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Immersion exhibit

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Title: Immersion exhibit  
Author: World Heritage Encyclopedia
Language: English
Subject: Zoo, Grant Jones, Zoos, Karlsruhe Zoo, Penguinarium
Collection: Zoos
Publisher: World Heritage Encyclopedia

Immersion exhibit

An immersion exhibit is a naturalistic zoo environment that gives visitors the sense they're actually in the animals' habitats. Buildings and barriers are hidden. By recreating sights and sounds from natural environments, immersion exhibits provide an indication about how animals live in the wild.[1]

The landscape immersion term and approach were developed in 1975 through the efforts of David Hancocks at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.[2] This led to the zoo's ground-breaking gorilla exhibit, which opened in 1978.[3][4] The concept became the industry standard by the 1980s, and has since gained widespread acceptance as the best practice for zoological exhibits.[5]

Today there are eleven immersive zoos in the world: four in Spain, three in the United States, and one each in France, Germany, Italy and Singapore.


  1. ^ "What Is an Immersion Exhibit?". Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
  2. ^ Schaul, Jordan Carlton (2012-03-13), "A Critical Look at the Future of Zoos–An Interview with David Hancocks",  
  3. ^ "Inside Out Cage". Retrieved 2011-03-06. 
  4. ^ Coe, Jon Charles; Lee, Gary (1996). "One-Hundred Years of Evolution in Great Ape Facilities in American Zoos: 1896 - 1996". 
  5. ^ "Immersion Design". Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
