What are eco-displays?

Eco-displays are the latest developments in zoos as far as showing animals in their natural habitat. Burgers' Bush (1988) was the first example of this. But a long history preceded it. Johan Burgers, the founder of Burgers' Zoo (1913) was the first to build predator accommodations without bars in the Netherlands, immense rock parties and valleys to show his animals to the visitors in a more spacious and natural-looking environment. Later giant aviaries appeared where, for instance, you can come eye to eye with the White Ibis or with vultures. In 1968 Burgers' Zoo opened the first Safari Park on the European continent. Later, in the seventies, the zoo became well-known for its chimpanzee colony, the wolf forest and later also the gorilla island. Each time space and freedom for the animal were of the essence. But Burgers' Zoo continued.

Eco-display
By copying and constructing a large-scale living environment animals and plants that belong in such an environment can live there together. The enormous size and huge wealth of species make it possible for certain ecological processes to occur. Up to a point organisms may threaten each other and plants may be damaged or eaten by animals, while human interference remains limited. Such a natural achievement has been given the name eco-display at Burgers' Zoo. Although eco-displays provide a unique and very natural view of ecosystems, there are also a few disadvantages. Many animals cannot be released into freedom there, for instance because they would damage plants too much, cause a danger to visitors or to other animals, or because they could possibly ruin the hall and the landscape. These species, which are often very characteristic to a certain ecosystem, must therefore be shown elsewhere, if desired. Burgers' Zoo has therefore recently chosen to create a special area for 'impossible' Bush inhabitants from the Asian tropical rain forest: Burgers' Rimba.