Mixed-species exhibits with wildebeest

Enzo

Enzo

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hello, everyone. I have recently realized no thread has been made to discuss about mixed-species exhibits with wildebeest in them. I was wondering, does any zoo hold them with birds such as marabou and saddle-billed storks or ground hornbills? Also, are they mixed anywhere with Nile lechwe? Thanks in advance!
 
I'm mostly curious about the white-tailed species. However, feel free to post anything about the blue wildebeest.
 
Enzo said:
Hello, everyone. I have recently realized no thread has been made to discuss about mixed-species exhibits with wildebeest in them. I was wondering, does any zoo hold them with birds such as marabou and saddle-billed storks or ground hornbills? Also, are they mixed anywhere with Nile lechwe? Thanks in advance!
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There are some mixes with wildebeest and birds, but that is very bad husbandry for the birds involved....
 
Enzo said:
I'm mostly curious about the white-tailed species. However, feel free to post anything about the blue wildebeest.
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I know of an attempt to include Crowned Cranes and White Storks in a Savannah exhibit with Black Wildebeest, Nyala and Zebra. Wildebeest started flattening the birds for fun, and the attempt was abandoned. Domestic Guineafowl were fine….
 
I do not mean to brag, but my local zoo, the glorious Roger Williams Park Zoo, located in Providence, Rhode Island, opens up with a beautiful savannah habitat, adjoured with local New England Foliage. In here sits a beautiful mix of the Majestic Blue Wildebeest, making good friends with Zebras and Ankole-Watusi Cattle. I believe this should help you on your quest in learning more about Mixed-Species Habitats with Wildebeest.
 
Enzo said:
Hello, everyone. I have recently realized no thread has been made to discuss about mixed-species exhibits with wildebeest in them. I was wondering, does any zoo hold them with birds such as marabou and saddle-billed storks or ground hornbills? Also, are they mixed anywhere with Nile lechwe? Thanks in advance!
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I've never seen wildebeest mixed with birds. Where do you live that white tailed wildebeest are kept? They're nonexistent in US zoos, at least those that are accredited
 
elefante said:
I've never seen wildebeest mixed with birds. Where do you live that white tailed wildebeest are kept? They're nonexistent in US zoos, at least those that are accredited
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I'm from South America, not from the US. There's a male in Cotia, but I don't know which exhibit he lives in. There's a huge enclosure that holds Nile lechwe, Grevy's zebra, common ostriches and helmeted guineafowl.
 
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Doesn't Cincinnati have an exhibit with blue wildebeest and lots of African birds?
 
FBBird said:
I know of an attempt to include Crowned Cranes and White Storks in a Savannah exhibit with Black Wildebeest, Nyala and Zebra. Wildebeest started flattening the birds for fun, and the attempt was abandoned. Domestic Guineafowl were fine….
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Was that Newquay? The black wildebeest/nyala/zebra mix sounds like them. I never knew they tried adding cranes and storks.
 
Enzo said:
I'm mostly curious about the white-tailed species. However, feel free to post anything about the blue wildebeest.
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There's only 6 or so places in the USA with white-tailed, but all are safaris that mix them with other species. Six Flags Great Adventure, the only one I've been to, has them with addax, sable, and aoudad. Their blue wildebeest are with giraffe, eland, bongo, beisa, scimitar, dama, waterbuck, ankole, and peafowl.

Virginia Safari Park has blue wildebeest in their safari which is free-range for almost all of their hoofstock species, along with the typical ratites most safaris have.
 
In Beauval a breeding herd of Blue Wildebeest live with White Rhinos, Reticulated Giraffes, Grévy's Zebras, Sable Antelopes, Ostriches and now Mhorr Gazelles.
Once there were other species : Springboks, Lechwes, Blesboks, Marabou Storks, Egyptian Geese and probably other birds.
 
FBBird said:
I know of an attempt to include Crowned Cranes and White Storks in a Savannah exhibit with Black Wildebeest, Nyala and Zebra. Wildebeest started flattening the birds for fun, and the attempt was abandoned. Domestic Guineafowl were fine….
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Which zoo was this at?
 
At Fresno Chaffee Zoo, their blue wildebeest share the exhibit with common ostriches and pink-backed pelicans along with giant eland, greater kudu, impala, and southern white rhinoceroses.

During my first trip to Safari West in Santa Rosa, California, I saw them mix with Cape buffalo.

San Diego Safari Park, during my first visit on my birthday of 2021, had them sharing their huge exhibit with multiple African ungulates, including black rhinoceroses.
 
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Indianapolis Zoo has an eastern white-bearded wildebeest/blue wildebeest mixed with greater kudu, zebra, ostrich, and vulture, which also included marabou stork until recently.
 
In Indonesia, I think most holders of blue wildeebest held them in a mixed exhibit. Batu Secret Zoo have a rather weird tunnel where African herbivores like zebras, scimitar oryx, sable antelope, impala, and wildeebest are held together on the thr right and left side of the tunnel. All five Taman Safari Indonesia parks (Cisarua, Prigen, Bali, Batang, and Solo) have their wildebeest with zebras, Ankole-Watusi, ostrich, and even girafes and white rhinoceros. Bandung Zoo have their blue wildebeest with girafes, zebras, common eland, waterbuck, lechwe, and occasionaly ostrich. Only Surabaya Zoo have their wildeebest in an individual exhibit.
 
Mossman Joe said:
Solo Safari in Indonesia has an African Savannah area that mixes
  • Blue Wildebeest
  • Chapman's Zebras
  • Nile Lechwe
  • Ankole Watusi
  • Common Eland
  • Sitatunga
  • Waterbuck
  • Ostrich
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Worth noting that the lechwe in Solo are the Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis), the Nile lechwe are an entirely different species from kobus leche and aren't kept at Solo.

Additionaly, from my two visits, all of those species practicly aren't kept together. The main ground that is the African Savannah exhibit have been somewhat separated by electric wired fences. So, the main mix and the main African Savannah exhibit only houses an common eland, three Ankole-Watusi, as well as Chapman's zebras and blue wildeebest. The ostriches, waterbuck, sitatunga, and waterbuck appears to all each have their own 'separate exhibit', though atleast the sitatunga and ostrich are mixed togethed.
 
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Some mixes with blue wildebeest I’ve seen are gemsbok, Ellips waterbucks, Grant zebras and white stork at Safaripark Beekse Bergen. At Pairi Daiza there is (or was) the mix with scimitar-horned oryxes, blesbok, common eland, impala, springbok, plain zebras, Cape buffalo and grey crowned cranes. Also at DierenPark Amersfoort I guess there was the mix with giraffe, Grévy zebras, impala, Ankole watusi, oryxes and helmeted guineafowl.
 
Enzo said:
Hello, everyone. I have recently realized no thread has been made to discuss about mixed-species exhibits with wildebeest in them. I was wondering, does any zoo hold them with birds such as marabou and saddle-billed storks or ground hornbills? Also, are they mixed anywhere with Nile lechwe? Thanks in advance!
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The Zoo Granby mixe the wildebeest(i think blue) with white rhinos, marabou stork and red river hog.
 
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