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Ways your zoo could improve.

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by pachyderm pro, 31 Aug 2016.

  1. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
    My local zoo the Brookfield zoo, I feel has a lot of potential. it made me wonder do all zoos have something to expand upon. please share ways you think your zoo could improve
     
  2. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Arizona, USA
    Every zoo has ways to improve. Some of course need more improvement than others (and some home grown zoos are beyond improvement and should be closed).

    I will focus on my state of Arizona...

    Reid Park Zoo - add more small animals (including snakes)
    Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - more big ticket animals (jaguar, pronghorn)
    Phoenix Zoo - fill in large spaces on path with nothing to see
    Wildlife World Zoo - demolish the row of old cement monkey cages
    Out Of Africa - add better visitor amenities
    Bearizona - add an emphasis on conservation (which is nonexistent)
     
  3. Nikola Chavkosk

    Nikola Chavkosk Well-Known Member

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    Prilep, R. Macedonia
    -I think snakes in zoos, generally need larger enclosures, and not to be confined in small ''boxes'' with limited investigation opportunity. The same can apply for all reptiles except crocodilians, Komodo dragon and chelonians.
    -Also some birds are kept in very small enclosures, like for example big hornbills - they need bigger aviaries.
    -Also a lot of concrete is used for some enclosures for elephants, wich create a barren environment - the emphasy should be on more waste enclosures with grass, trees maybe?
    -Zoos keeping black rhinos should almost completely cut off the diet for black rhinos containing grass/lucerne/hay made of, as such diet can or is damaging to their health, and to give browse instead (browse more than 95% of the diet).
    -A lot of diets containing grains, soybean for herbivores, should be cut off.
    -Zoos to be more friendly with offering research opportunities for anyone willing to participate in.
     
  4. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    At my zoo browse is part of our 2 rhinos diet so I think there fine.
    Also very few elephant enclousures are cement and more elephant barns are cement for reasons such as tornadoes or earthquakes.
     
  5. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I'll focus on Smithsonian's National Zoo. I feel most exhibits could use some improvement.

    Asia Trail:
    Poor viewing for sloth bears and fishing cats could be improved.
    Something needs to be done about the former Japanese Giant Salamander habitat. I think it needs to be totally renovated, because even when it had a salamander in it, the viewing was poor, and the lighting was poor. The glass is also slanted at a weird angle for even worse viewing.
    Use the unused space for something, anything. Indian rhinos, Przewalski's horses, onagers, an aviary, dholes, whatever. It's a space that would be good for any exhibit.

    Bird House:
    Poor viewing and collection but both will be (hopefully) better after its renovation into Experience Migration.
    The kiwi exhibit just doesn't work.

    American Trail:
    Viewing for bald eagles could be better
    Ravens need more enrichment

    Small Mammal House:
    Naturalize some enclosures
    Some species are in enclosures that are far too small.

    Big Cats:
    The exhibits are basically just concrete terraces with some dirt on top. Only one of the enclosures is lush, and all three are pretty ugly.

    Think Tank and Great Ape House:
    Pretty much all of the orangutan enclosures are too small
    The O-Line is great, but also really ugly
    The gorillas have poor viewing, especially outside

    Reptile Discovery Center:
    Change the name. Please.
    The entire inside could use a redesign- museum-like displays and a lot of enclosures are too small.
    All of the crocodilian exhibits, except the one for American alligator (so a total of 7 exhibits for 5 species) need a redesign.
    The outdoor reptiles (Chinese alligator, tomistoma, and Komodo dragon) need bigger exhibits and the two crocodilians need exhibits that are actually outside (at the moment you just look into indoor enclosures).

    Amazonia:
    Better signage, throughout the entire building.
    More bird and monkey species, with a few new furnishings for them.

    Kid's Farm:
    I never really go here and if I do, I just walk through it and I don't really pay attention. It seems decent though.

