zoos of the future will need a good dose of creativity · zoos of the future will need a good dose...

Bernard Harrison & Friends SEAZA Keynote Address

Zoos of the Future Will Need a Good Dose of Creativity

Bernard HarrisonPrincipal Partner

Bernard Harrison & Friends


Outline• Trends in zoo design in 20th Century• Extinction as a zoo exhibit• A blast in the past• Life after the blast • Man evolves into a killing machine


Outline• Living fossils• Need for a broader range of exhibition

skillsets


Trends in zoo design in 20th Century


Paradigm Shift 1Moated Revolution

• Carl HagenbeckAnimal dealer

• Hamburg 1907


Sanitary Modernism

• Stainless steel• Floor and wall

tiles or epoxipaint


Abstract modernism

• Elephant House London Zoo

• Sir Hugh Casson1965

• Designed for arboreal elephants!


Paradigm Shift 2Lion Safari Parks

• Jimmy Chipperfield circus owner

• First lion safari park at Longleat 1966


Paradigm Shift 3Marine Parks

Sea World, San Diego opened in 1967


Biological Parks in India


Acrylic

• Laminated glass

• Seamless• Curved

tunnels• Huge panels


Rock RevolutionIndiscriminate use of sprayed gunite


Paradigm Shift 4

The Environmentalists

• Landscape architects• Used nature as the model for

reproduction• Landscape immersion


Paradigm Shift 4

Woodland Park Zoo• David Hancocks

Jones & Jones• Woodland Park Zoo• 1977 Long Range

Plan• 1980 Gorilla exhibit


Paradigm Shift 5Night Safari

• Opened 1994• First in the

world


ThemingVisit to a national park

• Animal Kingdom

• US$1 billion


Cultural ThemingBaboons of Ethiopia


An Obsession with Charismatic Mega-vertebrates


Disproportionate Representation

• Vertebrates 52,000• Invertebrates 1,272,000 • Possible unknown 14,000,000


How to exhibit a bullfrog

• Naturalistic• History• Meaningful • Aesthetical• Sensory• Conservation and

collective concern


Flagship Species

Tigers in Corbett National Park save other species


Keystone SpeciesPull down treesCreate salt licksDig waterholesDung fertilizes


Extinction as a zoo exhibit


Extinction - Zoo Exhibit

• The story of extinction is one of the most powerful to be told

• It is close to our hearts

• It is a process - like our own death -which is inevitableJavan rhino


ExtinctionGetting the right perspective

• 99% of all the species that ever lived are extinct

• More species alive now than at any time in the past

Spix’s macaw


ExtinctionGetting the right perspective

Dodo 1681

• Most species last an average of 1 million years

• Often dynastic –with one species giving rise to many


Implosions of Extinction

• 5 implosions -first was 500mya

• Each killed 70% to 95% of species on earth

• Latest was end of Cretaceous: 65mya


Pangea - Continental Drift


Laurasia & Gondwana


Cretaceous - Late Mesozoic


Present


Pangea to the Present


A Blast From The Past


A Blast from the Past

• 65mya• Astroid 10 km

diameter• Velocity

100,000km/h• Crater 180km

diameter


Toba – Super Volcano Eruption

• 75,000BC• Caused volcanic

winter• Initiation of last

glacial period


Life After The Blast

The Age of Mammals & Birds


Extinction

• After a great implosion Nature recovers biodiversity

• Takes millions of years (10m)• Large body size - with specialization -

smaller populations & early extinction• Large body size - result of scrub &

grassland - low grade food


Mammals Inherited The Earth

• Rat-sized• Unspecialized • Filled niches left

by dinosaurs


Tall BrowserBrachiosaurus

• 149mya• 25m long• 13m high• 70 tonnes• Africa & North

America


Tall BrowsersIndricotherium

• 25 – 30mya• 10 high • 30 tonnes• Rhino closest

relative• Asia


Large GrazerTriceratops

• 68mya• 8m long• 7 tons• Social herbivore• North America


Large GrazerBrontotheres

• 55- 30mya• 2.5m at shoulder• First large, plains-

living animals• North America &

Asia


Large CarnivoreTyrannosaurus

• Late Cretaceous• 5m high• 14m long• 5 tonnes• North America &

Asia


Medium Carnivore Andrewsarchus

• 60-32mya• Largest land

mammal carnivore ever

• 1.8m high• 5m long• Asia


Giant ApeGigantopithecus

• 6.3m-200k BC• Largest ape• 3m high• South East Asia


Man Evolves into a Killing Machine

Pleistocene overkill hypothesisKeystone species


Australopithecus

• 4.5 -1.5mya• Walked upright• Southern &

Eastern Africa


Homo heidelbergensis are

• 600-100k BC• Developed

abstract thought –Homo sapiens


Homo sapiens

• 100k BC- present• Near extinction• 70k BC- Prolonged

drought followed by volcanic winter –Toba’s explosion

• Troop to tribe transition


Human Radiation

Spread from Africa to Eurasia, Australia, North America &South America


Major Extinctions of Animalscoincides with man’s arrival

• Africa & S E Asia 50,000• Australia 50,000• North Europe 15,000• North America 11,000• South America 10,000• West Indies 4,000• New Zealand 900• Madagascar 800


