Carnivores in mixed exhibits

Woah! Wolves are major predators of beavers in the wild. How does this not cause issues?
Maybe the range of the beaver? It’s a fantastic exhibit with also eagles mixed with waterfowl and song birds and maybe ravens? I still question how the zoo did it.
 
Woah! Wolves are major predators of beavers in the wild. How does this not cause issues?
Maybe the range of the beaver? It’s a fantastic exhibit with also eagles mixed with waterfowl and song birds and maybe ravens? I still question how the zoo did it.
Zoolex description: ZooLex Exhibit - Wolf WiIderness

The pool's edge extends 30 cm out and 35 cm above the water surface to keep the beavers from exiting the pool. All fencing has a 1.8 m return 30 cm under ground to prevent digging. All mesh is 5 x 5 cm black vinyl and extends from 30 cm below ground to 3.35 m high with a gently inward curving arched top. Holding fencing is similarly constructed with a mesh top for security.

The Zoolex article is old now. It notes that the male wolf sometimes swims in the pool, but in general it seems like the wolves and beavers are not really "together" - the beavers are restricted to the glass-fronted pool at the front of the exhibit while the wolves are in the area behind. The article also notes the eagle (singular) in the aviary area is a non-flighted bird which I suspect would still be the case.
 
Woah! Wolves are major predators of beavers in the wild. How does this not cause issues?
The habitat is large enough the wolves have their space and the Beavers have theirs. The beavers also have an underwater escape tunnel to get back to their dam if they feel threatened by the wolves.

I did get a picture of the two close together last year. The wolf just did its own thing and the beaver did its own.
20231124_110149.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20231124_110149.jpg
    20231124_110149.jpg
    214.3 KB · Views: 115
I recall when the Greater Vancouver Zoo still had coyotes in its collection, they were at one point housed with at least one American black bear. At another point, the zoo housed an "Arctic" wolf (though how pure her genetics were are unknown to me) with an American black bear too, but I don't believe they were on display to the public.

Also probably worth mentioning the now-defunct Stanley Park Zoo's seal and monkey exhibit:
16435204108_f0beb8d356_b.jpg
 
The bears seem to breed fine.
Not sure about the bison, though. Maybe when a baby buffalo is born, the calf and its mother are sent to a sepparate paddock until the staff believe releasing them back in the exhibit would not result in a bloodbath.

I can confirm that there is a separate set of paddocks off exhibit that seem to be where the mothers and calves are.
 
Back
Top