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ISLANDS
The
world's first Multi-Species
Rotational Exhibit
The Islands exhibit encourages
visitors to explore the concept of Islands as ecological treasures.
Adapted through eons of isolation, island species are uniquely
vulnerable to changes brought about by natural forces or introduced
by humans due to their inherent limited resources in a finite
environment.
All of the animals in the Islands exhibit are
endangered or threatened species. The Louisville Zoo is helping to
protect these species and their island homes by showing guests that
islands are unique environments with limited resources; a delicate
balance between man and nature must be maintained for both to
survive.
The sequence of animal rotation simulates
the way these animals live in the wild and emulates the food chain
inherent in the Indonesian wilderness. A natural predator/prey scenario
plays out when the animals sense that other animals have been there. In
turn, this stimulates them and heightens the animals' awareness,
therefore, creating a more active exhibit.
Rotating different animal species
through various habitats, allows the animals to experience changing
environments. The new surroundings provide more interest and
stimulation for the animals.
Changing the
species of the various habitats provides the visitor with a new and
different experience during each visit to the Zoo.
The architectural style of the viewing
buildings creates an Indonesian village atmosphere, in keeping with
the Island's theme. The view buildings are organized around a
common area to recreate the village environment. The heavy timber,
cedar post and beam construction are suggestive of the traditional
framing techniques incorporating rough-hewn logs gathered from the
forest.
A
stream, the life force of the monsoon forest, flows along the
perimeter of these viewing buildings. Man-made rockwork provides
the mud bank backdrop for the native environment, recreated for the
animals and the viewer. The entire collage of elements attempts to
reinforce the idea that the animals, vegetation and people are
together as one and not isolated from one another.
Hot rocks are strategically located in
each outdoor habitat near prime viewing locations to extend the
viewing opportunities during the year and provide a warm spot for
the animals to be more comfortable in cooler months while on
exhibit.
A series of overhead, at grade and
below grade transfer aisles are configured to allow safe passage of
predator and prey species from the holding area into the exhibits.
This allows maximum flexibility to situate the animals in anyone of
the three outdoor and one indoor habitat. This also provides
protection to the keepers that are orchestrating the complex series
of transfer doors. This is the system that allows five different
species to rotate between four different habitats.
The interior holding areas also have
this intricate series of transfers that allow rotation from inside
to outside as well as provide flexibility in animal management
opportunities to group or segregate animals as needed to facilitate
animal health and safety. |
