Sher Shah Suri Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Fordsville Zoological Gardens Ai, you thought the ZT1 zoos were dead, huh? But you're wrong! :Yess_: Fordsville Zoological Gardens TCEZA's newest project is located in the large city of Fordsville, in eastern Tennessee, home to nearly 100,000 people. With three completed areas and another in progress, it was opened on October 21st, 2011. It features lush forests with beautiful ferns and temperate foliage, able to grow due to the temperate rainforest nearby. Visitors are quickly greeted to the forests that are the FZG's claim to fame. Cherry trees are the dominant foliage at the entrance. Our first exhibit area is the Outback. To the left is a large pen for red kangaroos. Guests are able to reach across the post and rope fence to pet or feed the marsupials, the latter of which you can do from 11:00-12:00 for a dollar. One of TCEZA's goals is for people to be able to reach out and interact with the wildlife they know, as to make connections with species that will last for lifetime and fuel a love for animals. Going to right, several more exhibits are seen, the first of them being a paddock for a gaggle of Cape Barren geese. Though they are not seriously endangered, they are among the rarest geese in the world and the TCEZA sees it as an honor to feature them in one of their zoos. Farther down the path, a group of quokkas, small types of kangaroos, live in a low-fenced replica of an Australian plain. Though you can see it in this photo, you can only see the common wombats in the main plaza we will come to later. A nearby restaurant offers indoor viewing on dreary days. Sunken into the ground is the enclosure for lace monitors, which are the 2nd largest lizards in Australia, nearly 7ft long at the maximum length. The zoo's adult monitors are about five and six feet long, female and male respectively. The sunken enclosure allows guests to view the goannas at an eye-level view, for they are avid climbers. Our final exhibit we'll see before moving on to the plaza (where they are also viewed), is home to large flocks of galahs and sulphur-crested cockatoos. These beautiful birds make raucous calls that echo throughout the zoo, so you'll probably hear them before you see them! This is the hallmark exhibit of the main plaza. A mesh aviary, it is inhabited by four species; spinifex pigeons, malleefowl, Australian brush turkeys, and numbats. Tour guides often remarked on the huge nests constructed by malleefowl and the brush turkeys, as well as the niche that numbat occupy, similar to anteaters and armadillos of the Americas, and the pangolins and aardvarks in Africa and Asia. In the center of the plaza, two rare birds are seen; an honor for TCEZA to exhibit. The world's heaviest parrot, known as kakapos, are seen on the right. To the left are another NZ resident; little spotted kiwis. On the left side of the plaza, the last two species of the Outback are seen. Perenties, types of monitor lizards, are seen in the left habitat. They are the largest lizards known from Australia. On the right, the only Tasmanian devils in the U.S. are exhibited. Their population is currently being wiped out by an epidemic of cancer, and the zoo is trying to find a cure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukkie Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 that is such a very nice zoo you are having She Sha Suri I love your aviary :cheer-girls-group-3x2-green: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firehawke Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I love these pics!!! There are some animals that I'm going to have to try! Keep up the great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Trustee)ZooGrammy Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Very nice exhibits and the zoo is laid out well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickyFeet Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Very nice setup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Admin)Savannahjan Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 You are right SSS, ZT1 lives on! Love your zoo, especially the large aviary. Also really like the devils, they are so beautiful. Everything looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sher Shah Suri Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Zeppelinsburg Zoo TCEZA(The Complete Experience Zoo Association) has unveiled its newest project, a small zoo (~50 species) located in Zeppelisnburg, Massachusetts. Many of the exhibits have an interesting layout, with many turns and bends. Why? The owner of the land, an elderly man, who sold us this 20-acre plot, said he didn't want of the terrain or the trees to be leveled or removed, to keep the spot as natural as possible. TCEZA, all about conservation, complied. Our entrance, featuring our lively gift shop, as well as the first habitat - home to European Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus. The deer are friendly and are available for interaction. For a quarter, guests can buy a handful of pellets to feed the docile ungulates. If you're lucky, you'll be able to pet the skittish fawn, named Bambi, as the character of Bambi was originally a roe deer. Nearby is a habitat for the wary Black Storks, Ciconia nigra, of which we currently own 7. They are beautiful, yet shy birds, and we encourage visitors not to be too loud as it might frighten them. Their rasping calls are often heard, while extremely lucky patrons might hear them bill-clapping, a rare event. Part of the forest on the grounds. The owner said we could add more trees as long as it didn't harm the environment and cause ecological upset. It has worked out quite well. The cafe is in the upper left corner. The frequent elevation of the forest and the old man's rules meant we had to find some animals that actually like cliffs and hills. Mishmi Takins, Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor, were among the first to come to mind and to arrive at the zoo. Workers quickly went to work, recreating a Himalayan hillside, all while avoiding uprooting the trees that the takins wouldn't like. The end result was great one; fun fact: this is only the 2nd place in the US to currently see this type of takin. Our next exhibit is home to Giant Asian Pond Turtles, Heosemys grandis. Originally planned for plumed whistling ducks, we found out that the ducks sadly died during shipping and had to find a replacement. That's when a local man stepped in and offered us his pet turtles, as he was forced to get rid of them. The zoo quickly agreed to take them in, and with some minor habitat altering, they were in. Though the zoo is finished, this is the last exhibit we'll be showing you for now. American Plains Bison, Bison bison bison, are a common sight in zoos and that hasn't changed here. Despite their commonness in zoos, bison are slowly being wiped out, and the zoo asks that you donate at the exhibit to help save these fantastic cattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firehawke Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I love the new zoo!!! What map are you using? What a great challenge to try not to change the elevation or remove the trees! Did you change any elevation or trees inside the exhibits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukkie Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 A wonderful looking zoo Sher Shah Suri It looks very pretty and the lay out is just great :cheer-girls-group-3x2-green: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Trustee)ZooGrammy Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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