Extinction Of Megafauna

• Still 8 species of mega-herbivores in Africa

• North America - 45 reduced to 12 genera

• South America – 58 reduced to 12 genera

• Australia • New Zealand


Africa

Man evolve with megavertebrates


Eurasia

Big means bad luck


Wooly Mammoth

• 135-11k BC• 3m high at

shoulder


Irish Elk

• 400– 9BC• 2.1 meters at

shoulder• 3.5m antler span


Wooly Rhinoceros

• 500k-10k BC• 2m at shoulder• 3.5m long• Sumatran rhino

closest relative


North AmericaIce Age Serengetti


Megafauna extinction


American mastodon

• 35m-12.5k BC• 2.4m at shooulder• 4.5m long• 5.5tonnes


Sabre-tooth cat

• Extinct 12.5k BC years 2m long,1m at shoulder,300kg

• Twice as heavy as a lion but shorter


Short faced bear

• 2m-12.5k BC• 3m high standing• 800kg


Cheetah

• 2.5m-12.5k BC• Crossed to

Eurasia & Africa

• Evolved speed to chase pronghorns


American LionPanthera atrox

• 40-10k BC • Bigger than

modern lion


Western Camel

• 50m-10k BC• Not adapted to

desert• Crossed to Eurasia

& South America


Columbian mammoth

• 1.5m-10k BC• 10 tonnes• 4m at shoulder• 5m tusks


South America

3mya land bridge to North America


Ground Sloth -Megatherium

• 1.9m-8k BC• 6m long• 4 tonnes• Could walk

erect


Glyptodont

• 10k BC• 1 tonne• 1.5m high• 3m long


Terror Birds

• 27m- 15kBC• 2.5m tall• Carnivore – filling

vacuum of mammal carnivores


Argentavis magnificens

• 1.5m tall• 1.2m wing length

3.4m beak to tail• 120kg


Australia


Diprotodon –

• 1.6m -25k BC• Largest

marsupial • Males 2500 kgs• Related to

wombat


Demon Ducks & Giant Rippers

• Demon Duck• 200-250kg

•Giant ripper lizard•Replaced mammals •as carnivores•5.5m 400kg


Tasmanian Wolf - Thylacine

• Tasmania 1930• Cloning

preserved pup


New Zealand

Polynesian seafarers arrived 900yag


Moa

• 2.5m-1600 AD• 200kg• 11 species


Elephant Bird

• 1700 extinct• Largest bird • 500kg• Madagascar


Living fossils


Living fossils - Oysters

First appeared 550myaModern oysters 135mya


Living fossil Atlantic Hagfish

550 mya –Late Precambrian


Living fossils - Coelacanth

410 mya


Ammonites - Nautilus

415mya


Living Fossil - Millipede

395 mya


Living fossils - Cockroaches

350 mya


Living Fossil - Hellbender

350 mya


Living Fossils - Horseshoe Crab

250 mya


Vegetable DinosaurGinkgo

250 mya


Living Fossils - Crocodiles

• 200 million years

200 mya


Tuatara

• 200mya


Living FossilAlligator Snapping Turtle

200 mya


Living FossilsGreat White Shark

135 mya


Vegetable Dinosaur- Huon Pine

• 135 mya• Grow for 10,500

years


Vegetable DinosaurSierra Redwoods

• 60 mya• Largest tree -

110m• Girth 30m


Vegetable DinosaurWollemi Pine

• 50 million years• Discovered in 1994

close to Sydney


Living Fossil - Manatee

50mya


Living FossilSandhill Crane

10 mya


6th Great Implosion of Extinction

• May take 10 million years to recover• Also destroying theatres of Evolution • Since 1950 - 33% of world forest

cleared and not replaced• 20% of world’s top soil washed away• Carbon dioxide increase by 33%• Biodiversity diminishing more rapidly

than anytime in past 65m years


Environmental destruction• The main culprits of

this destruction are:Over fishing and destruction of coral reef, mangrove and wetlands


Logging & land clearing

• Clear felling and unsustainable logging of forests


Hunting - Bush Meat

• Hunting of mega vertebrates which sell for substantially more than traditional meats


Need for a broader range of skill-sets

We need to borrow from other industries


Exhibits of the future

• WHY• We must be story tellers• Engaging & Interactive • Learning through having fun


Landscape Immersion


The Need To Be Clever


Aquariums


Theme Parks - Interactive rides


Museums


Film Industry

• Illusion of something real • Sets (exhibit), props (furniture),

costume, makeup• Computer Generated Imagery


Animatronics

Industrial Light & Magic Ltd


We have the hardware

Spielberg just borrows it!


Gomphotheriums

Weta Workshop & Peter Jackson brought them to life with CGI

Lord of the Rings


I wish you luck

Thank you

zoos of the future will need a good dose of creativity · zoos of the future will need a good dose...

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