African Savannah Exhibits

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Shirokuma

Well-Known Member
It seems as if African savannah exhibits are becoming a compulsory element of any large zoo when it comes to exhibiting African mammals, especially ungulates.

I have heard criticism that they result in the mixing of incompatible species and present unrealistic combinations of animals. On the other hand there is no doubt that this is an attractive way of displaying African species.

What are your thoughts and which examples of these exhibits do you consider to be the most successful?
 
I would have to refer to my beloved example from Borås Zoo in Sweden, opened up circa 1965 and ever since then mixing elephant, white rhino, giraffe, zebra, caffer buffalo and various antelope species on a close to six acre big enclosure. I believe that all species shown in it meet in the wild - perhaps with the exception of this or the other antelope species that may have been exhibited in this enclosure during its 45year old existence. I have not heard about any problems with the concept.

There are some pictures in the gallery if you want to check them out.
 
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Marwell's latest venture, the African Valley, opened this year but has been many years in the making. Since John Knowles bought the site he saw the valley fields as an ideal site for a mixed African exhibit, and when a fifteen-year strategic plan was made in 1987 one of the final projects was to make this an 'African Bowl Exhibit', which never came into frutition until James Cretney took over leadership of the park in 2005, and set the African Valley as one of his key projects in the ten-year masterplan he formed.

Currently the Valley is about 25 acres in size and houses Giraffes, Grevy's Zebras, Ellipsen Waterbuck and Ostriches, centred around a waterhole and overlooked by a viewing area and restaraunt. In the future the valley will be increased to it's total size of about 45 acres and will house more animals to create a dynamic Kenyan landscape, and lions and hippos may be kept in enclosures within the valley. Due to it's huge size, a train or safari truck may one through it in the future.
 
port lympnes african experiance is over 100 acres big and houses giraffe, 2 zebra species, kudu, eland, ostrich, gnu, 2 MALE black rhino, a water buffalo, 3 female banteng (the male is kept in a separate paddock) and countless asian deer and antelope. It is so natural, the gnus have 2 separate groupes!
 
Cat-Man said:
port lympnes african experiance is over 100 acres big and houses giraffe, 2 zebra species, kudu, eland, ostrich, gnu, 2 MALE black rhino, a water buffalo, 3 female banteng (the male is kept in a separate paddock) and countless asian deer and antelope. It is so natural, the gnus have 2 separate groupes!
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How can it be an african experience with asian deer/antelope and banteng? :confused:
 
It also has bush dogs...
 
I see nothing wrong with mixing most African ungulates. They gather in water holes together and it has been proven that animals will often associate with giraffes since they can further distances. I might be cautious about exhibiting animals like Cape buffalo or black rhino with others due to aggression.
 
Apparentley Longleat once kept a group of Cape Buffalo with their Nile Hippos. I think the reason the buffs were removed was because they swam the lake and began grazing on the ornamental lawns, but I wonder how these two agressive herbivores got on.
 
Buffalo and hippos might do okay since the hippos would be in the water most of the time.
 
atually it is an asian water buffalo

the story of the asian species is that suplas animals from the deer park would be kept on the overlook, but when they introduced the african theme, i guess they could not be bothered to capture them up!
 
Toronto Zoo has been fairly successful in its mixing of grevy's zebra with a few species of larger african birds

Although they are usually peaceful, one african crowned crane was injured by a zebra foal a year or two ago
 
It will be interesting to see what the newer Savannah exhibits look like compared to the old. It's been a few years since anyone in the US has opened up a major Savannah exhibit. The next two I can think of include Dallas' Giants of the Savannah and Columbus' African Savannah. I believe there are a few more as well.

Note the Dallas exhibit does not include many ungulates, which might appear lacking to a zoo enthusiast but it is a very smart move for appeasing the average visitor who says "look another deer." Visitors will be far more interested in the main animals of the exhibit: elephants, giraffes, hunting dogs, and others.
 
Dallas will have a fair few "ungulates." Not every species is known yet, but the presence of a huge hoofstock barn indicates a lot of hoofstock. Giraffes, impala, zebra (I think Grevy's), warthogs, red river hogs have all been confirmed. Dallas' whole Wilds of Africa is set up in a biome setting. Each animal is in an appropriate biome (or at least every attempt is made for that). So you won't see any Addra Gazelles or Bongos in the Savanna. You will see at Dallas a lot of African hoofstock though.
 
I have heard that the Hogle Zoo is planning a savanna exhibit. They need one. The one they have is little and all I remember seeing were two Grevy's zebras and two gazelles.
 
elefante said:
I have heard that the Hogle Zoo is planning a savanna exhibit. They need one. The one they have is little and all I remember seeing were two Grevy's zebras and two gazelles.
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The area that is now the "African Savannah" is where the Arctic Edge exhibit will be built. The African Savannah exhibit that they are planning for further down the line will be built right at the front entrance of the zoo where the current "Discovery Land" is.
 
When is this Arctic Edge due to begin construction?
 
@Zoogoer2000 I don't know, I haven't found anything that mentions a definitive date.

@elefante Once again, I don't know, but more than likely they will be relocated to other parts of the zoo, or even more likely to other collections.
 
My favorite savannah exhibit I've ever seen is the big floodplain exhibit at Werribee Open Range Zoo and is probably a contender for best on the planet. It has a mixture of giraffe, white rhino, zebra, eland and waterbuck.
 
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