Pretoria - There is light in the jungle at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, also known as the Pretoria Zoo.

Since 1997, it has embarked on a dynamic development programme to secure happy animals and visitors. Visitors to the zoo would have noticed the adrenaline-crazed workmen rebuilding and upgrading at least 40 animal enclosures.

When the zoo celebrates its centenary in October, one of the many highlights will be the hosting of the 54th Annual Conference of the World Zoo Organisation. And the delegates from almost 40 countries will not be disappointed.

Willie Labuschagne, director of the zoo, promises that it will be the most prestigious event for the next 50 years. Staff are transforming the zoo into the best, newest and most animal-friendly zoo in the world.

This masterplan started with the construction of the ultra-modern animal hospital. Mr Labuschagne said this hospital was the best of its kind in the country. It is also linked to the zoo's research facilities.

The next step in this expansion project was the aquarium. According to Mr Labuschagne, visitors were not very impressed by having to pay separate entrance fees for the aquarium and the zoo. Now visitors pay only once.

Although the aquarium has been closed for almost a year due to the refurbishment programme, chances are good that the public can enter this new world in June.

Modern computer controls will enable the staff to manage the 50 tanks from their desks by means of computers. Water quality, temperature and the functioning of the pumps in the largest inland marine aquarium can all be checked this way.

"Most of the animal enclosures were built decades ago. Animals behind bars and wires, walking on cement floors, are not happy. Neither are the people who watch them. Our redevelopment programme will address the importance of environmental enrichment. This will enhance the natural behaviour of the animals. It will also provide an element of surprise for the visitor," he said.

Mr Labuschagne agreed that their race to be finished in time for the celebrations in October was sometimes hampered by the fact that they were working with live animals. He said it was not very easy to find temporary lodging for the animals. They would rather make other arrangements, because the animals were their first responsibility. No animal had been harmed during the construction.

"If you cannot exhibit an animal well, in its terms and in human terms, rather send it to another zoo where it will be happy. For this reason, we stopped exhibiting three different species of bears in three small enclosures," he said. Instead, the zoo decided to develop these units into one habitat for the threatened Alaskan kodiak bear. The bears were moved, but to build this fantastic playground for the 600kg beasts, the old walls separating the camps had to be imploded.

After some research, Mr Labuschagne requested workers to use jackhammers in the area for the week before the walls were imploded. This made the animals so used to the noise that the big bang almost went unnoticed by the residents of the zoo. All this trouble resulted in a dramatic change from barren concrete floors to ground cover with shrubs, trees, a cliff of artificial rocks and two waterfalls.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see these furry beasts from a cave-like viewing area below ground level. Several elevated viewing platforms, looking like log cabins, will offer a different experience. Facts and information about the bears will be available in every cabin. But one of the highlights is watching the bears actually fish live trout in the myriad streams.

Remember how guilty you felt when the big baboon stared at you from behind a wire fence? Wire was replaced by laminated glass and a natural-looking background. He said extensive research had gone into the environmental enrichment required by the various species. Now the baboons could behave the way Mother Nature wanted them to. No one could tease, scare or feed them harmful snacks.

A major attraction would be the immigrants from Australia. Four koalas would make the Pretoria Zoo their home by the end of September. "They will never feel far from home in the temperature-controlled indoor residence and an outdoor exhibit. This is also one reason the zoo has its own nursery. Except for the conservation of plants and trees, the zoo's nursery has a vast variety of foreign trees. "These trees and plants provide food for all the 'immigrants' and help them to feel more at home. And, of course, the zoo has to maintain the quality gardens. We are continuously improving our animal collection. The variety of animals here is immense. The national zoo also initiated a spectrum of breeding programmes for threatened species," said Mr Labuschagne.

Whether one is resting at one of the many food outlets at the zoo, or experiencing nature by cableway or golf cart, one cannot help but realise that Mr Labuschagne was right. If the animals are happy, the visitors will be happy.

Zoos all over the world could look like the Pretoria Zoo, if only the responsible people would use technology and ideas. "This zoo survived the Great Depression and World War 2. It has to survive the millennium," said Mr Labuschagne. "A zoo cannot stagnate. One must keep on improving. Even after out year-long centenary celebrations, the zoo will continue to develop."

- Hanti Otto,
Argus Correspondent