We should really be thankful the same lack of imagination was not applied to more species..... we'd have a wide variety of Small Insect Bat species, for a start!
We should probably take a leaf from the scientific name and go with something closer to 'vampire wing-foot'
There were even two of them in March 2016 . I am shocked TLD that you have not listed some species on display, such as the lesser kudu that are in with the Giraffe and the Vicuna and peccari in the South-American enclosure, I am not used to this kind of omissions from you
I'm a little sorry to have missed that - I've not seen one full-stop! Lesser Kudu - judging by my photographs these were neither visible nor signposted when I visited. A pity, all things considered, as I rather like this species. Vicuna and Peccary - looking at my notes, there was an empty and unsignposted exhibit between the Giant Anteater and Alpaca enclosures; is this possibly where these are displayed? --- Almost finished the final Wilhelma post, incidentally so will hopefully get this, and the first Alpenzoo post, up before the night is out!
Peccary are indeed in the enclosure between alpaca and anteater, the vicuna should be mixed with the anteaters... A shame you did not see the lesser kudu though, they are normally in the far back of the giraffe enclosure, but are nonetheless very nice
There are (or at least, there were last year) a large number of Black-necked Grebes free-flying in the Rainforest Hall at Walsrode, so you should see them in a few weeks.
Part X: Departure and Final Thoughts The next enclosure we reached was a large exhibit for Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubeus); this more or less comprised a large but shallow pond - almost dry at the time of our visit - surrounded by expansive areas of grass and scrubby bushes, and with a wide moat dividing it from the public footpath. As flamingo exhibits go, it was by no means exceptional but it nonetheless seemed to meet the needs of the inhabitants rather well. Along with the signposted inhabitants of this exhibit, there were also a large number of wild Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) and Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus) present within this area; these were not only making use of the flamingo pool but also roaming around on the surrounding grass, and even venturing onto the public footpath. It was quite interesting to view the latter taxon at close range, as it had been some time since last I saw an Egyptian Goose - and even that had been a fleeting glimpse at best. Beyond here, we were able to see a vast complex of flowerbeds located throughout the large area located between the botanical greenhouses, the Amazon House and the Aquarium building; no less an integral part of the botanical gardens of Wilhelma, these flowerbeds were precisely and meticulously designed in order to produce a sea of colour and shape, with thousands of tulips, narcissi, forget-me-nots and pansies to name but a few of the flowers present within. The patterns and designs produced through the placement of these flowerbeds were intended to somewhat continue the Moorish theme present throughout so much of the historical gardens and buildings of Wilhelma, with a distinct arabesque feel to some of the designs. I am given to understand that these flowerbeds are replanted in late spring each year, as the flowers present at the time of our visit are among the first to bloom and as such are no longer at their best during the summer months; as a result, if one was to visit Wilhelma in the height of summer, they would encounter an entirely different range of flowers within this area. This, it is worth noting, is something carried out across the entirety of the botanical gardens of Wilhelma throughout the year, in order that the gardens have something to offer whenever they are visited - yet another reflection of how important the history of the collection as a botanical garden still is to the modern Wilhelma. In addition to these highly-attractive flowerbeds, this area also contained a pair of tree-lined walkways leading from the Damascene Hall to the Aquarium Building, situated on either side of a long, ornamental pond labelled on the Wilhelma map as the "Langer See". Within the larger and more mature trees in this area, there were vast numbers of nests belonging to wild Grey Heron - doubtless including those present within the Greater Flamingo exhibit - along with the occasional nest belonging to White Stork (Ciconia ciconia); however, there were significantly more of the latter taxon nesting on the surrounding buildings and structures, including the roof of the Insectarium and Damascene Hall. I found myself wondering just how I had failed to spot these previously during the course of our visit; however, I was nonetheless extremely pleased to see this taxon - although I have viewed captive individuals on myriad occasions in the past, this was the first time I had ever seen a wild White Stork. The lawns in this area were dotted with gawky-looking juvenile Grey Herons strutting around; these had obviously fledged within the last few weeks. Towards the far end of the "Langer See", where it reached the public viewing area for the Californian Sealion exhibit, the lawns situated to either side of the public walkways were fenced off into open grassy enclosures, with shelters within for the range of taxa displayed on these lawns. Although they doubtless have access to the entirety of the "Langer See", it was here that we reached a mixed group of Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo); although both were signposted within this area, it is entirely possible that like the Grey Heron and White Storks, the Great Cormorants within the "Langer See" were free to roam, and merely encouraged to settle within Wilhelma. Unlike the aforementioned taxa, we saw no indication that the cormorants were capable of flight; however this may well have merely meant they lacked the inclination, not the ability. The aforementioned lawn-exhibits within this area displayed the following species, with the crane taxa in the left-hand exhibit as one faced the Aquarium building and the geese within the right-hand exhibit: White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina) Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) Pacific Brent Goose (Branta bernicla nigricans) Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis) Both exhibits were pleasant to look at and seemed to provide their inhabitants with plenty of space and shelter; moreover I was particularly pleased by the sight of the three goose taxa displayed within the latter exhibit. By chance, the taxa displayed at Wilhelma happen to be my three favourite species of geese, all being particularly appealing to the eye and seeming to have a little more "personality" than other species which I have viewed. Moreover, it was good to view this specific subspecies of Brent Goose; although I have seen the Pacific Brent on a handful of occasions in the past, it is a taxon I have seen far less than the Light-bellied and Dark-bellied which occur as wild visitors to the United Kingdom. Before making our way back towards the Damascene Hall - the last area of Wilhelma remaining to be seen - we decided we did indeed have sufficient time to return briefly to the Subtropenterrassen; the reason for this detour was, of course, in order to hopefully view the North Island Kaka held within the parrot aviaries once again before our departure. To our distinct pleasure, all three individuals were still visible and highly active, although once again we couldn't help but notice that the oldest of the three females seemed distinctly frail - a fact which made us all the more glad to have seen her, all things considered. We also rather enjoyed the opportunity to view some of the other taxa displayed within this area once again, particularly the Mount Goliath Papuan Lory and Goliath Cockatoo, both of which we had only caught poor glimpses of on our previous visits to the Subtropenterrassen. On our way back towards the Damascene Hall, we took the opportunity to have another look at the various terraria for native reptiles and amphibians located near the Aquarium, hoping that the inhabitants would be more likely to be basking in plain view now that the collection was starting to become a little more quiet and the sun was a little less intense. Satisfyingly, we were able to get excellent views of all the taxa displayed within, including the Dice Snake and Common Spadefoot which had proven easy enough to spot, but difficult to photograph, earlier in the day. Having walked back to the Damascene Hall via the tree-lined avenue of which I have already spoken, it is worth discussing the history of this structure for a moment. The Damascene Hall was a later addition to the complex of buildings present within the botanical gardens commissioned by Wilhelm von Württemberg, constructed a decade after the other major features of Wilhelma; moreover, of the historical buildings and glasshouses of Wilhelma this was the sole structure not designed and built by the royal architect Karl Ludwig von Zanth, who had died in 1857 not long after completing the initial phase of construction. The Damascene Hall was originally intended by Wilhelm I to serve as a pheasantry, with aviaries surrounding a central ornate structure constructed in the Moorish style, in line with the overall theme desired by von Württemberg. By chance, the Damascene Hall was the only one of the historical buildings at Wilhelma which was left entirely undamaged during the Second World War; as such, despite the high level of faithfulness to the original architectural designs which was present during the post-war restoration of Wilhelma, the Damascene Hall is the best representation of royal Wilhelma. As a result, the interior of the Damascene Hall is only accessible to the public within restricted opening hours and under supervision, in order to conserve the interior furnishings; due to the late hour, Helly and myself had missed our opportunity to view the interior. A pity, as I was given to understand this contained a small exhibition on the history of Wilhelma which I should have liked to have seen, but considering the full day we had enjoyed throughout the collection a trade-off I felt was worthwhile on the whole. However, we were still able to view the external aviaries which are still present around the outer perimeter of the building; these contained a variety of bird species native to the Black Forest and surrounding countryside. As one will have already gathered on many occasions, I have a great fondness for displays containing native European species - in my opinion it is no less important to highlight the diversity of wildlife present closer to home, and the conservation importance of these species, than it is to highlight species found in more exotic climes. The aviaries contained the following taxa, displayed within a mixed-species context: European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis carduelis) Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs coelebs) Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur turtur) Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) It will be noted, of course, that the House Finch - native to North America - is something of an oddity in this list of taxa, considering the Eurasian origin of the other species displayed within these aviaries; I rather suspect that this taxon is present as a substitute for the closely-related Eurasian Rosefinch, which would be a rather more appropriate species for such an exhibit but which is slightly less commonplace in captive collections. Much as I would have liked to have seen Rosefinch in this aviary, considering the fact I have never been fortunate enough to view this species, I cannot bring myself to complain excessively as the House Finch was also a lifetick species for myself. This said, I was pleased with the range of species displayed within these aviaries without exception - it was particularly good to see species such as the Grey Partridge and Northern Wheatear which I see on a regular basis in the United Kingdom, but which I seldom manage to photograph. By this point, it was just after 1730, around the time we had resolved it would be prudent to make our way back towards Stuttgart Hbf; although our train back to Munich was not scheduled to depart until 1916 we wished to ensure we would reach the Hauptbahnhof with plenty of time to purchase something to eat for tea. As such, having viewed more or less the entire botanical and zoological collection on-display at Wilhelma, it was time for us to leave; I must admit I was rather sorry to leave, having had a very enjoyable day and rather fallen for the collection. Here would be a logical place for me to relay some final overall thoughts on Wilhelma. As I have noted several times during my discussion of our visit to the collection, I was very much pleased by the way in which the history and heritage of Wilhelma is still very much an important part of the modern-day collection. Moreover, the detail of information provided to visitors regarding the botanical collections displayed throughout the site, and the fact that the botanical side of Wilhelma has not been neglected in favour of the zoological, is one of the greatest things about the collection as a whole. One of my recurring bugbears when discussing collections with a long history and a distinctive "feel" of their own, as one will have noticed in the past, is the sense that modernisation has come with an accompanying loss of the things which have made the collection special; here, many of the best features of Wilhelma are those which have successfully merged the modern with the traditional, meeting current standards of zoological practice whilst still retaining the feel of a botanical garden which happens to display a wide range of zoological diversity. Examples of this include the Subtropenterrassen, which retain their original purpose of providing an attractive and sunlit area for the cultivation of sub-tropical plants whilst also including a world-class display of the richness and diversity present within the parrot family, and the Amazon House - a structure which although constructed well over a century after the other glasshouses at Wilhelma, and with zoological exhibition as a specific intention, manages to fit with the surrounding structures and retain the feel of the historical Wilhelma. I was also extremely pleased with the quality of displays found within the complex of exhibits for temperate and mountainous wildlife; these, I feel, achieved the aim of providing an immersive and cohesive experience whilst avoiding the pitfall of seeming artificial or out of place, a pitfall which I fear many immersive exhibits fall foul of. Another particular highlight of Wilhelma was the sheer quality and diversity of both the botanical and zoological collections as a whole - each managed to provide an excellent representation of the diversity of life found on our planet at the present time; in point of fact, I believe that Wilhelma merits the title of the second-best botanical garden I have ever visited, after Kew Gardens back in the United Kingdom. Although certain features of Wilhelma - which I will discuss anon - prevent it from holding quite as lofty a position in my affections as a zoological collection, it nonetheless needs to be noted that the range of invertebrate and lower vertebrate taxa displayed at Wilhelma is rivalled only by London and Berlin - both significantly more prestigious collections. My praise