1. LOCATION:

The location of the zoo is given by its mailing address, the phone and fax number and a link to its website.

2. KEYWORDS:

The keywords given relate to the type of animal exhibit described. The keywords are saved in a database and help to retrieve the descriptions by searching for them on the ZooLex "Find" page.

3. ANIMALS

The scientific family and species names of the animals exhibited as well as their common names are saved in a database as keywords. Numbers and specifications of animals in an exhibit might change over time. To provide consistent information, all specifications on one exhibit should be given for the time of the documentation. Accompanying pictures ideally document the status at the same time, thus supporting the text. The date of the documentation is given at the end of each exhibit presentation. Additional text and pictures may illustrate stages of introduction or other management techniques and events accounting for changes over time.

4. AWARDS:

Awards that the exhibit has earned are listed chronologically.

5. DESCRIPTION:

A short description of the exhibit gives a background to its creation and purpose. The layout and major features of the exhibit are explained. Links from the text to the relevant pictures help the reader to visualize the spacial characteristics.

6. SIZE:

Ideally, figures should be given for indoors and outdoors, on exhibit and off-view, accessible and designated areas, animal, keeper and visitor area. Accessible areas also should be given in m³ if the vertical dimension is relevant to the species confined. The numbers given for accessible areas should exclude planting beds, moats etc. Areas not accessible to animals or visitors should be included in the designated areas and in the total.

Sizes should be given in square meter (m²). The size of an exhibit given in square meter (m²) can be converted into square feet (ft²) by a division by 0.09. For example: 150 m² divided by 0.09 equates 1666.67 ft².

7. COSTS:

Ideally, costs should be given separately for design and construction. Work that was done in-house, additional staff that was hired for design or construction and contracted work should be included. Estimates of yearly costs for an exhibit would help to get a realistic picture of the allocation of means. These costs are caused by resources, equipment, and manpower necessary for animal care and for the maintenance and operation of exhibit structures and features.

Costs are usually quoted in the currency of the institutions's country. For comparison, costs may also be given as a factor of the mean annual per capita income of this country at the time of opening of the exhibit.

8. OPENING DATE:

The opening date of an exhibit is important for estimating the duration of design and construction. Beginning of design and construction is usually defined in the contracts and mentioned under DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION. The end of design often is not clear, as design overlaps with construction. The duration of planning and construction can be calculated from the defined beginning and end (OPENING DATE) of these operations.

For interpretation of the duration, the context of design and construction should be mentioned in the exhibit DESCRIPTION. Was the design a defined stage of an existing master plan? Was the construction done on a site separated from or surrounded by the visiting public? Was it a renovation of an existing building? And so on.

9. DESIGN:

First, the date of beginning of design is mentioned. Then, firms involved in the design of an exhibit are listed with their location. Links may be offered to the ZooLex page "Firms" where the contacts to the firms are provided.

10. CONSTRUCTION:

First, the date of beginning of construction is mentioned. Then, firms involved in the construction of an exhibit are listed with their location. Links may be offered to the ZooLex page "Firms" where the contacts to the firms are provided.

11. LOCAL CONDITIONS:

A standardized diagram illustrates the local climatic conditions of the place where the exhibit is located. This information is useful when considering the use of plants or construction features in a different location. Walter and Lieth developed this type of diagram. A separate page linked to the diagrams explains how to use them.

12. PLANTS:

Numbers and specifications of plants in and around an exhibit might change over time. To provide consistent information, all specifications on one exhibit should be given for the time of the documentation. Accompanying pictures ideally document the status at the same time, thus supporting the text. The date of the documentation is given at the end of each exhibit presentation. Additional text and pictures may illustrate stages of introduction or other management techniques and events accounting for changes over time.
                              
13. FEATURES DEDICATED TO ANIMALS:

The desirable quality of an exhibit for the individual animal enclosed should be described in a husbandry manual for this species. An exhibit assessment might consider compliance of the physical structures with the husbandry manual or with similar sources.

Unfortunately, these manuals only exist for some dozens of species so far. They are mostly compiled for species included in the Species Survival Plans (SSP) or similar programs in Europe and Australia. However, there is no database on existing manuals. Individuals administer them all over the world. Thus, it is not easy to determine, which manuals are available and from what source.

As long as there are no international standards for husbandry, only descriptions of features dedicated to animals can be given.

Furthermore, the interdependence of design, operation and maintenance of an exhibit is very critical to the animals? health, but hardly known or documented at this point. The description of FEATURES DEDICATED TO ANIMALS and FEATURES DEDICATED TO KEEPERS may include some relevant issues. An additional criterion on MAINTENANCE issues may cover more of this topic at some point.

14. FEATURES DEDICATED TO KEEPERS:

The living quality of a zoo animal very much depends on the motivation of its keepers. Keepers first can observe symptoms of health and sickness. Methods of behavior and environment enrichment for zoo animals mostly rely on keepers.

Security, convenience and responsibility seem to be the criteria contributing to a keeper?s motivation. Lack of security results in stress and discomfort to work in an area. If a service area is inconvenient, keepers will stay there only for the absolute necessary amount of time. A safe and pleasant environment and adequate responsibility are important prerequisites for keepers' commitments.

Useful elements of security, convenience and responsibility vary, depending on the type of exhibit, its operation and other factors. Checklists help to remember some of the elements during planning and have been developed by designers and institutions.

