 15. Persian Onager & Bactrian Camel 16. Pere David Deer & Przwalskis Wild Horses 17. Giraffes, Zebra, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Dama Gazelle, Crowned Crane & Sitatunga 18. Black Rhino, Meerkat & Lechwe 19. Banded Mongoose & Warthog 20. Black Lion Tamarin, Azaras Agouti & Geoffrey’s Marmoset 21. Pied Tamarin & Red Footed Tortoises (Indoor Only) 22. Golden Headed Lion Tamarin & Silvery Marmoset 23. Hyacinth Macaw, Golden Conure & Ecuadorian Amazon Parrots 24. Blue Throated Macaws, Red Tailed Amazon Parrots & Golden Capped Conure 25. Red Billed Curassow & Blue Throated Conure 26. Red Fronted Macaw & Green Cheeked Amazon Parrots 27. Hyacinth Macaws & Illigers Macaws 28. Rodriguez Fruit Bat & Livingstone’s Fruit Bat 29. Orange Headed Thrush & Timor Sparrow 30. Caribbean Flamingoes & Chilean Flamingoes 31. St Lucia Amazon Parrots & Socorro Dove 32. Ring Tailed Lemurs & Black And White Ruffed Lemurs 33. Congo Buffalo, Blue Cranes, Bongo & Red River Hog 34. Lowland Anoa & Babirusa 35. Philippine Spotted Deer & Visayan Warty Pig 36. Great Argus Pheasant & Chestnut Backed Thrush 37. Chestnut Backed Thrush & Salvadoris Pheasant 38. Derbyan Parakeet & White Eared Pheasants 39. Red Bird Of Paradise & Luzon Bleeding Heart Doves 40. Roulroul Partridges, Victoria Crowned Pigeons, Bali Starling 41. Great Argus Pheasant, Nicobar Pigeon, Red And Blue Lorry 42. Salvadoris Pheasant & Bali Starling 43. Visayan Tarictic Hornbill & Malay Crestless Fireback Pheasant 44. Victoria Crowned Pigeons & Papuan Lorikeet 45. Salvadoris Pheasant, Nicobar Pigeon & Red And Blue Lorry 46. Palawan Peacock Pheasant & Mindanao Bleeding Heart Doves 47. Roulroul Partridges, Nicobar Pigeon, Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon & Yellow Backed Chattering Lorries 48. Salvadoris Pheasant, Roulroul Partridges & Mount Apo Lorikeets 49. Palawan Peacock Pheasant, Mount Apo Lorikeet & Roulroul Partridges 50. Prevost Squirrel & Red Junglefowl 51. Sacred Ibis, Golden Breasted Starling, Village Weaver, Von Der Deckens Hornbill, Hammerkop Madagascan Teals, Congo Peafowl, Lilac Breasted Roller, Blue Bellied Roller & Superb Spero Starling 52. 53. Congo Peafowl & Schalows Turaco 54. Wattled Cranes & Marabou Stork 55. Himalayan Monal & Blue Crowned Laughing Thrush 56. White Eared Pheasant & Laughing Thrush
Primates: Western Lowland Gorilla Sumatran Orang Utan Mandrill Lar Gibbon Siamang Olive Baboon Lion-Tailed Macaque Columbian Spider Monkey Buffy-Headed Capuchin Red Ruffed Lemur Ring-Tailed Lemur Sifaka Aye-Aye Black Lion Tamarin Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin Cotton Top Tamarin Silvery Marmoset Pygmy Marmoset Diana Monkeys Rhesus Macaque Sulawesi Macaque Hoofstock and Paddock Animals Indian Rhino American Bison Grevy's Zebra Thompson's Gazelle Rothschild Giraffe Arabian Oryx Siatunga Red River Hogs Warthogs Babirusa Congo Forest Buffalo Bongo Okapi Muntjac Brazilian Tapir Malayan Tapir Bactrian Camel Onager Persian Goitered Gazelle Gaur Blackbuck Pygmy Hippo Anoa Visayan Warty Pig Philipine Spotted Deer Roan Antelope Sable Antelope Wildebeest Moose Gemsbok Carnivores Amur Tiger Asiatic Lion Red Panda Oriental Short-Clawed Otter Snow Leopard Clouded Leopard Maned Wolf Ocelot Bush Dog Sloth Bear Striped Hyena Cheetah Rodents Capybara Mara Red-Bellied Squirrel Giant Squirrel Spotted Paca Turkish Spiny Mouse Naked Mole Rat Azara's Agouti Prarie Marmot Also Two-Toed Sloth, Coatimundi, Meerkat, Yellow Mongoose, Giant Anteater, Parma Wallaby, Short-Beaked Echidna, Hairy-Nosed Wombat, Koala and Patagonian Sealion Birds Andean Condor Ostrich Secretary Bird Marabou Stork Javan Sparrow Palwan Peacock Pheasant Congo Peafowl Red Junglefowl King Penguin Gentoo Penguin Humboldt Penguin Dalmation Pelican Greater Flamingo Great Indian Hornbill Javan Rhinoceros Hornbill Red-Billed Hornbill Oxpecker Red Bird of