for Wilhelma is not 100%, however; there were significant features of the collection which fell short of the desired standard. For instance, a great deal of the paddocks and exhibits beyond the historical borders of Wilhelma were designed and built along very functional lines, and had obviously been little-altered in several decades. As such, many of these areas were crumbling and showing their age badly; although only a few - such as the old Ape House and the Elephant House - had reached the point of being actively bad, many were approaching this line, still meeting the welfare needs of their inhabitants but providing nothing more. The overall feeling was that with the exception of more recent developments such as the hillside complex, the Amazon House and the new Ape House, much of the zoological infrastructure at Wilhelma has been somewhat left to stagnate over the last few decades. However, there is light on the horizon where this is concerned, as there are several areas of the collection where further renovation and building projects in the same fashion as the new Ape House are intended. As such, my overall impression of Wilhelma was of a collection which is excellent in places, but faltering in others, and one which has a lot more potential than it is currently fufilling. As a collection, and speaking from an objective point of view, it is probably not quite as good as Tierpark Hellabrunn, of which I have already spoken. However, from a personal point of view, going by my visceral reaction to Wilhelma and the emotions it made me feel, I enjoyed my visit to Wilhelma a lot *more* than I did the visit to Hellabrunn the day prior; although it is not worthy of being deemed one of the five best zoological collections I had visited up to that point in time, I feel that it did earn a place as one of my five *favourite* collections which I had visited up to that point in time, alongside the two Berlin collections, Chester Zoo and Cotswold Wildlife Park. As such, I would very much like to return to Wilhelma in a handful of years, in order to evaluate how the collection has changed and - hopefully - improved in the intervening time. I have a feeling that it will indeed improve. Having taken the U14 line back to Stuttgart Hbf, we arrived with plenty of time to spare before our train would depart; as such we took the opportunity to purchase a burger each from one of the food stalls within the station, along with a variety of sweet pastries and some cold drinks, before sitting on the platform and eating as we awaited our train, discussing the following morning's plans as we did so. Due to signalling delays, although we boarded our train at the scheduled time it did not depart Stuttgart until close to 8pm; as a result, by the time we reached our hotel in Munich once again it was almost 11pm. As we had a very early start the following morning in order to catch our booked train to Innsbruck, we each had a very quick shower before going to bed with great alacrity. However, as our day had been long and tiring, and entailed great deal of walking, we had no trouble getting to sleep.
Photographic highlights from Wilhelma http://www.zoochat.com/322/vinaceous-amazon-amazona-vinacea-wilhelma-april-449051/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/common-hippopotamus-hippopotamus-amphibius-april-10th-449052/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/western-pygmy-hippopotamus-choeropsis-liberiensis-liberiensis-449053/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/kordofan-dorcas-gazella-dorcas-osiris-wilhelma-449054/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/white-eared-catbird-ailuroedus-buccoides-buccoides-449055/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/brown-hooded-kingfisher-halcyon-albiventris-wilhelma-449056/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/north-island-kaka-nestor-meridionalis-septentrionalis-449057/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/african-egg-eating-snake-dasypeltis-scabra-449058/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/saltwater-crocodile-crocodylus-porosus-wilhelma-april-449059/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/pygmy-mulga-monitor-varanus-gilleni-wilhelma-449060/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/red-necked-fruitbat-pteropus-vampyrus-wilhelma-449061/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/somali-wild-ass-equus-africanus-somaliensis-449062/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/desert-horned-viper-cerastes-cerastes-wilhelma-449063/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/eastern-bongo-tragelaphus-eurycerus-isaaci-wilhelma-449064/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/marabou-stork-leptoptilos-crumenifer-wilhelma-april-449065/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/north-island-kaka-nestor-meridionalis-septentrionalis-449066/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/polar-bear-ursus-maritimus-wilhelma-april-449067/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/turkomen-markhor-capra-falconeri-heptneri-wilhelma-449068/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/european-turtle-dove-streptopelia-turtur-turtur-449069/ http://www.zoochat.com/322/northern-wheatear-oenanthe-oenanthe-wilhelma-april-449070/ Next: A visit to Innsbruck Alpenzoo!
As discussed in the thread I just created for the purpose within the Austrian forums, I will now be posting a detailed enclosure-by-enclosure walkthrough of Innsbruck Alpenzoo. When this has been completed, I will cross-post the resulting trip report into this thread, with the individual posts merged where suitable to increase the length of each portion of the report. This, some of you may recall, is similar to how I dealt with Zoo Magdeburg in my Berlin trip report. I would very much appreciate any feedback and questions over in the other thread; at the present time there has been no discussion of Innsbruck Alpenzoo, and precious few photographs uploaded from the collection - this is an omission I intend to remedy.
As I shall soon - hopefully tonight - be completing my walkthrough account of Alpenzoo Innsbruck and starting the process of cross-posting to this thread, I am now incorporating all the previously-attached images from earlier points in this thread into the text itself As such this may be an opportune time for people to re-read this thread and look at these images if they have not already done so!
It's taken me a bloody long time - thanks in part to having started a night-shift job in mid-November and as a result being a bit worn out and not feeling up to dealing with the task - but I have finally finished the aforementioned incorporation of previously-attached images! I will now cross-post all the Alpenzoo Innsbruck posts into this thread, after which point I hope to resume posting new trip reports My next big trip is in mid-June and I am determined to at least get this thread close to completion by then.......
April 11th 2015: Alpenzoo Innsbruck Part I: Journey to Alpenzoo As our booked train from Munich Hbf to Innsbruck Hbf was scheduled to depart at 0738, we had set our alarms the previous night to wake us at 0615; this would permit us plenty of time to get dressed and ready, check the weather on Helly's tablet, catch the U-bahn from Marienplatz to the train station and buy something for our breakfast without being in risk of running late. Much as we had done the previous day prior to our trip to Stuttgart, we chose to purchase an assortment of sweet and savoury pastries from some of the bakery stands within the station; these would not only provide us with a decent breakfast but also food to snack on as we explored Alpenzoo. The train we were catching was the EC1289 from Munich to Venice; as we had booked well in advance through the London office of Deutsche Bahn, we had been able to get cheaper Europa-Spezial tickets - however, the flipside was that we were tied to the specific trains we had booked for our journey to and from Innsbruck. This meant that despite the fact that - when checking the weather report online - there had been predictions of heavy thunderstorms throughout the day, we would have to nonetheless take the chance of getting soaked in order to visit Alpenzoo whatsoever. As the train travelled through the south of Bavaria, we could see the foothills of the Alps approaching, growing closer with every minute; although I had caught a glimpse of the Alps on the final approach into Munich of our plane some days prior, this was the first prolonged view I had been able to get. As such, I found the journey a pleasant and enjoyable one, as the train passed through peaceful countryside, small towns and villages, with the terrain steadily becoming more and more irregular. Then, almost abruptly, a few minutes after passing through the town of Rosenheim and starting to follow the Inn River upstream, the train took us between a pair of lofty peaks rearing up on either side of the valley; we were entering the Alps themselves. Initially, the peaks and hillsides visible through the windows of the train were thickly vegetated, and not much larger than many of the mountains I had seen within the United Kingdom; however, within minutes the scenery was presenting me with snow-capped peaks and sheer hillsides which surpassed anything I had ever experienced in person before. Around the same time, my mobile phone automatically received a text message notifying me that I had now entered Austria, telling me the charges for text messages and phonecalls that would apply within the country; these were, as it happened, identical to those which applied within Germany and as such the primary use of the message was as an indicator that I had now entered my second foreign country. However, due to the route the international border took within this area of the Alps, within a minute or two I received another text telling me I had entered Germany, before being once again told I had entered Austria; this happened about two or three times more within the next five minutes before the train passed deep enough into Austria to remain there! By the time the train approached Innsbruck, the scenery visible through the window was stunningly-beautiful; although our visit had come late enough in the year that the weather was balmy and warm, very little of the snow and ice covering the surrounding mountains had started to shrink away - of course, we were now deep enough within the Alps that the peaks would never entirely thaw. Despite the fact we had not even disembarked from the train, never mind arrived at Alpenzoo itself, it was already clear to me that the collection would be - without a shadow of a doubt - the best I had ever experienced in terms of the surrounding scenery. The clear and sunny weather which the area seemed to be enjoying was also a great relief, considering the aforementioned weather report. Arriving at Innsbruck Hbf, we found ourselves in a very large and well laid-out station, with many restaurants and cafes present within the structure, along with a massive supermarket; we made a note of this fact for the evening, as we had booked a return train quite late in the evening and as such knew we would be getting something to eat for tea within the station prior to catching our train. In order to help us find the optimum route on foot from the Hauptbahnhof to Alpenzoo itself, prior to departing the United Kingdom we had printed a map from Google detailing a number of potential routes. The one we elected to take, although projected to take a shade under 40 minutes, was one which we felt reasonably confident we would be able to manage somewhat quicker than anticipated, given our level of fitness and how often we walk long distances. One of the first things we saw on leaving Innsbruck Hbf were the surrounding mountains rising thousands of metres above the city, snow-capped and sheer; it may have been my imagination, but the air felt cooler and fresher than it had been in Munich. As we walked along Kaiserjägerstraße, heading towards the Inn River, the path took us past the Innsbrucker Hofgarten; designed in the English landscape style, this ornamental garden on the site of a natural river meadow was thickly planted with mature trees; had we more time, I would have rather enjoyed visiting this area of the city for its own merits. However, as we walked past the margins of the Hofgarten we could see hirundines - of a species we could not quite identify at this distance - swooping back and forth over the trees and the river flowing alongside the park, doubtless among the first to return from their wintering grounds. After around 20 minutes or so, the path took us over the Weiherburgsteg, a covered foot-bridge crossing the Inn; we stopped halfway along the bridge and stood watching the hirundines as they hawked over the river, swooping low to pluck insects from above the water surface. Patience paid off, as a few minutes after we started watching, one individual flew close enough as it fed on insects hovering over the river for us to realise just what it was; a Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)! This was an extremely pleasing development, being a lifetick species and moreover one which I had not expected would have arrived in the Alps by early April. Beyond here, the footpath took us up Heinrich-Süß-Weg, a winding track which steadily picked its way up the hillside overlooking Innsbruck; this portion of the walk to Alpenzoo had been one we had been told by other Zoochatters was steep and taxing, but to our substantial relief it was significantly easier than we had feared. Not only was the path somewhat less steep than we had been led to believe, but a gentle breeze and the shade of the woodland we were entering meant we felt pleasantly cool despite the heat of the sun; there was barely a cloud in the sky, another indication that the weather report had been somewhat inaccurate. However, as we knew that weather even in the mountainous areas of the United Kingdom could be incredibly changeable, we were aware that the forecast thunderstorms could still hit the area; as such we were determined to make the most of the day either way. After around another ten minutes or so, the footpath led out of the woodland and onto a road; just opposite, we could see the car park and entry complex for Innsbruck Alpenzoo. Before making our way to the entrance, we took the opportunity to view the scenery; the city centre of Innsbruck was surprisingly far below us, whilst the peaks of Serles and Patscherkofel were visible in the distance. Above us, the Hafelekarspitze - on whose foothills Alpenzoo is positioned - rose thousands of feet, providing an impressive and somewhat-daunting sight; this peak, the smallest of the three mountains I have mentioned thus far, was nonetheless twice the height of the highest mountain I had thus far encountered, Ben Nevis in Scotland. As the footpath we had taken from the city centre had passed near to one of the stations for the furnicular railway which takes visitors part-way up the Hafelekarspitze, with cable cars leading to the summit, I knew that with a little more time, and more certainty about the weather, it would have been possible for us to visit the summit. I also knew that, at this time of year, the visitor's centre at the summit was frequented by a number of unusual Alpine species such as mountain hare, snowfinch, alpine accentor and alpine chough. As such, I found myself wishing it were possible to do so! Casting this thought aside, we made our way towards the entrance of Alpenzoo; we had arrived at our destination!