    Gibbon Ridge:
    Bigger habitats

    Elephant Trails:
    A refurbishing of the two small habitats.
    Let the herd choose where to go.
    Bring in a bull (but let him have a good exhibit, unlike so many zoos).

    I think that's all. :)
     
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  6. antonmuster

    antonmuster Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Location:
    europe
    Zurich zoo

    In general: more small to mid sized enclosures interspersed between the large habitats. More (large) aviaries. More integration of wild local fauna into the park landscape (as has been magnificently done with the stork's nests), e.g. butterflies, bees, snails (!), birds (a swift colony in the Africa section!), squirrels, bats, etc. All information bilingual (German, English). Information on plant species.

    Specifically (things that aren't already planned): a larger or an additional vivarium building. A butterfly house/dome. Termite mound, ant colony, and beehive exhibits. A section of the zoo dedicated to local fauna (the zoo is surrounded by forest on three sides, so the opportunity would be there to create naturalistic enclosures with comparatively low costs); this I consider of particular importance, since the zoo has given itself conservation as its main mission, and when dedicating oneself to conservation one should imho think global but start local first - it's not as if wildlife weren't under tremendous pressure in Switzerland (and has been for centuries). Additional small to mid sized enclosures for Masoalan species outside the main hall, esp. to represent predators of said ecosystem which, of course, cannot be integrated into the main hall; and/or an annex building to Masoala in the style of Bronx's Madagascar to showcase other Madagascan ecosystems. "Wild" termites in Masoala (plus a matching insectivore to keep them in check). One or two additional free-range phelsuma species in Masoala. A large shoebill aviary. Some enclosures for felidae outside panthera (only panthera species in zoo at present). Free ranging birds and possibly primates (gibbons!) in Kaeng Krachan indoors. Primates in Sangay (spectacled bear and coati). Enclosure for caprinae species behind snow leopard enclosure for Hagenbeckian panorama. Pangolin enclosure in Kaeng Krachan. Selenga (the zoo's "duck pond") as aviary. Pantanal as aviary (!) (or eco-dome, style Masoala) - at the very least an aviary for the macaws, having seen them fly in pairs in the wild, I have to say it's a crime to not let them fly, these magnificent animals completely loose their magic. A renovated penguin enclosure (or two).

    I realize that quite a few of my suggestions will not be feasible due to economic, husbandry, or other constraints. But if they were...
     
  7. jbnbsn99

    jbnbsn99 Well-Known Member

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  8. PicanBird

    PicanBird Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    The Open Ocean
    (Permission by lintworm to bring life to this one again as the 'original' is US zoo themed)

    Right now my local zoo (Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands) is lacking property land mostly as right now they have to take away old things and rebuild them new. But I really feel like there is no australia represented other than birds in the bird area. I feel like a themed australia area with Koalas, birds, reptiles, and maybe some kangaroo would really represent this part in the world.
    Other than that space is what they need. Expansion into the west direction would improve the zoo lots if they add more areas. They have an amazing concept on how to make the zoo appealing even at bad weather but yet there is some more enclosures missing.

    In the new Mangrove I am missing some sort of land in the Crab-Beach/muddy area. It is quite boring to sit there once you've seen a few crabs waving. It would be cool if they made a shortcut from the bridge over the mudbeach with some ropebridge maybe or add more green/terrain height variation!
     
