Who knows how big were these exhibits and did they work?
In Bremenhaven, AFAIK, polar bears were never mixed with foxes for any longer length of time.
Mixed species exhibits #2
- Thread starter Ungulata
- Start date
Who knows how big were these exhibits and did they work?
In Bremenhaven, AFAIK, polar bears were never mixed with foxes for any longer length of time.
I had once idea to have diurnal and nocturnal animal on the same exhibit on 12 hour time shifts.
Many mammals are really 99-100% nocturnal in the wild e.g. malayan tapir, wombat, small cats and many other small predators. Perhaps without disturbance by people's activity, they naturally only occassionally sunbathe by day. Maybe it would be better to give them small sleeping place on good visitors view for a day and free run to a large area at night?
So a cage with monkeys by day and cat sp. or binturong or pig sp. by night...
lemurs by day and fossa at night...
paddock with camels or deer by day and tapir or babirussa at night...
Many mammals are really 99-100% nocturnal in the wild e.g. malayan tapir, wombat, small cats and many other small predators. Perhaps without disturbance by people's activity, they naturally only occassionally sunbathe by day. Maybe it would be better to give them small sleeping place on good visitors view for a day and free run to a large area at night?
So a cage with monkeys by day and cat sp. or binturong or pig sp. by night...
lemurs by day and fossa at night...
paddock with camels or deer by day and tapir or babirussa at night...
@Jurek7: I actually think that you've got a great idea there, and it would be something original and unheard of in a zoo before. Maybe we need more Night Safaris like the collection in Singapore. It's true that a huge percentage of all mammals are mainly nocturnal in the wild.
I'm sure there is some zoos doing this. I remember a zoobeat member mentioning an exhibit shared by aardvarks and warthogs where one had access during the day and the other during the night. It was on the Aardvark thread.
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@^Chris^: Yepp, that's at Prague Zoo.
@ Sun Wukong, OK, I turn back a bit to the elephants & hyraxes theme. You wrote that habitat displays currently are 'in' in zoo masterplans, and systematical displays is 'out'. Yes, the idea that place closely relative taxons side by side in a zoo, is currently outdated. The habitat displays are more appropriate animal display technic nowadays, you are right. But: as I had been mentioned previously, this corcerning to the animal display technics which has animals in separate enclosures. For example the Pachyderm House at Tierpark Berlin Friedrichsfelde - as you referred previously – another theme, because this relative taxons (like elephants and manatees for example) are not live in mixed exhibits. Yes, this combination would not only work badly from lots of aspects, but animals are not from the same habitat, too. Taxonomy aspects in mixed exhibits is an other theme, not the same that you were mentioned. Return to the elephants and hyraxes: these species origin from the same region, and inside this from the same habitat, too. Elephants and hyraxes have the possibility to contact (or just meet) each other in the nature (obviously at the kopje-part at the savanna habitat). So this combination quite as much a good habitat display, not 'just' a taxonomical display. So this coexistence is not condemnable from the aspect that this is 'just a systematical animal display'. But this combination just one example. I didn’t say that all the mixed exhibits should have sytematical aspects. I rather emphasized other connections beetween species. So I think it is a better way in animal displays, that animals (for example connecting with the mixed-species enclosures) not just origin from the same habitat, but they have some other connections. It is much more educational than the visitors just can see animals which come from similar or the same habitat.
Please sign me if I my message difficult to understand because of my wrong compose …
About the fencing: yes, hyraxes are excellent jumpers and climbers. The barrier in the case of this species must be at least 2 metres height; but an other thing: it will be possible, that hyraxes don’t want to leave their kopjes inside the enclosure, even if they have the possibility to escape (like the Praire dog exhibit at Veszprem zoo, where animals are not closed into an enclosure, they have the chance to leave the area, but they don’t take this). By the way the hyraxes escaping ability should be test beforehand ...
This is my opinion and certainly it doesn’t mean that I ignore Your report on this theme; on the contrary I’m glad for Your constructive criticism.
