.NDkxMw.NDkxMw

- February· G, 1967 . ' -- ~: J J J n c;.or t on Visit to Ath.nta Zoo on Januar;;r 28, 1967 J C) ,:..,.t...J , 1967 the undcr:::;ir;n cd v:i.::,itcd the Atl,:i.nta Zoo. Durir<;

,'

 : :: ·,. ., look ed at the zoo aG t;n)ical visitors; in the aftC;rnoo,1,

· -~ ·.::.- cs co ,,·:~e..:l :)y t h e zoo forem.:i.n. ·,-_-._ ,..·:.;;'::, j_;;11)rc:.;scci -, · Mr. Dilbeck showed us every c·ou.rtcsy ,, oy his loyalt;y to the zoo. '_·;-::..s rc;_xl:..~t is di vi dcd into tn:c ee p0.Y·ts:

I .

1

_I. · Physica~ Plant, !',r:.::.r.·2.l Coll e ct ion, -and III. Conclusioif:· - In ye2.rs pa s t , city zoos were e:Jtablished to exhibit a small coll ec:-: . .:,:1 o: ar.i;-:,2.ls , in o ther words, a menaeei·ie. These i;nenageries c,a d-no sc:.c2-c,icr:al val ues or economical basis for existing. ·>··"-' Hany · ci ti .;)S ::.'ca.lizcd i: ·a·.-:in 6 }:Owe:- of animals and · began to build up their zoos for tourist 2·;:,J._,_ ·c3. ct::.ons. Oth er cities built up their zoos for educational programs, · ·r;:.. . .: . -c,r.c ,-:calthic::.." cities began to t ake interest in the c onservation -~: .. L. v

J

t -. 0 ~GO . ·.:·octc1y, the1~0 is a tendency to combine these values, and in reality,

.:-.1.: ~ -

c.o . ~- 2.8.:",8~--.t caci:. other to the a dvanta::;e of the city. With this

·----~_:_c3o~r..~, in rrd.nd ., this report is 1irittcn.

·--::--,o -_,:-,:2e e ma jor building s o f the Atlanta Zoo a re out standing . ·.:-, __ : _:_r' :_;1g s ·.-1 cre clean and well maintained. All Some of t he details need ·: -~ - :·o·;int::, s u c h a s placing swinginG bars in the center of the primate �______ .....• -2- Februa r y 8, 1967 'l'h , ou.t ::;id c co.r; cs on t he ::;n:;:1.ll cat l :i.no arc c:xtrc:-;-i cl;y ::;r.i:-i.11 <'.l. n d --~ ,;-_ :)c ::' CHO l' l·~ cd for better run::,. ·:·.:·~ c~ul c: oe The bear dens arc very unatt 1·a ct i ve i n:provod by land3capin:; and pa.intinr, .. The hoof cd ~nir;;,,.l ,_.' c2.. ::-. ~..:c,: s a ~ood l.:cnd scape plan to provide shade and prevent e:::-osic:.-1. . ~ .. zoo animal s paces could be made more attractive . ,1., _•_, ':';10 2.ac;..: of outside cages attached to th0 buildings is very notice2 • c.,J.c '.J ,t ::,ir.:.c c the buildings are already built, it is unnecessary to c:t::.J.:.i c :..zc -~hi s disadvantage • The la.c-;. ;: of informative signs is very disturbing, and the loss of .::<;.;.c2..".-,ior:al val u e is obvious. II . ,'.?I;·.:;\L COLI -EC TION O~,ccrvr.tions : There are definitely some animals that sho·cUd be

·c·:ovcc. from display, i.e. tailless Jaguar and Black Leopard.

Some

~ .ir; 9.ls shoul d b e off display until their health problems are solved,

-~.

~,--; : · c.-::am.pJ.e , t he spotted leopard.

There seems to be a lack of purpose in the coll ection: , . ·'." ·,,--:,: ~:;-, ~.ion. s , ti ~ers, Pi gtailed macaques, and chir.tJianzees; while absent ,:. - zoo an~..r.ials: ...,. .1. 0-:: r.: _ _-.n~~,q_- ~j_ons : hippo s, giraffes, and birds. Rework collection so there is an array of animals ·:.:. ·-.. t;::, ~8J:~·. . . s0nts the anirnal· .k ine dqn1. ·,: 1 ) f eline House. ~i~: s ~~ ~n ~ ' •'•h · - - - h h . By removing all but one good breeding pair of t~c crs, there would be room for a pair each of cheetahs, serval , c at s , nyena s , etc. ·- -- -, �February 8, 1967 -.3- (2) ?ri r2tc House. ,;..;.__: ., ~ 0bt.:i.::..;i ) :.~(;c;cnt. . Place Gibbon3 in the proscnt Pigtailed macaques• a lcc .:i.l orangutan; thuG all represontatives of the ~pcs are Since t ho house is controlled environmentally., rare and .unusua l $:~3cir.:o;.: s ccul d be displayed. f,... 'J,) '"'n0ptile House. Considering the house has never been open. to the

_:;·,1b::::..ic, t h0 collection can be considered impres~ive.

