Mixed species exhibit ideas

Mixing hippos with other animals is like mixing gorillas with monkeys - people keep saying "oh but zoo X successfully does it", but it is more the case that nothing bad has happened at zoo X yet. Mixes of this nature are only "successful" until one of the animals is killed, which is a matter of when not if.

Just last year a Sitatunga was killed by a Pigmy Hippo in an attempt at mixing them at a zoo in the USA: Pygmy hippo kills antelope intended for same enclosure at Grand Rapids zoo
Mixes of Gorillas and small monkeys (Cercopithecids, Colobuses...) are common and a standard within European zoos.
 
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I'm sure mixing any monkeys with common hippos would not be wise. I sometimes wonder if anything at all can be mixed with hippos, other than pelicans, as evidenced by DAK
In Beauval the Nile Hippos live in a very large aviary where they are mixed with hundreds of birds (all of them have the ability to fly, most of them are breeding) and common European freshwater fishes.

There is also two enclosures for Pygmy Hippos in the Dome, with thousands of African cichlids in the (heated) pools. Theoretically the free-flying birds (Spoonbills, Glossy Starlings, Pigeons...) could land there even if I hadn't seen it yet.
 
Mixes of Gorillas and small monkeys (Cercopithecids, Colobuses...) are common and a standard within European zoos.
Yes, there are a number of gorilla-monkey mixes in zoos, and there have also been a number in zoos which have been discontinued because the gorillas have killed monkeys (not just in Europe, e.g. the only attempted such mix in Australasia [that I'm aware of] resulted in the gorillas killing one of the monkeys). Like I said, such mixes are only "successful" until a monkey is killed. Similarly, gorilla enclosures with moats are known to result in the deaths of gorillas (and other apes) through drowning yet such enclosures are still created.

I'm a big fan of not creating situations in enclosures which are known to be detrimental to the inhabitants.

However, I would be interested in an actual number of existing gorilla-monkey mixes in Europe because Zootierliste has 64 European gorilla holders, so your assertion that gorilla-monkey mixes are the standard is clearly not going to be true.
 
Has anyone ever mixed tamandua, sloth, squirrel monkey green iguana and Amazon
parrot sp?
I would think it would work in like a 10,000 SF enclosure if the parrots could have areas the others
could not reach.
For the floor I think brocket sp, red footed tortoise, agouti, capybara and possibly some duck species
 
Has anyone ever mixed tamandua, sloth, squirrel monkey, green iguana and Amazon parrot sp?
I would think it would work in like a 10,000 SF enclosure if the parrots could have areas the others
could not reach.
For the floor I think brocket sp, red footed tortoise, agouti, capybara and possibly some duck species

I don't think the mix of all of them at the same time exists anywhere. But very similar mixes exist in various zoos, so I don't see any problems with it.

Tamandua, sloth, smaller primates and amazon all free-roam in Duisburg's Rio Negro, which also has an enclosure for tortoises.
Sloths, Small primates, amazons, ducks, iguanas and tortoises all free-roam in the South American dome of Regnskov Tropical Zoo.
Capybaras, large turtles and ducks are held together in Burgers' zoo
Etc

I think the Brockets are the only odd additions here, as these aren't held as much. I do see them mixed with primates and agoutis in the gallery though, so they should do fine if given enough space
 
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Yes, there are a number of gorilla-monkey mixes in zoos, and there have also been a number in zoos which have been discontinued because the gorillas have killed monkeys (not just in Europe, e.g. the only attempted such mix in Australasia [that I'm aware of] resulted in the gorillas killing one of the monkeys). Like I said, such mixes are only "successful" until a monkey is killed. Similarly, gorilla enclosures with moats are known to result in the deaths of gorillas (and other apes) through drowning yet such enclosures are still created.

I'm a big fan of not creating situations in enclosures which are known to be detrimental to the inhabitants.

However, I would be interested in an actual number of existing gorilla-monkey mixes in Europe because Zootierliste has 64 European gorilla holders, so your assertion that gorilla-monkey mixes are the standard is clearly not going to be true.

14 out of 64 according to ZTL So,not uncommon but certainly not the standard.

Antwerp will be number 15 in very short time with the addition of their owl-faced guenons.

Species kept with western lowland gorilla:
Suricate (2 zoos)
Owl-faced guenon (1)
Debrazza guenon (2)
Diana guenon (1)
Roloway guenon (1)
l'Hoest guenon (1)
Golden-bellied mangabey (1)
Collared mangabey (1)
White-naped mangabey (1)
Black crested mangabey (2)
Lion-tailed macaque (1)
King colobus (1)
Guerzza (3)
Eastern lowland gorilla (1)
 
14 out of 64 according to ZTL So,not uncommon but certainly not the standard.

