Animal escapes and enclosure security

[nrg800]

And most places that free-roam Peacocks clip their wings. At least I'd hope so

My local zoo (Taronga Zoo) has free-ranging Peacocks and I do see them outside of the zoo grounds...

I think for birds without safety such as a cage clipping their wings isn't a good thing, especially when there are lots of irresponsible kids (and adults) who would stress the hell out of bird with clipped wings if they could.

Also I think the main fun in the free-roaming peacocks is that you have no idea where you're going to see them, you can see them anywhere, the in Bear enclosure, ontop of the Condors, with Giraffes and countless other places. This, to me, is so much more exciting than just seeing them in set area for them.

Just my two cents.

~Nathan

 

[findi]

Hi Nathan,

I agree - peafowl at the Bx Zoo are good at avoiding people and run fast, but flight is impt; also, they need to roost in trees at night to avoid predators (coyotes have even made it into the Bx Zoo in recent years!); Yes, fun to see them in unexpected places - in my early years at the zoo, I was shocked by a female roosting very high one dark dawn - thought it was an oversized great-horned owl...best, Frank

 

[Meaghan Edwards]

I often see Toronto's peafowl free-flying hanging around or on the Indonesia pavillion and area, often in largeish flocks. At least they have a basic idea of geographical correctness I've yet to see them in Eurasia, Americas or the Canadian Domain or Tundra Trek. I think once I saw them by the African pavillion, towards the outdoor gorilla area but not the Savannah.

When the zoo had them, Mara liked to get out too. And there was a Red Panda who had escaped at least twice, I think when the electricity to the electric barrier was shorted.

 

[findi]

Ours at the Bronx Zoo mainly stayed on the African Plains, where an aged Maribou Stork would pick off straying chicks; our mara had an amzing burrow system, stayed out all winter but seemed content not to wande, best, Frank

 

[PAT]

Melbourne Zoo also has a large flock (about 20) of helmeted guinea fowl. They're meant to be in the African Savannah but end up all over the place, like the Australian Bush section, around the tortoise exhibit and hanging around the picnic lawns.

 

[Jabiru96]

Melbourne Zoo also has a large flock (about 20) of helmeted guinea fowl. They're meant to be in the African Savannah but end up all over the place, like the Australian Bush section, around the tortoise exhibit and hanging around the picnic lawns.

Same with Taronga. I have seen them as far away from the African section as the current temporary chimp exhibit which is quite a fair distance.

Taronga also has free raging peacock, which seem to enjoy flying into the Kodiak Bear exhibit (luckily the bear is very old). The Auburn Botanical Gardens (or whatever it is called) also has free ranging peacock, and I have seen them across the road from the park.

 

[kufri zoo india]

it is common thigh but somewhere the carelessness is also there

So here in the US, this has been quite the hot topic lately. In the Bronx zoo, everyone has definitely heard about the Cobra escape. A week later, they had a Peacock escape... I believe they free-roam their Peacocks... and it turned up a while later off zoo grounds. So this begs the obvious question... what level of animal security is enough? And how much was being implimented with these situations? Obviously it has happened before, I mean think how often animals must get out, only to be found a few hours later, and it's never reported. But if you have ever been behind-the-scenes of any zoo or aquarium, especially a high-profile one like the Bronx, you'd know it's pretty much harder to get into an enclosure, especially a venomous reptile enclosure, than to get into the safe deposit at a bank. From what I remember hearing, the Cobra was in a sliding glass-door cage. For those who aren't into reptiles, it would look something like this - http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/po/110515/133r2/0369l07_26.jpeg
Now of course, there would be some kind of locking mechanism on the cage. It seems pretty escape-proof. So obviously it was either left unlocked or there was a weak point in the cage that wasn't discovered by staff. As far as the Peacock, how it would be able to exit zoo grounds, is beyond me. Of course there are staff at every entrance/exit gate, and if you have ever been to the Bronx zoo, you will see that they have attendants at the entrance to the parking lot, as well. I know of other places that free-roam Peacocks and other fowl, and I don't recall any escapes, definitely not ones that took several hours to recapture the animal. I have a bit of a "concern" that these huge animal escapes don't help the progression that zoos have made in education over the last few decades.
I apologize if that came off as a bit rant-y, but I guess this is more of a discussion than it is a question. What do you guys think?

it is common phenomena in most of the zoos. During march 2010 one leopard also escape from the our Rescue and Rehabilitation center and was recaptured after six hours