1:,e: As far as it could c:.e:, ccrrr.ir.ed, ther e are no tanks to display pure aquatic turtles., for c.::-:x::iplc, r-1:tta mata and the African Soft shell; turtles are very popular We recor.muend that r emodeling of the Reptile House be held ii.1 ~bcy~nce until a director is appointed so that a professional can govern its operat i on . To allow a lay curator carte ·blanche. to reorganize and

tc:::odol a new building is foolish.

Professional curators , such as Roger Con"'nt, of Philadelphia, Herndon Dowling of New .York., or Earl Herald of S2.11 Francis co, would be pleased to survey the workings of the building and

1c;

5est ways and means to modif y it at the least expens e s o it coul d be

Ofene~ t o the public . (L,) Hoofed Animal Exhibit. Tl1es e could be r·eworked to display ir.tc r 0sting species which woul d help conservation · of threatened species. J.,. 2, i t is now., the few donkeys., etc. is an extremel y uninteresting exhibit. (5) ChildTen 1 s Zoo . ~~ This was seen under wint er conditions but it obvious that a better collection of animals could be obtained., i.e. pi g:-..y goats , llama.s, and Fallow deer. Some of the wild babies that are bo~n at tho zoo (lions, tigers, monkeys., bears) could be incorporated �j .. I Februa~y 8, 1967 ~;2 . ~-LJ t;1::;~, :r-t.::i.ch aY"! ar;c when it Lj no l onger ::mf e · to keep thcr1 in <1. '.Tith a l:i.ttlc thoueht, physically, tld.::; ccct io1; c011ld · . ·-·- . ' ' . -··- ----···n::; ~-;r,:n·ovc:d f or a cJ.oser association between the children ai.1d tbc. animal!J . . C : . : ·' ' .. ·._: ,·, I ::; '3:.)() • . ,o .) .,.uc c r.,ne I t \ \ .-.. .~ . .. 1 ..., __ ,, __ :..s ;:-:t :;cin~; . ,, zoo d ocs no t eY.h:i. bit birds, a whole z,oologi ca l c.ivi- Even without a birdhouse, a eood collection conl cl be

·c:~.,::r~: l.::.rsc oi::.·ds mixed with .the hoofed stock , parrots on outs:i.ci.'c

c:·.,..,::..-·.s ) ~.:::.rs in t he sreen houses uith the alligators, and s er.ri.- J.-;:;_·o~ical (7) I:-i:pi·ovement is r.eeded in the cooperation betwoen the zoo arn:i t::2 c.::--...:cat ional sy ctem t hat controls the science room in the Primate House. ~c:c :;taf: I:""t0rr10ers c ould conduct tours, eive free lectures, and tak:e ani mals '.:.o ·;:,:1c local schools . There is an endless lis t of ways to promote more i;-:.-'.:.c:·c st ir. the eciucational aspect of the zoo. 7ne zoo is l a cki ng in imagination. An example of how animals could be ·,.co:::-:<::e.:l. i nto the present physical setup to make it more attractive is 8Y adC:.::.nz m-.caws to t he planted areas of the Primat e House, and small .'.':..nc '.".cs -t!ould do v ery wel l in the 1vaterfall areas of tl1e ~elin0 Hou:::;e . c~e rcc~i v e:::; the impre ssion of always being indoors. Relatively

.: . :):-:pe::-,sivc outs::..ci.e caGcs could be built t o house the common monkeys and

-:2.:':..~~ 1r:<1r:-:'.1al0.

Landscape walks across from t he bears could pass through ~-2.r;-: aild paddock f enc es could enclose an unused area for hoofed s tock • .::.-:-.n t:.c adva!: t agc of the southern weather, outside plants and animalo I. �.. -5---·· ,·· ·-~--- --··--- l~c ?_ruar-y 8, 1967 co: .~:.·_:_ ·:1;i.l-~c the overall appearance of the zoo r1or e dcliGhtful. 2vcr, ·C.l-.ou~;1 t he zoo is limited in total acrcn.'._'.c, the re a:r:-e many

.r:;j_c:::-ov e::.:.ent s t hat could be made to give

11 feeli ng of la.r 0 sn0ss. 'ic10 .J.-tlarrta Zoo has a vast potentinl; with the cor1•oct c uidc1.r1c c: I ':.:--:-.c:-:in.::; of the society and city, the z.oo could b 3 a va.luA.ble c0:TI,,l:..:.1iJ.:,~, - bot:i.1 a::; a cultural and recreational c enter. D ~ '·(i~in~ lJ__J _:·~bt::J:=::::::::::;;;-=-- w. Ar mstrong ~ /dlj./ >~~- National Zoological Park Washington, D.C. I I �