Unusual/unique mixed exhibits?

Dan

Dan

Well-Known Member
Many people here at ZooChat seem pleasantly surprised by the cheetah/white rhino mix at Borås Zoo in Sweden and for all I know it might be the only one in the world?

http://www.zoochat.com/759/mixed-exbith-rinho-cheetah-48809/

Also, the mixing of African elephants with lots of other species on the bigger savanna at the same zoo attracts attention:

http://www.zoochat.com/759/african-elephant-savanna-boras-zoo-54128/

I´d like to hear about other unusual mixed exhibits at other zoos. Any interesting examples?

I know, for instance, of a lion exhibit somewhere, where meerkats (I think it is) have access to the lion exhibit - but I have forgotten at which zoo it is.

(Also: I am only interested in serious zoos now - not freak shows in Asia with pigs rearing tiger cubs etc.)
 
The rhino cheetha exhibit is a nice one! I think the lion, meerkat mix came to a bitter end when a lion caught a meerkat. Southlakes have some interesting mixed exhibits.

Capuchins, Coati, Tapir, Short clawed otter and Spectacled bears,
Rhino, Giraffe, and Baboon
Pygmy hippo and Mandrill

There are more but I think these are the unusual combination's. They make perfect sense because they come from the same place but I suppose it takes guts to test them! Specy bears with tapir is a bit reckless in my opinion though and it has been discussed elsewhere on the forum.
 
I suppose californian sea lions and common hippos would be an unusual mix to be found at longleat safari park (UK).
 
I remember when London mixed their meerkats with the giraffes; got distinct memories of them trying to avoid being trodden on! The most unique mix I've seen is the one at Longleat foz mentioned, though I remember when Marwell was raising money for Bat-Eared Foxes their second plan was to mix them with the addax in Aridlands.
 
Singapore Zoo has a mixed exhibit for manatees, penguins, pelicans and sealions, which has to be one of the more unusual.

Sometimes mixed exhibits work, sometimes they don't, but in most cases the species are mixed for the benefit of the viewing public (or sometimes I guess due to space considerations in the zoo) not for the benefit of the animals. Often you will see exhibits where "African" species for example are mixed to show how they live in the wild, and yet the species are from different habitats (eg, rainforest and savannah). The lion/meerkat mix is a perfect example of why species shouldn't be mixed just to provide an interesting display; the animals' needs (and predatory tendencies in that case!) should always come first. I have also read of (and seen photos of) a mixed exhibit for polar bears and arctic foxes, on the basis that they occur together in the wild and the foxes are quick enough to keep out of the way of the bears -- do stress levels not get taken into consideration in instances like this?

ps, I quite like the cheetah/rhino mix though. White rhinos are known for their placid nature so presumably there are no problems.
 
In Burgers Zoo:
Banteng, browl-antlered deer, hogdeer, muntjac, siamang and pigtailed macaque.
sun bear and binturong
(not yet) gibbon and dusky leafmonkey
in Burgers Bush are more then 40 freeranging birdspecies and 10-20 reptile and amphibianspecies and some flying foxes.

In Emmen:
Bison, moose, wild turkey and some ducks.

in Amersfoort:
jackal and griffion vulture
 
like it said up ther, south lakes is great for mixed exhibits and it makes perfect sense, but what is the most common mixed exhibit, id say tapir & capybara, aswell as african hoofstock
 
GouldianFinch said:
like it said up ther, south lakes is great for mixed exhibits and it makes perfect sense, but what is the most common mixed exhibit, id say tapir & capybara, aswell as african hoofstock
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Putting predator and prey (spectacled bear have recently been shown to feed on tapir and other large mammals) in mixed-species exhibits does not, in my book, make perfect sense. These enclosures will only ever work if careful research is done prior to the mix being attempted - something South Lakes seriously needs to take note of.
 
redpanda said:
Putting predator and prey (spectacled bear have recently been shown to feed on tapir and other large mammals) in mixed-species exhibits does not, in my book, make perfect sense. These enclosures will only ever work if careful research is done prior to the mix being attempted - something South Lakes seriously needs to take note of.
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i did not mean south lakes in particular when i said it makes perfect sense, i meant animals that live together in the wild, such as the exhibit at boras, with the ele's and the zebra. ect,

mixed exhibits is a risk, like you said with the spec bears and the tapir, i agree with you :)

i know this, as i have australian finches and i quite oftenly put species together in one flight, such as gouldians, stars and parrots, but as a result, the stars were much happier, but the parrots were loozing feathers

i then took the parrots out ans placed them into a single cage, they are now perfectly healthy and the stars and gouldians are still together...

