what if they don't have penguins? That would be the most boring webcam ever! But, on a serious note, why does that bother you? Or do you mean they only do penguin webcams and no other animals? That seems unlikely.
I believe this is to do with invasive species legislation banning their import after their devastating effect on native snails in various Pacific islands. Just out of interest, (and slightly off topic), what three species did you see? I'd imagine A.fulica and A.achatina, but what was the third?
African giant snails don't have an impact directly on Pacific snails other than probably eating their food plants (the extinction issues are caused by the introduction of a predatory snail which was supposed to eat the African giant snails but instead eats the endemics), but they are very invasive in terms of their ability to multiply quickly and eat human food-stuffs.
Thank you for the correction. I was under the impression it was due to them spreading pathogens or parasites to native snail species, but can now find no reference to this, i seem to have got it confused with it's ability to spread plant pathogens to crops.
In the topic of meerkats, Detroit either has theirs off-display or they got rid of em Toledo's final white lion passed on but they're trying to make room for the normal tawny lions :/
Dinosaurs. I can't stand zoos that have the rented dinosaur displays. The money to rent out those fake dinos could be put to use for living animals.
I am reliably informed that these model dinosaurs are actually a good investment for a zoo. The extra visitors that they attract easily pay for the rental costs and there are minimal running costs, and, with proper planning, little or no disruption to the rest of the zoo. I would far rather see a zoo adding a dinosaur display, as an extra attraction for a limited period, rather than noisy or commercialised alternatives.
White lions and tigers. I know they're pretty but the poor things are as inbred as English bulldogs and their muddy pedigree makes them useless for conservation.
I have always found nocturnal houses to be lacking. I am sure there are good ones although many I have seen could be much better. The atmosphere in some is oppressive and stale, with poorly organised lighting. I am sure that some small rodents do well in nocturnal houses although for nocturnal primates they may be deprivation chambers. Animals respond to variation in their environment, - the intensity of light, to a range of temperature, the rain and wind and also to be able to look out at views in a constantly changing world. Yet many animals in nocturnal houses are deprived of much of this environmental variation. The temperature is constant and the light regime is dictated by an often un-altering time switch. Of course it does not have to be like this and we can be a lot more creative in the way we exhibit nocturnal animals. In the Jersey Zoo they have been experimenting by allowing some of their Aye-ayes access to an outside enclosure. Since most visitors to zoos are there in the afternoon, I suggest this compromise. Light the inside and outside enclosure mid-night to mid-day and have the inside section darkened mid-day to mid-night. Then the animals will have the luxury of going outside during the night until mid-night. This is a far more desirable way to exhibit nocturnal primates, that will in the summer, and during mild weather, have access to the outside with its far more stimulating environment.
Some nocturnal houses provide superb exhibits; the nocturnal section of Frankfurt Zoo's Grzimek House springs immediately to mind as one that displays its animals well. However, I have reservations about nocturnal houses for the very reasons you describe. Moreover larger mammals (e.g. aardvarks and Tasmanian devils) always seem very cramped when confined in nocturnal houses too. Several species that are often kept in nocturnal houses show themselves well when kept in natural daylight. The echidna at Paignton and the aardvarks at Africa Alive, for example, can often be seen without the need for a special nocturnal exhibit. It is many years since I last saw a Tasmanian devil but I recall seeing this species very active, outside in bright sunlight, in both Rotterdam Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo: so much nicer than seeing them in a nocturnal house.