Paradise Turaco of some sort Kookaburra Kea Cassowary Snowy Owl Milky Eagle Owl Barn Owl Bald Eagle Toco Toucan Keel-Billed Toucan Scarlet Macaw Hycianth Macaw Red and Blue Lory African Grey Parrot Reptiles Cuban Crocodile Philippine Crocodile African Dwarf Crocodile American Alligator Komodo Dragon Caiman Lizard Reticulated Python Emerald Tree Boa Green Anaconda Thai Water Dragon Rhino Iguana Lesser Antilles Iguana Green Iguana Crocodile Monitor Tuatara Gila Monster King Cobra Amphibians Poison Arrow Frogs Horned Toad Mallorcan Midwife Toad Mountain Chicken Axolotl Completely unrealistic and would require the space of San Diego Wild Animal Park
Wow, these zoos all sound amazing!! I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days (sad I know...), and I'm gonna try to post my list soon. It will mainly be mammals though - well, mainly carnivores and lemurs actually!
If I had my own zoo, I would build ten contrasting habitats: - Hudson bay tundra, - Namibian semidesert, - Gabon rainforest, - coral reef of Komodo, Indonesia, - West Himalayan mountains, - night hall, - wetland of Assam, - spiny forest of Madagascar, - mulga bush of East Australia, - mangroves of Sumatra. For example MADAGASCAR SPINY FOREST Tropical hall which represents two adjacent ecoregions in dry south-western Madagascar. This area is remarkable for its very strange specialised succulents, very high proportion of endemic species and very high speed of degradation. Visitors enter the hall through Madagascar hut. They look at the incredible landscape. On the sandy ground, otherwordly thorny plants grow. They are didieras known as "spiny octopus trees", bulbous-trunked pachypodiums and giant aloes. At the distance, giant baobabs grow. Rusty rocks frame the view. Small plants immediately adjacent to visitors path are authentic, but the big mature plants at distance are models. Small hillocks and gullies ensure that visitors don't see each other, but the exhibit retains semi-open character. Fence topped by electric wire is hidden between plant trunks and rocks, so birds and reptiles have breeding area inaccessible for lemurs. First inhabitants are birds, fruit bats, lizards, chameleons, tortoises and giant aldabran tortoises. They are models of extinct madagascan tortoises. Model giant egg of extinct elephantbird is buried in the sand near the path. Visitors pass a waterhole framed by rocks. This is hunting place for ibis, turtles and ducks. It is also part of dividing barrier. Then visitors enter a cave. They emerge between ring-tailed and red-fronted lemurs. Cute lemurs roaming free are the biggest attraction of the hall. There is a themed cafe nearby. Here is another landscape - maze of sharp, triangular limestone outcrops called "tsingy" or "stone forest". Here vsitors encounter a group of free-roaming crowned lemurs. Visitors path enters then a gorge cut between rocks. This part is separated by overhead mesh. They go past tree boas on their tree and ring-tailed mongooses in moat-type exhibits. Then they go into the darkness and see a small vertical cave illuminated by light falling from above. This is replica of natural trap with bones of extinct giant lemur and pygmy hippo. Then they pass by several glass-fronted exhibits realised as seen through openings in the rock. One has fossa. Another narrow-striped mongoose. The last playful diademed sifakas. Then they enter education hall with some models of extinct animals and terrariums for ground boas, frogs etc. Summer outdoor enclosures are large walk-thru island for lemurs, meshed enclosure for mongooses and large fossa enclosure separated by electric-topped fence. Many trees and branches give fossas climbing opportunities. Animal list: Reptiles and amphibians: tomato frog, golden mantella, radiated tortoise, ploughshare tortoise, aldabran giant tortoise, spider tortoise, flat-tailed