Southern Africa Exhibit Questions

MOG2012

MOG2012

Well-Known Member
For my Las Vegas Spec Zoo, I'm making a Southern Africa exhibit showcasing 3 habitats there. This is the list of species I have so far. Feel free to suggest or add species. Looking up online hasn't been that helpful so I wanted to ask the community. These species are found in AZA facilities as this zoo is meant to be realistic.
Animals seperated by a "," mean the same enclosure. Animals seperated by a "/" mean rotating enclosure.

Kopje (Outdoors)
  • Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita)
  • Cape Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis capensis) (Only Phase-Out Species on this List), Southern Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula parvula), Transvaal Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus transvaalensis)
  • Bataleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)
  • Southern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi edouardi), Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator)
  • Giant Girdled Lizard (Smaug giganteus), Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis), insert reptile species here
Namib Coast (Indoors)
  • African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Pyjama Shark (Poroderma africanum)
  • insert fish species here
Southern Deserts (Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib) (Indoor and Outdoor Complex)
  • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) / Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
  • Black-Footed Cat (Felis nigripes)
  • Cape Ratel (Mellivora capensis capensis)
  • Damara Molerat (Fukomys damarensis)
  • Karoo Round-Eared Sengi (Macroscelides proboscideus) (Only Rare Species in Exhibit)
  • Black-Faced Impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi), Cape Eland (Tragelaphus oryx oryx), Gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella), Hartmann's Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), Karoo Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis marsupialis), Southern Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros)
  • Southern African Meerkat (Suricata suricatta suricatta), Southern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus sundevallii)
  • Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos tracheliotos)
  • Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
  • Cape Speckled Mouse Bird (Colius striatus striatus), Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis capensis), Southern Spotted Thick-Knee (Burhinus capensis capensis), White-Crowned Robin-Chat (Cossypha albicapillus), White-Headed Buffalo-Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli), insert bird species here
  • Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)
  • insert amphibian species here
  • Cape Flightless Dung Beetle (Circellium bacchus)
  • Ant-Lion (Myrmeleon obscurus), Camel Spider (Galeodes granti), Cape Harvester Ant (Messor capensis), Hide Beetle (Dermestes maculatus), Namib Sand Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei), Southern Black Fog-Basking Namib Darkling (Onymacris unguicularis unguicularis), Southern Horn Corncricket (Enyaliopsis transvaalensis), Turquoise Killifish* (Nothobranchius furzeri), Wolf's Fairy Shrimp* (Branchipodopsis wolfi)
Animals with a * mean they are only seasonal
 
I believe that you may find a rotating exhibit of cheetah and spotted hyena to be fairly stressful on the cheetah. Rotating exhibits are sometimes employed using spotted hyena, lion, and wild dog, but those three species have a relationship that's on more equal footing (as in, mutually antagonistic) than that of cheetah and hyena. Cheetahs are an easily stressed species that, in the wild, pretty much work their life plan with the primary goal of avoiding lions and hyenas and a cheetah that never is able to get the smell of hyena out of its nostrils or is in constant worry that a hyena may be right around the corner is going to be a cheetah that is perpetually on edge.
 
Aardwolf said:
I believe that you may find a rotating exhibit of cheetah and spotted hyena to be fairly stressful on the cheetah. Rotating exhibits are sometimes employed using spotted hyena, lion, and wild dog, but those three species have a relationship that's on more equal footing (as in, mutually antagonistic) than that of cheetah and hyena. Cheetahs are an easily stressed species that, in the wild, pretty much work their life plan with the primary goal of avoiding lions and hyenas and a cheetah that never is able to get the smell of hyena out of its nostrils or is in constant worry that a hyena may be right around the corner is going to be a cheetah that is perpetually on edge.
Click to expand...
I’ll change it to two enclosures. One enclosure rotates between spotted hyena and african wild dog. The other enclosure has cheetahs and their emotional support domestic dogs (South African breed)
 
MOG2012 said:
For my Las Vegas Spec Zoo, I'm making a Southern Africa exhibit showcasing 3 habitats there. This is the list of species I have so far. Feel free to suggest or add species. Looking up online hasn't been that helpful so I wanted to ask the community. These species are found in AZA facilities as this zoo is meant to be realistic.
Animals seperated by a "," mean the same enclosure. Animals seperated by a "/" mean rotating enclosure.