Part II: Initial Impressions After purchasing a couple of guidebooks and postcards from the shop found within the entry complex, we make our way into Alpenzoo itself. The first exhibit we encountered was not far from the entrance area, and situated at a point where the public footpath split into a higher route and a lower route. The informational signposting at the enclosure stated that it comprised a mixed exhibit for Eurasian Merganser (Mergus merganser merganser) and Elbe European Beaver (Castor fiber albicus). The exhibit was, in my opinion, rather well-designed; it covered quite a large area and included several pools on a number of levels - some of which were connected by small waterfalls - along with large logs and rocky outcrops dotted around the margins of some of the larger pools. We were also rather taken by the brass statues dotted around the exhibit; one was located next to one of the viewing windows for the enclosure and depicted three beavers, whilst another was located a little further from the enclosure at the junction between the two footpaths, and comprised a large statue of an Alpine Ibex, with a plaque discussing the species located underneath. As has been noted several times in the past, I very much enjoy seeing statues and artwork depicting the taxa located at a collection when visiting continental zoos; this, sadly, seems to be somewhat rare in collections I have visited within the United Kingdom. At the time we were viewing the exhibit, the European Beaver were not visible; considering the nocturnal nature of this species, this was not particularly surprising. However, the Eurasian Merganser were sunning themselves on a rocky outcropping located in the lowest of the pools found within this exhibit complex, allowing us to obtain a rather good view of the species. Having consulted the map in order to decide which route to take through the collection, we made our way along the lower of the two footpaths referred to previously; as the gradient of the footpath was taking us steadily downhill, this allowed us to view a small annexe built underneath the exhibit we had just viewed from above. Within, a set of dark viewing windows looked into a set of small, straw-lined sleeping quarters, within which large shapes were huddled together; these were quite obviously the Eurasian Beaver. Overall, I rather liked this mixed exhibit; it struck me as providing plenty of space for the inhabitants of the enclosure, and the provision of multiple levels within the exhibit, along with areas of rockwork and logs to allow movement outside of the water, meant that the exhibit provided more than the bare minimum where the welfare needs of the inhabitants were concerned. The quality of the signposting at the exhibit was also very high, providing plenty of information about each species, along with their range and habitat. Just beyond the viewing area for the sleeping quarters of the European Beaver, the public footpath split once again; consulting the map we were able to see that the lower of the two paths led to a cul-de-sac and as such it would be most prudent to view this area first before continuing to make our way around the collection. The gradient of the footpath was quite steep in this area, and as such by the time we reached the next enclosure I shall discuss, we were already several metres below the level of the entrance complex. To our left, we could see a large exhibit for European Wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris), within which several individuals were highly active and readily visible. The front area of the enclosure, closest to the viewing windows next to the public footpath, comprised a narrow grassy platform dotted with dead trees, bushes and wooden climbing frames; beyond here, it appeared the vast majority of the exhibit as a whole was located several metres below. This area - which was visible in part due to the public footpath curving around the aforementioned platform somewhat - contained several densely-packed conifers, the upper reaches of which extended above the viewing area, interspersed with tall wooden poles and climbing frames. These were connected to those within the first portion of the exhibit, allowing the inhabitants a vast range of motion throughout the entirety of the enclosure. As such, the exhibit as a whole provided a rather good representation of an Alpine hillside forest, with open ledges and clearings interspersed through the tree cover. Due to the range of movement and space provided, along with the thickly-vegetated lower portions of the enclosure which provided ample opportunity for the inhabitants of this exhibit to escape from the view of humans if they so desired, I felt that this exhibit was extremely good, and very well-suited to the welfare needs of the taxon displayed within. In point of fact, I think this may well have been one of the best wildcat enclosures I have had the good fortune to see, rivalled only by the complex of exhibits at Highland Wildlife Park in the United Kingdom. This, I felt, boded rather well for the collection as a whole if the quality of this one exhibit was maintained. One additional point of interest located within this area was an old poster situated next to one of the viewing windows into the enclosure; this promoted the "Dirty Dozen" campaign which EAZA ran throughout 2009, intended to highlight twelve species of carnivore native to Europe which merited particular attention. The species in question were as follows: Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos) Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra lutra) Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) European Wildcat (Felis silvestris) European Mink (Mustela lutreola) Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) European Wolf (Canis lupus lupus) Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) Marbled Polecat (Vormela peregusna) Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Wolverine (Gulo gulo gulo) As someone with a particular interest in both native wildlife of Europe, and carnivore species in general, I found it interesting to note that at the time of my visit, I had been fortunate enough to view all but two of the species promoted by this initiative. However, I also found it a rather sombre thought to reflect that in the six years since this campaign had taken place, although many of the species highlighted had thrived in European collections the Marbled Polecat had become all-but-extinct as a captive taxon. Just opposite the European Wildcat exhibit, we could see an extremely large enclosure signposted for European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos). The exhibit comprised a series of rocky ledges and plateaus sloping up from the viewing area, with a waterfall cutting through the centre and flowing into a deep pond at the front of the enclosure, just below the public viewing area. The land area nearest to the pond comprised a grassy shelf, dotted with scrubby bushes. The rear portion of the enclosure was surrounded by tall sandstone walls - carefully constructed to look like a sheer cliff face - which contained the entrance into the interior housing for the inhabitants, deliberately designed to resemble the mouth of a cave. Scattered throughout the exhibit, we could see numerous large boulders, logs and rocks, along with several large spruce trees; these provided plenty of opportunities for the inhabitants of the enclosure to climb around and explore. One particularly good feature of this exhibit which immediately stuck out was the fact that the landscaping and irregular terrain meant that even when active within the exhibit, the inhabitants of this enclosure had plenty of scope to hide and escape from the view of the visiting public. I was very much taken by this exhibit on the whole; it seemed to provide the inhabitants with plenty of space, along with scope to escape from view if they so desired and the ability to make use of several climbing opportunities within the enclosure. Moreover, it appeared from the general appearance of the exhibit that the inhabitants were fed using a randomised scatter system; we could see food items floating in the pond at the front of the exhibit, and scattered on multiple of the ledges and boulders throughout the exhibit. This form of behavioural enrichment is particularly valuable when used in the captive husbandry of a large carnivore such as the Brown Bear. As such, I thought this exhibit was a very good enclosure for the species in question, meeting their welfare needs fully and looking rather attractive and naturalistic, giving the impression of a mountainside stream and boulder field. We then followed the footpath back up towards the Beaver and Merganser exhibit, in order to reach the second of the two paths we had encountered after viewing the enclosure in question; shortly after heading down this path we noticed an interior viewing area for the public to the left. According to the map, this would give us a view over the entirety of the exterior enclosure for the European Brown Bear from the top of the exhibit; as such, we decided to investigate further. Three images of Brown Bear were mounted on the wall running alongside the path leading inside; informational signage stated that each was a life-size representation of three subspecies - Syrian, European and Kodiak - with the intention of demonstrating the range of size found within the species as a whole. Within the interior viewing area there were several other rather good educational displays, including a map showing the distribution of the Brown Bear throughout Austria and Europe as a whole, another discussing the distribution, diet and appearance of other bear species across the world, and a display case containing the skull of an extinct Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus) found in a nearby area of Tyrol. One display which I found particularly interesting was a collection of skulls belonging to species native to Austria, comparing the teeth of each species and discussing how each taxon has adapted to fit into a particular ecological niche and feed on a specific diet. Although the artwork within these informational displays looked a little old-fashioned, I felt the quality and range of the information provided was extremely high, and rivalled displays found at significantly larger and more well-known collections. However, the main attraction within this area, as already noted, was a large glass window which ran along one wall of the room from ceiling to floor, and which provided a view across much of the exterior exhibit which we had already viewed; this room was, quite obviously, constructed within the sandstone cliff face which I discussed previously. Whilst we were within this area, one of the inhabitants of the enclosure came close to the viewing window and started making use of a particularly well-designed enrichment aid; a large fibreglass ball perhaps a little less than a metre in diameter, which was attached to the ground by a long chain and pockmarked by numerous small holes. The individual we were observing started rolling the ball back and forth, periodically pressing its muzzle to the holes - one presumes that this item would be filled with dried fruit, nuts, meat and other such items on occasion. Overall, then, I was very impressed by this exhibit for European Brown Bear; although nowhere near the largest I have seen for this taxon, it was certainly one of the best, an assessment based both on the quality of the exhibit itself and the accompanying educational material.
