Housewarming in voronezh "House of beaver"
Company Aqua Logo Engineering was directly involved in the design and construction of the only in Russia exposition enclosure "Beaver House", which started to work in October 2014 on the territory of FSI "Voronezh State Nature Biosphere Reserve". According to the idea of the project initiators, the new aviary is intended for the maintenance, study and breeding of river beavers (Castor fiber) with demonstration of animals to visitors.
The upper level of the beaver enclosure
To realize the assignment, our planners, designers, engineers and installers had to solve many issues. First of all in close cooperation with Voronezh specialists we had to study biology and ecological conditions of beavers' habitat. Without such knowledge it is impossible to recreate correctly the real world of the beaver - with a hut, water, dry land and even an operating dam. It was necessary not only to arrange space for comfortable life of animals, but also to hide necessary equipment behind decorations. The equipment had to be easy to operate, and the artificial trees, foliage, snags and murals created an illusion of reserved beaver habitats. And so that once in the "Beaver House" visitors want to come back here again. So how is the new beaver enclosure arranged?
Top view of the pond and the beavers' hut
The size, shape and decor of the aviary
По площади вольер для семьи бобров сравним с довольно просторной квартирой – 67 кв. м. А если учесть, что его высота составляет почти 5 метров, то становится понятно, что так жить можно. По крайней мере, нам, людям. Интерьер вольера оформлен тематическими декорациями из полимерного бетона, художественной росписью и искусственными растениями, имитирующими природный биотоп, характерный для бобров. К вольеру пристыкован декоративный грот. Большая часть площади вольера – это водоём глубиной до 1,2 метра. Бобры могут выходить на берег, длина которого составляет 6 м, а ширина меняется от 60 см до 1 м в зоне кормового столика. Хатка бобров довольно просторная (1,5 х 1,5 м), примерно треть её площади занимает суша. Хатка соединяется с водоёмом лазом диаметром 60 см. Для содержания бобрят в возрасте до 1 года предусмотрены независимые модули общей площадью около 4,5 кв. м. Эти модули, как и основной родительский вольер, имеют сухую часть, убежище и небольшой водоём. Предусмотрена демонстрация бобрят посетителям.
Top view of the pond and the beavers' hut
Life support system
The living support system (LSS) of the main aviary and the beaver modules is designed for a family of two adults (a male and a female) and up to four young beavers to live in the aviary together. The task of ensuring normal life of beavers in artificial conditions, and in front of the public, is difficult. After all, beavers eat low-caloric vegetable food - leaves, branches, tree bark. That is why they need a lot of it, and the leftovers strongly pollute the enclosure. Water, land plot with imitation of riverbank, air - everything must be as in nature and even cleaner. We can't let the animals get ill if some dangerous microorganisms or parasites accidentally enter their enclosed world. That's why the water treatment system consists of mechanical and biological filters and UV-disinfection devices.
View of the pond and hut from the lower level
Double-level glazing
The beaver enclosure is characterized by unusual two-level glazing. Its underwater part consists of five safe three-layered glass blocks. Each triplex glass block is made of two layers of Pilkington Optiwhite silicate glass with a thickness of 19 mm and a layer of polymer film between them. Underwater glazing provides a reliable seal for water depths of up to 1.20m, taking into account possible influences from animals and visitors. The above-water glazing is also made of five safety triplex units. They use two layers of 8mm Pilkington Optiwhite tempered glass with an intermediate polymer layer.
V.L. Oleynikov, the manager of the beaver nursery, cleans the sight glass
Video broadcasting system
Beaver hut enclosure is equipped with an analog video camera with infrared illumination, which allows displaying images from the hut on a computer and video monitors. This makes it possible to organize a video broadcast from the hut for demonstration to visitors and service personnel. Scientists will now have such video documents about beavers' behavior that they could only dream of before.
Take a look here
Illumination of the aviary
The aviary is equipped with a system of lighting of above-water and underwater parts of the exposition using metal halide (MHL) and fluorescent lamps. Illumination in the underwater and above-water parts of the aviary is sufficient for animal life and observation.
Service personnel with a beaver diet
Aviary air conditioning system
The aviary is ventilated and the air is thermoregulated. There is a system of special bactericidal erythemic UV lights that provide disinfection of the aviary air and preventive irradiation of animals in the absence of natural light.
Leading researcher Lavrov V.L. prepares beavers for relocation
A little about beaver biology
The natural habitat of beavers is the biotopes of rivers and lakes surrounded by deciduous forests. In nature, beavers live 10-12 years. By the way, in artificial conditions, regular balanced nutrition and care prolongs beavers' life twice as long. The wild life of beavers is full of worries. They build huts, build dams on rivers, and stock wood fodder. Beavers are family animals. They live in pairs with offspring of one or two litters. They become sexually mature and have their own family at the age of two years. Beavers are beneficial to the ecosystem of their habitat. Beaver dams and dams, sometimes hundreds of meters long, ensure the saturation of soil with moisture, the growth of trees, and increase the productivity of water bodies. Thus, beavers improve the living conditions of many inhabitants of forests and rivers. The beaver has practically no enemies in nature, except man. Fishing for beaver in a number of countries under strict regulation is carried out for the sake of its valuable fur.
In the crosshairs of photo and video cameras to a new home
Protection, study and popularization of knowledge about beavers
90 years ago in our country the Voronezh State Nature Biosphere Reserve was created. In addition to the protection of the river beaver, important goals of the reserve are scientific research and environmental education. In 1934, the Reserve organized the Museum of Nature, which attracts visitors from all over the world. The popularity of the Museum grew steadily and by the end of the 1980s it was receiving up to 30,000 visitors a year. However, perestroika and the 1990s led to the loss of well-established contacts, the attendance fell to 5-6 thousand people a year. But the staff of the reserve works with the same enthusiasm and nowadays the Nature Museum, as well as the entire Voronezh Nature Reserve, is actively developing.
A pair of beavers settles in a new enclosure
The new exposition "House of the Beaver" will undoubtedly increase the popularity of the Voronezh Nature Reserve. Visiting the exposition, visitors will be able to peek into the beaver's habitat. There is a viewing glass and video surveillance even in the beaver's hut. Thanks to this you can get to know this interesting, but extremely cautious animal better. Each visitor of the reserve can see the life of a nocturnal animal during the daytime. In 2-3 months it will be possible to watch the beavers' life online with the help of webcams installed in the enclosure. But for now the new home is only inhabited by a pair of beavers. As soon as animals adapt to new conditions, doors of "the beaver house" will be opened to all visitors.
Photo: zapovednik-vrn.ru