Kopje (Outdoors)
  • Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita)
  • Cape Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis capensis) (Only Phase-Out Species on this List), Southern Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula parvula), Transvaal Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus transvaalensis)
  • Bataleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)
  • Southern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi edouardi), Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator)
  • Giant Girdled Lizard (Smaug giganteus), Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis), insert reptile species here
Namib Coast (Indoors)
  • African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Pyjama Shark (Poroderma africanum)
  • insert fish species here
Southern Deserts (Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib) (Indoor and Outdoor Complex)
  • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) / Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
  • Black-Footed Cat (Felis nigripes)
  • Cape Ratel (Mellivora capensis capensis)
  • Damara Molerat (Fukomys damarensis)
  • Karoo Round-Eared Sengi (Macroscelides proboscideus) (Only Rare Species in Exhibit)
  • Black-Faced Impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi), Cape Eland (Tragelaphus oryx oryx), Gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella), Hartmann's Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), Karoo Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis marsupialis), Southern Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros)
  • Southern African Meerkat (Suricata suricatta suricatta), Southern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus sundevallii)
  • Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos tracheliotos)
  • Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
  • Cape Speckled Mouse Bird (Colius striatus striatus), Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis capensis), Southern Spotted Thick-Knee (Burhinus capensis capensis), White-Crowned Robin-Chat (Cossypha albicapillus), White-Headed Buffalo-Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli), insert bird species here
  • Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)
  • insert amphibian species here
  • Cape Flightless Dung Beetle (Circellium bacchus)
  • Ant-Lion (Myrmeleon obscurus), Camel Spider (Galeodes granti), Cape Harvester Ant (Messor capensis), Hide Beetle (Dermestes maculatus), Namib Sand Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei), Southern Black Fog-Basking Namib Darkling (Onymacris unguicularis unguicularis), Southern Horn Corncricket (Enyaliopsis transvaalensis), Turquoise Killifish* (Nothobranchius furzeri), Wolf's Fairy Shrimp* (Branchipodopsis wolfi)
Animals with a * mean they are only seasonal
Click to expand...
Are the birds compatible with each other? And the antelopes?
 
MOG2012 said:
Are the birds compatible with each other? And the antelopes?
Click to expand...
Regarding your plans, the current avian roster is compatible enough as is; and frankly, not every aviary is supposed to be full-to-the-brim with additional birds.

As for the antelope, I would advise you to remove the gemsbok and impala* from the mix as the former tend to be rather pushy in most scenarios, and the latter being a subspecies entirely absent in North American facilities. By removing the following, you will be left with the remaining listed ungulates, which are all proven enough to be mixed and maintained.

(*provided by my knowledge and Zootierliste)
 
MOG2012 said:
Namib Coast (Indoors)
  • African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Pyjama Shark (Poroderma africanum)
  • insert fish species here
Click to expand...
Your aquatic section is really fun, as I certainly love every aquarium and zoo that's done the mixed penguin/shark exhibits thus far. I would offer that you could go all out and potentially add another docile and compatible shark species; I know that San Diego Zoo initially wanted to have leopard catsharks (Poroderma pantherinum), the sister species of the pyjama shark. Ultimately they debuted the exhibit with the unfortunately misplaced Californian leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), who (in my opinion, unsurprisingly) did not get on very well with the penguins as they're both active-swimming animals. Both pyjama and leopard catsharks are almost excessively docile and mellow, but a well-designed exhibit would allow people to see them and their beautiful patterns. Would be cool to outdo all other exhibits of this type and have both the native catsharks. ;)
 
Local_Shark said:
Your aquatic section is really fun, as I certainly love every aquarium and zoo that's done the mixed penguin/shark exhibits thus far. I would offer that you could go all out and potentially add another docile and compatible shark species; I know that San Diego Zoo initially wanted to have leopard catsharks (Poroderma pantherinum), the sister species of the pyjama shark. Ultimately they debuted the exhibit with the unfortunately misplaced Californian leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), who (in my opinion, unsurprisingly) did not get on very well with the penguins as they're both active-swimming animals. Both pyjama and leopard catsharks are almost excessively docile and mellow, but a well-designed exhibit would allow people to see them and their beautiful patterns. Would be cool to outdo all other exhibits of this type and have both the native catsharks. ;)
Click to expand...
What fish should I have that are not mixed?
 
MOG2012 said:
What fish should I have that are not mixed?
Click to expand...
I will admit I am much more of an elasmo expert than anything else, but the galjoen (Dichistius capensis) is apparently South Africa's national fish, so that would be a cool one to display in another exhibit (perhaps a large kelp forest tank?).
 
MOG2012 said:
The other enclosure has cheetahs and their emotional support domestic dogs (South African breed)
Click to expand...

Is there any specific reason why the emotional support dogs have to be a South African breed?

From what I've seen most zoos use either Labradors, Lab mixes, or just good old fashioned mutts from the nearest shelter. Although curiously, LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog) breeds seem to be becoming more common. Anatolian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees in particular.

Might be a nice opportunity to plug the Cheetah Conservation Fund and their LGD program.
Holistic Conservation Strategy • Cheetah Conservation Fund
 
Wisp O' Mist said:
Is there any specific reason why the emotional support dogs have to be a South African breed?

From what I've seen most zoos use either Labradors, Lab mixes, or just good old fashioned mutts from the nearest shelter. Although curiously, LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog) breeds seem to be becoming more common. Anatolian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees in particular.

Might be a nice opportunity to plug the Cheetah Conservation Fund and their LGD program.
Holistic Conservation Strategy • Cheetah Conservation Fund
Click to expand...
I just wanted it to make the dog go well with the theming
 
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