About the enclosure at Zoo Praha which had been mentioned previously: aardvarks use the outside enclosure with an other species, yes, but not with warthogs. Aardvarks use the outdoor area in shift with Red river hogs - certainly aardvarks during the night – as that had been mentioned by Jana on the 'Aardvark' thread. But it should be a better solution that rotating aardvarks and warthogs, because warthogs commonly utilize aardvarks’ holes for sleeping during the night in the wild. This is one of the connections between species what I mentioned beforehand. But this theme would be an other thread, like ‘Rotational ExhibitsÀÂ. Do you think it is worth to open a new thread for this?
Please sign me if I my message difficult to understand because of my wrong compose …
About the fencing: yes, hyraxes are excellent jumpers and climbers. The barrier in the case of this species must be at least 2 metres height; but an other thing: it will be possible, that hyraxes don’t want to leave their kopjes inside the enclosure, even if they have the possibility to escape (like the Praire dog exhibit at Veszprem zoo, where animals are not closed into an enclosure, they have the chance to leave the area, but they don’t take this). By the way the hyraxes escaping ability should be test beforehand ...
This is my opinion and certainly it doesn’t mean that I ignore Your report on this theme; on the contrary I’m glad for Your constructive criticism.
About the enclosure at Zoo Praha which had been mentioned previously: aardvarks use the outside enclosure with an other species, yes, but not with warthogs. Aardvarks use the outdoor area in shift with Red river hogs - certainly aardvarks during the night – as that had been mentioned by Jana on the 'Aardvark' thread. But it should be a better solution that rotating aardvarks and warthogs, because warthogs commonly utilize aardvarks’ holes for sleeping during the night in the wild. This is one of the connections between species what I mentioned beforehand. But this theme would be an other thread, like ‘Rotational ExhibitsÀÂ. Do you think it is worth to open a new thread for this?
CZJimmy, I haven't seen this thread yet ... so thanks for that ...
According to my information source Polar bears & Arctic foxes had been mixed at Bremerhaven, but I haven’t got any information about how successful it is and how long it is/was exist, but I think this combination would be successful in a large and well designed enclosure. But it worth to mention that Polar bears don’t have the same temperament like Brown bears for example.
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@Orycteropus: Thanks for Your post. So the bottom line of Your post is that zoos should try to keep animals of similar taxonomy background and if possible, similar habitat background, in mixed species exhibits, right? Let me shortly answer to that.
1. There are only a few examples where this could work, with elphants being of the trickiest species to combine with others (OK, not as tricky as say big cats, great apes or polar bears, but tricky neverless). Additionally, in the case of closer related species, there could arise several disadvantages (like hybridisation, disease transfer, increased interspecific aggression, etc.). All in all, taxonomy as an ulterior motive in an otherwise habitat-based mixed species exhibit is only possible in a very small number of combinations.
2. All elephant houses I know (and that are quite a bunch now) would never be able to confine hyraxes-simply due to the parts of the exhibits/buildings for the routine of the staff. It could be tried, nevertheless, to integrate hyraxes in an elephant enclosure design (with the hyraxes mainly living on the rocks seperating parts of the elephant enclosure etc.), but whether it would work-? I'd give it a try...
3. Cape hyraxes living in kopjes would have a hard time to actually really meet African Bush elephants in the wild. The other term for kopje, " inselberg"- island mountain-actually states why: only a few elephants should be interested in climbing up granite formations-even though elephants aren't that bad at climbing...
Man, I skipped ^Chris^'s mentioned warthogs; of course it's Red river Hogs; have been to(and enjoyed) that particular constellation at Prague myself a few years ago.
1. There are only a few examples where this could work, with elphants being of the trickiest species to combine with others (OK, not as tricky as say big cats, great apes or polar bears, but tricky neverless). Additionally, in the case of closer related species, there could arise several disadvantages (like hybridisation, disease transfer, increased interspecific aggression, etc.). All in all, taxonomy as an ulterior motive in an otherwise habitat-based mixed species exhibit is only possible in a very small number of combinations.
