Exhibits

THE NEWLY DESIGNED EXHIBITS

Parco Natura Viva plans and designs the departments that host our animals, internationally known as exhibits, with the utmost care and the help of qualified collaborators and Zoo Design consultants.
The design process of an exhibit is vital, because we must mediate between the different yet interlinked needs of animals, visitors and keepers.

Some studies showed that visitors can understand an animal species and its habitat better when, thanks to the exhibit design, they feel as though they are in its natural environment.
Since this solution is beneficial to the animals too and in spite of the high costs it involves, modern parks now tend to build more and more 'naturalistic' exhibits which reproduce the natural environment as closely as possible.

It is also essential that the exhibit meets the specific needs of the species it hosts. Not only do basic animal needs such as temperature, humidity, diet and lighting have to be satisfied, but the environment must also allow animals to display all their typical behaviors, especially postures and movement (climbing, swimming, flight,...).

Technical aspects are thoroughly thought of too: for example, varnishes and materials are carefully selected as they may be toxic for animals that usually bite, lick or otherwise remove varnish and ingest it. The choice of fencing material must also take into account the animal species that will live in the exhibit, and especially its strength or potential destructive ness (horns, claws, teeth,...).

From the keepers' perpective, i.e. the staff members that take care of animals and carry out maintenance and cleaning operations, the exhibit must meet a series of requirements, especially in terms of safety. Only a complete understanding of operator needs and animal charachteristics it is possible to design exhibits that allow keepers to work safely and conveniently.