Room with a view: The tiny elephant enclosure at Sai Gon Zoo and Botanial Gardens will be expanded during an upgrade. — VNS Photos Van Dat

If approved the work is likely to begin early next year.

Pham Quoc Hung of the Sai Gon Zoo and Botanical Gardens was quoted by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper as saying that the green areas and plants in the zoo would remain untouched while the animal enclosures would be rearranged to improve living conditions.

According to local architects, it is not easy to design zoos since architects should know about both animals and plants, something that Rasbach does.

The current layout of the zoo falls way below international standards. Following the renovation, African species like lions, rhinos, zebras, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and ostriches will be housed in places with a lot of grass.

The small elephant enclosure will be expanded, and there will be enclosures for new species like penguins and an aviary. Some species of birds will be housed together in future unlike now.

Officials have not disclosed the estimated cost of the upgrade.

Earlier zoo officials had rejected suggestions for moving the facility to the outlying Cu Chi District and decided to upgrade the existing zoo.

Rasbach's firm says on its website that it is "a German-based firm of architects and landscape architects that beside ordinary architecture has specialised in designing zoos, wildlife parks, aquaria and museums in Europe and abroad since 1992".