2. All elephant houses I know (and that are quite a bunch now) would never be able to confine hyraxes-simply due to the parts of the exhibits/buildings for the routine of the staff. It could be tried, nevertheless, to integrate hyraxes in an elephant enclosure design (with the hyraxes mainly living on the rocks seperating parts of the elephant enclosure etc.), but whether it would work-? I'd give it a try...
3. Cape hyraxes living in kopjes would have a hard time to actually really meet African Bush elephants in the wild. The other term for kopje, " inselberg"- island mountain-actually states why: only a few elephants should be interested in climbing up granite formations-even though elephants aren't that bad at climbing...
Man, I skipped ^Chris^'s mentioned warthogs; of course it's Red river Hogs; have been to(and enjoyed) that particular constellation at Prague myself a few years ago.
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Sorry, that was my memory not quite recalling the facts exactly right. I wasn't too far off! The example you mentioned was definitely the one I was thinking of though, thanks for the info.
Right at the beginning of this thread (page 2) I asked about other mixed nocturnal exhibits and Jurek7 mentioned some other examples of aardvarks being mixed.
@ Sun Wukong… No, no … the bottom line of my post is not that zoos should try to keep animals of similar taxonomy background and if possible, similar habitat background, in mixed species exhibits. This is just a possibitily in some cases. Certainly the main requirements to mixing species in captivity is the same habitat origin of the animals, and if we have some more connections (not just taxonomical), we would create a more spectacular and educational based exhibit. Certainly and obviously this is not work all the mixing cases, and to mixing with systematically is just one solution if it is possible, like elephants & hyraxes. As You said there are not a lot of examples to create mixed exhibits like this: 'All in all, taxonomy as an ulterior motive in an otherwise habitat-based mixed species exhibit is only possible in a very small number of combinations.' This is correct, but just in case if we think of lots of different taxons. Take an example: African savanna exhibits which house a lots of ungulate species are very common is many zoos worldwide. These captive habitats also have the taxonomical and the 'same habitat' aspects, too. It is worth to mention that these ungulates much more closely related each other than elephants and hyraxes. Or think about the Primates, lots of mixing is work with them. So these are common sights in zoos, and these species (mentioned beforehand) relatively look like very similar. But is not true for the elephants and hyraxes, and this fact would be take this mixing very interesting for visitors.
Elephant and hyrax meeting in the wild is not very infrequent event. And something about to create kopjes inside the elephant enclosure: it would be done such the elephants have no possibility to climbing up these rock formations.
But as I mentioned I don’t think that taxonomy is the best connection between species to exhibit them together. For example, what do you think about the followings? Just an idea: mixing Aardvarks and Bat-eared foxes in a nocturnal habitat on the occasion of their similar foodsource. In addition there would be other species in this exhibit, but separated, like hedgehogs, Senagal bushbaby (for example in a walk-thru part of this exhibit). These species belong to different taxa, but adopted for a very similar foodsource: all of these animals are african nocturnal (mainly) insect-feeders. And as well as artificial termit mounds (and may be other insect exhibits) would add to this theme (may be in front of the mixed exhibit) which make the life of this insects known for the visitors…. So I mean connections between species in this way, too …
And some mixing with Aardvarks:
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo keep their Aardvarks with African brush-tailed porcupines, Meerkats, and bush babies. They had them with Springhaas as well previously, but the Springhaas got stepped on by the Aardvarks. Aardvarks & Springhaas combination worked in Berlin Zoo in the past (currently I don’t know). About the Aardvark & Aardwolf combination: there was some stress between these species because the Aardwolf went into the Aardvarks' burrows. Apart from this no other trouble was observed. I think the Aardvarks & Bat-eared foxes combination would work better, because Bat-eared foxes are smaller than Aardwolves. Certainly it doesn’t mean that this combination would be succesful, just in case of animals are not under stress, and certainly with appropriate isolation opportunities if it is necessary.
