WHAT IS A ZOO

A zoos paramount purpose is to promote wildlife conservation. A zoo exists to

educate.

According to the National Geographic website: A zoo is a place where animals live in
captivity and are put on display for people to view. The word zoo is short for
zoological park. Zoos contain wide varieties of animals that are native to all parts
of the Earth.
And there are different types of Zoos:
Urban and Suburban Zoos
Urban zoos, located in large cities, still resemble the smaller zoos that were popular
200 years ago. Often, these zoos sit in the middle of cities, making
expansiondifficult. There is little room for urban zoos to grow, and many of the zoos
buildings are historic landmarks that cannot be destroyed or redesigned.

In many urban zoos, animals are kept in relatively small enclosures. Some animal
activists argue that keeping animals in urban settings is cruel because of cramped
conditions, noise, and pollution.

Safari Parks
Larger than urban and open-range zoos, safari parks are areas where tourists can
drive their own cars to see non-native wildlife living in large, enclosed areas. These
attractions allow the animals more space than the small enclosures of traditional
zoos.

Game Reserves
Game reserves are large swaths of land whose ecosystems and native species are
protected. The protections allow animals to live and reproduce at natural rates.
Animals are allowed to roam free.

Petting zoos
Petting zoos feature domesticated animals that are gentle enough for children to
pet and feed. Sheep, goats, donkeys, and rabbits are common petting zoo animals.

These types of zoos are found at parks and inside of larger zoos. Sometimes mobile
petting zoos travel with fairs or carnivals from city to city.
Why do people go to the Zoo?
A zoos paramount purpose is to promote wildlife conservation.People go to the zoo
to be educated with wildlife.
The simple answer is to see the animals.
It gives people the chance to observe wildlife they may otherwise never see and
establishes the importance of conservation efforts all over the world.

Enclosure Design Guidelines

Zoos display living things. Zoos that existed over 100 years ago were very different
to the modern zoo of today.

Early zoos tried to display as many animals as possible in order to attract the
greatest number of visitors. In those days people had little or no understanding of
the behaviour, habitat or needs of the animals.

This led to the displaying of animals in small, dirty, heavily barred cages that
resulted in abnormal behaviour by many animals and little education was provided
for the visitor.
Today zoos limit the size of their collections and enclosures have an overall theme,
eg. South East Asian Rainforest, African Plains, Wetland Birds, Australian Rainforest.
Also, mixed exhibits are more common, ie. more than one species living together in
the same enclosure. A great deal of planning and discussion goes into developing
an enclosure or group of enclosures. Apart from external involvement from, eg
Architects, Designers, etc, the expertise of many Zoo Staff is also utilised. These
may include Education Officers, Zookeepers, Horticulturists, Maintenance staff,
Graphics designer and others. Naturalistic enclosures encourage animals to behave
and reproduce as they would in the wild. However, it is almost impossible to
completely recreate a natural habitat and compromises need to be made.
Factors related to public viewing, safety, information, etc. and safe and easy access
for Keepers and Maintenance staff also need to be considered.
Funding (Sponsorship, Donations, etc) is also a major consideration.
Today the final presentation of the enclosure should provide people with a better
understanding of the relationship between animals and their environment.
Signage is now a critical part of the enclosure as it provides the public with more
information, particularly about the problems affecting species, the Zoos role in
Conservation and how the Public can play a role in Conservation.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DESIGNING AN ENCLOSURE

Needs of the Animal
Size of animal
Level of activity how to provide behavioural enrichment
Social groupings (size/structure family, solitary, sex ratio, etc)
Natural habitat
Shelter from the elements
Feeding and water
Sleeping facilities
Retreats from Public
No dangerous areas/substances to animals

Needs of the Staff / Zoo

Is contact safe or desirable? (Is it possible to complete all work tasks without any
direct contact with animals?)
Security of enclosure
Can animals be captured safely and easily if they need to be?
Ease of access for maintenance, cleaning, feeding, etc
Ease of viewing for health checks
Suitable off limits areas with appropriate holding facilities
Breeding programs provided for (ie. if breeding is to occur)