:o
 
GouldianFinch said:
i did not mean south lakes in particular when i said it makes perfect sense, i meant animals that live together in the wild, such as the exhibit at boras, with the ele's and the zebra. ect,

mixed exhibits is a risk, like you said with the spec bears and the tapir, i agree with you :)

i know this, as i have australian finches and i quite oftenly put species together in one flight, such as gouldians, stars and parrots, but as a result, the stars were much happier, but the parrots were loozing feathers

i then took the parrots out ans placed them into a single cage, they are now perfectly healthy and the stars and gouldians are still together...

:o
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Sorry for the mis-understanding, I should have re-read the post before replying. Good to know that we agree.
 
Thanks to everyone reponding to my thread!

Comments on some of the examples given by you:

“The mixing of Rhino, Giraffe, and Baboon at Southlakes” (quoting forumster Vulpes) sounds exciting indeed! This makes perfect sense and I will have to check the gallery and see if I find any pictures of this. I will be very interested in how the barriers are constructed for a mix of this kind.

“I suppose californian sea lions and common hippos would be an unusual mix to be found at longleat safari park (UK)” (quoting forumster foz). What the hell is this?! Are you kidding?! This sounds totally weird and ridiculous?! Do tell us more!

"I have also read of (and seen photos of) a mixed exhibit for polar bears and arctic foxes, on the basis that they occur together in the wild and the foxes are quick enough to keep out of the way of the bears... (quoting forumster Chlidonias). This also sounds like a very bad idea. At what zoo is this mixing done?

Some of you mention examples of (and rightfully criticise) the mixing of bears with their potential prey. I totally agree and I am somewhat surprised that some zoos actually try out these combinations. Likewise when it comes to putting a number of species together just because they come from the same continent but never meet in the wild.

Another comment that I´d like to make is that I was very interested by Chlidonias´s reflections on the subject of mixed exhibits as such. Quote: "Sometimes mixed exhibits work, sometimes they don't, but in most cases the species are mixed for the benefit of the viewing public (or sometimes I guess due to space considerations in the zoo) not for the benefit of the animals." This is a very interesting comment. As for myself, I have in general regarded mixed exhibits as something good in itself - most often providing the animals with stimulus as well as extended surface to roam. I still believe in this, but mostly based on the examples that I have seen with my own eyes (and I have not visited nearly as many zoos as most other forumsters have). Would you like to expand a bit more on your arguments, Chlidonias?

Finally, getting back to my examples in my initial post:

Are the combinations at Borås really that unusual, then? No other zoos mixing African mammals like Borås does?

No other zoo mixing elephants with other species?

Again: thanks to everyone responding and feel free to expand on the subject of "mixed exhibits" in any way you like. I am interested in the subject as such and would appreciate any debate that it might inspire.
 
Dan said:
“I suppose californian sea lions and common hippos would be an unusual mix to be found at longleat safari park (UK)” (quoting forumster foz). What the hell is this?! Are you kidding?! This sounds totally weird and ridiculous?! Do tell us more!

.
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It's not an enclosure as such. Longleat has a lake named 'Half Mile Lake' which both the hippos and sealions share use of and (as far as I know) have seperate land areas and night quarters.

I'm sure some of the more regular Longleat visitors will be able to explain it better than I can.
 
Dan said:
No other zoo mixing elephants with other species?
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A german zoo has mixed african elephant with baboons, with some success.

My take on mixed exhibits is that the educational value rises if the animals mixed are from the same habitat. For most animals, I think that is less important. Even those who come from the same region are in most cases very unlikely to meet in the wild (some primate and hoof-stock species excluded).

I also believe that the extra space which often comes with the mixed exhibits benefit the animals, and the extra stimulus the other species might give can in some cases also be a form of enrichment, in other cases a form of stress.

On andean bears eating tapir; just because tapir hair was found in their feces, it does not mean that they hunt and kill tapir. Not defending the mix but if the tapirs aren't killed in those exhibits... well, then the bears might not hunt tapir. Bears are opportunists and given the chance they would off course eat a tapir carcass.
 
nicholas said:
On andean bears eating tapir; just because tapir hair was found in their feces, it does not mean that they hunt and kill tapir. Not defending the mix but if the tapirs aren't killed in those exhibits... well, then the bears might not hunt tapir. Bears are opportunists and given the chance they would off course eat a tapir carcass.
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There was a Natural World documentary a few years back where they found evidence for bears hunting tapirs as well as eating dead ones. Not sure whether it's been proved conclusively though, it was a long time ago. Either way, from what members of this forum have said the bears at south lakes do not give their neighbours an easy time and the male chases the tapir quite aggressively apparently.
 
