Form And Size Of The Exhibition Area

SAFETY Elephant-visitor interaction is not harmful because elephants are really friendly with humans, but since they are extremely strong animals, any human-elephant interaction must be controlled by personnel. Elephants cannot jump due to their nature, so a 2.4-meter railing will be sufficient to stop a grown elephant. However, the material used must be durable enough to withstand the forces of the elephants. Generally preferred materials are concrete, stone wall, or thick pipe railings. However, a single fence is not enough, because it is not desirable for elephants to reach out and contact visitors without personnel controlling it. Hydraulic or electrically powered gates are used to stop elephants, and there should be manual emergency doors or back-up generators that can be opened manually in case of possible power-cuts or accidents. In order to ensure the safety of workers and animals, there should be an emergency stop button and cameras that provide continuous monitoring in case of opening and closing of these doors.

Figure 39: Michael Graetz (2015)

Front fences and moat for Asian elephants in Singapore Zoo--the boxes are their water pods, so visitors can see closely.

A.Moats Dry moats are generally preferred as the primary barrier. In places where U shaped moad is used, an elephant extraction protocol must be found. In case of a possible fall, it should be covered with soft materials to minimize damage, such as straw or sand, and it should be wide enough to avoid stucking. The V-shaped moat is used, but it is not very common. When it is used, the wall on the visitor side should be at least 7 meters so that the elephant cannot reach the visitors. Since this depth makes it difficult to see, the use of V-shaped moat is not commonly preferred. (AZA Regents, 2012)

How should an appropriate tiger habitat design be like?

Figure 40 : Ondrej Prosicky (2017) WELLBEING

Tigers’ areas are the most neglected designs in most zoos. Because they are dangerous animals, large fences and cage areas are used, and safety is prioritized. But it should not be forgotten that tigers are big cats, so the activities, instincts, needs, and desires of house cats are almost the same. The areas of the tigers must consist of conditions that allow them to run, climb, sharpen their nails, scentmarking, burrow their toilets, and leave odors. However unlike house cats, tigers enjoy water. An active water area (artificial stream, artificial waterfall etc.) in their environment will be useful for protecting the psychological health of animals. Also, these large cats are not always in peace with each other, these animals have high space protection instincts, requirements must have different platforms if their cages are to house more than one tiger. Tigers must have a special cliff (platform) at different heights to prevent direct view with other tiger rocks and are separated by vegetation. It is important for these animals to behave in harmony with each other. (Seaman & Shimm, 2016)

Indoor Spaces

The area for a single animal should be at least 12 meters wide and 12 meters deep with a minimum of 144 m2 space. For each animal added, the area should be increased by fifty percent. Concrete is generally used for the floor, but it is not used alone, it is coated with asphalt compounds or epoxy coating methods, as concrete has a rough surface that can corrode the paws of tigers. These materials are easy to clean, dry quickly, and are less slippery even when wet. Its hardness is sufficient; materials such as rubber and cork are not preferred, as they might be toxic if tigers were to dig with their nails and swallow.