  9. jaykkey

    jaykkey Active Member

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    Location:
    Grapevine, TX, USA
    Fort Worth Zoo
    -get rid of the "hippo ditch" (will be gone by Spring 2018)
    -update or remove the Australian Outback exhibit; it's been a boring disaster since the koalas returned to San Diego...the "fish of the Great Barrier Reef" tanks are flat-out embarrassing.
    -update or remove the penguin exhibit; it's the saddest exhibit outside of the hippos at the zoo. Personally, I would love to see them at the Dallas World Aquarium.
    -fill in the "path of nothing" that leads to Texas Wild! (will be completed by 2025...the new Forests and Jungles exhibit with okapis)
    -do something with the 100-year old "African diorama" that doesn't involve the animals. I get it, it's historical and iconic...but it's too small of an enclosure for the lions (part of the Hunters of Africa & Asia exhibit that's slated for 2022)
    -Texas Wild! Oh, where to begin? The back-end enclosures (bobcat, where the jaguar was, etc.) need to be beefed up dramatically. I love the bear/alligator/otter/snapping turtle/wolf paddock (that's the official name now)...everything else needs to be updated (including the hilariously old videos/films). And bring back the flippin' bison...their enclosure was one of the highlights!
    -not terrible selections for a zoo...the cafe in the MOLA is awesome (the viewing, not the food)...but I say that they need to add a Reata or Mi Cocina. Who doesn't want to down a mambo taxi while watching some gharials!
    -steal the tuatara from Dallas and put it in the MOLA
     
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  10. The Speeding Carnotaurus

    The Speeding Carnotaurus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Location:
    USA
    Brookfield Zoo

    Renovations:
    • Tropic World: Natural Substrate, Real/Realistic Trees, Allow Gorillas an area away from the public, Renovate Orangutan island for more space
    • Pinniped Point Underwater Viewing
    • The Swamp: Outdoor area for Otters
    • Big Cats: Move lion to HA-S, Move Amur Leopard into lion exhibit, Rename to Asian Walkway, Add glass viewing to Tiger enclosure, Add more enrichment to exhibits, Create enclosures for Przewalski's Horse, Red Panda, and Bactrian Camels opposite to the Big Cats
    • Pachyderm House: Renovate to accomodate Lions, Ungulates, Flamingos and Rhinos
    • Habitat Africa: Savanna: Get rid of chainlink in outdoor Antelope exhibits
    • Habitat Africa: Forest: Get rid of chainlink
    Demolish:
    • Australia House: Rebuild a better version where the P-Horse and Camel enclosures were
    • Fragile Kingdom: Desert: Expand Rainforest into the building to tie in with the Asian theme, Rebuild a better version in the empty space to the right of the Giraffe Enclosure
    • Bear Grottos
    • Baboon Island
    • Feathers and Scales
    • Reptiles and Birds
    Add:
    • Move Lions to where Australia House was
    • Move Zebra to where the Tapir Enclosure is.
    • Add Ostrich to Giraffe enclosure or to Waterbuck Warthog enclosure
    • Move Gerenuk, Dik Dik, and Oribi? to where the Pygmy Hippo exhibit is
    • Add Flamingos to the Smaller Hippo exhibit
    • Move Pygmy Hippo Exhibit to Habitat Africa: Forest
    • Add Forest Buffalo to Habitat Africa: Forest
    • Add Malaysian Tapir to newly expanded Clouded Leopard Rainforest
    • Add Aardvark
    • Add Elephant Enclosure to where the old Zebra yards were and expand into the undeveloped forest above HA-F
    • Create Outdoor areas by West Mall for all Great Apes
    • Create a South American themed region where Baboon Island, F&S, and R&B stood
    • Move Orinoco Crocodile to new South America area, replace with American Alligator
    • Add Jaguars to an exhibit where Baboon Island was?
    • Create Capybara/ Lowland Tapir exhibit
    • Create Giant Anteater Exhibit
    • Create large Amazon Rainforest building
    It may be a bit ambitious!:D
     
  11. natel12

    natel12 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Pittsburgh zoo-I hate to say it, but everything except the Aquarium, the cheetah exhibit, lion exhibit,elephant exhibit, and the North American kids kingdom exhibits (not including sea lions)
     
  12. Pleistohorse

    Pleistohorse Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Location:
    Alaska
    Alaska Zoo:

    - Steller Sea Eagles
    - Lions
    - Pzewalski’s Horses
    - Generally improve viewing opportunities regarding the proliferate use of chain-link fencing.

    Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

    - Wolverines (on public view)
    - Improve Wolf Enclosure
    - Cougars
     
  13. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Location:
    Wisconsin
    NEW Zoo:

    • Move Black-Footed Ferrets to former Prairie Dog exhibit.
    • Build a small aviary next to that exhibit and move the Burrowing Owls there.
    • Fill the now empty exhibits in the Riley Building with something cool. (Chinchillas? Buttonquail?)
    • Move all the South American Cichlids to the new exhibit in the Riley Building.
    • Turn the South American Cichlid tank into a coral reef tank.
    • Mix the zoo and the adventure park (zip-lining over the exhibits?)
    • Move the Red Pandas to the International Trail because it annoys me they they are in the North American section. :p
    • Add Goldfish or Rosy Red Minnows to the small pond outside the Waterfowl Aviary.
    • Put more terrariums in the Education and Conservation Building.
    • Make the Snow Leopard enclosure a little bigger.
     
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  14. Scottish Wildcat

    Scottish Wildcat Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Location:
    Scotland
    Edinburgh:
    Demolish the panda enclosure. Demolish the monkey house. Put something interesting over both of them (Reptile house?)
    Fill out the African Plains with more species (Apparently they're looking at Black Wildebeest)
    Renovate the Magic Forest exhibits into something else
    More species in the monkey walk-through
    Stick some African jungle reptiles in the ground floor of Budongo
    Massively improve the reptile collection in general
    More opportunities to identify the chimps in Budongo
    Do something with the unused space between Brilliant Birds and Living Links
    I don't think the Banteng are really working for anyone the way the bongos did. Maybe replace them with something else?
    Bring in a new species of rhino now Bertus is gone (I know they're already looking at Indians, but a white or black would be so cool)
    Turn the defunct cat rows into a set of exhibits for native species, maybe put lynx in the tiger exhibit at the top and extended Tiger Tracks to accommodate a female
    PLEASE do something with the top of the zoo. ANYTHING.

    Highland Wildlife Park:
    Bring back the European badger, red fox, pine marten, golden eagle, river otter, etc (or alternatively put them in Edinburgh?)
    Put something else over by Victoria to encourage more people to go over that way
    Native Bird of Prey demonstrations might be cool
     
  15. Meaghan Edwards

    Meaghan Edwards Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    Killman Zoo -
    -Larger coyote pen?
    -Continuation of the expansion of enclosures (I was very pleased with "Lion Trail" installed this summer; I realize it is a privately run facility so they don't have the money TZ has and I support them all the way).

    Bird Kingdom -
    -Get rid of that out-of-place (and tacky) museum section which consists of pixelated printout images, nothing in this area really has much in the way of the rest of the zoo. There are some natural history pieces but I would like to see this area expanded into more space for the birds (preferred) or an area dedicated to the old Niagara Falls museum. I skip this section when I visit.
    -Get rid of dated signs featuring species no longer kept
    -Reopen the Java Tea House as a tea house. I loved sipping tea while watching the birds do their thing.

    African Lion Safari -
    -Move the domestic stock (llamas/alpacas) out of African section
    -Redo children's zoo (seems dated)
    -Expand the bus ride into the Eurasian section (maybe they do go in there but they skipped it when I was on it this year)
    -Addition of African Wild Dogs, maybe hyenas? Maybe bring the tigers back (their absence was felt when I went in the summer)?
    -More species maybe for African Queen Boat Ride (I do miss the sea lions they had all those years ago . . . )

    Toronto Zoo -
    -Many of the areas I see room for improvement are already in the Master Plan; moving up the rest of the Canadian Domain animals to Tundra Trek area, major plastic surgery for the tired Indonesia section, etc. More here: Toronto Zoo | Vision
    -More chances for safe, supervised animal interaction
    -Better configuration of the African Pavilion so you don't have to go outside again to see the Mole Rats, etc. I always found that awkward.
    -A program to assist in improving other Ontario zoos

    Safari Niagara -
    -Use existing wide open areas for expansion of enclosures (I do like what they did for the bears, lions, tigers)
    -Larger enclosures for the smaller primates and birds
    -Better pathway for bird area
     
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  16. Alex Bensky

    Alex Bensky Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    1 Nov 2010
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    203
    Location:
    Royal Oak Michigan USA
    Detroit Zoo:

    Refurbish the bear dens. They've begun to do this, moving out the black bears and expanding the grizzly bear exhibit, but there are still several displays that need to be redone.

