My Zoo ~ Indian Subcontinent Orb: The Design

The Indian Subcontinent Orb is one of the most ambitious biomes int eh zoo and the second largest Orb architecturally to the African Savannah Orb. Engineeringly, it is a water intensive orb that also sports both a semi-tropical jungle and a temperate deciduous forest. The Orb's water system permits such intra-Orb diversity in flora.

A key feature is the seamless Bengal Tiger environment. The area occupies the northeastern corner of the Orb and features a Hindu temple, a Mango grove, and a waterfall feature with pond. While the tigers cannot escape, all of the birds and many of the other animals are able to enter and leave this area.

At 667 meters this orb is the largest one constructed so far, and the second largest planned in the zoo. It encompasses a range of ecosystems and tops out at 138 meters with a series of suspension cables to ensure the integrity of the central dome.

Covering a wide area, the inspiration for the landscape and flora come from a variety of locations.

There are two waterfalls in the Orb. The general falls is a gentle structure designed after the waterfall in Cherrapunji. Like that fall, the water drops into a pool before flowing away.

Within the Tiger area another waterfall flows like a curtain over rocks before forming a stream. The inspiration was the waterfall at Jharkhand-Dassam.

The inspiration for the Tiger enclosure came from the walls build at the Ossian temple in Rajasthan. Below that enclosure in another mimiced temple based on another anonymous Hindu antiquity found in Ossian provence.

The Indian Subcontinent Orb is located in the center of the north of the zoo.