As I’ve posted in the past, elephants at zoos have been the target of much controversy in the recent years. Dallas Zoo recently fought public outcry to keep their lone elephant, and Chicago residents have been fighting to essentially outlaw elephants in captivity within the city limits.
Billy in his current home
Now, the Zoo has announced it will continue the exhibit construction, against dissenting opinions. It will become one of the over 60 zoos in the country to make the decision to keep their elephants, renovating their current exhibits or adding entirely new ones.
The new exhibit will be world class, promises the Zoo. At over 3 acres of animal space, it would be one of the largest in the nation. The Zoo plans on adding 3 females to make a 4 animal herd.
New exhibit plans
Now, Los Angeles joins the spotlight, as the Zoo here has decided to keep its lone bull elephant, Billy. Due to the star-studded cast of outspoken animal activists, the Zoo halted construction on the elephant’s new enclosure in order to re-evaluate its plans, and to hear dissenting opinions. At the stoppage, approximately 30% of the project was complete.
Just about every time we start a new master planning project, we ask ourselves, “What are our guests’ favorite animals?” Finally, we’ve decided to find out for ourselves.
Knowing the popularity of an animal helps designers plan parks by understanding which animals will act as draws for guests through the site. It also helps the parks prioritize implementation of renovations and/or additions of new animals to take full advantage of revenue and admissions increases.
Be a part of helping plan future zoos, theme parks, and aquariums by letting us know which is your favorite animal!
Designed by Studio Hanson Roberts, the new exhibit to open in May of this year, features green technologies and themed design. The penguins’ new home will be outdoor, and features 30′ of underwater viewing.
The commendable plan for the exhibit includes heating/cooling the exhibit pool through geothermal wells, and water filtration through a combination of traditional filters and Living Machine-type natural filtration. The water volume will be supplemented as needed with rainwater collected from back of house roofs.
Amidst the worldwide economic crisis, Dubai’s exponential construction and growth has come to a screeching halt. Countless numbers of projects have been put on hold, until costcutting measures can be instated, or until the lending market (on which Dubai solely relies for its development capital) thaws.
Typical Path at Dubai Zoo
Among these projects is the desperately bad, 5 acre Dubai Zoo. Built in the 1960s in the area referred to now as “Old Dubai”, the Zoo has a long history of re-designs, master plans, and promises unkept, but this was to be the one that worked.
The city has been building to its master plan, progressing to the goal of a vast metropolitan area comparable to the world’s greats. Pockets of developments can be seen across the desert; a strange world of clusters of towering skyscrapers dotting a sea of sand, connected by the widest highway you’ll ever see. These pockets are the early developments of the metro’s “cities”, similar to NYC’s burroughs. Among the cities, Sports City, Industrial City, Waterfront City, and Dubailand.
Cold Climate Bear Surviving the Scorching Dubai Heat
Dubailand was to be the new home for the Dubai Zoo. Dubailand, currently under construction and halted, was to be an entertainment haven, offering a variety of theme parks, malls, and, of course, the new Zoo.
Poor Conditions at Dubai Zoo
Trying to Keep Animals Cool as Best They Can
Details on the new zoo vary widely, but it appears to be approximately 200 acres and will include the zoo, a night safari, resort style accommodations, and education facilities.
Current Plan for Zoo??
However, it remains to be seen if this relocation will actually occur, or will this just be another in a long line of unkept promises.
Kansas City Zoo has been workly lately to give itself a face-lift. The Zoo, considered by locals to be the “red-headed step kid” to the world-famous St. Louis Zoo (a mere 3 hours’ drive away), has seen less and less support in recent decades. To counter this, the Zoo has set about new construction and renovations projects throughout the facilty.
Rendered Aerial View of New Entry
On the heels of the recently re-opened front entry plaza, including streamlined ticketing, parking, and otters as soon as you walk in, the Zoo is currently working on a renovation of its historic 1909 building. This building, which started its life as the sole animal habitat for the Zoo, has been through several iterations, most recently as an education building.
Otters in Their New Home
Now, however, construction is reclaiming its primary use, and inside the building a rainforest exhibit is being created. Tropical plants are being flown in from Florida to make as realistic a home as possible for the monkey species, anteaters, tropical birds, and capybara which will call this place home.
