A lot of planning goes into the design of a new enclosure. Zoo staff will meet and discuss the different requirements of an animal and research what the animal needs to live a happy and comfortable life at the zoo. They need to have enough indoor and outdoor space to live, play and sleep, similar types of plants, water and trees to where they would live in the wild and of course a way to keep them and the people who visit safe. Zoos around the world are thinking of more and more interesting designs to give the animals a more comfortable place to live and the humans that visit them a better way to see how the animals would life in the wild. Ranging from overhead walkways (for people and animals), boats and trains that pass through enclosures, huge glass walls and even underwater tunnels. 

Activity

Choose your favourite animal in the zoo to design a new and exciting enclosure for. Have a look at pictures of where they would live in the wild and think about what they would need in their enclosure to feel at home (do they need a pond, rocks, tall grass, trees?) Think about the different places that the animal will need to sleep, play and live. If the animal is not dangerous, think about how humans can pass through their enclosure without disturbing them and if they are dangerous, remember to keep large pieces of glass between them and their human visitors. 

Remember to annotate (label) your drawing with important information for example what things are made of, what they are and what they are for.

Challenge

Make a 3D modal of your enclosure. You could use paper, card, plastcine, clay, packaging etc.