Enclosure Design

Introduction

Enclosure design is an important aspect of maintaining the health of the bongo, and the health of the visitors that visit the zoo. The enclosure needs to be designed, not just with the needs of the animal in mind, but with the ability to maintain a clean environment. The enclosure should also allow the animal to have enough space and perform its natural behaviours as this is also an important component of the animals health and welfare. Below an enclosure design will be discussed that is created with the intention to maximise the health of the bongo.

The Enclosure

Construction

The layout and the materials of the enclosure need to be designed to be safe and non-toxic to the animal and to fulfil the animals needs, but to be easy to clean. As can be seen in figure 1, the enclosure is made of a fenced in area that the bongos are able to have enough space to move around and perform their natural behaviour (EAZA, 2014). The shelter should be made of wood that is easy to clean with use of a pressure hose. The floor of the shelter should also have rubber matting that is easy to sweep and clean, but also soft for the animals to lay down on (EAZA, 2014). The fence surrounding the exterior of the enclosure should be easy to maintain and carry out perimeter checks on. Additional items such as the water supply will also need to be easy to maintain, these should be made of rust proof metal which will allow them to be cleaned out and can't be knocked over. The enclosure should also be accessed easily, a double gate to access the outdoor area, and a door which can be locked to access the shelter area. The construction should also be designed to prevent native species that may be vectors for diseases are unable to get into the enclosure (EAZA, 2014).

Fig 1: an example of what an enclosure for a bongo may resemble, created with the free software sketchup (2017)

Health and Safety Needs

An enclosure will also need to consider the health and safety of the visitors and the staff that maintain the enclosure and care for the animals. The fence surrounding the perimeter should be tall enough that the animal is unable to jump over it, it is also recommended to have an electric fence to discourage the bongo from attempting to escape the enclosure (EAZA, 2014. Although it is not illustrated in figure 1, a double barrier to prevent visitors getting close enough to either harm or touch the animal, or for the animal to reach the visitors through the barrier will also be needed.

The health and safety of the keepers should also at all times be considered. Although it is not illustrated in figure 1, an area that the animal can be locked in so that the keeper can safely enter the enclosure without the animal present should be recommended. Other features which should be included is a lack of areas that a keeper can be cornered in, a double gate that the keeper can close behind them to help prevent animal escape and peek holes on the shelter so that the keeper can see where the animals are at all times. There should also be no sharp areas that an animal or the keeper may injure themselves on.

Health of the Bongo

The enclosure is also designed to aid the health and the welfare of the bongo. Along with having enough space to express their natural behaviour, areas to hang browse from will also help encourage the animals natural browsing behaviour (EAZA, 2014). Areas to remain out of the public eye should also be included, trees can be used to give the bongo areas in which it can remain unseen as well as access to an indoor shelter. Water should also be readily available, for this reason it is suggested to include a drinking trough in both the outside and indoor areas which can be filled with access to the piping.

Limitations of the Enclosure

Unfortunately, there are a number of limitations on designing an enclosure for a zoo facility as opposed to other facilities. This includes having to design the enclosure with the visitors in mind. The enclosure will need to be able to be viewed by the visitors so that the animals can be seen. Design will also need to consider the educational message that they are portraying. A study carried out in 2015 at Paignton Zoo, Devon, UK also found that visitors generally access the welfare of the animals on the enclosure that the are kept in (Melfi et al., 2015). The study stated that the public perceived that naturalistic enclosures were better for the welfare of the animal (Melfi et al., 2015). Another study carried out in Spain also found that naturalistic enclosures better met the needs of the animals than un-naturalistic enclosures (Fabregas at al., 2011). This puts pressure on zoos to have more naturalistic and ascetically pleasing enclosures than other facilities such as labs, farms or pet shops may need to abide by. Other limitations may be due to the money that the zoo has to spend on enclosures, the size of the establishment and the country that the zoo is in.

Conclusions

Although an enclosure should be designed to meet the needs of the animals and to be pleasing to the visitors; considerations should also be made in regards to the health and safety of the visitors and the keepers. With precautions in place so that neither people nor the animal can be harmed. It should also be designed to be easy to keep clean thus preventing the spread of disease. Materials used must not be toxic to either the animal or the people that may be entering the enclosure.