The relatively small budget of $5.1 million will allow for nearly 8000 square feet of exhibit space and 5000 square feet of support. The highlight of the exhibit is a glass enclosed bridge through the trees, where guests should be able to view monkeys playing in the branches, up close.
Rainforest Pool Under Construction
This exhibit is due to open in May, coinciding with the Zoo’s Centennial celebration. Other upcoming plans include new homes for polar bears and penguins.
Little Rock Zoo, a measly 33 acres and bounded by urban land, recently lost its most viable option for expansion when the city decided to donate an empty stadium and its lot, not to the zoo as expected, but to the hospital.
Little Rock Zoo is one of the few zoos in the country keeping elephants in their collections. The land was to be used by the Zoo as an expansion to their current exhibit, in an effort to meet AZA requirements for keeping elephants.
The requirements state that institutions holding elephants must keep at least three females in a group, and are recommending institutions have the ability to be used for breeding. This means the Zoo would have to increase its size for at least one additional animal, as they currently have two females, and, if following the breeding route, would have to add space for at least one male. All of this would also include increasing the safety and security of the current exhibit to bring it up to standards for housing bull elephants. The Zoo estimated, rather loosely, that this project would cost between $10 and 20 million.
One of the Zoo's two elephants.
Now that the stadium land option is gone, the Zoo intends to hear additional options for expansion, which includes crossing the highway passing along its southern border. The future of the Little Rock Zoo remains to be seen, however, as pressure from the state capitol is pushing to move the zoo outside of the city proper, and the mayor is considering cutting the budget by $2 million.
Here is a very good article about the history of the zoo, and its potential future.
As pointed out in a comment on Bristol Zoo’s Eco Park, Chester Zoo has just unveiled a comparative project. Very little in the way of imagery is available, but this project seems to mimic the Eden Project in its use of a bio-dome to create a simulated African rainforest.
At nearly $550 million, Chester Zoo has poised itself to become the top zoo in the world for displaying African rainforest fauna. The project, encompassing approximately 200 acres (more than double the size of many city zoos, including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and St. Louis), incorporates many theme park elements, such as a directly linked hotel and a water ride.
Project Rendering
From BBC News:
“A giant dome housing a rainforest is part of a £225m plan to transform Chester Zoo into Europe’s largest conservation attraction.
The project includes a 56 hectare indoor African-themed rainforest where gorillas, chimpanzees and other tropical animals can move freely.
The £90m eco dome, which would form the initial phase of the scheme, would be the first of its kind in the UK.
A 90-room hotel is also set to be part of plans submitted later this year.
The project, called Natural Vision, includes a Conservation College and a revamped main entrance linking it to a marina development on zoo land next to the Shropshire Union Canal.
The dome itself will have an interactive water ride to give visitors unique views of the animal enclosures.
The aim is, by 2018, to showcase and support the zoo’s international conservation work, which currently involves 50 countries.
Prof Gordon McGregor Reid, director general of Chester Zoo, said: “Natural Vision will offer a fun, family-friendly, adventurous, yet educational window on the world of conservation.
“New and exciting animal species will be introduced. This project is unlike anything that has been in the UK and will offer a spectacular visitor experience and the highest standards of animal welfare.”
The zoo, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in May, attracts 1.3m visitors a year.
The new project is expected to see visitors rise to 2m when complete. Chester Zoo spans 50 hectares but owns another 200.
When finished, Natural Vision will cover 80 hectares including new road access and parking.
Meanwhile, hundreds of jobs will be created for the north west, during construction and following completion of the project, said a zoo spokesman.
Prof McGregor Reid added: “Our visitors will be immersed in the world of wildlife where we will engage, inform educate and amaze them in a truly thrilling and unique environment.” “
I’m looking forward to getting more details and images on the plans for the expansion. Much luck to all involved!
Kansas City Zoo has been workly lately to give itself a face-lift. The Zoo, considered by locals to be the “red-headed step kid” to the world-famous St. Louis Zoo (a mere 3 hours’ drive away), has seen less and less support in recent decades. To counter this, the Zoo has set about new construction and renovations projects throughout the facilty. 