    No one else seems to agree with me, but I think one gap they have and should remedy is a small mammals exhibit, which should be done in conjunction with redoing and systemizing the mammal pits south of the Arctic Café (old Pavilion, for us old-timers).

    They say they're going to convert the old Penguinarium into a bat conservation center, but I can't find any information on when or what it will look like.

    They're expanding the Siberian tiger exhibit, which is nice, but right now they've only got the one tiger.
     
  17. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    Wicksteed is not a zoo
    Hamerton are doing a lot of work, very slowly, so I should probably just say HURRY UP!
     
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  18. PicanBird

    PicanBird Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    The Open Ocean
    Concept Burgers' Outback by Timmiegun
    I did a quick visual design on what I hope my zoo will ever add. (Top left) they are lacking an area that features australian animals. Their birdhouse (above the chimps) features Kookaburra, Kea and other australian birds, but these could easily be moved to the new aviaries on the left of the flatlands
     
  19. Sheather

    Sheather Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    13 May 2013
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    256
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    I would like to eventually see Brookfield's gorillas and orangutans see an improved enclosure with outdoor access like Lincoln Park utilizes, and to allow access to all of their small indoor spaces in Tropic World to the smaller monkeys. Of all their exhibits, the great ape exhibits now seem the most outdated.

    The clouded leopard and caracal enclosures are also not very good, indoors and all fake rock. Would love to see them in more natural surroundings.
     
  20. TheEthiopianWolf03

    TheEthiopianWolf03 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    723
    Location:
    United States of America
    Oakland zoo

    Well for starters, chimpanzees need a better exhibit. Something that has more of a natural look and enriches the chimps better than the old, metal, and dusty look of the other exhibit.

    The zoo should also become more involved with worldwide conservation instead of local (Which they can still do).
    Focus on breeding current species in the zoo like blue eyed black lemurs, cotton top tamarins, white handed gibbons, and other species.

    Start making an exhibit for the Sierra Nevada yellow legged frog and the Puerto Rico toad. The frog can be in the Californian trail to show people conservation in the backyard (or something gimmicky like that). The toad can have his own exhibit in the reptile house which leads to my next point.

    A new reptile house to showcase more endangered species like the previously mention toad and maybe species like Japanese giant salamanders or Komodo dragons. A bit ambitious but it will give the locals a better representation of the conservation and beauty that is reptiles and amphibians.

    A general vegetation upgrade to many of the exhibits in the zoo will make the zoo feel more natural.

    Make a large African exhibit. The giraffes, elands, zebras could get much more space by using the old camel and bison exhibits (Camels can be moved to children’s zoo). This idea was suggestion to be in another thead and when I looked at the map. It’s entirely possible. A few antelope species from safari west or another zoo could be added or even white rhinos. This is highly unlikely but nevertheless still would make a grand exhibit.

    Indian muntjac is almost entirely invisible. The exhibit gives it to much hiding room (which is fine). Put another animal in place of the muntjac (could be moved with a better exhibit in another area in the zoo).

    As for animals additions...

    Mammals
    The zoos mammal collection is fine as it is and doesn’t really need anything else.
    For the large muntjac exhibit maybe it could be converted to a okapi or a lion tailed macaque exhibit.

    Birds
    More birds. A walkthrough Asian aviary would be amazing. Cassowaries could be added as a separate exhibit in the Australian train ride. For African birds maybe bald ibis, crowned cranes, or the return of griffon vultures . Basically more birds to represent conservation around the world.

    I already talked about the reptiles and amphibians.

    If the zoo takes steps like these, it could become one of the best in the state or even in the country.