an enclosure is put around something.

an exhibit is something that is put on display, or a display of things itself, though this is normally called an exhibition.

the one has nothing to do with the other.

the German equivalents would be: Einfriedung for enclosure, and Ausstellung for Exhibition, respectively - Ausstellungsstuck -gegenstand for exhibit

I meant for animals. Sorry, I didn't mention it.

I've read about animals being on exhibit in either enclosures or exhibits.
I'm looking for a word that would fit "Gehege".

then '(animal) enclosure' is the one you want.

:o)

Ok, but:

Help Build a New Elephant Exhibit on Asia Trail

The widest variety of birds inhabits the Bird House, but birds are scattered throughout other exhibits as well.

Fujifilm Giant Panda Exhibit

The indoor exhibit area of the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat is scheduled to be closed until February 15, 2005.

The Komodo dragons at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park now have a new [...] outdoor enclosure. This new exhibit, which opened Sept. 17,...

Wouldn't you translate "exhibit" as "Gehege" in all posted examples (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/)?

And what would be synonyms of animal enclosures other than cage?

and:

The Zoo's meerkats are relatively new to their current enclosure, a large exhibit that is almost entirely surrounded by glass.

[...]but this exhibit's flat,...
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/zoogoe...

BK - if you think that exhibit on its own is good enough for Gehege, then use it.

if you ask in this forum what the difference between enclosure and exhibit is, and aren't happy with the answers, fine.

if you look for long enough in google, you'll find support for any nonsense you can think of.

to make things clear from my point of view (BE):

an exhibit is (AHD):
1. The act or an instance of exhibiting. 2. Something exhibited: studied the dinosaur exhibits at the museum. 3. A public showing; an exhibition: spent the afternoon at the space exhibit. 4. Law Something, such as a document, formally introduced as evidence in court.

now if you can find *any* reference in this definition specifically to animals then use exhibit.
exhibit is not something any lover of language would use of live animals.

LEO has Gehege for enclosure, and that is the only word I'd use in English for what Gehege means in German.

Well, I wasn't looking for nonsense.

I just need a/some synonym(s) for enclosure and don't really like the ones from the dictionaries.

As I skimmed through several zoo web sites finding exhibit, appearing to me as if used as a common synonym for enclosure, I came up with the idea that maybe both, enclosure and exhibit, may refer to "Gehege".

I am indeed unsatisdfied but still thankful for your help.

As I found so many examples:
...with new exhibits for sloth bears, clouded leopards,.../ ...innovative exhibits that stimulate natural behavior and well-being for the animals./ You can see these species in their current exhibits around the Zoo. (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/)

Maybe it's an BE vs AE issue?

@BK - perhaps it is an AE/BE thing.
perhaps it isn't.

an exhibit is used to demonstrate or put something on show. it's character is one of openness. In the majority of cases it has no fence, no barriers, no bullet-proof glass, as the paintings in a gallery.

one special kind of exhibit appears to be the one you mention - an exhibition (the preferred word for it, btw) involving animals. but again, don't be fooled by the word as it is used - most of the examples you give refer to the 'big picture' - the room or space, the animals, the show put on around the whole thing, and so on, and so on.

I stick to my objections, but again, if you want to continue this use, do so.

I don't think the word exhibit used here in the zoo context refers to the enclosure. It is referring to the fact that the animals are on display at the zoo so they are an exhibit. In the same way as a dead dodo might be an exhibit in a natural history museum, the animals are living exhibits at the zoo.

Im Zoo werden die Gehege offensichtlich öfters "exhibit" genannt, was ja auch zu verstehen ist, da die Tiere im Zoo ja "ausgestellt" werden. Also: _nur_ im Zoo (und vielleicht auch nur in den USA, da odondon so stark gegen das Wort ist, ich habe es auch nicht geschafft, auf die Schnelle eine passende .co.uk-Seite zu ergoogeln) kann man statt "enclosure" auch "exhibit" sagen.

odondon, hattoncote: Ihr habt bestimmt recht, dass mit "exhibit" gemeint ist, dass etwas "ausgestellt" wird, im Deutschen würde man entsprechende "penguin/bear etc. exhibits" aber im Zoo in den allermeisten Fällen nur mit "Gehege" übersetzen.

Not an AE/BE thing--everything o.i. said applies equally well for AE. exhibit and enclosure have nothing to do with each other; the former implies something on view, perhaps for the public, the second involves fencing something in for one reason or another, perhaps to avoid their escaping.

That zoos normally have both functions (putting things on view, and preventing their escape) may be partially responsible for your confusion.

Don't forget also the blurry, darkly tinted glasses by which you see the world (as do we all) which colors the way you see things--that is to say, the view of the world which your native language imposes on you (and me); this may also be partially responsible.

There really is a difference. In English, they really don't seem to have anything to do with each other. That doesn't mean that it must be the same way in German, and I gather from what you're saying that it surely isn't, but that's life and language...

I'm sorry but I believe I tentatively disagree with odondon and Peter <us>. In the given context of zoos, 'exhibit' sounds more idiomatic to me. 'Enclosure' makes me think of 16th-c. British history, when public land was being enclosed for private use by e.g. sheep farmers.

I also sense a possible difference in size: smaller to medium-size animals would be in an exhibit (behind railings or glass windows), whereas larger ones (perhaps at a wildlife park rather than a zoo) might be in an enclosure (inside a fence, as on a prairie). I don't think either necessarily has a roof, but you might be on to something with the hoofed animals, since they normally require more space, e.g. on (relatively) open grassland. In fact, paradoxically, 'enclosure' comes across to me as the larger, more expansive, more open-seeming of the two terms.

I disagree with the previous posters and think there are some AE/BE differences here.

An exhibit refers to the presentation of animals to the public for them to view, though in BE the word exhibit is rarely used anymore (sounds not very PC). Like German, these are now more often referred to generally as attractions or also collections.
(AE -> The tiger exhibit is open 09:00-18:00
BE -> The tigers can be viewed 09:00-18:00)

An enclosure is what the animals live in.
(BE/AE -> The tiger enclosure is quite secure)

In German Zoos/Tierparks I observe the following...

The animals are kept in 'Gehegen' or 'Anlagen'. Specific examples of which are: Streichelgehege (for donkeys as example), Freigehege (for deer as example), usw....

What the Zoo or Tierpark has are not normally described as exhibits/Ausstellungen of animals but 'Attraktionen'.

When they do have exhibits/Austtelungen... the Austellungen are often lumped together with Veranstaltungen and refer to specific or special events, such as an artists collection of paintings of Zoo animals or a special bird-of-prey display not given every day. These are usually designed to raise extra money for the Zoo. These are exhibitions in AE/BE.

Refer to some Zoo/Tierpark sites if you'd like more evidence to support my impressions.

English/US usage:
http://www.bronxzoo.com/
http://www.londonzoo.co.uk/

German usage:
http://www.tierpark-berlin.de/start.html
http://www.hagenbeck.de/tierwelt/index.htm
http://www.zookrefeld.de/aktumai/ausstell4.htm