BY JOHN O’BRIEN

In the late 1980s and early 1990s Dublin Zoo, Ireland, faced a series of crises – with historically significant but archaic buildings and services compounded by a lack of capital to rectify matters. Through the stewardship of the Director, Peter Wilson, the zoo initiated a development plan to bring it up to international standards and to ensure that it could fulfil the guidelines set out in the World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS). The mission of Dublin Zoo is to `work in partnership with zoos world-wide to make a significant contribution to the conservation of the natural diversity of life on earth.'

The `Plan for the Future of Dublin Zoo' was prepared by the Zoological Society of Ireland and the Office of Public Works (the conservation agency for the Irish government), and presented to Mr Bertie Ahern T.D. (Minister for Finance at the time) in 1994. The objectives of the plan were clear-cut:

To meet these objectives, the Government of Ireland gave Dublin Zoo IR£15 million and a commitment to provide extra land to more adequately house the collection. It was felt that in order to meet the above objectives, improving the animal conditions and thus regaining public support was a priority, and so planning for the capital works programme began in earnest. It was decided that a series of new themed areas would be built over the course of a number of years. Outlined below is a summation of each of these new themed areas.

In 1996, the World of Primates exhibit opened to the public. The area comprises a string of man-made islands in a natural lake. The islands range in size from approximately 15 m² to 30 m² and are linked individually by means of wooden bridges to purpose-built sleeping quarters on the lake shore.

The open-air nature of the islands has allowed the construction of complex climbing frames. Areas of each island have been sectioned off with hot-wire to facilitate the growth of vegetation and give each island a more naturalistic appearance. On many of the islands, areas of foraging substrate, such as bark, have been provided to facilitate scatter feeding. This form of enrichment has been shown to be important in increasing the behavioural repertoire of many species managed in captivity.

The public have excellent opportunities for viewing each island. The provision of large viewing windows in the sleeping quarters give the public access to what is generally an off-show area in many zoos. However, we have also ensured that there are areas where the animals can hide from the public when necessary. The more complex nature of these primate habitats encourages activity, and this is appreciated by the visiting public and indeed the primates.

Currently, these islands are inhabited by siamang gibbons, red ruffed lemurs, eastern colobus monkeys, spider monkeys, chimpanzees and Celebes macaques. Apart from the chimps, who are restricted to their sleeping quarters at night, each species have unlimited access to their outdoor enclosures both day and night.

We have achieved much success in breeding the primates on these islands. The Celebes macaque group have done exceptionally well since their introduction to the island, with 1.2.1 births since 1996. Success has also been achieved with the colobus, lemurs and siamangs.

The Victorian-style enclosure which housed the polar bears was the focus of much criticism in the 1980s. It was decided that modification of this enclosure would not be sufficient to meet the husbandry and welfare needs of our polar bears, and a site for a new purpose-built enclosure was found. Consultation with Alison Ames (an expert on polar bears in zoos in Europe) has yielded a significantly improved polar bear habitat.

A large pool serviced by a dedicated filtration system and a variety of substrates have significantly improved the welfare of these animals. The sloped aspect of the enclosure ensures that the polar bears have a panoramic view across the zoo lake.

An initial study carried out by Ames on the polar bears in their old enclosure is being used as baseline data for a two-year M.Sc. study which will be completed in the near future. The results are expected to confirm our observation that the welfare of our polar bears has been considerably enriched. Stereotypic activity, which was prevalent in the old enclosure, has ceased in the male and is significantly reduced in the female.

Adjacent to the polar bear enclosure is an Arctic fox exhibit which serves to highlight the interaction which occurs between the two species in their natural habitat. These two exhibits are connected by tunnels, and it is hoped in the future to give the foxes access to the polar bear enclosure. A snowy owl aviary completed this first phase of the Fringes of the Arctic exhibit in 1997.

It is hoped that in the future the current Californian sea lion area will be transformed to accommodate an Arctic seal species and thus complete the Fringes of the Arctic theme. A new filtration plant is nearing completion at the site as a step towards this goal.

Our facilities for the management of snow leopards, lions and jaguars were out-dated, and it was decided that a completely new themed area would be the best option to meet international standards. It would also increase the potential educational value of the area by facilitating comparisons of the cats' behavioural repertoires. The World of Cats exhibit opened in 1998.

The new jaguar enclosure has an open top to allow for maximum area – containment is achieved through an overhang and hot wire. The outdoor enclosure is twice the size of their previous accommodation, and a separation pen has been constructed for breeding and introduction purposes. Natural substrates and shade are augmented by timber platforms linked by free-moving walkways and a pool which together provide an excellent habitat.

The snow leopard enclosure has been designed to resemble their rocky natural habitat. Indeed, the snow leopards blend in so well with the granite background that the public spend much time trying to locate them. This has been turned to educational advantage with the use of a number of interpretative graphics relating to the use of camouflage by predators. The grassy bank at the back of this long, linear enclosure is a favoured shade area for the animals. This enclosure has significantly improved the welfare of our snow leopards and it augurs well for continued breeding successes.

A third large big cat enclosure is currently occupied by our African lions. However, in the long term, this area will provide a quality habitat for Sumatran tigers, and the vegetation in the area reflects this. A large pool and waterfall has been incorporated into the design of the enclosure. A number of raised areas give the occupants excellent viewing opportunities across the zoo lake.