Needs of the Public

Clear view of animal
Does the enclosure cater for all, ie young, wheelchair bound, etc
Aesthetically appealing
Reflect the habitat of the animal
Educational value appropriate graphics

CASE STUDIES
In order for us to fully understand how a Zoo works and the way it is designed, we
went out and visited different Zoos specifically Avilon Zoo in Rizal, Avilon in Pasig,
Malabon Zoo, and last but not the least, Manila Ocean Park. During the visit, we
noted both the Pros and Cons and observations of each Zoo so that we won't be
able to commit the same mistakes that we saw and we can apply the design
strategies that we observed to our proposed Zoo.

Avilon Zoo (Rizal- Outdoor Zoo)

Background
Avilon Zoo is currently the largest zoological institution in the Philippines in terms
of collection of live animals. The 7.5 hectare facility located in Rodriguez, Rizal
houses more than 3,000 specimens of exotic wildlife representing more than 500
species of birds, mammals reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fishes and
invertebrates. The zoo has a diverse collection of Philippine native and endemic
fauna, most of which have been bred successfully in captivity through AVILON's ex
situ conservation programs.

Pros

1. Security is assured for CCTV cameras were installed around the Zoo's
premises
2. Different decorations that attract children were all over the Zoo
3. The canteen's location is near the Entrance/Exit of the Zoo which is good
since people tend to get hungry after roaming around
4. Comfort rooms are scattered around (easily accessible- with storage)
5. Cages are properly labeled
6. Warning Signages are provided
7. Trash cans were also scattered around the Zoo
8. Guests can interact with other animals freely
9. Gift shops are located near the Entrance/Exit of the Zoo (Good for the
business)
10.Considers guests with disabilities
11.Railings (Safety)
 12.Animal Shows are performed for the guests
13.Picture taking session
14.Cave-like experience for the guests
15.Concrete was used as an alternative for Wood
16.Plumbing system for every cage
17.Considers height of animals

Cons
1. Welcome sign is not very visible
2. Anthropometrics wasn't considered as much since the Entrance/Exit is not
wide enough for the guests' comfortability
3. It was rather dark towards the entrance
4. Some cages were made of glass (Not durable-prone to cracks)
5. Single wire mesh system was used (Not safe enough)
6. Although locks were provided for each cage, they were rather small and
looked fragile (Not sturdy)
7. The Aviary's design did not consider the height of the bird's flight

Malabon Zoo
Background

Malabon Zoo in Manila is a private collection of exotic and Philippine endemic animals. The
owner, Mr Manny Tangco started the collection in the late 1960s in the back garden of his
house and it expanded out from there. A hobby which turned into a labour of love.
The Zoo, open from 08.00 to 17.30 each day is located at 1 Gov Pascual Street, Barrio Potrero,
Malabon, Metro Manila.

Avilon Zoo (Pasig- Indoor Zoo)

ARK AVILON ZOO is the only indoor interactive zoo in the Philippines located in
Frontera Verde, Pasig City. With a two storey building resembling the biblical Noah's
Ark. ARK AVILON ZOO is home to various friendly animals that guests can interact
with.

Kids and kids at heart can get up close and personal with VENUS the 2yrs. old
Bornean Orangutan, Winged Wonders - BIGBIRD, C2, RED, REMINGTON and ALDEN,
Slitherin' TYSON the Burmese Python and many more wildlife ambassadors. Kids
can enjoy feeding rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises, bear cats, sheep and other farm
animals in FARMLAND. And be amazed with fun attractions like CLUB MEOW, BIG
CATS, PENGIUN, BEAR Exhibits, giant Tortoises and hyper - active critters -
MEERKATS and PRAIRIE DOGS.

Manila Ocean Park

Background
Manila Ocean Park is the country's first world-class marine theme park and a
premiere educational facility. An integrated urban resort with marine life attractions
and aqua-themed hotel, the park is geared towards an all-year, all-weather
destination for locals and tourists.