Just wanted to say I reread some of your Wilhelma reports and they really are very good. It sounds like the perfect sort of zoo to visit and I suspect I would like it very much. The south of Germany is one of the places I genuinely don't have even a long-term plan for getting to, which is obviously a great shame, but the world is just too big!
Part III: Boreal Walkthrough Continuing along the path leading away from the Beaver and Merganser exhibit, we reached an exhibit representing a range of bird taxa native to boreal habitats. The bulk of this exhibit was contained within a walkthrough area containing free-flying birds and a number of separate aviaries; however immediately prior to the gate into the walkthrough area, we were able to observe an aviary for European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis carduelis). Although I am more familiar with the subspecies native to the British Isles, this happens to be one of my favourite members of the finch family found within Europe, and one which I have seen wild on many occasions. As such, it was interesting to see the taxon held within a captive capacity; before he passed away, my grandfather used to keep numerous species of passerine native to the United Kingdom, including European Goldfinch, and the aviary which I viewed at Alpenzoo was very much akin to the aviaries in which he kept the species. An off-display indoor house was located to the rear of the aviary; a structure, in fact, which ran along the whole length of the Boreal Exhibit as a whole. The aviary itself was thickly planted with evergreen vegetation throughout the right-hand side of the exhibit, whilst the left-hand side was somewhat more open, containing a scrubby and leafless tree; as such the inhabitants of this aviary had areas where they could perch in the open, whilst also being able to hide from view amid thick vegetation. Within the walkthrough area itself, the exhibit comprised two distinct facets; along the right-hand side of the exhibit as Helly and myself walked along the footpath, there was a series of aviaries broadly speaking akin to the one containing European Goldfinch of which I have already spoken - these I will discuss in more detail anon. However, the left-hand side of the exhibit comprised a large pond stretching the entire length of the walkthrough aviary, bordered by thick vegetation which was at its densest towards the entrance and exit to the aviary, but with several trees plented throughout the length of the pool. The entire area was netted over, allowing a number of species to fly freely throughout the exhibit; at the time of our visit the informational signposting provided within the exhibit indicated that these comprised European Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus caeruleus), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) and Dabchick (Tachybaptus ruficollis). Much as had been the case with the European Goldfinch, the former of these taxa represented the continental race of a species with which I am particularly familiar, having seen it within the wild on innumerable occasions, whilst the Little Bittern is a species I have had the good fortune to view only a handful of times previously. However, I was most pleased to see the Dabchick - or Little Grebe - as this is a species which, although common in my area, I see far less frequently than I should like; as such, viewing the species in a captive capacity and having the opportunity to photograph it in close detail was something I felt very worthwhile. Although the size of the walkthrough aviary as a whole was not unduly large, it was nonetheless large enough - and vegetated to a high-enough level - that it took quite some time to spot the free-flying inhabitants of the exhibit; this is something which I always rather enjoy, feeling as I do that it is far more fufilling to have patience rewarded than to find spotting captive taxa as simple as looking within an enclosure momentarily. The first of the enclosed aviaries within this area displayed Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea); yet again a species with which I am very familiar, and which I have viewed on many occasions both in the wild and - whilst he was alive - in my grandad's aviaries. Although similar to the aviary for Goldfinch already discussed in general dimensions and appearance, there were a few notable differences; for instance, although a portion of the exhibit contained similar thick evergreen vegetation, the majority of the aviary contained several wooden posts and tree trunks. This was, quite obviously, a design choice intended to show off the particularly striking manner in which the Eurasian Nuthatch feeds and moves around; this worked very well, as it happens, and the two of us were able to view the inhabitants of this aviary making full use of the space granted to them. The next aviary contained European Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula europaea); this was a species which I was particularly pleased to see, as through some fluke of chance it had been many years since I had seen the native British race of Bullfinch, despite the fact that it is particularly common in my area. Moreover, in my opinion this species is one of the most attractive-looking of all finches, with highly-coloured and distinctive plumage in the males and a particular "feel" to the birds which I find particularly appealing. Although containing some level of green vegetation, this aviary was largely filled by a rather higher number of bare shrubs and trees than had the preceding aviaries - as a result, the inhabitants of this exhibit were rather more visible than the other species I have discussed thus far had been. However, this aviary nonetheless seemed to provide plenty of space and perching opportunities for the inhabitants; moreover, as already alluded to when discussing the aviary for the European Goldfinch, the inhabitants of all the aviaries in this row were able to escape from the view of the public and enter their interior aviaries. The next aviary within this row contained a particularly-attractive species, and one which to my knowledge is displayed in no other public collection within Europe; the Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). This is perhaps one of the few native British passerines which rivals the European Goldfinch within my affections, not least because this is a species which I regularly see within my own garden, and the smallest passerine found within Europe as a whole. Moreover, the species has always seemed to me to have a fierce attitude, with the individuals within my garden regularly to be seen fighting much larger birds in order to obtain food from my birdfeeder! This aviary was perhaps the thickest-vegetated of all those within this exhibit as a whole, being filled with dense evergreen shrubs and trees from floor to ceiling; as such viewing the inhabitants of this aviary took some time and patience. I felt this aviary was extremely good in terms of meeting the needs of the taxon held within. The next aviary contained another particular highlight of the zoological collection at Alpenzoo; a pair of Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla). Of those species held within the Boreal Walkthrough as a whole, this was certainly the taxon which I had viewed the least often; the last time I had set eyes on a member of this species had been a decade before, when I happened upon an individual feeding in the middle of a footpath on the outskirts of the New Forest back in the United Kingdom. This had been, as one would imagine, a fleeting glimpse and as such I had yearned to view the taxon properly ever since; the Wryneck is a particularly unusual member of the European avifauna, being an atypical member of the woodpecker family which bears little resemblance to its cousins, and as one of several species of bird to disappear as a breeding bird within the British Isles in the last few decades it is a species which is increasingly unfamiliar to general members of the public. The aviary containing this taxon was quite akin to that for the European Nuthatch, comprising a large number of dead or leafless trees which provided the inhabitants with numerous perching opportunities, whilst also allowing for the natural ability of the Wryneck to blend into such environments to be displayed very well; despite the fact that the inhabitants were perched in very visible points, it took a few moments for Helly and myself to spot them. The next aviary was unlabelled and - apparently - empty at the time of our visit; in general design it was very much akin to the aviaries which held Wryneck and European Nuthatch, something which rather indicated that whether it was occupied by an unlabelled species, intended for a new arrival or had contained a now-deceased species, this particular aviary was probably intended to display a species broadly-speaking similar to these two taxa. As such I would imagine this aviary may well have been designed to hold another species of woodpecker, or possibly a treecreeper. The final aviary within the walkthrough exhibit contained yet another species unique to Alpenzoo within public collections in Europe, the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata). This is a species which, although relatively common within the United Kingdom, I have never had the opportunity to view for more than a brief and snatched moment - let alone photograph. As such I was quite pleased to note that the inhabitants of this aviary were active and readily visible, allowing me to take several good photographs of this taxon. The aviary itself was very much of a kind with the preceding aviaries within this area; it was nowhere near as well-vegetated as the exhibit for Goldcrest, but nor was it quite as densely-populated with trees and wooden logs as had been the exhibits for European Nuthatch and Wryneck. In broad terms, it was most akin to the exhibit for European Goldfinch, comprising a good balance of perching opportunities, open areas and scope for the inhabitants to escape public view. After heading through the exit gate for the walkthrough exhibit, we reached one final aviary which can be considered part of the Boreal exhibit; this was very much akin to the exhibit for Goldcrest, being extremely thickly-vegetated with evergreen bushes and trees from ceiling to floor, and contained Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra); one of the most distinctive-looking finch species native to Europe, it had been some years since I had last been fortunate enough to view this taxon - although I have heard them within my area on many occasions, this species is rather more secretive than other finch taxa found within the United Kingdom and tends to hide away rather more readily. As such, I felt I was rather lucky even to view the individuals within this exhibit, which were only visible for brief moments now and then as we viewed the aviary; again, an illustration of the value which can be found in patiently awaiting a sighting of a species within a captive collection. Overall, I was very impressed with this area; it contained a number of attractive and seldom-displayed species in exhibits suitable for the taxa in question, and contained interesting and informative signposting discussing the range, taxonomy and diet of those species displayed within this area.