And somewhere aardvarks live together with mongoose lemurs, and some kind of bat species, and another location with small antilopes; and with a kind of guenon species.
There are some mixing had been mentioned on the Aardvark thread, I don’t repeat thats.
Elephant and hyrax meeting in the wild is not very infrequent event. And something about to create kopjes inside the elephant enclosure: it would be done such the elephants have no possibility to climbing up these rock formations.
But as I mentioned I don’t think that taxonomy is the best connection between species to exhibit them together. For example, what do you think about the followings? Just an idea: mixing Aardvarks and Bat-eared foxes in a nocturnal habitat on the occasion of their similar foodsource. In addition there would be other species in this exhibit, but separated, like hedgehogs, Senagal bushbaby (for example in a walk-thru part of this exhibit). These species belong to different taxa, but adopted for a very similar foodsource: all of these animals are african nocturnal (mainly) insect-feeders. And as well as artificial termit mounds (and may be other insect exhibits) would add to this theme (may be in front of the mixed exhibit) which make the life of this insects known for the visitors…. So I mean connections between species in this way, too …
And some mixing with Aardvarks:
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo keep their Aardvarks with African brush-tailed porcupines, Meerkats, and bush babies. They had them with Springhaas as well previously, but the Springhaas got stepped on by the Aardvarks. Aardvarks & Springhaas combination worked in Berlin Zoo in the past (currently I don’t know). About the Aardvark & Aardwolf combination: there was some stress between these species because the Aardwolf went into the Aardvarks' burrows. Apart from this no other trouble was observed. I think the Aardvarks & Bat-eared foxes combination would work better, because Bat-eared foxes are smaller than Aardwolves. Certainly it doesn’t mean that this combination would be succesful, just in case of animals are not under stress, and certainly with appropriate isolation opportunities if it is necessary.
And somewhere aardvarks live together with mongoose lemurs, and some kind of bat species, and another location with small antilopes; and with a kind of guenon species.
There are some mixing had been mentioned on the Aardvark thread, I don’t repeat thats.
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@Orycteropus:
1. "Certainly the main requirements to mixing species in captivity is the same habitat origin of the animals" Actually, the main requirement is that they live alongside each other without causing any troubles for the staff, the visitors or themselves. Correct zoogeographical mixing is a rather novel aspect-and Hellabrunn as its first example shows in its current state how laxly and inconsistently this is practiced in many zoos.
2. Even though many of the larger African herbivores are member of the Bovidae family, this is not actually the perfect lead theme for most visitors. The combination of, say, dik-diks, Thomson's and Eland to illustrate the different habitat adaption of members of one family, would be a nice approach, yet I'm pretty sure most visitors wouldn't get it. It'd need quite a more thoughtful presentation to achieve the desired effect.
3. I would be careful when mixing too many different primate species (even though the Cologne example might pop up); think of the mentioned danger of interspecific aggression (including chronic stress caused by dominating individuals/species), hybridisation and disease transfer.
4. Elephants, at least some individuals, can be pretty touchy when it comes to smaller mammals scurrying past them. I recall reading about one incident where an elephant killed all the free-flying flying foxes in its enclosure. Elephants climbing the rocks would be my least fear; elephants smashing hyraxes and hyraxes escaping via the staff areas would be my primary concerns... I still prefer Dvur Kralove's and Tierpark Friedrichsfeld's solution: keep them closeby, yet seperated; makes things a lot easier for all involved (including the vet, when trying to get to the hyraxes...)
5. I wouldn't give Bat-Eared foxes even the slightest chance to have access to Bushbabies or hedgehogs; even though this species is mainly insectivorous, it might take a chance trying out some other smallish, fast moving critter...That assumption of mine is supported by watching Bat-Eared Foxes in zoos obviously enjoying small rodents and poultry. BTW: The danger of a similar diet is also jealousy about food-with all its dire consequences-think of fat, hungry people at an "All-You-Can-Eat"-buffet, and You know what I mean...