Each enclosure in the World of Cats is furnished with pools, natural substrates and shade. Viewing opportunities for the public have been maximised through the use of large viewing windows. In fact, the public can get to within two inches (50 mm) of our large male African lion in complete safety. Access has been provided for the public to the sleeping quarters of our felids, which, like our primate housing, is a departure from the normal stance of maintaining sleeping areas off-show. A research programme is on-going, which focuses on enrichment for all our big cats and is evidence of Dublin Zoo’s commitment to animal welfare issues.

The second phase of the Fringes of the Arctic themed area opened to the public in April 1999. It provides quality habitats for a pack of grey wolves and a non-breeding pair of Amur tigers. The large wolf enclosure covers half an acre (2,000 m²). A number of mature trees have been retained within the boundary to provide shade. The undulating nature of the enclosure has been supplemented by rocky outcrops and fallen trees. This increases the effective space of the exhibit and allows individuals within the pack to avoid each other when necessary. This is especially important for the sub-dominant animals that are found in any cohesive wolf pack. Although breeding facilities have been purpose-built within the enclosure, the alpha female has dug her own dens, and at the end of May 1999 three wolf pups delighted our visitors with their exuberance.

Separation pens and housing have been built, which are a necessity when managing a wolf pack of this size (5.4.0). The sloped aspect of the terrain has been used to give the wolves excellent viewing opportunities across the zoo lake. As with many of our enclosures, large viewing windows encourage an interactive experience for our visitors with this active pack. A research project is being carried out on our wolves in association with other European zoos.

It has been a number of years since Dublin Zoo has provided accommodation for tigers. Our Amur tiger exhibit has been built to provide quality accommodation for non-breeding individuals. The success of the World of Cats themed area encouraged us to design this tiger enclosure in the same vein, while maintaining the Fringes of the Arctic theme. Naturally-provided shade and a variety of substrates have been augmented by a pool and raised timber platform to create an excellent exhibit. The natural slope and raised platform combine effectively to allow the tigers to view activities outside of their enclosure. As with the World of Cats and the polar bear enclosure, large viewing windows prove extremely popular with the public and animals alike.

In an effort to improve viewing opportunities for the public, a Tundra Trail has been created at the back of the Fringes of the Arctic area. A bark-laden pathway leads the visitor to large viewing windows for the grey wolves and Amur tigers, and extra viewing points have been created at the back of the polar bear enclosure. This new area is proving extremely popular with the public.

Located only two miles from the centre of the capital, Dublin Zoo has taken the opportunity to educate the urban population on rural lifestyles. Our new City Farm and Pets’ Corner, which was constructed over a number of years, was completed in 1999. It is among the most popular areas in the zoo. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the goats, donkeys, cows and pony which are housed in tastefully designed accommodation with open-air paddocks. Many rare farm breeds are maintained here, including the Kerry cow, the Galway sheep and the Tamworth pig. Milking, blacksmith and wool-spinning demonstrations are becoming a feature of this area. The educational value of the City Farm for inner-city children is widely accepted as being of vast importance, and the area is a focus for our popular Pet Care Day.

A number of remedial works projects have been completed throughout the zoo as part of the redevelopment programme.

With the transfer of our primates to the World of Primates, the old monkey house has been transformed into a dedicated South American House. A series of mixed-species exhibits incorporating reptiles, birds and mammals have been created, which increases the educational potential of the building. Of the four primates housed here, three participate in EEP programmes – Goeldi’s monkey, white-faced saki and golden lion tamarin (Dublin Zoo co-ordinates the EEP for this species).

Renovations have been made to our aviaries and it is hoped that the modifications will encourage breeding among our great Indian hornbills, citron-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata), Moluccan cockatoos (Dublin Zoo co-ordinates the EEP for this species), and our other endangered birds.

The most ambitious project ever to be carried out in Dublin Zoo in its 169-year history is under way. As part of the redevelopment plan, the Irish government gave a commitment to provide the zoo with extra land to more adequately house our larger animals. In 1999, planning permission was received for a 30-acre (12 ha) African Plains exhibit due to open in June 2000. This land is adjacent to the current zoo site and it effectively doubles the size of Dublin Zoo.

The site incorporates a large natural lake which will be used to create two primate islands similar to the existing ones, but larger. A large open grassland area will be retained as a savannah plain to accommodate giraffe, zebra, scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle and ostrich in a communal area. However, each species will also be provided with separate housing and a hardstand area for winter management. Woodland areas within the site will be retained for a bongo enclosure and to provide shade for our cheetahs and lions in their large enclosures.

A series of smaller exhibits are proposed for duikers, ground hornbills, red river hogs and meerkats. A large area has been set aside for a new white rhino enclosure, and Dublin Zoo will be able to accommodate a large herd by zoo standards. The rhino/hippo building is a long, linear structure, with a grass roof so that it does not impinge on the natural setting of the African Plains. The hippos are to be provided with an indoor heated pool and a large outdoor pool. Grass and sand areas have been incorporated into the design of the hippo enclosure to increase the complexity of their new habitat.

The transfer of animals from the current zoo to the African Plains will free up much-needed space for other animals. A major development is planned for our Asian elephants, which will facilitate the formation of a more natural group size. Our Californian sea lions are to be provided with a new area, and many other animals will see refurbishment and enlargement of their enclosures.

Through our participation in international breeding programmes, our co-ordination of the Golden Lion Tamarin and Moluccan Cockatoo EEPs, our research programme focusing on animal welfare, and the commitment of funds to in situ conservation projects, Dublin Zoo is achieving its aims and objectives in line with the WZCS; and as host to over 500,000 visitors last year, the zoo is also achieving its obligations to the community.

John O’Brien, Dublin Zoo, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Ireland (E-mail: davidfield@dublinzoo.ie)