New Forest Wildlife Park in the UK has a walkthrough area with very tame(handreared?) Fallow & Sika females which seems very successful. But no (adult)males- far too dangerous at rutting time, particularly Sika Deer which seem to have rather less fear of people than most Deer species.
Walk through enclosures
- Thread starter J.simpkin
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New Forest Wildlife Park in the UK has a walkthrough area with very tame(handreared?) Fallow & Sika females which seems very successful. But no (adult)males- far too dangerous at rutting time, particularly Sika Deer which seem to have rather less fear of people than most Deer species.
Would male fallow and sika deer be very aggressive outside of the breeding season? I had always thought they were pretty docile.
The herd of sika deer I worked with were in a walk-through enclosure, and they were sound.....never any trouble. There were prairie dogs in there too, which was great fun for visitors.
Also seen walk-through areas with all the usual farm animals, loads of emu, wallabies, red kangaroo and lemurs.
We're planning on making a walk-though aviary out of a huge old polytunnel frame.....still debating what to have in there yet.
I wouldn't want to get too close to prairie dogs. I've heard they can carry the plague.
Are emus and red kangaroos pretty friendly? I would worry about a them kicking or a kangaroo deciding he wanted to box. Omaha is the only place I've seen a walk-through lemur exhibit. It was 103 degrees so they didn't want to come out and play.
I take it you work for a zoo?
Emus seem ok to me as many places in Australia have free range Emus, but they can appear aggressive if they think you have food. The worst I have seen an Emu do is peck off a button.
With Kangaroos mature males my need removing if they are very quiet. It is the ones with no fear of humans who will be dangerous.
Male Fallow deer are very good outside the rut. I used to own one who was dangerous only in the rut.
The Plague??? I don't think that's something we really have to worry about these days in the UK
Emus are great....dippy as all hell, but they're lovely creatures. Unlike ostriches, they can kick in all directions. So whereas it's relatively easy to catch and control an ostrich (so long as you stand to the side of it), you need to pounce on emus and wrestle 'em to the ground! Once got kicked in the knackers by one!!!
I used to work for a zoo. Now I have a fair few exotics at home, and work for an institution with a growing number of animals.....we're applying for a zoo license, but it won't ever be as grand as a proper zoo.
The Plague??? I don't think that's something we really have to worry about these days in the UK
Emus are great....dippy as all hell, but they're lovely creatures. Unlike ostriches, they can kick in all directions. So whereas it's relatively easy to catch and control an ostrich (so long as you stand to the side of it), you need to pounce on emus and wrestle 'em to the ground! Once got kicked in the knackers by one!!!
I used to work for a zoo. Now I have a fair few exotics at home, and work for an institution with a growing number of animals.....we're applying for a zoo license, but it won't ever be as grand as a proper zoo.
Plague in prairie dogs is what hurts black-footed ferret recovery in the western US. It wipes out the colonies pretty fast but I've heard if you're shooting them you aren't supposed to pick them up. Since I don't shoot prairie dogs I haven't experienced this personally.
Maybe over there (I wouldn't know), but we've not really had it here since the mid 1600's.....so I think we might be ok to chance prairie dogs
From the description of Sika Deer and Prairie Dogs I think its fairly evident which one.
Yes, they aren't normally aggressive outside of the Rut. However I think all deer have the potential to hurt people, particularly small children, under certain circumstances. Red Deer hinds, and stags when they are growing antlers, for example, settle disputes by striking each other with their forefeet or rear up and 'boxing'- if food was offered then witheld for example, by a child, they might do that in retaliation and the sharp hooves can certainly inflict nasty injury. Someone above said all ungulates(and that includes domestic and miniature sheep and goats) have the potential to be dangerous and I think that is very true, particularly in respect to small children.
Southwick's Zoo has a 35-acre "Deer Forest" where guests can walk through and feed the deer.