Bat-eared foxes & African Rhinos-now that would be an interesting mix.
6. Can't recall the bushbabies being mixed with the meerkats at Omaha...
1. "Certainly the main requirements to mixing species in captivity is the same habitat origin of the animals" Actually, the main requirement is that they live alongside each other without causing any troubles for the staff, the visitors or themselves. Correct zoogeographical mixing is a rather novel aspect-and Hellabrunn as its first example shows in its current state how laxly and inconsistently this is practiced in many zoos.
2. Even though many of the larger African herbivores are member of the Bovidae family, this is not actually the perfect lead theme for most visitors. The combination of, say, dik-diks, Thomson's and Eland to illustrate the different habitat adaption of members of one family, would be a nice approach, yet I'm pretty sure most visitors wouldn't get it. It'd need quite a more thoughtful presentation to achieve the desired effect.
3. I would be careful when mixing too many different primate species (even though the Cologne example might pop up); think of the mentioned danger of interspecific aggression (including chronic stress caused by dominating individuals/species), hybridisation and disease transfer.
4. Elephants, at least some individuals, can be pretty touchy when it comes to smaller mammals scurrying past them. I recall reading about one incident where an elephant killed all the free-flying flying foxes in its enclosure. Elephants climbing the rocks would be my least fear; elephants smashing hyraxes and hyraxes escaping via the staff areas would be my primary concerns...
I still prefer Dvur Kralove's and Tierpark Friedrichsfeld's solution: keep them closeby, yet seperated; makes things a lot easier for all involved (including the vet, when trying to get to the hyraxes...)5. I wouldn't give Bat-Eared foxes even the slightest chance to have access to Bushbabies or hedgehogs; even though this species is mainly insectivorous, it might take a chance trying out some other smallish, fast moving critter...That assumption of mine is supported by watching Bat-Eared Foxes in zoos obviously enjoying small rodents and poultry. BTW: The danger of a similar diet is also jealousy about food-with all its dire consequences-think of fat, hungry people at an "All-You-Can-Eat"-buffet, and You know what I mean...
Bat-eared foxes & African Rhinos-now that would be an interesting mix.
6. Can't recall the bushbabies being mixed with the meerkats at Omaha...
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@ Sun Wukong: I agree with You what You said about mixed exhibits with ungulates or primates. I had just mentioned these examples because there are lots of mixing in zoos which keep closely related species together. Yes, creating mixed exhibits with primate species is a particular fragile theme.
You a bit misunderstood what I wrote. I wrote about Aardvarks & Bat-eared foxes mixing, and in addition separate area for the other mentioned species. Aardvark & Aardwolf combination works well apart from the fact I was mentioned, so I think there wouldn’t be problem with jealousy about food.
About elephants & hyraxes (again): yes, there would be some problems with this combination, but thinking of the African elephants & Hamadryas baboons mixed-species exhibit in Safari Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands. This enclosure designed lots of rocks where baboons easily access to but elephants don’t.
Otherwise I like the idea that mixing Bat-eared foxes with ungulates, like in Los Angeles Zoo, where these foxes lived together with Bongos and Yellow-backed duikers. If I know correctly this mixing doesn’t exist in this form already because the duikers died out, but there weren’t any problems with this combination (virtually this mixed exhibit wasn’t too big, it was about 1000 square metres).
Bat-eared foxes & Rhinos: is it just an imagination from You or have You heard anything about that? I ask that because a realtively young zoo in the Netherlands just now plan to create this combination with these foxes and Southern white rhinos …
Reply to Your last sentence: sorry, how do You mean that? I wrote the followings: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo keep their Aardvarks with African brush-tailed porcupines, Meerkats, and bush babies.
And an other theme: I saw a photo of White rhino & Black-backed jackal were together in an indoor enclosure somewhere. Does anybody know which zoo tried this combination?