tortoise, madagascan water turtle, standing's day gecko, girdled lizard, three-lined girdled lizard, chameleon - two species, madagascan iguana, malagasy tree boa, malagasy ground boa. Birds: malagasy pond heron, malagasy sacred ibis, crested ibis, meller's duck, malagasy teal, madagascan partridge, harlequin quail, madagascan turtle dove, pink pigeon, madagascar blue pigeon, green pigeon, namarqua dove, giant coua, crested coua, red-capped coua, black parrot, vasa parrot, grey-headed lovebird, cuckoo-roller, long-tailed ground roller, madagascan white-eye, madagascan paradise flycatcher, malagasy drongo, sicklebill vanga, red fody. Mammals: livingstone's fruit bat, rodriguez fruit bat, ring-tailed lemur, red-fronted lemur, crowned lemur, diademed sifaka, small-toothed mongoose, ring-tailed mongoose, fossa. *** BTW - If somebody wants to build real exhibit on this idea - contact me!
@Jurek7 As soon as I manage to rise the funds, I'll be contacting you. You will save your plans for me right ? Have you heard of the Bronx Zoos Lion House renovation? They have a lemur spiny forest exhibit, and crocodiles displayed in the watery depths of tsingy's. Here's a link: Images for Bronx Zoo. It looks like a very interesting exhibit. I have always wondered why other Zoos haven't tried this out.
Yes, I have quite detailed plans in my mind! Bronx zoo is interesting, but it is just a "room" with two species. I feel putting tortoises not separated from lemurs will stress them (tortoises don't show stress but do get stressed). Basing on desert exhibit in Arnhem. Holland, such Madagascar hall "will fly" and even better. People will have nice all-year warm paradise, cafe, cute walk-thru primates, strange pants and rocks to examine, and lots of other animals.
As many zoos build polar bear exhibits, I decided I can invent one, too: HUDSON BAY TUNDRA This complex recreates Arctic, in particular the western shore of Hudson Bay in Canada. As visitors enter, the path curves between steep grassy, boulder-littered hills. Artifical mist gusts the path. Then the view opens - and they are on the shore of Arctic bay. The landscape was carefully recreated, with grassy hills surrounding the shore, bare granite rocks, walls of iceberg blocking the bay outlet and ice-floes floating on the water. In the distance is waterfall and a lone wooden cabin. Patches of snow cover the distant hills. People walk down the sandy beach, where common seals play in the water. They are separated only by a tiny irregularity of the beach hiding the electic wire. Whale bones lie on the beach. On the opposite side of the path, there are grassy slopes on which white Arctic foxes play. As people walk along the shore, past the rocky promontory, they come to walruses in shallow water. They can walk on the promontory - and you enjoy more views of seals and walruses from above, swimming over the pale sea bottom. They can walk down into the cave, and view pinnipeds from the side on rocks and underwater. Then visitors step into the underwater tunnel and walk along the sea bottom. Seals swim overhead. Then people notice another, white animal swimming - this is polar bear swimming overhead. Visitors can enjoy polar bears swimming overhead until they go out of the tunnel. It ends under the ice floe, and people see the bear walking on the transparent ceiling looking like thin ice sheet - as the seal would see the bear. Then people are in the educational gallery to learn about polar bears and Arctic. Glass windows allow different views of bears from the side in different backgrounds. - walking past, underwater, above water, fishing in stream, sliding on artifical ice slopes, jumping into water from high rocks. This gallery is actually under polar bear paddock. Visitors can also go up. They find themselves in the wooden cabin surrounded by polar bears. They can experience