Part IV: Aviaries and Aquarium As the footpath took a dogleg uphill, we reached a large triangular aviary signposted for European Raven (Corvus corax corax); this was perhaps only a little smaller than the entirety of the walkthrough exhibit we had just left, with viewing into the aviary available both from below - as we were viewing it - and above, from another stretch of footpath. There were many young trees planted within the aviary, along with several old logs and branches dotted on the ground; these provided plenty of perching opportunities for the taxon displayed within. Although I have seen European Raven in the wild and captivity on several occasions previously, I was quite pleased to see this species as I have a soft spot for corvids in general. Just beyond here, we came across a series of large information boards detailing the various species which had been "adopted" by visitors to the collection, along with several companies and organisations; this was well-presented and pleasing to the eye, and the information provided regarding which species were most popular with adopters was rather interesting, as was the fact that even the most obscure taxa seemed to have attracted attention. Beyond here, we decided after consulting the map that the most logical route for us to follow would be to make our way towards the aquarium building. As such, we made our way along a path overlooking the walkthrough aviary and Eurasian Beaver exhibit; after perhaps a dozen yards or so we reached a row of exhibits to our left. The first of these comprised a tall and well-designed aviary perhaps three or four metres high, signposted for Central European Dipper (Cinclus cinclus aquaticus) and European Penduline-tit (Remiz pendulinus pendulinus). The aviary itself was situated slightly above the level of the footpath, resting on a stone and brick platform built into the wall running alongside the path, with a thickly vegetated floor and a relatively mature tree present to the left of the aviary, whilst the right hand side contained a pond; the latter feature was partially built into the rockwork at the rear of the aviary, as was access to interior housing for the inhabitants. Careful and patient observation was rewarded after a few minutes with sightings of both taxa; both of which represented lifeticks. Although I was well-familiar with the European Dipper as a species in general, I had previously seen only the two subspecies native to the British Isles; as such this particular subspecies, native to the Alpine region, was entirely new to me. The European Penduline-tit, on the other hand, was a taxon which represented not only a lifetick species, but a lifetick family for both Helly and myself. As the individuals present at Alpenzoo Innsbruck were, at the time of my visit, the only representatives of the species on-display within Europe, I was particularly pleased to see these attractive and unusual birds. As we stood watching the inhabitants of this exhibit, motion on the wall in front of us caught our eye; we rapidly spotted several wild lizards climbing around and sunbathing on the stone platform between the footpath and the aviary. Further and more careful observation led us to the realisation that there were dozens of lizards around us, taking full advantage of the bright, hot sunlight. Some were within the aviary, others in the surrounding vegetation and rockwork; there were even lizards periodically running across the footpath itself, now that we paid closer attention to our surroundings. These comprised no less than three species; Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis), Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis). The latter of these represented a wild lifetick for both Helly and myself, but quite honestly we were just as happy to see the other two taxa given our interest in native European reptiles and amphibians. It was very obvious that the south-facing hillside location of the collection was well-suited to the needs of such taxa; over the course of the day we would continue to see many other wild lizards, along with one or two other taxa of which I shall speak at the appropriate time. The next aviary we reached was similar in general design to the previous one, albeit slightly larger and somewhat more lushly vegetated towards the rear of the aviary, and contained Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) and Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis); although I had been fortunate enough to see wild Blackcap and Common Kingfisher in the past, the Eurasian Golden Oriole represented a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself. As such, we devoted some time to spotting this particular taxon within the aviary; ultimately we were able to briefly glimpse an Oriole in the deepest and thickest reaches of the foliage at the rear of the exhibit - however our satisfaction was no less complete for the brevity of this sighting. As with the preceding aviary, I felt that this exhibit was well-designed and very well suited to the taxa contained within; as noted already, the rockwork at the rear of these aviaries quite obviously contained futher off-display housing for the inhabitants, allowing them the opportunity to escape from sight if need be. We then reached a series of enclosures positioned immediately prior to the entrance to the aquarium; the first of these was a large and very well-designed exhibit for Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra lutra). This comprised a deep and relatively large pool to the left of the enclosure, with patches of land and rockwork to the rear and right allowing the inhabitants to move around on land if they so desired. Towards the rear of the exhibit there were patches of young vegetation and trees, which would no doubt look rather more impressive with the passage of time; however, on the land area to the right of the exhibit there was a single very large mature tree, which quite possibly had been present for many years. The rockwork at the rear of the enclosure gave way to a sheer rocky cliff-face, within which were a number of entrances to off-display and indoor housing. The exhibit seemed very well-suited to the taxon displayed within; we were able to observe several otters swimming back and forth, periodically entering and exiting their sleeping quarters. All in all, I rather liked this exhibit - it was large enough for the taxon in question, and provided a good blend of land and water for their various welfare needs; given my liking for small carnivores, and mustelids in particular, I am always pleased to see a well-executed exhibit for a member of this group. Immediately next to this exhibit, we reached the enclosure for European Polecat (Mustela putorius); this had very obviously been designed in such a way as to emulate a riverbank environment, with a pair of mature trees surrounded by logs and branches, rocks and boulders, and scrubby vegetation, with a bubbling stream flowing over the rocks in the centre of the exhibit into the moat at the front of the enclosure. Entrances into burrows built into the slope of the hillside were dotted throughout the exhibit. As such, I felt this exhibit was very appealing to the eye, giving a naturalistic feel which almost gave the impression that an area of the original hillside had been preserved - although this is not, of course, the case - and was well-suited to the taxon displayed within. Given the nocturnal nature of the European Polecat it was not terribly surprising that we failed to spot the inhabitants of this exhibit, however. The next exhibit we reached, located just prior to the entrance into the aquarium itself, was a small but well-designed enclosure for Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) and Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus); this comprised a glass-fronted and open-topped tank with a relatively large expanse of water at the front of the enclosure, and several old branches and logs sprawled around the rear of the exhibit. In the rear-right corner of the exhibit, there was a large heap of dead and dying grass; this was no doubt intended to provide cover for the frogs within the exhibit on those occasions they choose to leave the water. I quite liked this exhibit; it was well-signposted with information about the taxa within and, although not terribly large, was well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants. Opposite this exhibit was a large outdoor enclosure for European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis); this comprised a large deep pool with beds of water reeds growing throughout, with a cluster of large logs at one end. As one would imagine, the inhabitants of the exhibit were largely hauled out here, basking under heat lamps positioned over the logs for precisely this purpose. Although at the time of our visit, the reedbeds were quite thin and sparse, one would imagine that at the height of summer the amount of vegetation within this exhibit would be significantly increased - as such we were perhaps visiting at the best time of year to view the exhibit as a whole, without the vegetation obscuring areas. I felt this was an extremely good exhibit on the whole, given that it provided a large and natural-looking habitat for the taxon displayed within, and one which was well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants. Having viewed this exhibit, we then made our way into the aquarium itself; the first portion of the aquarium comprised a long hallway dotted with tanks to either side of the public path through the building, containing the following taxa: European Bitterling (Rhodeus amarus) and Sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris vulgaris) and European Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) and European Weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis) European Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) Spotted Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra salamandra) European Crayfish (Astacus astacus) In general design, these exhibits tended to resemble the one displaying Marsh Frog and Three-spined Stickleback which I have already discussed; some contained rather more dry land and vegetation than the aforementioned enclosure had - for instance the exhibits for European Yellow-bellied Toad and Spotted Fire Salamander - whilst some, such as the European Crayfish exhibit, contained no dry land whatsoever. However, all maintained the high standard of design and attention to the welfare needs of the inhabitants which I have already commented upon. At the end of this hallway, there was a particularly good exhibit displaying a variety of small aquatic invertebrates - these were unlabelled except in the broadest terms, but contained taxa such as pondskater, pond beetles and snails, and so forth. This exhibit, as with all the previous ones within the aquarium, was accompanied by highly-detailed informational signage discussing the ecosystem within which the inhabitants belong. Beyond this hallway, we reached a large open viewing area onto a massive glass-fronted tank, the centrepiece of the Alpenzoo aquarium; the Alpine Lake exhibit. The viewing window at the front of the tank spanned the vast majority of one wall, starting perhaps a metre from the floor and reaching approximately four metres to the ceiling. The pool within was deep and clear, and designed in such a way as to emulate the floor of an alpine lake; the base of the pool sloped away and upwards from the deepest point at the window to wide shallow areas at the rear of the pool, with the floor scattered with rocks and pebbles, along with several sunken trees and logs. The walls of the lake exhibit comprised craggy mock-rock ledges and boulders. The overall effect was extremely good, giving the distinct feeling that one was genuinely viewing the floor of a mountain lake or tarn; the pool was, as one might have guessed, populated by numerous species of fish which are native to the Alps and found throughout the lakes and pools of the region. The taxa displayed within the Alpine Lake exhibit were as follows: Common Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) European Chub (Squalius cephalus) Zarte (Vimba vimba) Common Bream (Abramis brama) Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Danube Bleak (Alburnus mento) Bleak (Alburnus alburnus) Lake Chub (Rutilus meidingerii) Although we had been thoroughly impressed by the vast majority of the exhibits we had seen at Alpenzoo thus far, this exhibit was certainly one of the highlights - not only was it well-designed and appealing to the eye, but it represented an example of precisely the kind of region-specific exhibit which one would never find at a more mainstream zoological collection, and which makes Alpenzoo particularly special. We then followed a staircase out of the aquarium, and onto the terrace above.
