A lot has been said in this forum about the supposed not so good look of mesh in zoos. First off, there are a variety of materials that we work with, within the zoo planning and design industry to fully to allow visitors maximum visibility of the animals and the exhibit itself. The materials range drastically depending on budget and of course desired use. And no major or modern zoo worth its salt is using any type of industrial chain link for state of the art exhibits. I have worked in many projects, where Nucor steel the biggest of its kind here in the U.S has designed specific mesh and assembly systems for the needs of the zoo, it all comes down to can you afford it or not.
Planet Zoo is a video game so thankfully we do not have to have any limitations on their construction materials designs based on budgetary means, meaning we can and should be getting the high end materials and not outdated and worn down roadside zoo type of chain-link. I'm just making this clarification in case anyone is confused about what mesh is and is not when it comes to zoo design.
Furthermore, from the visual standpoint of playing the game, mesh sections would have a minimal impact on what you see and experience. It is no different than when you build an indoor exhibit and that beautiful lighting that the game is known for, goes away, there is absolutely no difference there. However these materials are needed in order to create realistic zoos, whoever does not like them, simply does not need to use them. If the game adds flying birds, small size primates, or even something like a clouded leopard, this mesh sections would not only be useful but a requirement. Even creating a realistic Jaguar exhibit now, that somehow resembles a real life possibility is a headache.
State of the art mesh exhibits are not only an integral part of zoos but they can be quite stunning and the highlight of your park. Imagine designing a functioning, realistic walk thru lemur exhibit that is not made out of climbable rope, exactly.
Below is the award winning Range of the Jaguar from the Jacksonville zoo, as I have mention before in a similar thread, mesh can be integrated with other materials to enhance the aesthetics or functionality of the exhibit just as in real life. This Jaguar exhibit is a perfect example as the mesh is used primarily to contain the cats, yet Plexiglas is the material of choice for the majority of the visitor areas, there is even an underwater section as it is often the case with Jaguars.
We move on to Zoo Miami, could not find an overview example of the whole exhibit, since an aerial pic would give you a better scope of the scale of this project. This is the largest Asian aviary outside of Asia, it is stunning, and until Amazon and Beyond opened up, it was the crown jewel of this zoo. The price tag was exorbitant yes, Nucor created the specialized steel poles and netting for us, and they can withstand winds of up to 120 miles an hour. It is in fact a beast, yet its modern design combined with ultra thin steel netting gives you a clear view of everything inside before you even walk inside this multi level beauty. This would be a great point of reference for what the material in the game should look like, if Frontier is still in need.
Now you talk about mesh, you have to include the San Diego Zoo into the equation, it is simply the undisputed king of all things mesh. The quality and variety of exhibits here that include the materials in question, is just outstanding. But the sake of keeping the thread to the point I will just reference their latest work, African Rocks, the largest zoological expansion in North America, and only if we take into consideration inflation, the second most expansive zoological project in North America after the Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest. I'm not including the first billion dollar zoo DAK into this conversation, because it would just not be fair for zoos in North America, and would eclipse anything in Europe and the rest of the world, so we will leave them out. But if Planet Zoo wants to go high end, this is their pinnacle, and it would make sense that this is the place the devs of the game have spent most of their research time on.
Another example from the San Diego Zoo, different story, different situation, but it also helps in correcting the wrongful notion of so many in this forum. The San Diego Zoo has an amazing leopard collection most of them were housed in Cat Canyon before it was bulldozed to make way for African Rocks. The leopards had that outdated steel mesh linear bars that dated back to the 70's (the last time they were changed) The zoo built a state of the art Leopard exhibition that includes a thin grade steel variation that allows for maximum visibility of the cats, again Nucor was commissioned to custom make it. If you are standing in front of it, you will not even know is there.
Lastly, I wanted to include, what many in the zoo planning and design industry think is a jewel of a bygone era. And it sits right on Frontier's home country. No need to fly as many times as they have to San Diego, the Snowdom aviary at the London Zoo, originally built in 1978, is all someone should look at when the idea of mesh aviaries not being attractive enough starts popping up in their head. It also undergoing renovations last I checked, not sure if they are refurbishing the netting, the last time I visited London was in the 90s and it looked great.
