Kiwilover's Zoos

[ape]

those are great! Keep going! (sorry I haven't been here for a bit, I have had lots to do.)

[Eragon845]

Sorry, I don't really know how to say this but I'm temporarily quitting ZT. New classes, new pet to take care of. Lots of work. I will see if I can play it any time in the near future, maybe Thanksgiving break? I'll be on the forums still, just no ZT2.

[ape]

Okay.

 

What kind of pet did you get?

[Eragon845]

A hill mynah. Anyways, I did make this zoo at Environ, it's the new Caldera Unlimited. I guess I'll put the pics here too. Click here to view the original, but you have to register, but it's worthwhile. I'd like to see you post here ape!

 

The Zoo: Ridgeland Parks Zoo

 

Established first in 1935, this inner city zoo was built to make a getway for people to watch animals. The zoo officially started in 1947, when Whitetailed Deer were put on exhibition, something city-goers never had seen that often. The zoo then began collecting exotic and endangered birds from all continents of the Earth, and it also had an extensive fish collection. In 1986, the Zoo had become old and outdated, and a renovation program was proposed. Unfortuntely, the zoo lost a lot of money and couldn't pay for renovations, and all the birds and fish were shipped out, that was, until a wealthy old man bought the Zoo property in 1998 and began working on a new zoo, even better than the last. It's still being finished, and has many beautiful birds and fish on display, as well as many other different animals. The zoo is split up in continents, with animals from each continent in the particular area. The first we will go to is the Asian area.

 

First up is the North Asia Aviary, which exhibits birds from the Himalyas and the countries of China, Japan, and Mongolia. The entrance:

 

[Eragon845]

You eagerly run inside, to see what exotic birds await.

 

 

You look inside the exhibit on your right and see a bird standing among a bamboo plant in the water. You wonder what it is, so you read the sign.

 

 

It's a Japanese Crane, Grus japanonesis, these cranes are often seen in Japanese and Chinese art as a symbol of good luck or peace. They are also used as symbols of eternal love, as these birds mate for life.

 

 

You next see two Japanese Crested Ibises. These birds are very endangered and rare, our captive breeding program hopes to breed these two individuals.

 

[Eragon845]

You next look into an Alpine exhibit, modled after the himalayas.

 

 

Inside are Golden Eagles. You think, "Wait a minute, what are Golden Eagles doing in an Asian exhibit area?" Golden Eagles inhabit not only North America, but Europe and Asia, over the Himalayas.

 

 

You look across the way into another Himalayan Exhibit.

 

 

Inside are Himalyan Griffon Vultures. These large birds of prey soar over the tallest peaks of the Himalayas, looking for carrion to eat.

 

 

Lastly, you peer in to a Temperate exhibit. There are many flowers and many different species of bamboo inside. You look in, and see two male Common Pheasants, aka Ringneck Pheasants, scratching through the underbrush. There's also the much duller colored females they hope to mate with. Luckily, there's plenty of female pheasants to go around.

 

 

A pretty orange bird in the exhibit catches your eye. It's a Temminck's Tragopan, a fellow gamebird from China. The females of this species are much more dull and gray.

 

 

You read another sign on the exhibit list. "Coming soon to this exhibit, Lady Amhearst's Pheasants." (Waiting for GLM to finish it, then I will move the common pheasants to the North America section.)

 

After marveling at the different Chinese Pheasants, you sadly have to leave the aviary. On the way out, however, you view a wonderful garden with the plants of China and Japan. Flowers and bamboos abound, it'd be a panda's paradise.

 

 

That's all for now. See you tomorrow in the Europe Aviary, but first, I have a question to ask of you.

[Eragon845]

Good news! I saved just a few minutes before it turned off. Good thing. Now I have pics!!!! Also, since I just realized I am only on a medium map, there will be two zoos that'll make one zoo. This zoo is the old world zoo, when done, it'll have animals of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The next zoo is the New World Zoo, with North and South American sections. That way I will be able to fit everything in. But in reality, they are supposed to be one zoo, it's just ZT2 has puny maps.

 

You are very eager to see what else awaits you. Being a lover of birds like myself, you decide to visit another avairy, the European Aviary.

 

[Eragon845]

You walk inside, and start walking on the elevated path over the first few exhibits that allows for a good look at the birds from above. The first exhibit you view is a coastal one, and as you look down you see several Razorbills, Alca torda, a large auk species of Europe. You also read a sign that says, "Coming soon to this exhibit, Atlantic Puffin." A picture of the large bird with a red, orange, and yellow beak is pictured.

 

 

You then look down into a small bog exhibit, used to represent the bogs of Europe, filled with peat moss and trees such as the Hairy Birch. You look down and you notice brown birds moving about, as well as a single black one. They're Black Grouse, Tetrao tetrix. The male bird is black, and you notice red patches above his eyes, called combs.

 

 

The male hiding among some plants:

 

[Eragon845]

Next, you view a large temperate forest exhibit, with trees and beautiful flowers. You look down, and the first things you notice are three cranes in the exhibit, and as you read the sign you find out that they are Eurasian Cranes, Grus grus, also known as common cranes. Cranes have always fascinated me, I find them to be beautiful, graceful, and enigmatic birds. Sorry, I have to post links. It keeps saying I can't have dynamic pages, whatever that means.

 

Eurasian Cranes

 

Something moving through the underbrush catches your eye. Reading the plaque again, you find that it's a Great Bustard, Otis tarda, one of the largest flying birds. You see the male walk past the pond.

 

 

 

:P Don't worry Maple, I make detailed aviaries and after these there'll be only one more aviary exhibit. Most of this zoo is birds, after all! I also tend to talk a lot, like I am now, so I'll shut up.

 

The elevated pathway ends, and you now see several meadow exhibits, filled to the brim with coughcoughundetailedcough flowers. The first exhibit contains a pond and you look in to see several cute White Ducks enjoying themselves by the pond.

 

 

 

After watching the ducks, you head to a large meadow exhibit with lots of flowers. What's inside?

 

 

You look in and see a beautiful Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo. These beautiful cranes make large migrations every year, breeding in central asia and visiting Europe and other parts of Asia and even Africa sometimes.

 

 

 

It's a secret, but I said there'd be fish, remember? I am going to build the Southeast Asian section next, there's going to be some larger mammals, rather than just birds. In fact, I don't have many SE asian birds. :P

 

You peer into the last Europe aviary exhibit, this one a meadow with a large pond. (Which you can't see. :P )

 

 

(This is a terrible photo of the following bird)

 

Inside are Hoopoe, which are kingfisher like birds from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Named for their call, these small birds eat insects, spiders, centipedes, and occasionally small fish.

 

Horrible photo alert: (These birds are very camera shy)

 

 

You leave the aviary sad that all the European birds are over with. (Or happy, if you're a bird hater like Maple. :P Just joking, of course. :)

 

I'll work on some non birds tonight.

[Eragon845]

I have some minor news to share:

 

The park's North Asia avairy has had some new arrivals! The critically endangered Crested Ibises have laid an egg, thanks to our breeding program, we have helped take the first steps towards the conservation of these birds.

 

The newest arrivals are 4 Reeve's Pheasants, Syrmaticus reevesii, straight from China are here in the pheasant exhibit in the aviary! There's one male and three females, we hope that they will succsessfully mate. We're still waiting on the Lady Amhearst's Pheasants, too.

 

 

An expansion was made to the pheasant exhibit, connecting the garden and main exhibit:

 

 

Ok, so tomorrow I promise it won't be ALL birds. Please comment and suggest what I should improve on in our park. Thank you.