Part V: Terrace and Further Uphill On reaching the terrace, we noted the presence of a cafe area; as it was still reasonably early, we decided we would return here to eat later in the day and - in the meantime - continue making our way around the collection. The first exhibit on the terrace which we viewed was a large and very pleasantly-designed exhibit for European Otter; considering its location, it struck me as highly probable that this was - for all intents and purposes - a continuation of the previous exhibit for this taxon which we had viewed below, presumably connected to said enclosure through the interior sleeping quarters present within the rockface to the rear of each exhibit. The exhibit was perhaps slightly smaller than the lower enclosure for the taxon; however it provided rather more land area, with piles of rocks, boulders and hollow logs at the rear of the exhibit, against the rock wall leading to the interior housing for the inhabitants. As was the case with several other exhibits we had viewed thus far at Alpenzoo, there was a brass statue of one of the inhabitants situated nearby; as one may have gathered, I am always pleased when I see this sort of supplementary decoration within a captive collection. At the time we were viewing the exhibit, the inhabitants of this enclosure were highly visible and active - possibly the most readily-visible of any European Otters I had seen in a captive collection to date, given that in my experience this taxon was rather less confiding than other species of otter. On the whole, then, I was very pleased with this exhibit; it was well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants, looked pleasing to the eye and "fit" with the overall feel and aesthetic of the collection as a whole. Nearby, we saw a series of high-quality informational posters discussing the conservation, captive breeding and reintroduction projects with which Alpenzoo Innsbruck is involved; each giving copious details about the taxa in question, the wider programmes aimed at protecting them and information on the actions which Alpenzoo has taken in this regard. Four posters focused on specific Alpine taxa; the Alpine Ibex, the Ural Owl, the European Wildcat and the Lammergeier. A fifth poster discussed the various EEP which Alpenzoo is particularly involved in; these are the programmes for European Otter, Wisent, Lammergeier, Black Stork, European Black Vulture and Waldrapp Ibis. All of the posters in question were very informative and interesting, and very much in line with the high-quality of those portions of the collection which we had viewed thus far. The next exhibit we reached was a relatively small but well-designed aviary for what was, perhaps, the jewel in the Alpenzoo collection; the only Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) held in captivity worldwide. The collection has held this taxon since 1962, with varying numbers at different times; however, at the time of our visit the population had dwindled to a single very geriatric female, and one which we had been warned seldom left the nestbox. However, we felt that a species such as this merited a little time and patience; as such we stood quietly in front of the aviary for a while, ultimately being rewarded by brief, but no less satisfying, glimpses of this unique animal. The exhibit itself comprised a pair of interconnected aviaries, with sheer craggy walls akin to roughly-constructed drystone dykes on all sides in an emulation of the Wallcreeper's natural cliff-face habitat, with fine mesh at the front of the exhibit sealing it off from the public footpath. Given the small size of the single inhabitant, the naturally cliff-dwelling nature of the species and the careful design of the exhibit to emulate this habitat, I felt that this aviary was excellent despite being perhaps only two metres tall and four metres long. Just along from the Wallcreeper aviary, we were able to get another view of the Alpine Lake exhibit which I have already discussed; this time, we were able to view the "lake" from above, allowing us to see more clearly the way in which the base of the pool sloped upwards to a shallow gravel area, and look down onto the inhabitants. This alternative view of the exhibit served only to confirm our previous opinion that this was an extremely good exhibit, well-suited to the inhabitants and appealling to the eye. The footpath led around the perimeter of the Alpine Lake to a second aquarium building, signposted as "Fischwelt der Alpen"; as I understood it, this comprised a more comprehensive look at the various species of fish found within the Alpine region rather than the lake-specific taxa displayed within the "Alpine Lake", and the general selection of species found within the main aquarium. However, as the weather forecast had indicated a distinct threat of thunderstorms later in the afternoon, we felt it would be most prudent to leave this indoor exhibit until later and view the remaining outdoor areas of Alpenzoo whilst the weather was on our side. As such, we doubled back in order to continue viewing the terrace and the exhibits beyond. The next two enclosures we reached were - very much like the European Otter one nearby - continuations of an exhibit located on the lower level of the mountainside leading towards the Aquarium; in this case, both were exhibits for Common Kingfisher, connected to one another and - through holes in the rear wall of the exhibit - to the exhibit below. Both exhibits were broadly-speaking similar in design, more or less being mirror-images of one another; as such, given the fact that each was accessible from the other through a panel in the mesh separating them, it strikes me as appropriate to discuss them as a single exhibit. The rear wall of the exhibit comprised imitation rockwork, with a buttress in the centre - bisected by the mesh which separated the exhibit into two portions - which contained access into the interior housing for the inhabitants of this exhibit in the left-hand portion of the exhibit, and a door permitting keeper access to this area in the right-hand portion of the exhibit. Towards the base of this imitation rockwork wall, there were piles of genuine rocks and boulders; around the central portion of the overall exhibit, these surrounded a pair of pools which were - once again - separated only by a small concrete and mesh barrier. To the far left and far right of the exhibit, land areas contained several small trees which provided the inhabitants of this exhibit with perching opportunities. In the central pools themselves - which appeared to be reasonably deep and to extend below the level of the footpath - there were open-topped plastic tubs partially filled with water and live fish, with the water level just about meeting the surrounding pool; this is worthy of particular note, as it indicates the Common Kingfishers at Innsbruck Alpenzoo are fed - at least in part - on live fish, something which rather belies the standard assumption among many zoo enthusiasts that this is in some way impossible or even illegal. The use of plastic tubs in order to slowly introduce the live fish to the exhibit presumably is intended to ensure the fish are not harmed by temperature shock, there presumably being a difference between the ambient temperature of the water within the exhibit and the water they are stored in. In the top right-hand corner of the exhibit as a whole, the imitation rockwork at the rear of the enclosure was supplemented by a drystone wall akin to that found within the Wallcreeper exhibit - a gap at the very top of this wall allowed direct access to the exhibit below without the inhabitants having to pass through their internal housing. As one may gather from the detail of this description, I felt this was a particularly good exhibit; possibly a little more functional in appearance than other exhibits discussed thus far, but when viewed as an overall complex with the offshow interior and the exhibit below, this series of enclosures has to be among the best exhibits in Europe - both in terms of design and animal welfare - for a native bird species. Before leaving the terrace area and continuing on our way up the mountainside in order to view the rest of the collection, the map indicated there was one final exhibit which we were yet to view; opposite the aforementioned "Fischwelt der Alpen" building, there was a large hillside exhibit for a number of waterfowl native to the Alpine region. This comprised a large, deep pool at the front of the exhibit, with a concrete and brick structure built into the hillside immediately behind which presumably provided interior housing for the inhabitants of the exhibit. Above this structure, which was very carefully hidden by the natural shape and form of the hillside, the land area of the exhibit was covered in scrubby vegetation, a number of mature trees and fallen logs, and a small wooden pergola which was covered in twigs, branches and dead vegetation, providing a nest platform and shelter. This exhibit held the following taxa: Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) European Pochard (Aythya ferina) Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) Eurasian Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca crecca) Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) The inhabitants of this exhibit were making full use of the space permitted and the varying design elements of the enclosure; for instance, the pair of Black Stork present within the exhibit were very obviously using the aforementioned pergola as a nesting area, whilst several of the ducks were basking on the ramp leading out from the main pool of the exhibit. As such, I felt this was a rather good exhibit and one which was well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants. We then took a path which led sharply uphill from the European Otter exhibit, in order to continue our journey around the collection. Soon after starting to make our way uphill, we came to a curious-looking exhibit; a stone tower had been constructed into the hillside and exhibit above, with the base of the tower visible and accessible at footpath level. A small doorway took us to the interior of a circular pit, at the centre of which was a tall wooden pole several metres tall; as the pole left the mouth of the pit, it passed through a layer of fencing mesh. As it so happened, I recognised the structure within which we had found ourselves - it was a traditional pitfall trap, of the kind used to hunt wolves and other large animals. On the walls surrounding us, there were numerous informational panels along with a pair of exhibit cases, with a wolf-motif running along the circumference of the pit above these panels. This educational display has to be among the very best - and certainly the most unique - I have seen in any zoo; as such, it strikes me as appropriate to detail the contents of each feature within the overall display in a clockwise fashion: Glass-fronted exhibit case containing the skull of a Eurasian Wolf, a book by the Swedish behavioural scientist Erik Zimen on the behaviour, ecology and folklore pertaining to the species, and a book by Barbara and Christoph Promberger also discussing these issues. An informational panel discussing the modern-day behavioural research taking place regarding the species. An informational panel discussing the issue of whether or not the species is a man-eater. An informational panel discussing the role of the wolf in fairy-tales and fables. An informational panel discussing folklore regarding werewolves and witches. An informational panel discussing the conflict between the increasing population of man and the native wolf population in centuries past. An informational panel discussing the legends of children reared by wolves. An informational panel discussing the reverence and respect which certain cultures have bestowed on the wolf. An informational panel explaining the design and function of the traditional pitfall trap used in the capture of wolves. Glass-fronted exhibit case containing items pertaining to the myths and legends surrounding wolves; for instance, a bronze statue of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. As noted, I was extremely impressed with this display, having not seen anything like it in any other zoological collection; the amount of information and detail within the display as a whole was superb, and the design and layout of the display was, as noted, unique. This struck me as yet another indication that Alpenzoo was itself something of a unique collection, given that one would never see something like this in a mainstream collection; even one which claimed to aim for an immersive environment would be unlikely to put the visitor in a trap for the purposes of education! Judging by the position of the entrance to the pit in relation to the surrounding hillside, along with the mesh sealing the mouth of the pit off, it seemed likely that the mouth of the pit was actually within the next exhibit we reached, which extended across much of the hillside before us. This was, as one might have guessed, a massive enclosure for Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus). The Eurasian Wolf exhibit was one of the best I have seen for the taxon; at a rough estimate it was a shade bigger than the exhibit previously discussed for European Brown Bear, and as such provided the inhabitants with more than enough space to move around. The exhibit was, as already noted, situated on a strongly-sloping hillside, with thick vegetation and mature trees covering intermittent portions of the enclosure along with open areas scattered with logs, boulders and branches. The front of the exhibit contained a reasonably-large pool, providing the inhabitants with a means of cooling off and a source of freshwater. As far as we could tell, the upper levels of the exhibit were visible from other footpath areas, further up the mountainside; as such, we knew that a complete impression of the exhibit would only be possible once our journey around Alpenzoo had continued awhile. However, our initial impressions were - as noted - very good; the exhibit was large enough for the needs of the inhabitants, provided a wide range of substrates and environmental cover and was pleasing to the eye. A little further along, the footpath split; ahead of us, the main path continued to gently rise higher, whilst to the left of us a steeper and more narrow path hugged the border of the Eurasian Wolf exhibit as it led to an annexe devoted to open-air terrariums for native reptile species, something of a highlight of the collection which I had been looking forward to seeing. As such, we naturally elected to take the latter route.
