How does housing work with mixed species enclosures?

[Cobi]

How do zoos separate different species shelters in a mixed species enclosure?

I’m thinking about, for example, the typical kind of mixed South American exhibit with tapirs, capybara, rhea, camelids, mara, giant anteater maybe also manes wolf. How do the indoor shelters work?

Also for mixed African savannah with various ungulates, ostriches, large birds etc.

 

[MOG2012]

How do zoos separate different species shelters in a mixed species enclosure?

I’m thinking about, for example, the typical kind of mixed South American exhibit with tapirs, capybara, rhea, camelids, mara, giant anteater maybe also manes wolf. How do the indoor shelters work?

Also for mixed African savannah with various ungulates, ostriches, large birds etc.

• Zoos typically have flexible holding areas so keepers can separate or mix species if needed. There can be separate stalls with shift gates but some species can be separated vertically (like with birds)
• For the South America mix, there should be enough space for separate stalls but they should be able to alternate.
• the African animals should also have enough space for separate stalls but some of the antelopes can be mixed (depending on the type)

 

[NMM]

Something I have seen in mixed exhibits with rhinos is a series of posts in the ground in front of the zebra/antelope housing. The posts are too close together for the rhinos to pass between them, but the zebra/antelope can.

 

[Brayden Delashmutt]

How do zoos separate different species shelters in a mixed species enclosure?

I’m thinking about, for example, the typical kind of mixed South American exhibit with tapirs, capybara, rhea, camelids, mara, giant anteater maybe also manes wolf. How do the indoor shelters work?

Also for mixed African savannah with various ungulates, ostriches, large birds etc.

Not exactly on point with the question, but the more and more I research it the less I would trust maned wolves in mixed species exhibits with animals like rheas, mara, etc. We now have plenty of records showing that they do indeed hunt pampas deer and rhea more commonly than we thought

 

[Cobi]

I get how you can stop, say a giraffe or rhino get through but how about animals of similar sizes? Would they always be separated in holding areas? If so, how?