Box 13, Folder 12, Document 150

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Box 13, Folder 12, Document 150

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os February 6, 1967
S$ bikends of the Atlanta (Georgia) Zoo sh
“art Tienald 2. Dieblein, National Zoological Park

Re,ort on Visit to Atlanta Zoo on January 28, 1967

n dantary 28, 1967 the undersigned visited the Atlanta Zoo. Durin:

montis i. Looked at the zoo as typical visitors; in the afternoon,
. tes cseocted by the zoo foreman. Mr. Dilbeck showed us overy courtesy

endows were impressed by his loyalty to the zoo.

“his report is divided into three parts: I. Physical Plant,

II. Anivel Collection,-and III. Conclusion: —-

In years past, city zoos were established to exhibit a small collec-

tion of arimals, in other words, a menagerie. These menageries nad-no

tat ee ae Chae it
.

scucstional values or economical basis for existing. Many cities rcalized

oc Gvewing power of animals and: began to build up their zoos for tourist

ecuvgactions, Other cities built up their zoos for educational programs,

“74h .2 the wealthier cities began to take interest in the conservation

voday, there is a tendency to combine these values, and in reality,

they oo. ylesent each other to the advantaze of the city. With this

yaiilesopnry in mind, this report is written.

“* DInreTOAT DTANm
Le PHYSICAL. PLANT

Tuc Unree major buildings of the Atlanta Zoo are outstanding. All

; were clean and well maintained. Some of the details need



» such as placing swinging bars in the center of the primate




4 yin he a -2— February &, 1967

'

cactus so that more of the cage space can be utilized by the animals.

She: outside cages on the small. cat lino are extremely small and

Jd be roworked for better runs. The bear dens are very unattractive

“svi cowld be improved by landscaping and painting.. The hoofed eninal

n7ca needs a cood landscape plan to provide shade and prevent ocrosion

“. exildzon's zoo animal spaces could be made more attractive.
Tne lack of outside cages attached to the buildings is very noticc—

cle but since the buildings are already built, it is unnecessary to

cxlticise this disadvantare. :

The lack of informative signs is very disturbing, and the loss of

ecucational value is obvious,

It. aAREWAL COLLUCTION

Observations: There are definitcly some animals that should be



.

cxovea from display, i.e. tailless Jaguar and Black Leopard. Some

animals should be off display until their health problems are solved,

Sor cxample, the spotted leopard.

There seems to be a lack of purpose in the collection:

‘ovy om Lions, tigers, Pigtailed macaques, and chimpanzees; while absent

nf Uns tyvieal zoo animals: hippos, giraffes, and birds.

Qesn . sadasions: Rework collection so there is an array of animals





(1) Feline House. By removing all but one good breeding pair of
iiss ani tigers, there would be room for a pair each of cheetahs, serval,

cr. Cats, nyenas, etc.


s So February 8, 1967

'

(2) Primate House. Place Gibbons in the prosent Pigtailed macaques!
obtain a legal orangutan; thus all represontatives of the apes are

srescnt. Since the house is controlled environmentally, rare and unusual
specimens could be displayed.

(3) Reptile House. Considering the house has never been open. to the
sablic, the collection can be considered impressive. As far as it could
bc Cetermined, there are no tanks to display tans aquatic turtles, for
example, Hata mata and the African Soft shell; turtles are very popular
with the public.

We recomend that remodeling of the Reptile House be held in
abeyance until a director is appointed so that a professional can govern
its operation. To allow a lay curator carte blanche to reorganize and

remodel a new building is foolish. Professional curators, such as Roger

osenec to the public.

(4) Hoofed Animal Exhibit. These could be reworked to display
interesting species which would help conservation of threatened species.
43 it is now, the few donkeys, etc. is an extremely uninteresting exhibit.

(5) Children's Zoo. This was seen under winter conditions but it
xs obvious that a better collection of animals could be obtained, i.e.
pigny goats, llamas, and Fallow deer. Some of the wild babies that are

som at the zoo (lions, tigers, monkeys, bears) could be incorporated




Oidlsioed's 200. With a Little SHUEY 3 physically, this section could

We ainka Z siliee February 8, 1957

t



“SLL they reach an até when it is no longer safe to keep then in a

bo improved for a closer association between the children and thio animals.

Since the zoo does not exhibit birds, a whole zoological civi-

oe
o

y

sion is wissins. Even without a birdhouse, a good collection cold be

coont: large birds mixed with the hoofed stock, parrots on outside
chane’s, jays in the green houses with the alligators, and semi-tropical
nirds in small outdoor cages.

(7) Improvement is needed in the cooperation between the zoo and

tie cducational system that controls the science room in the Primate House.

4

~oG stafl members could conduct tours, give free lectures, and take animals

%o the local schools. There is an maa list of ways to promote more

"ne zoo is lacking in imagination. An example of how animals could
be worked into the present physical setup to make it more attractive is
oy adding macaws to the planted areas of the Primate House, and small
finches would do very weli in the waterfall. areas of the Feline House.
Cne reccives the impression of always being indoors. Relatively
“axpensive cutside cages could be built to house the common monkeys and

oval marmals. Landscape walks across from the bears could pass through

an exnibpLt area.

ms

varkx and paddock fences could enclose an unused area for hoofed stock.

20h the advantage of the southern weather, outside plants and animals


Atlanta Zoo So ee -5—: on. February &, 1967

'

could make the overall appearance of the zoo more delightful.

os, sek Te 1 - }-
sven tnoush the

na

oo is limited in total] acreare, there are many
improvements that could be made to give a feeling of largeness.

the Atlanta Zoo has a vast potential; with the correct guidance

sv, Packing of the society and city, the zoo could be a valuable asset to



“he community - both as a cultural and pecreationall center.
| SD QQ _ Ai
. D. KW) te
Dept. Dietlein




SS SN ere —

Armstrong

LDL see MeL eahlin

W. A. XNanten



National Zoological Park
Washington, D.C.


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