Antwerp will be number 15 in very short time with the addition of their owl-faced guenons.

Species kept with western lowland gorilla:
Suricate (2 zoos)
Owl-faced guenon (1)
Debrazza guenon (2)
Diana guenon (1)
Roloway guenon (1)
l'Hoest guenon (1)
Golden-bellied mangabey (1)
Collared mangabey (1)
White-naped mangabey (1)
Black crested mangabey (2)
Lion-tailed macaque (1)
King colobus (1)
Guerzza (3)
Eastern lowland gorilla (1)
Who was keeping lion-tailed macaques with gorillas? Those aren’t even from the same continent.
 
Who was keeping lion-tailed macaques with gorillas? Those aren’t even from the same continent.
Duisburg, like Gharial said. They are actually mixed (did not see any liontailed macaques, only on the sign), The mix is not geographicly accurate (the Äquatorium house is generally not geographicly ordered, just tropical rainforehabitat ordered). But the house is so smal, and outdated, that I can imagen they did the mix to give the wandarus more space. I just looked up Duisburgs website. They even show their mix in their new map
Lageplan_12022024.jpg
st
 
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Could these species be kept together?
1.1 Brazilian Tapir
0.2 Capybara
1.2 Orinoco Goose
1.1 White-faced Whistling Duck
1.1 Ringed Teal
 
Could these species be kept together?
1.1 Brazilian Tapir
0.2 Capybara
1.2 Orinoco Goose
1.1 White-faced Whistling Duck
1.1 Ringed Teal

Brazilian tapir and capybara can be mixed if the exhibit is large enough, that is done fairly commonly in zoos.

Orinoco geese are aggressive and territorial, especially during the breeding season, I would not recommend mixing them with other waterfowl.

With the other waterfowl there would be concern about them having to be flight restricted, which given that both whistling ducks and ringed teals are tree cavity nesters might be to some extent problematic.
 
Brazilian tapir and capybara can be mixed if the exhibit is large enough, that is done fairly commonly in zoos.

Orinoco geese are aggressive and territorial, especially during the breeding season, I would not recommend mixing them with other waterfowl.

With the other waterfowl there would be concern about them having to be flight restricted, which given that both whistling ducks and ringed teals are tree cavity nesters might be to some extent problematic.
This exhibit would be under an aviary-like structure, so they wouldn’t be flight restricted
 
1. Vervet Monkeys and Aardvarks
2. Agouti, Macaw and Squirrel Monkey
3. Asian Small Clawed Otter and Northern white-cheeked gibbon
4. Swamp Wallaby, Bettong, Kookaburra and Lorikeets
 
4. Swamp Wallaby, Bettong, Kookaburra and Lorikeets
I know for a fact that Toronto mixes the Kookaburra with Brush-tailed Bettong… however I do also know that kookaburras have reportedly killed other birds when they are mixed. I’d say remove one of the birds and it should be fine.
 
1. Vervet Monkeys and Aardvarks
2. Agouti, Macaw and Squirrel Monkey
3. Asian Small Clawed Otter and Northern white-cheeked gibbon
4. Swamp Wallaby, Bettong, Kookaburra and Lorikeets

- I can't find any mixes of vervet monkeys or similar monkeys (grivets and green monkeys) with smaller ground-dwelling species like Aardvarks, I personally wouldn't risk it.
- The mix does exist but might be stressful for the Agoutis
- Otter/Gibbon mixes do exist successfully, but otters are predators so it can go wrong easily
- Multiple Bettong/Kookaburra mixes exist, and mixes with Kookaburra with Lorikeets do exist but usually in larger aviaries. They do better with larger parrots like Galahs
 
14 out of 64 according to ZTL So,not uncommon but certainly not the standard.

Antwerp will be number 15 in very short time with the addition of their owl-faced guenons.

Species kept with western lowland gorilla:
Suricate (2 zoos)
Owl-faced guenon (1)
Debrazza guenon (2)
Diana guenon (1)
Roloway guenon (1)
l'Hoest guenon (1)
Golden-bellied mangabey (1)
Collared mangabey (1)
White-naped mangabey (1)
Black crested mangabey (2)
Lion-tailed macaque (1)
King colobus (1)
Guerzza (3)
Eastern lowland gorilla (1)
+ White-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) (1) at Zoo Heidelberg till 2011.

Furthermore, I saw European sousliks in the gorilla outdoor enclosure at Zoo Prague recently, as part of the zoo's souslik reintroduction program.
 
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