Deer Forest at Southwick's Zoo, Enjoy the Deer Forest in Mendon, MA
Deer Forest at Southwick's Zoo, Enjoy the Deer Forest in Mendon, MA
I have been hoping the Smithsonian National Zoo would add tamanduas to their free roaming exhibit on the second floor of Amazonia. However, if it's anything like their sloth, it be hard to spot most the time. And I would not want to be the kid who tries to touch it if it were on the trail. I wouldn't mess with those claws!
I think there was a zoo in Malaysia that does, or has tried, a walk-through exhibit for them. Not sure what zoo or if it was successful.
Burgers' Zoo in the Neterlands had a blue duiker and lesser mouse deer in Burger's Bush. They aren't there anymore but I don't know the reason for that. Now there are only Rodrigues flying foxes and Seba's short-tailed bats in there (with many birds, reptiles, amphimbians and some invertebrate species).
Safaripark Beekse Bergen had a big walk through enclosure with blackbucks and axis deer but I'm not sure if i't still there.
Safaripark Beekse Bergen had a big walk through enclosure with blackbucks and axis deer but I'm not sure if i't still there.
Bizarrely, there are now two threads about the same thing on Zoochat!
Walk-through tamanduas are also in Singapore zoo.
At least one Alpine zoo (Innsbruck?) has a walk-through Alpine Ibex exhibit. I think wild goats and sheep are ideal animals for walk-through exhibits and controlled public feeding. Many species are endangered (eg. markhor and urial) and need more zoo spaces, they are also hardy, breed very well, and husbandry is very similar to domestic stock.
Walk-through tamanduas are also in Singapore zoo.
At least one Alpine zoo (Innsbruck?) has a walk-through Alpine Ibex exhibit. I think wild goats and sheep are ideal animals for walk-through exhibits and controlled public feeding. Many species are endangered (eg. markhor and urial) and need more zoo spaces, they are also hardy, breed very well, and husbandry is very similar to domestic stock.
I'd love to see blackbucks and axis deer in a walk-through enclosure.
Mesker Park Zoo has a Sitatunga/White Stork walk-through exhibit.
http://www.zoochat.com/873/africa-walk-through-sitatunga-white-stork-171872/
http://www.zoochat.com/873/africa-walk-through-sitatunga-white-stork-171872/
Adult males of wild goat species can be rather aggressive (towards humans too), are quite large and with their weapons... easily able to seriously injure a person. There are also cases where mixed wild goat–deer exhibits had to be divided because of aggression. It may exist but I don't remember seeing a walk-through exhibit that included adult males of a wild goat species and I doubt it would be a good idea. Might work with a castrated male but that obviously inhibits breeding.
I think it's fair to say that any ungulate that has lost its natural wariness of humans can be potentially dangerous. Even female deer & goats can be a bit pushy if the food runs out. Castrated domestic goats can be unpleasantly 'playful' and can knock you over. Hand-reared animals of any species, if not very carefully socialised to their own kind, can be difficult; there is a saying 'pet lamb, spoilt ram'.
Having said that, Prinknash Abbey Bird Park has some very charming Fallow does that you can hand feed in what is otherwise a waterfowl walk-through.
The old Pheasant Lawn at the Pheasant Trust [I'm going back to the
1970s here] was a walk-through devoted to cock pheasants of several species, including Blue Peafowl. The idea was, that with no hens in sight, there would be no fighting among the birds. I'm not sure if this worked long-term. What I do know is that such an unlikely bird as a Germain's Peacock Pheasant in a local walk-through tropical house, started attacking people and had to be removed. Most cock pheasants, once they get tame, can get aggressive with people.
Having said that, Prinknash Abbey Bird Park has some very charming Fallow does that you can hand feed in what is otherwise a waterfowl walk-through.
The old Pheasant Lawn at the Pheasant Trust [I'm going back to the
1970s here] was a walk-through devoted to cock pheasants of several species, including Blue Peafowl. The idea was, that with no hens in sight, there would be no fighting among the birds. I'm not sure if this worked long-term. What I do know is that such an unlikely bird as a Germain's Peacock Pheasant in a local walk-through tropical house, started attacking people and had to be removed. Most cock pheasants, once they get tame, can get aggressive with people.