Part VI: Outdoor Terrarium Exhibits The open-air terrarium complex comprised a series of exhibits which, for all intents and purposes, were areas of the surrounding mountainside which had been separated off from one another and adapted to suit the needs of the inhabitants of each exhibit; this applied to all of the exhibits within this area with the exception of the first two, which had obviously been added at a later point than the main complex and as such were built outwards from the surrounding rock walls. The bulk of these terrariums were located along one side of a small and pleasant courtyard of sorts, from which it was possible to look downhill over the zoo and across the valley to the surrounding city and alpine landscape; as with Alpenzoo Innsbruck as a whole, this courtyard was well-placed to receive sunlight throughout the day, and as a result there were many wild lizards running back and forth along the ground and surrounding walls. The first enclosure we reached - which as already noted was seemingly a later addition to the exhibit complex as a whole - was a large and very pleasant-looking terrarium containing Western Montpellier Snake(Malpolon monspessulanus). This comprised a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself, and after a short period of time observing the exhibit we were able to locate one of the inhabitants; we found the Montpellier Snake to be a particularly interesting-looking species, and rather larger than expected. This taxon is notable as one of a handful of ophiophagic snake species native to Europe, along with the closely-related Smooth Snake, and is also mildly venomous - although due to the rear-fanged nature of the species, along with the small size of the fangs, human envenomations are rare. The terrarium itself comprised a variety of small shrubs and bushes, of the sort one would find on the lower reaches of a mountainside, dotted with various rocks and boulders, and with a gravel substrate surrounding the main body of the display; the terrarium as a whole was lined with dry-stone walling, with further vegetation growing from the sides. As such, I felt this terrarium was very well-designed; the look and feel of the exhibit fit very well with the overall "feel" of Alpenzoo Innsbruck which I have already commented on, and closely replicated the appearance of the Mediterranean mountainside habitat in which the taxon in question can be found. This, along with the large size of the terrarium as a whole and the open-air location of the exhibit, perfectly positioned to receive a large amount of natural light, meant that this was an extremely good exhibit, and one well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants. It is worth mentioning here that the educational signage within this area was particularly good; each display contained a distribution map for the species at hand, along with information on their life-cycle, diet, habitat and more specific anatomical information such as average size and weight. Moreover, there were also copious amounts of more general educational signposting; for instance, alongside the sign discussing the Western Montpellier Snake there was also a sign discussing the particular anatomical adaptations within the skull and dentition differentiating vipers from rear-fanged colubrids, along with the difference between the dentition of venomous colubrids and that of their venom-less kin. The next terrarium we reached - the only one in the overall complex which was not open-air, and as noted seemingly added to the complex at a later point - contained Ladder Snake (Rhinechis scalaris); this was, like the preceding species, a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself, and was very attractive looking. The exhibit comprised a mass of dry branches, twigs and logs, interspersed with fresh vegetation towards the floor of the terrarium, with the walls lined by boulders and rocks. Although somewhat smaller than the preceding exhibit, and much more akin to the sort of exhibit one would see in a mainstream collection, it was still a rather good enclosure for the taxon in question in my opinion; the inhabitants had plenty of scope for movement and - due to how thick the branches and vegetation within were in places - could readily escape from view if they so wished. We next reached the main body of the open-air terrarium complex; a row of six exhibits which, as already noted, were constructed into the side of the mountain slope. The first of these contained Ocellated Lizard(Timon lepidus) ; we had seen this taxon at Wilhelma the previous day, of course, but it was quite satisfying to note how visible the inhabitants of this exhibit were as they basked in the direct sunlight, allowing us significantly better views of the species than we had previously achieved. The sunlight and close range at which we were able to view the inhabitants of the terrarium made it clear just how large and strikingly-coloured this taxon is when compared to related species; as chance would have it, whilst we were viewing this exhibit a wild Wall Lizard made itself visible on the ground next to us, allowing a direct comparison! The exhibit itself was thickly planted with scrubby vegetation of the sort that would be found in the Mediterranean foothills of the Alps - the area which comprises the northeastern limits of the range of this taxon - dotted with large rocks and boulders among a sandy gravel substrate towards the front of the exhibit, very much akin to the terrarium already discussed for Western Montpellier Snake; however, this exhibit was perhaps a little larger. As with the aforementioned exhibit, I felt that this terrarium was very well-designed, and excellent in terms of how well it met the needs of the inhabitants given the wide range of basking opportunities along with areas of vegetation where they could shelter from extremes of temperature and escape view if desired. The next terrarium we reached was a mixed exhibit displaying Viperine Water Snake (Natrix maura) and Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis longissimus); in general design and layout it was quite close in appearance to the preceding exhibit for Ocellated Lizard, although the front of the terrarium was marked by a large and relatively deep pool, with rock shelves and branches allowing easy access in and out of the water. To our significant pleasure, we spotted several hatchlings of the Viperine Water Snake swimming around in the pool area at the front of the terrarium, along with a few within the land area of the exhibit, with perhaps a dozen individuals visible in total. Moreover, adults of both species present within the exhibit were visible, primarily in and around the thick vegetation at the rear of the terrarium. Again, both of the species within this exhibit had been seen by ourselves at Wilhelma a day previously, but the view available at Alpenzoo Innsbruck was significantly better; I was particularly pleased to get a good view of the Aesculapian Snake given the fact that the majority of individuals I had seen up to this point had been wild individuals glimpsed from afar at London Zoo. Considering the semi-aquatic nature of the Viperine Water Snake, I felt that this exhibit was particularly well-suited to this taxon, and also served the needs of the Aesculapian Snake rather well; once again, I also was rather pleased with the appearance of the exhibit as a whole, and how well it fit with the "feel" of the collection as a whole. Immediately next to this exhibit, there was another mixed-species terrarium; this one held both Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) and European Grass Snake (Natrix natrix natrix). Not only are these both very attractive-looking species - the former representing yet another taxon which I had first saw at Wilhelma the day previously, whilst the latter is a species I have seen on a handful of occasions in the wild, back in the United Kingdom - but it is worth noting here that a particular highlight of the open-air terrarium complex under discussion is that, between this exhibit and the preceding one, it displays all three undisputed members of the genus Natrix, the only absent taxon being the possibly-invalid Natrix megalocephala - which as a native of the Caucasus does not fall within the geographic remit of Alpenzoo in any case. In general design, this exhibit was not too dissimilar to its neighbours; like the preceding terrarium, the front of the exhibit was filled by a large and relatively deep pool, whilst the land area was split between scrubby areas of vegetation and piles of dead twigs, branches and logs. However, this exhibit contained far less vegetation as a whole than the preceding ones had, giving a bit more of an upland mountain-stream feel; this would not be strictly accurate for the optimum habitat of the taxa in question, but did fit well with the overall mountain habitat theme of the collection as a whole. Nonetheless, the exhibit was large and well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants, given the semi-aquatic nature of members of this genus, and despite the less-extensive vegetation in this terrarium there was still plenty of scope for the inhabitants to escape view, both within the logpile to the right-hand side of the exhibit and into the vegetation towards the left-hand side. The next terrarium we reached comprised a mixed-exhibit for Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes) and Asp Viper (Vipera aspis, one which I had particularly looked forward to seeing prior to our visit to Alpenzoo Innsbruck; whilst I have been fortunate enough to see Nose-horned Viper on a number of occasions, including at Wilhelma a day previously, given how seldom I have the opportunity to view venomous snakes within the United Kingdom it is always worth appreciating those opportunities that do present themselves. Moreover, the Asp Viper represented a lifetick taxon for both Helly and myself, and a rather appealing one at that. Within the exhibit, we could readily see at least three or four Nose-horned Viper, and perhaps a dozen Asp Viper - many of which were basking together en-masse, whilst one or two stragglers of both species were moving around the terrarium away from the main body of the inhabitants. Another highlight of this exhibit, it rather goes without saying, was the ability to directly compare the appearance of two members of the same genus; as was highlighted by the excellent informational signage at this exhibit, which also detailed the range, diet and habitat of each taxon, the Nose-horned Viper was significantly larger than the Asp Viper, and as the name would suggest possessed a prominent "horn" comprised of several fused scales which emerged just above the rostral scale whilst the Asp Viper merely possessed a distinct upturn at the tip of the snout. As was made clear by further educational signage at this exhibit, this represented something of a midpoint between the "horn" of the Nose-horned Viper and the entirely flattened snout of the closely-related Northern Viper or European Adder. The terrarium itself was extremely good, replicating a rocky Alpine mountainside very well; much of the exhibit comprised large rocks and boulders, dotted with scrubby vegetation and wildflowers, and distinctly sloping uphill. As such it closely resembled the natural habitat of both of the taxa found within, was very attractive to the eye and was very well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants. Immediately next to this exhibit, there was a terrarium displaying Northern Viper (Vipera berus berus), a species which I have been fortunate enough to view on a number of occasions in the wild; however given the aforementioned rarity of seeing captive venomous snakes, along with the presence of congeneric taxa in the neighbouring exhibit, it was particularly interesting to see the species here. I was particularly pleased to note that at least one of the individuals held within was a melanistic-morph; although this is quite a common mutation within the species, it is one which I had previously never been fortunate enough to see. I was quite amused, and surprised, to note that this exhibit also seemed to contain a wild Common Toad (Bufo bufo), which had presumably entered the terrarium through a crack in the wall, or perhaps having climbed the exterior borders and fallen into the exhibit from above. Given the diet of the Northern Viper, I suspect that this individual was unlikely to remain in the exhibit for long, one way or another! This terrarium was, broadly speaking, akin to a hybrid between the one which had immediately preceded it and the exhibit for Aesculapian Snake and Viperine Water Snake; like the former it primarily contained large areas of rocks and boulders broken up by scrubby vegetation, whilst like the latter it also contained a pool towards the front of the exhibit, albeit rather more shallow than the one in aforesaid enclosure. In general "feel" this exhibit very much gave the impression of a mountain stream flowing through an area of scrubby heathland, very much the ideal habitat for the taxon contained within as I know from personal experience. As such, I thought this terrarium was - as had been the case with every exhibit within this complex - excellent and very well-designed both for the purposes of animal welfare and creating an attractive display. Alongside this terrarium, there was a particularly interesting piece of informational signage discussing the differences in appearance between the superficially similar and non-venomous Smooth Snake, and the venomous Northern Viper. The final terrarium within this area comprised a mixed exhibit for Alpine Newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris alpestris) and Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara); these are two species with which I am reasonably familiar, have seen the latter taxon literally dozens of times in the wild within the United Kingdom, and having searched - without success - for the former taxon in known locations within the north of England which contain introduced populations. This exhibit, perhaps unsurprisingly given the taxa in question, was by far the one which contained the largest amount of water in comparison to land area; as a rough estimate only a quarter of the exhibit at the rear of the terrarium comprised dry land, with the remainder comprising a deep pool at the front. However, the land area - which primarily contained scrubby vegetation and dead wood - was supplemented by several outcroppings of rock which formed part of the drystone wall at the rear of the terrarium. The most interesting aspect of this particular exhibit, much like the previously-discussed terrarium containing Ocellated Lizard, was the ability to get a visual comparison between Viviparous Lizard and Wall Lizard, as a result of the numerous wild individuals of latter basking throughout the annexe on walls and bushes; although wild individuals of the former were also present, as they had been elsewhere in the collection, the latter was by far the most commonplace in the grounds of Alpenzoo Innsbruck. Along with the terrariums which made up the main focus of this annexe, there was one final display which is worthy of particular discussion; a few metres from the row of terrariums, in a portion of the courtyard which stood in direct sunlight, there was a large exhibit showing the different temperatures of varying rock/vegetation/soil, comprising a stone and brick cylinder perhaps five feet tall, topped with several different kinds of rock and bushes, and studded with electronic thermometers. These displayed the temperature of each form of material present within the display, including a cave area which - according to the label on one of the thermometers - was a metre below the surface. This was supplemented by a poster behind, which discussed the way in which reptiles and amphibians will bask in sunlight to warm up, and move to cooler areas if they overheat, and as such are able to thermoregulate despite their endothermic nature. I felt that this was a truly excellent piece of educational material, one of the best I had ever seen at a zoological collection, a judgement which was very much supplemented by the fact that we observed several Wall Lizards and Sand Lizards actually making use of this display to bask! Having viewed the entirety of the open-air terrarium area, we made our way back downhill in order to rejoin the main footpath through the collection; however, given the quality of these exhibits we resolved to revisit them later in the day, if time and weather permitted.
