Exhibiting Zoo Animals

by Erik van Vliet

Zoo design combines elements of stage design, landscaping, education, architecture, film and theatre. Zoo design is about inspiring and creating emotions by means of the visitor’s sense of imagination. This manual is a referential guide to zoo designers and to zoo staff wanting to critically direct, regulate or assist their design team. It aims at combining a zoo’s mission, the awareness of quality design and the available techniques. Since Erik van Vliet started off as a zoo keeper at Wassenaar Zoo in the Netherlands at the age of 13, he never left the zoo world. For many years he has worked as a zoo designer for zoos all over Europe, South America and Asia. According to Erik, visiting zoos is the only truly universal pastime.

284 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Kiz V. J. Moncrieff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book aimed towards those with the dream of working with animals in the future whether as a zookeeper, administrative figure of as a designer. It focuses on a number of different areas of zoo designs from the simple and subtle changes that have been made over the last few decades. There are sections of various things include the planning and development stages of zoo exhibits, to overall layout, paths, and visitor locations such as seating areas. It addresses the different style and design that are and have been used and discusses the benefits and consequences of each to allow the reader to analyse what would be best for their situation.

I am an Animal Behaviour student currently during a project on Zoo Exhibit Design and have found this book helpful in so many ways, and it was interesting in ways I could walk around zoos and see why they might have made the choices they did when designing and building it.

I must admit if you don't have an interest in the area or find it helpful for a project or career you are currently doing or plan to be doing the future it is not a book to pick up. If you have a general interest in the subject I would advise choosing a different book as this is very straight focusing and goes into many areas which a general reader may not find interesting.