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Enclosure design considerations - Coggle Diagram
Enclosure design considerations
Breeding facilities
must be designed to facilitate breeding and raising of young
Cubbing dens - areas for female mammals to safely/quietly give birth. Usually separated from others in the enclosure
Nest sites/materials - areas for egg laying and incubation as well as provision of materials for nest building.
Spawning sites - for those species that have external fertilisation.
Immersion exhibits
naturalistic zoo enclosure that gives visitors the sense of being inside the animal’s habitat
Buildings and barriers are hidden as much as possible
Often a “walk-through” exhibit
Examples: Fruit Bat Forest and Monsoon Forest at Chester Zoo
Purpose & benefits
Education - by recreating the sights/sounds of the natural environment and showing how animals live in the wild.
Visitor experience - exciting/innovative enclosures and increased animal interaction.
Animal welfare improved - more natural environment for exhibition of natural behaviours.
Improved breeding success - due to ability to express natural behaviours and access to natural habitat features.
Better quality/more valid research - animals are less likely to exhibit abnormal/stereotypic behaviours
Sustainability
Enclosures should be environmentally friendly and utilise sustainable resources wherever possible
Harvesting rainwater
Repurposed/sustainable/recycled building materials
Low energy/energy saving lighting
Solar powered lighting/heating
Wind power
Biodegradable substrates
Use of biofuels/biomass heaters
Reviewing Accomodation
Security - to prevent animal escape/ unauthorised entry.
Safety - to prevent injury from unsafe fixtures/ fittings
Monitor enclosure use - to make changes to ensure high standards of welfare
Make appropriate changes - due to improved knowledge of animal husbandry