Friday, September 18, 2026

Question: When the Detroit Zoo opened in Royal Oak in 1928, it broke from the traditional way zoos displayed their animals, pioneering a more naturalistic approach. What was that innovation?

Answer: Barless, moated exhibits. The Detroit Zoo kept animals in open-air habitats separated from visitors by moats and reinforced-concrete “rocks” instead of traditional barred cages, following the naturalistic zoo-design principles pioneered by Germany’s Carl Hagenbeck.