For assessing this complex area on a level that is suitable for publication, the description of FEATURES DEDICATED TO KEEPERS seems to be an adequate approach.

15. FEATURES DEDICATED TO VISITORS:

People have specific expectations when visiting a zoo exhibit; some of them are conscious, some unconscious. Basically, the zoo visitor desires a safe, enjoyable and entertaining experience (Ebenhöh, 1992).

Safety from the visitor's perspective is ensured when the environment feels safe, protection from hazards is obvious, accessibility and orientation are easy. Provisions also should respect the different abilities of zoo visitors.

An enjoyable exhibit is one that is aesthetically pleasant, inviting to stay, and interesting to experience. Coherence, complexity, legibility and mystery were found to contribute to peoples' preference of environments (Kaplan, 1989). Convenient places to stay and enjoy are just as important as the exhibit itself.

The entertaining part of an exhibit relates to features attracting the visitors' interest. The most obvious is the animal itself, provoking observation and discussions among visitors. As inactive animals are not always sufficient stimulus for visitors, design features can help out. They can range from interpretive signs to games. Everything that can be actively explored and involves several senses is entertaining to visitors. Obviously, arousal often comes from features working against safety issues. But a balance can be found by incorporating arousal effects to defined areas and/or times that can be actively chosen or avoided by visitors.

16. INTERPRETATION:

The zoos' mission to educate their visitors is backed up by visitor studies. These studies help to understand the zoo visitors' entering knowledge and motivation. They help to understand what people can possibly and actually do learn at the zoo. Finally, they help to evaluate education efforts undertaken by a zoo (Ebenhöh, 1992).

The design assessment criteria from an educator's perspective might be: provisions taken on the site to support visitors' concentration on the exhibit message; provisions taken on the site to support visitors' motivation to grasp information going beyond the obvious; documented efforts of the institution to develop learning devices by using tools of evaluation.

Planning and testing of educational devices are desirable, but rarely done. Devices for interpretation and their evaluation can be documented under INTERPRETATION, RESEARCH and CONSERVATION.

17. MANAGEMENT:

How to shift animals between indoors and outdoors, special procedures for maintenance of the exhibit, and animal behavior enrichment are examples for issues pertaining to the management of an exhbiit. The descriptions of management practices will vary depending on the novelty of the activites for a zoo.

18. RESEARCH:

A zoo exhibit that a curator or director would rate positively, might be one fulfilling the needs of the animal enclosed, the visitor viewing and the sponsor paying. Continuity is an important key to successfully serve these three interest groups.

For the long-term operation of an exhibit a master plan is very helpful. Stating the purpose of the exhibit design explicitly and describing the features serving this purpose, helps with decisions when changes or repairs are to be made. Systematic documentation and evaluation can ensure, that these decisions are based on objective criteria rather than personal preferences. The documentation includes the animals' health status, the plants' condition, visitation and other information relevant to an exhibit's performance. The evaluation process should include a preliminary evaluation during planning, a formative evaluation during development and a summative evaluation after implementation.

But, these documentation and evaluations are rarely done. If worth publishing, they may be mentioned under RESEARCH.

19. CONSERVATION:

Keeping and breeding of a species should not only serve the zoos' animal population, but ultimately the wild population of the species. The relating section considers zoos' efforts to support survival of exhibited species (not individual animals) in their natural habitat. The zoo's efforts should be documented, communicated to the public, and show that the confined animal is part of this effort. This can be done, for example, by explaining that the offspring will be reintroduced to its native habitat when the habitat's suitability is restored.

An animal exhibit can be part of a story, presenting the animals' relationship to a specific habitat. Additionally, an animal exhibit can present several aspects of a habitat in order to give the interested visitor an image of this habitat. An institution might also be involved in habitat protection and present issues relevant to this effort.

These are desirable concepts, yet rarely attempted. If such efforts are documented they can be described as pertaining to INTERPRETATION, RESEARCH and CONSERVATION.

20. LOCAL RESOURCES:

The local residents might be involved in the design process or produce special parts for an exhibit. These efforts are mentioned under LOCAL RESOURCES. They often volunteer for educational programs. Criteria relevant to this perspective may be covered under FEATURES DEDICATED TO KEEPERS or INTERPRETATION or MANAGEMENT of an exhibit. The flexibility of this approach seems adequate, considering the variety of possible involvement of local resources.

The local residents' interest should be the careful use of local resources, such as soil, plants, energy and water. The closer the character of the existing site is to the envisioned character of the planned habitat, the fewer efforts are necessary for its construction and maintenance. The more remote the desired microclimatic conditions in an exhibit are from those inherent to its site, the more energy and effort are required to maintain the desired artificial conditions. Other aspects influencing energy consumption in exhibit design are the selection of materials and technologies, exposure to the sun, use of plants, waste treatment, etc.

The criteria to judge a new structure for its ecosystem appropriateness are therefore: documented considerations for the integration of exhibit topic, construction site and exhibit layout; documented efforts to save resources within construction; and documented efforts to save resources within operation and maintenance.

There is a permanent discussion on what is appropriate use of resources in a zoo (Norton et al., 1995). The views change rapidly and relatively with the availability of technologies and changing policies. In order to illustrate this rapid development, the assessments include special sections on CONSERVATION and LOCAL RESOURCES for zoos to communicate their philosophies and approaches.

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