You a bit misunderstood what I wrote. I wrote about Aardvarks & Bat-eared foxes mixing, and in addition separate area for the other mentioned species. Aardvark & Aardwolf combination works well apart from the fact I was mentioned, so I think there wouldn’t be problem with jealousy about food.
About elephants & hyraxes (again
): yes, there would be some problems with this combination, but thinking of the African elephants & Hamadryas baboons mixed-species exhibit in Safari Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands. This enclosure designed lots of rocks where baboons easily access to but elephants don’t.Otherwise I like the idea that mixing Bat-eared foxes with ungulates, like in Los Angeles Zoo, where these foxes lived together with Bongos and Yellow-backed duikers. If I know correctly this mixing doesn’t exist in this form already because the duikers died out, but there weren’t any problems with this combination (virtually this mixed exhibit wasn’t too big, it was about 1000 square metres).
Bat-eared foxes & Rhinos: is it just an imagination from You or have You heard anything about that? I ask that because a realtively young zoo in the Netherlands just now plan to create this combination with these foxes and Southern white rhinos …
Reply to Your last sentence: sorry, how do You mean that? I wrote the followings: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo keep their Aardvarks with African brush-tailed porcupines, Meerkats, and bush babies.
And an other theme: I saw a photo of White rhino & Black-backed jackal were together in an indoor enclosure somewhere. Does anybody know which zoo tried this combination?
Ohhh, I forgot this: What had happened in Cologne? I think I didn't hear from the event what You thought about ... Thanks
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@Orycteropus: No, I don't think I misunderstood You. You wrote:
"In addition there would be other species in this exhibit [sic!], but separated[how?], like hedgehogs, Senagal bushbaby (for example in a walk-thru part of this exhibit)." The reference to "seperate" doesn't state that they are in different enclosures-You just added that info in Your last post...
Therefore, as I had on the one side problems to imagine a convincing scenario which keeps said species in the same exhibit but seperated (tiny bars?) and on the other side know of the perseverance of wild carnivores when it comes to hunting possible prey, I did (and still do) think clashes between said foxes and bushbabies/hedgehogs are bound to happen...The latter is also true for walk-through exhibits and bushbabies...
Nothing happened recently at Cologne Zoo beside the usual elephant sparring with another elephant; I was referring to the New World Monkey Building and its species mixing there.
Baboons are one thing; hyraxes, especially in the scenario You envisioned, another.
I have been to Omaha Zoo; according to my memory (and my video recorder), the bushbaby and porcupine were not kept together with the meerkats.
The jackal-rhino combination at Münster does no longer exist.
Just because the aardwolf-aardwark-combi worked (more or less), this doesn't have to be true for the fox-combi; jealousy about food or eating the food intended for the other species is a common problem in mixed-species exhibits, as You most likely know.
"In addition there would be other species in this exhibit [sic!], but separated[how?], like hedgehogs, Senagal bushbaby (for example in a walk-thru part of this exhibit)." The reference to "seperate" doesn't state that they are in different enclosures-You just added that info in Your last post...
Therefore, as I had on the one side problems to imagine a convincing scenario which keeps said species in the same exhibit but seperated (tiny bars?) and on the other side know of the perseverance of wild carnivores when it comes to hunting possible prey, I did (and still do) think clashes between said foxes and bushbabies/hedgehogs are bound to happen...The latter is also true for walk-through exhibits and bushbabies...
Nothing happened recently at Cologne Zoo beside the usual elephant sparring with another elephant; I was referring to the New World Monkey Building and its species mixing there.
Baboons are one thing; hyraxes, especially in the scenario You envisioned, another.
I have been to Omaha Zoo; according to my memory (and my video recorder), the bushbaby and porcupine were not kept together with the meerkats.
The jackal-rhino combination at Münster does no longer exist.
Just because the aardwolf-aardwark-combi worked (more or less), this doesn't have to be true for the fox-combi; jealousy about food or eating the food intended for the other species is a common problem in mixed-species exhibits, as You most likely know.
