Best Elephant Park in Europe?

24-01-2008

Considering your background (ZooPlantMan) i will estimate that you are interested in the design of the exhibit more then the group dynamics. I've seen quite a few european elephant exhibit's and each and every one i've seen are barren.

Only Burger's Zoo in Arnhem (the Netherlands) manages to keep some trees alive in their elephant exhibit but the rest of the ground is barren again. Still, seeing elephants in the tree shades gives a REALLY nice feel about the exhibit and makes you feel that this is how asian elephants should be displayed, under tree canopy's.

The Elephant Houses are sometimes huge (Cologne) or very well decorated (Hamburg, Rotterdam, Leipzig) but always relatively empty for the elephant, except for a pool. Many zoo's however still keep them on rather small fenced or moated outside area's with small boxes per individual inside (Amsterdam, Liberec, Prague, Krefeld).

Worth mentioning would be Amersfoort Zoo who purposely build a completely seperate Bull-barn. It's the biggest building i know build for one single animal and for just a bull, it's very nice consisting of a large sleeping area with sand and a small area with concrete where they can do things like training, pedicure and take blood. Their female barn is about to be replaced by new one in 2010, building will start end of this year.

The only exhibits i would estimate worth seeing and not barren are Beauval, Benidorm and whipsnade. Perhaps one of the Aspinall's parks as wel, but that would be it. Copenhagen and Parc Paradisio (Belgium) are building a new elephant exhibit and Prague, Poznan? and Planckendael (Antwerp's open range-zoo) are planning new exhibit's, perhaps you could get your hands on some of their idea's?

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24-01-2008

Outside enclosures- Whipsnade's is barren. Howletts is barren. Port Lympne's are barren- in fact I'd say Port Lympne's are actually below acceptable standards as it is a very exposed hillside site. The indoor accomodation at both Aspinall parks is extremely basic too.

Of these Whipsnade's has the best management. at least the eles can browse on trees etc on their walks(not the bull though..)

24-01-2008

I often feel that if the animal dynamics are sufficiently interesting, the exhibit doesn't have to be so beautiful. (Its great when we have both.) But for many species (not alpine or desert ones, etc) seeing them without vegetation seems so "off."

I've been trying to understand why these facilities don't emphasize grassed yards and I suspect from what everyone has written that a part of the answer is the larger herds than many US zoos have. Decades ago it was common for the bigger US zoos to present large groups of animals (even say half a dozen polar bears together) but there has been much less of that. And today any American zoo that wants elephants must not only meet space restrictions, but must be ready for an endless battle with the Enemies Of Elephants In Zoos.

25-01-2008

I would say that the Emmen group is highly interesting to watch and therefore it's my favourite "Elephant Exhibit" by far in Europe. It's outside part is moated but has a lot of rocky outcrops and one large rock in the centre, therefore animals can get out of each other's sight and it features a large waterfall into a decent size pool.

It's bull is by far the most impressive tusker in Europe and very docile, which allows the park to keep him with the complete herd (with youngsters) and permanently connect the (rather small) bull-yard with the group area creating a slightly larger space. Many youngsters playing around and a huge bull laying on his side in the middle really makes for a fun exhibit, even though the area isn't that large and void of plantlife...

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My Zoo-Photo's (soon more to be added): http://jwer.fotopic.net

25-01-2008

That sounds like a gang more dangerous than that of Jesse James . Are you having a lot of trouble with the animal rights organizations in America (PETA and such)?

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animal: Aardvark
Website: www.zoos.dk

25-01-2008

yes, it's a huge distraction. They have successfully pressured several zoos (Detroit, Philadelphia come to mind) to get rid of their elephants. The L.A. Zoo is under terrific pressure. All a media war, in reality, but quite effective.

And the Christmas tiger escape/visitor death at the SF Zoo has given the anti-zoo groups lots to work with.

25-01-2008

I will repeat myself on this thread: approximately 17 zoos and counting no longer exhibit elephants in North America. What will that total be in a decade? 30 zoos getting rid of elephants in one continent? One has to wonder how much longer all of the numerous European zoos with barren elephant enclosures will sustain their captive poplulations...

25-01-2008

Hi,

I know of no elephant exhibit in Europe which has naturalistic both inside and outside yard.

Indoor houses I know of:
Dresden has nice tropical hall (see Zoolex website).
Rotterdam has attractive fake trees.
Dvur Kralove, judging from photos, has interesting building for it's African elephants with fake baobab tree. Warsaw also has such tree.
Leipzig seems interesting from photos.

Outside enclosures? I guess some safari park with huge grassy area.
Berlin zoo has several old oaks protected by wooden tubes, as well as a patch of trees protected by a wire. Overall, very pleasant. This zoo is generally marvel of design.
Heidelberg has carefuly designed protected vegetation, mixed exhibit with deer and nice pool.
Basel African yard stricken me as interesting, although barren. Has well designed rocks and tree trunks recalling dry season in Namibia (theme of this part of the zoo). And occupied stork nest on top of the tree trunk in the middle of the yard!

Overall, I agree that good elephant enclosures are still a future. BTW: did you see that? http://www.leszoosdanslemonde.com/ht...ki_11_2006.pdf

For snowleopard:
In Europe at least 20 zoos stopped keeping elephants. About 20 zoos have space and buildings and breeding herds. Several zoos have non-breeding herds of aging females and juvenile bulls. I guess in the next 10 years there might be 40 zoos which stopped keeping elephants and 30-40 zoos with breeding herds.

You can see nicely dynamics of asian elephants in Europe on Zoo Elephant - Asian Elephants at the Zoological Gardens of the World I wonder if any enthusiast wants to make the same website for African elephants?

25-01-2008

Zooplantman, a lot of the zoos already mentioned have big grass yards for their elephant herds - Whipsnade, Howlets, Port Lmypne, Beauval for example. But usually just grass and no trees or bushes which makes the enclosures relatively barren. Not that elephants need trees to climb, but some "islands" of protected patches of vegetation are very useful for elephant exhibits in my opinion, that looks very nice and gives the elephants shade and a more structured enclosure with possibilities to get out of each other`s view.

25-01-2008

I seem to remember Colchester Zoo(Africans) have attempted something like this in the outside paddocks with a couple of big 'islands' -earth mounds surrounded by huge rocks with trees and bushes growing from the top - designed to be out of reach of the elephants to stop them being destroyed. The enclosures are otherwise very flat but these rocky outcrops do break up the landscape a bit for the inhabitants though not attractive to look at.

25-01-2008

@Jurek7: I agree with you. I suppose that as many more zoos stop exhibiting elephants there will also be just as many expanding enclosures or creating viable breeding herds. It would be nice to see an elephant exhibit that was actually truly great...as it is tough to find one that suits the needs of such a large mammal.

25-01-2008

I always enjoy elephant enclosures with protected green areas. The one in Berlin is, although small, a shining eksample of that sort of exhibit design.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animal: Aardvark
Website: www.zoos.dk

25-01-2008

I think the best elephant exhibit is in Dublin Zoo.

25-01-2008

You all have given me a terrific list to investigate! Thanks
(By which I do NOT mean for anyone to stop.....Please keep going!)

25-01-2008

@Jurek7: Been to Dvur-the elephant exhibit isn't really spectacular (just "window-dressing" actually) and pretty small. The best idea in educational sense they had is keeping the hyrax in the same building and having a mammuth statue.