I know you are not alone in this view, but I find it a bit of an odd statement, if this is the best exhibit in the zoo, then for me London would be terrible! I never spend more than 10 minutes in there if I bother at all! Apart from the jellyfish exhibit area, most of the exhibits always have a very temporary museum exhibit feel to them, but that's probably just me being different! I have tried several times to find what appeals to others The reptile house will never be what it once was, but I could still spend a lot longer in there than BUGS !
On your first points I mildly disagree, but totally sympathise with your argument. But the last one (in bold) seems to be the answer to my question. Land of the Lions doesn't make me feel uncomfortable because it seems to avoid four key problems that zoos putting animals into the context of the humans they live alongside often encounter. 1) It isn't just mud huts with squiggles on that convey the feeling of exoticism without (seemingly) any attempt to accurately portray local cultures. 2) It doesn't feel like 'cultural appropriation'. I think this term has been overextended and overused recently, but there is no doubt that it is a reasonable concept at its core. Things like temples and totem poles in zoos certainly do make me highly uncomfortable. 3) It doesn't seem to have any shades of the 'human zoo'. I may simply not remember a key detail about LotL here, but quite often information about local, inevitably 'tribal', peoples is presented along with that about the animals in a way that seems to blur a line that really shouldn't be blurred. 4) It doesn't create a false impression by portraying the lives of local people as exactly the same as they would have been several hundred years ago. This one is the most dangerous I think because it isn't just offensive; it's outright damaging. Firstly because it reinforces ideas about 'primitiveness' that have real political consequences, and secondly because it feeds the myth that somewhere, everywhere, exist huge tracts of undisturbed, undeveloped land where animals and people are living as they always have done. This is bad because it removes the sense of crisis that should be present when thinking about conservation. To address the question from a different perspective, let's consider Mumbai Zoo's theoretical Croydon exhibit. 1) The generic 'european' house probably looks a lot more like something from Bohemia than the UK. A lack of attention here is immediately obvious. 2) The exhibit features a bat exhibit themed as a small church. The church itself is not a problem, but the faithfully recreated altar, crucifixes, memorial candles and sacrements certainly are. 3) A little trickier due to the context of the human zoo and recent western imperialism. I'm sure we can all imagine some suitably offensive signage though. 4) The exhibit looks more like a Hogarth or Constable painting than actual modern Croydon. As a result Mumbaians are leaving the zoo with a totally inaccurate picture of life in London. If, on the other hand, the exhibit actually felt like it was faithfully recreating unkempt, unloved British suburbia I think I would be mildly delighted to find such an interesting and unusual approach, as long as there were plenty of exhibits in there as well! The reason I like Land of the Lions is that, as I have said before, it really feels like they have got it right. Urban spaces in developing countries, away from major city centres, are messy. They are a fascinating blend of traditional and modern architectural styles using modern and traditional materials. Fridges sit next to open hearths, machetes next to iPhones. The specifics of the towns around the Gir Forest I know nothing about, but these patterns of modern living seem to be universal. I think London managed to capture that.
Thank you for this full and interesting response. You know, I’m rather liking the sound of this Croydon exhibit. Maybe we’re on to something.....
I appreciate the general purposes of a zoological collections. It's just that the particular role of RP that puzzles me a little. I sort of accepted the first point; not sure RP does points 2 and 3 (education and captive breeding) as well as it might.
https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/media/2017-11/ZSL-Annual-Report-2016-17.pdf Have a read of this
Worth noting the 'Zoos' section is just two pages toward the end, and only one of those is actual text. It rather seems this mirrors the ZSL attitude to the animal collections.
I totally agree with this concern. Great zoos do all of the conservation stuff, but recognise too that people want to see a collection of living animals. The warm inner glow that is produced by supporting a worthwhile conservation organisation is not enough to persuade the average family to shell out £150 for a day out – and neither should it be. Until ZSL recognise this, and until the zoo is a really full place to visit rather than the rather impoverished experience it currently provides, it will, sadly, lag an awfully long way behind other comparable collections in cities such as Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Vienna and Dublin.
Agreed: the ZSL Annual Report now provides very little information about the animal collection. Personally, I find it extremely frustrating that this document no longer includes a full detailed Species Inventory for the two zoos. Although a summary is available on-line, I think that Fellows of the Society should be provided with a much more detailed Species Inventory supplying the numbers of arrivals, births, deaths and departures; Fellows always used to receive this in the Annual Report.