@ Sun Wukong: sorry for the misunderstood again. I wrote at the first time about Aardvarks & Bat-eared foxes mixing, and in the same exbibit (not enclosure), separated! the above mentioned species. So I mean under 'separated' that they wouldn't live in the same enclosure…
About jealousy about food in mixed-species exhibits: yes, this is a usual problem in mixed exhibits, and not the only, I know well… but think about the examples again that were mentioned previously (like ungulates or primates species) and etc ..; these species use to a very similar (or the same in lots of cases) food in captivity and combinations work well (more or less), as you said. But on the ground of this criteria there are much less mixed exhibits would be created. Certainly I understand what you say.
Unfortunately I have never been at Omaha Zoo, but I received the information from this zoo about just 3 weeks ago that they have this coexistence with the four mentioned species being kept together currently.
Thanks for the info about rhino & jackal mixing. Could You tell me please why this combination no longer exist? What kind of mixed exhibits have you seen at Omaha?
About jealousy about food in mixed-species exhibits: yes, this is a usual problem in mixed exhibits, and not the only, I know well… but think about the examples again that were mentioned previously (like ungulates or primates species) and etc ..; these species use to a very similar (or the same in lots of cases) food in captivity and combinations work well (more or less), as you said. But on the ground of this criteria there are much less mixed exhibits would be created. Certainly I understand what you say.
Unfortunately I have never been at Omaha Zoo, but I received the information from this zoo about just 3 weeks ago that they have this coexistence with the four mentioned species being kept together currently.
Thanks for the info about rhino & jackal mixing. Could You tell me please why this combination no longer exist? What kind of mixed exhibits have you seen at Omaha?
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
@Orycteropus: No problem. I saw bushbabies and meerkats seperated at Omaha; don't know whether they combined them now, but both had seperated enclosures big enough for each of them. Omaha had plenty of mixed species exhibits; among them, at the nocturnal house, there was one with a paca, two species of armadillo, two-clawed sloths, tamandua and Coendous all mixed together, one with gars, ducks, snapping turtles, beavers, cichlids, one with raccoons and alligators as well as various species of Megachiroptera mixed together. The Desert Dome had Black-tailed jack rabbit
together with prarie dogs and gila monsters mixed together with chuckwallas and various other lizards. The Lied Jungle had among others, Pinché Tamarins, GLTs, squirrel monkeys, and spider monkeys together with a Baird tapir and arapaimas, (though part of these species were seperated from each other by water mounds and hidden fences), lar gibbons together with Small oriental otters; Orang-Utans were kept together with Agile gibbons, lowland gorillas together with Egyptian Geese and Diana monkeys.
The Münster combination had to make room for a new rhino & meerkat (yet not mixed!) exhibit.
Jealousy about food is a big thing in these particular species You mentioned, as certain animals tend to defend the food source from other species. Quite often, members of one species combine forces against another due to this.
together with prarie dogs and gila monsters mixed together with chuckwallas and various other lizards. The Lied Jungle had among others, Pinché Tamarins, GLTs, squirrel monkeys, and spider monkeys together with a Baird tapir and arapaimas, (though part of these species were seperated from each other by water mounds and hidden fences), lar gibbons together with Small oriental otters; Orang-Utans were kept together with Agile gibbons, lowland gorillas together with Egyptian Geese and Diana monkeys.
The Münster combination had to make room for a new rhino & meerkat (yet not mixed!) exhibit.
Jealousy about food is a big thing in these particular species You mentioned, as certain animals tend to defend the food source from other species. Quite often, members of one species combine forces against another due to this.
Thanks!
Raccoons and alligators together at the same enclosure at Omaha? Doesn't this a bit dangerous for the Raccoons?
And what do you think about this Rhino & Meerkat combination what you mentioned?
Raccoons and alligators together at the same enclosure at Omaha? Doesn't this a bit dangerous for the Raccoons?
And what do you think about this Rhino & Meerkat combination what you mentioned?
Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
Red Pandas and Crocodiles at Bangkok!