Mixed exhibit with gaur and mouse deer

Z

zudzine

New Member
Hi everyone,

I need your views on a mixed exhibit with Gaur (Bos gaurus) and Indian Chevrotain (Moschiola indica). Has anyone had any experience in keeping such differently sized animals together?

I am rather sceptical about keeping such disparate species together as I've heard cases where larger ungulates have attacked small ungulates for no apparent reason, after staying together peacefully for months on end.

Really welcome and appreciate your thoughts on this combination...

Thanks!
 
I would say no, but I am not a fan of keeping animals together "just because we can" when there could plainly be issues. Issues which, if they should arise in this case, would end in the death of the mouse deer.

Keeping, say, sambar and wild pigs together, sure that could be tried. Gaur and mouse deer could turn out badly.
 
I wonder if the size of the enclosure would be a factor? if it was large enough to sub divide with some sort of deer permeable stockade fence, tree trunks or rock work so that the deer could go through to the guar if they so chose, but the guar couldn't get into the deer side.
This could also allow for random rotation through a larger gate if desired.
 
If smaller ungulates have safe areas to retreat, they may be kept with larger species.
In Moscow zoo, sable antelopes are kept with dikdik successfully in outdoor exhibit.
Also it's realized in Hannover and other zoos.
 
Regarding gaur-mousedeer-mix: bad idea. Don't. If you have to mix Gaur with a small Asian ungulate, try a muntjac species (Indian/Reeve's), and offer plenty of retreats.

As for sambar and wild pigs: never underestimate the ferocity of wild pigs. However, deer (in particular males) are no choirboys either when it comes to interspecific aggression.
 
Batto said:
Regarding gaur-mousedeer-mix: bad idea. Don't. If you have to mix Gaur with a small Asian ungulate, try a muntjac species (Indian/Reeve's), and offer plenty of retreats.

As for sambar and wild pigs: never underestimate the ferocity of wild pigs. However, deer (in particular males) are no choirboys either when it comes to interspecific aggression.
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I would be more interested to know how successful zoos have been managing a pig species (ie. wild boar) with a large deer species (ie. red, sambar). As has been mentioned they can both be pretty aggressive. The gaur/mousedeer mix seems a bit pointless and risky for the much smaller and nervy species.
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think it is worth convincing the client that it is not a good idea to keep the gaur and mouse deer together. Though as Dean mentioned it will be a creative challenge to come up with a design using a hidden barrier separating the two species but from the public's perception to make it look like the two are being kept together.

tetrapod said:
I would be more interested to know how successful zoos have been managing a pig species (ie. wild boar) with a large deer species (ie. red, sambar). As has been mentioned they can both be pretty aggressive. The gaur/mousedeer mix seems a bit pointless and risky for the much smaller and nervy species.
Click to expand...

I too am curious to know of experiences of keeping other animals with wild boar. I have a hunch that the client will ask to have a mixed exhibit with wild boar and axis deer, next.

Cheers! :)
 
I'm not really sure what the purpose of mixing the two species would be. I imagine it would be very difficult to see mousedeer in an enclosure large enough to house gaur, and it would probably end up being a grass paddock, which doesn't seem ideal for mousedeer!
 
As for deer & wild pigs: I'm not sure ever having seen European wild boar mixed with any of the European deer species in any exhibit of Europe's many native wildlife parks (unless you count extensive game reserves as "exhibits"), but I found this while googling:
http://www.glenoakzoo.org/WPPHTAG/PPHTAGpdfs/PPH TAG Mixed Sp..pdf

One could also add RRHs & Ankole longhorn (Zoo Duisburg, Zoo Landau). I know, I know, it's not a deer...
 
.....Gaur & Mouse Deer

Walk round any mixed farm and see if there are any pigs in with other hoof stock. Usually not; I wouldn't trust any pig with deer fawns, or anything else small and vulnerable, or potentially edible.
 
@FBBird: regarding "mixed farm": in industrialized countries, on petting zoo farms or public show farms. Certainly not on modern "livestock production systems".
 
My sister-in-law has a small mixed farm in Buckinghamshire with rare breeds, they don't mix pigs with anything! A part from the fact they will eat anything organic from meat to plants, they also dig continually and nothing else would have a chance to graze or even feed. Greedy fat people aren't called pigs for nothing.;)

Put a pig in a palace and it will turn it into a sty.
 
interesting about not mixing pigs. I knew they would eat fawns and such, but I hadn't thought there would be problems with mixing pigs with adult deer for example. I guess that is a perfect example of why people who don't know what they are doing shouldn't be in charge of organising mixed exhibits! :D
 
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