Boat-billed Herons have been kept in large walk-through aviaries before just fine. Milwaukee keeps them with species as small as Taveta Weavers.
I'd worried about the marmosets preying on bird eggs and chicks, though.
Mixed species exhibit ideas
- Thread starter LowlandGorilla4
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I'd worried about the marmosets preying on bird eggs and chicks, though.
BenFoxster
Well-Known Member
Could a replication of Houston's gorilla/red river hog mixed species exhibit featuring warthogs instead of red river hogs work?
AndyJ08
Well-Known Member
Strange mix, although I think it would work. Conflict might arise if either of the parties were to breed, but it would work otherwise.
Years ago I watched an old documentary that was about a small island somewhere in New Zealand which was inhabited by both Tuatara and one of the endemic frog species. The narrator explicitly stated that the Tuatara eat the frogs, and if I remember correctly there was even a fence on the island for excluding Tuatara from a habitat where many of the frogs lived.
Could 0.3 plains zebras, 2.0 ankole-watusi, 2.0 blue wildebeest, 2.0 Aldabra giant tortoises, and 0.0.2 alpacas share an enclosure. Yes, the alpacas are an odd inclusion.
Also, could around 15 domestic goats, 0.0.3 domestic sheep, and 1.1 giant anteaters be managed in the same space?
Also, could around 15 domestic goats, 0.0.3 domestic sheep, and 1.1 giant anteaters be managed in the same space?
The giant tortoises would definitely not do well here. Chances are, neither would the Alpacas
How come? I've seen large tortoises with hoofstock before.
USZOOfan42
Well-Known Member
Where? I have never heard of that, it would be neat to see.
Where and with what? I've seen tortoise/hoofstock mixes (Red-footed and Yellow-footed + Tapir and Brocket deer), but a zebra and tortoise mix would definitely end with a cracked tortoise shell
Van Beal
Well-Known Member
The inclusion of the anteater seems totally random to me. Same with the alpacas. But as was stated above, the zebras would be a particular issue for the tortoises, and I imagine the wildebeest wouldn't be much friendlier.
The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory houses their sulcata tortoise with female zebras and lesser kudu for many, many years, and I think they might be doing that again now.
I believe Zoo Miami keeps a sulcata tortoise in the same yard as their okapi and black duiker and a search on ZooChat reveals the Phoenix Zoo keeps their nyala with at least one sulcata tortoise.
I was hoping to avoid a comment like this by recognizing that it is an unusual idea. What might seem random to you is in this case not random to me.
I'd be more concerned with the alpacas than the tortoises. I've heard that zebras typically do best with species of a similar size class, and typically cause more problems when mixed with smaller ungulates. I don't know enough about tortoise/ungulate mixes to talk about that aspect, but the alpacas seem like a real problem in this one.
I'd be curious on your exhibit design for goats/sheep/anteater. While I can't think of any reasons it wouldn't work, the exhibits I've seen for domestic caprids typically involve rather basic yards, with either stone dust or grass, while anteater yards typically include a decent-sized pool, diggable substrate, etc. Not saying it couldn't work, just saying it'd take a lot of thinking to make it actually meet each species' welfare needs.
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
I’d be wary of anteater with goats and sheep. Neither of those are species that are really known for respecting personal boundaries, and anteaters, while they can cohabit with other species, can also be pretty aggressive if they feel like they’re being crowded. I’ve heard at least one incident of one killing a capybara on exhibit. I could easily see goats or sheep getting on an anteater’s nerves and the anteater taking a swipe at them.
I can also see a tortoise being rolled or stomped by large ungulates. The ungulates listed have all been successfully kept together in safari park settings, though there’s always the risk of bullying by zebras, sometimes getting serious.
I can also see a tortoise being rolled or stomped by large ungulates. The ungulates listed have all been successfully kept together in safari park settings, though there’s always the risk of bullying by zebras, sometimes getting serious.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
I think it's possible.
We only should avoid to keep together some species that are too close to each other, as all the Gyps species, to avoid cross-breeding.
Vultures generally mix very well. Lappet-faced vulture and Porcupine is the only one I'd deem risky, but it'll probably be fine.
Various vulture mixes exist, including Blijdorp's vulture rock aviary with Hooded, Rüppel's, White-backed and White-headed vulture, along with Hamerkops, Black kites, Shelducks, Guineafowl and Francolins. There's also a mix of Bearded vulture and Alpine marmots, although I can't recall which zoo has it.
Porcupines and vultures are a mix that has been done in an aviary setting (e.g. Magdeburg), but even in a setting with pinioned vultures. That should work fine, though you might want to keep porcupine only in a part of the enclosure and leave another part (including the area where you feed the vultures) porcupine-free.
I would not mix Lappet-faced vultures with other vultures given their temperament. There are plenty of mixes in Europe with hooded, white-headed, Ruppels & white-backed vultures to give a pretty complete complement of African vultures.
Would a mix of Little owl, Lesser kestrel, Saker falcon and Western capercaillie work?
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
The mix looks a bit curious.
Nonetheless it may work, minus the Sakers that could prey on the other birds.