Part VII: Ascending Further Having reached the junction next to the European Wolf exhibit once more, we followed the public footpath uphill to a very large and well-designed walkthrough aviary; the signposting on the aviary indicated that it held Waldrapp (Geronticus eremita), Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops epops), Common Scops-owl (Otus scops) and Common Rock-thrush (Monticola saxatilis). As the latter of these taxa represented a lifetick for both Helly and myself, we rather hoped we would be able to spot it within the aviary; after some minutes careful observation we managed to obtain brief glimpses of a single individual, although we had significantly more luck in spotting the other inhabitants of the aviary without much trouble. The Waldrapp were making full use of the aviary, some being perched in trees or on the ground whilst others were roosting at the rear of the exhibit, whilst the Scops-owl was snoozing within one of the shrubs close to the public path and the pair of Hoopoe were foraging within the substrate on the floor of the aviary. As already noted, the aviary was extremely well-designed; the rear wall of the exhibit comprised a sheer cliff-face which - although constructed from concrete - looked quite realistic due to the apparent inclusion of large amounts of gravel and other natural rock. In general appearance, this cliff-face was very obviously intended to resemble the natural nesting habitat of the Waldrapp Ibis, both in their current range and their historic Alpine and Mediterranean habitats within Europe, containing a pair of deep recesses in which the Waldrapp could nest. This effect was enhanced by the use of similar imitation rock outcroppings and buttresses through the main body of the aviary, along with the use of gravel and sand for the substrate of the aviary and a range of alpine shrubs and trees; as such, this walkthrough aviary looked very akin to a dry gorge cut into the surrounding cliff face by a river. One of the more subtle aspects of this aviary, which I perhaps would not have noticed were the weather not so fine and sunny when we visited Alpenzoo, was the fact that - given the fact this exhibit, as with the rest of the collection, was more or less south-facing - the cliffs and trees within received the full effect of the sun; when combined with the fact that approximately half of the roof of the aviary comprised glass panels, this meant that the aviary would be reasonably sheltered from the worst of the elements. The public path through the aviary was divided from the main body of the exhibit through the simple act of setting it perhaps five feet lower than the rest of the aviary; this meant that we were able to get very good views of the inhabitants without any barrier between us. The educational material within the exhibit, as had been the case throughout the collection, was also extremely good, giving details on the taxa displayed within along with the ongoing international breeding and reintroduction programme for Waldrapp Ibis. As such, I felt that this aviary was particularly excellent, and very well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants whilst also providing an attractive and interesting display for the public. A little further along from this aviary, we reached a set of paddocks extending out from a large barn; according to the map which we were using to guide our way through the collection, this area comprised a display for a range of domestic animals native to the Alpine region, and more specifically the Tyrolean region local to Alpenzoo Innsbruck itself. In general design this area comprised a pretty standard domestic display; a pair of large and relatively plain paddocks surrounded a barn, within which were several pens providing interior housing for the various domestic breeds on display, with the roof of the barn covered in grass and solar panels. Moreover, one of the paddocks allowed access onto an area of the surrounding hillside; the domestic goats displayed within this exhibit were present within this area, and due to wooden walkways connecting the hillside to the roof of the barn were feeding on the grass present there. The breeds present within this area were as follows: Alpine Stone Sheep (Ovis aries) and Carinthian Sheep Altsteirerhühn (Gallus gallus domestica) and Sulmtalerhühn Bavarian Landrace (Anser anser domestica) Tyrol Grey (Bos primigenius taurus), Pustertaler Sprinzen and Tux Cattle Peacock Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), Pinzgau Goat and Tauernsheck Turopolje Pig (Sus scrofa domestica) Of these, the only breed which we had seen elsewhere was the Tauernsheck, with everything else displayed within this area representing a lifetick for ourselves; although many people disregard domestic animals in zoological collections, as one may have gathered from my previous writings I have quite a soft spot for the display of rare breeds, especially when they are region-appropriate to the collection within which they are viewed. Overall, then, I rather liked this area; I found it particularly interesting to note the fact that the goats were used to keep the grass turf on the roof of the barn complex in check! As the footpath continued uphill past the domestics area, we reached something of a historical curiosity - the "Englishman's Grave". This comprised, unsurprisingly enough, the grave of an Englishman who passed away in the nearby Schloss Weiherburg in 1840 having fallen ill whilst travelling through Austria some months prior, along with a large memorial stone marking the site of his burial. For whatever reason, on his passing he was buried within the grounds of the Schloss rather than on consecrated ground; as such, when Alpenzoo Innsbruck was constructed within the grounds in 1962 his grave and memorial were left unmolested, and are visible to this day. A little further uphill, we reached a large exhibit for Western Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus); for all intents and purposes this comprised a sizeable area of the hillside which had been enclosed by fencing and landscaped slightly, with the addition of a wooden shelter for the inhabitants, but otherwise had been left more or less as one would imagine it was prior to the collection being built, with numerous mature trees dotted throughout. Looking at the map, this exhibit was in fact the largest in the collection by some margin, perhaps two or three times the size of the European Brown Bear exhibit which I have already discussed. As such, given the relatively shy and retiring nature of the taxon displayed within, and the high level of scope for the Western Roe Deer to escape the view of the public, I thought this was a very good exhibit as regards the welfare of the inhabitants. At this point, the footpath took a dogleg as it led above and behind the domestic animal complex and Waldrapp aviary; there were two features worthy of particular note in this area. The first of these was a comprehensive historical display comprising a series of ten informational panels reproducing dozens of news articles regarding Alpenzoo Innsbruck, dating back to the opening of the collection in 1962 through to the half-centennial of the zoo in 2012, and with two panels for each decade in question. Given the fact that so many zoological collections neglect their history, and do little to educate the visitor about how far they have come over the years, I always find such displays very informative and gratifying to see; the high quality of this particular display, and the sheer amount of information present within, only served to increase my satisfaction in this regard. Also worthy of mention was the fact that above the Waldrapp aviary, between the public footpath and the glass roof which hung over the main body of the aviary, there was a large area of natural rocks, boulders and scrubby vegetation. It is, of course, possible that this was present due to the prior existence of an exhibit at this point, or maybe the intended presence of an exhibit in the future; however it seemed equally likely that this was intended to serve as an area for the wild lizards and reptiles within the grounds of Alpenzoo to bask openly in a secure area. Certainly we were fortunate enough to view a number of lizards basking amid the rockery, along with - to my significant satisfaction - a single Northern Viper. As our journey through Alpenzoo Innsbruck was steadily taking us further and further up the mountainside, our view of the zoo, the surrounding Alpine landscape and the city nestling within the valley floor seemed to be improving every time we happened to pay attention to the scenery; to our significant satisfaction, the skies were still blessedly free of the stormclouds which the weather forecast had promised, with barely a cloud in the sky and the sun shining brightly. It occurred to me, not for the first time, that this was surely one of the greatest "zoo views" in the world. Going uphill a little further, we reached a pair of exhibits for Pine Marten (Martes martes); a species which I am quite fond of, given my taste for mustelids and the fact I have been fortunate enough to see the taxon in the wild on a few occasions. Both exhibits were designed along very similar lines, comprising woodchip flooring scattered with rocks and boulders, with several evergreen bushes and trees dotted throughout, connected by large logs and branches which provided further climbing opportunities. Furthermore, each exhibit contained nestboxes at the rear, whilst the front of each exhibit comprised extremely fine mesh. The right-hand exhibit extended rather further back than did the left-hand exhibit, and as such was somewhat larger in overall footplan. Given the fact that the collection had held Beech Marten until shortly before our visit, I found myself wondering whether one of these exhibits perhaps had originally held this taxon. Either way, both exhibits struck me as very well-suited to the needs of the inhabitants, providing plenty of scope for movement along with the ability to hide from the gaze of the public if need be; in point of fact, during the period of time we spent viewing this exhibit we were entirely unable to spot the inhabitants! Given the nocturnal nature of the Pine Marten it is quite probable they were asleep at the time of our visit. To the left, a short series of steps took us up to another row of exhibits situated at a right-angle to the Pine Marten enclosures, and with their floor roughly level with the roof of the aforementioned enclosures. These exhibits comprised a pair of aviaries, the first of which contained Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus). Given I am rather partial to corvids, and have seen the closely related Red-billed Chough on many occasions, I was quite pleased to see this taxon at Alpenzoo. The aviary was large but relatively plain, being quite wide and open with a handful of trees and shrubs dotted throughout among a sandy substrate, with a pool at the front of the aviary and a number of perches hanging from the roof, along with a single nestbox. At the time of our visit, the aviary contained at least two individuals, both of which were extremely active. The next aviary was broadly similar, albeit a little smaller, with a significantly lower roof and with the provision of several nestboxes at the rear of the exhibit; this aviary contained Alpine Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca saxatilis). As with the previous exhibit, these comprised a lifetick taxon, but one closely related to a species with which I am quite familiar; in this case the Red-legged Partridge. Once again, therefore, I found it particularly interesting to view this taxon with an eye to the differences and similarities between the taxa. As had been the case with the Pine Marten exhibit, I liked both of these aviaries and felt that they met the needs of the inhabitants rather well. Beyond here, the path continued to steadily ascend the mountainside, taking us to a viewing point for a massive exhibit which spanned a large expanse of the hillside above us, with a large supplementary paddock in front of us; this enclosure complex was signposted for European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) and Wisent (Bison bonasus). The paddock area of this exhibit was large and relatively plain, comprising a wide sandy area with a series of massive tree-trunks and logs lining the left-hand side of the paddock, and an indoor sleeping-area for both taxa present at the rear of the paddock. The tree-trunks and logs partially concealed a gate which gave the inhabitants of the enclosure access to the larger portion of the exhibit as a whole, although at the time of our visit they seemed content to shelter from the heat of the day within their sleeping area, albeit still within view of the public. The main body of this mixed exhibit, which as noted covered a large portion of the hillside above us, comprised dozens of mature trees dotted around a series of terraces and dry-stone dykes; these presumably both allowed the inhabitants of the exhibit to move throughout the hillside with greater ease, and helped to stabilise the hillside and ward against the risk of avalanche. The latter concern was, I suspect, more relevant than one would initially believe given the fact that many of the surrounding peaks and mountains were lined with avalanche defences to an altitude not all that much higher than that we had reached. On the whole, I felt this exhibit was extremely good, allowing the inhabitants a great deal of space within which to move around - certainly more than enough to allow the two taxa present to avoid one another if the need arose - whilst also looking very appealing to the eye of the visitor. Beyond here, the path took yet another dogleg as it continued to make its way uphill; as such, shortly after leaving the mixed exhibit for Wisent and European Wild Boar we were able to obtain a particularly good view of the aviaries and Pine Marten exhibit which we had viewed shortly beforehand, along with further excellent views of the surrounding countryside. In the distance, we could see several birds wheeling around perhaps a thousand feet above Innsbruck itself; unfortunately, they were too far away and at the wrong angle for us to obtain a sufficiently good view to positively identify them. However, this served as a reminder to pay closer attention to the surrounding skies; given the fact that much of the Alpine avifauna differs from that of the British Isles, this simple action held the potential for reward.
