Overall Habitat Comparisons
While many of the Habitats of the different animals were observed in the African rain-forest pavilion it became evident that all animals were placed in habitats that were designed to represent the African rain-forest and thus were identifiable as the same habitats. Because a large amount of the biomass in the African Rain-forest is of the kingdom Plantae, zoologist made sure to incorporate a large amount of trees in the different habitats. The trees provided necessities for the animals such as shelter, climbing areas, and privacy. When first walking in to the pavilion from the cold weather outside, it became very clear that it was much more humid and hot than the outside, this temperature was set to its magnitude to resemble the humidity of an African rain-forest.
The African rain-forest is so humid due to it being located in a convergence zone, where two prevailing flows meet and interact. These two flows being the equator (heat) and the Atlantic Ocean (rain), once these two forces meet, water evaporates due to heat thus creating the humidity, that was felt in the African Rainforest Pavillion. Upon further observation of the habitats it occurred that some of the habitats were not fully as it would be in the wild. Because animals are located in enclosed spaces, it is necessary for animals to stay active,the zoo attends to this by leaving toys, balls or any sort of exercise device to help animals stay active, although it is necessary for the zoo animals to have it would not be this way in the wild. |
Habitat of the Silver-back Gorillas
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Analyzing a habitat -Orangutan
Habitat of the Orangutan
Witness an Orangutan suspended on bars resembling trees at the Toronto Zoo.
The Orangutan uses the ropes as a vine to climb close to the glass.
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The habitat of the animal that I have chosen to observe on accuracy is that of the Orangutan. As you read before the climate of the Orangutan habitat was indeed matched in its habitat. By observation the habitat did not appear to look close to a rain-forest but upon further observation for about 20 minutes it became clear why a mix of these metal bars, ropes and nets could be such a natural living space for the Orangutan. As you can see in the video on the left, the Orangutan managed to climb up the bars to get to food located in the blue box. This resembled a Orangutan climbing a tree to get food, as it would in the wild. The ropes were included in this habitat to resemble jungle vines as there would be in a rain-forest, as you can see in the pictures the Orangutan uses them and comes up close to the glass. Also zoologists may have been forced into using the metal poles as "trees" due to it being to dangerous on inconvenient to use real trees.
In the back of the Orangutan habitat you may be able to see water, what may be surprising is that the water was filled with fish. This is more of a closer resemblance to the actual wild because animals in their natural environments coexist. There were also multiple examples of coexistence in the African Pavilion such as the lemurs and African crowned cranes, or the golden breasted sterling and the Hammerkop which were not separated by any borders and were allowed to roam together, forming an ecosystem which brings the artificial habitat one step closer to the real thing. In summary, although the habitat did not look like the real thing in the wild all the functions and features were there to provide the Orangutan with a feeling of home. Sitting on an artificial stump of a fallen tree.
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