So, the 2017/18 annual report arrived last week. And for anyone with a belief that zoos should first and foremost be about displaying an interesting collection of animals, it’s a pretty depressing read. There’s a lot of stuff about conservation, which is great. But next to nothing about the zoos - which is shocking. There’s a whole lot of guff written in the slightly vacuous language of the marketeer. As someone who’s reasonably knowledgeable about conservation and wildlife, and who’s interested enough to want to understand, I was struggling to grasp the point being made in some sections. Zoo-wise, the fire-damaged area of the children’s zoo is to be replaced by something named “Project Blossom”. This will, apparently, be “fun and inspiring”. I’m guessing that I may find it to be neither of these two things, but I’m probably not the intended audience. I’m definitely not the intended audience for the “incredible” new Snowden development’s “innovative community learning space” which will be “engaging local people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with learning difficulties”. Did Antwerp Zoo spout similar bilge when they constructed their new buffalo aviary? Or did Toledo Zoo talk about their aquarium renovation in such terms? Or would we ever hear such wittering from Wroclaw, or Frankfurt, or Basel?
Was hoping to travel to the zoo this weekend but due to the very brilliant rail service and companies it's now 4 trains from my local station and not one so there fore will no longer be going to the zoo.
Previous years' are on the website, as you know (since you posted a link earlier in this thread), but it could be the latest report won't go on the website until after next month's AGM.
[scratches head in bafflement] you have four trains to choose from instead of one, so you're not going? I'm going to Regent's Park for the first time for many, many, years next week. With some trepidation too. I'm taking the children as I don't think they can't have London Zoo and all its history in their 'collection'. It will be test my self control not to give a running commentary to them of what I saw where on my first visit! Nevertheless, I'm sure it'll be worth the trip, hopefully there'll be a photograph or two to be had.
I think the initial post implied that it would be s four-train-journey, with lots of changes, rather than a direct train from wherever to London. Visiting London Zoo for the first time in a while? I certainly wouldn’t agree with all he wrote, but Clinton Keeling’s description of visiting the zoo being like visiting a once-brilliant friend now struck down by Alzheimer’s, always sticks in my mind. I think the zoo has made real strides over the past decades, but the past few years have been worrying: annoying Lions, loss of much of the bird housing, the Reptile House with more and more repeat displays (and more and more empties), the aquarium disappearing, Gorillas invisible behind camouflage stuff, the nocturnal house seeming to have fewer species visible...
Such a shame, and my trepidation remains. I suspect Shavington's recent experience has rather set the scene. It is very difficult not to reminisce about a bygone time.
Leisurely visit today, didn’t get round as much as I’d like due to the 4pm close. Reptile House remains my favourite bit but was sad to see the mamba vivarium emptied, and surprised to see the mountain chickens gone as well since they were a relatively recent installation I believe. There seems to be a walkthrough being built on the site of the old anteater enclosure but I have no idea what for. Finally I noted with interest that the zebras have been allowed into the giraffe paddock once again. The giraffes were shut inside at the time (close to closing), but it would be nice to see the two species mixed together again.
Had a surprise visit to the zoo today 03/11/2018 and noticed quite a bit going on or not as in some cases. Firstly, the old Owl Aviaries are now so over grown that by next spring you won’t even see the cages. The Snowdon Aviary still as species within in it they are Waldrapp, Sacred Ibis, Black kite and what looked like a Cattle Egret, A sign states that the new Colobus climbery will be ready 2020. Edward’s Pheasant could be on the move as both males have small cages inside there aviaries. A Woolly Necked Stork in the walk through by Gorilla Kingdom and one in the old Vulture aviaries. A black necked Weaver in the Blackburn Pavilion as you walk into the building in the left-hand Aviary. 2 Bearded pigs outside this afternoon looks like they have had a close cut with the shears. Okapi house closed this afternoon no sign of any Okapi even though keepers were cleaning the outside exhibit. The children’s zoo area still boarded up and the area around the Giant Anteater’s was still blocked off also American Black Vulture in the aviary marked up as being refurbished by the old Penguin Pool They must of had a good breeding season with the Sunbirds as they seem to be everywhere today Some parts of the zoo I didn’t visit because I was taking to much time around the bird collection Not a bad day very busy around the zoo for time of year.
Funnily enough I was there too - I have some notes of my own to post once I get back home! I will however note that although the scarlet-chested sunbirds were indeed spread across several aviaries there were no more than usual, and that the splendid sunbirds were entirely absent.