the size and power of polar bears who lean on cabin windows, making walls creak and putting head high above people's heads. Actually, there are regular food treats hidden in panels above windows. Then people return to the gallery and walk out under the waterfall and walk along the tundra. They enjoy polar bears in their grassy tundra and artcic wolves on the opposite side. There are regular feeding and training sessions of polar bears and wolves in a small amphitheatre. Then stunted trees appear and people enter stunted forest in the tundra border, with gnarled birches and candle-shaped spruces adapted to catch low arctic sun. These are special botanical variety growing in columnar shape. People walk past aviary of great grey owls. You can normally enter the aviary, unless owls have chicks, when it is closed. Then they see wolverine - another playful predator, playing with tree stumps or in shallow pool. DETAILS OF EXHIBIT 1 Innovative elements of exhibit: - landscape and rock formations recreate actual spot on Earth surface, - wafting mist, - pool with naturalistic sandy bottom, - artifical ice-floes, - artifical ice allowing to slide down, - rocky, stony and sandy beaches, - rocks giving shade and hiding places, - waterfall and stream, - snow-cave with overhanging simulated ice, - rolling grassy tundra with rocks, stunted spruce trees and patches of artificial snow on hills to slide down. - spruces are of column-shaped variety which grows into shape adopted by arctic conifers to catch low arctic sun. 2. Varied views for visitors: - from below: underwater in the tunnel, - from below: under the simulated ice-floe on which the bear walks, - surrounded by landscape: from the vessel deck, - surrounded by landscape: from wooden cabin, - almost-touching-bears: wooden cabin has cracks, - from the side, close: behind the glass underwater and above water, - without borders – from the rocky crag above pool and under waterfall, - without borders – from grassy tundra through hidden moat. 3. Animals enrichment: - live fish & dead food items thrown into the pool, - food is hidden in sandy and pebbly beach, forcing bears to dig for it, - periodically activated tube feeder abouve visitors’ viewing area, - toys on strong springs allow bears to replicate tugging with prey: pushing down bar hidden in artifical snow (simulates bear breaking through the roof of a seal den) - pulling the rope on springs (simulates pulling the struggling walrus), - heavy walrus-toy which needs to be pushed away (simulates pulling the struggling walrus) - pool, - large size, - cold places under rocks and inside snow-cave, - different surfaces, including lots of grass, rocks, stimulated snow, pebbles, sand, - artifical ice on slopes allows bears to play by sliding down, - various “rubbish on the beach†are playthings – e.g. tree stumps, plastic containers, - three different exhibits divided by hidden moats, bears are rotated between them. 4. Education themes: - polar bears, - climate change, - arctic animals, - radio-telemetry of bears, - pollution of oceans - Feeding and playing sessions are regular. *** If some zoo professional wants to borrow ideas for real exhibit, please contact me. I have some details in my imagination, and can exchange them for free. Or maybe for cuddling a baby bear.
@Jurek7: your ideal polar bear exhibit is excellent, but how much would it cost? I'm guessing close to $100 million, if one considers that $25-40 million appears to be the standard for arctic enclosures. Overall you do have some great ideas.
Jurek: The Bronx Zoo's Madagascar Spiny Forest will include Brown Lemurs, Foddies, Vasa Parrot and Ring-tailed Mongoose in addition to Ring-tailed Lemurs and Radiated Tortoises. Other species in the building include Tomato Frog, Phelsumas, Day Gecko, Coquerel's Sifakas, Fossa, Red Ruffed Lemur and Dumeril's Ground Boa.