One of the more surprising enclosures at the Giza Zoo in Egypt is a large aviary containing Greater spotted eagles, Golden eagles, Short-toed eagles, Lammergeiers, Griffon Vultures and Egyptian vultures. Historically, though similar combinations of raptors were commonly displayed together, few zoos continue with this lost 'tradition'.
 
nayer said:
One of the more surprising enclosures at the Giza Zoo in Egypt is a large aviary containing Greater spotted eagles, Golden eagles, Short-toed eagles, Lammergeiers, Griffon Vultures and Egyptian vultures. Historically, though similar combinations of raptors were commonly displayed together, few zoos continue with this lost 'tradition'.
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Berlin Tierpark has an astounding and enormous aviary with many species of raptors--at least 8 when I last visited, including King vultures and Eygptians
 
Dan said:
Another comment that I´d like to make is that I was very interested by Chlidonias´s reflections on the subject of mixed exhibits as such. Quote: "Sometimes mixed exhibits work, sometimes they don't, but in most cases the species are mixed for the benefit of the viewing public (or sometimes I guess due to space considerations in the zoo) not for the benefit of the animals." This is a very interesting comment. As for myself, I have in general regarded mixed exhibits as something good in itself - most often providing the animals with stimulus as well as extended surface to roam. I still believe in this, but mostly based on the examples that I have seen with my own eyes (and I have not visited nearly as many zoos as most other forumsters have). Would you like to expand a bit more on your arguments, Chlidonias?
Click to expand...
In my view very few mixed exhibits are constructed with the benefits for the animals in mind. It always seems to be the case of “this will look good for the public” or “this will save us cage-space”. The examples of mixed predator/prey species, as many of us point out, are certainly not done with any benefits for the animals. No doubt the predator (the lions with meerkats or bears with foxes) gets a great deal of enrichment out of it, but the lesser species would presumably be living under constant stress (at least until it was killed).

African savannah exhibits are very common and work well most of the time but they need to be arranged carefully. In one of my German zoo books there are photos of aggressive attacks between a Watussi bull and a zebra stallion in just such an exhibit. (I can’t remember which book, perhaps one by Hediger, and I’m thousands of kilometres away from my books right now). Granted Watussi cattle aren’t a wild species but the example can be used for various species. I chose African savannah to use as an example here because they are such a good mixed exhibit, but they need to be artificially managed (as in, for example, males of certain species need to be excluded to avoid inter-specific attacks), so they are hardly a “natural” display. Also you can readily see in most such exhibits that the animals are combined not for any benefits to them but because it looks nice and it saves on space if several species can be stuck in together. The result is a couple of giraffes, a few zebra and a motley crew of antelope, again hardly natural. I would contend that far more beneficial (for the animals) would be to have a proper grouping of giraffes or a real herd of one antelope species in the space provided.

Birds are probably the group most commonly used in mixed displays but even with these you often see quite ridiculous combinations, eg potentially predatory species such as hornbills mixed in large aviaries with things like pigeons that even if they don’t attack the adult birds would certainly snack on the eggs and young. Someone said on one of the other mixed exhibit threads (relating to birds) that not only the species but the individuals have to be suitable for mixing, which is absolutely true.

In case there’s any wrong understanding here, I’m all for mixed exhibits, I think they’re great BUT they have to be done with the animals’ welfare in mind. There don’t necessarily have to be benefits (in which case I guess you could say it’s a neutral exhibit) but there certainly need to be no bad effects involved.

ps, congratulations on spelling my forum-name correctly! Very few people do (“Childonias” is the most common variant I see) :)

Dan said:
"I have also read of (and seen photos of) a mixed exhibit for polar bears and arctic foxes, on the basis that they occur together in the wild and the foxes are quick enough to keep out of the way of the bears... (quoting forumster Chlidonias). This also sounds like a very bad idea. At what zoo is this mixing done?
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I can’t remember off the top of my head. Maybe someone else on here will have seen or heard of it, otherwise when I get back home I’ll have a go at looking it up
 
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