Worst Mixed-Species Combinations?

[Daubentoniidae]

I seem to recall a long time ago when I visited a French (I think) zoo, there were Griffon Vultures mixed in with Rabbits. I never though much of it at the time, as I was probably only 6 or 7 but it does seem a bit unusual. I'm pretty sure that they were both in the same exhibit although I could be wrong.

 

[Crowthorne]

I seem to recall a long time ago when I visited a French (I think) zoo, there were Griffon Vultures mixed in with Rabbits. I never though much of it at the time, as I was probably only 6 or 7 but it does seem a bit unusual. I'm pretty sure that they were both in the same exhibit although I could be wrong.

Wonder if the rabbits were a deliberate mix, or if they were wild ones that had taken up residence?

 

[Rayane]

Doué mixes vultures with marmots and it works fine I believe.
Vultures are scavengers

 

[DesertRhino150]

Goldau Landscape and Animal Park in Switzerland keep their bearded vultures with mountain hares. At least one source I have seen states that this is specifically to show local visitors (living within a reintroduction area for the vultures) that they do not prey on live animals.

 

[Emanuel Theodorus]

Also in Bronx Zoo, they try to mix Javan Langurs with Asian Small Clawed Otters. But the langurs have a habit on disturbing the otters, which result an otter grabs one of the langur sitting in the edge and drown it. And it ended up a langur floating, dead. There's a video about it:

 

[Jungle Man]

This is terrible!!

 

[Ned]

No one seemed to try and get help from a keeper, they were content to just film it.

 

[Andrew Swales]

This is terrible!!

Terrible, because it was filmed? Many such mixes end this way, just not quite so publically...

 

[Andrew Swales]

No one seemed to try and get help from a keeper, they were content to just film it.

There could have been any number of people out of shot making efforts to get help. The blame does not lie with the recorder, it lies with the people who decided that otters (predators) and monkeys (usually prey) would be be fine together.

 

[Jungle Man]

Terrible, because it was filmed? Many such mixes end this way, just not quite so publically...

Not terrible because it was filmed terrible because this things still happen in zoos around the world.

 

[FBBird]

There could have been any number of people out of shot making efforts to get help. The blame does not lie with the recorder, it lies with the people who decided that otters (predators) and monkeys (usually prey) would be be fine together.

Just wondering how you get a big bitey monkey away from a bunch of ganged up bitey otters? This mix was really a very silly idea.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Just wondering how you get a big bitey monkey away from a bunch of ganged up bitey otters? This mix was really a very silly idea.

I guess enough keepers would have to wade in quickly, armed with sticks,nets etc - and knock them apart. A couple of people doing so could quite easily get hurt, as neither spp is to be taken lightly.

 

[tetrapod]

There could have been any number of people out of shot making efforts to get help. The blame does not lie with the recorder, it lies with the people who decided that otters (predators) and monkeys (usually prey) would be be fine together.

There is absolutely no reason why otters can not be kept with primates, its all about useable space and distance. I'm not aware of how large the Bronx exhibit is, but there are other zoos where they have been kept together without any issues and also successfully breed. Have a look at Adelaide's langurs - are/have been kept with tapir and otters, with the primates having access to much of a large established fig tree.

 

[Rayane]

San Diego Zoo has otters with Allen’s swamp monkey and it works fine I believe.
IIRC there was even young monkeys on exhibit

 

[Andrew Swales]

There is absolutely no reason why otters can not be kept with primates

I do not agree with you, or anyone else who is attempting to justify these deaths, and excuse this evidence, but I have made myself quite clear and see little point in repeating same again, so will call it a day. I must admit, that such vociferous support of these practices, against such a wealth of evidence of needless deaths, has been something of a surprise.

 

[Emanuel Theodorus]

There is absolutely no reason why otters can not be kept with primates, its all about useable space and distance. I'm not aware of how large the Bronx exhibit is, but there are other zoos where they have been kept together without any issues and also successfully breed. Have a look at Adelaide's langurs - are/have been kept with tapir and otters, with the primates having access to much of a large established fig tree.

Actually, The Bronx's Otters have mixed with other primates before and they have no problems. The Javan Langurs, however have a habit of disturbing the otters, which leads to this. I think the space is just fine, it all comes down to the animal's behavior towards others.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

It should be noted that that Bronx video is from 2007 and the two species have not been mixed together since this incident. The zoo had successfully mixed otters and Proboscis Monkeys in this enclosure for many years up until the latter species' departure in 2003. Presumably the mix with Javan Langur was successful for those four years until this happened as well. Either way, this mix is not something that's existed for well over a decade now.

~Thylo

 

[lowland anoa]

Just wondering how you get a big bitey monkey away from a bunch of ganged up bitey otters? This mix was really a very silly idea.

I do not agree with you, or anyone else who is attempting to justify these deaths, and excuse this evidence, but I have made myself quite clear and see little point in repeating same again, so will call it a day. I must admit, that such vociferous support of these practices, against such a wealth of evidence of needless deaths, has been something of a surprise.

Otters can be the ones who are killed, it’s not just the species they’re mixed with. A keeper can’t just run in the enclosure and throw punches (or he/she will lose their job). Also otters are a pest, as evidenced in ‘Secret Life of the Zoo’ where the otters often disturb the babirusa living in the enclosure with them. It’s the same if you had a pet otter (unlikely, but some people do) it would constantly bug you and steal things. The monkeys are the same. So otters and primates are not a good mix. Now that Bronx Zoo proved that langurs and otters don’t mix well, other zoos can avoid going down that path. Cohabiting species is not a 100% guarantee, you have to create protocols in case of emergency.

 

[Rayane]

Well, langurs, guenons, gibbons, macaques... they do not all behave the same. Not trying to say that it’s a mix that should be done, but if one zoo has a working mix then why change?
Pretty sure Gibbons and Otters work without ans issue. In SDZ the Allen’s swamp monkeys and the Spotted-necked otters didn’t really interact with one another, but I was there for only a day.

 

[JigerofLemuria]

I suppose the "Safari Madrid" in Aldea del Fresno (which is in the larger Madrid urban area) decided to end their safari tour with a bang, so the last paddock in the safari tour has had Southern white rhinoceros, olive baboons, zebras (species unspecified anywhere and unidentified by me), common hippos and American black bears living together for years. Recent information has confirmed, however, that the bears now live separately, similarly to the tigers in their hoofstock section. However, to my knowledge, no tragedies have ever taken place with this absolute juggernaut of African aggressivity.

Map displaying this somewhat crazy layout. While the "Bengal" tigers and elephants have been separated from the rest for years, the bears' separation is fairly recent.

Baboons hitching a ride on a rhino.

Picture from their facebook showing this absolutely mad mix.